Another conversion of the same sort had been made by Father Walpole at Valladolid, the year before.  Sir Thomas Palmer came to Spain both for the purpose of learning the language and seeing the country.  “Visiting the English College, he treated familiarly with the Fathers, and began to entertain thoughts in his heart of the Catholic religion.”  While cogitating, he was “overtaken by a sudden and mortal sickness.  Therefore, perceiving himself to be in danger of death, he set to work to reconcile himself with the Catholic Church.  Having received all the last Sacraments he died, and was honourably interred with Catholic rites, to the great amazement also of the English Protestants, who in great numbers were in the city, and attended the funeral."[167]

There is nothing surprising in these death-bed conversions, when we think of the pressure brought to bear on a traveller in a strange land.  As soon as he fell sick, the host of his inn sent for a priest, and if the invalid refused to see a ghostly comforter that fact discovered his Protestantism.  Whereupon the physician and apothecary, the very kitchen servants, were forbidden by the priest to help him, unless he renounced his odious Reformed Religion and accepted Confession, the Sacrament, and Extreme Unction.  If he died without these his body was not allowed in consecrated ground, but was buried in the highway like a very dog.  It is no wonder if sometimes there was a conversion of an Englishman, lonely and dying, with no one to cling to.[168]

We must remember, also, how many reputed Protestants had only outwardly conformed to the Church of England for worldly reasons.  They could not enter any profession or hold any public office unless they did.  But their hearts were still in the old faith, and they counted on returning to it at the very end.[169] Sometimes the most sincere of Protestants in sickness “relapsed into papistry.”  For the Protestant religion was new, but the Roman Church was the Church of their fathers.  In the hour of death men turn to old affections.  And so in several ways one can account for Sir Francis Cottington, Ambassador to Spain, who fell ill, confessed himself a Catholic; and when he recovered, once more became a Protestant.[170]

The mere force of environment, according to Sir Charles Cornwallis, Ambassador to Spain from 1605-9, was enough to change the religion of impressionable spirits.  His reports to England show a constant struggle to keep his train of young gentlemen true to their national Church.[171]

The Spanish Court was then at Valladolid, in which city flourished an especially strong College of Jesuits.  Thence Walpole, and other dangerous persuaders, made sallies upon Cornwallis’s fold.  At first the Ambassador was hopeful:—­

“Much hath that Creswell and others of that Societie” (the Jesuits) “bestir’d themselves here in Conference and Persuasion with the Gentlemen that came to attend his Excellencie[172] and do secretly bragg of their much prevailinge.  Two of myne own Followers I have found corrupted, the one in such sorte as he refused to come to Prayers, whom I presently discharged; the other being an honest and sober young Gentleman, and one that denieth not to be present both at Prayers and Preachinge, I continue still, having good hope that I shall in time reduce him."[173]