Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/233

 1 5 70.] EXCOMMUNICA TION OF ELIZABE 777. 2 1 9 The English Bishops who composed the Homily on Wilful Rebellion, fed the armies of the Huguenots and the Prince of Orange with contributions collected in the English churches. The Catholics who on the Continent preached the Divine right of Kings, believed in England that they might lawfully be deposed by their subjects. Princes were not more consistent than their peoples. Elizabeth was half a Catholic in theory, in practice she was the most vigorous of Protestants. The Court of France was one month the ally of the Papacy, and the irreconcilable enemy of heresy ; in the next it was seeking alliance with England, stretch- ing out its hands to the princes of the religion, and thinking only how best to take advantage of the dis- tractions of the Low Countries, and annex Brabant and Flanders to the French' Crown. But phenomena like these occasion no surprise. They explain themselves on the common principles of human nature, or in the divi- sions of opinions and parties. The anomalies in the position of the English Queen were so singular as to be without precedent or parallel. From Philip, the most orthodox of princes, and the Spanish nation, the most passionately Catholic in the world, some kind of principle, some uniformity of action, might have been looked for with certainty ; yet Philip was compelled to be the chief supporter of a heretic Power, by which he was himself insulted and despised. If he attempted to interfere to change the government in England, France stepped to Elizabeth's side and threatened him with war. If he stood aside to let