The Duke of Anjou, meantime, after disbanding his troops, had lingered for a while near the frontier.  Upon taking his final departure, he sent his resident minister, Des Pruneaux, with a long communication to the states-general, complaining that they had not published their contract with himself, nor fulfilled its conditions.  He excused, as well as he could, the awkward fact that his disbanded troops had taken refuge with the Walloons, and he affected to place his own departure upon the ground of urgent political business in France, to arrange which his royal brother had required his immediate attendance.  He furthermore most hypocritically expressed a desire for a speedy reconciliation of the provinces with their sovereign, and a resolution that—­although for their sake he had made himself a foe to his Catholic Majesty—­he would still interpose no obstacle to so desirable a result.

To such shallow discourse the states answered with infinite urbanity, for it was the determination of Orange not to make enemies, at that juncture, of France and England in the same breath.  They had foes enough already, and it seemed obvious at that moment, to all persons most observant of the course of affairs, that a matrimonial alliance was soon to unite the two crowns.  The probability of Anjou’s marriage with Elizabeth was, in truth, a leading motive with Orange for his close alliance with the Duke.  The political structure, according to which he had selected the French Prince as protector of the Netherlands, was sagaciously planned; but unfortunately its foundation was the shifting sandbank of female and royal coquetry.  Those who judge only by the result, will be quick to censure a policy which might have had very different issue.  They who place themselves in the period anterior to Anjou’s visit to England, will admit that it was hardly human not to be deceived by the apolitical aspects of that moment.  The Queen, moreover, took pains to upbraid the states-general, by letter, with their disrespect and ingratitude towards the Duke of Anjou—­behaviour with which he had been “justly scandalized.”  For her own part, she assured them of her extreme displeasure at learning that such a course of conduct had been held with a view to her especial contentment—­“as if the person of Monsieur, son of France, brother of the King, were disagreeable to her, or as if she wished him ill;” whereas, on the contrary, they would best satisfy her wishes by showing him all the courtesy to which his high degree and his eminent services entitled him.

The estates, even before receiving this letter, had, however, acted in its spirit.  They had addressed elaborate apologies and unlimited professions to the Duke.  They thanked him heartily for his achievements, expressed unbounded regret at his departure, with sincere hopes for his speedy return, and promised “eternal remembrance” of his heroic virtues.  They assured him, moreover, that should the first of the