These things thus coming to the ears of your friends have stricken a great fear and grief into the minds of such as love you, lest the wonderful force and authority of this man being bent against you, should do you hurt, while there is none to answer for you.”  Smith to Wilkes, 26 Jan. 1587. (S.  P. Office Ms.)]

Cordiality between the governor-general and Count Maurice had become impossible.  As for Willoughby and Sir William Pelham, they were both friendly to him, but Willoughby was a magnificent cavalry officer, who detested politics, and cared little for the Netherlands, except as the best battle-field in Europe, and the old marshal of the camp—­the only man that Leicester ever loved—­was growing feeble in health, was broken down by debt, and hardly possessed, or wished for, any general influence.

Besides Deventer of Utrecht, then, on whom, the Earl chiefly relied during his, absence, there were none to support him cordially, except two or three members of the state-council.  “Madame de Brederode hath sent unto you a kind of rose,” said his intelligencer, “which you have asked for, and beseeches you to command anything she has in her garden, or whatsoever.  M. Meetkerke, M. Brederode, and Mr. Dorius, wish your return with all, their hearts.  For the rest I cannot tell, and will not swear.  But Mr. Barneveld is not your very great friend, whereof I can write no more at this time.”

This certainly was a small proportion out of a council of eighteen, when all the leading politicians of the country were in avowed hostility to the governor.  And thus the Earl was, at this most important crisis, to depend upon the subtle and dangerous Deventer, and upon two inferior personages, the “fellow Junius” and a non-descript, whom Hohenlo characterized as a “long lean Englishman, with a little black beard.”  This meagre individual however seems to have been of somewhat doubtful nationality.  He called himself Otheman, claimed to be a Frenchman, had lived much in England, wrote with great fluency and spirit, both in French and English, but was said, in reality, to be named Robert Dale.

It was not the best policy for the representative of the English Queen to trust to such counsellors at a moment when the elements of strife between Holland and England were actively at work; and when the safety, almost the existence, of the two commonwealths depended upon their acting cordially in concert.  “Overyssel, Utrecht, Friesland, and Gelderland, have agreed to renew the offer of sovereignty to her Majesty,” said Leicester.  “I shall be able to make a better report of their love and good inclination than I can of Holland.”  It was thought very desirable by the English government that this great demonstration should be made once more, whatever might be the ultimate decision of her Majesty upon so momentous a measure.  It seemed proper that a solemn embassy should once more proceed to England in order to confer with Elizabeth; but there was much delay in regard to the step, and much indignation, in consequence, on the part of the Earl.  The opposition came, of course, from the Barneveld party.  “They are in no great haste to offer the sovereignty,” said Wilkes.  “First some towns of Holland made bones thereat, and now they say that Zeeland is not resolved.”