and the principle of subsidy was established. The Queen, furthermore,
agreed to send five thousand infantry and one thousand cavalry to the
provinces, under the command of an officer of high rank, who was to have
a seat and vote in the Netherland Council of State. These troops were to
be paid by the provinces, but furnished by the Queen. The estates were
to form no treaty without her knowledge, nor undertake any movement of
importance without her consent. In case she should be herself attacked
by any foreign power, the provinces were to assist her to the same extent
as the amount of aid now afforded to themselves; and in case of a naval
war, with a fleet of at least forty ships. It had already been arranged
that the appointment of the Prince of Orange as Lieutenant-General for
Matthias was a 'sine qua non' in any treaty of assistance with England.
Soon after the conclusion of this convention, Sir Thomas Wilkes was
despatched on a special mission to Spain, and Mr. Leyton sent to confer
privately with Don John. It was not probable, however, that the
diplomatic skill of either would make this new arrangement palatable to
Philip or his Governor.

Within a few days after their signature of this important treaty, the
Prince had, at length, wholly succeeded in conquering the conflicting
passions in the states-general, and in reconciling them, to a certain
extent, with each other. The closer union had been accepted, and now
thirty articles, which had been prepared under his superintendence, and
had already on the 17th of December been accepted by Matthias, were
established as the fundamental terms, according to which the Archduke was
to be received as Governor-General. No power whatever was accorded to
the young man, who had come so far with eager and ambitious views. As
the Prince had neither solicited nor desired a visit which had, on the
contrary, been the result of hostile machinations, the Archduke could
hardly complain that the power accorded him was but shadowy, and that his