t will
not meet. A door will be opened for the practices of France; the
country may throw itself in self-protection on the French alliance,
and an undying hatred will be engendered between England and Spain. As
things now are, prudence and moderation are more than ever necessary;
and we must allow neither the king nor the queen to be led astray by
unwise impatient advisers, who, for the advancement of their private
opinions, or because they cannot have all the liberty which they
desire, are ready to compromise the commonwealth."[373]

[Footnote 372: Les choses se vont accommoder a quoy
sert la saison de l'hiver et ce que en la court
l'on y danse souvent; que les Espaignolz et Angloys
commencent a converser les ungs avec les aultres
... et n'y a personne qui puisse imaginer que Dieu
ait voulu ung si grand marriage et de telz princes,
pour en esperer sinon ung grand bien publique pour
la Chrestiente, et pour restablir et asseurer les
estatz de vostre majeste troublez par ses
ennemis.--Renard to the Emperor: _Granvelle
Papers_, vol. iv. p. 319.]

[Footnote 373: _Granvelle Papers_, vol. iv. p.
320.]

So matters stood at the beginning of October, when parliament was
about to be summoned, and the great experiment to be tried whether
England would consent to be re-united to Catholic Christendom. The
writs went out on the 6th, and circulars accompanied them, addressed
to those who would have the conduct of the elections, stating that,
whatever false reports might have been spread, no "alteration was
intended of any man's possessions." At the same time the queen
required the mayors of towns, the sheriffs, and other influential
persons to admonish the voters to choose from among themselves "such
as, being eligible by order of the laws, were of a wise, grave, and
Catholic sort; such as indeed meant the true honour of God and the
prosperity of the commonwealth."[374]These general directions were
copied from a form which had been in use under Henry VII., and the
citizens of London set the example of obedience in electing four
members who were in every way satisfactory to the court.[375] In the
country the decisive failure of Carew, Suffolk, and Crofts showed that
the weight of public fe