Alexander was more likely to make a wry face, notwithstanding his views of the necessity of fomenting the rebellion against the House of Valois.  Certainly if a monarch intended to conquer such countries as France, England, and Holland, without stirring from his easy chair in the Escorial, it would have been at least as well—­so Alexander thought—­to invest a little more capital in the speculation.  No monarch ever dreamed of arriving at universal empire with less personal fatigue or exposure, or at a cheaper rate, than did Philip ii.  His only fatigue was at his writing-table.  But even here his merit was of a subordinate description.  He sat a great while at a time.  He had a genius for sitting; but he now wrote few letters himself.  A dozen words or so, scrawled in hieroglyphics at the top, bottom, or along the margin of the interminable despatches of his secretaries, contained the suggestions, more or less luminous, which arose in his mind concerning public affairs.  But he held firmly to his purpose:  He had devoted his life to the extermination of Protestantism, to the conquest of France and England, to the subjugation of Holland.  These were vast schemes.  A King who should succeed in such enterprises, by his personal courage and genius, at the head of his armies, or by consummate diplomacy, or by a masterly system of finance-husbanding and concentrating the resources of his almost boundless realms—­might be in truth commended for capacity.  Hitherto however Philip’s triumph had seemed problematical; and perhaps something more would be necessary than letters to Parma, and paltry remittances to Mucio, notwithstanding Alexander’s splendid but local victories in Flanders.

Parma, although in reality almost at bay, concealed his despair, and accomplished wonders in the field.  The military events during the spring and summer of 1586 will be sketched in a subsequent chapter.  For the present it is necessary to combine into a complete whole the subterranean negotiations between Brussels and England.

Much to his surprise and gratification, Parma found that the peace-party were not inclined to change their views in consequence of the triumphs of Drake.  He soon informed the King that—­according to Champagny and Bodman—­the Lord Treasurer, the Comptroller, Lord Cobham, and Sir Christopher Hatton, were more pacific than they had ever been.  These four were represented by Grafigni as secretly in league against Leicester and Walsingham, and very anxious to bring about a reconciliation between the crowns of England and Spain.  The merchant-diplomatist, according to his own statement, was expressly sent by Queen Elizabeth to the prince of Parma, although without letter of credence or signed instructions, but with the full knowledge and approbation of the four counsellors just mentioned.  He assured Alexander that the Queen and the majority of her council felt a strong desire for peace, and had manifested much repentance for what had been done.  They had explained