and despot

ism.

CH. XIII. distinguished the people of the Netherlands. No native sympathies attached him to the Dutch. He came to the 1.555. throne with all the strong prejudices of a Spanish king; His bigotry and commenced his reign over the Low Countries without the kindly feeling of a compatriot sovereign. Thinking that he could govern his Dutch subjects as a despot, and disregard their established laws, which the house of Burgundy had acknowledged and generally respected, he drove them into a Revolution, which resulted in the declaration of their national independence.

Free spirit of the Batavians.

The Ref

ormation in

Holland

land.

An indomitable spirit of civil liberty ever animated the Batavians. Of all the subjects of imperial Rome, they were the bravest. Dwelling in the isles rather than on the banks of the Rhine, they desired to avoid incorporation with the empire. Rome asked them not for contributions; but in the hour of danger looked for their aid, as the javelin is sought for on the eve of battle.*

Fourteen centuries after Tacitus thus vividly delineated the character of the early dwellers at the mouths of the Rhine, the writings of Luther were printed and publicly 1518. sold in the provinces of Friesland and Holland. Thenceforward the Netherlanders resolved to shake off all shackles and Fries upon the freedom of conscience. To their indomitable spirit of civil liberty was now added a determined purpose of resistance to ecclesiastical intolerance. Friesland openly adopted the principles of the Reformation; while Erasmus, of Rotterdam, without actually declaring himself a disciple of Luther, did perhaps as much as any of the other advocates of religious reform to correct the abuses of the Church.t

1540.

The Spanish government presently attempted to impose restraints upon freedom of religion in the northern provinces of the Netherlands. Protestants were severely per

* "Omnium harum gentium virtute præcipui Batavi, non multum ex ripa, sed insulam Rheni amnis colunt, Cattorum quondam populus, et seditione domestica in eas sedes transgressus, in quibus pars Romani imperii fierent. Manet honos et antiquæ societatis insigne; nam nec tributis contemnuntur, nec publicanus adterit; exempti operibus et collationibus, et tantum in usum præliorum sepositi, velut tela atque arma bellis reservantur."-Tacitus, De Mor. Ger., 29.

† Brandt, ii., 62, 63; Grattan, 67; Davies, i., 355; McCullagh, ii., 1. See also chapter iv., ante, p. 100, et seq.

1549.

secuted. A modified species of Inquisition was introduced c. XIII. into Holland. The writings of the Reformers were prohibited. A succession of edicts against heretics, each more Action of rigorous than the last, marked the growing intolerance the Spanish which distinguished the decade preceding the pompous abdication of Charles V.

govern

ment.

Philip

tions.

The bigotry of Philip, so strongly in contrast to the mild spirit of Christianity, soon completed what Charles had begun. New bishoprics were erected, to provide, as the 1559. king alleged, for the spiritual wants of an increasing pop- erects new ulation, but more particularly for the extirpation of her- bishoprica. esy. The measure was odious, not only to the clergy and the nobles, but more especially to the people, who had a firm conviction that its purpose was to support and increase the power of the Inquisition. Persecution was now Persecu carried on with increased vigor in most of the provinces, excepting those of Holland, Zealand, and Utrecht, of which William, prince of Orange, was stadtholder. The new decrees of the Council of Trent were published, and their 1565. enforcement proclaimed. Fresh edicts against heretics invested the clergy with almost unlimited power over the lives and property of the people. These edicts were no The popesooner published, than the popular mind became violently inflamed. inflamed. Pamphlets and placards were distributed and posted on the walls of the towns. The people were eloquently exhorted to defend themselves against the Inquisition, and against the tyranny of the Spaniards. All efforts to discover the authors or printers of these unlicensed publications were unavailing. The spirit of liberty was aroused and at work.*

lar mind

It was quickly perceived that the people were on the eve of a revolt; and the nobles, wishing to provide for their own security by leading public opinion, framed the famous 1566. bond of alliance known as the "Compromise." By this

Meteren, ii., 39; Davies, i., 520. It was on this occasion that a coin was issued from the Zealand Mint, stamped on the one side with the device of a dismasted ship, without a rudder, drifting on the waves, surrounded by the legend "INCERTUM QUO FATA FERENT;" and on the other with the effigy of Hope holding her anchor, and pointing to heaven, with the motto "SPES ALMA SUPERSIT."-Bizot, Med. Hist., 13; Van Loon, i., 72.

March.

1566.

Alliance of

the nobles.

c. XIII. instrument, they bound themselves on oath to resist, "to the utmost of their power, the establishment of the Inquisition, under what name or pretext soever; to support and assist each other as faithful friends and brothers; and if any one of them were disquieted or molested on account of this alliance, to devote their lives and properties to his protection."

5 April.

the

The confederated nobles soon took occasion to present a remonstrance on the state of public affairs to the Duchess of Parma, as governess of the Netherlands. As they approached the court at Brussels, on foot, plainly dressed, and unarmed, the Count of Barlaimont remarked to the governess that she had no cause of fear, since "they were Origin of only a troop of beggars (gueux)." The taunting expres"Gueux." sion was eagerly caught up, and went from mouth to mouth. "It is no shame," said the patriotic noblemen, "to be beggars for our country's good." A feast was given the same evening by the Lord of Brederode, at which nearly three hundred guests were present. "Vivent les gueux," resounded through the apartment. Brederode, bringing in a wooden vessel, such as the pilgrims used, pledged the company to the health of the "gueux;" the cup went round; the Prince of Orange, and the Counts of Egmont and Hoorn, joined in the pledge; and the epithet that levity suggested was soon seriously adopted as a party appellation and watch-word by all who were hostile to the measures of Philip's government. The gray garb of beggars became a political uniform. The taxes were no longer paid. A great Revolution was at hand.*

The Duke of Alva sent

erlands.

Philip immediately prepared to send the Duke of Alva to the Neth- with a vast army into the Netherlands, to chastise his rebellious subjects. The "beggars" began to lay in stores of arms; and as the news of Alva's coming reached Brussels, the "Iconoclasts" began to destroy the images of the saints. With electric rapidity the impulse spread through all the provinces. Religious enthusiasm soon ran into riotous excess. In nearly every town and village the

August.

The Iconoclasts.

* Meteren, ii., 40, 41; Brandt, vi., 294; Davies, i., 520–523.

1566.

churches were attacked; images were thrown down; cн. xi. monuments were defaced; windows of painted glass, the unrivaled magnificence of which challenged the admiration of Europe, were destroyed. Within three days, more than four hundred churches, including those at the Hague, Leyden, and Amsterdam, were despoiled.*

The Duke of Alva presently began his bloody work. 1567. The patriot Counts of Egmont and Hoorn were arrested. The Inquisition was established, and the penal edicts enforced with the utmost rigor. Aspirations after civil and religious freedom were punished as treason against the king. The privileges and liberties which the Dutch had so long and so devotedly cherished were annihilated by the erection of a "Council of Troubles," which soon received the name it well merited, "The Council of Blood." The CounFrom the irresponsible decrees of this terrible tribunal there was no appeal. In the execution of its sanguinary judgments there was no mercy. The whole land was covered with gibbets; and in a few weeks eighteen hundred victims perished by the hand of the executioner.†

cil of Blood.

rebel

Spain.

The spirit of the Netherlanders rose against the tyran- The Dutch ny of their oppressors. Louis of Nassau, brother of the against Prince of Orange, entered the province of Groningen at the head of a party of the "Gueux," and routed the dis- 24 May. ciplined troops of Spain. This was the commencement of actual hostilities. Exasperated at the defeat of his forces, Alva instantly brought the Counts of Egmont and 3 June. Hoorn to a mock trial. They were at once condemned to death; and on the morning of the fifth of June, 1568, the 1568. proto-martyrs for the Dutch Republic were beheaded in the great square before the Hôtel de Ville at Brussels. As soon as the fatal work was done, the people pressed around the scaffold, and dipped their handkerchiefs in the blood; vowing, after the manner of their forefathers, to leave their beards and hair uncut until the wrongs of their country and the murders of her sons were avenged. they nobly kept their faith.

And

5 June. Execution of Egmont and Hoorn.

* Meteren, ii., 44. + Davies, i., 548, 553.

Meteren, ii., 58; Davies, i., 561.

CH. XIII.

refused a

refuge in

England.

Capture of

refuse to

arbitrary

tax.

!

Driven from their own country, many of the Gueux sought refuge in England. But Alva peremptorily re1568. quired Elizabeth not to afford encouragement to the rebel The Gueux subjects of Spain. The queen assented to Alva's demand, and ordered the Gueux to quit her ports. Thus expelled from their last refuge, a party of the patriots under the command of William van de Marck, who had joined in the romantic vow to avenge the murders of Egmont and 1572. Hoorn, suddenly appeared before the town of Brielle, at 1 April. the mouth of the Maese, and captured it with little oppothe Brielle. sition. The Gueux were once more on their native land. The standard of revolt was soon openly set up in Holland. Alva attempted to enforce a levy of one penny in The people every ten. But the people-faithful to their hereditary pay Alva's principle of "Taxation only by consent"-resisted the demand. It was not the payment of the tax itself that they resisted so much as the mode of its levy. "Omnia dabant. ne decimam darent." They periled every thing to stop the exaction of an arbitrary tithe. Deputies from the nobles and from the towns, meeting at Dordrecht, acknowledged the Prince of Orange as stadtholder, and voted levies of money and of men to oppose the encroaching tyranny of Spain. Haerlem was closely besieged by the Spaniards, and forced to surrender, after seven months of almost 1573. unparalleled suffering. Yet the conquest cost the victors 14 July. twelve thousand men. Alckmaer, too, was invested; but 10 October. the people, cutting through the dikes, deluged the Spanish camp, and the besieging army fled. The Prince of Orange and the States of Holland, in a long letter to the king, which was soon printed and distributed among the people, complained of the open violation of their liberties, under The people pretense of securing the Roman religion. "We contend erty of con- for nothing less," said the States, "than for freedom of conscience, our wives and children, our lives and fortunes."

June.

Haerlem

and Alck

maer be

sieged.

demand lib

science,

* Grotius, Annals, ii., 49.

†The famous Dutch national song, "Wilhelmus van Nassauwen," is said to have been composed this year. Its author is not known with certainty. Some ascribe it to Philip van Marnix, lord of Saint Aldegonde; others to Dirck Volkertsen Koornheet.Brandt, x., 535; Davies, ii., 362. Brandt, x., 545.