Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/260

 240 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 43. France nor of any gift or recompense which might accrue to himself; his sole care was for the service of God, the weal of his mistress, and the interests of the realm ; if the marriage would further these it should have his hearty support, if otherwise no second con- sideration could move him.' 1 The Queen-mother was too eager to be daunted. The Queen of Spain was coming, in the course of the spring, to Bayonne on a visit to her mother. Some marriage in Philip's interest would then probably be proposed for her son ; and while de Foix was working on Elizabeth, Catherine herself continued to press upon the English ambassador and to urge the necessity of an immediate resolution. 2 Elizabeth really thought for the time that unless she could succeed with Mary Stuart her choice lay only between the Archduke and the King of France. She told de Silva in March that she must marry or she could not face another Parliament, whilst she durst not marry Leicester for fear of an irisurrec- 1 MIGNET'S Mary Stuart ; Ap- pendix. 2 Sir Thomas Smith reports a singular Order of Council for the behaviour of the French Court, in preparation for the Queen of Spain's visit : ' Oraers are taken in the Court, that no gentleman shall entertain with talk any of the Queen's maids except it be in the Queen's presence, T except he be married. And if any demoiselle do sit upon a form or stool, he may sit by her, but not lie along as the fashion was afore in this Court, with other such restraints, which whether they be made for this time of Lent, or to somewhat imi- tate the austerity of the Spanish Court, that they should not be of- fended' or think evil of the liberty used in this Court, I cannot tell.' Sir T. Smith to Cecil, April 10 French MSS. Rolls HOVM