The Revolt of The Netherlands, book 2 | Page 5

unfortunately, in the excitement of a life of pleasure had abandoned the
project. Ambition and lust of conquest withdrew the mind of Charles
the Bold from the internal concerns of his kingdom, and Maximilian
had already too many subjects of dispute with the states to venture to
add to their number by proposing this change. A stormy reign
prevented Charles V. from the execution of this extensive plan, which
Philip II. now undertook as a bequest from all these princes. The
moment had now arrived when the urgent necessities of the church
would excuse the innovation, and the leisure of peace favored its
accomplishment. With the prodigious crowd of people from all the
countries of Europe who were crowded together in the towns of the
Netherlands, a multitude of religious opinions had also grown up; and it
was impossible that religion could any longer be effectually
superintended by so few eyes as were formerly sufficient. While the
number of bishops was so small their districts must, of necessity, have
been proportionally extensive, and four men could not be adequate to
maintain the purity of the faith through so wide a district.
The jurisdiction which the Archbishops of Cologne and Rheims
exercised over the Netherlands had long been a stumbling-block to the
government, which could not look on this territory as really its own
property so long as such an important branch of power was still

wielded by foreign hands. To snatch this prerogative from the alien
archbishops; by new and active agents to give fresh life and vigor to the
superintendence of the faith, and at the same time to strengthen the
number of the partisans of government at the diet, no more effectual
means could be devised than to increase the number of bishops.
Resolved upon doing this Philip II. ascended the throne; but he soon
found that a change in the hierarchy would inevitably meet with warm
opposition from the provinces, without whose consent, nevertheless, it
would be vain to attempt it. Philip foresaw that the nobility would
never approve of a measure which would so strongly augment the royal
party, and take from the aristocracy the preponderance of power in the
diet. The revenues, too, for the maintenance of these new bishops must
be diverted from the abbots and monks, and these formed a
considerable part of the states of the realm. He had, besides, to fear the
opposition of the Protestants, who would not fail to act secretly in the
diet against him. On these accounts the whole affair was discussed at
Rome with the greatest possible secrecy. Instructed by, and as the agent
of, Granvella, Francis Sonnoi, a priest of Louvain, came before Paul IV.
to inform him how extensive the provinces were, how thriving and
populous, how luxurious in their prosperity. But, he continued, in the
immoderate enjoyment of liberty the true faith is neglected, and
heretics prosper. To obviate this evil the Romish See must have
recourse to extraordinary measures. It was not difficult to prevail on the
Romish pontiff to make a change which would enlarge the sphere of his
own jurisdiction.
Paul IV. appointed a tribunal of seven cardinals to deliberate upon this
important matter; but death called him away, and he left to his
successor, Pius IV., the duty of carrying their advice into execution.
The welcome tidings of the pope's determination reached the king in
Zealand when he was just on the point of setting sail for Spain, and the
minister was secretly charged with the dangerous reform. The new
constitution of the hierarchy was published in 1560; in addition to the
then existing four bishoprics thirteen new ones were established,
according to the number of seventeen provinces, and four of them were
raised into archbishoprics. Six of these episcopal sees, viz., in Antwerp,
Herzogenbusch, Ghent, Bruges, Ypres, and Ruremonde, were placed
under the Archbishopric of Malines; five others, Haarlem, Middelburg,

Leuwarden, Deventer, and Groningen, under the Archbishopric of
Utrecht; and the remaining four, Arras, Tournay, St. Omer, and Namur,
which lie nearest to France, and have language, character, and manners
in common with that country, under the Archbishopric of Cambray.
Malines, situated in the middle of Brabant and in the centre of all the
seventeen provinces, was made the primacy of all the rest, and was,
with several rich abbeys, the reward of Granvella. The revenues of the
new bishoprics were provided by an appropriation of the treasures of
the cloisters and abbeys which had accumulated from pious
benefactions during centuries. Some of the abbots were raised to the
episcopal throne, and with the possession of their cloisters and
prelacies retained also the vote at the diet which was attached to them.
At the same time to every bishopric nine prebends were attached, and
bestowed on the most learned juris-consultists