Introduction
In 1558 Mary I of England, a Catholic married to King Philip II of Spain, died. Her crown passed to her Protestant half-sister Elizabeth I, dashing the hopes of Philip and of Pope Pius V for a united Catholic Europe. When Elizabeth began helping persecuted Protestants in the Spanish Netherlands, it was the last straw.
IN 1568, King Philip II of Spain borrowed £400,000 from Genoa to fund his government of the Spanish Netherlands, and help the Governor, Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba, to reinvigorate the Inquisition there.* But as Philip’s ships entered the Channel, French Huguenots came to the aid of their Dutch neighbours and drove the ships to port in England. Elizabeth impounded Philip’s gold for her Treasury, the latest in a series of provocations by the English Queen, frustrating Philip, Charles IX in France, and Pope Pius V in Italy, in their bid to create a united, Catholic Europe.
So in 1570, Pope Pius took steps. A year before, the Northern Earls’ Rising had failed to unseat Elizabeth and put her Catholic cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, on her throne.* Pius now wrote to English Catholics giving them carte blanche to rebel against Elizabeth,* and engaged his trusted agent Roberto Ridolfi, a Florentine banker with connections throughout Europe, to finish what the earls had started.
The Spanish Netherlands was formed in 1556 when Philip II of Spain, son of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, inherited the government of the Seventeen Provinces of the Netherlands, which had been in the Hapsburg family since 1482. In 1581, a revolt led to the breakaway Dutch Republic to the east under William, Prince of Orange, with its capital at Amsterdam (William’s great-grandson became King William III of England in 1689). The capital of the Spanish Netherlands was Brussels.
Mary Queen of Scots (Elizabeth’s cousin) was currently under house arrest in England, having been turned out of Scotland in 1567 in favour of her infant son James VI following one too many scandals. See Mary Queen of Scots. Mary and Elizabeth were cousins once removed: Elizabeth was Henry VIII’s daughter, and Mary was the granddaughter of Henry VIII’s sister Margaret.
The Bull ‘Regnans in Excelsis’ of April 27th, 1570, excommunicated Elizabeth and anyone loyal to her, declared that she was not the rightful ruler of England, and commanded ‘Do not dare obey her orders, mandates and laws’. It was a blessing on revolution. For the full text, see Papal Encyclicals Online.
Précis
During the reign of Elizabeth I, Catholic France and Spain pursued a particularly severe crackdown on religious dissent. Elizabeth harboured many victims in England, and in 1570 Pope Pius V and the King of Spain conspired to have her deposed and replaced with her Catholic cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, engaging banker Roberto Ridolfi as their chief agent. (58 / 60 words)
During the reign of Elizabeth I, Catholic France and Spain pursued a particularly severe crackdown on religious dissent. Elizabeth harboured many victims in England, and in 1570 Pope Pius V and the King of Spain conspired to have her deposed and replaced with her Catholic cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, engaging banker Roberto Ridolfi as their chief agent.
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Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, besides, just, otherwise, ought, since, whereas, whether.
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Why did French Huguenots force Spanish ships laden with gold to land in England in 1568?
Suggestion
To stop them reaching the Spanish Netherlands. (7 words)
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Elizabeth I impounded Spanish ships. They were full of the King Philip II of Spain’s gold. Philip was angry.