Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/81

 1563-] THE ENGLISH AT HAVRE. 61 would have peace and Calais in a month. 1 The Queen- mother had been ingeniously deluding him, that she might have evidence of treachery to lay before Conde, whom, on the 8th of the same month, she met with the Constable on an island in the Loire. The eclipse of the Guises enabled the interest of France once more to be preferred to the interest of Rome. Catherine offered Conde his brother's place as Lieuten- ant-General, with a moderate toleration something perhaps in advance of that of which Elizabeth had ad- vised the acceptance for the Calvinists. The Calvinists should pray to God as they pleased if they would cease to molest the Catholics. The ' strangers ' on both sides should be sent home ; the Spaniards should retire from the south, the English should evacuate Normandy. The Prince had promised Elizabeth that he would agree to no terms without giving her notice and he kept his word. He wrote both to her and to Sir Thomas Smith, saying that he had taken arms for the freedom of conscience which was now conceded ; he assumed, without mention- ing Calais, that Elizabeth had assisted him for the same object ; and the object being secured there was no longer occasion for continuing the war. 2 In vain Elizabeth required him to remember his honour and promise ; in vain she bade him beware ' how he set an example of perfidy to the world/ She was but receiving the measure which she had prepared for 1 Smith to Cecil, March 7 : FORBES, vol. ii. 2 Conde to Elizabeth, March 8 ; Cond6 to Sir T. Smith, March 1 1 : FOBBES, vol. ii.