stinguishing fury against them.
Though she knew that Sixtus Quintus, the present pope, famous for his
capacity and his tyranny, had fulminated a new bull of excommunication
against her, had deposed her, had absolved her subjects from their oaths
of allegiance, had published a crusade against England, and had granted
plenary indulgences to every one engaged in the present invasion, she
would not believe that all her Catholic subjects could be so blinded as
to sacrifice to bigotry their duty to their sovereign, and the liberty
and independence of their native country. She rejected all violent
counsels, by which she was urged to seek pretences for despatching
the leaders of that party: she would not even confine any considerable
number of them: and the Catholics, sensible of this good usage,
generally expressed great zeal for the public service. Some gentlemen
of that sect, conscious that they could not justly expect any trust or
authority, entered themselves as volunteers in the fleet or army:[*]
some equipped ships at their own charge, and gave the command of them to
Protestants: others were active in animating their tenants, and vassals,
and neighbors, to the defence of their country: and every rank of
men, burying for the present all party distinctions, seemed to prepare
themselves, with order as well as vigor, to resist the violence of these
invaders.

* Stowe, p. 747.

The more to excite the martial spirit of the nation, the queen appeared
on horseback in the camp at Tilbury; and riding through the lines,
discovered a cheerful and animated countenance, exhorted the soldiers to
remember their duty to their country and their religion, and professed
her intention, though a woman, to lead them herself into the field
against the enemy, and rather to perish in battle than survive the ruin
and slavery of her people.[*] [28]

* See note BB, at the end of the volume.

By this spirited behavior she revived the tenderness and admiration of
the soldiery: an attachment to her person became a kind of enthusiasm
among them: and they asked one another, whether it were possible
that Englishmen could abandon this glorious cause, could display
less fortitude than appeared in the female sex, or could ever, by any
dangers, be induced to relinquish the defence of their heroic princess.

The Spanish armada was ready in the beginning of May; but the moment
it was preparing to sail, the marquis of Santa Croce, the admiral, was