i8o REIGN OF ELIZABE TH. [CH. 43. and that the lands of the suppressed abbeys had been bestowed ' for pious uses.' He wished that as happy a change could be worked in France ; and marvelled that the deposed bishops should have been f so stiff ' in re- fusing ' to follow the Prince's religion ; ' he noted and delighted in English mediocrity ; charging the Genevans and the Scots with going too far in extremities/ The Archbishop told him that ' there were priests and bish- ops in England both married and unmarried ; ' ' he did not disallow thereof, and was contented to hear evil of the Pope/ The ambassadors proceeded to London, leaving be- hind them an agreeable impression of themselves, and carrying with them a sunny memory of a pleasant Eng- lish summer home, with its woods and gardens and cawing rooks and cheery social life ; the French pages had been so well schooled in their behaviour that when they were gone the Archbishop was surprised to find ' he could not charge them with purloining the worth of one silver spoon/ l On both sides of the Channel, in London and Paris, the peace once made there was the warmest endeavour to obliterate painful recollections ; the moderate party was in power at the Court of Cathe- rine, and with it the liberal anti-Spanish foreign policy ; the interests of France and England were identical on the great political questions of the day ; and Elizabeth was fortunate in having a treaty forced upon her which obliged Philip to look with less favour on the Queen of Parker to Cecil, June 3 : Domestic- MSS., Elizabeth, vol. xxxiii.
