242 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 43. The conversation turned on the chances of children, where Catherine was equally confident ; and the dia- logue which followed was reported by Sir T. Smith in a letter to Elizabeth herself : 1 The Queen told me that she was married when King Henry had but fifteen years and she fourteen ; and that Mr Secretary Cecil had a child at fourteen years of age, as her ambassador had written to her ; and, said she, ' you see my son, he is not small nor little of growth/ ' With that the King stood upright. ' ' Why/ said "she, ' you would show yourself bigger than you be/ and laughed.
- ' But what think you will be the end, M. TAmbas-
sadeur/ saith she ; ' I pray you tell me your opinion frankly/ ' ' By my troth, madame/ quoth I, ' to say what I think, I think rather it will take effect than no ; and yet in my letters I see nothing but deliberation and ir- resolution and request of delay to consult; butmethinks it groweth fast together and cometh on hotlier than I did imagine it would have done ; and that maketh me judge rather that at the last it will take effect than otherwise. But methinks on your part and the King's you make too much haste. If the King had three or four more years and had seen the Queen's Majesty and was taken in love with her, then I would not marvel at this haste/ ' ' Why/ said the King, ' I do love her indeed/ 1 ' Sir/ quoth I, ' your age doth not yet bear that
