It  appears  that  the  conspirators,  in  Scotland  are  largely  out-
numbered by  their  opponents,  and  people  who  are  best  able  to
judge  of  the  matter  say  that  the  reason  no  demonstration  is  made
is  to  avoid  giving  this  Queen  an  excuse  for  interfering  by  force  in
favour  of  the  conspirators,  which  would  turn  the  scale  and  make
the  conspirators  the  stronger  party.  They  are  also  afraid  of
driving  the  conspirators  to  desperation,  which  might  force  them  to
kill  the  King  and  upset  everything.  Parliament  there  had  been
prorogued  until  the  1st  January,  as  the  conspirators  had  refused  to
summon  it.  Catholics  here  tell  me  that  although  they  are  assured
by  your  Majesty's  gracious  message  through  me  that  your  Majesty
favoured  their  desire  for  an  English  Cardinal  to  be  appointed,
the  Scotch  revolution  was  bringing  home  to  them  strongly  the
inconvenience  of,  there  being  no  leader  or  head  for  them  to  look  to
here,  and  they  therefore  wished  again  to  approach  your  Majesty
through  me,  to  beg  that  you  would  not  lose  sight  of  their  petition,
but  would  forward  the  selection  of  some  such  person  as  they
desire,  as  it  would  be  a  great  alleviation  to  the  persecution  with
which  they  are  afflicted.  I  see  that  not  they  alone,  but  even  the
Protestant  adherents  of  the  queen  of  Scotland  are  much,  confused,
as  they  cannot  correspond  with  her,  and  her  son  is  a  prisoner.
They  are  badly  in  want  of  a  head  to  whom  they  could  look,  and
with  whom  they  might  take  counsel  as  to  the  best  menna  of  saving
the  life  of  the  mother  and  son.  They  also  beg  me  most  earnestly
to  convey  the  same  to  the  Pope,  I  have  written  to  Count  de
Olivares  about  it. — London,  1st  November  1582.
