-338 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [en. 44. them into enthusiasm through their patriotism ; but Elizabeth disappointed eqmjllyJbQth her enemies and her friends ; she would give no excuse to the Queen of Scots to complain that England had broken the peace. The ' few hundreds ' with whose assistance the lords under- took to drive their sovereign back to Edinburgh were not forthcoming ; the army more than half promised to Melville was a mere illusion ; and Bedford was confined by his orders to Carlisle, where he was allowed only to receive Murray and his party as fugitives : they had now therefore no resource except to retreat into Eng- land ; the Queen of Scots following in hot pursuit, glared across the frontier at her escaping prey, half tempted to follow them and annihilate the petty guard of the Eng- lish commander : l but prudence for once prevailed ; she 1 halted and drew back. So ended the insurrection which had been^ under- , taken at Elizabeth's instigatipnjjind mainly in Eliza- beth's interests. Having failed to prevent the catas- trophe she would gladly now have heard no more of it ;: but she was not to escape so easily. Even among her own subjects there were some who dared to speak unpalatable truths to her. Bedford, who had been sent to the north with an army which he believed that he was to lead to Edinburgh, wrote in plain, stern terms to the Queen herself ' that the lords, in reliance upon her Majesty's promise, had stood out against their sovereign, and now 1 ',A few hundred men would have kept all right. , I fear they she had used, and we are all unpro- vided.' Bedford to Cecil, October vill break with us from words which ! 13 : Scotch MS 8. Rolls Home.
