me off victorious--for the courtiers took care
of that--and there was a general outcry that he was a wonderful man.
Empson, Dudley, and their supporters were accused of a variety of crimes
they had never committed, instead of the offences of which they really
had been guilty; and they were pilloried, and set upon horses with their
faces to the tails, and knocked about and beheaded, to the satisfaction
of the people, and the enrichment of the King.

The Pope, so indefatigable in getting the world into trouble, had mixed
himself up in a war on the continent of Europe, occasioned by the
reigning Princes of little quarrelling states in Italy having at various
times married into other Royal families, and so led to _their_ claiming a
share in those petty Governments. The King, who discovered that he was
very fond of the Pope, sent a herald to the King of France, to say that
he must not make war upon that holy personage, because he was the father
of all Christians. As the French King did not mind this relationship in
the least, and also refused to admit a claim King Henry made to certain
lands in France, war was declared between the two countries. Not to
perplex this story with an account of the tricks and designs of all the
sovereigns who were engaged in it, it is enough to say that England made
a blundering alliance with Spain, and got stupidly taken in by that
country; which made its own terms with France when it could and left
England in the lurch. SIR EDWARD HOWARD, a bold admiral, son of the Earl
of Surrey, distinguished himself by his bravery against the French in
this business; but, unfortunately, he was more brave than wise, for,
skimming into the French harbour of Brest with only a few row-boats, he
attempted (in revenge for the defeat and death of SIR THOMAS KNYVETT,
another bold English admiral) to take some strong French ships, well
defended with batteries of cannon. The upshot was, that he was left on
board of one of them (in consequence of its shooting away from his own
boat), with not more than about a dozen men, and was thrown into the sea
and drowned: though not until he had taken from his breast his gold chain
and gold whistle, which were the signs of his office, and had cast them
into the sea to prevent their being made a boast of by the enemy. After
this defeat--which was a great one, for Sir Edward Howard was a man of
valour and fame--the King took it into his head to invade France in
person; first e