rting-point for his attack on
Protestantism in the West. With Elizabeth, indeed, or her cautious and
moderate Lutheranism Philip had as yet little will to meddle, however
hotly Rome might urge him to attack her. He knew that the Calvinism of
the Netherlands looked for support to the Calvinism of France; and as
soon as Alva's work was done in the Low Countries the Duke had orders to
aid the Guises in assailing the Huguenots. But the terror of the
Huguenots precipitated the strife, and while Alva was still busy with
attacks from the patriots under the princes of the house of Orange a
fresh rising in France woke the civil war at the close of 1567.
Catharine lulled this strife for the moment by a new edict of
toleration; but the presence of Alva was stirring hopes and fears in
other lands than France. Between Mary Stuart and the lords who had
imprisoned her in Lochleven reconciliation was impossible. Elizabeth,
once lightened of her dread from Mary, would have been content with a
restoration of Murray's actual supremacy. Already alarmed by Calvinistic
revolt against monarchy in France, she was still more alarmed by the
success of Calvinistic revolt against monarchy in Scotland; and the
presence of Alva in the Netherlands made her anxious above all to settle
the troubles in the north and to devise some terms of reconciliation
between Mary and her subjects. But it was in vain that she demanded the
release of the Queen. The Scotch Protestants, with Knox at their head,
called loudly for Mary's death, as a murderess. If the lords shrank from
such extremities, they had no mind to set her free and to risk their
heads for Elizabeth's pleasure. As the price of her life they forced
Mary to resign her crown in favour of her child, and to name Murray, who
was now returning from France, as regent during his minority. In July
1567 the babe was solemnly crowned as James the Sixth.

[Sidenote: Langside.]

But Mary had only consented to abdicate because she felt sure of escape.
With an infant king the regency of Murray promised to be a virtual
sovereignty; and the old factions of Scotland woke again into life. The
house of Hamilton, which stood next in succession to the throne, became
the centre of a secret league which gathered to it the nobles and
prelates who longed for the re-establishment of Catholicism, and who saw
in Alva's triumph a pledge of their own. The regent's difficulties were
doubled by the policy of Elizabeth. Her wrath at