westward ho-第151章

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n　fact；　where　Spain　was　held　either　to　have　no　rights；　or　to　have　forfeited　them　by　tyranny。　　But　Spain　itself　had　been　respected　by　England；　as　England　had　by　Spain；　and　trade　to　Spanish　ports　went　on　as　usual；　till；　in　the　year　1585；　the　Spaniard；　without　warning；　laid　an　embargo　on　all　English　ships　coming　to　his　European　shores。　　They　were　to　be　seized；　it　seemed；　to　form　part　of　an　enormous　armament；　which　was　to　attack　and　crush；　once　and　for　allwhom？　　The　rebellious　Netherlanders；　said　the　Spaniards：　but　the　queen；　the　ministry；　and；　when　it　was　just　not　too　late；　the　people　of　England；　thought　otherwise。　　England　was　the　destined　victim；　so；　instead　of　negotiating；　in　order　to　avoid　fighting；　they　fought　in　order　to　produce　negotiation。　Drake；　Frobisher；　and　Carlisle；　as　we　have　seen；　swept　the　Spanish　Main　with　fire　and　sword；　stopping　the　Indian　supplies；　while　Walsingham　（craftiest；　and　yet　most　honest　of　mortals）　prevented；　by　some　mysterious　financial　operation；　the　Venetian　merchants　from　repairing　the　Spaniards'　loss　by　a　loan；　and　no　Armada　came　that　year。

In　the　meanwhile；　the　Jesuits；　here　and　abroad；　made　no　secret；　among　their　own　dupes；　of　the　real　objects　of　the　Spanish　armament。　The　impious　heretics；the　Drakes　and　Raleighs；　Grenvilles　and　Cavendishes；　Hawkinses　and　Frobishers；　who　had　dared　to　violate　that　hidden　sanctuary　of　just　half　the　globe；　which　the　pope　had　bestowed　on　the　defender　of　the　true　faith；a　shameful　ruin；　a　terrible　death　awaited　them；　when　their　sacrilegious　barks　should　sink　beneath　the　thunder　of　Spanish　cannon；　blessed　by　the　pope；　and　sanctified　with　holy　water　and　prayer　to　the　service　of　〃God　and　his　Mother。〃　　Yes；　they　would　fall；　and　England　with　them。　　The　proud　islanders；　who　had　dared　to　rebel　against　St。　Peter；　and　to　cast　off　the　worship　of　〃Mary；〃　should　bow　their　necks　once　more　under　the　yoke　of　the　Gospel。　　Their　so…called　queen；　illegitimate；　excommunicate；　contumacious；　the　abettor　of　free…trade；　the　defender　of　the　Netherlands；　the　pillar　of　false　doctrine　throughout　Europe；　should　be　sent　in　chains　across　the　Alps；　to　sue　for　her　life　at　the　feet　of　the　injured　and　long…suffering　father　of　mankind；　while　his　nominee　took　her　place　upon　the　throne　which　she　had　long　since　forfeited　by　her　heresy。

〃What　nobler　work？　　How　could　the　Church　of　God　be　more　gloriously　propagated？　　How　could　higher　merit　be　obtained　by　faithful　Catholics？　　It　must　succeed。　　Spain　was　invincible　in　valor；　inexhaustible　in　wealth。　　Heaven　itself　offered　them　an　opportunity。　　They　had　nothing　now　to　fear　from　the　Turk；　for　they　had　concluded　a　truce　with　him；　nothing　from　the　French；　for　they　were　embroiled　in　civil　war。　　The　heavens　themselves　had　called　upon　Spain　to　fulfil　her　heavenly　mission；　and　restore　to　the　Church's　crown　this　brightest　and　richest　of　her　lost　jewels。　　The　heavens　themselves　called　to　a　new　crusade。　　The　saints；　whose　altars　the　English　had　rifled　and　profaned；　called　them　to　a　new　crusade。　　The　Virgin　Queen　of　Heaven；　whose　boundless　stores　of　grace　the　English　spurned；　called　them　to　a　new　crusade。　　Justly　incensed　at　her　own　wrongs　and　indignities；　that　'ever…gracious　Virgin；　refuge　of　sinners；　and　mother　of　fair　love；　and　holy　hope；'　adjured　by　their　knightly　honor　all　valiant　cavaliers　to　do　battle　in　her　cause　against　the　impious　harlot　who　assumed　her　titles；　received　from　her　idolatrous　flatterers　the　homage　due　to　Mary　alone；　and　even　（for　Father　Parsons　had　asserted　it；　therefore　it　must　be　true）　had　caused　her　name　to　be　substituted　for　that　of　Mary　in　the　Litanies　of　the　Church。　　Let　all　who　wore　within　a　manly　heart；　without　a　manly　sword；　look　on　the　woes　of　'Mary；'　her　shame；　her　tears；　her　blushes；　her　heart　pierced　through　with　daily　wounds；　from　heretic　tongues；　and　choose　between　her　and　Elizabeth！〃

So　said　Parsons；　Allen；　and　dozens　more；　and　said　more　than　this；　too；　and　much　which　one　had　rather　not　repeat；　and　were　somewhat　surprised　and　mortified　to　find　that　their　hearers；　though　they　granted　the　premises；　were　too　dull　or　carnal　to　arrive　at　the　same　conclusion。　　The　English　lay　Romanists；　almost　to　a　man；　had　hearts　sounder　than　their　heads；　and；　howsoever　illogically；　could　not　help　holding　to　the　strange　superstition　that；　being　Englishmen；　they　were　bound　to　fight　for　England。　　So　the　hapless　Jesuits；　who　had　been　boasting　for　years　past　that　the　persecuted　faithful　throughout　the　island　would　rise　as　one　man　to　fight　under　the　blessed　banner　of　the　pope　and　Spain；　found　that　the　faithful；　like　Demas　of　old；　forsook　them　and　〃went　after　this　present　world；〃　having　no　objection；　of　course；　to　the　restoration　of　Popery：　but　preferring　some　more　comfortable　method　than　an　invasion　which　would　inevitably　rob　them　of　their　ancestral　lands　and　would　seat　needy　and　greedy　Castilians　in　their　old　country　houses；　to　treat　their　tenants　as　they　had　treated　the　Indians　of　Hispaniola；　and　them　as　they　had　treated　the　caciques。

But　though　the　hearts　of　men　in　that　ungodly　age　were　too　hard　to　melt　at　the　supposed　woes　of　the　Mary　who　reigned　above；　and　too　dull　to　turn　rebels　and　traitors　for　the　sake　of　those　thrones　and　principalities　in　supra…lunar　spheres　which　might　be　in　her　gift：　yet　there　was　a　Mary　who　reigned　（or　ought　to　reign）　below；　whose　woes　（like　her　gifts）　were　somewhat　more　palpable　to　the　carnal　sense。　　A　Mary　who；　having　every　comfort　and　luxury　（including　hounds　and　horses）　found　for　her　by　the　English　Government；　at　an　expense　which　would　be　now　equal　to　some　twenty　thousand　a　year；　could　afford　to　employ　the　whole　of　her　jointure　as　Queen　Dowager　of　France　（probably　equal　to　fifty　thousand　a　year　more）；　in　plotting　the　destruction　of　the　said　government；　and　the　murder　of　its　queen；　a　Mary　who；　if　she　prospered　as　she　ought；　might　have　dukedoms；　and　earldoms；　fair　lands　and　castles　to　bestow　on　her　faithful　servants；　a　Mary；　finally；　who　contrived　by　means　of　an　angel　face；　a　serpent　tongue；　and　a　heart　（as　she　said　herself）　as　hard　as　a　diamond；　to　make　every　weak　man　fall　in　love　with　her；　and；　what　was　worse；　fancy　more　or　less　that　she　was　in　love　with　him。

Of　her　the　Jesuits　were　not　unmindful；　and　found　it　convenient；　indeed；　to　forget　awhile　the　sorrows　of　the　Queen　of　Heaven　in　those　of　the　Queen　of　Scots。　　Not　that　they　cared　much　for　those　sorrows；　but　they　were　an　excellent　stock…in…trade。　　She　was　a　Romanist；　she　was　〃beautiful　and　unfortunate；〃　a　virtue　which；　like　charity；　hides　the　multitude　of　sins；　and　therefore　she　was　a　convenient　card　to　play　in　the　great　game　of　Rome　against　the　Queen　and　people　of　England；　and　played　the　poor　card　was；　till　it　got　torn　up　by　over…using。　　Into　her　merits　or　demerits　I　do　not　enter　deeply　here。　　Let　her　rest　in　peace。

To　all　which　the　people　of　England　made　a　most　practical　and　terrible　answer。　　From　the　highest　noble　to　the　lowest　peasant；　arose　one　simultaneous　plebiscitum：　〃We　are　tired　of　these　seventeen　years　of　chicanery　and　terror。　　This　woman　must　die：　or　the　commonweal　of　England　perish！〃　　We　all　know　which　of　the　two　alternatives　was　chosen。

All　Europe　stood　aghast：　but　rather　with　astonishment　at　English　audacity；　than　with　horror　at　English　wickedness。　　Mary's　own　French　kinsfolk　had　openly　given　her　up　as　too　bad　to　be　excused；　much　less　assisted。　　Her　own　son　blustered　a　little　to　the　English　ambassador；　for　the　majesty　of　kings　was　invaded：　whereon　Walsingham　said　in　open　council；　that　〃the　queen　should　send　him　a　couple　of　hounds；　and　that　would　set　all　right。〃　　Which　sage　advice　（being　acted　on；　and　some　deer　sent　over　and　above）　was　so　successful　that　the　pious　mourner；　having　run　off　（Randolph　says；　like　a　baby　to　see　the　deer　in　their　cart）；　returned　for　answer　that　he　would　〃thereafter　depend　wholly　upon　her　majesty；　and　serve　her　fortune　against　all　the　world；　and　that　he　only　wanted　now　two　of　her　majesty's　yeoman　prickers；　and　a　couple　of　her　grooms　of　the　deer。〃　　The　Spaniard　was　not　sorry　on　the　whole　for　the　catastrophe；　for　all　that　had　kept　him　from　conquering　England　long　ago　was　the　fear　lest；　after　it　was　done；　he　might　have　had　to　put　the　crown　thereof　on　Mary's　head；　instead　of　his　own。　　But　Mary's　death　was　as　convenient　a　sta