Part 28 (1/2)

On the following morning s.h.i.+rley saw the Queen walking in the garden of the palace, and made bold to accost her. Thinking, as he said, ”to test her affection to Lord Leicester by another means,” the artful Sir Thomas stepped up to her, and observed that his Lords.h.i.+p was seriously ill. ”It is feared,” he said, ”that the Earl is again attacked by the disease of which Dr. Goodrowse did once cure him. Wherefore his Lords.h.i.+p is now a humble suitor to your Highness that it would please you to spare Goodrowse, and give him leave to go thither for some time.”

The Queen was instantly touched.

”Certainly--with all my heart, with all my heart, he shall have him,” she replied, ”and sorry I am that his Lords.h.i.+p hath that need of him.”

”And indeed,” returned sly Sir Thomas, ”your Highness is a very gracious prince, who are pleased not to suffer his Lords.h.i.+p to perish in health, though otherwise you remain deeply offended with him.”

”You know my mind,” returned Elizabeth, now all the queen again, and perhaps suspecting the trick; ”I may not endure that any man should alter my commission and the authority that I gave him, upon his own fancies and without me.”

With this she instantly summoned one of her gentlemen, in order to break off the interview, fearing that s.h.i.+rley was about to enter again upon a discussion of the whole subject, and again to attempt the delivery of the Earl's letter.

In all this there was much of superannuated coquetry, no doubt, and much of Tudor despotism, but there was also a strong infusion of artifice. For it will soon be necessary to direct attention to certain secret transactions of an important nature in which the Queen was engaged, and which were even hidden from the all-seeing eye of Walsingham--although shrewdly suspected both by that statesman and by Leicester--but which were most influential in modifying her policy at that moment towards the Netherlands.

There could be no doubt, however, of the stanch and strenuous manner in which the delinquent Earl was supported by his confidential messengers and by some of his fellow-councillors. His true friends were urgent that the great cause in which he was engaged should be forwarded sincerely and without delay. s.h.i.+rley had been sent for money; but to draw money from Elizabeth was like coining her life-blood, drachma by drachma.

”Your Lords.h.i.+p is like to have but a poor supply of money at this time,”

said Sir Thomas. ”To be plain with you, I fear she groweth weary of the charge, and will hardly be brought to deal thoroughly in the action.”

He was also more explicit than he might have been--had he been better informed as to the disposition of the chief personages of the court, concerning whose temper the absent Earl was naturally anxious. Hatton was most in favour at the moment, and it was through Hatton that the communications upon Netherland matters pa.s.sed; ”for,” said s.h.i.+rley, ”she will hardly endure Mr. Secretary (Walsingham) to speak unto her therein.”

”And truly, my Lord,” he continued, ”as Mr. Secretary is a n.o.ble, good, and true friend unto you, so doth Mr. Vice-Chamberlain show himself an honourable, true, and faithful gentleman, and doth carefully and most like a good friend for your Lords.h.i.+p.”

And thus very succinctly and graphically had the envoy painted the situation to his princ.i.p.al. ”Your Lords.h.i.+p now sees things just as they stand,” he moralized. ”Your Lords.h.i.+p is exceeding wise. You know the Queen and her nature best of any man. You know all men here. Your Lords.h.i.+p can judge the sequel by this that you see: only this I must tell your Lords.h.i.+p, I perceive that fears and doubts from thence are like to work better effects here than comforts and a.s.surance. I think it my part to send your Lords.h.i.+p this as it is, rather than to be silent.”

And with these rather ominous insinuations the envoy concluded for the time his narrative.

ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:

Intolerable tendency to puns New Years Day in England, 11th January by the New Style Peace and quietness is brought into a most dangerous estate

HISTORY OF THE UNITED NETHERLANDS

From the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce--1609

By John Lothrop Motley

History United Netherlands, Volume 45, 1586

CHAPTER VII., Part 2.

Leicester's Letters to his Friends--Paltry Conduct of the Earl to Davison--He excuses himself at Davison's Expense--His Letter to Burghley--Effect of the Queen's Letters to the States--Suspicion and Discontent in Holland--States excuse their Conduct to the Queen-- Leicester discredited in Holland--Evil Consequences to Holland and England--Magic: Effect of a Letter from Leicester--The Queen appeased--Her Letters to the States and the Earl--She permits the granted Authority----Unhappy Results of the Queen's Course--Her variable Moods--She attempts to deceive Walsingham--Her Injustice to Heneage--His Perplexity and Distress--Humiliating Position of Leicester--His melancholy Letters to the Queen--He receives a little Consolation--And writes more cheerfully--The Queen is more benignant--The States less contented than the Earl--His Quarrels with them begin.

While these storms were blowing and ”overblowing” in England, Leicester remained greatly embarra.s.sed and anxious in Holland. He had sown the wind more extensively than he had dreamed of when accepting the government, and he was now awaiting, with much trepidation, the usual harvest: And we have seen that it was rapidly ripening. Meantime, the good which he had really effected in the Provinces by the course he had taken was likely to be neutralized by the sinister rumours as to his impending disgrace, while the enemy was proportionally encouraged. ”I understand credibly,”

he said, ”that the Prince of Parma feels himself in great jollity that her Majesty doth rather mislike than allow of our doings here, which; if it be true, let her be sure her own sweet self shall first smart.”

Moreover; the English troops were, as we have seen, mere shoeless, s.h.i.+vering, starving vagabonds. The Earl had generously advanced very large sums of money from his own pocket to relieve their necessity. The States, on the other hand, had voluntarily increased the monthly contribution of 200,000 florins, to which their contract with Elizabeth obliged them, and were more disposed than ever they had been since the death of Orange to proceed vigorously and harmoniously against the common enemy of Christendom. Under such circ.u.mstances it may well be imagined that there was cause on Leicester's part for deep mortification at the tragical turn which the Queen's temper seemed to be taking.

”I know not,” he said, ”how her Majesty doth mean to dispose of me. It hath grieved me more than I can express that for faithful and good service she should so deeply conceive against me. G.o.d knows with what mind I have served her Highness, and perhaps some others might have failed. Yet she is neither tied one jot by covenant or promise by me in any way, nor at one groat the more charges, but myself two or three thousand pounds sterling more than now is like to be well spent. I will desire no partial speech in my favour. If my doings be ill for her Majesty and the realm, let me feel the smart of it. The cause is now well forward; let not her majesty suffer it to quail. If you will have it proceed to good effect, send away Sir William Pelham with all the haste you can. I mean not to complain, but with so weighty a cause as this is, few men have been so weakly a.s.sisted. Her Majesty hath far better choice for my place, and with any that may succeed me let Sir William Pelham be first that may come. I speak from my soul for her Majesty's service. I am for myself upon an hour's warning to obey her good pleasure.”

Thus far the Earl had maintained his dignity. He had yielded to the solicitations of the States, and had thereby exceeded his commission, and gratified his ambition, but he had in no wise forfeited his self-respect.