It was very natural that Margaret of Parma should be indignant at being thus superseded.  She considered herself as having acquired much credit by the manner in which the latter insurrectionary movements had been suppressed, so soon as Philip, after his endless tergiversations, had supplied her with arms and money.  Therefore she wrote in a tone of great asperity to her brother, expressing her discontent.  She had always been trammelled in her action, she said, by his restrictions upon her authority.  She complained that he had no regard for her reputation or her peace of mind.  Notwithstanding, all impediments and dangers, she had at last settled the country, and now another person was to reap the honor.  She also despatched the Seigneur de Billy to Spain, for the purpose of making verbal representations to his Majesty upon the inexpediency of sending the Duke of Alva to the Netherlands at that juncture with a Spanish army.

Margaret gained nothing, however, by her letters and her envoy, save a round rebuke from Philip, who was not accustomed to brook the language of remonstrance; even from his sister.  His purpose was fixed.  Absolute submission was now to be rendered by all.  “He was highly astonished and dissatisfied,” he said, “that she should dare to write to him with so much passion, and in so resolute a manner.  If she received no other recompense, save the glory of having restored the service of God, she ought to express her gratitude to the King for having given her the opportunity of so doing.”

The affectation of clement intentions was still maintained, together with the empty pretence of the royal visit.  Alva and his army were coming merely to prepare the way for the King, who still represented himself as “debonair and gentle, slow to anger, and averse from bloodshed.”  Superficial people believed that the King was really coming, and hoped wonders from his advent.  The Duchess knew better.  The Pope never believed in it, Granvelle never believed in it, the Prince of Orange never believed in it, Councillor d’Assonleville never believed in it.  “His Majesty,” says the Walloon historian, who wrote from Assonleville’s papers, “had many imperative reasons for not coming.  He was fond of quiet, he was a great negotiator, distinguished for phlegm and modesty, disinclined to long journeys, particularly to sea voyages, which were very painful to him.  Moreover, he was then building his Escorial with so much taste and affection that it was impossible for him to leave home.”  These excellent reasons sufficed to detain the monarch, in whose place a general was appointed, who, it must be confessed, was neither phlegmatic nor modest, and whose energies were quite equal to the work required.  There had in truth never been any thing in the King’s project of visiting the Netherlands but pretence.