314 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [en. 44. del-take to enter into no foreign alliance prejudicial to English interests, and she might yet regain the confid- ence of her true friends. Had Tamworth's instructions gone no further they would have been useless without being mischievous ; but a fijjjJTgrjriPHsagft hftf.rnyprl fh which Elizabeth was yielding. A fortnight previously she had required the Queen of Scots to abandon her own creed ; she now condescended to entreat that if her other requests were rejected the Scotch Protestants might at least be permitted to use their own religion without molestation. 1 She might have frightened Mary by a demonstration of force as prompt as her own. To show that she saw through her schemes, yet at the same time that she dared not venture beyond a feeble and hesitating protest, could but make the Queen of Scots desperate of further concealment, and encourage her to go forward more fearlessly than ever. ' Mary Stuart/ when Tamworth came into her pre- sence, ' gave him words that bit to the quick/ To the Queen of England's suspicions she said she would reply with her ' own lawful demands.' ' The Queen of Eng- land spoke of imaginations and fancies;' 'she was sorry her good sister thought so disdainfully of her as she would meddle with simple devices. If things went so that she was driven to extremities and practices, she would make it appear to the world that her devices were not to be set at so small a price/ Playing on 1 Instructions to Turn worth, August I : MS. lioils House.
