The Catholic Powers thought better of it. This was not the England which
Reginald Pole had told them was longing for their appearance. The
Scheldt force dispersed. Henry read Scotland a needed lesson. The Scots
had thought to take him at disadvantage, and sit on his back when the
Emperor attacked him. One morning when the people at Leith woke out of
their sleep, they found an English fleet in the Roads; and before they
had time to look about them, Leith was on fire and Edinburgh was taken.
Charles V., if he had ever seriously thought of invading Henry, returned
to wiser counsels, and made an alliance with him instead. The Pope
turned to France. If the Emperor forsook him, the Most Christian King
would help. He promised Francis that if he could win England he might
keep it for himself. Francis resolved to try what he could do.

Five years had passed since the gathering at Sandwich. It was now the
summer of 1544. The records say that the French collected at Havre near
300 vessels, fighting ships, galleys, and transports. Doubtless the
numbers are far exaggerated, but at any rate it was the largest force
ever yet got together to invade England, capable, if well handled, of
bringing Henry to his knees. The plan was to seize and occupy the Isle
of Wight, destroy the English fleet, then take Portsmouth and
Southampton, and so advance on London.

Henry's attention to his navy had not slackened. He had built ship on
ship. The _Great Harry_ was a thousand tons, carried 700 men, and was
the wonder of the day. There were a dozen others scarcely less
imposing. The King called again on the nation, and again the nation
answered. In England altogether there were 150,000 men in arms in field
or garrison. In the King's fleet at Portsmouth there were 12,000 seamen,
and the privateers of the West crowded up eagerly as before. It is