of unsuspected Romanism were alone to exercise their functions, and were bound to give notice within twenty-four hours of every birth which occurred; the parish clerks were as regularly to record every such addition to the population, and the authorities to see that Catholic baptism was administered in each case with the least possible delay.  Births, deaths, and marriages could only occur with validity under the shadow of the Church.  No human being could consider himself born or defunct unless provided with a priest’s certificate.  The heretic was excluded, so far as ecclesiastical dogma could exclude him, from the pale of humanity, from consecrated earth, and from eternal salvation.

The decrees contained many provisions which not only conflicted with the privileges of the provinces, but with the prerogatives of the sovereign.  For this reason many of the lords in council thought that at least the proper exceptions should be made upon their promulgation.  This was also the opinion of the Duchess, but the King, by his letters of October, and November (1564), expressly prohibited any alteration in the ordinances, and transmitted a copy of the form according to which the canons had been published in Spain, together with the expression of his desire that a similar course should be followed in the Netherlands.  Margaret of Parma was in great embarrassment.  It was evident that the publication could no longer be deferred.  Philip had issued his commands, but grave senators and learned doctors of the university had advised strongly in favor of the necessary exceptions.  The extreme party, headed by Viglius, were in favor of carrying out the royal decisions.  They were overruled, and the Duchess was induced to attempt a modification, if her brother’s permission could be obtained.  The President expressed the opinion that the decrees, even with the restrictions proposed, would “give no contentment to the people, who, moreover, had no right to meddle with theology.”  The excellent Viglius forgot, however, that theology had been meddling altogether too much with the people to make it possible that the public attention should be entirely averted from the subject.  Men and women who might be daily summoned to rack, stake, and scaffold, in the course of these ecclesiastical arrangements, and whose births, deaths, marriages, and position in the next world, were now to be formally decided upon, could hardly be taxed with extreme indiscretion, if they did meddle with the subject.

In the dilemma to which the Duchess was reduced, she again bethought herself of a special mission to Spain.  At the end of the year (1564), it was determined that Egmont should be the envoy.  Montigny excused himself on account of private affairs; Marquis Berghen “because of his indisposition and corpulence.”  There was a stormy debate in council after Egmont had accepted the mission and immediately before his departure.  Viglius had been ordered to prepare