good affection or your courage, the Queen is persuaded that her royal
son's person (to say little of the other small matters already named by
me) cannot be safe in your hands against a serious attempt such as can
be made as soon as General Cromwell returns victorious--as he doubtless
will--from the Irish war. She therefore intends--and here, Gentlemen, I
come to the main purpose of our present meeting--she intends, I say, to
send over a strong force of French troops to occupy the island."

Consternation kept the assembly silent.

"You are not ignorant of the history of your country," pursued the
Governor. "When a former Queen sought the aid of France you know on what
terms that aid was given. You know the name of Maulévrier; how for six
years he held the Castle of Gorey with the Eastern half of our island.
'We have heard with our ears, and our fathers have declared to us' what
things the Papists did in those days, and how the Lord delivered you by
the hands of my own ancestor and of the sailors of England. Are we to do
it again; it is to be France or England?"

The hall was in an uproar. With startling unanimity the last word was
echoed from all sides: "England for ever! England above all!"

Returning to his quarters in the part of the Castle called by the name
of the late King, Carteret found Sir Edward Nicholas--who was ageing and
felt the cold of sunset--in a mantle and with a black silk skullcap on
his head, pacing up and down the little esplanade by the faint light of
a waning moon. There was an old friendliness between the two: Nicholas
having been long loved and favoured by Hyde, now in Spain, but formerly
the cherished guest of the Carterets. Hence the Secretary was both
willing and able to give sympathy and counsel to his host almost as well