474 THE FELICITIES OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. 



were alienated from her, and had drunk too deep a 

 draught of this poison ever to recover ; and further, 

 which by their retired living, and exemption from 

 public offices, were grown very rich : and moreover, 

 the mischief daily growing, when as the cause thereof 

 was ascribed to none other than the seminary priests, 

 who had been nourished in foreign parts, and 

 received exhibition from the bounty and alms of 

 foreign princes, professed enemies to this state ; and 

 who had conversed in such places where the name of 

 Queen Elizabeth was never heard, but as of an 

 heretic, and excommunicate, and accursed person; 

 and who, though themselves, sometimes, had no 

 hand in treason, yet they were known to be the 

 intimate friends of them that had. And lastly, who 

 by their arts and poisons had infected and soured 

 the mass and lump of the Catholics, which before 

 was more sweet and harmless, with a new kind of 

 leaven, and desperate maliciousness : there could no 

 other remedy be devised, but by forbidding such per 

 sons to enter into this kingdom upon pain of their 

 lives ; which at last, in the twenty-seventh year of 

 her reign, was accordingly done. Nay, and when 

 the event itself had confirmed this to be true, I mean 

 immediately after that the dreadful tempest arose 

 from Spain, threatening no less than utter deso 

 lation, yet did it nothing mollify or turn the edge of 

 these men s malice and fury, but rather whetted it, 

 as if they had cast off all natural affection to their 

 country. As for the times succeeding, I mean after 

 the thirtieth year of her reign, though indeed our 



