e had some motives of interest for feigning a displeasure
on the present occasion. It served her as a pretence for refusing to
acknowledge Mary's title to the succession of England; a point to which,
for good reasons, she was determined never to consent. And it was
useful to her for a purpose still more unfriendly and dangerous, for
encouraging the discontents and rebellion of the Scottish nobility and
ecclesiastics.[*]

Nothing can be more unhappy for a people than to be governed by a
sovereign attached to a religion different from the established; and
it is scarcely possible that mutual confidence can ever, in such a
situation, have place between the prince and his subjects. Mary's
conduct had been hitherto in every respect unexceptionable, and even
laudable; yet had she not made such progress in acquiring popularity,
as might have been expected from her gracious deportment and agreeable
accomplishments. Suspicions every moment prevailed on account of her
attachment to the Catholic faith, and especially to her uncles, the open
and avowed promoters of the scheme for exterminating the professors of
the reformed religion throughout all Europe. She still refused to ratify
the acts of parliament which had established the reformation; she made
attempts for restoring to the Catholic bishops some part of their civil
jurisdiction;[**] and she wrote a letter to the council of Trent, in
which, besides professing her attachment to the Catholic faith, she took
notice of her title to succeed to the crown of England, and expressed
her hopes of being able, in some period, to bring back all her dominions
to the bosom of the church.[***] The zealots among the Protestants were
not wanting, in their turn, to exercise their insolence against her,
which tended still more to alienate her from their faith. A law was
enacted, making it capital, on the very first offence, to say mass any
where, except in the queen's chapel;[****] and it was with difficulty
that even this small indulgence was granted her: the general assembly
importuned her anew to change her religion; to renounce the blasphemous
idolatry of the mass, with the tyranny of the Roman Antichrist; and to
embrace the true religion of Christ Jesus.[v]

* Keith, p. 290.

** Spotswood, p. 198.

*** Father Paul, lib. vii.

**** Keith, p. 268.

v Keith, p, 545. Knox. p. 374.

As she answered in temper, that she was not yet convinced of the falsity
of her