The states-general and the whole national party regarded, with prophetic dismay, the approaching dismemberment of their common country.  They sent deputation on deputation to the Walloon states, to warn them of their danger, and to avert, if possible, the fatal measure.  Meantime, as by the already accomplished movement, the “generality” was fast disappearing, and was indeed but the shadow of its former self, it seemed necessary to make a vigorous effort to restore something like unity to the struggling country.  The Ghent Pacification had been their outer wall, ample enough and strong enough to enclose and to protect all the provinces.  Treachery and religious fanaticism had undermined the bulwark almost as soon as reared.  The whole beleaguered country was in danger of becoming utterly exposed to a foe who grew daily more threatening.  As in besieged cities, a sudden breastwork is thrown up internally, when the outward defences are crumbling—­so the energy of Orange had been silently preparing the Union of Utrecht, as a temporary defence until the foe should be beaten back, and there should be time to decide on their future course of action.

During the whole month of December, an active correspondence had been carried on by the Prince and his brother John with various agents in Gelderland, Friesland, and Groningen, as well as with influential personages in the more central provinces and cities.  Gelderland, the natural bulwark to Holland and Zealand, commanding the four great rivers of the country, had been fortunately placed under the government of the trusty John of Nassau, that province being warmly in favor of a closer union with its sister provinces, and particularly with those more nearly allied to itself in religion and in language.

Already, in December (1578), Count John, in behalf of his brother, had laid before the states of Holland and Zealand, assembled at Gorcum, the project of a new union with “Gelderland, Ghent, Friesland, Utrecht, Overyssel, and Groningen.”  The proposition had been favorably entertained, and commissioners had been appointed to confer with other commissioners at Utrecht, whenever they should be summoned by Count John.  The Prince, with the silence and caution which belonged to his whole policy, chose not to be the ostensible mover in the plan himself.  He did not choose to startle unnecessarily the Archduke Matthias—­the cipher who had been placed by his side, whose sudden subtraction would occasion more loss than his presence had conferred benefit.  He did not choose to be cried out upon as infringing the Ghent Pacification, although the whole world knew that treaty to be hopelessly annulled.  For these and many other weighty motives, he proposed that the new Union should be the apparent work of other hands, and only offered to him and to the country, when nearly completed.  January, the deputies of Gelderland and Zutfelt, with Count John, stadholder of these provinces, at their head, met with the deputies of Holland, Zealand, and the provinces between the Ems and the Lauwers, early in January, 1579, and on the 23rd of that month, without waiting longer for the deputies of the other provinces, they agreed provisionally upon a treaty of union which was published afterwards on the 29th, from the Town House of Utrecht.