to be seen
speaking to her. But in reply to Mary's derogatory treatment, the
young lords, knights, and gentlemen gathered ostentatiously round the
princess when she rode abroad, or thronged the levees at her house;
old-established statesmen said, in Renard's ear, that, let the queen
decide as she would, no foreigner should reign in England; and Lord
Arundel believed that Elizabeth's foot was already on the steps of the
throne. A large and fast-growing party, which included more than one
member of the Privy Council, were now beginning to consider, as the
best escape from Philip, that Courtenay had better fly from the court,
taking Elizabeth with him--call round him in their joint names all who
would strike with him for English independence, and proclaim the queen
deposed.

[Footnote 176: "Elle l'a faict quelquefois aller
apres la Comtesse de Lennox, que l'on appelle icy
Madame Marguerite, et Madame Francoise, qu'est la
susdicte Duchesse de Suffolk."--Noailles to the
King of France, November 30.]

There was uncertainty about Elizabeth herself; both Noailles and
Renard believed that she would consent to this dangerous proposal; but
she had shown Courtenay, hitherto, no sign of favour; while Courtenay,
on his side, complained that he was frightened by her haughty ways.
Again there was a serious difficulty in Courtenay's character; he was
too cowardly for a dangerous enterprise, too incapable for an
intricate one, and his weak humour made men afraid to trust themselves
to a person who, to save himself, might at any moment betray them.
Noailles, however, said emphatically that, were Courtenay anything but
what he was, his success would be certain.[177]

[Footnote 177: Noailles to the King of France,
December 6.]

The plot grew steadily into definite form. Devonshire and Cornwall
were prepared for insurrection, and thither, as to the stronghold of
the Courtenay family, Elizabeth was to be first carried. Meantime the
ferment of popular feeling showed in alarming symptoms through the
surface. The council were in continual quarrel. Parliament, since the
rebuff of the Speaker, had not grown more tractable, and awkward
questions began to be asked about a provision for the married clergy.
All had been already gained which could be hoped for from the present
House of Commons; and, on the 6th of De