to do with their expatriation; but he preferred to ascribe it wholly to the protective system adopted by England.  In this he followed the opinion of his preceptor.  “For a long time,” said Assonleville, “the Netherlands have been the Indies to England; and as long as she has them, she needs no other.  The French try to surprise our fortresses and cities:  the English make war upon our wealth and upon the purses of the people.”  Whatever the cause, however, the current of trade was already turned.  The cloth-making of England was already gaining preponderance over that of the provinces.  Vessels now went every week from Sandwich to Antwerp, laden with silk, satin, and cloth, manufactured in England, while as many but a few years before, had borne the Flemish fabrics of the same nature from Antwerp to England.

It might be supposed by disinterested judges that persecution was at the bottom of this change in commerce.  The Prince of Orange estimated that up to this period fifty thousand persons in the provinces had been put to death in obedience to the edicts.  He was a moderate man, and accustomed to weigh his words.  As a new impulse had been given to the system of butchery—­as it was now sufficiently plain that “if the father had chastised his people with a scourge the son held a whip of scorpions” as the edicts were to be enforced with renewed vigor—­it was natural that commerce and manufactures should make their escape out of a doomed land as soon as possible, whatever system of tariffs might be adopted by neighboring nations.

A new step had been resolved upon early in the month of March by the confederates.  A petition, or “Request,” was drawn up, which was to be presented to the Duchess Regent in a formal manner by a large number of gentlemen belonging to the league.  This movement was so grave, and likely to be followed by such formidable results, that it seemed absolutely necessary for Orange and his friends to take some previous cognizance of it before it was finally arranged.  The Prince had no power, nor was there any reason why he should have the inclination, to prevent the measure, but he felt it his duty to do what he could to control the vehemence of the men who were moving so rashly forward, and to take from their manifesto, as much as possible, the character of a menace.

For this end, a meeting ostensibly for social purposes and “good cheer” was held, in the middle of March, at Breda, and afterwards adjourned to Hoogstraaten.  To these conferences Orange invited Egmont, Horn, Hoogstraaten, Berghen, Meghen, Montigny, and other great nobles.  Brederode, Tholouse, Boxtel, and other members of the league, were also present.  The object of the Prince in thus assembling his own immediate associates, governors of provinces and knights of the Fleece, as well as some of the leading members of the league, was twofold.  It had long been his opinion that a temperate and loyal movement was still possible, by which the impending convulsions