Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/309

 1565.] THE EMBASSY OF DE SILVA. 289 'Madam,' replied Smith, 'her people be not like your people ; they must be trained by doulceur and persuasion, not by rigour and violence. There is no realm in Christendom better governed, better policied, and in more felicity of quiet and good order than is the realm of England ; and in case my sovereign should go to work as ye say, Grod knows what would come of it : you have an opinion that her Majesty is wise ; her answer is very much in a little space and containeth more substance of matter than multitude of words.' l Catherine de Medici but half accepted the excuse, regarding it only as a pretext for delay. Yet Elizabeth was probably serious, and had the English council been in favour of the marriage, in her desperation at the attitude of Mary Stuart she might have felt herself compelled to make a sacrifice which would insure for her the alliance of France. Paul de Foix one day at the end of May found her in her room playing chess. ' Madam/ he said to her, ' you have before you the game of life. You lose a pawn ; it seems a small mat- ter ; but with the pawn you lose the game/ '* I see your meaning/ she answered. ' Lord Darn- ley is but a pawn, but unless I look to it I shall be checkmated/ She rose from her seat, led the ambassador apart, and said bitterly she would make Lennox and his son smart for their insolence. De Foix admitted and made the most of the danger; 1 Smith to Elizabeth, May, 1565 : French MSS. Rolls House. VOL. vn. 19