In 1585, Prince Maurice, the second son of William, was, chiefly by the influence of Barneveldt, proclaimed Stadtholder by the States General.  They were not less jealous of his views, than they had been of his father’s; but the misconduct of the Earl of Leicester had made it necessary for them to throw themselves into the prince’s arms.  The weakness of Spain, and the troubles in France, now permitted the United Provinces to enjoy some repose.  They availed themselves of it, to settle the constitution:  the towns were repaired, the fortifications completed, Universities were founded or revived at Utrecht, Leyden and Franker; and the arts of peace began to be cultivated.

[Sidenote:  CHAP.  IV. 1597-1610.]

Maurice inherited all the civil talents of his father; he had greater military skill, and at least equal ambition.  The art of war seems to consist, at the present time, in directing immense masses of men, by skilful evolutions and positions, to the destruction of the force opposed.  In the wars of the Netherlands, it was principally shewn by surprising strong-holds, besieging towns, regular assaults, advantageous encampments, and wasting the army of the enemy by skilful marches.  The camp of Maurice became a school, in which the nobility and gentry of the empire, France, and England, entered as volunteers, to learn the art of war.  His taking of the city of Breda, raised his reputation to the highest:  from this time, the war, which, on the part of the United Provinces, had till then, been a defensive war, became offensive, and their arms were attended with almost uninterrupted success:  they equally triumphed on Sea.

In 1698, the war between Spain and France was terminated.  Philip II. soon afterwards died:  he was succeeded by Philip III. a weak monarch.  Then, began the naval glory of the United Provinces; their attacks on the West Indian and East Indian colonies of the Spaniards.  In 1600, prince Maurice gained a decisive victory at Nieuport near Ostend:  it was followed by other important successes.  In 1607, Admiral Heemskirk obtained a complete victory over the Spanish fleet, though protected by the batteries of Cadiz, and seized their ships and treasures.

[Sidenote:  Armistice between Spain and the United Provinces.]

The war between Spain and the United Provinces had now continued forty years:  the resources of Spain were so exhausted, that she herself was forced to solicit an armistice.  Prince Maurice objected to it, as the continuance of the war was essential to the furtherance of his own ambitious views.  On this account, the truce was promoted by Barneveldt and the republican party.  They justly thought that the aggrandizement of the house of Orange would be the extinction of the liberties of their country, so that the result of the war would only be, that the United Provinces would change their masters.  After a long negotiation, an armistice of twelve years was agreed upon in 1609, and England and France guaranteed the execution of the treaty.