triumphantly as the excellent Doctor had done; averring that there was no
doubt as to the immediate conclusion of a treaty. His grounds of belief
were very similar to those upon which Rogers had founded his faith.
"Tis a weak old man of seventy," said Parma, "with very little sagacity.
I am inclined to think that his colleagues are taking him in, that they
may the better deceive us. I will see that they do nothing of the kind."
But the movement was purely one of the comptroller's own inspiration; for
Sir James had a singular facility for getting himself into trouble, and
for making confusion. Already, when he had been scarcely a day in
Ostend, he had insulted the governor of the place, Sir John Conway, had
given him the lie in the hearing of many of his own soldiers, had gone
about telling all the world that he had express authority from her
Majesty to send him home in disgrace, and that the Queen had called him
a fool, and quite unfit for his post. And as if this had not been
mischief-making enough, in addition to the absurd De Loo and Bodman
negotiations of the previous year, in which he had been the principal
actor, he had crowned his absurdities by this secret and officious visit
to Ghent. The Queen, naturally very indignant at this conduct,
reprehended him severely, and ordered him back to England. The
comptroller was wretched. He expressed his readiness to obey her
commands, but nevertheless implored his dread sovereign to take merciful
consideration of the manifold misfortunes, ruin, and utter undoing, which
thereby should fall upon him and his unfortunate family. All this he
protested he would "nothing esteem if it tended to her Majesty's pleasure
or service," but seeing it should effectuate nothing but to bring the
aged carcase of her poor vassal to present decay, he implored compassion
upon his hoary hairs, and promised to repair the error of his former
proceedings. He avowed that he would not have ventured to disobey for a
moment her orders to return, but "that his aged and feeble limbs did not
retain sufficient force, without present death, to comply with her