Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/494

 478 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 67. Catholics, it would be then a landing-place of the Duke of Guise. If the Netherlands were conquered by Spain, fleets and armies could be organized at leisure in the Scheldt, which a few hours might transport to the Isle of Thanet. Both these dangers would have been obviated by a cordial action with France. From the first hour of the revolt of the United Provinces, the House of Valois would have espoused their cause if Elizabeth would have done the same, and would have been content to share the spoils with her, or make any arrangement which she had pleased to dictate. They would have gone to war alone would she have allowed events to take their course, and the French frontier to be extended to the Rhine. But her object was to en- tangle them in the war, and yet rob them of the fruits of it. English interests forbade the incorporation of Belgium with France, and as soon as ever the first blow was struck she intended to make her peace with Philip on her own terms. Her diplomatic promises, her trea- ties, her matrimonial interludes, meant this and only this. The eagerness of the French Court survived Alencon's ill-treatment. Advances were again made to the Eng- lish ambassador ' after the misfortune at Antwerp,' for a union against the Spaniards/ x a union which Cathe- rine de Medici represented ' as the sovereignest thing that could be for all Christendom/ It had been pre- vented hitherto, as Walsingham admitted, by the fear 1 Stafford to Walsingham, February 23 March 5, 1584 : MSS. France.