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CHAP VIII

1564 March

Some truth there doubtless was in this account of the state of English feeling; yet Throgmorton could scarcely have felt the confidence which he expressed. The disaffection of the Catholics was but too notorious, although Philip had embarrassed their action by forbidding them to look to France for assistance.

The loyalty or disloyalty of the English people however did not touch the immediate question. Beyond the hundred and twenty thousand crowns the French offer would not rise. Throgmorton wrote home for instructions, and the proposal was met in the spirit which usually characterized Elizabeth's money transactions.

The Queen replied with directing the ambassadors to demand four hundred thousand crowns; if the French refused, she said that they might descend to three hundred thousand, and must protest that they had no power to go lower; if there was no hope of obtaining three hundred thousand, they must do their uttermost to make the sum not less than two hundred thousand.'

These instructions were delivered in the usual form to the state messenger Somers, and appeared to be an ultimatum; but Somers carried with him a second sealed packet which he was not to deliver except at the last extremity. The ambassadors were to be able to say with a clear conscience that they had no authority to accept less than the two hundred thousand; yet sooner than let the chance of peace escape, they were to be allowed at the last extremity to take whatever Catherine de Medici would give.

The French Court was at Troyes when Somers arrived. Smith and Throgmorton who had been employed hitherto as rivals--each informed of but half the truth, and intrusted with information which had been concealed from the other-were united at last in a common humilia

1564

April

have the

tion. With the first despatch in his hand Sir Thomas CHAP VIII Smith repaired to the Queen-mother, and descended his scale so far as he then knew that his powers extended. Catherine replied shortly that the recovery of Havre had cost France two millions of gold; on the sum to be The French paid to Elizabeth she had not bargained and huckstered best of the and altered her terms as the English had done; she bargain. had fixed in her own mind at first what she would give; and she would give that or nothing.' She intended to leave Troyes the following morning. If not accepted in the mean time the offer would be withdrawn.

With this answer Smith returned to his brother ambassador. They were looking blankly in each other's faces when Somers produced his second letter. The seal was broken. They found themselves permitted to consent; and they sent a message to Bourdin, Catherine's secretary, begging him to come to them. Their tempers were not improved by the position in which Elizabeth had placed them; and while waiting for Bourdin's arrival each laid on the other the blame of their bad success. Throgmorton'chafed and fumed,' detested and execrated himself;' and then accused his companion of having betrayed to the Queen-mother the secret of the second commission. Smith protested that he could not have betrayed what he did not know; but five years of 'practice' and conspiracy were ending in shame; and Sir Nicholas could not bear it and was unreasonable. Sir Thomas Smith himself describes the scene.

"I tell the Queen-mother!" quoth I. "Why or Smith and how should I tell her ?"

"Thou liest!" said Throgmorton, "like a whoreson traitor as thou art!"

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"A whoreson traitor! Nay, thou liest!" quoth I.

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Throgmorton.

CHAP VIII" I am as true to the Queen's majesty as thou, every 1564 day in the week, and have done and do her Highness as April good service as thou."

The Peace

'Hereupon Sir Nicholas drew his dagger, and poured out such terms as his malicious and furious rage had in store; and called me "arrant knave," "beggarly knave," "traitor," and other such injuries as came next to hand out of his good store.

'I drew my dagger also. Mr. Somers stepped between us; but as he pressed with his dagger to come near me, I bade him stand back and not come no nearer to me, or I would cause him stand back, and give him such a mark as his Bedlam furious head did deserve.'1

To such a pass had two honest men been brought by Elizabeth's bargain-driving. Throgmorton felt the wound most deeply, as the person chiefly answerable for the French policy. He had offered to lie in prison for a year rather than the enemy should have their will.' To rouse the Queen to fierceness he had quoted the French proverb, that if she made herself a sheep the wolf would devour her; and it ended in his being compelled at last to haggle like a cheating shopkeeper, and to fail.

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The ruffled humours cooled at last; and when quiet of Troyes. was restored Smith proposed one more attempt to traffic;' but Sir Nicholas would not give Catherine any further triumph; Bourdin came, and the Peace of Troyes was arranged.

The terms were simple. Complicated claims and rights on both sides were reserved; the Treaty of Cambray was neither acknowledged nor declared void; the French

1 Smith to Cecil, April 13.-French MSS. Rolls House.
2Si tu te fais ung mouton le loup te mangera.'

1564

April

hostages were to be released from England; the French CHAP VIII Government undertook to pay for them the hundred and twenty thousand crowns; and free trade was to be allowed between the subjects of both sovereigns in all parts of their respective dominions.' The unfortunate war was at an end. Elizabeth was obliged to bear graciously with the times; and her bitterness was reserved for the Prince of Condé. From him she charged Smith to demand instant repayment of the loan which she had advanced to him in his hour of difficulty. 'We mean not,' she said, 'to be so deluded as both to forbear, our money, and to have had at this time no friendship by his means in the conclusion of the peace.' 2

to murder

Elizabeth.

The peace itself came not an hour too soon. Scarcely was it signed than news came from Italy that the Sacred College had repented of their first honest answer to the English Catholics who had asked leave to attend the established services. It had been decided in secret Catholic council to permit Catholics in disguise to hold benefices conspiracies in England, to take the oaths of allegiance, and to serve Holy Church in the camp of the of the enemy. 'Remission of sin to them and their heirs-with annuities, honours, and promotions,' was offered to any cook, brewer, baker, vintner, physician, grocer, surgeon, or other who would make away with the Queen;' the curse of God and his vicar was threatened against all those who would not promote and assist by money or otherwise the pretences of the Queen of Scots to the English crown ;'3 the court of Rome, once illustrious as the citadel of the

1 Peace of Troyes.-RYMER.

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2 Elizabeth to Sir T. Smith, May 2.-French MSS. Rolls House. Report of E. Dennum, April 13, 1564.-STRYPE'S Annals of Elizabeth, vol. i. part 2, p. 54.

CHAP VIII Saints, was given over to Jesuitism and the devil; and the Papal fanatics in England began to weave their endless web of conspiracy-aiming amidst a thousand variations at the heart of Queen Elizabeth.

1564 May

Defenceless

condition of

The ruffle with France sunk speedily into calm. The ratifications were promptly exchanged. Lord Hunsdon went to France, taking with him the Garter for the young King. M. de Gonor and the Bishop of Constance came to England; and an attempt not very successful was made to show them in their reception that England was better defended than they supposed. In January, when French invasion was thought likely, Archbishop Parker had reported 'Dover, Walmer, and Deal as forsaken and unregarded for any provision;' 'the people feeble, unarmed, and commonly discomforted towards the feared mischief.' The Lord Warden had gone to his post 'as naked without strength of men.' The Archbishop

a

living at Bekesbourne with the ex-Bishop of Ely and another Catholic at free prison, felt uneasy for his charge; and not sharing Throgmorton's confidence and believing that if the French landed they would carry all before them, wrote to Cecil to warn him of the danger 'which if not looked to, he feared would be irrecuparable.'

If the enemy have an entry,' he said, 'as by great the English consideration of our weakness and their strength, of coast. their vigilance and our dormitation and protraction, is like, the Queen's majesty shall never be able to leave to

1 The ceremony was nearly spoilt by an odd accident. The Garter, though Hunsdon said it cost her Majesty dear, was a poor and shabby one. It had been made on the common pattern, as if for some burly English nobleman, and would not

remain on the puny leg of Charles the Ninth. Hunsdon was obliged to send back in haste for one which had belonged to King Edward or King Philip. "These things,' he said, ' touch her Majesty's honour.'French MSS., May 1564. Rolls House.

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