[Footnote 174: "Da questo e da altri motivi puotiamo vedere che la quiete che godiamo per la gratia di Dio non e per ragione del Stato come alcuni politici a Roma discorrono, perche tal quiete non e giudicata a proposito da questi ministri di Stato ma piu presto il contrario accio che tanto piu apparisca il zelo constante della Regina alla quale sola in terra si deve tutto."--June, 1639. Add. MS., 15,392, f. 64.] [Footnote 175: P.R.O. Roman Transcripts. In 1629 she had accepted the dedication of the English translation of Richeome's _Pilgrime of Loretto_.] [Footnote 176: Add. MS., 15,389.] [Footnote 177: MS. Français, 23,597.] [Footnote 178: Rous: _Diary_, Camden Soc. (1856), p. 12.] [Footnote 179: Cf. Prynne: _Popish Royal Favourite_ (1643). "By all these our whole 3 Kingdomes ... must of necessity now see and acknowledge that there is and hath bin all his Majesties Reigne till this instant a most strong cunning desperate confederacie prosecuted (wherein the Queens Majestie hath been chiefe) to set up Popery in perfection and extirpate the Protestant party and religion in all his Majesties dominions" (p. 35).] [Footnote 180: 150,000 is the number given by a Catholic reporter in 1635 (Westminster Archives), and Panzani gives the same number. Add. MS., 15,389.] [Footnote 181: The population of England and Wales was probably about 5,000,000.] [Footnote 182: Archives of See of Westminster.] [Footnote 183: Du Perron: _Proces Verbal de l'assemblée du clerge_, 1645.] [Footnote 184: It can hardly be doubted that when the marriage dispensation was given it was hoped that Charles' successor would be a Catholic. The English Catholics resident abroad shared to some extent the continental opinion of the King and Queen of England.] CHAPTER V THE QUEEN'S CONVERTS Now for my converts who, you say, unfed, Have follow'd me for miracles of bread, Judge not by hearsay, but observe at least, If since their change their loaves have been increas'd. J. DRYDEN Considering the activity of the Catholics at the Court of Charles I and his Queen, it is not surprising that from time to time some one, man or woman, abjured the national faith to enter what it was so confidently asserted was the one true fold. When this occurred Protestant feeling was apt to run high, and the King, to whose indulgence the trouble was certainly in some measure due, usually expressed himself greatly shocked and indignant, and for a time, at least, withdrew his favour from the offender.