History of The United Netherlands, 1584-1585


CHAPTER III.

Policy of England--Schemes of the Pretender of Portugal--Hesitation
of the French Court--Secret Wishes of France--Contradictory Views as
to the Opinions of Netherlanders--Their Love for England and
Elizabeth--Prominent Statesmen of the Provinces--Roger Williams the
Welshman Views of Walsingham, Burghley, and the Queen--An Embassy to
Holland decided upon--Davison at the Hague--Cautious and Secret
Measures of Burghley--Consequent Dissatisfaction of Walsingham--
English and Dutch Suspicion of France--Increasing Affection of
Holland for England.

The policy of England towards the Provinces had been somewhat hesitating,
but it had not been disloyal. It was almost inevitable that there should
be timidity in the councils of Elizabeth, when so grave a question as
that of confronting the vast power of Spain was forcing itself day by
day more distinctly upon the consideration of herself and her statesmen.
It was very clear, now that Orange was dead, that some new and decided
step would be taken. Elizabeth was in favour of combined action by the
French and English governments, in behalf of the Netherlands--a joint
protectorate of the Provinces, until such time as adequate concessions on
the religious question could be obtained from Spain. She was unwilling
to plunge into the peril and expense of a war with the strongest power in
the world. She disliked the necessity under which she should be placed
of making repeated applications to her parliament, and of thus fostering
the political importance of the Commons; she was reluctant to encourage
rebellious subjects in another land, however just the cause of their