Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/521

 J57I-J THE RIDOLFt CONSPIRACY. So? sky, which seemed to span the city, and filled their hearts with terrors of approaching change. The Catholic Don Gruerau scoffed at the cowardly superstition of the enlightened and Protestant English, but he pressed his master to use the moment, and take advantage of their fears. 1 Tried by his own standard, Philip was not working without diligence. He had meditated for two years on sending Alva to the Low Countries. He had kept his secret, matured his arrangements, and believed that he had accomplished what he desired. To be slow and silent, to take every precaution to ensure success, and then to deliver suddenly at last the blow which had been long vaguely impending this was the Spanish method. It had answered before : it might answer again. So Philip thought, and let the days go by. He had taken a false measure of his antagonist. It was not without reason that Don Guerau warned him to beware of Cecil. It will be remembered that Sir John. Hawkins, in his great disaster on the coast of Mexico, left the major- ity of the survivors of his crews in the hands of the Spaniards. Prisoners of war in all countries were con- siderably worse off than well- befriended felons in com- mon gaols. The felon who had money commanded all the luxuries which the corruption of the warders could 1 'Puede pensar V. Mag d quan alborotados deben andar los de Lon- dres que es gente muy medrosa y credula de prodigies.' Don Guerau to Cayas, August 5 ; Don Guerau to Philip, August 8 : MSS. Simancas.