The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 23: 1576Motley, John Lothrop
History
The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 23: 1576
Motley, John Lothrop
Netherlands -- Church history; Netherlands -- History -- Eighty Years' War, 1568-1648
suspicion and abhorrence. The leading Spanish officers, Romero,
Montesdocca, Verdugo, and others, who had attempted to quell the mutiny,
had been driven off with threats and curses, their soldiers defying them
and brandishing their swords in their very faces. On the other hand,
they were looked upon with ill-will by the Netherlanders. The most
prominent Spanish personages in Brussels were kept in a state of half-
imprisonment. Romero, Roda, Verdugo, were believed to favor at heart the
cause of their rebellious troops, and the burghers of Brabant had come to
consider all the King's army in a state of rebellion. Believing the
State Council powerless to protect them from the impending storm, they
regarded that body with little respect, keeping it, as it were, in
durance, while the Spaniards were afraid to walk the streets of Brussels
for fear of being murdered. A retainer of Rods, who had ventured to
defend the character and conduct of his master before a number of excited
citizens, was slain on the spot.
In Antwerp, Champagny, brother of Granvelle, and governor of the city,
was disposed to cultivate friendly relations with the Prince of Orange.
Champagny hated the Spaniards, and the hatred seemed to establish enough
of sympathy between himself and the liberal party to authorize confidence
in him. The Prince dealt with him, but regarded him warily. Fifteen
companies of German troops, under Colonel Altaemst, were suspected of a
strong inclination to join the mutiny. They were withdrawn from Antwerp,
and in their room came Count Uberstein, with his regiment, who swore to
admit no suspicious person inside the gates, and in all things to obey
the orders of Champagny. In the citadel, however, matters were very
threatening. Sancho d'Avila, the governor, although he had not openly
joined the revolt, treated the edict of outlawry against the rebellious
soldiery with derision. He refused to publish a decree which he
proclaimed infamous, and which had been extorted, in his opinion, from an
impotent and trembling council. Even Champagny had not desired or dared
to publish the edict within the city. The reasons alleged were his fears
of irritating and alarming the foreign merchants, whose position was so
critical and friendship so important at that moment. On the other hand,
it was loudly and joyfully published in most other towns of Flanders and
Brabant. In Brussels there were two parties, one holding the decree
too audacious for his Majesty to pardon; the other clamoring for its
instantaneous fulfilment. By far the larger and more influential portion
of the population favored the measure, and wished the sentence of
outlawry and extermination to be extended at once against all Spaniards
and other foreigners in the service of the King. It seemed imprudent to
wait until all the regiments had formally accepted the mutiny, and
concentrated themselves into a single body.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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