History of the United Netherlands from the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce, 1585fMotley, John Lothrop
History
History of the United Netherlands from the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce, 1585f
Motley, John Lothrop
Netherlands -- History -- Eighty Years' War, 1568-1648
And, in conclusion, in case the Queen should please--as both Count
Maurice and the Princess of Orange desired with all their hearts--to
assume the sovereignty of these Provinces, she was especially entreated
graciously to observe those suggestions regarding the interests of the
House of Nassau, which had been made in the articles of the treaty.
Thus the path had been smoothed, mainly through the indefatigable energy
of Davison. Yet that envoy was not able to give satisfaction to his
imperious and somewhat whimsical mistress, whose zeal seemed to cool in
proportion to the readiness with which the obstacles to her wishes were
removed. Davison was, with reason, discontented. He had done more than
any other man either in England or the Provinces, to bring about a hearty
cooperation in the common cause, and to allay mutual heart-burnings and
suspicions. He had also, owing to the negligence of the English
treasurer for the Netherlands, and the niggardliness of Elizabeth, been
placed in a position, of great financial embarrassment. His situation
was very irksome.
"I mused at the sentence you sent me," he wrote, "for I know no cause her
Majesty hath to shrink at her charges hitherto. The treasure she hath
yet disbursed here is not above five or six thousand pounds, besides that
which I have been obliged to take up for the saving of her honour, and
necessity of her service, in danger otherwise of some notable disgrace.
I will not, for shame, say how I have been left here to myself."
The delay in the formal appointment of Leicester, and, more particularly,
of the governors for the cautionary towns, was the cause of great
confusion and anarchy in the transitional condition of the country.
"The burden I am driven to sustain," said Davison, "doth utterly weary
me. If Sir Philip Sidney were here, and if my Lord of Leicester follow
not all the sooner, I would use her Majesty's liberty to return home.
If her Majesty think me worthy the reputation of a poor, honest, and
loyal servant, I have that contents me. For the rest, I wish
'Vivere sine invidia, mollesque inglorius annos
Egigere, amicitias et mihi jungere pares.'"
There was something almost prophetic in the tone which this faithful
public servant--to whom, on more than one occasion, such hard measure was
to be dealt--habitually adopted in his private letters and conversation.
He did his work, but he had not his reward; and he was already weary of
place without power, and industry without recognition.
"For mine own particular," he said, "I will say with the poet,
'Crede mihi, bene qui latuit bene vixit,
Et intra fortunam debet quisque manere suam.'"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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