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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, Vol. 49
History of the United Netherlands, 1586
Should Elizabeth accept the Sovereignty?—The Effects of her Anger—
Quarrels between the Earl and the Staten—The Earl's three
Counsellors—Leicester's Finance—Chamber—Discontent of the
Mercantile Classes—Paul Buys and the Opposition—Been Insight of
Paul Buys—Truchsess becomes a Spy upon him—Intrigues of Buys with
Denmark—His Imprisonment—The Earl's Unpopularity—His Quarrels
with the States—And with the Norrises—His Counsellors Wilkes and
Clerke—Letter from the Queen to Leicester—A Supper Party at
Hohenlo's—A drunken Quarrel—Hohenlo's Assault upon Edward Norris—
Ill Effects of the Riot.
The brief period of sunshine had been swiftly followed by storms. TheGovernor Absolute had, from the outset, been placed in a false position.Before he came to the Netherlands the Queen had refused the sovereignty.Perhaps it was wise in her to decline so magnificent an offer; yetcertainly her acceptance would have been perfectly honourable. Theconstituted authorities of the Provinces formally made the proposition.There is no doubt whatever that the whole population ardently desired tobecome her subjects. So far as the Netherlands were concerned, then, shewould have been fully justified in extending her sceptre over a freepeople, who, under no compulsion and without any, diplomatic chicane, hadselected her for their hereditary chief. So far as regarded England, theannexation to that country of a continental cluster of states, inhabitedby a race closely allied to it by blood, religion, and the instinct forpolitical freedom, seemed, on the whole, desirable.
In a financial point of view, England would certainly lose nothing by theunion. The resources of the Provinces were at leant equal to her own.We have seen the astonishment which the wealth and strength of theNetherlands excited in their English visitors. They were amazed by theevidences of commercial and manufacturing prosperity, by the spectacle ofluxury and advanced culture, which met them on every side. Had theQueen—as it had been generally supposed—desired to learn whether theProvinces were able and willing to pay the expenses of their own defencebefore she should definitely decide on, their offer of sovereignty, shewas soon thoroughly enlightened upon the subject. Her confidentialagents all—held one language. If she would only, accept thesovereignty, the amount which the Provinces would pay was in a mannerboundless. She was assured that the revenue of her own hereditary realmwas much inferior to that of the possessions thus offered to her sway.
In regard to constitutional polity, the condition of the Netherlands wasat least, as satisfactory as that of England. The great amount of civilfreedom enjoyed by those countries—although perhaps an objection—in theeyes of Elizabeth Tudor—should certainly have been a recommendationto her liberty-loving subjects. The question of defence had beensatisfactorily answered. The Provinces, if an integral part of theEnglish empire, could protect themselves, and w