esty's
trust by your own letters or messenger of trust, and she will not
deceive you.'

"'Surely,' said his highness, 'whoever hath said this of me to the
queen's majesty, or to you, or to any other, hath said more than he
knoweth, God grant he meant well therein. My ancestors have always
holden this religion that I hold, and I never knew other, and therefore
I never could have mind hitherto to change; and I trust, when her
majesty shall consider my case well, my determination herein shall not
hurt me towards her in this cause. For, count,' said he, 'how could you
with reason give me counsel to be the first of my race that so suddenly
should change the religion that all my ancestors have so long holden
when I know no other; or how can the queen like of me in any other
thing, that should be so light in changing of my conscience? Where on
the other side, in knowing my duty constantly to God for conscience, I
have great hope that her majesty, with good reason, will conceive that I
will be the more faithful and constant to her in all that honor and
conscience bindeth. And therefore I will myself crave of her majesty, by
my letters, her granting of this my only request; and I pray you with
all my heart to further it in all you may; and shrink not to assure her
majesty, that if she satisfy me in this, I will never slack to serve and
satisfy her, while I live, in all the rest.'

"In such like talk, to this effect, his highness spent almost two hours
with me, which I thought my duty to advertise your majesty; and hereupon
I gather that reputation ruleth him much for the present in this case of
religion, and that if God couple you together in liking, you shall have
of him a true husband, a loving companion, a wise counsellor and a
faithful servant; and we shall have as virtuous a prince as ever ruled:
God grant (though you be worthy a great deal better than he, if he were
to be found) that our wickedness be not such as we be unworthy of him,
or of such as he is.[66]" &c.

[Note 66: Lodge's "Illustrations," vol. i.]

It may be matter as much of surprise as regret to the reader of these
letters, that a negotiation should have failed of success, which the
manly plainness of the envoy on one hand and the honourable unreserve of
the prince on the other had so quickly freed from the customary
intricacies of diplomatic transactions. Religion furnished, to
appearance, the only objection which could be urged against the union;
and o