Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/191

 1564-] THE EMBASSY OF DE SILVA. 171 that if the treaty was not to be ratified she could not stand out upon it ; yet unwilling to commit herself formally she desired Throgmorton to go ' as of himself ' to the Queen-mother and inquire whether she would consent to a general peace with a mutual reservation of rights. She said that she would not part with the hostages. If their restitution was demanded as a right ' she would rather abide the worst that could be done against her/ There might be a private understanding that on the signature of the treaty they should be re- leased from arrest ; but even so they must remain in England l until the French had either paid the money or had given mercantile security for it. To surrender them otherwise would be an admission that the Treaty of Cambray was no longer binding. February was consumed in diplomatic fencing over these proposals ; and Throgmorton tried in turn the Queen-mother, the Cardinal of Lorraine, the Constable, the Cardinal of Bourbon, and the Chancellor. But if Elizabeth was afraid of doing anything to compromise the treaty, the French were equally afraid of doing anything to acknowledge it. They would give no second security to recover the hostages ; they would not pay the half million crowns because it was the sum 1 We mean not by any our own act to consent that the hostages should depart hence, as persons in whom we had no interest in respect of the Treaty of Cambray, without we may have caution according to the treaty ; and though they be not here but for a sum of money, yet if we should let them depart, having neither the money nor other hostages, nor yet caution of merchants, we should thereby to our dishonour con- sent that the treaty was void.' Elizabeth to Throgmorton, February 3 : French MSS. Molls House.