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 On the death of Edward, Earl of Lincoln, in 1585, the office of Lord High Admiral was conferred, on July 8th, upon Charles, Lord Howard of Effingham, K.G.

After Elizabeth's refusal to become either sovereign or protector of Holland and Zeeland, the United Provinces had made a similar offer to, and had received a similar refusal from, Henry III. of France. In 1585, being hard pressed by Spain, they renewed the offer of the sovereignty to Elizabeth. The queen declined once more; but this time she agreed to furnish them with five thousand infantry and a thousand cavalry, upon condition that after the conclusion of an advantageous peace, the States should pay the cost, and that, in the meantime, as security for the payment, Flushing and Rammekins in Zeeland, and Brielle in Holland should be delivered to her. She also agreed to take the United Provinces under her protection, and she stipulated that if she should see fit to send a fleet to sea, the States should contribute an equal number of ships, to be placed under the command of an English admiral.

These measures and the increasing boldness of the English in the West Indies might well have provoked Spain to an immediate plunge into active war, but that slow-moving power was not yet ready to deal the great blow which she had in contemplation. She only redoubled her enormous preparations and the strength of her determination. Indeed, England risked much by the Netherlands alliance. And she risked scarcely less by the attitude which she adopted in the same year towards the Huguenots of France. Henri de Condé came as a suppliant to Elizabeth's court. She received him well, gave him 50,000 crowns in money, and lent him ten ships, with which he was able to contribute to the relief of La Rochelle, where Henry of Navarre was besieged. Happily for England, the Spanish cause in the Netherlands was already a lost one, and the star of Henry of Navarre in France was in the ascendant; so that Elizabeth, in both instances, ranged herself with the winning side. But Spain was still strong at sea — the strongest Power in the world. It had already been determined to launch the whole sea power of Spain, of Spain's Italian dependencies, and of Portugal, all under Philip's direction, against the island kingdom. It was now determined to launch it with as little delay as possible.