130 THE END OF THE STRUGGLE Madrid for a Spanish wife in 1623. War with Spain meant an alliance with Holland, whose twelve years' truce with Spain had also expired. Dutch envoys were, indeed, at that moment in London, negotiating a treaty of offence and defence. So the king and his Council dried their eyes, and the Dutch diplomats joyfully re- turned home, praising the good-will of a monarch who had said not a word about " the late accident at Am- boyna. ,, Nor were courtiers wanting who blamed the Company for raising a difficulty " when his Majesty had resolved to aid the Dutch. " Very different was the temper of the nation. On July 2, 1624, the governor of the Company declared that assuredly " God the Avenger of all such bloody acts will in His due time bring the truth to light "— " the unspeakable tyrannies done upon those unfortu- nate men, which is able to amaze the Christian world.' ' They still hoped that the king would help them; but their best comfort was that when man is at the weak- est then God is strongest. On July 9th a general court of the Company decided that unless justice were " done on those Dutch that have in so great fury and tyranny tortured and slain the English," the Company must wind up and " fetch home what they have in the In- dies." A petition in this sense was voted to the king — " and according to his answer and proceeding the trade to stop or proceed." On July 11th they waited on the king in his bedchamber with the memorial, together with " A True Relation," and received his promise of " a speedy reparation from the Dutch by
