benefits than to be soliciting fresh assistance.”  He added that the king was so much stronger by the recent gain of Marseilles as to be easily able to bear the loss of places of far less importance, while Ireland, on the contrary, was a constant danger to the queen.  The country was already in a blaze, on account of the recent landing effected there by the Spaniards, and it was a very ancient proverb among the English, that to attack England it was necessary to take the road of Ireland.

Bouillon replied that in this war there was much difference between the position of France and that of England.  The queen, notwithstanding hostilities, obtained her annual revenue as usual, while the king was cut off from his resources and obliged to ruin his kingdom in order to wage war.  Sancy added, that it must be obvious to the English ministers that the peril of Holland was likewise the peril of England and of France, but that at the same time they could plainly see that the king, if not succoured, would be forced to a peace with Spain.  All his counsellors were urging him to this, and it was the interest of all his neighbours to prevent such a step.  Moreover, the proposed league could not but be advantageous to the English; whether by restraining the Spaniards from entering England, or by facilitating a combined attack upon the common enemy.  The queen might invade any portion of the Flemish coast at her pleasure, while the king’s fleet could sail with troops from his ports to prevent any attack upon her realms.

At this Burghley turned to his colleagues and said, in English, “The French are acting according to the proverb; they wish to sell us the bear-skin before they have killed the bear.”  Sancy, who understood English, rejoined, “We have no bear-skin to sell, but we are giving you a very good and salutary piece of advice.  It is for you to profit by it as you may.”

“Where are these ships of war, of which you were speaking?” asked Burghley.

“They are at Rochelle, at Bordeaux, and at St. Malo,” replied de Sancy.

“And these ports are not in the king’s possession,” said the Lord Treasurer.

The discussion was growing warm.  The Duke of Bouillon, in order to, put an end to it, said that what England had most to fear was a descent by Spain upon her coasts, and that the true way to prevent this was to give occupation to Philip’s army in Flanders.  The soldiers in the fleet then preparing were raw levies with which he would not venture to assail her kingdom.  The veterans in Flanders were the men on whom he relied for that purpose.  Moreover the queen, who had great influence with the States-General, would procure from them a prohibition of all commerce between the provinces and Spain; all the Netherlands would be lost to Philip, his armies would disperse of their own accord; the princes of Italy, to whom the power of Spain was a perpetual menace, would secretly supply funds to the allied powers, and the Germans, declared enemies of Philip, would furnish troops.