228 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 43. foreseen that Leicester would be rejected. ' I think/ he said, writing on the 26th of November to Sir Thomas Smith, ' that no marriage is more likely to succeed than , if it may come from them.' The name omitted was doubtless Darnley's. De Silva, in describing the conference to Philip, said that the English commissioners had given the Scots the alterna- tive of Leicester, Norfolk, or Darnley. 1 Of Norfolk at that time there had been little mention or none. Darn- ley perhaps Elizabeth would have consented to allow if the Queen of Scots would ask for him ; for in giving way to Mary Stuart's wishes she could have accompanied her consent with restrictions which would render the marriage innocuous ; while the Queen of Scots on the other side would have accepted Darnley had Elizabeth offered him for Elizabeth would have been unable to shackle her own proposal with troublesome stipulations. No matter what promises Elizabeth might make, no matter to what engagements she might bind herself, the Queen of Scots had long resolved to agree to nothing which would alienate the Catholics. As Maitland had told the Bishop of Aquila, she could have no confidence that any engagement would be observed unless she was supported by a force independent of Elizabeth ; and if she married Darnley it was necessary for her to keep unimpaired her connection with the party of insurrec- tion, and with the foreign Catholic powers. Xhus neither side would be the first to mention Dam- 1 De Silva to Philip, December 18 : MS, Simancas.
