the proposal; but as many difficulties occurred,
it appeared necessary to lay aside, by common consent, the project of an
interview. Elizabeth, however, wrote successively two letters to Henry,
one by Edmondes, another by Sir Robert Sidney; in which she expressed a
desire of conferring about a business of importance, with some minister
in whom that prince reposed entire confidence. The marquis of Rosni the
king's favorite and prime minister, came to Dover in disguise; and the
memoirs of that able statesman contain a full account of his conference
with Elizabeth. This princess had formed a scheme for establishing, in
conjunction with Henry, a new system in Europe, and of fixing a durable
balance of power, by the erection of new states on the ruins of the
house of Austria. She had even the prudence to foresee the perils which
might ensue from the aggrandizement of her ally; and she purposed to
unite all the seventeen provinces of the Low Countries in one republic,
in order to form a perpetual barrier against the dangerous increase of
the French as well as of the Spanish monarchy. Henry had himself long
meditated such a project against the Austrian family; and Rosni could
not forbear expressing his astonishment, when he found that Elizabeth
and his master, though they had never communicated their sentiments on
this subject, not only had entered into the same general views, but had
also formed the same plan for their execution. The affairs, however, of
France were not yet brought to a situation which might enable Henry to
begin that great enterprise; and Rosni satisfied the queen that it would
be necessary to postpone for some years their united attack on the house
of Austria. He departed, filled with just admiration at the solidity of
Elizabeth's judgment, and the greatness of her mind; and he owns, that
she was entirely worthy of that high reputation which she enjoyed in
Europe.

The queen's magnanimity in forming such extensive projects was the more
remarkable, as, besides her having fallen so far into the decline
of life, the affairs of Ireland, though conducted with abilities and
success, were still in disorder, and made a great diversion of her
forces. The expense incurred by this war lay heavy upon her narrow
revenues; and her ministers, taking advantage of her disposition to
frugality, proposed to her an expedient of saving, which, though she
at first disapproved of it, she was at last induced to embrace. It was
rep