He had obtained from Mary all the assistance she could wring from reluctant England. For though the Queen entered with all her heart and soul into his projects, as became the daughter of Catharine of Aragon, English people felt that this was no quarrel of theirs, and they remembered that when the "Spanish match" was hotly debated, a provision had been made in the royal contract "that England should not be made a party to Philips Continental wars." During the four months that he had been in England the King had exerted himself strenuously to overcome this reluctance, and he had so far succeeded that a well-equipped contingent of eight thousand stalwart Englishmen had joined his army. Lords Pembroke, Clinton and Gray were in chief command of their countrymen, and many a gallant young high-born Englishman had joined the force, eager to gain military renown. Such was the feeling, undoubtedly, that influenced the three sons of the Earl of Northumberland to accompany it, and similar hopes beat high in the breasts of the two Jefferays and Geoffrey de Fynes. The King took his last adieu of Mary at the old palace of Greenwich; he was never to see the fond, forsaken woman again! Poor Mary, who would not pity her? Philip hastened to Brussels, where the great army was assembling which was to invade France and bring King Henry the Second to his knees. It was a motley army, consisting altogether of thirty-five thousand foot and twelve thousand horse, besides a strong train of artillery. The flower of the infantry was drawn from Spain, Spanish warriors of great experience, and bearing a reputation second to none in the world. The English force was entirely made up of foot soldiers, the cavalry of the army being mercenary troops from Germany, known as "Schwartzreiters." These "reiters" were the most dreaded troops of the age. Dark, swarthy men, of whom Brantôme speaks as "noirs comme de beaux diables," each carrying five or six pistolets in his belt, with swords and, sometimes, a short arquebus. Truly a formidable armament! These were augmented by a fine corps of Burgundian lances, and a great number of noble Castilian youths, eager to fight for the honour of Spain under the eye of their King. The whole army was under the command of Emanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy, a youthful warrior of but twenty-nine years of age, yet possessing already a great reputation as a clever, dashing soldier. This was the man whom Philip (probably for reasons of State) was strongly supporting in his suit for the hand of the Princess Elizabeth of England—an alliance which that astute lady firmly declined. Besides the Duke of Savoy there were other illustrious soldiers in command of Philip's army—the Counts Egmont, Horn, Mansfeld being of the number. Egmont was the hero of the army, as he was destined to become the darling of his nation!