POLITICAL HISTORY king. Blomefield states that he was greatly beloved at Norwich, and that his execution caused much sorrow among the citizens. During her progress in 1578 Elizabeth came to the county from Suffolk, and the city of Norwich, which she honoured with a visit, welcomed her with great pomp. Here she stayed at the bishop's and visited at ' Mount Surrey' (St. Leonard's Priory) Philip earl of Surrey, the melancholy religious devotee, whose father and grandfather had been beheaded by her father and herself, and who was after- wards himself attainted for having a mass said for the success of the Spanish Armada. She was to have gone on to the bishop's house at Ludham, to Yarmouth, to Thomas Woodhouse at Wroxham (Yaxham?), the Pastons at Paston, Heydons at Baconsthorpe, Butts at Thornage, Sydney at Walsing- ham, Bedingfield at Oxburgh, Huggyns at Bradenham, Lord Paget's at Woodrising, and the earl of Surrey at Kenninghall ; but the progress was altogether changed, for she is said to have gone to Sir Roger Wood- house at Kimberley, and then on to Woodrising and back by Hengrave into Essex. While all this feasting and rejoicing was going on mischief was brewing abroad, and it may be that the queen's coming down was to see for her- self the ability of the county to resist the Spanish invasion which had been threatened since 1571. The preparations made in Norfolk and all over the rest of England from 1572 to 1588 to resist such an invasion would surprise those who have not studied the subject, and the returns and documents would fill a volume. Norfolk, from the fact that for many centuries its coasts had been happy hunting grounds for foreign pirates, was felt to be exceptionally open to invasion, and for this very reason the readiness to answer the call to arms was great, while the ' foreigners ' who were making our eastern counties so prosperous by their new industries had suffered from the religious persecution of the Spanish, and were heartily willing. A few notes on the military resources of the county can alone be given here. During the reign of Elizabeth considerable attention had been given by the central government to the promotion of efficiency among the county levies, the relations of England with foreign states, and especially Spain, making this matter one of immediate and vital importance. A return ' of
- able and chosen men ' for the county towards the end of the preceding reign
(April, 1557) gives a total of 2,670.^ The proportions of the various arms are worth notice, ' hagbutters ' 40, archers 250, billmen 2,380. Early in the following year the duke of Norfolk ' was levying troops in the eastern counties, and some of the proceeds of the forced loan was used to pay for their ' cotes and conduct.' This military activity would seem to have been unacceptable to certain of the country gentry, and the Council rated John Colby, esq., for his unwillingness to accept a command in the newly raised force, ' signifying unto him that it cannot but seme very straunge and very small consideracion of himself that beinge appointed by the Duke of Norfolk he refused the same.' He is therefore ' required in the Quenes Majesties name to put himself in redynes out of hande to serve with the saide nomber as he is appointed.' Some six months after, other East Anglian ' S. P. Dom. Mary, xi, 19. ' Norwich may not be included. The Norwich contingent was sometimes reckoned with the county, but as often separately. Much the same remark applies to Yarmouth, and occasionally to King's Lynn. ' Jets, P. C. vi, 249. 501
