296 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 65. barton, aud to hold themselves prepared to move wheu the opportunity returned. James himself contrived to send him a letter assuring him of his constant affection, promising to receive him again when he was out of Gowrie's hands, but mean- while begging him, 1 for his own sake, to leave Scotland. Arran gave the same advice. Until Lennox went, he said, the King's life was in danger. Permission was sent to him to pass through England, and an intimation that Elizabeth would see him on his passage through London, and by the end of December he was gone. Elizabeth regarded his departure as the victory of her own diplomacy. Sir Robert Bowes, who understood how wildly she was deceiving herself, made another effort on behalf of Growrie and Angus. 'I wait/ he said, ' to see what will be done towards the support of the Lords and their contentment, without which the King and this realm will not be kept long in this course, wherein if they again slide and fall I shall utterly despair of their recovery. The offer of them is once more presented frankly to her Majesty, who at some charge may have them. If we will needs save our 1 ' I inquired of the Master of Livingstone the cause of the Duke's departure. He answered the Duke mistrusted not his power nor did he doubt of the King's good-will, but the King mistrusted very much his own life so long as the Duke con- tinued in Scotland, being sharply threatened by the Lords that if he would not cause the Duke to depart lie should not be the longest liver of them all. The Duke therefore at the private and special request of the King departed, nothing less as- sured of his Majesty's favour. Arran wrote to the King that unless the Duke departed there could be no surety for bis life nor peace tor the country.' to Walsingham, Jan- nary 5, 1583 : MSS. Scotland.
