THE FELICITIES OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. 473 



beth s reign, at which time that design of the pope 

 and Spain was put into execution, by those me 

 morable preparations of the navy and land forces, 

 had in their instructions, besides other parts of their 

 function, to distil and insinuate into the people these 

 particulars : &quot; It was impossible things should con- 

 tinue at this stay : they should see ere long a great 

 &quot; change in this state ; that the pope and Catholic 

 &quot; princes were careful for the English, if they would 

 &quot; not be wanting to themselves.&quot; Again, sundry of 

 the priests did manifestly interpose themselves into 

 those consultations and plots which tended to the 

 undermining and ruining of this kingdom : and, which 

 especially moved her, letters were intercepted out of 

 divers parts that discovered the true face of the plot; 

 in which was written, that they doubted not to e-o 

 beyond the vigilancy of the queen and state in the 

 matter of Catholics ; for the queen would only have 

 an eye lest there should arise any fit head, in the 

 person of some lord, or other eminent gentleman of 

 quality, under whom the Catholics might unite ; but 

 they had thought upon another course, as namely, by 

 private men, and those but of mean rank, that should 

 not confer, nor scarce know of each other s employ 

 ments, to prepare and mature the business by the 

 secresy of confession, And these were their engines, 

 the which, as hath appeared since in a case not much 

 unlike, are usual and familiar to that order of men. 

 In this great deluge of danger, there was a necessity 

 imposed upon Queen Elizabeth to restrain, by some 

 sharper bands of laws, that part of her subjects which 



