I told him then, as gently as I could (interlarding all with a great
many compliments) that His Holiness was anxious that matters should not
go too fast; that there was still a great deal of disaffection in
England, and that, though the pendulum had swung it would surely swing
back again, though, please God! never so far as it had been; and that
meantime a great deal of caution should be used. For example, it was a
wonderful thing that His Royal Highness should be Lord High Admiral of
the Fleet again; but that great care should be observed lest the people
should be frightened that a Papist should have the guarding of them; or
again, that the Test Act should be set aside in His Royal Highness'
case, yet the exception should not be pressed too far. All this my Lord
Cardinal Howard had expressly told me; but there was one yet more
difficult matter to speak of; and this I reserved for the moment.

"Well," said the Duke, when I had got so far, "I am obliged to His
Holiness for his solicitude; and I shall give the advice my closest
attention. Was there anything more, Mr. Mallock?"

He had received it, I thought, with unusual humility; so I made haste to
bring out the last of what I had to say.

"There is no more, Sir," I said, "in substance. There was only that His
Eminence thought perhaps that the extraordinary courage and fervour of
Your Royal Highness' Jesuit advisers led them to neglect discretion a
little."

"Ah! His Eminence thought that, did he?" said James meditatively.

His Eminence had said it a great deal more strongly than that; but I
dared not put it as he had.

"Yes, Sir," I said. "They are largely under French influence; and French
circumstances are not at all as in England. The Society is a little apt
at present--"

Then the Duke lost his self-command; and his heavy face lightened with a
kind of anger.

"Mr. Mallock," he said, "you have said enough. I do not blame you at
all; but His Eminence (with all possible respect to him!) does not know
what he is talking about. These good Fathers have imperilled their lives
for England; if any have a right to speak, it is they; and I would
sooner listen to their counsel than to all the Cardinals in Christendom.
They know England, as Rome cannot; and, while I allow myself to be led
by the nose by no man living, I would sooner do what they advise than
what a Roman Cardinal advises. It is not by subtlety or plotting that
the Faith will be commended in this coun