424? HISTORY OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



sons the Jesuit, under a disguised name, had not long 

 before published an express treatise, wherein, whe 

 ther his malice made him believe his own fancies, or 

 whether he thought it the fittest way to move sedi 

 tion, like evil spirits, which seem to foretel the tem 

 pest they mean to move, he laboured to display and 

 give colour to all the vain pretences and dreams of 

 succession which he could imagine ; and thereby had 

 possessed many abroad that knew not the affairs 

 here with those his vanities. Neither wanted there 

 here within this realm, divers persons both wise and 

 well affected, who, though they doubted not of the 

 undoubted right, yet setting before themselves the 

 waves of people s hearts, guided no less by sud 

 den and temporary winds, than by the natural course 

 and motion of the waters, were not without fear 

 what might be the event. For Queen Elizabeth 

 being a princess of extreme caution, and yet one that 

 loved admiration above safety; and knowing the 

 declaration of a successor might in point of safety 

 be disputable, but in point of admiration and respect 

 assuredly to her disadvantage ; had, from the be 

 ginning, set it down for a maxim of estate, to impose 

 a silence touching succession. Neither was it only 

 reserved as a secret of estate, but restrained by se 

 vere laws, that no man should presume to give opi 

 nion, or maintain argument touching the same : so, 

 though the evidence of right drew all the subjects of 

 the land to think one thing ; yet the fear of danger 

 of law made no man privy to other s thought. And 

 therefore it rejoiced all men to see so fair a morning 



