The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1566 part 2 | Page 6

these Reformers to reason, or they will end by laying down the
law for us." On the other hand, his anger would be often appeased by
the grave but gracious remonstrances of Orange. During a part of the
summer, the Reformers had been so strong in Flanders that upon a
single day sixty thousand armed men had been assembled at the
different field-preachings within that province. "All they needed was a
Jacquemart, or a Philip van Artevelde," says a Catholic, contemporary,
"but they would have scorned to march under the banner of a brewer;
having dared to raise their eyes for a chief, to the most illustrious

warrior of his ages." No doubt, had Egmont ever listened to these
aspirations, he might have taken the field against the government with
an invincible force, seized the capital, imprisoned the Regent, and
mastered the whole country, which was entirely defenceless, before
Philip would have had time to write more than ten despatches upon the
subject.
These hopes of the Reformers, if hopes they could be called, were now
destined to be most bitterly disappointed. Egmont entered Flanders, not
as a chief of rebels--not as a wise pacificator, but as an unscrupulous
partisan of government, disposed to take summary vengeance on all
suspected persons who should fall in his way. He ordered numerous
executions of image-breakers and of other heretics. The whole province
was in a state of alarm; for, although he had not been furnished by the
Regent with a strong body of troops, yet the name of the conqueror at
Saint Quentin and Gravelines was worth many regiments. His severity
was excessive. His sanguinary exertions were ably seconded also by his
secretary Bakkerzeel, a man who exercised the greatest influence over
his chief, and who was now fiercely atoning for having signed the
Compromise by persecuting those whom that league had been formed
to protect. "Amid all the perplexities of the Duchess Regent," Says a
Walloon historian, "this virtuous princess was consoled by the exploits
of Bakkerzeel, gentleman in Count Egmont's service. On one occasion
he hanged twenty heretics, including a minister, at a single heat."
Such achievements as these by the hands or the orders of the
distinguished general who had been most absurdly held up as a possible
protector of the civil and religious liberties of the country, created
profound sensation. Flanders and Artois were filled with the wives and
children of suspected I thousands who had fled the country to escape
the wrath of Egmont. The cries and piteous lamentations of these
unfortunate creatures were heard on every side. Count Louis was
earnestly implored to intercede for the persecuted Reformers. "You
who have been so nobly gifted by Heaven, you who have good will and
singular bounty written upon your face," said Utenhove to Louis, "have
the power to save these poor victims from the throats of the ravenous
wolves." The Count responded to the appeal, and strove to soften the
severity of Egmont, without, however, producing any very signal effect.
Flanders was soon pacified, nor was that important province permitted

to enjoy the benefits of the agreement which had been extorted, from
the Duchess. The preachings were forbidden, and the ministers and
congregations arrested and chastised, even in places where the custom
had been established previously to the 23d August. Certainly such
vigorous exertions upon the part both of master and man did not savor
of treason to Philip, and hardly seemed to indicate the final doom of
Egmont and Bakkerzeel.
The course of Orange at Antwerp was consistent with his whole career.
He honestly came to arrange a pacification, but he knew that this end
could be gained only by loyally maintaining the Accord which had
been signed between the confederates and the Regent. He came back to
the city on the 26th August, and found order partially re-established.
The burghers having at last become thoroughly alarmed, and the fury of
the image- breakers entirely appeased, it had been comparatively easy
to restore tranquillity. The tranquillity, however, rather restored itself,
and when the calm had succeeded to the tempest, the placid heads of
the burgomasters once, more emerged from the waves.
Three image-breakers, who had been taken in the act, were hanged by
order of the magistrates upon the 28th of August. The presence of
Orange gave them courage to achieve these executions which he could
not prevent, as the fifth article of the Accord enjoined the chastisement
of the rioters. The magistrates chose that the "chastisement" on this
occasion should be exemplary, and it was not in the power of Orange to
interfere with the regular government of the city when acting according
to its laws. The deed was not his, however, and he hastened, in order to
obviate the necessity of further violence, to prepare articles