All England, however, had been but feebly represented by three thousand raw recruits with a paltry sum of L15,000 to help pay a long bill of arrears.
Wilkes and Norris had taken their departure from the Netherlands before the termination of the siege, and immediately after the return of Leicester.

They did not think it expedient to wait upon the governor before leaving the country, for they had very good reason to believe that such an opportunity of personal vengeance would be turned to account by the Earl.

Wilkes had already avowed his intention of making his escape without being dandled with leave-takings, and no doubt he was right.

The Earl was indignant when he found that they had given him the slip, and denounced them with fresh acrimony to the Queen, imploring her to wreak full measure of wrath upon their heads; and he well knew that his entreaties would meet with the royal attention.
Buckhurst had a parting interview with the governor-general, at which Killigrew and Beale, the new English counsellors who had replaced Wilkes and Clerk, were present.

The conversation was marked by insolence on the part of Leicester, and by much bitterness on that of Buckhurst.