al
project. Meantime, by way of intimidation, she appointed the earl of
Bedford to the lieutenancy of the four northern counties, and the
powerful earl of Shrewsbury to that of several adjoining ones, and
ordered a considerable levy of troops in these parts for the
reinforcement of the garrison of Berwick and the protection of the
English border, on which she affected to dread an attack by an united
French and Scottish force.

Randolph soon after received instructions to express openly to Mary his
sovereign's dislike of her matching either with the archduke or with any
other foreign prince, and her wish that she would choose a husband
within the island; and he was next empowered to add, that if the
Scottish queen would gratify his mistress in this point, she need not
doubt of obtaining a public recognition of her right of succession to
the English crown. Elizabeth afterwards came nearer to the point; she
designated lord Robert Dudley as the individual on whom she desired that
the choice of her royal kinswoman should fall. By a queen-dowager of
France, and a queen-regnant of Scotland, the proposal of so inferior an
alliance might almost be regarded as an insult, and Mary was naturally
haughty; but her hopes and fears compelled her to dissemble her
indignation, and even to affect to take the matter into consideration.
She trusted that pretexts might be found hereafter for evading the
completion of the marriage, even if the queen of England were sincere in
desiring such an advancement for her favorite, which was much doubted,
and she determined for the present to show herself docile to all the
suggestions of her royal sister, and to preserve the good understanding
on her part unbroken.

It was during the continuance of this state of apparent amity between
the rival queens, that Elizabeth thought proper to visit with tokens of
her displeasure the leaders in an attempt to establish the title of the
Suffolk line, which still found adherents of some importance.

John Hales, clerk of the hanaper, a learned and able man, and, like all
who espoused this party, a zealous protestant, had written, and secretly
circulated, a book in defence of the claims of the lady Catherine, and
he had also procured opinions of foreign lawyers in favor of the
validity of her marriage. For one or both of these offences he was
committed to the Fleet prison, and the secretary was soon after
commanded to examine thoroughly into the business, and lea