In Antwerp, Champagny, brother of Granvelle, and governor of the city, was disposed to cultivate friendly relations with the Prince of Orange.  Champagny hated the Spaniards, and the hatred seemed to establish enough of sympathy between himself and the liberal party to authorize confidence in him.  The Prince dealt with him, but regarded him warily.  Fifteen companies of German troops, under Colonel Altaemst, were suspected of a strong inclination to join the mutiny.  They were withdrawn from Antwerp, and in their room came Count Uberstein, with his regiment, who swore to admit no suspicious person inside the gates, and in all things to obey the orders of Champagny.  In the citadel, however, matters were very threatening.  Sancho d’Avila, the governor, although he had not openly joined the revolt, treated the edict of outlawry against the rebellious soldiery with derision.  He refused to publish a decree which he proclaimed infamous, and which had been extorted, in his opinion, from an impotent and trembling council.  Even Champagny had not desired or dared to publish the edict within the city.  The reasons alleged were his fears of irritating and alarming the foreign merchants, whose position was so critical and friendship so important at that moment.  On the other hand, it was loudly and joyfully published in most other towns of Flanders and Brabant.  In Brussels there were two parties, one holding the decree too audacious for his Majesty to pardon; the other clamoring for its instantaneous fulfilment.  By far the larger and more influential portion of the population favored the measure, and wished the sentence of outlawry and extermination to be extended at once against all Spaniards and other foreigners in the service of the King.  It seemed imprudent to wait until all the regiments had formally accepted the mutiny, and concentrated themselves into a single body.

At this juncture, on the last day of July, the Marquis off Havre, brother to the Duke of Aerschot, arrived out of Spain.  He was charged by the King with conciliatory but unmeaning phrases to the estates.  The occasion was not a happy one.  There never was a time when direct and vigorous action had been more necessary.  It was probably the King’s desire then, as much as it ever had been his desire at all, to make up the quarrel with his provinces.  He had been wearied with the policy which Alva had enforced, and for which he endeavoured at that period to make the Duke appear responsible.  The barren clemency which the Grand Commander had been instructed to affect, had deceived but few persons, and had produced but small results.  The King was, perhaps, really inclined at this juncture to exercise clemency—­that is to say he was willing to pardon his people for having contended for their rights, provided they were now willing to resign them for ever.  So the Catholic religion and his own authority, were exclusively and inviolably secured, he was willing to receive