name to a faction. Such the name Gucur' William," that the Spaniards will use you as now became to the confederates, and it was a bridge to pass over into this country." An soon understood to signify not only those who ominous prediction, but fulfilled to the letter. were opposed to the Government, but to the Egmont now returned to Brussels, and by his dominant religion. All the customary insignia zeal for the catholic religion strove to make of mendicancy now became the fashion; and amends for the past, cherishing the hope that beggars' staves delicately carved, wooden "it would be completely effaced from the bowls inlaid with silver, and gold and silver memory of his master- a master who might medals, with the emblem of two hands forget a favor but who was never known to grasping a wallet, were in universal request, forget an injury." The revolt now, to all while the inscription on the last, Faithful appearance, seemed entirely subdued: the to the king, even to carrying the wallet,' defection and the death of some of the nobles; proved that the confederates, as yet, had no the vigorous, indeed cruel, measures of Marthought of casting off their allegiance." The garet, when her first alarm had subsided, and confederates proceeded to Antwerp, and there the rumor that an army, under the command the new name was received with a mighty of Alva, was coming, were sufficient to insure shout, that was re-echoed to the farthest a tranquillity, which the regent mistook for corners of the city. And now began the peace. And crowds, mourning the failure public preachings, when armed men stood of hopes that once seemed so well founded, round to protect alike the preacher and the and unable to endure the excesses of the remore helpless part of the congregation, and gent's troops, who rode over the country when the psalm, sung by myriad voices, plundering and shooting down whoever opswelled like trumpet notes of defiance on the posed them, fled to more friendly lands. ears of their haughty enemies. It was a Chief among these asylums of banished freenoble rising, that revolt of the Netherlands; dom was our own country; and warm and and if during that deadly strife some deeds heartfelt was the welcome our forefathers gave of needless destruction were committed by a to the banished Flemings. It is pleasant to rude populace who had long felt their wrongs, read in the correspondence of that day the but now for the first time felt their strength, interest these poor exiles for conscience sake who shall sternly denounce them? Was it awakened in every heart; how the preacher so great a crime that men who had been at Paul's Cross, denouncing the pope and the crushed beneath the power of a ruthless King of Spain with even more than wonted priesthood-who had seen friends and rela- energy, urged on his willing hearers the text tives led to prison and to the stake-should" I was a stranger and ye took me in ;" how have wreaked a figurative vengeance, not on the worshipful marchaunts,' with Sir living men, but upon marble saints and silver Thomas Gresham at their head, made liberal Madonnas? gatherings; and how Elizabeth and her ministers so far braved the anger of Philip as to give them a peaceful home beneath the broad shadow of English law. And richly was

66

that unselfish kindness requited. That England stands first among the nations in manufactures, as in commerce, she in great measure owes to this immigration of the industrious Flemings.

The news of the tumults in the Netherlands excited the greatest horror in the breasts of the orthodox Spaniards. All his council strongly urged Philip to proceed at once to Flanders and crush so fearful a rebellion. But Philip, however high might be his notions of kingly power, had certainly little enough faith in "the divinity which doth hedge a king; " so, writing to his sister with his characteristic The march of Alva to Brussels in the duplicity that he was speedily coming, he spring of 1567, his ominous entry, and the meanwhile kept safely at home, and arranged black deeds of the "Council of Blood," are with Alva for his sanguinary expedition. well known; but most important light is Happily for William of Orange, and the cause thrown by Mr. Prescott on this period, from of freedom, news of this plan reached him, the valuable correspondence of Philip II. and he escaped, after vainly urging the chival-published by M. Gachard, from the Spanish rous Egmont likewise to seek safety in flight. archives, and the voluminous collection of "I trust in the clemency of my sovereign," original documents relating to the House of said the count. "Much, I fear," replied Orange published by M. Groen. Margaret,

him at the same time he was his prisoner. The count, astounded by the proceeding, and seeing himself surrounded by soldiers, made no attempt at resistance, but calmly, and with much dignity of manner, gave up his sword, saying at the same time, It has done the king service more than once.' And well might he say so: for with that sword he had won the fields of Gravelines and St. Quentin.

"Hoorne fell into a similar ambuscade in anwhile conversing with the duke's son, Ferdinand other part of the palace, whither he was drawn de Toledo, who, according to his father's account, had the whole merit of arranging this little drama. Neither did he make any resistance; but, on learning Egmont's fate, yielded to fare better than his friend.'” 'he had no right to expect himself up, saying,

who had always deprecated the arrival of | Davila, the captain of the duke's guard, went Alva, and who had written while he was yet up to Egmont, and demanded his sword, telling on his march, that his name was so odious that it would suffice to make the whole Spanish nation detested, received him with undisguised disgust; and the curious spectators amused themselves with contrasting the courteous and even deferential manners of the haughty Spaniard with the chilling reserve the regent. Alva was prepared for the hatred of the Flemish lords, but Margaret he desired to conciliate. He offered to pay her another visit, in great state, as suited her rank, but she declined it, and received him to a private audience in her own apartment. Among other subjects, Alva proposed to introduce a Spanish garrison into Brussels. To this Margaret vehemently objected. "If the These unfortunate nobles were conducted people murmur, you can tell them I am a through the province," which," as Alva's headstrong man and bent on having my own secretary remarks, "Egmont had lately ruled way," was the stern reply; and Margaret with an authority greater even than that of felt from that moment that she was ruler but the king," to Ghent, where the populace in name. The reason of Alva's determina-gazed in stupefied silence as they passed along tion to introduce Spanish troops into Brussels to their prison. This arrest produced genwas soon made evident; although, for the eral rejoicings at Madrid; the Court of Rome présent, he gave brilliant entertainments, and also exulted; all, save that wary old statesstrove, though in vain, to dissipate the man Granvelle, who asked, “Has the duke ominous gloom that hung over that fair city. drawn into his net the silent one?"—as the Soon after, Alva and his son wrote in most Prince of Orange was popularly called. On friendly terms to Count Hoorne, inviting him being answered in the negative, "Then," to Brussels, and when, in distrust, he still was the reply, "if he has not caught him, he kept aloof, Alva with warmest protestations has caught nothing." of kindness told the count's secretary that, "Thank God, all is tranquil in the Low "if he could but see him, he had that to say Countries," wrote Alva, just after, to the which would content him. He would find king. "They say many are leaving the he was not forgotten by his friends! country; it is hardly worth while to arrest Hoorne yielded, and came; the less suspi- them." Little did the hardened ruffian cious Egmont had already become reconciled think how with each exile the tale of violence to Alva; and at Culemberg House, the scene and bloodshed was carried farther still; how of the "Gueux" confederation, but now the the French Huguenots were arousing themresidence of the duke, on the 9th of Septem-selves for their aid; and how England slowly ber these unfortunate nobles met the Council and sternly was girding herself for that fierce of State to discuss some plans of fortifica- contest, which, ere its close, cost Philip his tion : boasted Armada. At the close of 1567,

"In the meantime strong guards had been Alva received his commission of Captainposted at all the avenues of the house, and cav- general of the Netherlands, the only step alry, drawn from the country, established in the needed to place him utterly beyond the consuburbs. The duke prolonged the meeting trol of law; and he inaugurated the new until information was privately communicated to him of the arrest of Backerzele, Egmont's year by condemning eighty-four persons to secretary, and Van Strelen, the burgomaster of death, to which thirty-seven were added Antwerp. As soon as these tidings were con- during the following month, and thirty-five veyed to Alva, he broke up the meeting of the in March, besides such "small deer" as the council. Then entering into conversation with keen hunter would not consider worthy of a Egmont, he strolled with him through the ad

joining rooms, in one of which was a small body specific enumeration among the nobler game. of soldiers. As the two nobles entered, Sancho His letters to Philip on these occasions throw LIVING AGE. VOL. XII. 30

DCXIII.

a strong light on his brutal character. "The was a most gratuitous falsification of history, pleasant manner,' ," Mr. Prescott remarks, as Mr. Prescott remarks, for Goëthe, in his "in which the duke talks over the fate of fine drama, to substitute a mistress for that his victims with his master may remind one noble and true-hearted wife. On the 2nd of of the similar dialogues between Petit André June they were found guilty, and the next day, and Louis XI., in Quentin Durward." escorted by a body of three thousand men, Rather later he writes, "Five hundred citi- were brought back to Brussels," a sight so zens received sentence of death. They piteous," said. one who was an eye-witness, wearied me out of my life with their impor-" that no one who beheld it could refrain from tunities; " but still he reckons three hundred weeping." They were lodged at the Maison more heads must fall ere pardon is talked du Roi, the whole force that had escorted about! What kind of students of history can those writers be who discourse so dolefully about the insubordination of subjects to their rulers? To us, one of the most melancholy reflections has ever been, the fearful amount of misrule and injustice that men will endure, before they band together to claim their birthright.

them still remaining in the great square. On the 4th, the Duke of Alva sent for the Bishop of Ypres, and bade him visit the prisoners and prepare them for their fate. The worthy man, shocked at the tidings, threw himself at Alva's feet to implore mercy, or at least to grant them more time for preparation. But Alva sternly rebuked him, and dismissed him to his mournful task. It was near midnight when he entered Egmont's apartment, and he found the poor nobleman, weak and wearied, buried in slumber. Egmont was awakened to receive sentence of death! No wonder he turned deadly pale, and exclaimed, "It is a terrible sentence." He remarked that his crime scarcely could deserve such a punishment, but he trusted his innocent family would not be involved in his ruin. The kind bishop comforted him, received his confession, and administered the sacrament. But recollections of his wife and family crowded on his mind, and he could scarcely fix his thoughts on his own death. That death has often been told, but Mr. Prescott gives so full and admirable an account, that we shall continue the narrative in his own words:

"The wretched people in the Netherlands now looked to the Prince of Orange as the only refuge left them under providence ;" and he now felt that the time was come. He made vigorous exertions; and the French ambassador, we recollect, writing from London in the spring of this year, reports with what joy the inhabitants received the news, and how they actually clamored for a war with Spain, and sent over money, and watched with heartiest prayers the progress of the conflict. The two earlier and less important expeditions were failures. The third, commanded by Louis of Nassau, was a gallant victory. This was the battle of Heyligerlee -the story of which is most spiritedly told by Mr. Prescott where nine pieces of artillery, with money and stores, were taken, and sixteen hundred Spaniards left dead on the field, with their gallant commander Arem"At 10 in the morning, the soldiers appeared berg. The rage of Alva, when the news arwho were to conduct him to the scaffold. They brought cords, as usual, to bind the prisoner's rived, knew no bounds, and he determined at hands, but Egmont remonstrated, and showed once to place himself at the head of his troops. he had cut off the collar of his doublet and shirt But even rage with him was postponed for to facilitate the stroke of the executioner, and vengeance, and he determined to bring Hoorne on his promising to attempt no resistance, they and Egmont to execution before he quitted bound. Egmont was dressed in a crimson damconsented to his remaining with his hands unBrussels. The details of this trial fill a whole ask robe and black mantle fringed with gold: chapter, and show what a mere mockery a in his hand he held a white handkerchief. trial was in Brussels. It was in vain that As the procession moved slowly along, he repeated neighboring princes interfered on their behalf, some portion of the 51st Psalm, Have mercy that their relations were indefatigable, while joined. In the centre of the square, on the spot upon me, O God,' in which the good prelate Egmont's wife, the Countess Sabina, sur-where so much of the best blood of the Netherrounded by eleven children, all of tenderest lands has been shed, stood the scaffold, covered age, was ceaselessly imploring the judges, even ions with a small table shrouded in black, supIwith black cloth. On it were two velvet cushAlva himself, and as a last resource, the king, porting a silver crucifix. At the corner of the to take pity on her unhappy husband. It platform were two poles pointed at the end with

steel, intimating the purpose for which they These were, at least, public murders; but, were intended. The troops, who had been under in the subsequent chapter, which relates the arms all night, were now drawn up around in order of battle. The space left open by the solfate of Montigny, Hoorne's younger brother, diery was speedily occupied by a crowd of eager we find that Philip could secretly murder, spectators. Others thronged the roofs and win- and cloak that murder from the eyes of men, dows of the buildings that surrounded the mar- even until now, with the wary secrecy of the ket-place, some of which, still standing at the present day, show, by their quaint and venerable Holy Inquisition. The cause of historical architecture, that they must have looked down truth owes much to students who, like Mr. on the tragic scene we are now depicting. Prescott, consider the most toilsome research well bestowed if light can be thrown on these obscure but important facts of history.

"It was indeed a gloomy day for Brussels. All business was suspended. The shops were closed; the bells tolled in all the churches. An air of gloom, as of some impending calamity, With the sad execution of Egmont and settled on the city. It seemed,' said one resid- Hoorne, Mr. Prescott's narrative of the war ing there at the time, as though the day of in Flanders ends; and he devotes the first judgment were at hand.' As the procession five chapters of his fourth book to the slowly passed through the ranks of the soldiers, Ottoman empire, during the sixteenth cenEgmont saluted the officers- some of them his

ancient companions with such a sweet and tury, and the gallant deeds of the Knights of dignified composure as was long remembered by St. John at the obstinate siege of Malta. those who saw it; and few, even of the Spaniards, It is a stirring tale of those valiant knights, could refrain from tears as they took their last look at the gallant noble who was to perish by so

miserable an end.

and their illustrious grand master, la Valette, and graphically and powerfully is it told by "With a steady step he mounted the scaffold, Mr. Prescott. Still, we cannot but regret and, as he crossed it, gave utterance to the vain that so large a space of his valuable work is wish that, instead of meeting such a fate, he had been allowed to die in the service of his king and occupied with the relation of exploits, neithe country. He quickly, however, turned to other performed by Spaniards, nor having any inthoughts, and, kneeling on one of the cushions fluence on the destinies of Spain. The closwith the bishop beside him, he was soon engaged ing chapters are devoted to that most earnestly in prayer. With his eyes raised mysterious incident of Spanish history, the towards heaven, with a look of unutterable sadness, he prayed so fervently and loud as to be imprisonment and death of Don Carlos; a heard distinctly by the spectators. The prelate, subject which, we need scarcely say, has much affected, put into his hand the silver cru- occupied the attention of the dramatist, cifix, which Egmont repeatedly kissed. He then almost as much as the historian. By aid of stripped off his mantle and robe, and again kneel- the valuable documents with which a most ing, drew a silk cap over his eyes, and repeating the words, Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend extensive search has supplied him, Mr. Pres my spirit,' he calmly awaited the stroke of the cott, while he utterly disproves the commonly executioner. The low sounds of lamentation which from time to time had been heard were now hushed into silence, as the minister of justice (?) approached, and with a single blow of the sword severed the head from the body. A From various testimonies, he proves cry of horror rose from the multitude, and some that Don Carlos, sickly and wayward from frantic with grief broke through the ranks of the his birth, was of a fierce and haughty temper; soldiers, and wildly dipped their handkerchiefs

in the blood that streamed from the scaffold."

Thus perished the chivalrous and generous Egmont, another illustration of the truth of that solemn warning, "Put not your trust in princes." It was almost noon when Count Hoorne was brought forth to meet the same fate; "but his look had less of sorrow than of indignation, like that of one conscious of enduring wrong. As he trod the scaffold, the apparatus of death seemed to have no power to move him," and, asking the spectators' prayers, he calmly laid his head on the block.

received tale of the mutual attachment of Isabella and her son-in-law, shows the deep hatred that Philip unquestionably bore to his son.

that when seventeen years old, he fractured his skull by a severe fall; that he was trepanned, as the only means of saving his life, and "there is good reason to believe that the blow did some permanent injury to the brain;" for many instances of his strange conduct are given. But then mere insanity would excite, even in Philip, pity rather than hatred. With great care and skill Mr. Prescott next collects all the evidence (much of it most contradictory) which he can obtain upon this still mysterious subject; and although he leaves undetermined the question whether Carlos was murdered, or died a