There were objections to both, but the rapid successes of Parma made it necessary to take action.  The partisans of a French alliance were in the majority, despite the efforts of a strong opposition headed by Paul Buys; and an embassy (January, 1585) was despatched to Paris to offer conditionally to the French king the Protectorship of Holland and Zeeland and sovereignty over the other provinces.  The negotiations went on for a couple of months, but Henry III finally declined the offer.  Another embassy was sent, July, 1585, to England, but Elizabeth refused absolutely to accept the sovereignty.  She however was not averse to the proposal that she should despatch a body of troops to the armed assistance of the provinces, provided that adequate guarantees were given for the outlay.  She was afraid of Philip II and, though she had no love for men who were rebels to their lawful sovereign, was quite willing to use them for her own ends.  Her motives therefore were mixed and purely self-interested; nevertheless it is doubtful if the negotiations would have led to any definite result, had not the news of the fall of Antwerp made both parties feel that this was no time for haggling or procrastination.  Elizabeth therefore promised to send at once 6000 troops under the command of a “gentleman of quality,” who should bear the title of governor-general.  He was to co-operate with the Council of State (on which two Englishmen were to sit) in restoring order and in maintaining and defending the ancient rights and privileges of the provinces.  The governor-general and all other officials were to take an oath of fealty both to the States-General and to the queen.  The towns of Flushing and Brill with the fort of Rammekens were to be handed over in pledge to Elizabeth for the repayment of expenses and received English garrisons.  They were known as “the cautionary towns.”

At the end of October the States were informed that the choice of the queen had fallen upon her favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and that he would shortly set out for the Netherlands.  Holland and Zeeland, ever jealous of foreign interference with their rights and privileges, resolved now to forestall the arrival of the English governor-general by appointing Maurice of Nassau, with the title of “Excellency,” to the offices of Stadholder and Admiral and Captain-General of both provinces; and the Count of Hohenlo was nominated (Maurice being still little more than a boy) to the actual command of the State’s forces.  Leicester set sail from Harwich accompanied by a fleet of fifty vessels and landed at Flushing on December 19.  He met everywhere with an enthusiastic reception.  The States-General were eager to confer large powers upon him.  Practically he was invested with the same authority as the former regent, Mary of Hungary, with the reservation that the States-General and the Provincial Estates should meet at their own instance, that the present stadholders should continue in office,