Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/521

 I579-] THE ALEN^ON MARRIAGE. 501 they would make Alengon welcome. This ought to have been enough ; but she was in a humour which nothing would satisfy. She refused to allow Hatton to come near her. She told Sir Francis Knowles that before all was over ' his zeal for religion would cost him dear/ against her marriage.' Yet when all was said she left them ignorant what she really desired. ' Her Majesty thought it not meet to declare to the council whether she would marry Monsieur or no ; yet she looked at their hands that they did so much desire her marriage and to have children of her body as they should with one accord have made special suit to her for the same.' l If, as is sometimes said, Elizabeth was the greatest of English sovereigns, one is tempted to suppose that the average stature cannot have been excessive. Her whole conduct was saturated with artifice, and the per- formance was as poor as the object was paltry. 2 Her exasperation with the opposition was assumed to per- suade France that she was herself sincere ; and as the two Dutch Anabaptists had been sacrificed to propitiate Spain, so two other victims were offered now to appease the displeasure of Monsieur and his brother. Walsing- ham, Sidney, Bromley, were too great persons to be meddled with. Elizabeth, when she stooped to strike, preferred to choose a humble quarry. Stubbs who had 1 Notes of Proceedings in Coun- cil, October 7 and 8. Burgbley's hand : MUKDIN. Descifradas de Don Bernardino, October 16: MSS. Simancas. 2 ' Puede se bacer mal juicio si es todo artificio.' Don Bernardino to Cayas, October 16 : 3fS8. Si- mancas.
 * She was very sharp in reprehending such as had argued