448 OBSERVATIONS ON A LIBEL. 



would her majesty yield them some relief of money, 

 or permit some supply of forces to go over unto 

 them ; to the end, to interrupt such violent resolu 

 tion : and still continued to mediate unto the king 

 some just and honourable capitulations of grace and 

 accord, such as whereby always should have been 

 preserved unto him such interest and authority as he 

 in justice could claim, or a prince moderately minded 

 would seek to have. And this course she held in 

 terchangeably, seeking to mitigate the wrath of the 

 king, and the despair of the countries, till such time 

 as after the death of the duke of Anjou, into whose 

 hands, according to her majesty s prediction, but 

 against her good liking, they had put themselves, 

 the enemy pressing them, the United Provinces were 

 received into her majesty s protection : which was 

 after such time, as the king of Spain had discovered 

 himself, not only an implacable lord to them, but 

 also a professed enemy unto her majesty ; having 

 actually invaded Ireland, and designed the invasion 

 of England. For it is to be noted, that the like 

 offers which were then made unto her majesty, had 

 been made to her long before : but as long as her 

 majesty conceived any hope, either of making their 

 peace, or entertaining her own with Spain, she 

 would never hearken thereunto. And yet now, even 

 at last, her majesty retained a singular and evident 

 proof to the world of her justice and moderation, 

 in that she refused the inheritance and sovereignty 

 of those goodly provinces ; which by the states, 

 with much instance, was pressed upon her ; and 



