History of the United Netherlands, 1587



CHAPTER XVII.

Secret Treaty between Queen and Parma--Excitement and Alarm in the
States--Religious Persecution in England--Queen's Sincerity toward
Spain--Language and Letters of Parma--Negotiations of De Loo--
English Commissioners appointed--Parma's affectionate Letter to the
Queen--Philip at his Writing-Table--His Plots with Parma against
England--Parma's secret Letters to the King--Philip's Letters to
Parma Wonderful Duplicity of Philip--His sanguine Views as to
England--He is reluctant to hear of the Obstacles--and imagines
Parma in England--But Alexander's Difficulties are great--He
denounces Philip's wild Schemes--Walsingham aware of the Spanish
Plot--which the States well understand--Leicester's great
Unpopularity--The Queen warned against Treating--Leicester's Schemes
against Barneveld--Leicestrian Conspiracy at Leyden--The Plot to
seize the City discovered--Three Ringleaders sentenced to Death--
Civil War in France--Victory gained by Navarre, and one by Guise--
Queen recalls Leicester--Who retires on ill Terms with the States--
Queen warned as to Spanish Designs--Result's of Leicester's
Administration.

The course of Elizabeth towards the Provinces, in the matter of the
peace, was certainly not ingenuous, but it was not absolutely deceitful.
She concealed and denied the negotiations, when the Netherland statesmen
were perfectly aware of their existence, if not of their tenour; but she
was not prepared, as they suspected, to sacrifice their liberties and