The French-matter, indissolubly connected in that monarch’s schemes, with his designs upon England and Holland, was causing Alexander much anxiety.  He foresaw great difficulty in maintaining that, indispensable civil war in France, and thought that a peace might, some fine day, be declared between Henry III. and the Huguenots, when least expected.  In consequence, the Duke of Guise was becoming very importunate for Philip’s subsidies.  “Mucio comes begging to me,” said Parma, “with the very greatest earnestness, and utters nothing but lamentations and cries of misery.  He asked for 25,000 of the 150,000 ducats promised him.  I gave them.  Soon afterwards he writes, with just as much anxiety, for 25,000 more.  These I did not give; firstly, because I had them not,” (which would seem a sufficient reason) “and secondly, because I wished to protract matters as much as possible.  He is constantly reminding me of your Majesty’s promise of 300,000 ducats, in case he comes to a rupture with the King of France, and I always assure him that your Majesty will keep all promises.”

Philip, on his part, through the months of spring, continued to assure his generalissimo of his steady preparations—­by sea and land.  He had ordered Mendoza to pay the Scotch lords the sum demanded by them, but not till after they had done the deed as agreed upon; and as to the 6000 men, he felt obliged, he said, to defer that matter for the moment; and to leave the decision upon it to the Duke.  Farnese kept his sovereign minutely informed of the negociations carried on through Champagny and De Loo, and expressed his constant opinion that the Queen was influenced by motives as hypocritical as his own.  She was only seeking, he said, to deceive, to defraud, to put him to sleep, by those feigned negotiations, while, she was making her combinations with France and Germany, for the ruin of Spain.  There was no virtue to be expected from her, except she was compelled thereto by pure necessity.  The English, he said, were hated and abhorred by the natives of Holland and Zeeland, and it behoved Philip to seize so favourable an opportunity for urging on his great plan with all the speed in the world.  It might be that the Queen, seeing these mighty preparations, even although not suspecting that she herself was to be invaded, would tremble for her safety, if the Netherlands should be crushed.  But if she succeeded in deceiving Spain, and putting Philip and Parma to sleep, she might well boast of having made fools of them all.  The negotiations for peace and the preparations for the invasion should go simultaneously forward therefore, and the money would, in consequence, come more sparingly to the Provinces from the English coffers, and the disputes between England and the States would be multiplied.  The Duke also begged to be informed whether any terms could be laid down, upon which the King really would conclude peace; in order that he might make no mistake