"We must keep the French," said Philip, "in a state of confusion at home, and feed their civil war.

We must not allow them to come to a general peace, which would be destruction for the Catholics.

I know you will put a good face on the matter; and, after all, 'tis in the interest of the Netherlands.

Moreover, the money shall be immediately refunded." Alexander was more likely to make a wry face, notwithstanding his views of the necessity of fomenting the rebellion against the House of Valois.
Certainly if a monarch intended to conquer such countries as France, England, and Holland, without stirring from his easy chair in the Escorial, it would have been at least as well--so Alexander thought--to invest a little more capital in the speculation.

No monarch ever dreamed of arriving at universal empire with less personal fatigue or exposure, or at a cheaper rate, than did Philip II.