Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/566

 55 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 67. Spain, she would herself give them reasonable assist- ance. 1 She either did not know her own mind however, or else she was deliberately false. On the same day, "Walsingham writing to Davison said, ' I am very sorry to see the course that is taken in this weighty cause, for we will neither help those poor distressed countries ourselves nor suffer others to do it. If France may not help them they must submit to Spain, which will breed such a peril to her Majesty as there is never a wise man but lamenteth it.' 2 ' Better far,' Walsingham wrote to Burghley, ' if the Queen would herself take the protection of those countries, with a resolution, if necessary, to spend half- a- million of money there. The burden would be willingly borne by the realm, rather than they should come to the hands of the French or Spaniards. But, the directions given to both her Ma- jesty's ministers in France and in the Low Countries to impeach that the French King shall have no full foot- ing in those countries, cannot but be most perilous to her unless she shall resolve to take the protection of them herself.' 3 The situation was in every way difficult. Walsing- ham himself did not think that joint action with France could be ventured on. The French King was a poor creature, possibly treacherous, 4 and sitting so weakly 1 Memorandum to Davison, Jan- uary 1424, 1585 : MSS. Holland. 2 "Walsingham to Davison, Jan- nary 14 24 : MSS. Ibid. 3 Walsingham to Biirghloy, Jan- uary ii 21, 1585 : MSS. Domestic. 4 ' His delay shows that either he seeks absolute possession of those countries, or does entertain them with vain hopes to make the way