The Englishmen, too; had it in their power to gratify Alexander himself with English greyhounds, for which he had a special liking.

"You would wonder," wrote Cecil to his father, "how fond he is of English dogs." There was also much good preaching among other occupations, at Ostend.

"My Lord of Derby's two chaplains," said Cecil, "have seasoned this town better with sermons than it had been before for a year's apace." But all this did not expedite the negotiations, nor did the Duke manifest so much anxiety for colloquies as for greyhounds.

So, in an unlucky hour for himself, another "fond and vain" old gentleman--James Croft, the comptroller who had already figured, not much to his credit, in the secret negotiations between the Brussels and English courts--betook himself, unauthorized and alone; to the Duke at Bruges.

Here he had an interview very similar in character to that in which John Rogers had been indulged, declared to Farnese that the Queen was most anxious for peace, and invited him to send a secret envoy to England, who would instantly have ocular demonstration of the fact.