ousand to defend
Dieppe and Rouen, and should furnish the prince with a supply of a
hundred thousand crowns.[*]

Elizabeth, besides the general and essential interest of supporting the
Protestants, and opposing the rapid progress of her enemy the duke of
Guise, had other motives which engaged her to accept of this proposal.
When she concluded the peace at Chateau-Cambresis, she had good reason
to foresee that France never would voluntarily fulfil the article which
regarded the restitution of Calais; and many subsequent incidents had
tended to confirm this suspicion. Considerable sums of money had been
expended on the fortifications; long leases had been granted of the
lands; and many inhabitants had been encouraged to build and settle
there, by assurances that Calais should never be restored to the
English.[**] The queen therefore wisely concluded, that, could she get
possession of Havre, a place which commanded the mouth of the Seine, and
was of greater importance than Calais, she should easily constrain the
French to execute the treaty, and should have the glory of restoring to
the crown that ancient possession, so much the favorite of the nation.

No measure could be more generally odious in France than the conclusion
of this treaty with Elizabeth. Men were naturally led to compare the
conduct of Guise, who had finally expelled the English, and had debarred
these dangerous and destructive enemies from all access into France,
with the treasonable politics of Conde, who had again granted them an
entrance into the heart of the kingdom. The prince had the more reason
to repent of this measure, as he reaped not from it all the advantage
which he expected. Three thousand English immediately took possession
of Havre and Dieppe, under the command of Sir Edward Poinings; but
the latter place was found so little capable of defence, that it was
immediately abandoned.[***] The siege of Rouen was already formed by the
Catholics, under the command of the king of Navarre and Montmorency; and
it was with difficulty that Poinings could throw a small
reenforcement into the place. Though these English troops behaved with
gallantry,[****] and though the king of Navarre was mortally wounded
during the siege, the Catholics still continued the attack of the place,
and carrying it at last by assault, put the whole garrison to the sword.

* Forbes, vol. ii. p. 48.

** Forbes, vol. ii. p. 54, 257.

*** Forbes, vol. ii. p.