[Bor, x. 812.  Meteren, vi. 120.—­Another motto of his was, “En groot Jurist een booser Christ;” that is to say, A good lawyer is a bad Christian.—­Unfortunately his own character did not give the lie satisfactorily to the device.]

The weatherbeaten Palinurus, as he loved to call himself, had conducted his own argosy so warily that he had saved his whole cargo; and perished in port at last, while others, not sailing by his compass, were still tossed by the tempest.

The agents of Don John were the Duke of Aerschot, the Seigneur de Hierges, Seigneur de Willerval, and Doctor Meetkercke, accompanied by Doctor Andrew Gaill, one of the imperial commissioners.  The two envoys from the states-general, Leoninus and Schetz, being present at Gertruydenberg were added to the deputation.  An important conference took place, the details of which have been somewhat minutely preserved.  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.