Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/308

 288 RETCN OF ELIZABETH. [en. 43. So long as she remained single they represented gravely that ' no surety could be devised to ascertain any per- son of continuance of their families and posterities.' The French affair had dragged on. Elizabeth had coquetted with it as a kitten plays with a ball. The French ambassador, De Foix, on the 2nd of May made an effort to force an answer from her one way or the other. ' The world/ he said, ' had been made in six days, and she had already spent eighty and was still un- decided.' Elizabeth had endeavoured to escape by say- ing that the world ' had been made by a greater artist than herself; that she was constitutionally irresolute, and had lost many fair opportunities by a want of promptitude in seizing them/ Four days later on the receipt of bad news from Scotland she wavered towards acceptance : she wrote to Catherine de Medici to say ' that she could not decline an offer so generously made ; she would call Parliament immediately, and if her sub- jects approved she was willing to abide by their resolu- tion.' l A parliamentary discussion could not be despatched in a moment. The Queen-mother on receiving Eliza- beth's letter asked how soon she might expect an an- swer; and when Sir T. Smith told her that perhaps four months would elapse first, she affected astonish- ment at the necessity of so much ceremony. If the Queen of England was herself satisfied she thought it- was enough. La response de la Reyne,' May 6 : French MSB. Rolls ITmtse.