ligion she found
existing in the realm. Such a toleration was little likely to satisfy
the more fanatical among the ministers; but even Knox was content with
her promise "to hear the preaching," and brought his brethren to a
conclusion, as "she might be won," "to suffer her for a time." If the
preachers indeed maintained that the Queen's liberty of worship "should
be their thraldom," the bulk of the nation was content with Mary's
acceptance of the religious state of the realm. Nor was it distasteful
to the secular leaders of the reforming party. The Protestant Lords
preferred their imperfect work to the more complete reformation which
Knox and his fellows called for. They had no mind to adopt the whole
Calvinistic system. They had adopted the Genevan Confession of Faith;
but they rejected a book of discipline which would have organized the
Church on the Huguenot model. All demands for restitution of the church
property which they were pillaging they set aside as a "fond
imagination." The new ministers remained poor and dependent, while noble
after noble was hanging an abbot to seize his estates in forfeiture, or
roasting a commendator to wring from him a grant of abbey-lands in fee.

[Sidenote: Mary and Elizabeth.]

The attitude of the Lords favoured the Queen's designs. She was in
effect bartering her toleration of their religion in exchange for her
reception in Scotland and for their support of her claim to be named
Elizabeth's successor. With Mary's landing at Leith the position of the
English Queen had suddenly changed. Her work seemed utterly undone. The
national unity for which she was struggling was broken. The presence of
Mary woke the party of the old faith to fresh hopes and a fresh
activity, while it roused a fresh fear and fanaticism in the party of
the new. Scotland, where Elizabeth's influence had seemed supreme, was
struck from her hands. Not only was it no longer a support; it was again
a danger; for loyalty, national pride, a just and statesmanlike longing
for union with England, united her northern subjects round the Scottish
Queen in her claim to be recognized as Elizabeth's successor, and even
Murray counted on Elizabeth's consent to this claim to bring Mary into
full harmony with his policy, and to preserve the alliance between
England and Scotland. But the question of the succession, like the
question of her marriage, was with Elizabeth a question of life and
death. Her wedding with a Catholic or