bankers and merchants, were assured—­by a thousand chattering —­but as it were invisible—­tongues, that the Queen had for a long time disliked Leicester; that he was a man of no account among the statesmen of England; that he was a beggar and a bankrupt; that, if he had waited two months longer, he would have made his appearance in the Provinces with one man and one boy for his followers; that the Queen had sent him thither to be rid of him; that she never intended him to have more authority than Sir John Norris had; that she could not abide the bestowing the title of Excellency upon him, and that she had not disguised her fury at his elevation to the post of governor-general.

All who attempted a refutation of these statements were asked, with a sneer, whether her Majesty had ever written a line to him, or in commendation of him, since his arrival.  Minute inquiries were made by the Dutch merchants of their commercial correspondents, both in their own country and in England, as to Leicester’s real condition and character. at home.  What was his rank, they asked, what his ability, what:  his influence at court?  Why, if he were really of so high quality as had been reported, was he thus neglected, and at last disgraced?  Had he any landed property in England?  Had he really ever held any other office but that of master of the horse?  “And then,” asked one particular busy body, who made himself very unpleasant on the Amsterdam Exchange, “why has her Majesty forbidden all noblemen and gentlemen from coming hither, as was the case at the beginning?  Is it because she is hearkening to a peace?  And if it be so, quoth he, we are well handled; for if her Majesty hath sent a disgraced man to amuse us, while she is secretly working a peace for herself, when we—­on the contrary—­had broken off all our negotiations, upon confidence of her Majesty’s goodness; such conduct will be remembered to the end of the world, and the Hollanders will never abide the name of England again.”

On such a bed of nettles there was small chance of repose for the governor.  Some of the rumours were even more stinging.  So incomprehensible did it seem that the proud sovereign of England should send over her subjects to starve or beg in the streets of Flushing and Ostend, that it was darkly intimated that Leicester had embezzled the funds, which, no doubt, had been remitted for the poor soldiers.  This was the most cruel blow of all.  The Earl had been put to enormous charges.  His household at the Hague cost him a thousand pounds a month.  He had been paying and furnishing five hundred and fifty men out of his own purse.  He had also a choice regiment of cavalry, numbering seven hundred and fifty horse; three hundred and fifty of which number were over and above those allowed for by the Queen, and were entirely at his expense.  He was most liberal in making presents of money to every gentleman in his employment.  He had deeply mortgaged his estates in order to provide for these heavy demands