History of the United Netherlands, 1586c

History of the United
Netherlands, 1586c

The Project Gutenberg EBook History of The United Netherlands,
1586
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Title: History of the United Netherlands, 1586
Author: John Lothrop Motley
Release Date: January, 2004 [EBook #4850] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 5,
2002]

Edition: 10
Language: English
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY
UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1586 ***

This eBook was produced by David Widger

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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. 50
History of the United Netherlands, 1586

CHAPTER XI
Drake in the Netherlands--Good Results of his Visit--The Babington
Conspiracy--Leicester decides to visit England--Exchange of parting
Compliments.
Late in the autumn of the same year an Englishman arrived in the
Netherlands, bearer of despatches from the Queen. He had been
entrusted by her Majesty with a special mission to the States-General,
and he had soon an interview with that assembly at the Hague.
He was a small man, apparently forty-five years of age, of a fair but

somewhat weather-stained complexion, with light-brown,
closely-curling hair, an expansive forehead, a clear blue eye, rather
commonplace features, a thin, brown, pointed beard, and a slight
moustache. Though low of stature, he was broad-chested, with
well-knit limbs. His hands, which were small and nervous, were brown
and callous with the marks of toil. There was something in his brow
and glance not to be mistaken, and which men willingly call master; yet
he did not seem, to have sprung of the born magnates of the earth. He
wore a heavy gold chain about his neck, and it might be observed that
upon the light full sleeves of his slashed doublet the image of a small
ship on a terrestrial globe was curiously and many times embroidered.
It was not the first time that he had visited the Netherlands. Thirty years
before the man had been apprentice on board a small lugger, which
traded between the English coast and the ports of Zeeland. Emerging in
early boyhood from his parental mansion--an old boat, turned bottom
upwards on a sandy down he had naturally taken to the sea, and his
master, dying childless not long afterwards, bequeathed to him the
lugger. But in time his spirit, too much confined by coasting in the
narrow seas, had taken a bolder flight. He had risked his hard-earned
savings in a voyage with the old slave-trader, John Hawkins--whose
exertions, in what was then considered an honourable and useful
vocation, had been rewarded by Queen Elizabeth with her special
favour, and with a coat of arms, the crest whereof was a negro's head,
proper, chained--but the lad's first and last enterprise in this field was
unfortunate. Captured by Spaniards, and only escaping with life, he
determined to revenge himself on the whole Spanish nation; and this
was considered a most legitimate proceeding according to the "sea
divinity" in which he, had been schooled. His subsequent expeditions
against the Spanish possessions in the West Indies were eminently
successful, and soon the name of Francis Drake rang through the world,
and startled Philip in the depths of his Escorial. The first Englishman,
and the second of any nation, he then ploughed his memorable "furrow
round the earth," carrying amazement and, destruction to the Spaniards
as he sailed, and after three years brought to the Queen treasure enough,
as it was asserted, to maintain a war with the Spanish King for seven
years, and to pay himself and companions, and the

merchant-adventurers who had participated