Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/396

 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. 55. restitution of prizes and the re-opening of trade; the private object was to separate Elizabeth from the French; and Alva, to tempt her, made certain secret offers, the nature of which Elizabeth did not care to reveal, but it was something, she said, which would not a little have amazed La Mothe. 1 Count Schwegeiihem however went the way of his predecessors. The details of his public proposals were quarrelled over. The car- goes of the detained ships had been sold on both sides. The Duke had taken advantage of a rise of prices in the Flanders markets, caused by the suspension of trade, to dispose of some English wool at a large profit. Elizabeth demanded the full sum which had been re- alized. The Duke allowed only the value set upon the wool at the time of its shipment. The petty disagree- ment was made an excuse to suspend the negotiations ; Count Schwegeiihem was bowed out of the country ; and the Queen repeated what she had said to Chapin, that she would treat directly with the Duke's master. It seemed as if she believed that Philip's forbearance was inexhaustible. She knew, or Cecil knew, that it was to him that the highest Catholics looked for assist- ance, and she wished to force them to recognize the idleness of their expectations. It was a game which might be tried too far ; yet, for the present it seemed to answer. Philip still did not rouse himself. Alava talked to Walsingham at Paris of the desirableness of a 1 She told me,' La Mothe wrote, ' que je serois tous esbahy si je t^avois quellcs choscs Icdicl Due despuys ling mois avoit voulu trailer avec elle au prejudice de ses voysins.' La Mothe, January 23.