tion of the archduke, that the earl repented having taken any further steps in the matter.

1

The juvenile appearance of the functionary, whom Elizabeth had selected for this delicate business, excited some surprise, both at home and abroad, for it was said that, "if so grave and experienced a statesman as the earl of Sussex had failed to arrange a matrimonial treaty to her majesty's satisfaction, it was scarcely to be expected that a beardless boy, of no weight, would be able to effect much." The youthful Mercury, however, opened the object of his mission, to the emperor with all possible solemnity, by informing him, "that his royal mistress had sent him to continue the same negotiation that had been commenced, three years before, by the earl of Sussex; that she had not been able, till the present moment, to render a decisive answer on the proposal of the archduke, by reason of frequent illnesses, the wars in France and Flanders, and other impediments; but this delay had not, she trusted, put an end to the suit of his imperial majesty's brother, and if he would be pleased to come to England now, he should be very welcome; and, as to the differences in their religion, she hoped, that her subjects would consent that he and his attendants should have such full exercise of their own, and that he would be satisfied." 2

The emperor replied, "that his brother was very sorry that her majesty had been so tardy in notifying her good intention to him, for which he was nevertheless very much obliged, but that the prince, not supposing that her majesty would have delayed her answer for three years, if she had intended to accept him, had turned his thoughts on another match, and was now engaged to a princess, his relation and a catholic, with whom there could be no disputes on the subject of religion, but that he regretted that he had not been accepted by the queen at the proper time, and hoped that she would henceforward regard him in the light of a brother." His imperial majesty concluded with a few compliments, on his own account, to the queen, and dismissed young Cobham with the present of a silver vessel.3

1 Secret Memorial for the French Court, by Vassal. Despatches of Fenelon, vol. iii. 466.

2 Secret Memorial of M. de Savran for the queen-mother of France, in Fenelon, vol. iii. 424. 3 Ibid.

This reply was taken in such evil part by Elizabeth, that she exclaimed, in her first indignation, "that the emperor had offered her so great an insult, that if she had been a man instead of a woman, she would have defied him to single combat." 1

Our authority goes on to report the contents of an intercepted letter, written by one of the lords of the English court to another, in which the following passage occurs:— "The cause of the grief and vexation of our queen, is assuredly the marriage of the archduke Charles with the daughter of his sister, the duchess of Bavaria, either because she had fixed her love and fantasy on him, or that she is mortified that her beauty and grandeur have been so lightly regarded by him, or that she has lost this means of amusing her people for the present, and fears that she will now be pressed by her states and her parliament not to defer taking a husband, which is the principal desire of all her realm."

Elizabeth had, however, reached that point, when, in common with every childless sovereign, who is on ill terms with the successor to the crown, she felt that her power was checked, and her influence bounded within comparatively narrow limits, by the want of heirs of her own person. This consideration appears, if we may believe her own assertion, to have inclined her to encourage thoughts of marriage, and the offer of the young, handsome Henry of Valois came at the seasonable juncture, when she was burning with indignation at the marriage of the archduke Charles. "After the said Cobham had returned with the answer of refusal," says the sieur de Vassal," she began to listen with more affection to the proposal of monsieur."

This prince was the second surviving son of Henry II. and Catherine de Medicis, and had just completed his eighteenth year. Elizabeth was turned of thirty-seven, and had been, in her infancy, proposed as a wife for his uncle, Charles duke of Angoulême. The project for her marriage with the duke of Anjou seems to have been first suggested by the cardinal Chastillon, who, notwithstanding his high rank in the church of Rome, came to England for the pur

Secret Memorial of M. de Savran to their majesties of France. Depêches de la Mothe Fenelon, vol. iii. 425.

pose of soliciting the mediation of Elizabeth in a pacific treaty between the king of France and the Huguenots.

It is probable that this liberal-minded ecclesiastic imagined, that the union of the heir of France with the protestant queen of England, would procure a general toleration for persons of her religion in France, and that her influence and power would be amicably exerted, to compose the stormy elements, whose strife was pregnant with every species of crime and misery.

He took the first opportunity of touching on this project during a private conference with Elizabeth at Hampton Court, as soon as the fact of the archduke's marriage transpired, and received sufficient encouragement to induce him to open the matter to the queen-mother, who, on the 20th of October, wrote to La Mothe Fenelon, "That the cardinal de Chastillon had spoken to her son, the duke of Anjou, of an overture of marriage between him and the queen of England, and she was earnest with him to give it all the encouragement in his power."

Towards the end of December, La Mothe Fenelon paid a visit to the queen at Hampton Court; he was introduced into her privy chamber by Leicester, "where he found her better dressed than usual, and she appeared eager to talk of the king's (Charles IX.) wedding." La Mothe told her, "that he could wish to congratulate her on her own." On which she reminded him, "that she had formerly assured him that she never meant to marry," but added, "that she regretted that she had not thought in time about her want of posterity, and that if she ever did take a husband, it should be only one of a royal house, of suitable rank to her own."2

On this hint, the ambassador could not forbear from recommending the duke of Anjou to her attention, as the most accomplished prince in the world, and the only person who was worthy the honour of her alliance.3

She received this intimation very favourably, and replied, "that monsieur was so highly esteemed for his excellent

It is an interesting fact that this cardinal de Chastillon was the brother of the illustrious protestant leader, admiral de Coligny, whose family name was Chastillon. The cardinal used his influence, like a good man, to moderate between the infuriated parties. (See Brantome, Les Vies des Hommes Illustres, 3me Partie, p. 151.)

2 Depêches de la Mothe Fenelon, vol.vii.

3 Ibid. vol. iii. p. 418.

qualities, that he was worthy of the highest destiny the world could bestow, but that she believed his thoughts were lodged on a fairer object' than her, who was already an old woman, and who, unless for the sake of heirs, would be ashamed to speak of a husband; that she had formerly been sought by some who would wish to espouse the kingdom, but not the queen; as, indeed, it generally happened among the great, who married without seeing one another." She observed, "that the princes of the house of France had a fair reputation for being good husbands, much honoured by their wives, and not less beloved." She said many more things to the same purpose, but La Mothe, in reporting this conversation, in a private letter to the queen-mother, expresses himself as doubtful whether she will ever carry any marriage into effect, having frequently promised her people to marry, and then, after entertaining a proposal for a long while, found means to break it off. However, he recommends the offer to be made.

The first time Elizabeth gave audience to the French ambassador, after the marriage of Charles IX., she asked him, "how his master found himself as a married man?” and added many questions as to the probability of his being

happy with his young queen. La Mothe replied, "that his sovereign was the most contented prince in Christendom, and the greatest pleasure he had was being in her company."

Elizabeth cynically observed, "that the record of the gallantries of his majesty's father and grandfather, Francis I. and Henry II., inclined her to fear that he would follow their example. "And thereupon," pursues the ambassador, slily, to his sovereign, "she revealed to me a secret concerning your majesty, which, sire, I confess I had never heard before.”2 So much better was our maiden queen acquainted with the scandals of her royal neighbour of France than his own ambassador, although monsieur de la Mothe Fenelon was a notorious gossip.

We are indebted to his lively pen, for many rich details of her sayings and doings, relative to the successive matri

The beautiful princess of Cleves, with whom Henry of Anjou was passionately in love at that time.

Depêches de la Mothe Fenelon, vol. iii.

monial negotiations between her and Henry duke of Anjou, and subsequently with his younger brother Francis, alias Hercules, duke of Alençon, also for a variety of anecdotes of this great queen, which are new to all but those who have studied his despatches. In a private letter, dated January 18th, 1571, he informs the queen-mother, that on the preceding Sunday, he was conducted by the earl of Leicester into the presence of the queen of England, when the conversation having been led to the subject of the private overtures for the marriage with the duke of Anjou, the queen acknowledged," that she objected to nothing but his age. To which it was replied, "that the prince bore himself already like a man.” But," said the queen, " he can never cease to be younger than me.'

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"So much the better for your majesty," rejoined Leicester, laughing, and Elizabeth took this freedom from her master of the horse in good part. Then the ambassador took the word, and, after adverting to the wedded happiness of his recently-wedded king and queen, said, "that he would advise any princess, who wished to acquire perfect felicity in wedlock, to take a consort from the royal house of France." Elizabeth replied, "that madame d'Estampes and madame de Valentinois made her fear, that she would be only honoured by her husband as a queen, and not loved by him as a woman. This interesting conversation was interrupted by the entrance of cardinal Chastillon, on which Fenelon and Leicester withdrew, and her majesty remained a considerable time in private conference with him.

As soon as the cardinal retired from her presence, Elizabeth summoned her council, and communicated her matrimonial prospects to them in a truly original style. She began by informing them, "that the cardinal Chastillon had inquired of her three things: first, if she were free from all contracts, with power to marry where she pleased? secondly, whether she intended to marry within her own realm, or to espouse a foreigner? and, thirdly, in case it was her will to take a foreigner for her consort, if she would accept monsieur, brother to the king of France?' and that she had replied to these questions, that she was free to marry, but that she would not marry one of her subjects, and that she would, with all her heart, enter into a marriage

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