The murderer succeeded in making his escape through a side door, and sped swiftly towards the ramparts, where a horse was waiting for him at the moat, but was followed and captured by several pages and halberdiers.  He made no effort to deny his identity, but boldly avowed himself and his deed.  Afterwards he was subjected to excruciating tortures, and executed on July 14 with execrable barbarity.  The reward promised by Philip to the man who should murder Orange was paid to the father and mother of Gerard.  The excellent parents were ennobled and enriched by the crime of their son, but, instead of receiving the 25,000 crowns promised in the ban issued by Philip in 1580 at the instigation of Cardinal Granvelle, they were granted three seignories in the Franche Comte, and took their place at once among the landed aristocracy.

The prince was entombed on August 3 at Delft amid the tears of a whole nation.  Never was a more extensive, unaffected and legitimate sorrow felt at the death of any human being.  William the Silent had gone through life bearing the load of a people’s sorrows upon his shoulders with a smiling face.  The people were grateful and affectionate, for they trusted the character of their “Father William,” and not all the clouds which calumny could collect ever dimmed to their eyes the radiance of that lofty mind to which they were accustomed in their darkest calamities to look for light.

The life and labours of Orange had established the emancipated commonwealth upon a secure foundation, but his death rendered hopeless the union of all the Netherlands at that time into one republic.

* * * * *

History of the United Netherlands

“The History of the United Netherlands, 1584-1609,” published between 1860 and 1867, is the continuation of the “Rise of the Dutch republic”; the narrative of the stubborn struggle carried on after the assassination of William the Silent until the twelve years’ truce of 1609 recognised in effect, though not in form, that a new independent nation was established on the northern shore of Western Europe—­a nation which for a century to come was to hold rank as first or second of the sea powers.  While the great Alexander of Parma lived to lead the Spanish armies, even Philip II. could not quite destroy the possibility of his ultimate victory.  When Parma was gone, we can see now that the issue of the struggle was no longer in doubt, although in its closing years Maurice of Nassau found a worthy antagonist in the Italian Spinola.

I.—­After the Death of William