Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/160

 144 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 64. so conscience- stricken for her own complicity, that when I entered her cabinet she bounded half a dozen paces from her sofa to receive me. Before I could say a word she inquired if I was come as a king-at-arms to declare war. I said I gathered from her own prepara- tions that she herself meant war, war with all the world. She said she did not mean to be caught sleeping, but there would be no war unless your Majesty began it, and she could not think you would trouble the peace of your own sister, who had ever sought your good, and had saved your Low Countries from the French. ' She was so manifestly uneasy that I thought it as well to alarm her further. I said that we found no fault with her, but I could not say as much for her Ministers, who had sought only to maintain your High- ness's rebels in Flanders. Beyond wasting her treasures, and shaking the alliance between Spain and England, their labours had been entirely thrown away. The rebels had shown their gratitude as usual by biting the hand that fed them ; yet even now there were English corsairs plundering your Majesty's subjects on the coast of Spain and in the Indies, and say what I would, I had never been able to obtain satisfaction either from herself or her council. ' She asked if I knew of any corsairs having re- turned from the Indies. I said I did not. Your Majesty's officers I was confident had given them their deserts and sent them to the bottom. If any such per- son contrary to expectation should return, I hoped it would be unnecessary for me to insist upon his punish-