70 THE HISTOEY OF THE ROYAL BUCKHOUNDS. 



Exchequer of 5,000/. touching the purchase of the lordship and 

 manor of Denbigh ; for which he obtained a clear grant on 

 January 15, 1584. In political projects he took some active 

 steps, as in the course of the last-mentioned year he prevailed 

 upon the nobility and gentry to subscribe an association 

 to pursue unto death whomsoever should attempt anything 

 against Queen Elizabeth. This association was subsequently 

 approved by Parliament, and a law was passed to carry it into 

 execution. This enactment proved the ruin of Mary Queen of 

 Scots, and the heads of the Roman Catholic party in England. 

 On October 2, 1585, the Earl of Leicester was appointed 

 Captain- General in Holland and Zealand in the English expedi- 

 tion to the Netherlands ; and on the 22nd of the same month 

 he was further nominated Lieutenant and Commander-in-Chief 

 of the forces in Belgium. He embarked on December 8, and 

 on the 10th arrived at Flushing, where he was received with 

 extraordinary and long-continued rejoicings. The Queen, 

 too, herself, absolutely refused the sovereignty of the United 

 Provinces; but Leicester was induced, without consulting her, 

 to accept the office of Governor and Captain -General of the 

 country. On January 25, 1586, he was solemnly installed at 

 the Hague, taking an oath to preserve their religion and main- 

 tain their ancient rights and privileges, whilst the States- 

 General and other persons in authority bound themselves by an 

 oath of fidelity to him. On the same day proclamation was 

 made consummating those proceedings, and declaring that the 

 Earl, over and above the authority given him by the Queen, 

 had the highest and supreme command, and absolute authority'' 

 above and in all matters of warfare, with the administration 

 and use of policy and justice over the United Provinces ; with 

 all such powers as any former governor of the Low Countries 

 had possessed, and with authority to receive and administer 

 all contributions towards the maintenance of the war. This 

 high-handed conduct aroused the Queen's indignation, nor could 

 Burghley, Walsingham, and Hatton mitigate her fury. She 

 despatched Sir Thomas Heneage to the Low Countries with 

 instructions, the subject of which was that Leicester was to 



