This eBook was produced by David Widger
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By John Lothrop Motley
1855
Quarrel between Alva and Queen Elizabeth of England—Spanish funds seized by the English government—Non-intercourse between England and the Netherlands—Stringent measures against heresy—Continued persecution—Individual cases—Present of hat and sword to Alva from the Pope—Determination of the Governor—general to establish a system of arbitrary taxation in the provinces—Assembly of estates at Brussels—Alva's decrees laid before them—The hundredth, tenth, and fifth pence—Opposition of Viglius to the project—Estates of various provinces give a reluctant consent—Determined resistance of Utrecht—The city and province cited before the Blood Council— Sentence of confiscation and disfranchisement against both—Appeal to the King—Difficulty of collecting the new tax—Commutation for two years—Projects for a pardon-general—Growing disfavour of the Duke—His desire to resign his post—Secret hostility between the Governor and Viglius—Altered sentiments of the President—Opinions expressed by Granvelle—The pardon pompously proclaimed by the Duke at Antwerp—Character of the amnesty—Dissatisfaction of the people with the act—Complaints of Alva to the King—Fortunes and fate of Baron Montigny in Spain—His confinement at Segovia—His attempt to escape—Its failure—His mock trial—His wife's appeal to Philip— His condemnation—His secret assassination determined upon—Its details, as carefully prescribed and superintended by the King— Terrible inundation throughout the Netherlands—Immense destruction of life and property in Friesland—Lowestein Castle taken by De Ruyter, by stratagem—Recapture of the place by the Spaniards— Desperate resistance and death of De Ruyter.
It was very soon after the Duke's return to Brussels that a quarrelbetween himself and the Queen of England took place. It happened thus.Certain vessels, bearing roving commissions from the Prince of Conde, hadchased into the ports of England some merchantmen coming from Spain withsupplies in specie for the Spanish army in the Netherlands. The tradingships remained in harbor, not daring to leave for their destination,while the privateers remained in a neighbouring port ready to pounce uponthem should they put to sea. The commanders of the merchant fleetcomplained to the Spanish ambassador in London. The envoy laid the casebefore the Queen. The Queen promised redress, and, almost as soon as thepromise had been made, seized upon all the specie in the vessels,amounting to about eight hundred thousand dollars—[1885 exchange rate]—and appropriated the whole to her own benefit. The pretext for thisproceeding was twofold. In the first place, she assured the ambassadorthat she had taken the money into her possession in order that it mightbe kept safe for her royal brother of Spain. In the second place, sheaffirmed that the money did not belong to the Spanish government at all,but that it was the property of certain Genoese merchants, from whom, asshe had a right to do, she had borrowed it for a short period. Boththese positions could hardly be correct, but either furnished anexcellent reason for appropriating the funds to her own use....