This plain dealing, on the part of Sidney, was anything but agreeable to the Queen, who was far from feeling regret that his high-soaring expectations had been somewhat blighted in the Provinces.  He often expressed his mortification that her Majesty was disposed to interpret everything to, his disadvantage.  “I understand,” said he, “that I am called ambitious, and very proud at home, but certainly, if they knew my heart, they would not altogether so judge me.”  Elizabeth had taken part with Hohenlo against Sir Philip in the matter of the Zeeland regiment, and in this perhaps she was not entirely to be blamed.  But she inveighed needlessly against his ambitious seeking of the office, and—­as Walsingham observed—­“she was very apt, upon every light occasion, to find fault with him.”  It is probable that his complaints against the army treasurer, and his manful defence of the “miserable soldiers,” more than counterbalanced, in the Queen’s estimation, his chivalry in the field.

Nevertheless he had now the satisfaction of having gained an important city in Flanders; and on subsequently joining the army under his uncle, he indulged the hope of earning still greater distinction.

Martin Schenk had meanwhile been successfully defending Rheinberg, for several weeks, against Parma’s forces.  It was necessary, however, that Leicester, notwithstanding the impoverished condition of his troops, should make some diversion, while his formidable antagonist was thus carrying all before him.

He assembled, accordingly, in the month of August, all the troops that could be brought into the field, and reviewed them, with much ceremony, in the neighbourhood of Arnheim.  His army—­barely numbered seven thousand foot and two thousand horse, but he gave out, very extensively, that he had fourteen thousand under his command, and he was moreover expecting a force of three thousand reiters, and as many pikemen recently levied in Germany.  Lord Essex was general of the cavalry, Sir William Pelham—­a distinguished soldier, who had recently arrived out of England, after the most urgent solicitations to the Queen, for that end, by Leicester—­was lord-marshal of the camp, and Sir John Norris was colonel-general of the infantry.

After the parade, two sermons were preached upon the hillside to the soldiers, and then there was a council of war:  It was decided—­notwithstanding the Earl’s announcement of his intentions to attack Parma in person—­that the condition of the army did not warrant such an enterprise.  It was thought better to lay siege to Zutphen.  This step, if successful, would place in the power of the republic and her ally a city of great importance and strength.  In every event the attempt would probably compel Farnese to raise the siege of Berg.

Leicester, accordingly, with “his brave troop of able and likely men”—­five thousand of the infantry being English—­advanced as far as Doesburg.  This city, seated at the confluence of the ancient canal of Drusus and the Yssel, five miles above Zutphen, it was necessary, as a preliminary measure, to secure.  It was not a very strong place, being rather slightly walled with brick, and with a foss drawing not more than three feet of water.  By the 30th August it had been completely invested.