is son, who
also inherited the Flemish provinces. Mr. Motley's incomparable History
of the Rise of the Dutch Republic, commences at this point, with the
abdication of Charles V., and the accession of Philip II. I hope all who
have not read this work will do so, as many of you can, here in the
midst of the scenes described in its glowing pages.

"Philip was a bigot and a tyrant, and his despotism, which included the
establishment of the Inquisition, drove the people to madness, and
provoked them to rebellion. During the reign of Charles V. the
Reformation had made considerable progress in Germany, and its
principles were firmly planted in the Low Countries. Philip imposed upon
himself the duty of rooting out the obnoxious doctrines, and of
restoring the supremacy of the Catholic church.

"After his accession to the Netherlands, the king remained four years in
the country, and then departed for Spain, from which he did not again
return. He made his sister regent, and she was to be assisted by
Granvelle, Bishop of Arras. William, Prince of Orange, and the Counts
Egmont and Horn, were associated with the bishop as councillors, but
they had no real power or influence.

"The despotic conduct of Granvelle, and the attempt on his part to
introduce the Inquisition, by order of his royal master, excited the
most desperate opposition. The people organized under the lead of the
Prince of Orange, and Egmont and Horn, and an insurrection broke out in
Flanders, in 1566. These Protestant rebels have been styled iconoclasts,
or image-breakers, for they broke into the churches, overturned the
images, defaced the valuable paintings, and otherwise injured the church
property.

"The famous Cathedral of Notre Dame, which you can see from the deck of
the ship, was ravaged by the mob. The statues of Christ, the Virgin, and
the Saints were hurled from their pedestals; the rich paintings, the
choicest works of Flemish art, were cut to pieces; the organs were torn
down, the altars overturned, and the gold and silver vessels used in the
mass were carried off. For three days these tumultuous proceedings
continued, and were suppressed only when the fury of the mob had ceased,
by the Knights of the Golden Fleece, of which the Prince of Orange was a
member. The career of this remarkable man is closely identified with the
history of the Netherlands during this period. He was opposed to the
violence of the mob, not only from prudential motives, but