She then summoned Russell’s sister, Lady Warwick.

“If you could speak French,” said the Queen to that gentlewoman, “I should bid you reply to these gentlemen, who beg that your brother may remain in Flushing, so very agreeable has he made himself to them.”

The Queen was pleased to hear this good opinion of Sir William, and this request that he might continue to be governor of Flushing, because he had uniformly supported the Leicester party, and was at that moment in high quarrel with Count Maurice and the leading members of the States.

As the deputies took their leave, they requested an answer to their memorial, which was graciously promised.

Three days afterwards, Walsingham gave them a written answer to their memorial—­conceived in the same sense as had been the expressions of her Majesty and her counsellors.  Support to the Netherlands and stipulations for the free exercise of their religion were promised; but it was impossible for these deputies of the churches to obtain a guarantee from England that the Popish religion should be excluded from the Provinces, in case of a successful issue to the Queen’s negotiation with Spain.

And thus during all those eventful days-the last weeks of July and the first weeks of August—­the clerical deputation remained in England, indulging in voluminous protocols and lengthened conversations with the Queen and the principal members of her government.  It is astonishing, in that breathless interval of history, that so much time could be found for quill-driving and oratory.

Nevertheless, both in Holland and England, there had been other work than protocolling.  One throb of patriotism moved the breast of both nations.  A longing to grapple, once for all, with the great enemy of civil and religious liberty inspired both.  In Holland, the States-General and all the men to whom the people looked for guidance, had been long deprecating the peace-negotiations.  Extraordinary supplies—­more than had ever been granted before—­were voted for the expenses of the campaign; and Maurice of Nassau, fitly embodying the warlike tendencies of his country and race, had been most importunate with Queen Elizabeth that she would accept his services and his advice.  Armed vessels of every size, from the gun-boat to the galleon of 1200 tons—­then the most imposing ship in those waters—­swarmed in all the estuaries and rivers, and along the Dutch and Flemish coast, bidding defiance to Parma and his armaments; and offers of a large contingent from the fleets of Jooat de Moor and Justinua de Nassau, to serve under Seymour and Howard, were freely made to the States-General.