of Alva, who was acting there as Philip's viceroy.

The event had thus actually arrived, of which the expectation the year
before had appeared so alarming. The most orthodox sovereign in Europe
found himself forced into war with his spiritual father. The parent
was become insane; the faithful child was obliged, in consequence, to
place him under restraint, with as much tenderness and respect as the
circumstances permitted. To the English council Philip explained the
hard necessity under which he was placed.[584]

[Footnote 584: "Pontifex, tantum abest ut
mollissimis obsequiis atque officiis acquieverit,
non potuit tandem sibi obtemperare quin pleno
Cardinalium Senatu Regni Neapolitani privationem
per suum fiscalem proposuerit, cum nullius nos in
ipsum Pontificem, aut sedem apostolicam contumaciae,
summae quin potius uti fas est observantiae nobis
simus conscii, ac ne in praefracta quidem ejus
obstinatione a solitis officiis destitum est, donec
cum nulla molliore ope malum posset mitigari;
magisque indies ac magis propagaretur videretque
Albae Dux copias eum undique contrahere, apparatum
facere, tempus ducere, quoscumque principes
quibuscumque conditionibus sollicitare, ut
ingruenti rerum omnium ruinae occurreret, ad hoc
extremum remedium invitus coactusque descendit. Quae
omnia quanquam vobis comperta quando in eorum
mentionem per vestras litteras incidistis, per nos
etiam vobis significanda duximus; atque id praeterea
ea temperantia ac modestia hoc bellum a duce geri
atque administrari, ut nihil nisi orbis Christiani
tranquillitas, sedis apostolicae dignitas, et
nostrorum regnorum securitas procuretur, neque
ullum nos ex hoc bello gloriae aucupemur, summum
potius dolorem animique aegritudinem
percipiamus."--Philip to the English Council: _MS.
Mary, Domestic_, vol. ix. State Paper Office.]

The Duke of Alva crossed the Neapolitan frontier into the States of
the Church with twelve thousand men, taking the towns {p.