1578.] THE ALENCON MARRIAGE. 435 May first use which should be made of the new loan was to repay her with interest the 40,000^ which she had originally lent them. 1 Evidently she wished them to yield on the point, to her so indifferent, of liberty of wor ship. While she maintained the Act of Uniformity at home, it was impossible for her to demand toleration from Philip : and the continuance of the war was an ever- present and complicated danger. France was hanging between two policies, undetermined whether to annex the Netherlands and seek a war with Spain, or go with Spain in the interests of religion, and call on England to return to conformity. Alen^on, resenting the abrupt- ness with which he had been dropped by Elizabeth, was ready for any plan or scheme which promised an opening to his ambition. The Queen-mother suggested a marriage for him with a Spanish princess ' to check the greatness of the houses of G-uise and Bourbon/ The Duke of Guise tempted him into a confederacy with himself, to make a party in Scotland, seize Edin- burgh and Dumbarton Castles, bring the young King to Paris, and demand the liberation of Mary Stuart. 2 29 1 Burghley to "Walsingham, July 1578: MSS. Holland. 2 ' Les forces estrangeres, quelque grandcs qu'elles soient, leur pourront peu nuyre sans 1'Escosse. C'est pourquoy ilz font tous lours efforts de la rcmectre s'il est possible a leur devotion ; et de mesmes si messieurs mes parens MM. d'Alencon et de Guyse esperent quelque fruict de leur desseing dont m'avez escript et sont rcsoluz d'en. venir a 1' execution, il leur est tres necessaire de haster en toute diligence le secours qu'ilz de- liberent d'y envoyer, affin de saisir les premiers de la personne de mon filz et des places fortes,' &c. Mary Stuart to the Archbishop of Glasgow, May 9; and again September 15:
- Je priray Ire's affectueusement M.
