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MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg Edition, Volume 24
By John Lothrop Motley
1855
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 denominatedin history, the Council of Blood, still existed, although the GrandCommander, upon his arrival in the Netherlands, had advised his sovereignto consent to the immediate abolition of so odious an institution.Philip accepting the advice of his governor and his cabinet, hadaccordingly 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 theobedient portion of the provinces. An assembly of deputies was held atBrussels on the 7th of June, 1574, and there was a tedious interchange ofprotocols, reports, and remonstrances. The estates, not satisfied withthe extinction of a tribunal which had at last worn itself out by its ownviolence, and had become inactive through lack of victims, insisted ongreater concessions. They demanded the departure of the Spanish troops,the establishment of a council of Netherlanders in Spain for Netherlandaffairs, the restoration to offices in the provinces of natives andnatives only; for these drawers of documents thought it possible, at thatepoch, to recover by pedantry what their brethren of Holland and Zealandwere maintaining with the sword. It was not the moment for historicaldisquisition, citations from Solomon, nor chopping of logic; yet withsuch lucubrations were reams of paper filled, and days and weeksoccupied