several important towns hoisted the flag of revolt and acknowledged the Prince of Orange as their lawful Stadholder.  From Holland the rebellion spread into Friesland.  Finally on June 19 an assembly of the Estates of Holland was, at the instance of Dordrecht, convened to meet in that town.  There was but one representative of the nobility present at this meeting, whose legality was more than doubtful, but it included deputies of no less than twelve out of the fourteen towns which were members of the Estates.  The prince sent Ste Aldegonde as his plenipotentiary.  The step taken was practically an act of insurrection against the king.  William had resigned his stadholdership in 1568 and had afterwards been declared an outlaw.  Bossu had been by royal authority appointed to the vacant office.  The Estates now formally recognised the prince as Stadholder of the king in Holland, Zeeland, West Friesland and Utrecht; and he was further invested with the supreme command of the forces both by land and sea and was charged with the duty of protecting the country against foreign oppression or invasion by foreign troops.  Ste Aldegonde in the name of the prince announced his acceptance of the posts that had been conferred on him and declared that he desired, as a condition of such acceptance, that the principle of religious freedom and liberty of worship should be conceded to Catholics and Protestants alike.  To this the Estates assented.  Orange took an oath to maintain the towns in the rights and privileges of which they had been deprived by Alva and not to enter into any negotiations or conclude any treaty with Spain without their consent.  The Court of Holland for the administration of justice was reconstituted and a Chamber of Finance erected.  The question of finance was indeed crucial, for the new stadholder asked for a subsidy of 100,000 crowns a month for the support of the army he had raised for the invasion of Brabant; and the Estates agreed to take measures for appropriating certain taxes for the purpose, an undertaking which had, however, in this time of present distress small likelihood of effectual result.

The course of events indeed in the months which followed this historic gathering at Dordrecht was not encouraging to those who had thus dared somewhat prematurely to brave the wrath of Philip and the vengeance of Alva.  Lewis of Nassau had for some time been engaged in raising a Huguenot force for the invasion of the southern Netherlands.  The news of the capture of Brill and Flushing stirred him to sudden action.  He had collected only a small body of men, but, with characteristic impetuosity he now led these across the frontier, and, before Alva was aware of his presence in Hainault, had captured by surprise Valenciennes and Mons (May 24).  It was a rash move, for no sooner did the news reach the governor-general than he sent his son, Don Frederick of Toledo, at the head of a powerful force to expel the invader.  Don Frederick quickly made himself master of Valenciennes