might be averted.  The line of policy which he had marked out required the assent of the magnates of the land, and looked towards the convocation of the states-general.  It was natural that he should indulge in the hope of being seconded by the men who were in the same political and social station with himself.  All, although Catholics, hated the inquisition.  As Viglius pathetically exclaimed, “Saint Paul himself would have been unable to persuade these men that good fruit was to be gathered from the inquisition in the cause of religion.”  Saint Paul could hardly be expected to reappear on earth for such a purpose.  Meantime the arguments of the learned President had proved powerless, either to convince the nobles that the institution was laudable or to obtain from the Duchess a postponement in the publication of the late decrees.  The Prince of Orange, however, was not able to bring his usual associates to his way of thinking.  The violent purposes of the leaguers excited the wrath of the more loyal nobles.  Their intentions were so dangerous, even in the estimation of the Prince himself, that he felt it his duty to lay the whole subject before the Duchess, although he was not opposed to the presentation of a modest and moderate Request.  Meghen was excessively indignant at the plan of the confederates, which he pronounced an insult to the government, a treasonable attempt to overawe the Duchess, by a “few wretched vagabonds.”  He swore that “he would break every one of their heads, if the King would furnish him with a couple of hundred thousand florins.”  Orange quietly rebuked this truculent language, by assuring him both that such a process would be more difficult than he thought, and that he would also find many men of great respectability among the vagabonds.

The meeting separated at Hoogstraaten without any useful result, but it was now incumbent upon the Prince, in his own judgment, to watch, and in a measure to superintend, the proceedings of the confederates.  By his care the contemplated Request was much altered, and especially made more gentle in its tone.  Meghen separated himself thenceforth entirely from Orange, and ranged himself exclusively upon the side of Government.  Egmont vacillated, as usual, satisfying neither the Prince nor the Duchess.

Margaret of Parma was seated in her council chamber very soon after these occurrences, attended both by Orange and Egmont, when the Count of Meghen entered the apartment.  With much precipitation, he begged that all matters then before the board might be postponed, in order that he might make an important announcement.  He then stated that he had received information from a gentleman on whose word he could rely, a very affectionate servant of the King, but whose name he had promised not to reveal, that a very extensive conspiracy of heretics and sectaries had been formed, both within and without the Netherlands, that they had already a force of thirty-five thousand men, foot and horse,