Thirty thousand pounds sterling--according to his own statement--he was already out of pocket, and, unless the Queen would advance him the means to redeem his property; his broad lands were to be brought to the hammer.

But it was the Queen, not the States-General, who owed the money; for the Earl had advanced these sums as a portion of the royal contingent.

Five hundred and sixty thousand pounds sterling had been the cost of one year's war during the English governor's administration; and of this sum one hundred and forty thousand had been paid by England.

There was a portion of the sum, over and above their monthly levies; for which the States had contracted a debt, and they were extremely desirous to obtain, at that moment, an additional loan of fifty thousand pounds from Elizabeth; a favour which--Elizabeth was very firmly determined not to grant.

It was this terror at the expense into which the Netherland war was plunging her, which made the English sovereign so desirous for peace, and filled the anxious mind of Walsingham with the most painful forebodings.
Leicester, in spite of his good qualities--such as they were--had not that most necessary gift for a man in his position, the art of making friends.