Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/499

 I57L] THE RIDOLFI CONSPIRACY. 485 the combination of obstinacy and vacillation in the Queen, who was at once determined to go her own way and unable to decide which way she wished to go. He had exhausted his powers of persuasion and remonstrance. He could now but stand by, as he said, and wait for the visitation of the Almighty. It is remarkable that while the public policy of the English Government was so uncertain, while Elizabeth believed it possible to recover Philip's friendship, and Cecil believed that if England abstained from meddling with the Low Countries she might perhaps escape being assailed at home or in Ireland, the provocations of the privateers in the Channel continued unchecked, and were allowed to assume proportions which would be incredible but for the evidence on which they rest. In the spring of the year the Prince of Orange's fleet, under Brederode and de la Mark, came down into Dover roads. There, joined by their English consorts, they held complete command of the Straits. Every Spanish vessel which attempted to pass was pursued and usually caught ; a market was held in Dover for the sale of the cargoes, while some of the more daring cruisers would harass the Spanish coast, pillaging churches and con- vents, depreciating the price of silver by the quantities which they captured, and at their banquets, when they came back in triumph, drinking success to piracy from the consecrated vessels. 1 1 ' Es tanto el robo que truxeron ahora que la plata de Iglesias no se vendia sino a einco sueldos la onga, y con los Calices se brindaban en Dobra unos d otros ' (underlined by Philip). Don Guerau to the King