404 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 66. thankfulness, she allowed "Walsingham to tell St Alde- gonde that ' Spain was revengeful ; ' that no safety was ' to be looked for that way,' and that sooner than ' they should come to an accord with Spain/ she would recon- sider the possibility of assisting them. 1 1584. Her own danger was still most imminent; January. an y moril j n g might find Guise upon the coast, and swarms of French pouring into Kent or Sussex. Stafford reported from Paris that there had been another consultation at the house of the Nuncio ; that Guise was present, and that the conspirators had separated in high spirits and full of hope and enthusiasm. The King of Scots, they were satisfied, was for them : the Earl of Shrewsbury, they believed, was Catholic at heart, and would protect Mary Stuart ; and very soon they looked to have 'beau jeu' in England. 2 The English council was divided in opinion : Wal- singham, as usual, was for the straight course an open alliance with Orange and the Scotch Protestants. Others were for making terms with James only. Conditions were sketched out which James 'would have liked well, by reason they were a direct answer and good ' to all his demands. Archibald Douglas, who was in London in James's interests, was bidden to prepare to go down to Scotland and tell his master that the Queen was will- ing to recognize him. 3 ' This resolution continued hot 1 Instructions for Ed. Burnam, November 13 23 : MSS. Holland. 2 Stafford to Walsingham, J anu- ary, 8-18, 1584 : MSS. France. 3 MS. endorsed by Burghley. ' Copy of Archibald Douglas's letter to Scotland,' January 23 February 2 : MSS. Scotland.
