S72-] THE DUKE OF NORFOLK. 37 So the poor Catholics pleaded, to little purpose. Philip was willing to help them, but allowed himself to be guided by Alva; and Alva had not the slightest confidence in men who talked as if England was at their devotion, yet were unable to set foot upon its soil un- less escorted by an army of strangers. It was uni- versally believed that the Queen of Scots would now be executed; and Spain would not move to save her. The appeals of the Archbishop of Glasgow to Charles and Catherine were equally in vain. Mary Stuart's head would be a cheap price for the English alliance, 1 vernraent of England is changed. Cecil would have had open war with us had not others on the council prevented him. He seized the trea- sure to drive our army into mutiny for want of their pay l para incom- modar quanto fuese posible el paga- mento del ejercito a Flandes.' He encourages the pirates in plundering our commerce. He has turned the restitution treaty to smoke, and he is now at work at an alliance with France. Cecil rules everything. The council, part of them, have good intentions, but they are with- out power. The Queen is weak and timid. She dare not rule her coun- cil. The council rules her, and Cecil rules the council. They in- sult our ministers ; they practise with our rebels ; and his Majesty has so long borne with their injuries that they believe now that he dare not or cannot resist them. His Ma- jesty is bound to rouse himself. His interest requires that the Govern- ment of England be in friendly, and if possible, in Catholic hands; for the Catholics will hold France in check and cease to trouble Flanders. The arrest of Norfolk and the other Lords may make the difficulty greater, but if the Duke lives things will remain as they are. If they kill him, he has a son who is grow- ing to manhood, and the others are too numerous to be made away with. Plymouth may be taken and forti- fied at any moment, and the King has but to say the word for Ireland to revolt.' Memoir forwarded by Don Guerau, February 8: MSS. Simancas. 1 ' En estos ' (the King and his Queen-mother) ' no halla el dicho Embajador amparo ny asistencia al- guna, aunque le dan mil esperanzas, pero todo son mentiras, dandole a entender no solamente que pro- veeran esto y otro, pero que lo han a proveydo y halla ser todo falso, y ya no sabe que hacerse.' Secretario
