Title:  History of the United Netherlands, 1585

Author:  John Lothrop Motley

Release Date:  January, 2004 [EBook #4842] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 2, 2002]

Edition:  10

Language:  English

Character set encoding:  ASCII

*** Start of the project gutenberg EBOOK history united Netherlands, 1585 ***

This eBook was produced by David Widger widger@cecomet.net

[Note:  There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author’s ideas before making an entire meal of them.  D.W.]

HISTORY OF THE UNITED NETHERLANDS From the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year’s Truce—­1609

By John Lothrop Motley

MOTLEY’S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg Edition, Volume 42

History United Netherlands, Volume 42, 1585

CHAPTER VI., Part 1.

     Policy of England—­Diplomatic Coquetry—­Dutch Envoys in England—­
     Conference of Ortel and Walsingham—­Interview with Leicester—­
     Private Audience of the Queen—­Letters of the States—­General—­
     Ill Effects of Gilpin’s Despatch—­Close Bargaining of the Queen and
     States—­Guarantees required by England—­England’s comparative
     Weakness—­The English characterised—­Paul Hentzner—­The Envoys in
     London—­Their Characters—­Olden-Barneveldt described—­Reception at
     Greenwich—­Speech of Menin—­Reply of the Queen—­Memorial of the
     Envoys—­Discussions with the Ministers—­Second Speech of the Queen
     —­Third Speech of the Queen

England as we have seen—­had carefully watched the negotiations between France and the Netherlands.  Although she had—­upon the whole, for that intriguing age—­been loyal in her bearing towards both parties, she was perhaps not entirely displeased with the result.  As her cherished triumvirate was out of the question, it was quite obvious that, now or never, she must come forward to prevent the Provinces from falling back into the hands of Spain.  The future was plainly enough foreshadowed, and it was already probable, in case of a prolonged resistance on the part of Holland, that Philip would undertake the reduction of his rebellious subjects by a preliminary conquest of England.  It was therefore quite certain that the expense and danger of assisting the Netherlands must devolve upon herself, but, at the same time it was a consolation that her powerful next-door neighbour was not to be made still more powerful by the annexation to his own dominion of those important territories.