of citizens.  Toward the close of a summer’s afternoon, the Duke wearing the famous hat and sword of the Pope, took his seat on the throne with all the airs of royalty.  After a few preliminary ceremonies, a civil functionary, standing between two heralds; then recited the long-expected act of grace.  His reading, however, was so indistinct, that few save the soldiers in the immediate vicinity of the platform could hear a word of the document.

This effect was, perhaps, intentional.  Certainly but little enthusiasm could be expected from the crowd, had the text of the amnesty been heard.  It consisted of three parts—­a recitation of the wrongs committed, a statement of the terms of pardon, and a long list of exceptions.  All the sins of omission and commission, the heresy, the public preaching, the image-breaking, the Compromise, the confederacy, the rebellion, were painted in lively colors.  Pardon, however, was offered to all those who had not rendered themselves liable to positive impeachment, in case they should make their peace with the Church before the expiration of two months, and by confession and repentance obtain their absolution.  The exceptions, however, occupied the greater part of the document.  When the general act of condemnation had been fulminated by which all Netherlanders were sentenced to death, the exceptions had been very few, and all the individuals mentioned by name.  In the act of pardon, the exceptions comprehended so many classes of inhabitants, that it was impossible for any individual to escape a place in, some one of the categories, whenever it should please the government to take his life.  Expressly excluded from the benefit of the act were all ministers, teachers, dogmatizers, and all who had favored and harbored such dogmatizers and preachers; all those in the least degree implicated in the image-breaking; all who had ever been individually suspected of heresy or schism; all who had ever signed or favored the Compromise or the Petition to the Regent; all those who had taken up arms, contributed money, distributed tracts; all those in any manner chargeable with misprision, or who had failed to denounce those guilty of heresy.  All persons, however, who were included in any of these classes of exceptions might report themselves within six months, when, upon confession of their crime, they might hope for a favorable consideration of their case.

Such, in brief, and stripped of its verbiage, was this amnesty for which the Netherlands had so long been hoping.  By its provisions, not a man or woman was pardoned who had ever committed a fault.  The innocent alone were forgiven.  Even they were not sure of mercy, unless they should obtain full absolution from the Pope.  More certainly than ever would the accustomed rigor be dealt to all who had committed any of those positive acts for which so many had already lost their heads.  The clause by which a possibility of pardon was hinted to such criminals, provided they would confess and surrender,