requested the speaker to be comforted, “because,”
said he, “it will always be easy to find a new
Egmont.” Upon this, Brederode, beside himself
with rage, cried out vehemently, “Are we to
tolerate such language from this priest?” Gulemburg,
too, turning upon the offender, observed, “Your
observation would be much more applicable to your
own case. If you were to die, ’t would
be easy to find five hundred of your merit, to replace
you in the see of Cambray.” The conversation
was, to say the least, becoming personal. The
Bishop, desirous of terminating this keen encounter
of wits, lifted a goblet full of wine and challenged
Brederode to drink. That gentleman declined the
invitation. After the cloth had been removed,
the cup circulated more freely than ever. The
revelry became fast and furious. One of the younger
gentlemen who was seated near the Bishop snatched
the bonnet of that dignitary from his head and placed
it upon his own. He then drained a bumper to
his health, and passed the goblet and the cap to his
next neighbor. Both circulated till they reached
the Viscount of Ghent, who arose from his seat and
respectfully restored the cap to its owner. Brederode
then took a large “cup of silver and gold,”
filled it to the brim, and drained it to the confusion
of Cardinal Granvelle; stigmatizing that departed
minister, as he finished, by an epithet of more vigor
than decency. He then called upon all the company
to pledge him to the same toast, and denounced as cardinalists
all those who should refuse. The Archbishop,
not having digested the affronts which had been put
upon him already, imprudently ventured himself once
more into the confusion, and tried to appeal to the
reason of the company. He might as well have
addressed the crew of Comus. He gained nothing
but additional insult. Brederode advanced upon
him with threatening gestures. Egmont implored
the prelate to retire, or at least not to take notice
of a nobleman so obviously beyond the control of his
reason. The Bishop, however, insisted—mingling
reproof, menace; and somewhat imperious demands—that
the indecent Saturnalia should cease. It would
have been wiser for him to retire. Count Hoogstraaten,
a young man and small of stature, seized the gilt
laver, in which the company had dipped their fingers
before seating themselves at table: “Be
quiet, be quiet, little man,” said Egmont, soothingly,
doing his best to restrain the tumult. “Little
man, indeed,” responded the Count, wrathfully;
“I would have you to know that never did little
man spring from my race.” With those words
he hurled the basin, water, and all, at the head of
the Archbishop. Hoogstraaten had no doubt manifested
his bravery before that day; he was to display, on
future occasions, a very remarkable degree of heroism;
but it must be confessed that the chivalry of the
noble house of Lalaing was not illustrated by this
attack upon a priest. The Bishop was sprinkled
by the water, but not struck by the vessel. Young