to recommend him to the notice of
the Emperor Charles the Fifth, who, in 1544, honored by his presence
Egmont's nuptials with Sabina, countess-palatine of Bavaria. In 1546,
when scarcely twenty-four years of age, he was admitted to the order of
the Golden Fleece,--and, by a singular coincidence, on the same day on
which that dignity was bestowed on the man destined to become his mortal
foe, the duke of Alva.[1176] Philip, on his accession, raised him to the
dignity of a councillor of state, and made him governor of the important
provinces of Artois and Flanders.

But every other title to distinction faded away before that derived from
those two victories, which left the deepest stain on the French arms
that they had received since the defeat at Pavia. "I have seen," said
the French ambassador, who witnessed the execution of Egmont, "I have
seen the head of that man fall who twice caused France to
tremble."[1177]

Yet the fame won by his success was probably unfortunate for Egmont. For
this, the fruit of impetuous valor and of a brilliant _coup-de-main_,
was very different from the success of a long campaign, implying genius
and great military science in the commander. Yet the _eclat_ it gave was
enough to turn the head of a man less presumptuous than Egmont. It
placed him at once on the most conspicuous eminence in the country;
compelling him, in some sort, to take a position above his capacity to
maintain. When the troubles broke out, Egmont was found side by side
with Orange, in the van of the malecontents. He was urged to this rather
by generous sensibility to the wrongs of his countrymen, than by any
settled principle of action. Thus acting from impulse, he did not, like
William, calculate the consequences of his conduct. When those
consequences came, he was not prepared to meet them; he was like some
unskilful necromancer, who has neither the wit to lay the storm which he
has raised, nor the hardihood to brave it. He was acted on by contrary
influences. In opposition to the popular movement came his strong
feeling of loyalty, and his stronger devotion to the Roman Catholic
faith. His personal vanity cooeperated with these; for Egmont was too
much of a courtier willingly to dispense with the smiles of royalty.
Thus the opposite forces by which he was impelled served to neutralize
each other. Instead of moving on a decided one of conduct, like his
friend, William of Orange, he appeared weak and vacillating. He
hes