r 563. ] THE ENGLISH AT HA VKE. 63 wax angry at the shameful treason ; ' ( the Lord War- wick and all his people would spend the last drop of their blood before the French should fasten a foot in the town.' 1 The French inhabitants of Havre had almost settled the difficulty for themselves. Feeling no pleasure, what- ever they might affect, in having ' their antient enemies' among them, they opened a correspondence with the Khingrave. A peasant passing the gates with a basket of chickens was observed to have something under his clothes. A few sheets of white paper was all which the guard could discover ; but these, when held to the fire, revealed a conspiracy to murder Warwick and admit the French army. 2 The townspeople, men, women, and children, were of course instantly expelled; and the English garrison in solitary possession worked night and day to prepare for the impending struggle. It was with no pleasure that Conde felt himself obliged to turn against Elizabeth the army which her own money had assisted him to raise. She had answered his proposals by sending to Paris a copy of the articles which both the Prince and the Admiral had subscribed. ' No one thing/ she said, * so much offended her as their unkind dealing after her friend- ship in their extremity ; ' while Sir Thomas Smith, on the other side, described Conde as a second King of Navarre going the way of Baal Peor, and led astray by
- Midianitish women. 5 Yet, had Elizabeth's own deal-
1 Pelham to Throgmorton, April 15 : Con way MSS. 2 Henry King to Chaloner : Spanish MSS.
