1581.] VOYAGE OF SIR FRANCIS DRAKE. 189 she must interfere no further. ' To give them occa- sion to think/ he said, ' that your Majesty dallies with them both in marriage and 'league, cannot but greatly exasperate them against you ; and how your Majesty shall be able to bear alone the malice of Spain, France, and Scotland for such a concurrence against you is to be looked for I do not see. You have to consider whether you had not better join with France against Spain, than have them both with Scotland to assail you, and whether it were not better to convey the wars out of your own realm by associating with this Crown, than have this Crown with the rest of your ill-affected neighbours to assail you in your own realm. The solution is very easy. The only difficulty rests upon charges. It were hard your treasure should be preferred before safety. For the love of God, Madam, look to your own estate, and think there can grow no peril so great to you as to have a war break out in your own realm, considering what a number of evil subjects you have. Your Majesty cannot redeem the peril at too dear a price. Bear with my boldness, and interpret the same to the care I have of your Majesty's pre- servation.' l By the same post he wrote to Burghley, to say that the King was deeply hurt, but would not take the Queen's message as final. If she would contribute a hundred thousand crowns, France was ready to make a league on her own terms, and he could but hope that 1 Walsingham to Elizabeth, August 10 : MSS. France.
