The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1568 part 1

The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1568 part 1

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Title: The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1568
Author: John Lothrop Motley
Release Date: January, 2004 [EBook #4815] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on March 19, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII

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MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, PG EDITION, VOLUME 15.
THE RISE OF THE DUTCH REPUBLIC
By John Lothrop Motley
1855

1568 [
CHAPTER II
.]
Orange, Count Louis, Hoogstraaten, and others, cited before the Blood-Council--Charges against them--Letter of Orange in reply-- Position and sentiments of the Prince--Seizure of Count de Buren-- Details of that transaction--Petitions to the Council from Louvain and other places--Sentence of death against the whole population of the Netherlands pronounced by the Spanish Inquisition and proclaimed by Philip--Cruel inventions against heretics--The Wild Beggars-- Preliminary proceedings of the Council against Egmont and Horn-- Interrogatories addressed to them in prison--Articles of accusation against them--Foreclosure of the cases--Pleas to the jurisdiction-- Efforts by the Countesses Egmont and Horn, by many Knights of the Fleece, and by the Emperor, in favor of the prisoners--Answers of Alva and of Philip--Obsequious behavior of Viglius--Difficulties arising from the Golden Fleece statutes set aside--Particulars of the charges against Count Horn and of his defence--Articles of accusation against Egmont--Sketch of his reply--Reflections upon the two trials--Attitude of Orange--His published 'Justification'--His secret combinations--His commission to Count Louis--Large sums of money subscribed by the Nassau family, by Netherland refugees, and others--Great personal sacrifices made by the Prince--Quadruple scheme for invading the Netherlands--Defeat of the patriots under Cocqueville--Defeat of Millers--Invasion of Friesland by Count Louis--Measures of Alva to oppose him--Command of the royalists entreated to Aremberg and Meghem--The Duke's plan for the campaign-- Skirmish at Dam--Detention of Meghem--Count Louis at Heiliger--Lee-- Nature of the ground--Advance of Aremberg--Disposition of the patriot forces--Impatience of the Spanish troops to engage--Battle of Heiliger-Lee--Defeat and death of Aremberg--Death of Adolphus Nassau--Effects of the battle--Anger and severe measures of Alva-- Eighteen nobles executed at Brussels--Sentence of death pronounced upon Egmont and Horn--The Bishop of Ypres sent to Egmont--Fruitless intercession by the prelate and the Countess--Egmont's last night in prison--The "grande place" at Brussels--Details concerning the execution of Egmont and Horn--Observation upon the characters of the two nobles--Destitute condition of Egmont's family.
Late in October, the Duke of Alva made his triumphant entry into the new fortress. During his absence, which was to continue during the remainder of the year, he had ordered the Secretary Courteville and the Councillor del Rio to superintend the commission, which was then actually engaged in collecting materials for the prosecutions to be instituted against the Prince of Orange and the other nobles who had abandoned the country. Accordingly, soon after his return, on the 19th of January, 1568, the Prince, his brother Louis of Nassau, his brother-in-law, Count Van den Berg, the Count Hoogstraaten, the Count Culemburg, and the Baron Montigny, were summoned in the name of Alva to appear before the Blood- Council, within thrice fourteen days from the date of the proclamation, under pain of perpetual banishment with confiscation of their estates. It is needless to say that these seigniors did not obey the summons. They knew full well that their obedience would be rewarded only by death.
The charges against the Prince of Orange, which were drawn up in ten articles, stated, chiefly and briefly, that he had been, and was, the head and front of the rebellion; that as soon as his Majesty had left the Netherlands, he had begun his machinations to make himself master of the country and to expel his sovereign by force, if he should attempt to return to