Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/56

REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 52. the ships and merchants at Antwerp had not been made as an act of hostility against the English nation, but was aimed merely at a party in the .council, who, con- trary to the advice and wishes of the ancient nobility, had broken the old league between Spain and England. 1 A threat of war might conveniently be added. They recommended that the King of Spain, if their mistress wrote to him, should return no answer ; and, last and most important, they suggested that the Duke of Alva should find means to intercept the great fleet which was going to Hamburgh. Half the wealth of the merchants of London would be on board, and if this could be taken, and the Hamburgh project annihilated at the same time, the citizens, already discontented, would take arms. They said that they would then place themselves at the head of the insurrection, and the Queen would then be compelled to part with the detested Secretary. 2 From Don- Gruerau the two noblemen went to La Mothe : notwithstanding Eliza- beth's change of tone, they expressed a hope that 1 A proclamation very much to this effect was actually published by Alva. Don Guerau says distinctly that it was devised by the two English noblemen with a view to create an insurrection : ' El Duque de Norfolk y el Conde de Arundel me dieron ana forma de proclamacion, que deseaban que el Duque de Alva mandase publicar ; pensando con ella y con la estrecheza del trato que el pueblo se levantara y ellos podrian mudar a! Gobierno.' Don Guerau to Alva, April : MSS. Simancas. 2 Don Guerau never ceased to in- sist on the importance of catching the Hamburgh fleet. 'Con soloim- pedir que esta flota no vaya 6 sea presa los Ingleses son rendidos,' he says on one occasion ; and again : ' Si las naves que V a E a ha dado licencia que se armen estuvieron al punto de tal manera que pudiesen coger esta tan rica presa, seria conquistar esta Isla.' Don Guerau to Alva, March 20 or April 10 : MSS. Simancas.