Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 7.djvu/62

. f 3 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 41. demonstration against de Quadra. On the day of the Purification the foreign Catholics in London came as usual in large numbers to hear mass at Durham Place. The guard at the gate took their names as they passed in ; and before the service was over an officer of the palace guard entered from the river, arrested every Spaniard, Fleming, and Italian present, and carried them off to the Fleet. They were informed on their re* lease that thenceforward no stranger, not even a casual visitor to the realm, should attend a service unsanctioned by the laws. 1 On the scth of February a Bill was introduced, by which, without mention of doctrine, Protestant or Ca- tholic, all persons who maintained the Pope's authority or refused the oath of allegiance to the Queen, for the first offence should incur a premuiiire, for the second the pains of treason. Should the Bill pass it was believed to be the death-warrant of the imprisoned bishops ; and even in the Lower House voices were raised in opposition. Cecil in a passionate speech declared that the House was bound in gratitude not to reject what was necessary for the Queen's security. Her life was in danger because she was the defender of English liberty ; the King of Spain desired her to send representatives to Trent ; she had refused, and he was threatening her with war ; and the Pope was offering millions of gold to pay the cost of an invasion of England. The Queen herself would die before she would yield, but her subjects must stand De Quadra to Philip, February 6 and February 20.