[Footnote 657: Philip to the English Ambassador,
October 30: Ibid.]

And these events, or the one great event, was now close, and the
shadows were drawing down over the life of the unfortunate Mary.
Amidst discontent and misery at home, disgrace and failure abroad, the
fantastic comparisons, the delirious analogies, the child which was to
be born of the Virgin Mary for the salvation of mankind--where were
now these visionary and humiliating dreams?

{p.315} On the 6th of October, the privy council were summoned to
London "for great and urgent affairs." At the beginning of November
three men and two women suffered at Canterbury. They were the last who
were put to death, and had been presented by Pole in person to be
visited "with condign punishment."[658] On the 5th, parliament met,
and the promised second subsidy was demanded, but the session was too
brief for a resolution. The queen's life, at the time of the opening,
was a question perhaps of hours, at most of days; and aware of what
was impending, Philip despatched the Count de Feria to her with a
desire that she should offer no objections to the succession of
Elizabeth.

[Footnote 658: "Condigna animadversione
plectendos."--Wilkins's _Concilia_, vol. iv.]

The count reached London on the 9th of November. He was admitted to an
interview, and the queen, too brave to repine at what was now
inevitable, and anxious to the last to please her husband, declared
herself "well content" that it should be as he wished; she entreated
only that her debts might be paid, and that "religion" should not be
changed.

Leaving Mary's deathbed, De Feria informed the council of the king's
request, and from the council hastened to the house of Lord Clinton, a
few miles from London, where Elizabeth was staying. In Philip's name,
he informed her that her succession was assured; his master had used
his influence in her favour, and no opposition need be anticipated.

Elizabeth listened graciously. That Philip's services to her, however,
had been so considerable as De Feria told her, she was unable to
allow. She admitted, and admitted thankfully, the good offices which
he had shown to her when she was at Woodstock. She was perhaps
ignorant that it was for the safety of Philip's life that her own had
been so nearly sacrificed; that Philip's interest in her succession
had commenced only when his own appeared impossible.