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.

“You don’t mean, then,” repeated Schetz, “to submit to the estates touching the exercise of religion?”

“No, we do not!” replied the Prince, driven into a corner at last, and striking out in his turn.  “We certainly do not.  To tell you the truth, we see that you intend our extirpation, and we don’t mean to be extirpated.”

“Ho!” said the Duke of Aerschot, “there is nobody who wishes that.”

“Indeed, but you do,” said the Prince.  “We have submitted ourselves to you in good faith, and you now would compel us and all the world to maintain exclusively the Catholic religion.  This cannot be done except by extirpating us.”

A long, learned, vehement discussion upon abstract points, between Saint Aldegonde, Leoninus, and Doctor Gaill, then ensued, during which the Prince, who had satisfied himself as to the result of the conference, retired from the apartment.  He afterwards had a private convention with Schetz and Leoninus, in which he reproached them with their inclination to reduce their fatherland to slavery.  He also took occasion to remark to Hiergea, that it was a duty to content the people; that whatever might be accomplished for them was durable, whereas the will of kings was perishing.  He told the Duke of Aerschot that if Utrecht were not restored, he would take it by force.  He warned the Duke that to trust the King was to risk his head.  He, at least, would never repose confidence in him, having been deceived too often.  The King cherished the maxim, ‘hereticis non est servanda fides;’ as for himself he was ’calbo y calbanista,’ and meant to die so.