was not exactly the contingency which existed.  France was still in a very satisfactory state of discord and rebellion.  The civil war was by no means over.  There was small fear of peace that winter.  Give Mucio his pittance with frugal hand, and that dangerous personage would ensure tranquillity for Philip’s project, and misery for Henry III. and his subjects for an indefinite period longer.  The King thought it improbable that Farnese could have made any mistake.  He expressed therefore a little anxiety at having received no intelligence from him, but had great confidence that, with the aid of the Lord and of with his own courage he had accomplished the great exploit.  Philip had only, recommended delay in event of a general peace in France—­Huguenots, Royalists, Leaguers, and all.  This had not happened.  “Therefore, I trust,” said the King; “that you—­ perceiving that this is not contingency number three which was to justify a pause—­will have already executed the enterprise, and fulfilled my desire.  I am confident that the deed is done, and that God has blessed it, and I am now expecting the news from hour to hour.”

But Alexander had not yet arrived in England.  The preliminaries for the conquest caused him more perplexity than the whole enterprise occasioned to Philip.  He was very short of funds.  The five millions were not to be touched, except for the expenses of the invasion.  But as England was to be subjugated, in order that rebellious Holland might be recovered, it was hardly reasonable to go away leaving such inadequate forces in the Netherlands as to ensure not only independence to the new republic, but to hold out temptation for revolt to the obedient Provinces.  Yet this was the dilemma in which the Duke was placed.  So much money had been set aside for the grand project that there was scarcely anything for the regular military business.  The customary supplies had not been sent.  Parma had leave to draw for six hundred thousand ducats, and he was able to get that draft discounted on the Antwerp Exchange by consenting to receive five hundred thousand, or sacrificing sixteen per cent. of the sum.  A good number of transports, and scows had been collected, but there had been a deficiency of money for their proper equipment, as the five millions had been very slow in coming, and were still upon the road.  The whole enterprise was on the point of being sacrificed, according to Farnese, for want of funds.  The time for doing the deed had arrived, and he declared himself incapacitated by poverty.  He expressed his disgust and resentment in language more energetic than courtly; and protested that he was not to blame.  “I always thought,” said he bitterly, “that your Majesty would provide all that was necessary even in superfluity, and not limit me beneath the ordinary.  I did not suppose, when it was most important to have ready money, that I should be kept short, and not allowed to draw certain sums by anticipation, which I should have done had you not forbidden.”