Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/198

 i 7 8 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 43. him the Garter for the young King. 1 M. de Gonor and the Bishop of Coutances came to England ; and an attempt, not very successful, was made to show them in their reception that England was better defended than they supposed. In January, when a French in- vasion was thought likely, Archbishop Parker had re- ported ' Dover, "Walmer, and Deal as forsaken and unregarded for any provision ; ' * the people feeble, un- armed, and commonly discomforted towards the feared mischief.' The Lord Warden had gone to his post ' as naked without strength of men.' The Archbishop, living at Bekesbourne with the ex-Bishop of Ely and another Catholic at free prison, felt uneasy for his charge ; and not sharing Throgmorton's confidence and believing that if the French landed they would carry all before them, wrote to Cecil to warn him of the danger ' which if not looked to he feared would be irreparable.' ' If the enemy have an entry/ he said, ' as by great consideration 'of our weakness and their strength, of their vigilance and our dormitation and protraction, is like, the Queen's majesty shall never be able to leave to her successors that which she found delivered her by God's favourable hand.' 2 1 The ceremony was nearly spoilt by an odd accident. The Garter, though Hunsdon said it cost her Majesty dear, was a poor and shabby one. It had been made on the com- mon pattern, as if for some burly English nobleman, and would not remain on the puny leg of Charles the Ninth Hunsdon was obliged to send back in haste for one which had belonged to King Edward or King Philip. 'These things,' he said, 'touch her Majesty's honour.' French MSS., May, 1564: Rolls House. 2 Parker to Cecil, January 20 and February 6, 1564: Lansdowne MSS.