his confederates at Hernani.  Unfortunately, the major-domo of Montigny was in love.  Upon the eve of departure from Spain, his farewell interview with his mistress was so much protracted that the care of sending the bread was left to another.  The substitute managed so unskilfully that the loaf was brought to the commandant of the castle, and not to the prisoner.  The commandant broke the bread, discovered the letter, and became master of the whole plot.  All persons engaged in the enterprise were immediately condemned to death, and the Spanish soldier executed without delay.  The others being considered, on account of their loyalty to their master as deserving a commutation of punishment, were sent to the galleys.  The major-domo, whose ill-timed gallantry had thus cost Montigny his liberty, received two hundred lashes in addition.  All, however, were eventually released from imprisonment.

The unfortunate gentleman was now kept in still closer confinement in his lonely tower.  As all his adherents had been disposed of, he could no longer entertain a hope of escape.  In the autumn of this year (1568) it was thought expedient by Alva to bring his case formally before the Blood Council.  Montigny had committed no crime, but he was one of that band of popular, nobles whose deaths had been long decreed.  Letters were accordingly sent to Spain, empowering certain functionaries there to institute that preliminary examination, which, as usual, was to be the only trial vouchsafed.  A long list of interrogatories was addressed to him on February 7th, 1569, in his prison at Segovia.  A week afterwards, he was again visited by the alcalde, who read over to him the answers which he had made on the first occasion, and required him to confirm them.  He was then directed to send his procuration to certain persons in the Netherlands, whom he might wish to appear in his behalf.  Montigny complied by sending several names, with a clause of substitution.  All the persons thus appointed, however, declined to act, unless they could be furnished with a copy of the procuration, and with a statement of the articles of accusation.  This was positively refused by the Blood Council.  Seeing no possibility of rendering service to their friend by performing any part in this mockery of justice, they refused to accept the procuration.  They could not defend a case when not only the testimony, but even the charges against the accused were kept secret.  An individual was accordingly appointed by government to appear in the prisoner’s behalf.

Thus the forms of justice were observed, and Montigny, a close prisoner in the tower of Segovia, was put upon trial for his life in Brussels.  Certainly nothing could exceed the irony of such a process.  The advocate had never seen his client, thousands of miles away, and was allowed to hold no communication with him by letter.  The proceedings were instituted by a summons, addressed by the Duke of Alva to Madame de Montigny in Brussels.  That unhappy lady could