Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/446

426 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 60. Archduke Matthias, he started suddenly into the field, caught the States army unprepared at Gemblours, and shivered it to pieces. 1 Could he have followed up the blow, he might have recovered the Catholic Provinces upon the spot, so utter was their consternation. He had no reserves however, and an empty chest ; and they had leisure to recover their breath and look round them. Long since they would have had France at their side, but for Elizabeth's promises. Fiercely they demanded whether they were trifled with. Did she mean or did she not mean to keep her engagements with them ? ' If her Majesty disappoint them now/ wrote Davison, a week after the defeat, ' it will in the judgment of the wisest bring forth some dangerous alteration. 5 2 A month passed and they heard nothing. 'Her Majesty must say yes or no/ Davison repeated more vehemently ; ' hesitation is cruel and dishonourable. If she say no, she will not escape the hatred of the Papists. If she say yes, she has still great advantages for the prosecution of the war ; but it must be one or the other and swiftly/ 3 At last the resolution came. She would send no English army, and no Leicester ; but there was Casimir, whom she was to have provided for an invasion of France, and had fed with air after all. Casimir would come to the help of the States, if he could have a hundred thousand pounds. She had already lent March. 1 January 29, 1578. 2 Davison to Walsingham, Feb- ruary 6 : MSS. Holland. 3 Davison to Walsingham, March 8, condensed: MSS. Ibid.