exceeding somewhat thereupon, rather than breaking any part of my
commission, taking upon me a place whereby I found these whole countries
could be held at her best devotion, without binding her Majesty to any
such matter as she had forbidden to the States before finding, I say,
both the time and opportunity to serve, and no lack but to trust to her
gracious acceptation, I now feel that how good, how honourable, how
profitable soever it be, it is turned to a worse part than if I had
broken all her commissions and commandments, to the greatest harm, and
dishonour, and danger, that may be imagined against her person, state,
and dignity."

He protested, not without a show of reason, that he was like to be worse
punished "for well-doing than any man that had committed a most heinous
or traitorous offence," and he maintained that if he had not accepted the
government, as he had done, "the whole State had been gone and wholly
lost." All this--as we have seen--had already been stoutly urged by
Davison, in the very face of the tempest, but with no result, except to
gain the, enmity of both parties to the quarrel. The ungrateful
Leicester now expressed confidence that the second go-between would be
more adroit than the first had proved. "The causes why," said he, "Mr.
Davison could have told--no man better--but Mr. Heneage can now tell, who
hath sought to the uttermost the bottom of all things. I will stand to
his report, whether glory or vain desire of title caused me to step one
foot forward in the matter. My place was great enough and high enough
before, with much less trouble than by this, besides the great
indignation of her Majesty . . . . . If I had overslipt the good
occasion then in danger, I had been worthy to be hanged, and to be taken
for a most lewd servant to her Majesty, and a dishonest wretch to my
country."