In truth, the time had arrived for bringing the northern and southern, the Celtic and German, the Protestant and Catholic, hearts together, or else for acquiescing in their perpetual divorce.  If the sentiment of nationality, the cause of a common fatherland, could now overcome the attachment to a particular form of worship—­if a common danger and a common destiny could now teach the great lesson of mutual toleration, it might yet be possible to create a united Netherland, and defy for ever the power of Spain.  Since the Union of Brussels, of January, 1577, the internal cancer of religious discord had again begun to corrode the body politic.  The Pacification of Ghent had found the door open to religious toleration.  It had not opened, but had left it open.  The union of Brussels had closed the door again.  Contrary to the hopes of the Prince of Orange and of the patriots who followed in his track, the sanction given to the Roman religion had animated the Catholics to fresh arrogance and fresh persecution.  In the course of a few months, the only fruits of the new union, from which so much had been hoped, were to be seen in imprisonments, confiscations, banishments, executions.  The Perpetual Edict, by which the fifteen provinces had united in acknowledging Don John while the Protestant stronghold of Holland and Zealand had been placed in a state of isolation by the wise distrust of Orange, had widened the breach between Catholics and Protestants.  The subsequent conduct of Don John had confirmed the suspicions and demonstrated the sagacity of the Prince.  The seizure of Namur and the open hostility avowed by the Governor once more forced the provinces together.  The suppressed flames of nationality burst forth again.  Catholic and Protestant, Fleming and Hollander, instinctively approached each other, and felt the necessity of standing once more shoulder to shoulder in defence of their common rights.  The Prince of Orange was called for by the unanimous cry of the whole country.  He came to Brussels.  His first step, as already narrated, was to break off negotiations which had been already ratified by the votes of the states-general.  The measure was reconsidered, under pretence of adding certain amendments.  Those amendments were the unconditional articles of surrender proposed for Don John’s signature on the 25th of September—­articles which could only elicit words of defiance from his lips.

Thus far the Prince’s object was accomplished.  A treacherous peace, which would have ensured destruction, was averted, but a new obstacle to the development of his broad and energetic schemes arose in the intrigue which brought the Archduke from Vienna.  The cabals of Orange’s secret enemies were again thwarted with the same adroitness to which his avowed antagonists were forced to succumb.  Matthias was made the exponent of the new policy, the standard-bearer of the new union which the Prince now succeeded in establishing;