it were such a rich booty should escape her Grace. But surely
I am of that mind that anything taken from that wicked nation is both
necessary and profitable to our commonwealth.'

Very shocking on Sir Arthur's part to write such a letter: so many good
people will think. I hope they will consider it equally shocking that
King Philip should have burned English sailors at the stake because they
were loyal to the laws of their own country; that he was stirring war
all over Europe to please the Pope, and thrusting the doctrines of the
Council of Trent down the throats of mankind at the sword's point. Spain
and England might be at peace; Romanism and Protestantism were at deadly
war, and war suspends the obligations of ordinary life. Crimes the most
horrible were held to be virtues in defence of the Catholic faith. The
Catholics could not have the advantage of such indulgences without the
inconveniences. The Protestant cause throughout Europe was one, and
assailed as the Protestants were with such envenomed ferocity, they
could not afford to be nicely scrupulous in the means they used to
defend themselves.

Sir Arthur Champernowne was not called on to sacrifice himself in such
peculiar fashion, and a better expedient was found to secure Alva's
money. The bullion was landed and was brought to London by road on the
plea that the seas were unsafe. It was carried to the Tower, and when it
was once inside the walls it was found to remain the property of the
Genoese until it was delivered at Antwerp. The Genoese agent in London
was as willing to lend it to Elizabeth as to Philip, and indeed
preferred the security. Elizabeth calmly said that she had herself
occasion for money, and would accept their offer. Half of it was sent to
the Prince of Orange; half was spent on the Queen's navy.

Alva was of course violently angry. He arrested every English ship in
the Low Countries. He arrested every Englishman that he could catch, and
sequestered all English property. Elizabeth retaliated in kind. The
Spanish and Flemish property taken in England proved to be worth double
what had been secured by Alva. Philip could not declare war. The
Netherlands insurrection was straining his resources, and with Elizabeth
for an open enemy the whole weight of England would have been thrown on
the side of the Prince of Orange. Elizabeth herself should have
declared war, people say, instead of condescending to such tricks.
Perhaps so; but also perhaps no