of Madrid
will disenchant the traveller whose notions of the capital have been
derived only from the reports of the natives.

[490] "Solo Madrid es corte."

Ford, who has certainly not ministered to the vanity of the Madrileno,
has strung together these various proverbs with good effect.

[491] Balmes, Protestantism and Catholicity compared, p. 215.

[492] "Il y avoit bien 30. ans que ceux de Brusselles avoyent commence,
et avoyent perce des collines, des champs et chemins, desquels ils
avoient achapte les fonds des proprietaires, on y avoit faict 40.
grandes escluses..... et cousta dix huits cent mille florins." Meteren,
Hist. des Pays-Bas, tom. I. fol. 26.

[493] "Je vois une grande jeunesse en ces pays, avec les moeurs desquelz
ne me scaurois ny ne voudrois accommoder; la fidelite du monde et
respect envers Dieu et son prince si corrompuz,..... que ne desirerois
pas seullement de les pas gouverner,.... mais aussy me fasche de le
veoir, congnoistre et de vivre.... entre telles gens." Papiers d'Etat de
Granvelle, tom. IV. p. 476.

[494] Gerlache, Histoire du Royaume des Pays-Bas, (Bruxelles, 1842,)
tom. I. p. 71.

[495] "Es menester ver como la nobleza se ha desde mucho tiempo
desmandada y empenada por usura y gastos superfluos, gastando casi mas
que doble de lo que tenian en edificios, muebles, festines, danzas,
mascaradas, fuegos de dados, naipes, vestidos, libreas, seguimiento de
criados y generalmente en todas suertes de deleytes, luxuria, y
superfluidad, lo que se avia comenzado antes de la yda de su magestad a
Espana. Y desde entonces uvo un descontento casi general en el pais y
esperanza de esta gente asi alborotada de veer en poco tiempo una
mudanza." Renom de Francia, Alborotos de Flandes, MS.

[496] Apologie de Guillaume IX. Prince d'Orange contre la Proscription
de Philippe II. Roi d'Espagne, presentee aux Etats Generaux des
Pays-Bas, le 13 Decembre, 1580, ap. Dumont, Corps Diplomatique, tom. V.
p. 384.

[497] M. Groen Van Prinsterer has taken some pains to explain the
conduct of William's parents, on the ground, chiefly, that they had
reason to think their son, after all, might he allowed to worship
according to the way in which he had been educated (p. 195). But
whatever concessions to the Protestants may have been wrung from Charles
by considerations of public policy, we suspect few who have studied his
character will believe that he would ever have consented to allow one of
his own household,