History United Netherlands, Volume 44, 1585-1586

CHAPTER VII., Part 1.

The Earl of Leicester--His Triumphal Entrance into Holland--English
Spies about him--Importance of Holland to England--Spanish Schemes
for invading England--Letter of the Grand Commander--Perilous
Position of England--True Nature of the Contest--wealth and Strength
of the Provinces--Power of the Dutch and English People--Affection
of the Hollanders for the Queen--Secret Purposes of Leicester--
Wretched condition of English Troops--The Nassaus and Hohenlo--The
Earl's Opinion of them--Clerk and Killigrew--Interview with the
States Government General offered to the Earl--Discussions on the
Subject--The Earl accepts the Office--His Ambition and Mistakes--His
Installation at the Hague--Intimations of the Queen's Displeasure--
Deprecatory Letters of Leicester--Davison's Mission to England--
Queen's Anger and Jealousy--Her angry Letters to the Earl and the
States--Arrival of Davison--Stormy Interview with the Queen--The
second one is calmer--Queen's Wrath somewhat mitigated--Mission of
Heneago to the States--Shirley sent to England by the Earl--His
Interview with Elizabeth


At last the Earl of Leicester came. Embarking at Harwich, with a fleet
of fifty ships, and attended "by the flower and chief gallants of
England"--the Lords Sheffield, Willoughby, North, Burroughs, Sir Gervase
Clifton, Sir William Russell, Sir Robert Sidney, and others among the
number--the new lieutenant-general of the English forces in the
Netherlands arrived on the 19th December, 1585, at Flushing.