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HISTORY OF THE UNITED NETHERLANDS
From the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce—1609
By John Lothrop Motley
MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg Edition, Volume 42
History United Netherlands, Volume 42, 1585
Policy of England—Diplomatic Coquetry—Dutch Envoys in England—
Conference of Ortel and Walsingham—Interview with Leicester—
Private Audience of the Queen—Letters of the States—General—
Ill Effects of Gilpin's Despatch—Close Bargaining of the Queen and
States—Guarantees required by England—England's comparative
Weakness—The English characterised—Paul Hentzner—The Envoys in
London—Their Characters—Olden-Barneveldt described—Reception at
Greenwich—Speech of Menin—Reply of the Queen—Memorial of the
Envoys—Discussions with the Ministers—Second Speech of the Queen
—Third Speech of the Queen
England as we have seen—had carefully watched the negotiations betweenFrance and the Netherlands. Although she had—upon the whole, for thatintriguing age—been loyal in her bearing towards both parties, she wasperhaps not entirely displeased with the result. As her cherishedtriumvirate was out of the question, it was quite obvious that, now ornever, she must come forward to prevent the Provinces from falling backinto the hands of Spain. The future was plainly enough foreshadowed, andit was already probable, in case of a prolonged resistance on the part ofHolland, that Philip would undertake the reduction of his rebellioussubjects by a preliminary conquest of England. It was therefore quitecertain that the expense and danger of assisting the Netherlands mustdevolve upon herself, but, at the same time it was a consolation that herpowerful next-door neighbour was not to be made still more powerful bythe annexation to his own dominion of those important territories.
Accordingly, so soon as the deputies in France had received theirdefinite and somewhat ignominious repulse from Henry III. and his mother,the English government lost no time in intimating to the States that theywere not to be left without an ally. Queen Elizabeth was howeverresolutely averse from assuming that sovereignty which she was notunwilling to see offered for her acceptance; and her accredited envoy atthe Hague, besides other more secret agents, were as busily employed inthe spring of 1585—as Des Pruneaux had been the previous winter on thepart of France—to bring about an application, by solemn embassy, for herassistance.
There was, however, a difference of view, from the outset, between theleading politicians of the Netherlands and the English Queen. TheHollanders were extremely desirous of becoming her subjects; for theUnited States, although they had already formed themselves into anindependent republic, were quite ignorant of their latent powers. Theleading personages of the country—those who were soon to become theforemost statesmen of the new commonwealth—were already shrinking fromthe anarchy which was deemed inseparable from a non-regal form ofgovernment, and were seeking protection for and against the people undera foreign sceptre. On the other hand, they were indisposed to mortgagelarge and important fortified towns, such as Flushing, Brill, and others,for th