mmission.

"Oatlands, August 9th 1580[96]."

[Note 96: "Sidney Papers," vol. i. p. 276.]

* * * * *

Leicester, soon after the death of his nephew, placed his army in
winter-quarters, having effected no one object of importance. The States
remonstrated with him in strong terms on the various and grievous abuses
of his administration; he answered them in the tone of graciousness and
conciliation which it suited his purpose to assume; and publicly
surrendering up to them the whole apparent authority of the provinces,
whilst by a secret act of restriction he in fact retained for himself
full command over all the governors of towns and provinces, he set sail
for England.

Elizabeth received her favorite with her usual complacency, either
because his abject submissions had in reality succeeded in banishing
from her mind all resentment of his conduct in Holland, or because she
required the support of his long-tried counsels under the awful
responsibilities of that impending conflict with the whole collected
force of the Spanish monarchy for which she felt herself summoned to
prepare. The king of Denmark, astonished to behold a princess of
Elizabeth's experienced caution involving herself with seeming
indifference in peril so great and so apparent, exclaimed, that she had
now taken the diadem from her brow to place it on the doubtful cast of
war; and trembling for the fate of his friend and ally, he dispatched an
ambassador in haste to offer her his mediation for the adjustment of all
differences arising out of the revolt of the Netherlands. But Elizabeth
firmly, though with thanks, declined all overtures towards a
reconciliation with a sovereign whom she now recognised as her
implacable and determined foe.

She was far, however, from despising the danger which she braved; and
with a prudence and diligence equal to her fortitude, she had begun to
assemble and put in action all her means, internal and external, of
defence and annoyance. She linked herself still more closely, by
benefits and promises, with the prince of Conde, chief of the Hugonots
now in arms against the League, or Catholic association, formed in
France under the auspices of the king of Spain. With the king of Scots
also she entered into an intimate alliance; and she had previously
secured the friendship of all the protestant princes of Germany and the
northern powers of Europe. She now openly avowed the enterprises of
Dra