Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/176

 156 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 58. for the overthrow of Elizabeth. 1 But Alva, who saw deeper into the undercurrent of feeling, trusted France no more than before, and knew better than his master the magnitude of the problem which he had himself on hand. The catastrophe had relieved him of a combina- tion which a few weeks previously had threatened him with certain destruction. The revolt of the Provinces which that combination had caused was in itself suffi- ciently formidable, and, if supported by England, might still be too much for him. It was no time for leagues against Elizabeth ; it was no time to assist France to extricate itself from the confusion into which it was precipitated. France, for some years to come, would be unable now to meddle with its neighbours ; and Alva concluded, with clear practical sense, that his own and his master's business was rather to take ad- vantage of the irritation against France in England, to prevent the alliance from growing up again, to revive the Burgundian league, to contrast Spanish honour with French perfidy, and, instead of attacking Elizabeth, tempt her by every conciliatory offer to desert the un- lucky Prince of Orange. Thus Catherine found that, with all her skill, she could not blind Europe. She had forfeited the friend- ship of England ; she had the civil war again upon her hands at home, and she had gained nothing but the Pope's blessing. The Protestants of the south-west Provinces, rallying from their first panic, were every- Aguilon to Cayas, November 6 : TEULET, vol. v.