lamentations of mothers, infants, and relations, did not call upon her for fome refpite and relaxation. Befides, that he was advertised by the King himfelf (if he had not known it otherwife), that all Europe had the alarm of an invafion pretended to be defigned againft her; fo that if the King would weigh all circumstances with a juft and not partial confideration, and recollect paft fervices, to fortify himself against thofe, who were defirous to detract from her Majefty's honour, he could not but think her reafons juft for defiring to be spared for a time; and after that fhe did not doubt, but that in his firft letter he would write to her in another style; her Majefty affuring herself, that, notwithstanding fome perfons, ill-affected to her, and her eftate, might make ufe of this to prejudice their friendship, or rather under other hopes to foment their own artful views, which had no other end than their ambitious and factious defigns; yet all good Frenchmen, truly noble, and affectionate to his service, would clearly fee, that this is the way to embroil, when malice can no otherwife hurt a well-united friendship; and to feparate them from each other, in order to ruin them both. Her Majefty knew likewise, that their enemies would readily employ themselves in the practices of alienating from them the hearts of their beft fubjects, in order to verify the falfe pofitions of their libels, by which they endeavour to poffefs the world' with fcandalous hopes of great difcontentments in their kingdoms, in order to procure their enemies to engage with the defires and views of fugitives and rebels, who would be diffatisfied with even an Angel, if he were given them for their governor. her Majefty had no room to fear, through God's mercy, their malice and folly, her country being very free from fuch a general infection; fo on the other hand, it imported her to be vigilant to remove all fuch occafions, by ufing moderately their lives

But as

and

and fortunes for what elfe can be expected from natural men, than great and fudden alienations, when they fee, that their duty is rewarded with a perpetual fucceffion of miferies, and that their valour only purchases their ruin?

Moreover, as the Sieur de la Fontaine has declared, with more eagerness, as her Majesty believed, than the King commanded him to use, that if fhe did not affift him at prefent, it would only be for want of will; and that it was to be apprehended, that the King might be obliged to agree with the common enemy, without comprehending her Majefty in the treaty; her Majesty ascribed this language rather to the warmth of his zeal for the fervice of his mafter (which fhe could well digeft), than fuffered herself to be disturbed with the thought, that the King's honour, and fo many vows on his part, and so many services on that of her Majefty, could admit fo odious and dangerous a refolution. And yet if this point be promoted by any of his Minifters (for her Majefty does not believe, that this arifes from the King himself, in order to awaken her Majesty the more) it is certainly the thing, which will have the leaft effect upon her: for it is only zeal and affection, which have hitherto carried her fo far; and she is firmly perfuaded, that it is impoffible for him to approve of that in himself, which, the affures herself, he would think odious and difhonourable in another. And if it should so happen, that he should be drawn into such a step by any ill practice upon him, her Majefty would think herself fufficiently fupported by the providence of that God, who knows the integrity of her heart towards him, and has known, and still knows, how to defend her from the greatest dangers.

Mr. Edmondes was then directed, after having communicated to the King her Majesty's great concern for the extremity of his affairs, and that there

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fhould

34+ View of the Negotiations between

fhould be the leaft report of any misunderstanding between them; and after having, by that fincerity of proceeding with the King, obviated the artifices of her enemies (who had always taken advantage of his neceffities); that he should add further, that though her Majefty knew, that the taking of two fuch important places by the enemy in his abfence had wonderfully raised their fpirits; yet fhe hoped, from the experience of the King's valour and prudence, that, having now reduced almost all the great men, and most of the cities of his kingdom, to his obedience, and being now himself prefent, in a condition of putting his provinces in order, and affifting his afflicted people, he would have the means, as before, of fubfifting for fome little time, if not to recover, at leaft to preferve himself, till it fhould appear where, and in what manner, this now pretended glorious invafion fhould be attempted: And, when her Majefty fhould discover more clearly the enemy's designs (having as much reason to fufpect their attempts in winter as in fummer,) fhe would be ready to advife with the King, and to affift him, as far as the state of her affairs would permit.

That, laftly, whereas the King had intimated to her Majefty, that he was of opinion, that deputies fhould be appointed on both fides, to confer together concerning the means of joining their forces, in order to oppofe the common enemy; her Majefty could not but take this in very good part, as coming from him, with whom fhe was united in the fame fortune. But fince, for the prefent (confidering the great preparatives, which he had been obliged to make at fea, to match thofe of her enemies, and how much the war in Ireland likewife diftracted her) her affairs would not permit her to engage further in the war, than what he had already done in the expedition to the Indies, but forced her to keep her people in her own kingdom for the de

fence

fence of it; for this reafon fhe defired to defer this deputation for fome time, rather than enter upon fo open a treaty, the fuccefs of which would not answer the expectation of the world. But if the King fhould have any difpofition in himself at any time, or if any overture should be made to him for a general peace of Christendom; her Majefty, being joined with him and her other confederates, upon equal conditions, would not refufe to enter into any honourable treaty, or good confultation, when the time was proper for the one, or the other; having regard likewife to the reparation of paft injuries, where honour should require it: And in fuch cafe her Majefty promifed herfelf, that the King would do for her as he would for himself, from whom she would never separate herself in any manner whatfoever. Such was her Majefty's refolution; and the hoped, that he had on his part the fame difpofition towards her and her kingdom. And as, not long ago, upon the alarm of the enemy's defign to befiege fome of his maritime towns, Dieppe, Boulogne, or Calais, her Majefty caufed a confiderable number of her forces to be ready to fuccour them immediately, even at a time, when, being employed in fuppreffing her rebels in Ireland, who had been practifed upon by the Spaniard, fhe had good reason to turn her attention elfewhere; and as for that purpose she had reinforced her fleet at fea with the utmost expedition, notwithstanding her other preparations for the Indies; fo he might affure himself, that if it fhould happen, that the enemy fhould attempt any place, to which her Majefty might have accefs by fea, he fhould receive immediate affiftance from her; and neither the expence nor danger should divert her from it. And though, for the reasons above-mentioned, her. Majefty deferred fending any person to the King at prefent, in order to enter into a public treaty; yet he had refolved to fend in a short time to him fome perfon of quality,

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and good experience, to communicate amply and freely with him upon all things: And though this would not have fuch an appearance as a public convention, yet affairs might be as well conducted and determined by this way, as by the other of greater expectation.

The King, upon hearing this letter read, anfwered, (x)" That he was not able alone to fuftain the "burden of the war, for fuch reasons, as are too cc true, and too well known to all men; and that "he would confult with the Princes and Officers of "his Crown, what he was to refolve on; wherein "if neceffity fhall force him to change course, as "the fault thereof fhall not be his, fo her Majefty, "for her part, instead of excufes and juftifications, "fhall only have cause afterwards of forrow."

Mr. Edmondes, in his letter to the Lord Treasurer from La Fere, on the 20th of December 1595, informs his Lordship, that the King of France denied the article published in the Gazette in Italy, in which it was affirmed, that he had, by his Embaffador at Rome, engaged to the Pope to declare himself an enemy to the Queen. To this letter is fubjoined the following remarkable Postscript:

"I had clofed up this letter, when the King fent "for me, and acquainted me with letters, which " he hath freshly received from his Embassador at "Venice, which import, that there is lately arrived "there one, that affirmeth to be dispatched from "the King of Scots to the Pope, the Venetians, and "the Duke of Florence, who addreffed himself fe"cretly to him, and, faying to have charge to re"quire the affiftance of his favour in his negotiation, "declared to him, on the faid King's behalf, that, by "reafon of the two great factions of English and

Spanish, which reign in his Realm, and fearing "moft her Majefty's (which is the greater), and the

(x) Sir Tho. Edmondes's MS. State-Papers, Vol. I.

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