The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 09: 1564-65Motley, John Lothrop
History
The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 09: 1564-65
Motley, John Lothrop
Netherlands -- Church history; Netherlands -- History -- Eighty Years' War, 1568-1648
forbidden by the favorite even to salute him in the streets. Berlaymont
was treated by the Duchess with studied insult. "What is the man talking
about?" she would ask with languid superciliousness, if he attempted to
express his opinion in the state-council. Viglius, whom Berlaymont
accused of doing his best, without success, to make his peace with the
seigniors, was in even still greater disgrace than his fellow-
cardinalists. He longed, he said, to be in Burgundy, drinking
Granvelle's good wine. His patience under the daily insults which he
received from the government made him despicable in the eyes of his own
party. He was described by his friends as pusillanimous to an incredible
extent, timid from excess of riches, afraid of his own shadow. He was
becoming exceedingly pathetic, expressing frequently a desire to depart
and end his days in peace. His faithful Hopper sustained and consoled
him, but even Joachim could not soothe his sorrows when he reflected that
after all the work performed by himself and colleagues, "they had only
been beating the bush for others," while their own share in the spoils
had been withheld. Nothing could well be more contumelious than
Margaret's treatment of the learned Frisian. When other councillors were
summoned to a session at three o'clock, the President was invited at
four. It was quite impossible for him to have an audience of the Duchess
except in the presence of the inevitable Armenteras. He was not allowed
to open his mouth, even when he occasionally plucked up heart enough to
attempt the utterance of his opinions. His authority was completely
dead. Even if he essayed to combat the convocation of the states-general
by the arguments which the Duchess, at his suggestion, had often used for
the purpose, he was treated with the same indifference. "The poor
President," wrote Granvelle to the King's chief secretary, Gonzalo Perez,
"is afraid, as I hear, to speak a word, and is made to write exactly what
they tell him." At the same time the poor President, thus maltreated and
mortified, had the vanity occasionally to imagine himself a bold and
formidable personage. The man whom his most intimate friends described
as afraid of his own shadow, described himself to Granvelle as one who
went his own gait, speaking his mind frankly upon every opportunity, and
compelling people to fear him a little, even if they did not love him.
But the Cardinal knew better than to believe in this magnanimous picture
of the doctor's fancy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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