Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 10.djvu/496

476 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 61. accidents events which those who profit by them trace to divine interposition, careless how they may affect the interest of other millions of mankind, such miracles as these continued steadily to befriend her. On the 1st of October Don John of Austria died died suddenly : poisoned, some said, either by Philip, or by the States, or by an emissary of Walsingham ; worn out, as others conjectured, by anxiety, disappointment, and his brother's suspicions ; killed more likely by the plague, which was making havoc in his army at the time. At all events he died, and with him passed away the schemes for his marriage with Lord Shrewsbury's prisoner, which, however visionary, had disquieted England and Scotland, and had for years been the passionate dream of English conspirators. The pro- spects of the Low Countries were not improved, for his place was at once more ably supplied by his cousin, Alexander of Parma, who had no personal ambition to distract his activity, and who gave himself with undi- vided resolution to the work immediately before him. But England was delivered from a neighbour, who was a perpetual suggestion of revolt. As important, or even more important, was the result of a battle in the interior of Africa. Sebastian, the young King of Portugal, was at war with Ab- dulmelech, Emperor of Morocco. Tempted by the promises of two tributary Moorish Kings, he planned an expedition into the enemy's country, and while fitting out his fleet at Lisbon, there arrived in the Tagus Sir Thomas Stukely, who, finding Philip grown