Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/238

 222 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 64. dangerous ground, told the Queen that the time was come when she must settle the succession; her subjects could not permit a matter which concerned them so nearly to remain longer in uncertainty. The hint of a successor was uniformly maddening. Again, openly in Court, she swore she would marry. Again, she bade Sussex write to Monsieur, and not only gave him her word as a Queen, that she was sincere, but her oath as a Christian woman. But neither her word nor her oath would convince Sussex. He refused to let her use him again as an instrument to wound her reputation. 1 Alencon, in his letters to her, had ceased to allude to the marriage. She began now to fear that Henry and Alencon, being finally alienated from England, might take the Netherlands for themselves, and annex them to the French Crown. She flew out at Wal- singham and told him that he deserved to lose his head, for having advised that Alencon should be sent thither. But the impassioned lover was still faithful to his vows. No sooner had he received her message, than he poured out his eloquent delight : he loved her better than his life, he said; he would fly to her side; he would go back to England like a swallow with the sum- mer, and make his nest for ever in her realm. At once she sent for Marchmont and Mauvissiere ; she told them that Alencon was coming ; but before the ceremony could take place, she 1 Don Bernardino al Key, 25 Avril : MSS. Simancas.