Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/92

 72 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 41. die sword in hand ' rather than surrender without the Queen's permission ; but in a few days at latest those whom the sword and pestilence had spared famine would make an end of. Fortunately Sir Francis Knowles, who was in command at Portsmouth, had sent to the Court to say that they must wait for no answer from France ; they must send powers instantly to "Warwick to make terms for himself. A general attack had been arranged for the morning of the 2 7th. Lord Warwick knew that he would be unable to resist, and with the remnant of his men was preparing the evening before to meet a soldier's death, when a boat stole in with letters, and he received Elizabeth's permission to surrender at the last extremity. War, plague, and storm had done their work, and had done it with fatal efficacy. Clinton was chafing helplessly at his anchorage ' while the French were lying exposed on the beach at Havre.' He could not reach them, and they could but too effectually reach Warwick. Knowing that to delay longer was to expose the handful of noble men who survived with him to inevitable death, and himself wounded and ill, the English general sent at once to the Constable to make terms. The Constable would not abuse his advantage, and on the 29th of July Havre was restored to France, the few English troops remaining being allowed to de- part with their arms and goods unmolested and at their leisure. The day after, the weather changed, and Clinton ar- rived to find that all was over, and that Warwick him-