French, would be equally dangerous to England. The Netherlands once
brought back under the Pope, England's turn would come next; while to
accept the proposal meant instant and desperate war, both with France
and Spain too--for France would never allow England again to gain a foot
on the Continent. Elizabeth knew not what to do. She would and she would
not. She did not accept; she did not refuse. It was neither No nor Yes.
Philip, who was as fond of indirect ways as herself, proposed to quicken
her irresolution.

The harvest had failed in Galicia, and the population were starving.
England grew more corn than she wanted, and, under a special promise
that the crews should not be molested, a fleet of corn-traders had gone
with cargoes of grain to Coruna, Bilbao, and Santander. The King of
Spain, on hearing that Elizabeth was treating with the States, issued a
sudden order to seize the vessels, confiscate the cargoes, and imprison
the men. The order was executed. One English ship only was lucky enough
to escape by the adroitness of her commander. The _Primrose_, of London,
lay in Bilbao Roads with a captain and fifteen hands. The mayor, on
receiving the order, came on board to look over the ship. He then went
on shore for a sufficient force to carry out the seizure. After he was
gone the captain heard of the fate which was intended for him. The mayor
returned with two boatloads of soldiers, stepped up the ladder, touched
the captain on the shoulder, and told him he was a prisoner. The
Englishmen snatched pike and cutlass, pistol and battleaxe, killed seven
or eight of the Spanish boarders, threw the rest overboard, and flung
stones on them as they scrambled into their boats. The mayor, who had
fallen into the sea, caught a rope and was hauled up when the fight was
over. The cable was cut, the sails hoisted, and in a few minutes the
_Primrose_ was under way for England, with the mayor of Bilbao below the
hatches. No second vessel got away. If Philip had meant to frighten
Elizabeth he could not have taken a worse means of doing it, for he had
exasperated that particular part of the English population which was
least afraid of him. He had broken faith besides, and had seized some
hundreds of merchants and sailors who had gone merely to relieve Spanish
distress. Elizabeth, as usual, would not act herself. She sent no ships
from her own navy to demand reparation; but she gave the adventurers a
free hand. The London and Plymouth