History of the United Netherlands, 1585 part 5 | Page 4

was no quirk, then, but solid reasoning, for the
States to regard the subject in the same light. Holland and England
were embarked in one boat, and were to sink or swim together. It was
waste of time to wrangle so fiercely over pounds and shillings, but the
fault was not to be exclusively imputed to the one side or the other.

There were bitter recriminations, particularly on the part of Elizabeth,
for it was not safe to touch too closely either the pride or the pocket of
that frugal and despotic heroine. "The two thousand pounds promised
by the States to Norris upon the muster of the two thousand
volunteers," said Walsingham, "were not paid. Her Majesty is not a
little offended therewith, seeing how little care they have to yield her
satisfaction, which she imputeth to proceed rather from contempt, than
from necessity. If it should fall out, however, to be such as by them is
pretended, then doth she conceive her bargain to be very ill made, to
join her fortune with so weak and broken an estate." Already there were
indications that the innocent might be made to suffer for the
short-comings of the real culprits; nor would it be, the first time, or by
any means the last, for Davison to appear in the character of a
scape-goat.
"Surely, sir," continued Mr. Secretary, "it is a thing greatly to be feared
that the contributions they will yield will fall not more true in paper
than in payment; which if it should so happen, it would turn some to
blame, whereof you among others are to bear your part."
And thus the months of September and of October wore away, and the
ratifications of the treaty had not arrived from the Netherlands.
Elizabeth became furious, and those of the Netherland deputation who
had remained in England were at their wits' end to appease her choler.
No news arrived for many weeks. Those were not the days of steam
and magnetic telegraphs--inventions by which the nature of man and
the aspect of history seem altered--and the Queen had nothing for it but
to fret, and the envoys to concert with her ministers expedients to
mitigate her spleen. Towards the end of the month, the commissioners
chartered a vessel which they despatched for news to Holland. On his
way across the sea the captain was hailed on the 28th October by a boat,
in which one Hans Wyghans was leisurely proceeding to England with
Netherland despatches dated on the 5th of the same month. This was
the freshest intelligence that had yet been received.
So soon as the envoys were put in possession of the documents, they
obtained an audience of the Queen. This was the last day of October.
Elizabeth read her letters, and listened to the apologies made by the
deputies for the delay with anything but a benignant countenance. Then,
with much vehemence of language, and manifestations of ill-temper,

she expressed her displeasure at the dilatoriness of the States. Having
sent so many troops, and so many gentlemen of quality, she had
considered the whole affair concluded.
"I have been unhandsomely treated," she said, "and not as comports
with a prince of my quality. My inclination for your support--because
you show yourselves unworthy of so great benefits--will be entirely
destroyed, unless you deal with me and mine more worthily for the
future than you have done in the past. Through my great and especial
affection for your welfare, I had ordered the Earl of Leicester to
proceed to the Netherlands, and conduct your affairs; a man of such
quality as all the world knows, and one whom I love, as if he were my
own brother. He was getting himself ready in all diligence, putting
himself in many perils through the practices of the enemy, and if I
should have reason to believe that he would not be respected there
according to his due, I should be indeed offended. He and many others
are not going thither to advance their own affairs, to make themselves
rich, or because they have not means enough to live magnificently at
home. They proceed to the Netherlands from pure affection for your
cause. This is the case, too, with many other of my subjects, all dear to
me, and of much worth. For I have sent a fine heap of folk thither--in
all, with those his Excellency is taking with him, not under ten
thousand soldiers of the English nation. This is no small succour, and
no little unbaring of this realm of mine, threatened as it is with war
from many quarters. Yet I am seeking no sovereignty, nor anything else
prejudicial to the freedom of your country. I wish only, in your utmost
need, to help you out of