The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1574-84 | Page 8

from the beginning. Against his
brother's loyalty and the straightforward intentions of the estates, he felt
that the whole force of the Macchiavelli system of policy would be
brought to bear with great effect. He felt that the object of the King's
party was to temporize, to confuse, and to deceive. He did not believe
them capable of conceding the real object in dispute, but he feared lest
they might obscure the judgment of the plain and well meaning people
with whom they had to deal. Alluding to the constant attempts made to
poison himself and his brother, he likens the pretended negotiations to
Venetian drugs, by which eyesight, hearing, feeling, and intellect were

destroyed. Under this pernicious influence, the luckless people would
not perceive the fire burning around them, but would shrink at a
rustling leaf. Not comprehending then the tendency of their own acts,
they would "lay bare their own backs to the rod, and bring faggots for
their own funeral pile."-Archives, etc., v. 131-137.]
Moreover, the Grand Commander and the government had, after all,
made a great mistake in their diplomacy. The estates of Brabant,
although strongly desirous that the Spanish troops should be withdrawn,
were equally stanch for the maintenance of the Catholic religion, and
many of the southern provinces entertained the same sentiments. Had
the Governor, therefore, taken the states' commissioners at their word,
and left the decision of the religious question to the general assembly,
he might perhaps have found the vote in his favor. In this case, it is
certain that the Prince of Orange and his party would have been placed
in a very awkward position.
The internal government of the insurgent provinces had remained upon
the footing which we have seen established in the autumn of 1574, but
in the course of this summer (1575), however, the foundation was laid
for the union of Holland and Zealand, under the authority of Orange.
The selfish principle of municipal aristocracy, which had tended to
keep asunder these various groups of cities, was now repressed by the
energy of the Prince and the strong determination of the people.
In April, 1575, certain articles of union between Holland and Zealand
were proposed, and six commissioners appointed to draw up an
ordinance for the government of the two provinces. This ordinance was
accepted in general assembly of both. It was in twenty articles. It
declared that, during the war the Prince as sovereign, should have
absolute power in all matters concerning the defence of the country. He
was to appoint military officers, high and low, establish and remove
garrisons, punish offenders against the laws of war. He was to regulate
the expenditure of all money voted by the estates. He was to maintain
the law, in the King's name, as Count of Holland, and to appoint all
judicial officers upon nominations by the estates. He was, at the usual
times, to appoint and renew the magistracies of the cities, according to
their constitutions. He was to protect the exercise of the Evangelical
Reformed religion, and to suppress the exercise of the Roman religion,
without permitting, however, that search should be made into the creed

of any person. A deliberative and executive council, by which the
jealousy of the corporations had intended to hamper his government,
did not come into more than nominal existence.
The articles of union having been agreed upon, the Prince, desiring an
unfettered expression of the national will, wished the ordinance to be
laid before the people in their primary assemblies. The estates, however,
were opposed to this democratic proceeding. They represented that it
had been customary to consult; after the city magistracies, only the
captains of companies and the deans of guilds on matters of
government. The Prince, yielding the point, the captains of companies
and deans of guilds accordingly alone united with the aristocratic
boards in ratifying the instrument by which his authority over the two
united provinces was established. On the 4th of June this first union
was solemnized.
Upon the 11th of July, the Prince formally accepted the government.
He, however, made an essential change in a very important clause of
the ordinance. In place of the words, the "Roman religion," he insisted
that the words, "religion at variance with the Gospel," should be
substituted in the article by which he was enjoined to prohibit the
exercise of such religion. This alteration rebuked the bigotry which had
already grown out of the successful resistance to bigotry, and left the
door open for a general religious toleration.
Early in this year the Prince had despatched Saint Aldegonde on a
private mission to the Elector Palatine. During some of his visits to that
potentate he had seen at Heidelberg the Princess Charlotte of Bourbon.
That lady was daughter of the Due de Montpensier,