Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/129

 1581-2.] THE JESUIT INVASION. nj rise for the priests who are to go to Scotland, and if they are to make themselves acceptable must pay their own expenses.' ' To the clamorous complaints which the Jesuits poured out over Europe Lord Burghley, for the satisfaction of England, condescended to reply. England first and Ireland after, he said, had rebelled at the instigation of the Papacy. Plots had been formed to assassinate the Queen, and she and her advisers had been made the ob- jects of venomous libels. Priests, commissioned by the Pope, had stolen into the realm to seduce subjects from their allegiance, and some of them had justly suffered death for maintaining and adhering to the Queen's capital enemy. Every one of them had been spared, who, after condemnation, would consent to admit that the Pope had no right to deprive her, ' such was her Majesty's unwillingness to shed blood.' They pretended that they had been sent by their superiors to inform men's consciences on points of religion, but their real object was to win them to allow the Pope's authority, that ' when they should be thereto called,' ' they might hold themselves warranted to take arms.' The priests might colour their proceedings with professions of de- votion in religion, but the Queen's duty was to main- tain the peace of the realm, to prevent the torrents of blood which were always shed in civil war, and she had a right therefore to impeach their practices by sword and law. Many of her subjects entertained and openly 1 Mendoza to Philip, November 19, 1581: MSS. Simancaa. VOL,. XI. 8