England to accept the sovereignty over his ancient subjects. The cause
of human, freedom seemed likely to gain by the step, for the States did
not consider themselves strong enough to maintain the independent
republic which had already risen.

It might be a question whether, on the whole, Elizabeth made a mistake in
declining the sovereignty. She was certainly wrong, however, in wishing
the lieutenant-general of her six thousand auxiliary troops to be
clothed, as such, with vice-regal powers. The States-General, in a
moment of enthusiasm, appointed him governor absolute, and placed in his
hands, not only the command of the forces, but the entire control of
their revenues, imposts, and customs, together with the appointment of
civil and military officers. Such an amount of power could only be
delegated by the sovereign. Elizabeth had refused the sovereignty: it
then rested with the States. They only, therefore, were competent to
confer the power which Elizabeth wished her favourite to exercise simply
as her lieutenant-general.

Her wrathful and vituperative language damaged her cause and that of the
Netherlands more severely than can now be accurately estimated. The Earl
was placed at once in a false, a humiliating, almost a ridiculous
position. The authority which the States had thus a second time offered
to England was a second time and most scornfully thrust back upon them.
Elizabeth was indignant that "her own man" should clothe himself in the
supreme attributes which she had refused. The States were forced by the
violence of the Queen to take the authority into their own hands again,
and Leicester was looked upon as a disgraced man.

Then came the neglect with which the Earl was treated by her Majesty and
her ill-timed parsimony towards the cause. No letters to him in four