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 342 General History of Europe reluctantly persuaded by her advisers to sign a warrant for Mary's execution in 1587, and the Scotch queen was beheaded. 581. Destruction of the Spanish Armada (isss). Philip II, however, by no means gave up his project of reclaiming Protes- tant England. In 1588 he brought together a great fleet, includ- ing his best and largest warships, which was proudly called by the Spaniards the " Invincible Armada" (that is, fleet). This was to sail through the English Channel to the Netherlands and bring over the Spanish commander there and his veterans, who, it was expected, would soon make an end of Elizabeth's raw militia. The English ships were inferior to those of Spain in size, although not in number, but they had trained commanders, such as Francis Drake and Hawkins. These famous captains had long sailed the Spanish Main and knew how to use their cannon without getting near enough to the Spaniards to suffer from their short-range weapons. When the Armada approached it was permitted by the English fleet to pass up the Channel before a strong wind, which later became a storm. The English ships then followed, and both fleets were driven past the coast of Flanders. Of the hundred and twenty Spanish ships only fifty-four returned home; the rest had been destroyed by English valor or by the gale, to which Elizabeth herself ascribed the victory. The defeat of the Armada put an end to the danger from Spain. 582. Failure of Philip IPs Policy. When Philip II died, in 1598, it was apparent that he had not succeeded in his cherished purposes. England was permanently Protestant; the "Invincible Armada" had been miserably wrecked, and Philip's plan for bringing England once more within the fold of the Roman Catholic Church was forever frustrated. In France the terrible wars of religion were over, and a powerful king, lately a Protes- tant himself, was on the throne, who not only tolerated the Protestants but chose one of them for his chief minister and would brook no more meddling of Spain in French affairs ( 569 ff.). A new Protestant state, the United Netherlands (Holland), had actually appeared within the bounds of the realm bequeathed to