Two days afterwards, the five envoys had an interview with several members of her Majesty’s council, in the private apartment of the Lord-Treasurer in Greenwich Palace.  Burghley, being indisposed, was lying upon his bed.  Leicester, Admiral Lord Howard, Lord Hunsden, Sir Christopher Hatton, Lord Buckhurst, and Secretary Davison, were present, and the Lord-Treasurer proposed that the conversation should be in Latin, that being the common language most familiar to them all.  Then, turning over the leaves of the report, a copy of which lay on his bed, he asked the envoys, whether, in case her Majesty had not sent over the assistance which she had done under the Earl of Leicester, their country would not have been utterly ruined.

“To all appearance, yes,” replied Menyn.

“But,” continued Burghley, still running through the pages of the document, and here and there demanding an explanation of an obscure passage or two, “you are now proposing to her Majesty to send 10,000 foot and 2000 horse, and to lend L60,000.  This is altogether monstrous and excessive.  Nobody will ever dare even to speak to her Majesty on the subject.  When you first came in 1585, you asked for 12,000 men, but you were fully authorized to accept 6000.  No doubt that is the case now.”

“On that occasion,” answered Menyn, “our main purpose was to induce her Majesty to accept the sovereignty, or at least the perpetual protection of our country.  Failing in that we broached the third point, and not being able to get 12,000 soldiers we compounded for 5000, the agreement being subject to ratification by our principals.  We gave ample security in shape of the mortgaged cities.  But experience has shown us that these forces and this succour are insufficient.  We have therefore been sent to beg her Majesty to make up the contingent to the amount originally requested.”

“But we are obliged to increase the garrisons in the cautionary towns,” said one of the English councillors, “as 800 men in a city like Flushing are very little.”

“Pardon me,” replied Valck, “the burghers are not enemies but friends to her Majesty and to the English nation.  They are her dutiful subjects like all the inhabitants of the Netherlands.”

“It is quite true,” said Burghley, after having made some critical remarks upon the military system of the Provinces, “and a very common adage, ‘quod tunc tua res agitur, paries cum proximus ardet,’ but, nevertheless, this war principally concerns you.  Therefore you are bound to do your utmost to meet its expenses in your own country, quite as much as a man who means to build a house is expected to provide the stone and timber himself.  But the States have not done their best.  They have not at the appointed time come forward with their extraordinary contributions for the last campaign.  How many men,” he asked, “are required for garrisons in all the fortresses and cities, and for the field?”

“But,” interposed Lord Hunsden, “not half so many men are needed in the garrisons; for the burghers ought to be able to defend their own cities.  Moreover it is probable that your ordinary contributions might be continued and doubled and even tripled.”