The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1568 part 1 | Page 8

indictment against another
individual) exhibited not a single sign of sickness. The Admiral had,
moreover, drank the toast of "Vivent leg gueux" on various occasions,
at the Culemberg House banquet, at the private table of the Prince of
Orange, at a supper at the monastery of Saint Bernard's, at a dinner
given by Burgomaster Straalen. He had sanctioned the treaties with the
rebels at Duffel, by which he had clearly rendered himself guilty of
high treason. He had held an interview with Orange, Egmont, and
Hoogstraaten, at Denremonde, for the treasonable purpose of arranging

a levy of troops to prevent his Majesty's entrance into the Netherlands.
He had refused to come to Brussels at the request of the Duchess of
Parma, when the rebels were about to present the petition. He had
written to his secretary that he was thenceforth resolved to serve neither
King nor Kaiser. He had received from one Taffin, with marks of
approbation, a paper, stating that the assembling of the states-general
was the only remedy for the troubles in the land. He had, repeatedly
affirmed that the inquisition and edicts ought to be repealed.
On his arrival at Tournay in August, 1566, the people had cried "Vivent
les gueux;" a proof that he liked the cry. All his transactions at Tournay,
from first to last, had been criminal. He had tolerated Reformed
preaching, he had forbidden Catholics and Protestants to molest each
other, he had omitted to execute heretics, he had allowed the
religionists to erect an edifice for public worship outside the walls. He
had said, at the house of Prince Espinoy, that if the King should come
into the provinces with force, he would oppose him with 15,000 troops.
He had said, if his brother Montigny should be detained in Spain, he
would march to his rescue at the head of 50,000 men whom he had at
his command. He had on various occasions declared that "men should
live according to their consciences"--as if divine and human laws were
dead, and men, like wild beasts, were to follow all their lusts and
desires. Lastly, he had encouraged the rebellion in Valenciennes.
Of all these crimes and misdeeds the procurator declared himself
sufficiently informed, and the aforesaid defendant entirely, commonly,
and publicly defamed.
Wherefore, that officer terminated his declaration by claiming "that the
cause should be concluded summarily, and without figure or form of
process; and that therefore, by his Excellency or his sub-delegated
judges, the aforesaid defendant should be declared to have in diverse
ways committed high treason, should be degraded from his dignities,
and should be condemned to death, with confiscation of all his estates."
The Admiral, thus peremptorily summoned, within five days, without
assistance, without documents, and from the walls of a prison, to
answer to these charges, 'solos ex vinculis causam dicere', undertook
his task with the boldness of innocence. He protested, of course, to the
jurisdiction, and complained of the want of an advocate, not in order to
excuse any weakness in his defence, but only any inelegance in his

statement. He then proceeded flatly to deny some of the facts, to admit
others, and to repel the whole treasonable inference. His answer in all
essential respects was triumphant. Supported by the evidence which,
alas was not collected and published till after his death, it was
impregnable.
He denied that he had ever plotted against his King, to whom he had
ever been attached, but admitted that he had desired the removal of
Granvelle, to whom he had always been hostile. He had, however, been
an open and avowed enemy to the Cardinal, and had been engaged in
no secret conspiracy against his character or against his life. He denied
that the livery (for which, however, he was not responsible) had been
intended to ridicule the Cardinal, but asserted that it was intended to
afford an example of economy to an extravagant nobility. He had met
Orange and Egmont at Breda and Hoogstraaten, and had been glad to
do so, for he had been long separated from them. These interviews,
however, had been social, not political, for good cheer and
merry-making, not for conspiracy and treason. He had never had any
connection with the confederacy; he had neither advised nor protected
the petition, but, on the contrary, after hearing of the contemplated
movement, had written to give notice thereof to the Duchess. He was in
no manner allied, with Brederode, but, on the contrary, for various
reasons, was not upon friendly terms with him. He had not entered his
house since his return from Spain. He had not been a party to the dinner
at Culemburg House. Upon that day he had dined with the Prince of
Orange, with whom he was lodging and, after dinner, they had both
gone together