Title:  History of the United Netherlands, 1585-86

Author:  John Lothrop Motley

Release Date:  January, 2004 [EBook #4844] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 2, 2002]

Edition:  10

Language:  English

Character set encoding:  ASCII

*** Start of the project gutenberg EBOOK history united Netherlands, 1585-86 ***

This eBook was produced by David Widger widger@cecomet.net

[Note:  There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author’s ideas before making an entire meal of them.  D.W.]

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, Volume 44

History United Netherlands, Volume 44, 1585-1586

Chapter VII., Part 1.

The Earl of Leicester—­His Triumphal Entrance into Holland—­English Spies about him—­Importance of Holland to England—­Spanish Schemes for invading England—­Letter of the Grand Commander—­Perilous Position of England—­True Nature of the Contest—­wealth and Strength of the Provinces—­Power of the Dutch and English People—­Affection of the Hollanders for the Queen—­Secret Purposes of Leicester—­ Wretched condition of English Troops—­The Nassaus and Hohenlo—­The Earl’s Opinion of them—­Clerk and Killigrew—­Interview with the States Government General offered to the Earl—­Discussions on the Subject—­The Earl accepts the Office—­His Ambition and Mistakes—­His Installation at the Hague—­Intimations of the Queen’s Displeasure—­ Deprecatory Letters of Leicester—­Davison’s Mission to England—­ Queen’s Anger and Jealousy—­Her angry Letters to the Earl and the States—­Arrival of Davison—­Stormy Interview with the Queen—­The second one is calmer—­Queen’s Wrath somewhat mitigated—­Mission of Heneago to the States—­Shirley sent to England by the Earl—­His Interview with Elizabeth

At last the Earl of Leicester came.  Embarking at Harwich, with a fleet of fifty ships, and attended “by the flower and chief gallants of England”—­the Lords Sheffield, Willoughby, North, Burroughs, Sir Gervase Clifton, Sir William Russell, Sir Robert Sidney, and others among the number—­the new lieutenant-general of the English forces in the Netherlands arrived on the 19th December, 1585, at Flushing.

His nephew, Sir Philip Sidney, and Count Maurice of Nassau, with a body of troops and a great procession of civil functionaries; were in readiness to receive him, and to escort him to the lodgings prepared for him.