I now tell you that it will be well, before things go any farther, for the King of Spain to come to reason about the pretensions of madam mother.

This will be a means of establishing the repose of Christendom.

I shall be very willing to concur in such an arrangement, if I saw any approximation to it on the part of the King or his ministers.

But I fear they will delay too long, and so you had better tell them.

Push them to the point as much as possible, without letting them suspect that I have been writing about it, for that would make them rather draw back than come forward." At the same time, during this alternate threatening and coaxing between the French and the Spanish court, and in the midst of all the solemn and tedious protocolling of the ministry and the Dutch envoys, there was a most sincere and affectionate intercourse maintained between Henry III.
and the Prince of Parma.