This was the unpardonable offence, and for this, and for having told the truth about the accounts, Leicester denounced Wilkes to the Queen as a traitor and a hypocrite, and threatened repeatedly to take his life.  He had even the meanness to prejudice Burghley against him—­by insinuating to the Lord-Treasurer that he too had been maligned by Wilkes—­and thus most effectually damaged the character of the plain-spoken councillor with the Queen and many of her advisers; notwithstanding that he plaintively besought her to “allow him to reiterate his sorry song, as doth the cuckoo, that she would please not condemn her poor servant unheard.”

Immediate action was taken on the Deventer treason, and on the general relations between the States-General and the English government.  Barneveld immediately drew up a severe letter to the Earl of Leicester.  On the 2nd February Wilkes came by chance into the assembly of the States-General, with the rest of the councillors, and found Barneveld just demanding the public reading of that document.  The letter was read.  Wilkes then rose and made a few remarks.

“The letter seems rather sharp upon his Excellency,” he observed.  “There is not a word in it,” answered Barneveld curtly, “that is not perfectly true;” and with this he cut the matter short, and made a long speech upon other matters which were then before the assembly.

Wilkes, very anxious as to the effect of the letter, both upon public feeling in England and upon his own position as English councillor, waited immediately upon Count Maurice, President van der Myle, and upon Villiers the clergyman, and implored their interposition to prevent the transmission of the epistle.  They promised to make an effort to delay its despatch or to mitigate its tone.  A fortnight afterwards, however, Wilkes learned with dismay, that the document (the leading passages of which will be given hereafter) had been sent to its destination.

Meantime, a consultation of civilians and of the family council of Count Maurice was held, and it was determined that the Count should assume the title of Prince more formally than he had hitherto done, in order that the actual head of the Nassaus might be superior in rank to Leicester or to any man who could be sent from England.  Maurice was also appointed by the States, provisionally, governor-general, with Hohenlo for his lieutenant-general.  That formidable personage, now fully restored to health, made himself very busy in securing towns and garrisons for the party of Holland, and in cashiering all functionaries suspected of English tendencies.  Especially he became most intimate with Count Moeurs, stadholder of Utrecht—­the hatred of which individual and his wife towards Leicester and the English nation; springing originally from the unfortunate babble of Otheman, had grown more intense than ever,—­“banquetting and feasting” with him all day long, and concocting a scheme; by which, for certain considerations, the province of Utrecht was to be annexed to Holland under the perpetual stadholderate of Prince Maurice.