As to the second point, he admitted that Anjou had gained little honor by his recent course; and that it would be a mistake on their part to stumble a second time over the same stone.  He foresaw, nevertheless, that the Duke—­irritated as he was by the loss of so many of his nobles, and by the downfall of all his hopes in the Netherlands—­would be likely to inflict great injuries upon their cause.  Two powerful nations like France and Spain would be too much to have on their hands at once.  How much danger, too, would be incurred by braving at once the open wrath of the French King, and, the secret displeasure of the English Queen.  She had warmly recommended the Duke of Anjou.  She had said—­that honors to him were rendered to herself; and she was now entirely opposed to their keeping the present quarrel alive.  If France became their enemy, the road was at once opened through that kingdom for Spain.  The estates were to ponder well whether they possessed the means to carry on such a double war without assistance.  They were likewise to remember how many cities still remained in the hands of Anjou, and their possible fate if the Duke were pushed to extremity.

The third point was then handled with vigor.  He reminded the states of the perpetual difficulty of raising armies, of collecting money to pay for troops, of inducing cities to accept proper garrisons, of establishing a council which could make itself respected.  He alluded briefly and bitterly to the perpetual quarrels of the states among themselves; to their mutual jealousy; to their obstinate parsimony; to their jealousy of the general government; to their apathy and inertness before impending ruin.  He would not calumniate those, he said, who counselled trust in God.  That was his sentiment also:  To attempt great affairs, however, and, through avarice, to-withhold sufficient means, was not trusting, but tempting God.—­On the contrary, it was trusting God to use the means which He offered to their hands.

With regard, then, to the three points, he rejected the first.  Reconciliation with the King of Spain was impossible.  For his own part, he would much prefer the third course.  He had always been in favor of their maintaining independence by their own means and the assistance of the Almighty.  He was obliged, however, in sadness; to confess that the narrow feeling of individual state rights, the general tendency to disunion, and the constant wrangling, had made this course a hopeless one.  There remained, therefore, only the second, and they must effect an honorable reconciliation with Anjou.  Whatever might be their decision, however, it was meet that it should be a speedy one.  Not an hour was to be lost.  Many fair churches of God, in Anjou’s power, were trembling on the issue, and religious and political liberty was more at stake than ever.  In conclusion, the Prince again expressed his determination, whatever might be their decision, to devote the rest of his days to the services of his country.