ASHRIDGE 103 



jailors, wrote of Elizabeth that "her amiable qualifi- 

 cations every day drew the attention of the young 

 nobility and rendered her universally popular ; the 

 malevolence of the vindictive Queen still increased. 

 The Princess therefore thought it most prudent to 

 leave Court, and before the beginning of 1554 

 retired to her house at Ashridge in Hertford- 

 shire." This retirement did not give Elizabeth 

 the peace she desired ; her footsteps, and even 

 those of her servants, were constantly dogged by 

 spies. The life of sport and country pleasure which 

 she loved was denied her, as well as her studies 

 with Ascham. New matrimonial schemes were 

 suggested to her day by day, only to be warded 

 off with some vain excuse in the marvellously 

 evasive manner so early adopted by Elizabeth in 

 any difficulty. 



The idea of Mary's Spanish marriage had excited 

 great indignation amongst the English people, who 

 saw the dawn of Roman Catholic power already 

 creeping over the land, especially as the Act which 

 had declared the Queen legitimate had not done the 

 same by Protestant Elizabeth, whom Mary refused 

 to acknowledge as her heir. This and many other 

 signs of the times roused the nation to the point 

 of rebellion, and in different parts of England 

 simultaneous risings were planned. That in Kent 

 was headed by Sir Thomas Wyatt. The plan was 

 to put Elizabeth upon the throne, after marrying 



