This eBook was produced by David Widger
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
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, Vol. 54
History of the United Netherlands, 1587
Secret Treaty between Queen and Parma—Excitement and Alarm in the
States—Religious Persecution in England—Queen's Sincerity toward
Spain—Language and Letters of Parma—Negotiations of De Loo—
English Commissioners appointed—Parma's affectionate Letter to the
Queen—Philip at his Writing-Table—His Plots with Parma against
England—Parma's secret Letters to the King—Philip's Letters to
Parma Wonderful Duplicity of Philip—His sanguine Views as to
England—He is reluctant to hear of the Obstacles—and imagines
Parma in England—But Alexander's Difficulties are great—He
denounces Philip's wild Schemes—Walsingham aware of the Spanish
Plot—which the States well understand—Leicester's great
Unpopularity—The Queen warned against Treating—Leicester's Schemes
against Barneveld—Leicestrian Conspiracy at Leyden—The Plot to
seize the City discovered—Three Ringleaders sentenced to Death—
Civil War in France—Victory gained by Navarre, and one by Guise—
Queen recalls Leicester—Who retires on ill Terms with the States—
Queen warned as to Spanish Designs—Result's of Leicester's
Administration.
The course of Elizabeth towards the Provinces, in the matter of thepeace, was certainly not ingenuous, but it was not absolutely deceitful.She concealed and denied the negotiations, when the Netherland statesmenwere perfectly aware of their existence, if not of their tenour; but shewas not prepared, as they suspected, to sacrifice their liberties andtheir religion, as the price of her own reconciliation with Spain.Her attitude towards the States was imperious, over-bearing, and abusive.She had allowed the Earl of Leicester to return, she said, because of herlove for the poor and oppressed people, but in many of her official andin all her private communications, she denounced the men who governedthat people as ungrateful wretches and impudent liars!
These were the corrosives and vinegar which she thought suitable for thecase; and the Earl was never weary in depicting the same statesmen asseditious, pestilent, self-seeking, mischief-making traitors. Thesesecret, informal negotiations, had been carried on during most of theyear 1587. It was the "comptroller's peace;", as Walsinghamcontemptuously designated the attempted treaty; for it will berecollected that Sir James Croft, a personage of very mediocre abilities,had always been more busy than any other English politician in thesetransactions. He acted; however, on the inspiration of Burghley, whodrew his own from the fountainhead.
But it was in vain for the Queen to affect concealment. The States kneweverything which was passing, before Leicester knew. His own secretinstructions reached the Netherlands before he did. His secretary,Junius, was thrown into prison, and his master's letter taken from him,before there had been any time to act upon its treacherous suggestions.When the Earl wrote letters with, his own hand to his sovereign, of so