The stadtholderess and her satellites adroitly took advantage of this state of things to sow dissension among the patriots.  Autograph letters from Philip to the principal lords were distributed among them with such artful and mysterious precautions as to throw the rest into perplexity, and give each suspicions of the other’s fidelity.  The report of the immediate arrival of Philip had also considerable effect over the less resolute or more selfish; and the confederation was dissolving rapidly under the operations of intrigue, self-interest, and fear.  Even the Count of Egmont was not proof against the subtle seductions of the wily monarch, whose severe yet flattering letters half frightened and half soothed him into a relapse of royalism.  But with the Prince of Orange Philip had no chance of success.  It is unquestionable that, be his means of acquiring information what they might, he did succeed in procuring minute intelligence of all that was going on in the king’s most secret council.  He had from time to time procured copies of the stadtholderess’s despatches; but the document which threw the most important light upon the real intentions of Philip was a confidential epistle to the stadtholderess from D’Alava, the Spanish minister at Paris, in which he spoke in terms too clear to admit any doubt as to the terrible example which the king was resolved to make among the patriot lords.  Bergen and Montigny confirmed this by the accounts they sent home from Madrid of the alteration in the manner with which they were treated by Philip and his courtiers; and the Prince of Orange was more firmly decided in his opinions of the coming vengeance of the tyrant.

William summoned his brother Louis, the Counts Egmont, Horn, and Hoogstraeten, to a secret conference at Termonde; and he there submitted to them this letter of Alava’s, with others which he had received from Spain, confirmatory of his worst fears.  Louis of Nassau voted for open and instant rebellion; William recommended a cautious observance of the projects of government, not doubting but a fair pretext would be soon given to justify the most vigorous overt acts of revolt; but Egmont at once struck a death-blow to the energetic project of one brother, and the cautious amendment of the other, by declaring his present resolution to devote himself wholly to the service of the king, and on no inducement whatever to risk the perils of rebellion.  He expressed his perfect reliance on the justice and the goodness of Philip when once he should see the determined loyalty of those whom he had hitherto had so much reason to suspect; and he extorted the others to follow his example.  The two brothers and Count Horn implored him in their turn to abandon this blind reliance on the tyrant; but in vain.  His new and unlooked-for profession of faith completely paralyzed their plans.  He possessed too largely the confidence of both the soldiery and the people to make it possible to attempt any serious measure of resistance in which he would not take a part.  The meeting broke up without coming to any decision.  All those who bore a part in it were expected at Brussels to attend the council of state; Egmont alone repaired thither.  The stadtholderess questioned him on the object of the conference at Termonde:  he only replied by an indignant glance, at the same time presenting a copy of Alava’s letter.