Don John reappeared, and with him the woes of Holland; for in less than two months Namur and Charlemont were taken.  The Flemings replied, however, to these two checks by naming the Prince of Orange governor-general of Brabant.

Don John died in his turn, and Alexander Farnese succeeded him.  He was a clever prince, charming in his manners, which were at once gentle and firm; a skillful politician, and a good general.  Flanders trembled at hearing that soft Italian voice call her friend, instead of treating her as a rebel.  William knew that Farnese would do more for Spain with his promises than the Duc d’Alva with his punishments.  On the 29th January, 1579, he made the provinces sign the Treaty of Utrecht, which was the fundamental base of the rights of Holland.  It was then that, fearing he should never be able to accomplish alone the freedom for which he had been fighting for fifteen years, he offered to the Duc d’Anjou the sovereignty of the country, on condition that he should respect their privileges and their liberty of conscience.  This was a terrible blow to Philippe II., and he replied to it by putting a price of 25,000 crowns on the head of William.  The States-General assembled at the Hague, then declared Philippe deposed from the sovereignty of Holland, and ordered that henceforth the oath of fidelity should be taken to them.

The Duc d’Anjou now entered Belgium, and was well received.  Philippe’s promise, however, bore its fruits; for in the midst of a fete, a pistol shot was heard; William fell, and was believed dead; but he recovered.  The shot had been fired by Jean Jaureguy.

The Flemings then, on William’s advice, elected Francois, duc of Brabant, sovereign prince of Flanders.  Elizabeth of England saw in this a method of reuniting the Calvinists of Flanders and France to those of England—­perhaps she dreamed of a triple crown.  William, however, took care to hold the Duc d’Anjou in check, and to counteract the execution of any design which would have given him too much power in Flanders.  Philippe II. called the Duc de Guise to his aid, on the strength of a treaty which had been entered into by him with Don John of Austria.  Henri of Guise consented, and it was then that Lorraine and Spain sent Salcede to the Duc d’Anjou to assassinate him, which would have suited the views of both; but Salcede, as we know, was arrested and executed without having carried his project into execution.

Francois advanced but slowly, however, in Flanders, for the people were more than half afraid of him; he grew impatient, and determined to lay siege to Antwerp, which had invited his aid against Farnese, but when he wished to enter had turned its guns against him.  This was the position of the Duc d’Anjou at the time when our story rejoins him, on the day after the arrival of Joyeuse and his fleet.

CHAPTER LXII.

Preparations for battle.