The Admiral, thus peremptorily summoned, within five days, without assistance, without documents, and from the walls of a prison, to answer to these charges, ‘solos ex vinculis causam dicere’, undertook his task with the boldness of innocence.  He protested, of course, to the jurisdiction, and complained of the want of an advocate, not in order to excuse any weakness in his defence, but only any inelegance in his statement.  He then proceeded flatly to deny some of the facts, to admit others, and to repel the whole treasonable inference.  His answer in all essential respects was triumphant.  Supported by the evidence which, alas was not collected and published till after his death, it was impregnable.

He denied that he had ever plotted against his King, to whom he had ever been attached, but admitted that he had desired the removal of Granvelle, to whom he had always been hostile.  He had, however, been an open and avowed enemy to the Cardinal, and had been engaged in no secret conspiracy against his character or against his life.  He denied that the livery (for which, however, he was not responsible) had been intended to ridicule the Cardinal, but asserted that it was intended to afford an example of economy to an extravagant nobility.  He had met Orange and Egmont at Breda and Hoogstraaten, and had been glad to do so, for he had been long separated from them.  These interviews, however, had been social, not political, for good cheer and merry-making, not for conspiracy and treason.  He had never had any connection with the confederacy; he had neither advised nor protected the petition, but, on the contrary, after hearing of the contemplated movement, had written to give notice thereof to the Duchess.  He was in no manner allied, with Brederode, but, on the contrary, for various reasons, was not upon friendly terms with him.  He had not entered his house since his return from Spain.  He had not been a party to the dinner at Culemburg House.  Upon that day he had dined with the Prince of Orange, with whom he was lodging and, after dinner, they had both gone together to visit Mansfeld, who was confined with an inflamed eye.  There they had met Egmont, and the three had proceeded together to Culemburg House in order to bring away Hoogstraaten, whom the confederates had compelled to dine with them; and also to warn the nobles not to commit themselves by extravagant and suspicious excesses.  They had remained in the house but a few minutes, during which time the company had insisted upon their drinking a single cup to the toast of “Vivent le roy et les gueux.”  They had then retired, taking with them Hoogstraaten, and all thinking that they had rendered a service to the government by their visit, instead of having made themselves liable to a charge of treason.  As to the cries of “Vivent les gueux” at the tables of Orange, of the Abbot of Saint Bernard, and at other places, those words had been uttered by simple, harmless fellows; and as he considered, the table a place of freedom, he had not felt himself justified in rebuking the manners of his associates, particularly, in houses where he was himself but a guest.  As for committing treason at the Duffel meeting, he had not been there at all.