Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/173

 1569.] THE RISING OF THE NORTH. more cause which had contributed to the failure of the enterprise. So many plans had intercrossed that no two parties understood each other. The Spaniards, the French, the Duke of Norfolk, the Queen of Scots, the council, had all been playing with separate schemes, and the best of the Catholics, who cared simply for the restoration of the faith, had shrunk from risking their cause upon a movement with the purpose of which they were so obscurely acquainted. Lincolnshire, which had been the scene of the first Catholic insurrection against Henry VIII., was found by Lord Clinton entirely apathetic. Yet Lincolnshire had not been converted to the Reformation, and the behaviour of the people there is explained by a singular address from ' the knights and gentlemen ' of that county to Philip II. It is de- scribed as having been largely signed among them, and represents without doubt the feeling of a very large portion of the Catholic party in England. ' They looked to Philip/ these persons said, ' as the Prince who had the chief right to their crown, being at once the most Catholic in himself and the most able to defend and maintain the Catholic religion. He had borne the title of King of England. His name was on the English statute-book, and to him they now looked as their liege lord and sovereign. 1 They entreated his 1 ' Comme le. Prince du monde qui tient droict et peult avoir droict et litre a la couronne d'Angleterre, comme le plus Catholique et le plus puissant Prince qui les peult de- fendre et secourer en la foy Catho- lique ; et en ces deux endroicts ils se submettent leurs vies et biens a V re Maj te ' en toutz respectz et condi- tions, comme partient a Seigneurs et Noblesse qui tient V re Maj^ pour Icur Prince et Souveraign.'