opinion to the necessity of his affairs, and should
believe that party to have the best arguments, who could alone put him
in possession of a kingdom. All circumstances, therefore, being prepared
for this great event, that monarch renounced the Protestant religion,
and was solemnly received by the French prelates of his party into the
bosom of the church.

Elizabeth, who was herself attached to the Protestants chiefly by her
interests and the circumstances of her birth, and who seems to have
entertained some propensity during her whole life to the Catholic
superstition, at least to the ancient ceremonies, yet pretended to be
extremely displeased with this abjuration of Henry; and she wrote him
an angry letter, reproaching him with this interested change of his
religion. Sensible however, that the league and the king of Spain were
still their common enemies, she hearkened to his apologies; continued
her succors both of men and money; and formed a new treaty, in which
they mutually stipulated never to make peace but by common agreement.

The intrigues of Spain were not limited to France and England: by means
of the never-failing pretence of religion, joined to the influence of
money, Philip excited new disorders in Scotland, and gave fresh alarms
to Elizabeth. George Ker, brother to Lord Newbottle, had been taken
while he was passing secretly into Spain; and papers were found about
him, by which a dangerous conspiracy of some Catholic noblemen with
Philip was discovered. The earls of Angus, Errol, and Huntley, the
heads of three potent families, had entered into a confederacy with the
Spanish monarch; and had stipulated to raise all their forces; to join
them to a body of Spanish troops which Philip promised to send into
Scotland; and after reestablishing the Catholic religion in that
kingdom, to march with their united power in order to effect the same
purpose in England.[*] Graham of Fintry, who had also entered into this
conspiracy, was taken, and arraigned, and executed. Elizabeth sent Lord
Borough ambassador into Scotland, and exhorted the king to exercise the
same severity on the three earls, to confiscate their estates, and by
annexing them to the crown, both increase his own demesnes, and set
an example to all his subjects of the dangers attending treason and
rebellion. The advice was certainly rational, but not easy to be
executed by the small revenue and limited authority of James. He
desired, therefore, some s