“Ah,” said Meetkercke, “we have seen what you could do, when you were masters of the sea.  Don’t make yourselves out quite so little.”

“But,” said the Prince, “the Pacification of Ghent provides for all this.  Your deputies were perfectly satisfied with the guarantees it furnished.  As to making war upon you, ’tis a thing without foundation or appearance of probability.  Had you believed then that you had anything to fear, you world not have forgotten to demand pledges enough.  On the contrary, you saw how roundly we were dealing with you then, honestly disgarnishing the country, even before the peace had been concluded.  For ourselves, although we felt the right to demand guarantees, we would not do it, for we were treating with you on terms of confidence.  We declared expressly that had we been dealing with the King, we should have exacted stricter pledges.  As to demanding them of us at the moment, ’tis nonsense.  We have neither the means of assailing you, nor do we deem it expedient to do so.”

“To say the truth,” replied Schetz, “we are really confident that you will not make war upon us.  On the other hand, however, we see you spreading your religion daily, instead of keeping it confined within your provinces.  What assurance do you give us that, after all your demand shall have been accorded, you will make no innovation in religion.”

“The assurance which we give you,” answered the Prince, “is that we will really accomplish the Pacification.”

“But,” persisted Schetz,” do you fairly, promise to submit to all which the states-general shall ordain, as well on this point of religious exercise in Holland and Zealand, as on all the others?”

This was a home thrust.  The Prince parried it for a while.  In his secret thoughts he had no expectation or desire that the states-general, summoned in a solemn manner by the Governor-General, on the basis of the memorable assembly before which was enacted the grand ceremony of the imperial abdication, would ever hold their session, and although he did not anticipate the prohibition by such assembly, should it take place, of the Reformed worship in Holland and Zealand, he did not intend to submit to it, even should it be made.

“I cannot tell,” said he, accordingly, in reply to the last question, “for ye have yourselves already broken and violated the Pacification; having made an accord with Don John without our consent, and having already received him as Governor.”

“So that you don’t mean,” replied Schetz, “to accept the decision of the states?”

“I don’t say that,” returned the Prince, continuing to parry; “it is possible that we might accept it; it is possible that we might not.  We are no longer in our entire rights, as we were at the time of our first submission at Ghent.”

“But we will make you whole,” said Schetz.

“That you cannot do,” replied the Prince, “for you have broken the Pacification all to pieces.  We have nothing, therefore, to expect from the states, but to be condemned off-hand.