myself the pleasure of writing to inform you that our alliance has been negotiated. " So in shewing myself BO much obliged by the sincere and true affection, brought and confirmed to me, as well by the effects as by the letters to the said ambassador, and by the negotiations that the Sire D'Egmont and others, and the ambassador of my Lord above-mentioned have opened; I cannot help testifying to you the desire and duty that I have to correspond to your wishes at all times. And very humbly thanking you for all your good offices, I advertise you at the same time that the Parliament which represents the estates of my kingdom has approved the articles of our marriage without any dissent—finding the conditions honourable, advantageous, and very reasonable—which gives me entire confidence that your coming here will be secure and agreeable. " And hoping soon to confer verbally with you, at present I make an end ; praying the Creator that he would grant you, Monseigneur, my good and constant ally, a safe and prosperous voyage here : recommending myself very affectionately and humbly to your Highness, "Your entirely " Firm and very obliged ally, " M AKY." "London, the twentieth of April." Shortly after the dispatch of this letter, Lord Admiral Howard sailed from Portsmouth to join the fleet of Spain and the Netherlands, for the purpose of escourting Philip to England with naval splendour ; a measure fraught with no little danger, for Lord Howard, although granted a pension for his trouble, on nearing the Spanish fleet compared their ships to mussel shells, encouraged his men to quarrel with the Spanish sailors, whom they hated and despised, and in the Channel forced all their vessels, even to the one in which Philip himself voyaged, to do maritime homage to the English fleet by striking their top sails. Meanwhile, Mary having caused Eli sabeth to be transferred from the Tower to a less rigorous restraint at Woodstock, and sent Courtney to Fotheringay Castle, where his confinement was lesa severe, she and her council retired to Richmond, to decide on the reception it would be proper to give Philip en his arrival, the station he should fill, and the power he should be permitted to wield as husband of the Queen Regnant. Mary declared it would he her duty as a married woman to yield implicit obedience to her spouse. By the advice of Renaud, she, in opposition to the council, resolved to place Philip's name before her own in the regal titles ; she then desired that he might be crowned as King, or with the diadem of the Queen Consorts of England ; but this proposition being firmly negatived by the whole of the council, she was compelled to relinquish the idea of hestowing a coronation on her betrothed. Philip sailed from Ccrunna on the nineteenth of July. On his approach being announced, Mary dispatched Russell, Lord Privy Seal, to receive him at Southampton. When Russell was about to depart, she gave him the following instructions, a proof that if she could not procure Philip's coronation she was resolved to resign all sovereign power into his hands ; this was a great error of judgment, and to it, and not to any intentional wickedness, may be attributed much of the infamy that has been cast upon her character. " Instructions for my Lord Privy Seal. " First, to tell the King the whole state of this realm, with all things appertaining to the same, as much as you know to be true. " Secondly, to obey his commandment in all things. " Thirdly, in all things he shall ask your advice, to declare your opinion as becometh a faithful counsellor to do. " MAKY, THE QUEEN." The moment Mary learned that Philip had landed at Southampton, she set out with her train of ladies from Windsor to Winchester, where it was resolved her marriage should be solemnized, and where she arrived, and took up her re