All through the spring, however, the Emperor’s officers worked hard to muster his armies in Germany and Flanders to face the French and save the Netherlands. Northumberland still pressed upon both sides the mediation of the King of England in their quarrel, but in the midst of these negotiations in April, 1553, the new Imperial general, young Prince Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy, suddenly dashed upon the French frontier-fortress of Thérouenne and inflicted a heavy defeat upon the Emperor’s enemies. Northumberland’s new embassy to urge peace upon Charles found less ready response even than before, whilst the King of France in no wise abated his extravagant claims now that the Emperor was looked upon as sick unto death. When the English envoys at length gained audience of Charles in Brussels early in June, 1553, they found him with his gouty limbs propped up, “looking very pale, weak, lean, and feeble,” though his eyes were still bright and his mind clear. “Marry, to judge him by our sight, we must say that he appeareth unto us rather a man of short time rather than continuance.”[2] How important the life or death of the Emperor was at that juncture to England, few people outside the immediate circle of Northumberland’s friends fully understood. Already dark rumours were spreading abroad that the slight indisposition of the boy King of England was really a mortal malady. If Charles died first, it might easily be foreseen that the break up of his Empire and the confusion resulting from the demise of his many Crowns would deprive his successor of the power at the critical moment to interfere with Northumberland’s plans to exclude the Princess Mary from the throne and to perpetuate the Protestant _régime_ in England under his own Dudley descendants. If, on the other hand, Edward died whilst the Emperor’s power was intact, it was certain that such support as he could give would go to his cousin Mary Tudor. To Spain and Flanders the goodwill of England was the crucial point upon which their future power and prosperity turned. To gain that, Charles had already condoned and suffered much, and there was hardly any sacrifice too great for him if he could win it now. With Mary on the throne and at his bidding—for he had been her only friend in all her tribulations—the sympathy of her country would be secure to him, and he and his could face France with confidence. So Charles and his Ministers were alert for every whisper as to Edward’s sickness, and the English envoys who were at his Court grew daily more apprehensive at what would happen to them and their master if the young King died before the old Emperor.