illness given by the physicians in attendance leave no doubt that he died a natural death, although his death certainly relieved Philip of an unendurable position, and allowed Farnese, an infinitely superior man, to take advantage of the strong Catholic national feeling in Belgium to separate the nobles and peoples of the south from Orange and the Dutchmen, and so eventually to reserve Catholic Flanders to the Spanish connection for many years to come. CHAPTER XIV Philip’s ineffectual action against Elizabeth--The Desmond rebellion--Philip’s conquest of Portugal--Recall of Alba and Granvelle to Philip’s councils--Don Antonio, Prior of O Crato--Death of Anne of Austria--Philip in Portugal--Flight of Antonio--His reception in England and France--The Duke of Alençon--Philip and Mary Stuart--James Stuart--Fresh proposals of the Scottish Catholics to Philip--Philip and Granvelle’s views with regard to England--Lennox and the Jesuits mismanage the plot--Philip’s claim to the English crown--Expulsion of Mendoza from England--The English exiles urge Philip to invade England--Sixtus V.--Intrigues in Rome--The Babington plot. Philip’s advisers had for many years been urging him to adopt reprisals against Elizabeth for her treatment of him. We have seen why, on account both of policy and necessity, he had not done so by a direct attack. His indirect attempts at retaliation had been quite ineffectual. He had subsidised Mary Stuart, he had found money for the northern rebellion, he had listened to proposals for killing the Queen of England at his cost, he had countenanced Stukeley’s wild plans for the capture of Ireland, and he had attempted to avenge the English depredations on his commerce by stopping English trade and persecuting English traders for heresy. But in every case the result had been disastrous for him. Elizabeth’s aid to the Protestants in Holland was bolder and more effectual than ever, English sailors mocked at his attempts to stop trade by ruining his own ports, and the Englishmen punished by the Inquisition were avenged by increased severity against the Catholic party in England and Ireland. But still he was constantly assured that the only way to disarm Elizabeth against him was to “set fire to her own doors” by arousing rebellion in Ireland and aggression of the Catholic party in Scotland.