"By God, he cannot go abroad until Ireland is settled!" he cried; "the country will not stand any war but that——"
"The King," answered the Lord Privy Seal, "hath such a mind to France one would think he took England but on the way——"
"France," said Shrewsbury, with feverish anxiety, "is not the question; we have to think of England. War was declared last May, and we are still incapable of putting a single regiment in the field. By Heaven, the Government is too disjointed for us to interfere in foreign affairs!"
"You should have thought of that, my lord," answered Nottingham dryly, "when you put a foreigner on the throne."
A deep colour again flushed Shrewsbury's beautiful face.
"I judged from His Majesty's reputation that he would have done better," he murmured.
"His Majesty is a great man," said Halifax placidly.
Caermarthen shrugged his shoulders.
"Is it the kind of greatness that will help England?"
"Or your party to places, my lord?" retorted the Lord Privy Seal shrewdly.