These urgent appeals did not remain fruitless.  The strength of the Prince was slowly but steadily increasing.  Meantime the abhorrence with which Alva was universally regarded had nearly reached to frenzy.  In the beginning of the year 1572, Don Francis de Alava, Philip’s ambassador in France, visited Brussels.  He had already been enlightened as to the consequences of the Duke’s course by the immense immigration of Netherland refugees to France, which he had witnessed with his own eyes.  On his journey towards Brussels he had been met near Cambray by Noircarmes.  Even that “cruel animal,” as Hoogstraaten had called him, the butcher of Tournay and Valenciennes, had at last been roused to alarm, if not to pity, by the sufferings of the country.  “The Duke will never disabuse his mind of this filthy tenth penny,” said he to Alava.  He sprang from his chair with great emotion as the ambassador alluded to the flight of merchants and artisans from the provinces.  “Senor Don Francis,” cried he, “there are ten thousand more who are on the point of leaving the country, if the Governor does not pause in his career.  God grant that no disaster arise beyond human power to remedy.”

The ambassador arrived in Brussels, and took up his lodgings in the palace.  Here he found the Duke just recovering from a fit of the gout, in a state of mind sufficiently savage.  He became much excited as Don Francis began to speak of the emigration, and he assured him that there was gross deception on the subject.  The envoy replied that he could not be mistaken, for it was a matter which, so to speak, he had touched with his own fingers, and seen with his own eyes.  The Duke, persisting that Don Francis had been abused and misinformed, turned the conversation to other topics.  Next day the ambassador received visits from Berlaymont and his son, the Seigneur de Hierges.  He was taken aside by each of them, separately.  “Thank God, you have come hither,” said they, in nearly the same words, “that you may fully comprehend the condition of the provinces, and without delay admonish his Majesty of the impending danger.”  All his visitors expressed the same sentiments.  Don Frederic of Toledo furnished the only exception, assuring the envoy that his father’s financial measures were opposed by Noircarmes and others, only because it deprived them of their occupation and their influence.  This dutiful language, however, was to be expected in one of whom Secretary Albornoz had written, that he was the greatest comfort to his father, and the most divine genius ever known.  It was unfortunately corroborated by no other inhabitant of the country.