led to freedom; and had intended only to
admonish Philip not to persevere in his tyranny, without any view of
ravishing from him those provinces, which he enjoyed by hereditary right
from his ancestors: that her situation in Ireland, and even in England,
would afford that powerful monarch sufficient opportunity of retaliating
upon her; and she must thenceforth expect that, instead of secretly
fomenting faction, he would openly employ his whole force in the
protection and defence of the Catholics: that the pope would undoubtedly
unite his spiritual arms to the temporal ones of Spain: and that the
queen would soon repent her making so precarious an acquisition in
foreign countries, by exposing her own dominions to the most imminent
danger.[*]

* Camden, p. 507., Bentivoglio, part ii. lib iv.

Other counsellors of Elizabeth maintained a contrary opinion. They
asserted, that the queen had not even from the beginning of her reign,
but certainly had not at present, the choice whether she would embrace
friendship or hostility with Philip: that by the whole tenor of that
prince's conduct it appeared, that his sole aims were the extending
of his empire, and the entire subjection of the Protestants, under
the specious pretence of maintaining the Catholic faith: that the
provocations which she had already given him, joined to his general
scheme of policy, would forever render him her implacable enemy; and as
soon as he had subdued his revolted subjects, he would undoubtedly fall,
with the whole force of his united empire, on her defenceless state:
that the only question was, whether she would maintain a war abroad, and
supported by allies, or wait till the subjection of all the confederates
of England should give her enemies leisure to begin their hostilities
in the bowels of the kingdom: that the revolted provinces, though in
a declining condition, possessed still considerable force; and by the
assistance of England, by the advantages of their situation, and by
their inveterate antipathy to Philip, might still be enabled to maintain
the contest against the Spanish monarchy that their maritime power,
united to the queen's, would give her entire security on the side from
which alone she could be assaulted; and would even enable her to make
inroads on Philip's dominions, both in Europe and the Indies: that a
war which was necessary could never be unjust; and self-defence was
concerned as well in preventing certain dangers at a