CORRESPONDENCE OF ROBERT EARL OF LEYCESTER, A.D. 1585 AND 1586. THE assassination of the prince of Orange on the 10th July, 1584, reduced the defenders of protestantism in the Low Coun- tries almost to despair. Deprived of their only leader, exhausted by a long continued war, opposed to the power of Spain, then the greatest empire in the world, and that power directed by the con- summate military skill of the prince of Parma, the states ge- neral regarded the further prosecution of their unequal contest with despondency, and looked anxiously around for some helper in their distress, some potentate at once powerful enough and zealous enough to come to their aid. Their first application was made to France; but, tempting as the notion of the annexation of the Netherlands has always been to the holders of the crown of that kingdom, and inclined as Henry III. was to adopt any course of policy which had a tendency to reduce the power of Spain, he felt that, in the unsettled state of his own kingdom, he dared not undertake the defence of protestant interests abroad. Upon his refusal, the sovereignty was tendered to queen Elizabeth, who received the offer with complacency, and referred it to the consi- deration of her council. In the mean time, the prince of Parma urged the war with vigour, and, after some considerable successes, advanced to CAMD, SOC. B 2 LEYCESTEB CORRESPONDENCE. the siege of Antwerp, the richest and most populous city in the revolted provinces, and the one which had exercised the greatest influence over their proceedings. The fate of the con- test seemed to hang upon the determination of this memorable siege, and, with the instances of heroic perseverance and long- continued submission to privations exhibited by the citizens of Haerlem and Leyden still fresh in men's minds, it was confi- dently anticipated that, if it were possible, still nobler achieve- ments would crown the defence of this most important city. Whilst this momentous siege was still pending, Elizabeth and her advisers deliberated as to the course which she ought to adopt. Of her willingness to assist the protestants in the Low Countries no one could entertain a doubt; she had already done so when their affairs were in a more promising condition, and now her own safety, and the preservation of her dominions from inva- sion, were in some degree dependent upon the occupation which the continuance of this contest afforded to the forces of Spain. On the other hand, Elizabeth entertained high notions of the indefeasible nature of the royal authority, and was not without fear that the precedent of interference which she was establishing might be urged against herself, on behalf of her own Roman catholic subjects. Her deliberations, and those of her advisers, were long and anxious, and, in the end, she decided upon the adoption of a middle course. The sovereignty was absolutely refused, but military assistance was determined to be given, and, with a view to fill that great void which had been occasioned by the murder of the illustrious prince of Orange, it was resolved that the English auxiliary troops should be placed under the command of " a person of quality and esteem," one well inclined to the protestant faith, and who was not merely to be the lieute- nant-general of the queen's troops, but also a member of the council of state, and, with the council, to have power to redress certain abuses, and to have regard to whatever concerned the pre- servation of the common weal of the United Provinces. LEYCESTER CORRESPONDENCE. 3 The selection of a proper person to fill so important an office, and the completion of the arrangements to which he was a party, occasioned considerable delay, and, in the mean time, the want of military assistance, and the necessities of Antwerp, daily became more urgent. The stipulated auxiliary force of 4000 foot and 400 horse was raised immediately after the con- clusion of the treaty, and was placed under the command of sir John Norris, a soldier of established reputation,3 but before he could pass out of England, the event which this armament was primarily designed to prevent had taken place. After some hard fighting, and many wonderful exhibitions of the science of the military engineers on both sides, St. Aldegonde, the governor of Antwerp, a nobleman long distinguished for his zeal for the pro- testant cause, was compelled by popular clamour to enter into treaty with the besiegers. The prince of Parma offered most favourable terms of accommodation, and ultimately the city was yielded, upon payment, by the citizens, of a fine of 400,000 guilders, the Spaniards releasing all prisoners and granting a general amnesty. The joy of the Spaniards at this result, and the depres- sion of the inhabitants of the United Provinces, were alike unbounded, and, if the prince of Parma had been able to fol- low up his success by an immediate invasion of the northern provinces, the consequences might have been most disastrous. But time was allowed to escape unimproved; the protestant inhabitants of Antwerp removed into Holland, and carried with them the commerce of which i\.ntwerp had been the centre; Elizabeth agreed to increase her auxiliary forces to 5000 in- fantry and 1000 horse,b and, as successive bodies of English troops landed at the ports of Holland, and proceeded to the stations assigned to them, the hopes of the people revived, and * The treaty was concluded on the 10th August, 1585, (Dumont, corps diplomatique, v. 454. General collection of treaties, 8vo. 1732, vol. ii. p. 85,) and sir John Norris was appointed two days afterwards. (Murdin's state papers, 783.) b Galba, C. vni. fo. 134. 4 LEYCESTER CORRESPONDENCE. all eyes were turned with eager anticipation towards the lieu- tenant-general whom the English queen was about to send to their assistance. It soon transpired that Elizabeth designed that high office for the earl of Leycester. The treaty by which she agreed to increase the number of her auxiliaries was dated on the 2nd September, 1585, and before the end of that month it will appear by the fol- lowing letters that she had communicated her pleasure to the earl. It is just after that communication had been made that the follow- ing correspondence opens, and this brief notice of the political position of the Low Countries has been prefixed, in order that the real historical value of the letters to which we now proceed may be more clearly understood. LETTER I. MR. SECRETARY WALSYNGHAM TO THE EARL OF LEYCESTER. 26TH SEPTEMBER, 1585. COTTON. MS. GALBA, C. VIII. FOL. 168. ORIG. The queen desires the earl to forbear his preparations for the Low Countries until he speaks with her. My verry good lord, her majestie sent me woorde by Mr Da*** that I shoold speak unto your lordship that her plesure is you forbeare to proceed in your preparatyons untyll you speake with her. How this commethe abowt I know not. The matter is to Y>e Xept secteat. T\ies caaywges laeie may -wooxke sotnme sooche chaynges in the Lowe Contrye asa may prove irreparable. God give her majestye an othur mynde and resolution then in proceadyng otherwyse yt wyll woorke bothe hers and best » is in MS. LEYCESTER CORRESPONDENCE. 5 affected subiects ruine. And so I most humbly take my leave. At the courte, the 26. September, 1585. Your lordships to command, FRA: WALSYNGHAM. Addressed. To the right honourable my verie good lord the earle of Leycester. LETTER II. THE EARL OF LEYCESTER TO MR. SECRETARY WALSYNGHAM. 27TH SEPTEMBER, 1585. HABI. MS. 285. FOL. 135. OBIG. Answer to the last letter—statement of the earl's preparations —his submission to the queen's will. Sir, I have this night, at j a clok, received your letter, which doth signyfie that her majesties pleasure ys, I shuld stey my prepera- tions untyll I doe speake with her. I wyll lett you knowe how farr I have gonne, and than I shall obey hir majesties comand- ment, being knowen from you, for stey of the rest, and to undoe of that ys donn, as hir wyll shalbe. First; uppon hir first order geven, both from hir self and also confirmyd further by your letters by hir majesties comandment, I dyspached, betwene Thursday night and yesternight iiij a cloke, above ijc lettres to my servaunts, and sondry my frends, to prepare themselves, according to the order I had my self, with all the spede the could possible, to serve hir majestie, under me, in the Low Countreys. I am sure ther be a c of these alredy delyvered, and the rest wylbe before I can revoke them; having apointed the xviij. and xx. of the next month for ther repayr hether with 6 LEYCESTER CORRESPONDENCE. all ther furnyture. I have since, and before I cam my self to the Tower, taken upp both armours and stele saddelles, as many as must cost me a good pece of money. I have sett in hand sondry furnytures also for my self. I have taken upp ij or iij vessells to carry away presently certen provissions, as bear and other neces- saryes, which must be ther before me. And, lastly, that I am most sorry for, the states that were at courta cam hether to me this morning by ix a cloke, and spent ij owres with me, touching my dyspach, in so much as they werr reddy to knele to me for to make what hast for my none aryvall on the other syde that I could possibly, yea by all perswasions pressing me that I wold not stey tyll my full preparations werr made, and my companyes, but to be knowen once to be aryved at Mydelborow, or Flushing, with such as may sonest be reddy, for by that meanes I shuld be the cause of stey of greter matters than wold be wyshed thorow longer delay, for, they sayd, yt was very long alredy.