armness with
which Henry II met Queen Mary's desire that he should afford her the
means of vengeance upon the exiles for religion who took shelter in
France.

The most recent complaint was that France had connived at the equipment
of a force by Thomas Stafford, a refugee, who had invaded England with
thirty-two followers and had surprised Scarborough castle. This
adventurer claimed to be the house and blood of the Duke of Buckingham,
who was beheaded in the times of Henry VIII. The proclamation which he
issued from his castle of Scarborough, which he held only two days, was
addressed to the English hatred of the Spaniards, rather than directed
against the ecclesiastical persecution under which the country was
suffering: "As the duke of Buckingham, our forefathers and predecessors,
have always been defenders of the poor commonalty against the tyranny of
princes, so should you have us at this juncture, most dearly beloved
friends, your protector, governor, and defender against all your
adversaries and enemies; minding earnestly to die rather, presently, and
personally before you in the field, than to suffer you to be overrun so
miserably with strangers, and made most sorrowful slaves and careful
captives to such a naughty nation as Spaniards." Stafford and his band
were soon made prisoners; and he was beheaded on Tower Hill, and three
of his followers hanged, on May 25th. Seizing upon this absurd attempt
as a ground of quarrel, war was declared against France on June 7th; and
Philip quitted the country on July 6th, never to return.

An English force of four thousand infantry, a thousand cavalry, and two
thousand pioneers joined the Spanish army on the Flemish frontier. The
army was partly composed of German mercenaries; the _lanzknechts_ and
_reiters_, the pikemen and cavalry, who, at the command of the best
paymaster, were the most formidable soldiers of the time. But the Spanish
cavaliers were there, leading their native infantry; and there were the
Burgundian lances. The army was commanded by Emanuel Philibert, Duke of
Savoy, who had aspired to the hand of Elizabeth. Philip earnestly
seconded his suit, but Mary, wisely and kindly, would not put a
constraint upon her sister's inclinations. The wary Princess saw that the
crown would probably be hers at no distant day; and she would not risk
the loss of the people's affection by marrying a foreign Catholic. She
had sensible advisers about her, who seconded her own pruden