Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/232

 2l6 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 64. show his face in France again. She told him herself that she had been reflecting on her relations with Spain, that she regretted the wrongs which she had done to an old ally ; that she must repair them and recover his friendship. She ridiculed to Pinart the pretence that France could be reconciled to Philip. She told him, with a slight exaggeration, that Mendoza was at her feet, entreating an alliance with England. 1 Alternately worried and cajoled, the unfortunate Prince at last consented to go, on condition that the Queen would so far compromise herself as to give him money to pay an army of Germans ; that Leicester and Howard should accompany him to Holland, and that he might look forward to returning in a few months to claim her hand. Words cost her nothing. She pro- mised faithfully to marry him as soon as circumstances allowed. To part with money was a hard trial, but she dared not refuse. She gave him thirty thousand pounds, with bills for twenty thousand more ; the bills however were not to be immediately cashed, and she left herself time to cancel them if she altered her mind. 2 She accompanied him to Canterbury, lavishing freely, as he was really going, her oaths and protestations that she would be his wife, Lord Sussex listening with disgust to what he knew to be February. 1 Mendoza to Philip, January 27, 1582 : MSS. Simancas. 2 'Entiendo que le han dado 20,000 ducados en letras de merca- deres para la leva de la caballeria Alemana, y otras de la misma suma para la de los Esquyzaros ; las cuales van con restriccion por si la Reyna mudare de proposito, ser a tiempo para que no se cumplan las letras.' Don Bernardino al Key, 2 de Hebrero, 1582: MSS. Simancas.