The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 27: 1577-78Motley, John Lothrop
History
The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 27: 1577-78
Motley, John Lothrop
Netherlands -- Church history; Netherlands -- History -- Eighty Years' War, 1568-1648
This visit was naturally honored by a brilliant display of "rhetorical"
spectacles and tableaux vivants; for nothing could exceed the passion of
the Netherlanders of that century for apologues and charades. In
allegory they found an ever-present comforter in their deepest
afflictions. The prince was escorted from the Town-gate to the Jacob's
church amid a blaze of tar-barrels and torches, although it was mid-day,
where a splendid exhibition had been arranged by that sovereign guild of
rhetoric, "Jesus with the Balsam Flower." The drama was called Judas
Maccabaeus, in compliment to the Prince. In the centre of the stage
stood the Hebrew patriot, in full armor, symbolizing the illustrious
guest doing battle for his country. He was attended by the three estates
of the country, ingeniously personified by a single individual, who wore
the velvet bonnet of a noble, the cassock of a priest, end the breeches
of a burgher. Groups of allegorical personages were drawn up on the
right and left;--Courage, Patriotism, Freedom, Mercy, Diligence, and
other estimable qualities upon one side, were balanced by Murder, Rapine,
Treason, and the rest of the sisterhood of Crime on the other. The
Inquisition was represented as a lean and hungry hag. The "Ghent
Pacification" was dressed in cramoisy satin, and wore a city on her head
for a turban; while; tied to her apron-strings were Catholicism and
Protestantism, bound in a loving embrace by a chain of seventeen links,
which she was forging upon an anvil. Under the anvil was an individual
in complete harness, engaged in eating his heart; this was Discord. In
front of the scene stood History and Rhetoric, attired as "triumphant
maidens, in white garments," each with a laurel crown and a burning
torch. These personages, after holding a rhymed dialogue between
themselves, filled with wonderful conceits and quibbles, addressed the
Prince of Orange and Maccabaeus, one after the other, in a great quantity
of very detestable verses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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