446 OBSERVATIONS ON A LIBEL. 



not at that time had some hidden alienation of mind, 

 and design of an enemy towards her majesty, so 

 wise a king could not be ignorant, that the renewing 

 and ratifying of treaties between princes and states 

 do add great life and force, both of assurance to the 

 parties themselves, and countenance and reputation 

 to the world besides ; and have for that cause been 

 commonly and necessarily used and practised. 



In the message of Viscount Montacute, it was 

 also contained, that he should crave the king s 

 counsel and assistance, according to amity and good 

 intelligence, upon a discovery of certain pernicious 

 plots of the house of Guise, to annoy this realm by 

 the way of Scotland : whereunto the king s answer 

 was so dark and so cold, that nothing could be made 

 of it, till he had made an exposition of it himself by 

 effects, in the express restraint of munition to be 

 carried out of the Low Countries unto the siege of 

 Leith ; because our nation was to have supply there 

 of from thence. So as in all the negociations that 

 passed with that king, still her majesty received no 

 satisfaction, but more and more suspicious and bad 

 tokens of evil affection. 



Soon after, when upon that project, which was 

 disclosed before the king had resolved to disanul 

 the liberties and privileges unto his subjects of the 

 Netherlands anciently belonging ; and to establish 

 amongst them a martial government, which the 

 people, being very wealthy, and inhabiting towns 

 very strong and defensible by fortifications both of 

 nature and the hand, could not endure, there fol- 



