Such was the church of Notre Dame at Antwerp.  Thus indifferent or hostile towards the architectural treasure were the inhabitants of a city, where in a previous age the whole population would have risked their lives to defend what they esteemed the pride and garland of their metropolis.

The Prince of Orange had been anxiously solicited by the Regent to attend the conference at Duffel.  After returning to Antwerp, he consented, in consequence of the urgent entreaties of the senate, to delay his departure until the 18th of August should be past.  On the 13th of that month he had agreed with the magistrates upon an ordinance, which was accordingly published, and by which the preachings were restricted to the fields.  A deputation of merchants and others waited upon him with a request to be permitted the exercises of the Reformed religion in the city.  This petition the Prince peremptorily refused, and the deputies, as well as their constituents, acquiesced in the decision, “out of especial regard and respect for his person.”  He, however, distinctly informed the Duchess that it would be difficult or impossible to maintain such a position long, and that his departure from the city would probably be followed by an outbreak.  He warned her that it was very imprudent for him to leave Antwerp at that particular juncture.  Nevertheless, the meeting of the Fleece-knights seemed, in Margaret’s opinion, imperatively to require his presence in Brussels.  She insisted by repeated letters that he should leave Antwerp immediately.

Upon the 18th August, the great and time-honored ceremony of the Ommegang occurred.  Accordingly, the great procession, the principal object of which was to conduct around the city a colossal image of the Virgin, issued as usual from the door of the cathedral.  The image, bedizened and effulgent, was borne aloft upon the shoulders of her adorers, followed by the guilds, the military associations, the rhetoricians, the religious sodalities, all in glittering costume, bearing blazoned banners, and marching triumphantly through the streets with sound of trumpet and beat of drum.  The pageant, solemn but noisy, was exactly such a show as was most fitted at that moment to irritate Protestant minds and to lead to mischief.  No violent explosion of ill-feeling, however, took place.  The procession was followed by a rabble rout of scoffers, but they confined themselves to words and insulting gestures.  The image was incessantly saluted, as she was borne along—­the streets, with sneers, imprecations, and the rudest, ribaldry.  “Mayken!  Mayken!” (little Mary) “your hour is come.  ’Tis your last promenade.  The city is tired of you.”  Such were the greetings which the representative of the Holy Virgin received from men grown weary of antiquated mummery.  A few missiles were thrown occasionally at the procession as it passed through the city, but no damage was inflicted.  When the image was at last restored to its place, and the pageant brought to a somewhat hurried conclusion, there seemed cause for congratulation that no tumult had occurred.