The Walloon accord was an auspicious prelude, in the eyes of the friends of absolutism, to the negotiations which were opened in the month of May, at Cologne.  Before sketching, as rapidly as possible, those celebrated but barren conferences, it is necessary, for the sake of unity in the narrative, to cast a glance at certain synchronical events in different parts of the Netherlands.

The success attained by the Catholic party in the Walloon negotiations had caused a corresponding bitterness in the hearts of the Reformers throughout the country.  As usual, bitterness had begot bitterness; intolerance engendered intolerance.  On the 28th of May, 1579, as the Catholics of Antwerp were celebrating the Ommegang—­the same festival which had been the exciting cause of the memorable tumults of the year sixty-five—­the irritation of the populace could not be repressed.  The mob rose in its wrath to put down these demonstrations—­which, taken in connection with recent events, seemed ill-timed and insolent—­of a religion whose votaries then formed but a small minority of the Antwerp citizens.  There was a great tumult.  Two persons were killed.  The Archduke Matthias, who was himself in the Cathedral of Notre Dame assisting at the ceremony, was in danger of his life.  The well known cry of “paapen uit” (out with the papists) resounded through the streets, and the priests and monks were all hustled out of town amid a tempest of execrations.  Orange did his utmost to quell the mutiny, nor were his efforts fruitless—­for the uproar, although seditious and disgraceful, was hardly sanguinary.  Next day the Prince summoned the magistracy, the Monday council, the guild officers, with all the chief municipal functionaries, and expressed his indignation in decided terms.  He protested that if such tumults, originating in that very spirit of intolerance which he most deplored, could not be repressed for the future, he was determined to resign his offices, and no longer to affect authority in a city where his counsels were derided.  The magistrates, alarmed at his threats, and sympathizing with his anger, implored him not to desert them, protesting that if he should resign his offices, they would instantly lay down their, own.  An ordinance was then drawn up and immediately, proclaimed at the Town House, permitting the Catholics to re-enter the city, and to enjoy the privileges of religious worship.  At the same time, it was announced that a new draft of a religious peace would be forthwith issued for the adoption of every city.

A similar tumult, arising from the same cause, at Utrecht, was attended with the like result.  On the other hand, the city of Brussels was astonished by a feeble and unsuccessful attempts at treason, made by a youth who bore an illustrious name.  Philip, Count of Egmont, eldest son of the unfortunate Lamoral, had command of a regiment in the service of the states.  He had, besides, a small body of cavalry in immediate