Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/363

 *574.] THE SPANISH TREATY. 343 They petitioned the Pope to publish a construction of the Bull of Deposition, which would implicate any Catholic prince who made a treaty with Elizabeth, and would make rebellion an obligation of faith to the Ca- tholics remaining in England. 1 Gregory however was too well advised. He could not afford, for the sake of a handful of passionate fanatics, to embroil himself both with France and Spain ; and Sanders and Allen, and Parsons and the Archbishop of Cashel, and the noble lords and ladies of the North, whose fault was fidelity to the cause of which Philip was the European champion, were dismissed over the frontiers at the request of the heretic Elizabeth, and re- quested to return no more. It was a hard measure, yet at once a political triumph to the English Government of immense moment, and in itself not undeserved. The object which these people had set before themselves, had been to kindle a war of religion, and to carry fire and sword through the country which claimed their allegiance. They had flooded Europe with libels, 'in which Medea was made a saint/ and the spotted gar- 1 ' Sentencia excommunicationis sive interdict! : Viseaest. Primura quod nulli Ckristiano cum iis populis neque conversari neque commercia habere licet contra quos ea lata est. Deinde quod subditi principum eorura contra quos ea lata est liberantur in posterum ab omni obedientia fide officio jurisjurandi religione qua 1 antea tenebantur, neque deinceps possunt solum, sed etiam debent, contra eosdem ferre arma ut conturaaces tanquam hereti- cos schismaticos rebelles Deo ipsi invisos trucidare vastare deripere ferro flamma furca coercere omni denique ratione de ira deflexos in viam reducere. Fiat. Fiat. Amen.' Copia de la sentencia de excomu- nion que pidieron los Catholicos de Inglaterra, 1574: MSS. Simancas.