The affectionate deference testified towards the young governor by all classes, the moment he made his appearance in public, appeared to Gonzaga strangely in contradiction with the declarations of Don John that he was no favourite in Belgium. The Italian forgot that the Duke of Arschot, the Counts of Mansfeld and Barlaimont, while doffing their caps to the representative of the King of Spain, had as much right to behold in him the devoted friend of Don John of Austria, as _he_ to regard _them_ as the faithful vassals of his government. A fair country is the country of Namur!--The confluent streams--the impending rocks--the spreading forests of its environs, comprehend the finest features of landscape; nor could Ottavio Gonzaga feel surprised that his prince should find as much more pleasure in those breesy plains than in the narrow streets of Brussels, as he found security and strength. On the rocks overhanging the Meuse, at some distance from the town, stands the village of Bouge, fortified by Don John; to attain which by land, hamlets and thickets were to be traversed; and it was pleasant to see the Walloon peasant children run forth from the cottages to salute the royal train, making their heavy Flemish chargers swerve aside and perform their lumbering cabrioles far more deftly than the cannonading of the rebels, to which they were almost accustomed. As they cut across a meadow formed by the windings of the Meuse, they saw at a distance a group formed, like most groups congregated just then in the district, of soldiers and peasants; to which the attention of the prince being directed, Nignio di Zuniga, his aide-de-camp, was dispatched to ascertain the cause of the gathering. "A nothing, if it please your highness!" was the reply of the Spaniard--galloping back, hat in hand, with its plumes streaming in the breeze;--that the Prince's train, which had halted, might resume its pace. "But a nothing of what sort?" persisted Don John, who appreciated the trivialties of life very differently from those by whom he was surrounded. "A village grievance!--An old woman roaring her lungs out for a cow which has been carried off by our troopers!"--grumbled the aide-de-camp, with less respect than was usual to him. "And call you that a _nothing_?"--exclaimed his master. "By our lady of Liesse, it is an act of cruelty and oppression--a thing calculated to make us hateful in the eyes of the village!--And many villages, my good Nignio, represent districts, and many districts provinces, and provinces a country; and by an accumulation of such resentments as the indignation of this old crone, will the King of Spain and the Catholic faith be driven out of Flanders!--See to it! I want no further attendance of you this morning! Let the cow be restored before sunset, and the marauders punished."