4th Parliament of Elizabeth I

The Parliament was called, following pressure from the Privy Council, to discuss the consequences of the Ridolfi plot, a Catholic conspiracy which had attempted to put Elizabeth's cousin, Mary Stuart (Queen of Scots), on the throne of England in her place.

They alleged that she had claimed the English crown, attempted to force the Catholic Duke of Norfolk to marry her and incited rebellion in the north of England.

Last, but not least, they contended that she had, with the help of Roberto Ridolfi, the Pope’s secret agent, requested the Duke of Alba (governor of the Spanish Netherlands) and Philip II of Spain to invade the British Isles to overthrow Elizabeth.

The only bill of any significance passed by the time the first session ended on 30 June 1572 concerned a revision of the 1563 Poor Law that had lapsed in 1571.

[1] The second session (8 Feb 1576 to 15 March 1576) was more productive in terms of legislation, with 37 bills enacted, covering such things as measures to reduce unemployment and an Act against informers.