Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/510

 4<)6 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. LCH. 61. and lie even hinted at the occupation of an English port by a French garrison. The council sat three days at the beginning of May to consider these singular requests. Bromley terminated the discussion by saying that the marriage was in itself preposterous, that the hope of issue from it was idle, that the French were England's hereditary enemies, and that the difference of religion was in itself an insuperable obstacle. Of all the lords present Sussex only dissented from this opinion. Simier was sent for, and was informed that his proposition could not be entertained. He ran out of the room in a rage, and complained to his mistress. The Queen swore that the council should not thwart her thus ; marry she would and must. 1 But she too yielded for a time to the opposition, or made use of it to escape with credit. She wrote coaxingly to Alencon : she addressed him as 1 le fidel/ she assured him of her devoted attachment ; yet she suggested that friendship might perhaps be better for them both than a closer tie. 2 Friendship however would not answer Monsieur's object. He had demanded much, knowing that he would obtain less than he asked for. He withdrew the obnoxious requests. He professed himself willing to acquiesce in whatever arrangement the council desired, provided only that he might haA r e mass in the palace for himself and his retinue ; and he re- 1 'No piensen que lie de pasar assy; que yo casarmetengo.' Des cifrada de Bernardino, 14 de Maio. Sir James Crofts kept Mendoza ex- actly informed of what passed in Court or council. 2 Elizabeth to Alen9on, June, 1579: MSS. France. Autograph.