Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/459

 1578.] THE ALENCON MARRIAGE. 439 The ablest of Elizabeth's ministers were now at a loss what to advise. Had an army gone over in earnest when its coming was first announced, Don John might have yielded to necessity. But the Queen had broken her word. It is likely that she thought the threat would be sufficient, and never meant to keep jt ; and the effect of her uncertainty had been only con- fusion and indignation. Walsingham so deeply dis- trusted Alencon, that he expected to see him take part openly with Don John. If French troops were ad- mitted into Antwerp, he feared a second St Bartholo- mew. 1 That the Duke could be really disinterested, was incredible ; and annexation to France, if that were the object, was scarcely less disastrous than Spanish conquest. ' Surely/ he wrote, 'it is hard to judge whether be the greater peril : the second brings a present mischief, the first a future, that is rather to reach to our posterity than to us/ 2 The council were divided, and Mendoza used the moment to weight the balance with gold. His friends among the courtiers hinted to him that among the Queen's advisers were men whose virtue was not too austere. The Controller of the Household, Sir James Crofts, ever a pernicious influence in Eliza- beth's Cabinet, rose greedily at the bait. Sussex looked at it wistfully. Lord Burghley's general moderation tempted overtures to which he listened with amused curiosity, and excited hopes which it need not be 1 Walsitigham to Davison. May n : MSS. Holland, 2 Ibid.