199.

**** Forbes, vol. ii. p. 161.

The earl of Warwick, eldest son of the late duke of Northumberland,
arrived soon after at Havre with another body of three thousand English,
and took on him the command of the place.

It was expected that the French Catholics, flushed with their success at
Rouen, would immediately have formed the siege of Havre, which was not
as yet in any condition of defence; but the intestine disorders of the
kingdom soon diverted their attention to another enterprise. Andelot,
seconded by the negotiations of Elizabeth, had levied a considerable
body of Protestants in Germany; and having arrived at Orleans, the seat
of the Hugonots' power, he enabled the prince of Conde and the admiral
to take the field, and oppose the progress of their enemies. After
threatening Paris during some time, they took their march towards
Normandy, with a view of engaging the English to act in conjunction with
them, and of fortifying themselves by the further assistance which
they expected from the zeal and vigor of Elizabeth.[*] The Catholics,
commanded by the constable, and under him by the duke of Guise, followed
on their rear; and overtaking them at Dreux, obliged them to give
battle. The field was fought with great obstinacy on both sides; and
the action was distinguished by this singular event, that Conde and
Montmorency, the commanders of the opposite armies, fell both of them
prisoners into the hands of their enemies. The appearances of victory
remained with Guise, but the admiral, whose fate it ever was to be
defeated, and still to rise more terrible after his misfortunes,
collected the remains of the army; and inspiring his own unconquerable
courage and constancy into every breast, kept them in a body, and
subdued some considerable places in Normandy. Elizabeth, the better to
support his cause, sent him a new supply of a hundred thousand crowns;
and offered, if he could find merchants to lend him the money, to give
her bond for another sum of equal amount.[**]

* Forbes, vol. ii. p. 320. Davila, lib. iii.

** Forbes, vol. ii. p. 322, 347.

{1563.} The expenses incurred by assisting the French Hugonots had
emptied the queen's exchequer; and in order to obtain supply, she found
herself under a necessity of summoning a parliament: an expedient to
which she never willingly had recourse. A little before the meeting of
this assembly, she had fallen into a dangerous illness, the small-pox;
and a