The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1574-84

The Rise of the Dutch Republic,
entire 1574-84

The Project Gutenberg EBook Rise of the Dutch Republic, Entire,
1574-84
#35 in our series by John Lothrop Motley Copyright laws are changing
all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country
before downloading or redistributing this or any other Project
Gutenberg eBook.
This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project
Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the
header without written permission.
Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the
eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is
important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how
the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a
donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.
**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
**EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since
1971**
*****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers*****
Title: The Rise of the Dutch Republic, Entire, 1574-84
Author: John Lothrop Motley
Release Date: January, 2004 [EBook #4835] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on March 26,
2002]

Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE
DUTCH REPUBLIC, 1574-84 ***

This eBook was produced by David Widger

[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the
file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making
an entire meal of them. D.W.]

MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg
Edition, Volume 35
THE RISE OF THE DUTCH REPUBLIC, COMPLETE, 1574-1584
By John Lothrop Motley
1855
1574-1576 [
CHAPTER III
.]
Latter days of the Blood Council--Informal and insincere negotiations
for peace--Characteristics of the negotiators and of their diplomatic
correspondence--Dr. Junius--Secret conferences between Dr. Leoninus
and Orange--Steadfastness of the Prince-- Changes in the internal
government of the northern provinces-- Generosity and increasing
power of the municipalities--Incipient jealousy in regard to Orange
rebuked--His offer of resignation refused by the Estates--His elevation
to almost unlimited power-- Renewed mediation of Maximilian--Views
and positions of the parties --Advice of Orange--Opening of
negotiations at Breda--Propositions and
counter-propositions--Adroitness of the plenipotentiaries on both
sides--Insincere diplomacy and unsatisfactory results--Union of

Holland and Zealand under the Prince of Orange--Act defining his
powers--Charlotte de Bourbon--Character, fortunes, and fate of Anna
of Saxony--Marriage of Orange with Mademoiselle de Bourbon--
Indignation thereby excited--Horrible tortures inflicted upon Papists by
Sonoy in North Holland--Oudewater and Schoonoven taken by
Hierges--The isles of Zealand--A submarine expedition projected--
Details of the adventure--Its entire success--Death of Chiappin
Vitelli--Deliberations in Holland and Zealand concerning the
renunciation of Philip's authority--Declaration at Delft--Doubts as to
which of the Great Powers the sovereignty should be offered-- Secret
international relations--Mission to England--Unsatisfactory
negotiations with Elizabeth--Position of the Grand Commander--Siege
of Zieriekzee--Generosity of Count John--Desperate project of the
Prince--Death and character of Requesens.
The Council of Troubles, or, as it will be for ever denominated in
history, the Council of Blood, still existed, although the Grand
Commander, upon his arrival in the Netherlands, had advised his
sovereign to consent to the immediate abolition of so odious an
institution. Philip accepting the advice of his governor and his cabinet,
had accordingly authorized him by a letter of the 10th of March, 1574,
to take that step if he continued to believe it advisable.
Requesens had made use of this permission to extort money from the
obedient portion of the provinces. An assembly of deputies was held at
Brussels on the 7th of June, 1574, and there was a tedious interchange
of protocols, reports, and remonstrances. The estates, not satisfied with
the extinction of a tribunal which had at last worn itself out by its own
violence, and had become inactive through lack of victims, insisted on
greater concessions. They demanded the departure of the Spanish
troops, the establishment of a council of Netherlanders in Spain for
Netherland affairs, the restoration to offices in the provinces of natives
and natives only; for these drawers of documents thought it possible, at
that epoch, to recover by pedantry what their brethren of Holland and
Zealand were maintaining with the sword. It was not the moment for
historical disquisition, citations from Solomon, nor chopping of logic;
yet with such lucubrations were reams of paper filled, and days and
weeks occupied. The result was what might have been expected. The
Grand Commander obtained but little money; the estates obtained none

of their demands; and the Blood Council remained, as it were,
suspended in mid- air. It continued to transact business at intervals
during the administration of Requesens, and at last, after nine years of
existence, was destroyed by the violent