Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 11.djvu/77

 1580.1 THE JESUIT INVASION. 6l At this moment Parsons and his party reached Calais. They were prepared for danger, and had come and solicitations to many great princes to procure sedition in the realm, yea, to have the realm in- vaded by foreign force as lately they have begun in Ireland, whereof by God's goodness their attempts are likely to be frustrate. But now to add some matter to serve their wicked purpose they have caused to be put in writing that the Pope, the King of Spain, and other princes are accorded to make a great army to invade England, and to dispose of the crown, and the possessions of the subjects of the realm, at their pleasure, thereby intending to move the people of the realm to a discord in their minds, as some to be bold to persist in their undutifulness, some to be afraid to continue dutiful. But her Majesty considering the goodness of God, how hitherto she and her whole realm have been pre- served by his godly and special protection, and that she ought not only to be most thankful for the same, and to maintain his glory and honour by retaining her people in the true profession of the gospel, and to keep them free from the bondage of the Romish tyranny, but also she ought and must use those means which God hath given to her and put into her hands, that is power over an infinite number of godly, dutiful, faithful, manlike, and able people, her loving subjects through ail parts of the realm ; with which and by whose ready help, with their bodies, lives, and substance, by God's grace she is and shall be able to withstand, both by sea and land, all foreign power how mighty so- ever the same may be procured or intended against her and her realm. And to that end she hath of late caused the universal strength of her subjects to be viewed, prepared, and arranged, and the same she doth mean to have still continued in a readiness to withstand all hostile attempts, as well by sea with her own navy and the navy of the realm, as by land both on horse- back and on foot ; whereby, through God's goodness, she hath such a strength as, in comparison, never any king of this realm hath had the like, to overcome all foreigji malice to her and to the state of true Christian religion, for the profession and maintenance whereof her Majesty knoweth that both herself and her realm is maligned. So she thinketh it good to admon- ish her good people that they con- tinue in the dutiful and humble service of Almighty God, manifest- ing by their honest conversation, their Christian profession, and also do remain constant in courage with their bodies and substance to with- stand any enterprises that may be offered to this realm ; and that whatsoever rumours by speech or writing they shall hear of as ma- liciously dispersed by traitors abroad or by their secret complices and