march across the Alps and through Burgundy, Lorraine and Luxemburg.  His progress, jealously watched by the French and Swiss, met with no opposition save for the difficulties of the route.  He entered the Netherlands on August 8, with his army intact.  A number of notables, amongst whom was Egmont, came to meet him on his way to Brussels.  He received them, more particularly Egmont, with every appearance of graciousness.  Alva as yet bore only the title of Captain-General, but the king had bestowed on him full powers civil and military; and the Duchess of Parma, though still nominally regent, found herself reduced to a nonentity.  Alva’s first step was to place strong Spanish garrisons in the principal cities, his next to get the leaders who had been marked for destruction into his power.  To effect this he succeeded by fair and flattering words in securing the presence of both Egmont and Hoorn at Brussels.  Under the pretence of taking part in a consultation they were (September 9) invited to the duke’s residence and on their arrival suddenly found themselves arrested.  At the same time their secretaries and papers were seized, and Antony van Stralen, the burgomaster of Antwerp, was placed under arrest.  These high-handed actions were the prelude to a reign of terror; and Margaret, already humiliated by finding herself superseded, requested her brother to accept her resignation.  On October 6 the office of Governor-General was conferred upon Alva; and shortly afterwards the duchess left the Netherlands and returned to Parma.

Alva had now the reins of power in his hand, and with a relentless zeal and cold-blooded ferocity, which have made his name a by-word, he set about the accomplishment of the fell task with which his master had entrusted him.  He had to enforce with drastic rigour all the penalties decreed by the placards against heretics and preachers, and to deal summarily with all who had taken any part in opposition to the government.  But to attempt to do this by means of the ordinary courts and magistrates would consume time and lead to many acquittals.  Alva therefore had no sooner thrown off the mask by the sudden and skilfully planned arrest of Egmont and Hoorn, than he proceeded to erect an extraordinary tribunal, which had no legal standing except such as the arbitrary will of the duke conferred upon it.  This so-called Council of Troubles, which speedily acquired in popular usage the name of the Council of Blood, virtually consisted of Alva himself, who was president and to whose final decision all cases were referred, and two Spanish lawyers, his chosen tools and agents, Juan de Vargas and Louis del Rio.  The two royalist nobles, Noircarmes and Barlaymont, and five Netherland jurists also had seats; but, as only the Spaniards voted, the others before long ceased to attend the meetings.  The proceedings indeed were, from the legal point of view, a mere travesty of justice.  A whole army of commissioners was let loose upon the land, and informers were encouraged