Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/445

 I577-] THE SPANISH TREA TY. 425 fluence upon her. To break a promise was never a serious difficulty with her. The subsidy which she had told Havre that she would send,, 'remained in the treasury. The ten thousand men were left at home to plough and to dig. Instead of men and money she sent a threatening letter to Don John, and she consoled the States with saying that Don John would be reason- able when he saw ' that she was determined to take part against him/ 1 But, in fact, she had determined to take no part against him. Her brave purposes had evaporated in words. 'So it is/ said Walsmgham's secretary, 'that such as incline more to the faction of Spain, than to her Majesty's safety and quiet estate of her crown and realm, have persuaded her that she can- not deal in honour to the furtherance of the States, either with men or money, till she have a resolute an- swer from the King or Don John, notwithstanding the promise that she hath made to the Marquis; which hath wrought such a coldness in her Majesty to hearken to their demands that hardly can she be moved from that Spanish persuasion/ 2 Don John's English friends kept him well I57 g informed of the workings of the Queen's hu- Janual 7- mour; and he saw that he had nothing to fear. His Spaniards came flocking back over the frontiers, and while Orange was away in Holland, and the Duke of Arschot and the Walloon Catholics were busy with their 1 Instructions to Mr Leighton sent to the States and Don John, December 21, 1577 : MSS. Flanders. 2 Laurence Tomson to Davison, February 2, 1578.