“I wrote somewhat of Sir Aldegonde in putting his case,” wrote Leicester, “but this is certain, I have the copy of his very letters sent hither to practise the peace not two days before I came, and this day one hath told me that loves him well, that he hates our countrymen unrecoverably.  I am sorry for it.”

On the other hand, the Queen was very indignant with the man whom she looked upon as the paid agent of Spain.  She considered him a renegade, the more dangerous because his previous services had been so illustrious.  “Her Majesty’s mislike towards Ste. Aldegonde continueth,” wrote Walsingham to Leicester, “and she taketh offence that he was not restrained of his liberty by your Lordship’s order.”  It is unquestionable that the exburgomaster intended to do his best towards effecting the reconciliation of all the Provinces with Spain; and it is equally certain that the King had offered to pay him well, if he proved successful in his endeavours.  There is no proof, however, and no probability that Sainte Aldegonde ever accepted or ever intended to accept the proffered bribe.  On the contrary, his whole recorded career ought to disprove the supposition.  Yet it is painful, to find him, at this crisis, assiduous in his attempts to undo the great work of his own life, and still more distressing to find that great rewards were distinctly offered to him for such service.  Immense promises had been frequently made no doubt to William the Silent; nor could any public man, in such times, be so pure that an attempt to tamper with him might not be made:  but when the personage, thus solicited, was evidently acting in the interests of the tempters, it is not surprising that he should become the object of grave suspicion.

“It does not seem to me bad,” wrote Philip to Parma, “this negotiation which you have commenced with Ste. Aldegonde, in order to gain him, and thus to employ his services in bringing about a reduction of the islands (Holland and Zeeland).  In exchange for this work, any thing which you think proper to offer to him as a reward, will be capital well invested; but it must not be given until the job is done.”

But the job was hard to do, and Sainte Aldegonde cared nothing for the offered bribe.  He was, however, most strangely confident of being able to overcome, on the one hand, the opposition of Holland and Zeeland to the hated authority of Spain, and, on the other, the intense abhorrence entertained by Philip to liberty of conscience.

Soon after the capitulation, he applied for a passport to visit those two Provinces.  Permission to come was refused him.  Honest men from Antwerp, he was informed, would be always welcome, but there was no room for him.  There was, however—­or Parma persuaded himself that there was—­ a considerable party in those countries in favour of reconciliation with Spain.  If the ex-burgomaster could gain a hearing, it was thought probable that his eloquence would prove very effective.