Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/392

 372 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 60. monial crown of England might make Monsieur dan- gerously powerful ; but there were objections to murder, and the closest prison could not be made conclusively secure. The marriage, on the whole, appeared to be the safest alternative. 1 Mauvissiere told Walsingham, ' that he could not sleep at night, for his desire to bring about a matter so much for the repose of Christendom ; ' 2 while Elizabeth herself, as usual, played with the sug- gestion, gave a favourable though indecisive answer, but insisted on her old condition, that she must see her bridegroom before she could make up her mind. Alencon himself was all eagerness. To him it had long appeared that, with so poor an outlook in France, a marriage with Elizabeth, though she was twice his age, ' would make him the happiest man alive : ' and as his hopes, if he remained longer in captivity, might be cut short by a Guisiail poniard, he became anxious to place himself where his life would be safe, and where he could fly to England when he pleased. The Guises, dreading the effects of such an alliance on the prospects of Mary Stuart, pressed the King to commit his brother to the Bastile. On the I5th of September, when the Cardinal of Guise was in the royal closet on this parti- 1 ' The king demanded with very great affection, et ne se peult il faire encore? The Queen-mother cast out words sometimes alone, sometimes the King being present, to feel what she could understand of the Queen's Majesty's disposition, and certain it is both the King and Queen-mother would with all their hearts the matter was ended, if they thought it might be 'compassed, and might trust Monsieur at liberty.' Valentine Dale to Sir T. Smith, September 3, 1575 : MSS. France. 2 Mauvissiere to Walsingham, September 4 : Ibid.