CHAPTER XVII. Secret Treaty between Queen and Parma--Excitement and Alarm in the States--Religious Persecution in England--Queen's Sincerity toward Spain--Language and Letters of Parma--Negotiations of De Loo-- English Commissioners appointed--Parma's affectionate Letter to the Queen--Philip at his Writing-Table--His Plots with Parma against England--Parma's secret Letters to the King--Philip's Letters to Parma Wonderful Duplicity of Philip--His sanguine Views as to England--He is reluctant to hear of the Obstacles--and imagines Parma in England--But Alexander's Difficulties are great--He denounces Philip's wild Schemes--Walsingham aware of the Spanish Plot--which the States well understand--Leicester's great Unpopularity--The Queen warned against Treating--Leicester's Schemes against Barneveld--Leicestrian Conspiracy at Leyden--The Plot to seize the City discovered--Three Ringleaders sentenced to Death-- Civil War in France--Victory gained by Navarre, and one by Guise-- Queen recalls Leicester--Who retires on ill Terms with the States-- Queen warned as to Spanish Designs--Result's of Leicester's Administration.The course of Elizabeth towards the Provinces, in the matter of thepeace, was certainly not ingenuous, but it was not absolutely deceitful.She concealed and denied the negotiations, when the Netherland statesmenwere perfectly aware of their existence, if not of their tenour; but shewas not prepared, as they suspected, to sacrifice their liberties andtheir religion, as the price of her own reconciliation with Spain.Her attitude towards the States was imperious, over-bearing, and abusive.She had allowed the Earl of Leicester to return, she said, because of her