] [21]

The parliament, having secured their own possessions, were more
indifferent with regard to religion, or even to the lives of their
fellow-citizens: they revived the old sanguinary laws against
heretics,[**] which had been rejected in the former parliament: they
also enacted several statutes against seditious words and rumors;[***]
and they made it treason to imagine or attempt the death of Philip
during his marriage with the queen.[****] Each parliament hitherto had
been induced to go a step farther than their predecessors; but none of
them had entirely lost all regard to national interests. Their
hatred against the Spaniards, as well as their suspicion of Philip's
pretensions, still prevailed; and though the queen attempted to get
her husband declared presumptive heir of the crown, and to have the
administration put into his hands, she failed in all her endeavors,
and could not so much as procure the parliament's consent to his
coronation.[v] All attempts likewise to obtain subsidies from the
commons, in order to support the emperor in his war against France,
proved fruitless: the usual animosity and jealousy of the English
against that kingdom seemed to have given place, for the present, to
like passions against Spain. Philip, sensible of the prepossessions
entertained against him, endeavored to acquire popularity by procuring
the release of several prisoners of distinction; Lord Henry Dudley, Sir
George Harper, Sir Nicholas Throgmorton, Sir Edmond Warner, Sir William
St. Lo, Sir Nicholas Arnold, Harrington, Tremaine, who had been confined
from the suspicions or resentment of the court.[v*] But nothing was more
agreeable to the nation than his protecting the lady Elizabeth from
the spite and malice of the queen, and restoring her to liberty. This
measure was not the effect of any generosity in Philip, a sentiment of
which he was wholly destitute; but of a refined policy, which made him
foresee that, if that princess were put to death, the next lawful heir
was the queen of Scots, whose succession would forever annex England
to the crown of France. The earl of Devonshire also reaped some benefit
from Philip's affectation of popularity, and recovered his liberty: but
that nobleman, finding himself exposed to suspicion, begged permission
to travel;[v**] and he soon after died at Padua, from poison, as is
pretended, given him by the imperialists. He was the eleventh and last
earl of Devonshire of that noble family,