The Duchess gave, moreover, repeated warnings to her brother, that the nobles were in the habit of obtaining possession of all the correspondence between Madrid and Brussels; and that they spent a vast deal of money in order to read her own and Philip’s most private letters.  She warned him therefore, to be upon his guard, for she believed that almost all their despatches were read.  Such being the cases and the tenor of those documents being what we have seen it to be, her complaints as to the incredulity of those seigniors to her affectionate protestations, seem quite wonderful.

CHAPTER IX., Part 1., 1566

Position of Orange—­The interview at Dendermonde—­The supposititious letters of Alava—­Views of Egmont—­Isolation of Orange—­Conduct of Egmont and of Horn—­Confederacy, of the nobles dissolved—­Weak behavior of prominent personages——­Watchfulness of Orange—­ Convocation of States General demanded—­Pamphlet of Orange—­City of Valenciennes refuses a garrison—­Influence of La Grange and De Bray —­City, declared in a state of siege—­Invested by Noircarmes—­ Movements to relieve the place—­Calvinists defeated at Lannoy and at Waterlots—­Elation of the government—­The siege pressed more closely—­Cruelties practised upon the country people—­Courage of the inhabitants—­Remonstrance to the Knights of the Fleece—­Conduct of Brederode—­Orange at Amsterdam—­New Oath demanded by Government—­ Orange refuses—­He offers his resignation of all offices—­Meeting at Breda—­New “Request” of Brederode—­He creates disturbances and levies troops in Antwerp—­Conduct of Hoogstraaten—­Plans of Brederode—­Supposed connivance of Orange—­Alarm at Brussels—­ Tholouse at Ostrawell—­Brederode in Holland—­De Beauvoir defeats Tholouse—­Excitement at Antwerp—­Determined conduct of Orange—­Three days’ tumult at Antwerp suppressed by the wisdom and courage of Orange.

It is necessary to allude to certain important events contemporaneous with those recorded in the last chapter, that the reader may thoroughly understand the position of the leading personages in this great drama at the close of the year 1566.

The Prince of Orange had, as we have seen, bean exerting all his energies faithfully to accomplish the pacification of the commercial metropolis, upon the basis assented to beforehand by the Duchess.  He had established a temporary religious peace, by which alone at that crisis the gathering tempest could be averted; but he had permitted the law to take its course upon certain rioters, who had been regularly condemned by courts of justice.  He had worked day and night—­notwithstanding immense obstacles, calumnious misstatements, and conflicting opinions—­to restore order out of chaos; he had freely imperilled his own life—­dashing into a tumultuous mob on one occasion, wounding several with the halberd which he snatched from one of his guard, and dispersing almost with his single arm a