"Surely no danger nor fear of any attempt can grow to England," wrote Wilford, "so long as we can hold this country good." But never was honest soldier more mistaken than he, when he added:--"The Papists will make her Highness afraid of a great fleet now preparing in Spain.

We hear it also, but it is only a scare-crow to cool the enterprise here." It was no scare-crow.

On the very day on which Wilford was thus writing to Walsingham, Philip the Second was writing to Alexander Farnese.

"The English," he said, "with their troops having gained a footing in the islands (Holland and Zeeland) give me much anxiety.

The English Catholics are imploring me with much importunity to relieve them from the persecution they are suffering.