"You conceived, it seemeth," said her Majesty, "that a more sharper manner of proceeding would have exasperated matters to the prejudice of the service, and therefore you did think it more fit to wash the wounds rather with water than vinegar, wherein we would rather have wished, on the other side, that you had better considered that festering wounds had more need of Corrosives than lenitives.
"History of the United Netherlands, 1586-89, Vol. II. Complete"
John Lothrop Motley Last Updated: February 7, 2009
To make war without an army, to support an army without pay, to frame the hearts of a whole people to peace who were unanimous for war, and this without saying a word either in private or public; to dispose the Netherlanders favourably to herself and to Leicester, by refusing them men and money, brow-beating them for asking for it, and subjecting them to a course of perpetual insults, which she called "Corrosives," to do all this and more seemed difficult.
"History of the United Netherlands, 1586-89, Vol. II. Complete"
John Lothrop Motley Last Updated: February 7, 2009
These were the Corrosives and vinegar which she thought suitable for the case; and the Earl was never weary in depicting the same statesmen as seditious, pestilent, self-seeking, mischief-making traitors.
"History of the United Netherlands, 1586-89, Vol. II. Complete"
John Lothrop Motley Last Updated: February 7, 2009