Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/236

 220 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 64. Yet he did not care to conceal his resentment. Sir Henry Cobham, when he waited on the King for the first time after his brother had been shouldered out of Eng- land, found him sullen and cold. He said that the^ Queen, by her humours and changes, had brought dis- honour on his family. She had plunged Alencon into a war from which misfortunes only could be looked for. For himself he washed his hands of the affair, and would have nothing more to do with it. The ambas- sador reported his words to Elizabeth. Instantly she sung over again her old strain. If France would bear the cost of a war with Spain, she was ready to marry at any time. She bade Sussex send for Marchmont, Alen9on's secretary, and tell him so. Sussex answered coldly that her aversion to marriage was evidently too strong for her to overcome. She had better say no more about it ; and give France no fresh offence. From Sussex she went to Cecil, who was now unable to leave his bed, and she found Cecil equally unwilling to med- dle further. He reminded her that every difficulty in the way of the marriage had been removed ; her own people had been reconciled to it ; France had yielded to the most extravagant conditions ; Alencon had twice risked his credit to visit her ; and the result had been that at the last moment she had altered her mind, with infinite peril to herself and the realm. The council could say no more. The decision must rest with herself. Yielding to her immediate impulse, she summoned Marchmont to her presence. If Monsieur would leave the Low Countries and come back to her, she said she