He expressed much anxiety for the arrival of his uncle, with which sentiments he assured the Earl that the Netherlanders fully sympathized.  “Your Lordship’s coming,” he said, “is as much longed for as Messias is of the Jews.  It is indeed most necessary that your Lordship make great speed to reform both the Dutch and English abuses.”

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     Able men should be by design and of purpose suppressed
     He did his work, but he had not his reward
     Matter that men may rather pray for than hope for
     Not of the genus Reptilia, and could neither creep nor crouch
     Others that do nothing, do all, and have all the thanks
     Peace-at-any-price party
     The busy devil of petty economy
     Thought that all was too little for him
     Weary of place without power

HISTORY OF THE UNITED NETHERLANDS

From the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year’s Truce—­1609

By John Lothrop Motley

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.