All over England that autumn the nobles and principal gentlemen of the several counties bound themselves by a solemn Bond of Association to support and save the Queen from any plots in furtherance of a pretended title to her crown, and to proceed by their own forces against all persons that shall act or counsel anything tending to the harm of Her Majesty’s person, to the utter extermination of them, their counsellors, aiders and abetters. Murder would be answered, if necessary, by murder and – their fear of civil war doubled by their fear for the life of Elizabeth – the English were determined that next time Mary should not escape.

Garrett Mattingly, The Defeat of the Spanish A…, loc. 55