246 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 65. the treaty of Leith must be confirmed. She must abandon for herself and her son their pretensions to the English crown during Elizabeth's life ; Elizabeth bind- ing herself on her side not to interfere with the Queen of Scots' prospective rights. She thus, as before the dis- covery of the N orfolk conspiracy, held the strings in her hands of two separate negotiations. There was a pro- mising plan for a revolution. There was the treaty on which she could fall back if the revolution came to no- thing. With one hand therefore she was writing letters to London, to Paris, and to Edinburgh ; she was corre- sponding with Mendoza ; she was directing Lennox ; she was communicating with the Archbishop of Glas- gow, with the Pope, the Duke of Guise, and the Jesuits ; she was the soul of the conspiracy, ordering and guid- ing everything. 1 With the other she was playing with Elizabeth ; manoeuvring to escape committing herself by writing, while she obtained, as a result of her more amicable relations with the English Government, the removal of restrictions which had embarrassed the movements of her messengers. 2 1 ' La Reyna virtualmente go- bierna estas matcrias . . . . es vir- tualmente ella la que mueve la guerra, sin cuyo parecer y consenti- micnto el de Lennox y los demas no quieren tratar de nada.' Mendoza al Rey, i Avril, 1582 : MSS. Si- mancas. 3 Elizabeth required a promise from her, either in writing or by word of mouth to Lord Shrews- bury, that while the treaty was in progress she would meddle no further in Scotland. She preferred the verbal promise as more easy to escape from. ' Sur ce d'aultant que par escript de main ou signe d'icelle je demeurerois plus obligee a. 1'ob- servation des dictes promesses qui se pourroient estendre bien loing, n'estant que generales, j'ai advise pour ne me laisser surprendre de les confirmer seulement de bouche au Contede Shrewsbury.' Mary Stuart
