Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/41

 157*-] THE DUKE OF NORFOLK. 21 marriage but secure a league ; and the effect produced by the new offer was to make her now pretend to an extreme eagerness for the marriage with Anjou, which she knew, or believed, that Anjou' s obstinacy would make impossible. Leicester echoed the Queen, and made a parade of disinterestedness : he declared that he as well as his mistress were aware of the necessity for the marriage, and that all concessions should be made to secure it. 1 The manoBuvre answered the purpose. The November. French Court perhaps desired to persuade itself of Elizabeth's sincerity ; for the present the two Governments appeared every day to be drawing closer together ; and the prospect of interference from France in behalf of Mary Stuart was more remote than ever. A regret may be permitted only that Elizabeth had so slight a sense of the obligations of her position and so small a capacity for self-sacrifice. The nation had reason to congratulate itself that the Anjou negotiations failed : but Alencon was an innocent boy, and the ridicule which attaches to unequal marriages in private life has no place in marriages of State. Although it must remain uncertain whether the infernal bigotry 1 ' I find now a full determina- tion in her Majesty to like of mar- riage, and to my judgment she is re- solved not to refuse any reasonable conditions that shall be offered by thnt King for Monsieur. So she earnestly and assuredly affirms to me, and would have you signify the same, with all that has passed about it hitherto, by some discreet messenger to the Admiral, begging him to for- ward the matter. She has opened her mind partly also to the Count Montgomery, who has this day taken his leave and is departed to deal with the Admiral. ' Leicester to Walsing- ham, December 6 : DIGGES.