War had been declared with all due form and ceremony between England and France, and King Philip was now eager to return to the Continent.
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.