however, was only shown to her lover in public; the
Spanish ideas of decency being so strict, as not to allow of any further
intercourse, till the arrival of the dispensation.[***]

The point of honor was carried so far by that generous people, that no
attempt was made, on account of the advantage which they had acquired,
of imposing any harder conditions of treaty: their pious zeal only
prompted them, on one occasion, to desire more concessions in the
religious articles; but, upon the opposition of Bristol, accompanied
with some reproaches, they immediately desisted. The pope, however,
hearing of the prince's arrival in Madrid, tacked some new clauses to
the dispensation;[****] and it became necessary to transmit the articles
to London, that the king might ratify them. This treaty, which was made
public, consisted of several articles, chiefly regarding the exercise
of the Catholic religion by the infanta and her household. Nothing could
reasonably be found fault with, except one article, in which the king
promised, that the children should be educated by the princess, till ten
years of age. This condition could not be insisted on, but with a view
of seasoning their minds with Catholic principles; and though so tender
an age seemed a sufficient security against theological prejudices, yet
the same reason which made the pope insert that article, should have
induced the king to reject it.

Besides the public treaty, there were separate articles, privately sworn
to by the king; in which he promised to suspend the penal laws enacted
against Catholics, to procure a repeal of them in parliament, and to
grant a toleration for the exercise of the Catholic religion in private
houses.[v]

* Franklyn, p. 73.

** Franklyn, p. 74.

*** Rushworth, vol. i. p. 77.

**** Rushworth, vol. i. p. 84.

v Franklyn, p. 80. Rushworth, vol. i. p. 89. Kennet, p.
769.

Great murmurs, we may believe, would have arisen against these articles,
had they been made known to the public; since we find it to have been
imputed as an enormous crime to the prince that, having received, about
this time, a very civil letter from the pope, he was induced to return a
very civil answer.[*]

Meanwhile Gregory XV., who granted the dispensation, died; and Urban
VIII. was chosen in his place. Upon this event, the nuncio refused to
deliver the dispensation, till it should be renewed by Urban; and that
crafty pontiff delayed