The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1577-78 | Page 2

first
century of our era had been reluctantly abandoned, but the modern
Civilis had justly more confidence in his people.
And now again the scene was changed. The son of the Emperor, the
King's brother, was virtually beleaguered; the proscribed rebel had
arrived at victory through a long series of defeats. The nation
everywhere acknowledged him master, and was in undisguised revolt
against the anointed sovereign. The great nobles, who hated Philip on
the one hand, and the Reformed religion on the other, were obliged, in
obedience to the dictates of a people with whom they had little
sympathy, to accept the ascendency of the Calvinist Prince, of whom
they were profoundly jealous. Even the fleeting and incapable Aerschot
was obliged to simulate adhesion; even the brave Champagny, cordial
hater of Spaniards, but most devotedly Catholic, "the chiefest man of
wysedome and stomach at that tyme in Brussels," so envoy Wilson
wrote to Burghley, had become "Brabantized," as his brother Granvelle
expressed himself, and was one of the commissioners to invite the great
rebel to Brussels. The other envoys were the Abbot of Saint Gertrude,
Dr. Leoninus, and the Seigneur de Liesvelt. These gentlemen, on
arriving at Gertruydenberg, presented a brief but very important
memorial to the Prince. In that document they informed him that the
states-general, knowing how efficacious would be his presence, by
reason of his singular prudence, experience, and love for the welfare
and repose of the country, had unanimously united in a supplication
that he would incontinently transport himself to the city of Brussels,
there to advise with them concerning the necessities of the land; but, as
the principal calumny employed by their adversaries was that all the
provinces and leading personages intended to change both sovereign
and religion, at the instigation of his Excellency, it was desirable to
disprove such fictions. They therefore very earnestly requested the
Prince to make some contrary demonstration, by which it might be
manifest to all that his Excellency, together with the estates of Holland
and Zealand, intended faithfully to keep what they had promised. They
prayed, therefore, that the Prince, permitting the exercise of the Roman

Catholic religion in the places which had recently accepted his
authority, would also allow its exercise in Holland and Zealand. They
begged, further, that ho would promise by a new and authentic act, that
the provinces of Holland and Zealand, would not suffer the said
exercise to be impugned, or any new worship to be introduced, in the
other provinces of the Netherlands.
This letter might almost be regarded as a trap, set by the Catholic
nobles. Certainly the Ghent Pacification forbade the Reformed religion
in form, and as certainly, winked at its exercise in fact. The proof was,
that the new worship was spreading everywhere, that the exiles for
conscience' sake were returning in swarms, and that the synod of the
Reformed churches, lately held at Dort, had been, publicly attended by
the ministers and deacons of numerous dissenting churches established
in many different, places throughout all the provinces. The pressure of
the edicts, the horror of the inquisition being removed, the
down-trodden religion had sprung from the earth more freshly than
ever.
The Prince was not likely to fall into the trap, if a trap had really been
intended. He answered the envoys loyally, but with distinct
reservations. He did not even accept the invitation, save on condition
that his visit to Brussels should be expressly authorized by Holland and
Zealand. Notwithstanding his desire once more to behold his dear
country, and to enjoy the good company of his best friends and brothers,
he felt it his duty to communicate beforehand with the states of those
two provinces, between which, and himself there had been such close
and reciprocal obligations, such long-tried and faithful affection. He
therefore begged to refer the question to the assembly of the said
provinces about to be held at Gouda, where, in point of fact, the
permission for his journey was, not without considerable difficulty, a
few days afterwards obtained.
With regard to the more difficult requests addressed to him in the
memorial, he professed generally his intention to execute the treaty of
Ghent. He observed, however, that the point of permitting the exercise
of the Roman Catholic religion in Holland and Zealand regarded
principally the estates of these provinces, which had contracted for no
innovation in this matter, at least till the assembling of the states
-general. He therefore suggested that he neither could, nor ought to,

permit any innovation, without the knowledge and consent of those
estates. As to promising by authentic act, that neither he nor the two
provinces would suffer the exercise of the Catholic religion to be in any
wise impugned in the rest of the Netherlands, the Prince expressed
himself content to