History of the United Netherlands, 1585 part 5 | Page 3

deficiency on the part of Lord Gray, and it will soon be seen
that the personage of quality to be selected as chief in the arduous and
honourable enterprise now on foot, would be obliged to rely quite as
much on that same ability of purse as upon the sufficiency of his brain

or arm. The Queen did not mean to send her favourite forth to purchase
anything but honour in the Netherlands; and it was not the Provinces
only that were likely to struggle against her parsimony. Yet that
parsimony sprang from a nobler motive than the mere love of pelf.
Dangers encompassed her on every side, and while husbanding her own
exchequer, she was saving her subjects' resources. "Here we are but
book-worms," said Walsingham, "yet from sundry quarters we hear of
great practices against this poor crown. The revolt in Scotland is greatly
feared, and that out of hand."
Scotland, France, Spain, these were dangerous enemies and neighbours
to a maiden Queen, who had a rebellious Ireland to deal with on one
side the channel, and Alexander of Parma on the other.
Davison experienced great inconvenience and annoyance before the
definite arrangements could be made. There is no doubt that the
Spanish party had made great progress since the fall of Antwerp. Roger
Williams was right in advising the Queen to deal" roundly and
resolutely" with the States, and to "sovereign them presently."
They had need of being sovereigned, for it must be confessed that the
self-government which prevailed at that moment was very like no
government. The death of Orange, the treachery of Henry III., the
triumphs of Parma, disastrous facts, treading rapidly upon each other,
had produced a not very unnatural effect. The peace-at-any-price party
was struggling hard for the ascendancy, and the Spanish partizans were
doing their best to hold up to suspicion the sharp practice of the English
Queen. She was even accused of underhand dealing with Spain, to the
disadvantage of the Provinces; so much had slander, anarchy, and
despair, been able to effect. The States were reluctant to sign those
articles with Elizabeth which were absolutely necessary to their
salvation.
"In how doubtful and uncertain terms I found things at my coming
hither," wrote Davison to Burghley, "how thwarted and delayed since
for a resolution, and with what conditions, and for what reasons I have
been finally drawn to conclude with them as I have done, your
Lordship may perceive by that I have written to Mr. Secretary. The
chief difficulty has rested upon the point of entertaining the garrisons
within the towns of assurance, over and besides the five thousand
footmen and one thousand horse."

This, as Davison proceeded to observe, was considered a 'sine qua non'
by the States, so that, under the perilous circumstances in which both
countries were placed, he had felt it his duty to go forward as far as
possible to meet their demands. Davison always did his work
veraciously, thoroughly, and resolutely; and it was seldom that his
advice, in all matters pertaining to Netherland matters, did not prove
the very best that could be offered. No man knew better than he the
interests and the temper of both countries.
The imperious Elizabeth was not fond of being thwarted, least of all by
any thing savouring of the democratic principle, and already there was
much friction between the Tudor spirit of absolutism and the rough
"mechanical" nature with which it was to ally itself in the Netherlands.
The economical Elizabeth was not pleased at being overreached in a
bargain; and, at a moment when she thought herself doing a
magnanimous act, she was vexed at the cavilling with which her
generosity was received. "'Tis a manner of proceeding," said
Walsingham, "not to be allowed of, and may very well be termed
mechanical, considering that her Majesty seeketh no interest in that
country--as Monsieur and the French King did--but only their good and
benefit, without regard had of the expenses of her treasure and the
hazard of her subjects' lives; besides throwing herself into a present war
for their sakes with the greatest prince and potentate in Europe. But
seeing the government of those countries resteth in the hands of
merchants and advocates--the one regarding profit, the other standing
upon vantage of quirks--there is no better fruit to be looked to from
them."
Yet it was, after all, no quirk in those merchants and advocates to urge
that the Queen was not going to war with the great potentate for their
sakes alone. To Elizabeth's honour, she did thoroughly comprehend
that the war of the Netherlands was the war of England, of
Protestantism, and of European liberty, and that she could no longer,
without courting her own destruction, defer taking a part in active
military operations. It