History of the United Netherlands, 1585 part 5 | Page 9

Queen fail, yet must I
trust in the Lord, and on Him, I see, I am wholly to depend. I can say
no more, but pray to God that her Majesty never send General again as
I am sent. And yet I will do what I can for her and my country."
The Earl had raised a choice body of lancers to accompany him to the
Netherlands, but the expense of the levy had come mainly upon his
own purse. The Queen had advanced five thousand pounds, which was
much less than the requisite amount, while for the balance required, as
well as for other necessary expenses, she obstinately declined to furnish
Leicester with funds, even refusing him, at last, a temporary loan. She
violently accused him of cheating her, reclaimed money which he had
wrung from her on good security, and when he had repaid the sum,
objected to give him a discharge. As for receiving anything by way of
salary, that was quite out of the question. At that moment he would
have been only too happy to be reimbursed for what he was already out
of pocket. Whether Elizabeth loved Leicester as a brother, or better
than a brother, may be a historical question, but it is no question at all
that she loved money better than she did Leicester. Unhappy the man,
whether foe or favourite, who had pecuniary transactions with her
Highness.
"I am sorry," said the Earl, "that her Majesty hath so hard a conceit of
me, that I should go about to cozen her, as though I had got a fee
simple from her, and had it not before, or that I had not had her full
release for payment of the money I borrowed. I pray God, any that did
put such scruple in her, have not deceived her more than I have done. I
thank God I have a clear conscience for deceiving her, and for money
matters. I think I may justly say I have been the only cause of more
gain to her coffers than all her chequer-men have been. But so is the
hap of some, that all they do is nothing, and others that do nothing, do
all, and have all the thanks. But I would this were all the grief I carry

with me; but God is my comfort, and on Him I cast all, for there is no
surety in this world beside. What hope of help can I have, finding her
Majesty so strait with myself as she is? I did trust that--the cause being
hers and this realm's--if I could have gotten no money of her merchants,
she would not have refused to have lent money on so easy prized land
as mine, to have been gainer and no loser by it. Her Majesty, I see, will
make trial of me how I love her, and what will discourage me from her
service. But resolved am I that no worldly respect shall draw me back
from my faithful discharge of my duty towards her, though she shall
show to hate me, as it goeth very near; for I find no love or favour at all.
And I pray you to remember that I have not had one penny of her
Majesty towards all these charges of mine--not one penny-and, by all
truth, I have already laid out above five thousand pounds. Her Majesty
appointed eight thousand pounds for the levy, which was after the rate
of four hundred horse, and, upon my fidelity, there is shipped, of horse
of service, eight hundred, so that there ought eight thousand more to
have been paid me. No general that ever went that was not paid to the
uttermost of these things before he went, but had cash for his provision,
which her Majesty would not allow me--not one groat. Well, let all this
go, it is like I shall be the last shall bear this, and some must suffer for
the people. Good Mr. Secretary, let her Majesty know this, for I
deserve God-a-mercy, at the least."
Leicester, to do him justice, was thoroughly alive to the importance of
the Crisis. On political principle, at any rate, he was a firm supporter of
Protestantism, and even of Puritanism; a form of religion which
Elizabeth detested, and in which, with keen instinct, she detected a
mutinous element against the divine right of kings. The Earl was quite
convinced of the absolute necessity that England should take up the
Netherland matter most vigorously, on pain of being herself destroyed.
All the most sagacious counsellors of Elizabeth were day by day more
and more confirmed in this opinion, and were inclined heartily to
support the new Lieutenant-General. As for Leicester himself, while
fully conscious of his own merits, and