History of the United Netherlands, 1584-85 | Page 8

danger, and of the necessity of
dealing with it at once.
To the prophetic eye of Walsingham, the mists of the future at times
were lifted; and the countless sails of the invincible Armada, wafting
defiance and destruction to England, became dimly visible. He felt that
the great Netherland bulwark of Protestantism and liberty was to be
defended at all hazards, and that the death-grapple could not long be
deferred.
Burghley, deeply pondering, but less determined, was still disposed to
look on and to temporize.
The Queen, far-seeing and anxious, but somewhat hesitating, still clung

to the idea of a joint protectorate. She knew that the reestablishment of
Spanish authority in the Low Countries would be fatal to England, but
she was not yet prepared to throw down the gauntlet to Philip. She felt
that the proposed annexation of the Provinces to France would be
almost as formidable; yet she could not resolve, frankly and fearlessly,
to assume, the burthen of their protection. Under the inspiration of
Burghley, she was therefore willing to encourage the Netherlanders
underhand; preventing them at every hazard from slackening in their
determined hostility to Spain; discountenancing, without absolutely
forbidding, their proposed absorption by France; intimating, without
promising, an ultimate and effectual assistance from herself. Meantime,
with something of feline and feminine duplicity, by which the sex of
the great sovereign would so often manifest itself in the most
momentous affairs, she would watch and wait, teasing the Provinces,
dallying with the danger, not quite prepared as yet to abandon the prize
to Henry or Philip, or to seize it herself.
The situation was rapidly tending to become an impossible one.
Late in October a grave conference was held council, "upon the
question whether her Majesty should presently relieve the States of the
Low Countries."
It was shown, upon one side, that the "perils to the Queen and to the
realm were great, if the King of Spain should recover Holland and
Zeeland, as he had the other countries, for lack of succour in seasonable
time, either by the French King or the Queen's Majesty."
On the other side, the great difficulties in the way of effectual
assistance by England, were "fully remembered."
"But in the end, and upon comparison made," said Lord Burghley,
summing up, "betwixt the perils on the one part, and the difficulties on
the other," it was concluded that the Queen would be obliged to
succumb to the power of Spain, and the liberties of England be
hopelessly lost, if Philip were then allowed to carry out his designs, and
if the Provinces should be left without succour at his mercy.
A "wise person" was accordingly to be sent into Holland; first, to
ascertain whether the Provinces had come to an actual agreement with
the King of France, and, if such should prove to be the case, to enquire
whether that sovereign had pledged himself to declare war upon Philip.
In this event, the wise person was to express her Majesty's satisfaction

that the Provinces were thus to be "relieved from the tyranny of the
King of Spain."
On the other hand, if it should appear that no such conclusive
arrangements had been made, and that the Provinces were likely to fall
again victims to the "Spanish tyranny," her Majesty would then "strain
herself as far as, with preservation of her own estate, she might, to
succour them at this time."
The agent was then to ascertain "what conditions the Provinces would
require" upon the matter of succour, and, if the terms seemed
reasonable, he would assure them that "they should not be left to the
cruelties of the Spaniards."
And further, the wise person, "being pressed to answer, might by
conference of speeches and persuasions provoke them to offer to the
Queen the ports of Flushing and Middelburg and the Brill, wherein she
meant not to claim any property, but to hold them as gages for her
expenses, and for performances of their covenants."
He was also to make minute inquiries as to the pecuniary resources of
the Provinces, the monthly sums which they would be able to
contribute, the number of troops and of ships of war that they would
pledge themselves to maintain. These investigations were very
important, because the Queen, although very well disposed to succour
them, "so nevertheless she was to consider how her power might be
extended, without ruin or manifest peril to her own estate."
It was also resolved, in the same conference, that a preliminary step of
great urgency was to "procure a good peace with the King of Scots."
Whatever the expense of bringing about such a pacification might be, it
was certain that a "great deal more would be expended in defending the
realm against Scotland," while England was engaged in hostilities with
Spain.