18 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 52. council are for peace. 1 The lords who are my friends tell me not to be distressed at my detention. Nothing is meant beyond preventing me from communicating with the Catholics/ So far to Alva. A week later Don Guerau wrote to Philip :- 'D'Assonleville has had no audience, and while Cecil remains in power nothing will be done. He and his friends desire only to feed the fire in France and the Low Countries, believing that, if they can keep that flame unextinguished, they will be left alone in their heresies. They refuse to part with the money, unless your Majesty will send hither a special messenger to renew the old league, unless you will make compensa- tion for outstanding injuries, and will apologize for the dismissal of Doctor Man. It will not be to your Ma- jesty's honour to consent to these terms so long as the present Ministers are in power. There are many ways by which they can be shaken from their places. The Duke of Norfolk and Lord Arundel tell me that they will be the instruments of an alteration. The Catholics are arming under cover of an order from tho Queen for . 1 The ordinary council, at this time, consisted of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Keeper of the Great Seal ; the Mar- quis of Winchester, Lord Treasurer; Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer ; the Earl of Arundel, Lord High Constable; Duke of Nor- folk, Earl Marshal ; Lord Clinton, Lord High Admiral ; Sir William Cecil, Principal Secretary of State ; Lord Howard of Effingham, Lord Chamherlain; Earl of Pembroke, Lord Steward ; Sir James Crofts, Controller of the Household ; Earl of Leicester, Master of the Horse ; Sir Francis Kriowles, Treasurer of the Household ; Earl of Bedford, Go- vernor of Berwick ; Earl of Sussex, President of the North.