to protect the frontier.  As a firm peace, however, had now been concluded between Spain and France, and as there was no pretext for compelling the provinces to accept this protection, the presence of a foreign soldiery strengthened a suspicion that they were to be used in the onslaught which was preparing against the religious freedom and the political privileges of the country.  They were to be the nucleus of a larger army, it was believed, by which the land was to be reduced to a state of servile subjection to Spain.  A low, constant, but generally unheeded murmur of dissatisfaction and distrust upon this subject was already perceptible throughout the Netherlands; a warning presage of the coming storm.

All the provinces were now convoked for the 7th of August (1559), at Ghent, there to receive the parting communication and farewell of the King.  Previously to this day, however, Philip appeared in person upon several solemn occasions, to impress upon the country the necessity of attending to the great subject with which his mind was exclusively occupied.  He came before the great council of Mechlin, in order to address that body with his own lips upon the necessity of supporting the edicts to the letter, and of trampling out every vestige of heresy, wherever it should appear, by the immediate immolation of all heretics, whoever they might be.  He likewise caused the estates of Flanders to be privately assembled, that he might harangue them upon the same great topic.  In the latter part of July he proceeded to Ghent, where a great concourse of nobles, citizens, and strangers had already assembled.  Here, in the last week of the month, the twenty-third chapter of the Golden Fleece was held with much pomp, and with festivities which lasted three days.  The fourteen vacancies which existed were filled with the names of various distinguished personages.  With this last celebration the public history of Philip the Good’s ostentatious and ambitious order of knighthood was closed.  The subsequent nominations were made ’ex indultu apostolico’, and without the assembling of a chapter.

The estates having duly assembled upon the day prescribed, Philip, attended by Margaret of Parma, the Duke of Savoy, and a stately retinue of ambassadors and grandees, made his appearance before them.  After the customary ceremonies had been performed, the Bishop of Arras arose and delivered, in the name of his sovereign, an elaborate address of instructions and farewells.  In this important harangue, the states were informed that the King had convened them in order that they might be informed of his intention of leaving the Netherlands immediately.  He would gladly have remained longer in his beloved provinces, had not circumstances compelled his departure.  His father had come hither for the good of the country in the year 1543, and had never returned to Spain, except to die.