departure was mournful between her majesty and
Monsieur; she loth to let him go, and he as loth to depart. Her majesty
on her return will be long in no place in which she lodged as she went,
neither will she come to Whitehall, because the places shall not give
cause of remembrance to her of him with whom she so unwillingly parted.
Monsieur promised his return in March, but how his Low Country causes
will permit him is uncertain. Her highness went no further but
Canterbury, Monsieur took shipping at Sandwich[92]."

[Note 92: "Illustrations," vol. ii. p. 258.]

It is, after all, extremely difficult to decide whether the
circumstances here related ought to invalidate any part of Camden's
narrative. There can be no doubt that Elizabeth had at times been
violently tempted to accept this young prince for a husband; and even
when she sent Walsingham to France instructed to conclude, if possible,
the league without the marriage, she evidently had not in her own mind
absolutely concluded against the latter measure, because she
particularly charged him to examine whether the duke, who had lately
recovered from the small pox, still retained enough of his good looks to
engage a lady's affections. It is probable that his second visit
revived her love; and the truth of the circumstance of her publicly
presenting to him a ring, is confirmed by Camden's further statement,
that St. Aldegond, minister in England for the United Provinces, wrote
word of it to the States, who, regarding the match as now concluded,
caused public rejoicings to be celebrated at Antwerp. After this the
duke would undoubtedly press for a speedy solemnization, and he cannot
but have experienced some degree of disappointment in at length quitting
the country, _re infecta_. But it was still greatly and obviously his
interest to remain on the best possible terms with Elizabeth, in order
to secure from her that co-operation, and those pecuniary aids, on which
the success of his affairs in the Netherlands must mainly depend. It is
even possible that a further acquaintance with the state of public
opinion in England, and with the temper, maxims, and personal qualities
of the queen herself, might very much abate the poignancy of his
mortification, or even incline him secretly to prefer the character of
her ally to that of her husband. Be this as it may, the favorite son of
Catherine de' Medici was a sufficient adept in the dissimulation of
courts to assume with ease a