Even if executed, this celebrated memorandum would hardly have been at variance with the declarations made by the Prince to the Spanish government.  He had never pretended that his bride was to become a Catholic, but only to live as a Catholic.  All that he had promised, or was expected to promise, was that his wife should conform to the law in the Netherlands.  The paper, in a general way, recognized that law.  In case of absolute necessity, however, it was stipulated that the Princess should have the advantage of private sacraments.  This certainly would have been a mortal offence in a Calvinist or Anabaptist, but for Lutherans the practise had never been so strict.  Moreover, the Prince already repudiated the doctrines of the edicts, and rebelled against the command to administer them within his government.  A general promise, therefore, made by him privately, in the sense of the memorandum drawn up by the Elector, would have been neither hypocritical nor deceitful, but worthy the man who looked over such grovelling heads as Granvelle and Philip on the one side, or Augustus of Saxony on the other, and estimated their religious pretences at exactly what they were worth.  A formal document, however, technically according all these demands made by the Elector, would certainly be regarded by the Spanish government as a very culpable instrument.  The Prince never signed the note, but, as we shall have occasion to state in its proper place, he gave a verbal declaration, favorable to its tenor, but in very vague and brief terms, before a notary, on the day of the marriage.

If the reader be of opinion that too much time has been expended upon the elucidation of this point, he should remember that the character of a great and good man is too precious a possession of history to be lightly abandoned.  It is of no great consequence to ascertain the precise creed of Augustus of Saxony, or of his niece; it is of comparatively little moment to fix the point at which William of Orange ceased to be an honest, but liberal Catholic, and opened his heart to the light of the Reformation; but it is of very grave interest that his name should be cleared of the charge of deliberate fraud and hypocrisy.  It has therefore been thought necessary to prove conclusively that the Prince never gave, in Dresden or Cassel, any assurance inconsistent with his assertions to King and Cardinal.  The whole tone of his language and demeanor on the religious subject was exhibited in his reply to the Electress, who, immediately after the marriage, entreated that he would not pervert her niece from the paths of the true religion.  “She shall not be troubled,” said the Prince, “with such melancholy things.  Instead of holy writ she shall read ‘Amadis de Gaule,’ and such books of pastime which discourse de amore; and instead of knitting and sewing she shall learn to dance a galdiarde, and such courtoisies as are the mode of our country and suitable to her rank.”