Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/46

 32 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CM. 52. contained no mention of the Prince, nor any indication that he was to receive assistance ; but further instruc- tions had been added in a private note, which Cecil had drawn and the Queen had signed. 1 Without exposing her evasion, the ambassador insisted on what was too patent to deny. A whole fleet of English rovers were sailing under Conde's flag, and selling their prizes, as they took them, in Plymouth and Dover. If she was herself innocent in these matters, she was responsible, as a sovereign, for the acts of her own officers and sub- jects; and, on the 8th of March, under orders from Paris, he offered her peace or war. If she chose war, it should be war open and avowed ; if peace, the pri- vateers must be called in, and the English harbours closed against the Huguenots. He allowed her fifteen days to consider her answer. 2 Threats of this kind Cecil believed that she could safely defy. War with France would not be unpopular in England, where the Calais wound was still rankling. Scotland and the prisoner at Bolton were more inve- terate difficulties. On this subject too, at the close of the conference, La Mothe had ventured a remonstrance ; but here Elizabeth was on firmer ground, and could speak with conscious integrity. ' She had no cause/ she said proudly, ' to change her pale colour for any charge which could be brought against her for her treatment of her sister. Rather,, if she was pressed, she would show matter for her justification which would 1 La Mothe Fenelon au Koy, January 10, and January 24 : De- , vol. i. 2 Ibid., March 8.