Mary was hardly under ground when a new and greater danger threatened
the country. At her death, the Scottish Queen, disgusted with her
mean-spirited son James,[3] bequeathed her dominions, including her
claim to the English throne, to Philip II of Spain (S370). He was
then the most powerful sovereign in Europe, ruling over a territory
equal to that of the Roman Empire in its greatest extent.
[3] James had deserted his mother and accepted a pension from
Elizabeth.
Philip II, with the encouragement of the Pope, and with the further
help of the promise of a very large sum of money from him, resolved to
invade England, conquer it, annex it to his possessions, and restore
the religion of Rome. To accomplish this, he began fitting out the
"Invisible Armada," an immense fleet of warships, intended to carry
twenty thousand soldiers, and to receive on its way reenforcements of
thirty thousand more from the Spanish army in the Netherlands.