every kind of "indirection" as allowable, because
absolutely essential to the great end of serving their country.

Amongst the wiser and better part of Elizabeth's council however, such a
profound abhorrence of the measures of the French court at this time
prevailed, and such an honest eagerness to join heart and hand with the
oppressed Hugonots for the redress of their intolerable grievances, that
it required all her vigilance and address to keep them within the limits
of that temporizing moderation which she herself was bent on preserving.

In the correspondence of Cecil with sir Henry Norris, then ambassador in
France, the bitterness of his feelings is perpetually breaking out, and
he cannot refrain from relating with extreme complacency such words of
displeasure as her majesty was at any time moved to let fall against
her high allies. In November 1567, when civil war had again broken out
in France, he acquaints the ambassador that the queen dislikes to give
assistance to Conde and his party against their sovereign, but
recommends it to him to do it occasionally notwithstanding, as the
council are their friends.

In September 1568 he writes thus: "The French ambassador has sent his
nephew to require audience, and that it might be ordered to have her
majesty's council present at the bishop's missado. Her majesty's answer
was, that they forgot themselves, in coming from a king that was but
young, to think her not able to conceive an answer without her council:
and although she could use the advice of her council, as was meet, yet
she saw no cause why they should thus deal with her, being of full
years, and governing her realm in better sort than France was. So the
audience, being demanded on Saturday, was put off till Tuesday,
wherewith I think they are not contented." Again: "Monsieur de
Montausier... was brought to the queen's presence to report the victory
which God had given the French king by a battle, as he termed it,
wherein was slain the prince of Conde; whereunto, as I could conceive,
her majesty answered, that of any good fortune happening to the king she
was glad; but that she thought it also to be condoled with the king,
that it should be counted a victory to have a prince of his blood slain;
and so with like speech, not fully to their contentation[67]."

[Note 67: Scrinia Ceciliana.]

With the Spanish court the queen was on the worst possible terms short
of open hostilities. Her ambassador at Madrid h