Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/375

 I575-1 THE SPANISH TREATY. 355 that princes should look to interest, and leave theory to philosophers and divines. This was a doctrine of atheists and enemies of mankind. Politics should have no foundation but the will of God, and what was not of God was of the devil/ l The King, inclining always to what he called piety, was deeply perplexed. He was willing to carry out what had been undertaken by Mendoza in England, but he hesitated at the further step, and Alva was in despair. Unless the Inquisition could be controlled, he saw that the alliance would fall in pieces. The Queen would take up the cause of the States, and Drake would be let loose upon the gold fleets. ' Cobham/ he wrote to Secretary Cayas, ' has just rushed into my room to kill me. I have Cobham at one ear and Hopper at the other, and between them both I am at my wits' end. Hopper will ruin all. The Queen of England will throw herself on France : the objection will be the same as long as she lives, and Hopper is such an obstinate ass that I can drive no conviction into his head. The King knows what I think, and I shall say no more. The English- man is ready to tear me in pieces because he and his mistress are called heretics.' 2 In still more passionate tones he complained of Quiroga. 'The Inquisitor- General/ he said, 'has no right to notice offences not committed on Spanish soil, nor if the English do wrong while on shore should he touch the property of any but the offenders themselves. 1 Recuerdo de Hopperus : MSS. Simancas. 2 Alva to Cayas, November, 1575.