Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/45

1569.3 ENGLISH PARTIES. searched by Elizabeth's police; the furniture of his chapel, the crucifixes, the imag'es of the saints were carried away, borne in mock procession through the streets, and burnt in Cheapside, amidst the jests of the populace, who cried, as they saw them blazing, ' These are the Gods of Spain ! to the flames with them, and to the flames with their worshippers ! ' 1 At all this work Cecil looked on compla- March. cently, 2 and with France he followed, though less openly, the same audacious policy. The fleet which La Mothe had discovered to be in preparation sailed under Sir William Winter for Eochelle, and carried supplies to Conde. Guns and powder were landed there, and as much money as Elizabeth could spare. La Mothe waited on her to remonstrate ; and of course she protested her innocence. She spoke with the strongest seeming disapproval of Cond, and professed to be delighted at the successes of the Crown. But La Mothe had the most exact information. She had consented reluctantly ; but she had consented nevertheless. The open sailing orders to Winter had 1 Don Guerau to Alva, April 30. The letter mentions many other outrages, but against this last espe- cially, Philip scored in the margin his agitated marks of distress. 2 Half deprecatingly as perhaps being not quite certain of his cor- respondent he wrote in the midst of it to Sir Henry Sidney : ' The arrest between us and Flanders con- tinueth still in one state, saving that daily, ships of King Philip's, with merchandise, come in so plenti- fully as in policy it may tempt some- what otherwise to be done than was meant at the beginning. I, myself, like peace best, for though in wars I hazard not myself, yet my labour and pain be as great as whoso taketh most.' Cecil to Sidney, February 28 : MSS. Ireland.