The Duke of Anjou, however, became discontented with his position.  Many nobles of high rank came from France to pay their homage to him, and in the beginning of January, 1583, he entered into a conspiracy with them to take possession, with his own troops, of the principal cities in Flanders.  He reserved to himself the capture of Antwerp, and concentrated several thousands of French troops at Borgehout, a village close to the walls of Antwerp.  A night attack was treacherously made on the city, but the burghers rapidly flew to arms, and in an hour the whole of the force which Anjou had sent to accomplish his base design was either dead or captured.  The enterprise, which came to be known as the “French Fury,” was an absolute and disgraceful failure, and the duke fled to Berghem, where he established a camp.  Negotiations for reconciliation were entered into with the Duke of Anjou, who, however, left for Paris in June, never again to return to the Netherlands.

VI.—­The Assassination of William of Orange

The Princess Charlotte having died on May 5, 1582, the Prince of Orange was married for the fourth time on April 21, 1583, on this occasion to Louisa, daughter of the illustrious Coligny.  In the summer of 1584 the prince and princess took up their residence at Delft, where Frederick Henry, afterwards the celebrated stadtholder, was born to them.  During the previous two years no fewer than five distinct attempts to assassinate the prince had been made, and all of them with the privity of the Spanish government or at the direct instigation of King Philip or the Duke of Parma.

A sixth and successful attempt was now to be made.  On Sunday morning, July 8, the Prince of Orange received news of the death of Anjou.  The courier who brought the despatches was admitted to the prince’s bedroom.  He called himself Francis Guion, the son of a martyred Calvinist, but he was in reality Balthazar Gerard, a fanatical Catholic who had for years formed the design of murdering the Prince of Orange.  The interview was so entirely unexpected that Gerard had come unarmed, and had formed no plans for escape.  He pleaded to the officer on duty in the prince’s house that he wanted to attend divine service in the church opposite, but that his attire was too shabby and travel-stained, and that, without new shoes and stockings, he was unfit to join the congregation.  Having heard this, the prince ordered instantly a sum of money to be given to him.  With this fund Gerard the following day bought a pair of pistols and ammunition.  On Tuesday, July 10, the prince, his wife, family, and the burgomaster of Leewarden dined as usual, at mid-day.  At two o’clock the company rose from table, the prince leading the way, intending to pass to his private apartments upstairs.  He had reached the second stair when Gerard, who had obtained admission to the house on the plea that he wanted a passport, emerged from a sunken arch and, standing within a foot or two of the prince, discharged a pistol at his heart.  He was carried to a couch in the dining-room, where in a few minutes he died in the arms of his wife and sister.