Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/493

 1571-1 THE R1DOLFI CONSPIRACY. 4?g fast, as Cecil advised, to her plea of conscience* Mon- sieur was delighted to show his zeal for the faith in which he had been bred; and the French Court was left in the belief that the ultimate breach had been more on their side than on Elizabeth's. Walsinghani and Cecil agreed ' to hide the imperfections of both parties, not knowing what thereafter might follow ; ' x and to Walsinghani' s extreme relief and partial amuse- ment, the French King said, ' that for her upright dealing he would honour the Queen of England during his life/ It can now be understood why she refused her con- sent to the Communion Bill. That measure was part of an organized Protestant policy, of which the Anjou marriage formed an essential element ; and feeling that her own part in the drama was not likely to be per- formed effectively, she preferred to trust still to her old policy of humouring and conciliating the Catholics. In one sense she may well be pardoned for having declined to accept as her husband the miserable Henry de Yalois, especially as to England no harm came from her refusal Yet Elizabeth may not be credited with a deeper in- sight than Burghley's, and the moral worthlessness ol the Duke of Anjou could not have formed the real ob- jection to him in the mind of a woman who had been devoted so long and so deeply to such a wretch as Leicester. Had Anjou been a second St Louis, she would have acted in the same way ; and possibly also 1 Wulsiiigliam to Cecil, September 26 ; MSS. France.