I have, further; enjoyed an inestimable advantage in the perusal of the whole correspondence between Philip ii., his ministers, and governors, relating to the affairs of the Netherlands, from the epoch at which this work commences down to that monarch’s death.  Copies of this correspondence have been carefully made from the originals at Simancas by order of the Belgian Government, under the superintendence of the eminent archivist M. Gachard, who has already published a synopsis or abridgment of a portion of it in a French translation.  The translation and abridgment of so large a mass of papers, however, must necessarily occupy many years, and it may be long, therefore, before the whole of the correspondence—­and particularly that portion of it relating to the epoch occupied by these volumes sees the light.  It was, therefore, of the greatest importance for me to see the documents themselves unabridged and untranslated.  This privilege has been accorded me, and I desire to express my thanks to his Excellency M. van de Weyer, the distinguished representative of Belgium at the English Court, to whose friendly offices I am mainly indebted for the satisfaction of my wishes in this respect.  A letter from him to his Excellency M. Rogier, Minister of the Interior in Belgium—­who likewise took the most courteous interest in promoting my views—­obtained for me the permission thoroughly to study this correspondence; and I passed several months in Brussels, occupied with reading the whole of it from the year 1584 to the end of the reign of Philip ii.

I was thus saved a long visit to the Archives of Simancas, for it would be impossible conscientiously to write the history of the epoch without a thorough examination of the correspondence of the King and his ministers.  I venture to hope, therefore—­whatever judgment may be passed upon my own labours—­that this work may be thought to possess an intrinsic value; for the various materials of which it is composed are original, and—­so far as I am aware—­have not been made use of by any historical writer.

I would take this opportunity to repeat my thanks to M. Gachard, Archivist of the kingdom of Belgium, for the uniform courtesy and kindness which I have received at his-hands, and to bear my testimony to the skill and critical accuracy with which he has illustrated so many passages of Belgian and Spanish history.

31, Hertford-street, may-fair, November llth 1860.

THE UNITED NETHERLANDS.

CHAPTER I.

Murder of Orange—­Extension of Protestantism—­Vast Power of Spain—­ Religious Origin of the Revolt—­Disposal of the Sovereignty—­Courage of the Estates of Holland—­Children of William the Silent—­ Provisional Council of State—­Firm attitude of Holland and Zeeland—­ Weakness of Flanders—­Fall of Ghent—­Adroitness