Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/378

 364 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 66. that Duke Albert of Bavaria would take a part in the invasion, and supposing the King of Spain to approve, but to be unwilling to appear in the matter personally, he said that he was ready himself to cross immediately to the coast of Northumberland with four thousand of his own people. His brother the Duke of Mayenne would land with as many more in Sussex, and if Parma would allow the use of Dunkirk, Duke Albert would pass from thence to Norfolk with five thousand Germans. This plan appeared to him to be on the whole the most desirable. It could be executed at once ; the danger of discovery from delay would be avoided ; while France itself could provide arms and men. From this proposal, prompt and decisive as it was, the English Jesuits dissented. Their leanings were en- tirely Spanish, and although they were ready to accept Guise as their leader, they wished him to act only under Philip's directions. They made objections to a triple combination. They said that unless the King of Spain was supreme, they would quarrel among themselves one party would think only of re-establishing religion, another of placing Mary Stuart on the throne, while a third would be for letting Elizabeth remain, and for giving the Queen of. Scots only the succession. Again, supposing Mary Stuart Queen, the Scots, they said, would look to have precedence at Court, to which the English would never yield. Catholic England was ready to take her as its Sovereign, but only as the representative of Philip. The people were strongly attached to their old alliance, and could only be relied on to rise if Spain was