Measures against the Jesuits : Drake and Spain

Events themselves were rapidly bringing matters to a crisis. Despite Elizabeth's fickleness and Burghley's desire to avoid war, England was gradually assuming a position of open hostility toward Spain and the Catholic party.

The labors of the Jesuits and Seminarians were arousing the anger of loyal Englishmen, and were leading to reprisals on the part of the government.

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE.

From Rome, Rheims, Douai, and St. Omer priests had gone to England to work for the conversion of the land. Led by Father Allen, they had become active and dangerous agents of Catholicism, and had already succeeded in increasing the number of converts and infusing new life into the Roman Catholic party in England. Already had Esme Stuart, Count D'Aubigny, gone to Scotland, and Sanders, an English refugee priest, to Ireland, to rouse these countries against England. In 1581 certain Jesuits Creighton, Parsons, and Holt had entered England, while Campion and others, refraining from meddling with political matters, were engaged in the spiritual work of conversion. But conversion to Roman Catholicism involved necessarily the denial of the queen's supremacy. Therefore parliament passed laws declaring that any one who drew away any of the queen's subjects "to the Romish religion" should be adjudged a traitor. Having acted in defiance of these laws, Campion and two others were tortured and executed in December, 1581. During the following years harsh measures were taken against all Roman Catholics, notably in 1585, when all Jesuits, seminary priests, and other priests were ordered to leave England, or, in case of refusal, to be declared guilty of high treason and to suffer death. These acts were the work, not of Burghley, but of Walsingham, Knollys, and other Puritans in the council, who, in opposition to Burghley, were determined to bring on war with Spain.

The actions of the English privateers abroad, commanded by Drake and Hawkins, were aiding the war party at home. A series of expeditions since 1568 had culminated in the famous voyage of Drake in the Pelican or Golden Hind (1577-1580). The Pelican had sailed into the South Sea, and thence about the whole globe of the earth," robbing Spanish vessels and seizing an incalculable amount of Spanish treasure. Of this treasure Elizabeth received her share .