Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/434

 414 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [cir. 60. It could not be for nothing that Don John went so near committing himself to treason. ' More was meant than appeasing the Netherlands ; ' and a friend of Don John afterwards hinted to the Prince that Philip could not live for ever, and that Don John perhaps intended to establish his estate in the Low Countries and make himself master of them.' Believing that he might be serious, the Prince con- sulted Elizabeth. ' The Netherlands might be made a kingdom, and Don John the first King/ 1 But a visit afterwards from the Papal Nuncio explained the mys- tery. It was supposed that Orange would resent the treatment which he had received from the Queen. The Nuncio came to ask him whether if Don John made war on England he would be willing to assist, or if not assist, whether he would remain neutral. 2 A packet of letters from Escobedo to the King of Spain, intercepted immediately afterwards by La Noue in France, threw a yet further light on Don John's intentions. The treaty of Grhent had been accepted without the slightest pur- pose of observing it. The Spaniards held tenaciously as ever to their resolution to conquer the States ; only in the opinion of Escobedo, and probably therefore of Don John, the road to their conquest lay through London, s told him so also : ' Yet will I never the more trust Don John,' said Wil- son ; ' yea, I mistrust him the more. By such speech he either minds to tempt the Prince, or else he bears a I'ulse heart to the King his brother.' Wilson to Walsingbam, May I : MSS. Flanders. 1 Notes concerning the Prince of Orange, May, 1577 : MSS. Ibid. 2 Daniel Rogers to Walsingham, July 20, 1577 : MSS. Ibid. 3 ' If a miracle is to set things straight it is time for the miracle to