h of her forces the Lords withdrew from Edinburgh to the
west. At the end of August two thousand French soldiers landed at Leith,
as the advance guard of the promised forces, and entrenched themselves
strongly. It was in vain that the Lords again appeared in the field,
demanded the withdrawal of the foreigners, and threatened Mary of Guise
that as she would no longer hold them for her counsellors "we also will
no longer acknowledge you as our Regent." They were ordered to disperse
as traitors, beaten off from the fortifications of Leith, and attacked
by the French troops in Fife itself.

[Sidenote: Elizabeth's action.]

The Lords called loudly for aid from the English Queen. To give such
assistance would have seemed impossible but twelve months back. But the
appeal of the Scots found a different England from that which had met
Elizabeth on her accession. The Queen's diplomacy had gained her a year,
and her matchless activity had used the year to good purpose. Order was
restored throughout England, the Church was reorganized, the debts of
the Crown were in part paid off, the treasury was recruited, a navy
created, and a force made ready for action in the north. Neither
religiously nor politically indeed had Elizabeth any sympathy with the
Scotch Lords. Knox was to her simply a firebrand of rebellion; her
political instinct shrank from the Scotch Calvinism with its protest
against the whole English system of government, whether in Church or
State; and as a Queen she hated revolt. But the danger forced her hand.
Elizabeth was ready to act, and to act even in the defiance of France.
As yet she stood almost alone in her self-reliance. Spain believed her
ruin to be certain. Her challenge would bring war with France, and in a
war with France the Spanish statesmen held that only their master's
intervention could save her. "For our own sake," said one of Philip's
ministers, "we must take as much care of England as of the Low
Countries." But that such a care would be needed Granvelle never
doubted; and Philip's councillors solemnly debated whether it might not
be well to avoid the risk of a European struggle by landing the six
thousand men whom Philip was now withdrawing from the Netherlands on the
English shore, and coercing Elizabeth into quietness. France meanwhile
despised her chances. Her very Council was in despair. The one minister
in whom she dared to confide throughout these Scotch negotiations was
Cecil, the youngest a