The Revolt of The Netherlands, book 4 | Page 9

accompaniment; if his
appearance was less that of a sanguinary judge than of an angry parent,
the courage of all good men would rise, and the bad would perish in
their own security. They would persuade themselves what had
happened was unimportant; that it did not appear to the king of
sufficient moment to call for strong measures. They wished if they
could to avoid the chance of ruining, by acts of open violence, a cause
which might perhaps yet be saved; consequently, by this quiet,
peaceable method everything would be gained which by the other
would be irretrievably lost; the loyal subject would in no degree be

involved in the same punishment with the culpable rebel; on the latter
alone would the whole weight of the royal indignation descend. Lastly,
the enormous expenses would be avoided which the transport of a
Spanish army to those distant regions would occasion.
"But," began the Duke of Alva, "ought the injury of some few citizens
to be considered when danger impends over the whole? Because a few
of the loyally-disposed may suffer wrong are the rebels therefore not to
be chastised? The offence has been universal, why then should not the
punishment be the same? What the rebels have incurred by their actions
the rest have incurred equally by their supineness. Whose fault is it but
theirs that the former have so far succeeded? Why did they not
promptly oppose their first attempts? It is said that circumstances were
not so desperate as to justify this violent remedy; but who will insure us
that they will not be so by the time the king arrives, especially when,
according to every fresh despatch of the regent, all is hastening with
rapid strides to a-ruinous consummation? Is it a hazard we ought to run
to leave the king to discover on his entrance into the provinces the
necessity of his having brought with him a military force? It is a fact
only too well-established that the rebels have secured foreign succors,
which stand ready at their command on the first signal; will it then be
time to think of preparing for war when the enemy pass the frontiers? Is
it a wise risk to rely for aid upon the nearest Belgian troops when their
loyalty is so little to be depended upon? And is not the regent
perpetually reverting in her despatches to the fact that nothing but the
want of a suitable military force has hitherto hindered her from
enforcing the edicts, and stopping the progress of the rebels? A
well-disciplined and formidable army alone will disappoint all their
hopes of maintaining themselves in opposition to their lawful sovereign,
and nothing but the certain prospect of destruction will make them
lower their demands. Besides, without an adequate force, the king
cannot venture his person in hostile countries; he cannot enter into any
treaties with his rebellious subjects which would not be derogatory to
his honor."
The authority of the speaker gave preponderance to his arguments, and
the next question was, when the king should commence his journey and
what road he should take. As the voyage by sea was on every account
extremely hazardous, he had no other alternative but either to proceed

thither through the passes near Trent across. Germany, or to penetrate
from Savoy over the Apennine Alps. The first route would expose him
to the danger of the attack of the German Protestants, who were not
likely to view with indifference the objects of his journey, and a
passage over the Apennines was at this late season of the year not to be
attempted. Moreover, it would be necessary to send for the requisite
galleys from Italy, and repair them, which would take several months.
Finally, as the assembly of the Cortes of Castile, from which he could
not well be absent, was already appointed for December, the journey
could not be undertaken before the spring. Meanwhile the regent
pressed for explicit instructions how she was to extricate herself from
her present embarrassment, without compromising the royal dignity too
far; and it was necessary to do something in the interval till the king
could undertake to appease the troubles by his personal presence. Two
separate letters were therefore despatched to the duchess; one public,
which she could lay before the states and the council chambers, and one
private, which was intended for herself alone. In the first, the king
announced to her his restoration to health, and the fortunate birth of the
Infanta Clara Isabella Eugenia, afterwards wife of the Archduke Albert
of Austria and Princess of the Netherlands. He declared to her his
present firm intention to visit the Netherlands in person, for which he
was already making the necessary preparations. The assembling of the
states he refused, as he had