Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/503

I571-] THE RIDOLFI CONSPIRACY. 489 De Feria, with his English wife, his English friends, and his English experience, believed himself qualified to speak with authority. He had seen Cobham, and had heard what he had to say. His opinion of the situation he expressed thus : THE DUKE OF FERIA. TO CAY AS. 1 'May io. ' We propose, I am told, to keep on terms of friend- ship with England ; because to make ourselves complete nasters of that country and of Ireland is not immedi- ately practicable. If the Sovereign of England is not a Catholic, it will be very difficult for us to maintain that friendship ; and yet, without it, we are unable to keep our hold upon the Low Countries. The Queen has found us timid, and she now thinks to frighten us by pretending that she will marry with France. She will no more marry with France than she will marry me. She is no more young, she has no strength to bear children, and she cannot live much longer. She is loathed by the nobility. She persecutes the Catholics, and she closes her ports to prevent them from leaving the realm ; but for all this she has failed to break their spirit. They are stronger than ever, and she knows it. That France and England can become friends is most unlikely. The two nations instinctively hate each other, and the two Queens can never trust one another. Against us, on the other hand, they have no natural enmity ; 1 M8S. Sitnancas.