1565.] THE EMBASSY OF DE SILVA. 241 tion. 1 Catherine de Medici knew the necessity which was bearing upon her, and laboured hard with Sir Thomas Smith to remove the objections raised by Cecil. Age was nothing, she said. If the Queen of England was contented with the age of her son he would find no fault with hers. Elizabeth professed to fear that a marriage with the King of France might oblige her to be often absent from Eng- land. Catherine could see no difficulty in governing England by a viceroy ; and it was to no purpose that Smith urged that the English people were less easy to govern than the French, and that their princes had trouble enough to manage them though they re- mained always at home. He told Catherine that he thought she was too precipitate ; the young people might meet and make acquaintance. ' You are a young man, sir/ he said to Charles himself ; ' when you are next in Normandy you should disguise yourself, go lustily over unknown, and see with your own -eyes/ The Queen-mother laughed, but said it could not be. She must have an answer at once ; and the match was so advantageous for both parties that she could not be- lieve Elizabeth would refuse. France and England united could rule the world, for French and English soldiers united could conquer the world. ' France had the honour for horsemen, English footmen were taken for invincible.' 1 De Silva to Philip, March 17 : MS. Simancas. VOL. VII. 10
