in St.
Matthew's Church on the publication of the acts of the late session,
to determine how far they would obey them. Ten or twelve were seized
on the spot, and two were hanged out of hand.[192] The queen told
Hastings and Waldegrave that she would endure no opposition; they
should obey her or they should leave the council. She would raise a
few thousand men, she said, to keep her subjects in order, and she
would have a thousand Flemish horse among them. There was a difficulty
about ways and means; as fast as money came into the treasury she had
paid debts with it, and, as far as her means extended, she had
replaced chalices and roods in the parish churches. But, if she was
poor, five millions of gold had just arrived in Spain from the New
World; and, as the emperor suggested, her credit was good at Antwerp
from her honesty. Lazarus Tucker came again to the rescue. In
November, Lazarus provided L50,000 for her at fourteen per cent. In
January she required L100,000 more, and she ordered Gresham to find it
for her at low interest {p.085} or high.[193] Fortunately for Mary
the project of a standing army could not be carried out by herself
alone, and the passive resistance of the council saved her from
commencing the attempt. Neither Irish mercenaries, nor Flemish, nor
Welsh, as, two months after she was proposing to herself, were
permitted to irritate England into madness.

[Footnote 190: "The English," he said, "sont si
traictres, si inconstantes, si doubles, si
malicieux, et si faciles a esmover qu'il ne se
fault fier; et si l'alliance est grande, aussi est
elle hazardeuse pour la personne de son
Altesse."--Renard to Charles V., December 12:
_Rolls House MSS._]

[Footnote 191: Charles V. to Renard, December 24:
_Rolls House MSS._]

[Footnote 192: Renard to Charles V., December 20:
Ibid.]

[Footnote 193: The queen to Sir Thomas Gresham:
_Flanders MSS. Mary_, State Paper Office.]

While Mary was thus buffeting with the waves, on the 23rd, Count
Egmont and his three companions arrived at Calais. The French had
threatened to intercept the passage, and four English ships-of-war had
been ordered to be in waiting as their escort: these ships, however,
had not left the Thames,