The Prince of Orange, accompanied by Saint Aldegonde and four other councillors, encountered the seven champions from Brussels in a long debate, which was more like a passage of arms or a trial of skill than a friendly colloquy with a pacific result in prospect; for it must be remembered that the Prince of Orange did not mean peace.  He had devised the Pacification of Ghent as a union of the other provinces with Holland and Zealand, against Philip.  He did not intend that it should be converted into a union of the other provinces with Philip, against Holland and Zealand.

Meetkercke was the first to speak.  He said that the Governor had despatched them to the Prince, to express his good intentions, to represent the fidelity with which his promises had thus far been executed, and to entreat the Prince, together with the provinces of Holland and Zealand, to unite with their sister provinces in common allegiance to his Majesty.  His Highness also proposed to advise with them concerning the proper method of convoking the states-general.  As soon as Meetkercke had finished his observations, the Prince demanded that the points and articles should be communicated to him in writing.  Now this was precisely what the envoys preferred to omit.  It was easier, and far more agreeable to expatiate in a general field of controversy,—­ than to remain tethered to distinct points.  It was particularly in these confused conferences, where neither party was entirely sincere, that the volatile word was thought preferable to the permanent letter.  Already so many watery lines had been traced, in the course of these fluctuating negotiations, that a few additional records would be if necessary, as rapidly effaced as the rest.

The commissioners, after whispering in each other’s, ears for a few minutes, refused to put down anything in writing.  Protocols, they said, only engendered confusion.

“No, no,” said the .Prince, in reply, “we will have nothing except in black and white.  Otherwise things will be said on both sides, which will afterwards be interpreted in different ways.  Nay, it will be denied that some important points have been discussed at all.  We know that by experience.  Witness the solemn treaty of Ghent, which ye have tried to make fruitless, under pretence that some points, arranged by word of mouth, and not stated particularly in writing, had been intended in a different sense from the obvious one.  Governments given by royal commission, for example; what point could be clearer?  Nevertheless, ye have hunted up glosses and cavils to obscure the intention of the contracting parties.  Ye have denied my authority over Utrecht, because not mentioned expressly in the treaty of Ghent.”

“But,” said one of the envoys, interrupting at this point, “neither the Council of State nor the Court of Mechlin consider Utrecht as belonging to your Excellency’s government.”

“Neither the Council of State,” replied the Prince, “nor the Court of Mechlin have anything to do with the matter.  ’Tis in my commission, and all the world knows it.”  He added that instead of affairs being thrown into confusion by being reduced to writing, he was of opinion, on the contrary, that it was by that means alone they could be made perfectly clear.