As to Alexander Farnese—­without deciding the question whether Elizabeth and Burghley were deceiving Walsingham and Leicester, or only trying to delude Philip and himself—­he had no hesitation, of course, on his part, in recommending to Philip the employment of unlimited dissimulation.  Nothing could be more ingenuous than the intercourse between the King and his confidential advisers.  It was perfectly understood among them that they were always to deceive every one, upon every occasion.  Only let them be false, and it was impossible to be wholly wrong; but grave mistakes might occur from occasional deviations into sincerity.  It was no question at all, therefore, that it was Parma’s duty to delude Elizabeth and Burghley.  Alexander’s course was plain.  He informed his master that he would keep these difficulties alive as much as it was possible.  In order to “put them all to sleep with regard to the great enterprise of the invasion,” he would send back Bodman to Burghley and Croft, and thus keep this unofficial negotiation upon its legs.  The King was quite uncommitted, and could always disavow what had been done.  Meanwhile he was gaining, and his adversaries losing, much precious time.  “If by this course,” said Parma, “we can induce the English to hand over to us the places which they hold in Holland and Zeeland, that will be a great triumph.”  Accordingly he urged the King not to slacken, in the least, his preparations for invasion, and, above all, to have a care that the French were kept entangled and embarrassed among themselves, which was a most substantial point.

Meantime Europe was ringing with the American successes of the bold corsair Drake.  San Domingo, Porto Rico, Santiago, Cartliagena, Florida, were sacked and destroyed, and the supplies drawn so steadily from the oppression of the Western World to maintain Spanish tyranny in Europe, were for a time extinguished.  Parma was appalled at these triumphs of the Sea-King—­“a fearful man to the King of Spain”—­as Lord Burghley well observed.  The Spanish troops were starving in Flanders, all Flanders itself was starving, and Philip, as usual, had sent but insignificant remittances to save his perishing soldiers.  Parma had already exhausted his credit.  Money was most difficult to obtain in such a forlorn country; and now the few rich merchants and bankers of Antwerp that were left looked very black at these crushing news from America.  “They are drawing their purse-strings very tight,” said Alexander, “and will make no accommodation.  The most contemplative of them ponder much over this success of Drake, and think that your Majesty will forget our matters here altogether.”  For this reason he informed the King that it would be advisable to drop all further negotiation with England for the time, as it was hardly probable that, with such advantages gained by the Queen, she would be inclined to proceed in the path which had been just secretly opened.  Moreover, the