a month passed,
before Catharine was compelled to write to the envoy in England, telling
him that Henry had heard reports unfavorable to Elizabeth's character, and
positively declined to marry her.[820] In her extreme perplexity at this
unexpected turn of events, the queen mother suggested to La Mothe Fenelon
that perhaps the Duke of Alencon would do as well, and might step into the
place which his brother had so ungallantly abandoned.[821] Now, as this
Alencon was a beardless boy of sixteen, and, unlike Charles and Henry,
small for his age, it is not surprising that La Mothe declared himself
utterly averse to making any mention of him for the present, lest the
queen should come to the very sensible conclusion that the French were
"making sport of her."[822]

[Sidenote: Anjou's new ardor.]

[Sidenote: Elizabeth interposes obstacles.]

But there was at present no need of resorting to substitution. For a time
the ardor of Anjou was rekindled, and rapidly increased in intensity.
Catharine first wrote that Anjou "condescended" to marry Elizabeth;[823]
presently, that "he desired infinitely to espouse her."[824] A month or
two later he declared to Walsingham: "I must needs confess that, through
the great commendation that is made of the queen your mistress, for her
rare gifts as well of mind as of body, being (as even her very enemies
say) the rarest creature that was in Europe these five hundred years; my
affection, grounded upon so good respects, hath now made me yield to be
wholly hers."[825] On the other hand, Elizabeth began to exhibit such
coldness that her most intimate servants doubted her sincerity in the
entire transaction. With more candor than courtiers usually exhibit in
urging a suit which they suspect to be distasteful to their sovereign,
Lord Burleigh, the Earl of Leicester, and Sir Francis Walsingham used
every means of persuading the queen to decisive action. "My very good
Lord," wrote Walsingham, on the fourteenth of May, 1571, "the Protestants
here do so earnestly desire this match; and on the other side, the papists
do so earnestly seek to impeach the same, as it maketh me the more earnest
in furthering of the same. Besides, when I particularly consider her
Majesty's state, both at home and abroad, so far forth as my poor eyesight
can discern; and how she is beset with foreign peril, the execution
whereof stayeth only upon the event of this match, I do not see how she
can stand if this matter break off