Sketch of Philip the Second—­Characteristics of Mary Tudor—­Portrait of Philip—­His council—­Rivalry of Rup Gomez and Alva—­Character of Rup Gomez—­Queen Mary of Hungary—­Sketch of Philibert of Savoy—­ Truce of Vaucelles—­Secret treaty between the Pope and Henry II.—­ Rejoicings in the Netherlands on account of the Peace—­Purposes of Philip—­Re-enactment of the edict of 1560—­The King’s dissimulation —­“Request” to the provinces—­Infraction of the truce in Italy—­ Character of Pope Paul iv.—­Intrigues of Cardinal Caraffa—­War against Spain resolved upon by France—­Campaign in Italy—­Amicable siege of Rome—­Pence with the pontiff—­Hostilities on the Flemish border—­Coligny foiled at Douay—­Sacks Lens—­Philip in England—­ Queen Mary engages in the war—­Philip’s army assembled at Givet—­ Portrait of Count Egmont—­The French army under Coligny and Montmorency—­Siege of St. Quentin—­Attempts of the constable to relieve the city—­Battle of St. Quentin—­Hesitation and timidity of Philip—­City of St. Quentin taken and sacked—­Continued indecision of Philip—­His army disbanded—­Campaign of the Duke of Guise—­ Capture of Calais—­Interview between Cardinal de Lorraine and the Bishop of Arran—­Secret combinations for a league between France and Spain against heresy—­Languid movements of Guise—­Foray of De Thermes on the Flemish frontier—­Battle of Gravelines—­Popularity of Egmont—­Enmity of Alva.

Philip the Second had received the investiture of Milan and the crown of Naples, previously to his marriage with Mary Tudor.  The imperial crown he had been obliged, much against his will, to forego.  The archduchy of Austria, with the hereditary German dependencies of his father’s family, had been transferred by the Emperor to his brother Ferdinand, on the occasion of the marriage of that prince with Anna, only sister of King Louis of Hungary.  Ten years afterwards, Ferdinand (King of Hungary and Bohemia since the death of Louis, slain in 1526 at the battle of Mohacz) was elected King of the Romans, and steadily refused all the entreaties afterwards made to him in behalf of Philip, to resign his crown and his succession to the Empire, in favor of his nephew.  With these diminutions, Philip had now received all the dominions of his father.  He was King of all the Spanish kingdoms and of both the Sicilies.  He was titular King of England, France, and Jerusalem.  He was “Absolute Dominator” in Asia, Africa, and America; he was Duke of Milan and of both Burgundies, and Hereditary Sovereign of the seventeen Netherlands.

Thus the provinces had received a new master.  A man of foreign birth and breeding, not speaking a word of their language, nor of any language which the mass of the inhabitants understood, was now placed in supreme authority over them, because he represented, through the females, the “good” Philip of Burgundy, who a century before had possessed himself by inheritance, purchase, force, or fraud, of the sovereignty in most of those provinces.  It is necessary to say an introductory word or two concerning the previous history of the man to whose hands the destiny of so many millions was now entrusted.