39.

[930] Ibid., p. 340.

[931] "Ouy, et que plus est, oserions presques asseurer Vostre Majeste
plusieurs des mauvais et des principaulx, voiant ledit prince de Heboli,
se viendront reconcilier a luy, et le supplier avoir, par son moien,
faveur vers Vostre Majeste." Correspondance de Philippe II., tom. I. p.
519.

[932] The debate is reported with sufficient minuteness both by Cabrera
(Filipe Segundo, lib. VII. cap. 7,) and Strada (De Bello Belgico, tom.
I. p. 338). They agree, however, neither in the names of the parties
present, nor in the speeches they made. Yet their disagreement in these
particulars is by no means so surprising as their agreement in the most
improbable part of their account,--Philip's presence at the debate.

[933] "Comme si c'eust este une saincte guerre." Meteren, Hist. des
Pays-Bas, fol. 52.

[934] Strada, De Bello Belgico, tom. I. p. 350.

[935] "Il repete," says Gachard, "dans une depeche du 1er septembre,
qu'au milieu des bruits contradictoires qui circulent a la cour, il est
impossible de demeler la verite." Correspondance de Philippe II., tom.
I., Rapport, p. clvi.

[936] "Ceterum, ut jam jamque iturus, legit comites, conquisivit
impedimenta, adornavit naves: mox hiemem, aut negotia varie causatus,
primo prudentes, dein vulgum, diutissime provincias fefellit." Taciti
Annales, I. xlvii.

[937] "Es la primera que se me da en mi vida de cosas desta cualidad en
cuantas veces he servido, ni de su Magestad Cesarea que Dios tenga, ni
de V. M." Documentos Ineditos, tom. IV. p. 354.

[938] A magnanimous Castilian historian pronounces a swelling panegyric
on this little army in a couple of lines: "Los Soldados podian ser
Capitanes, los Capitanes Maestros de Campo, y los Maestros de Campo
Generales." Hechos de Sancho Davila, (Valladolid, 1713,) p. 26.

The chivalrous Brantome dwells with delight on the gallant bearing and
brilliant appointments of these troops, whom he saw in their passage
through Lorraine. "Tous vieux et aguerrys soldatz, tant bien en poinct
d'habillement et d'armes, la pluspart dorees, et l'autre gravees, qu'on
les prenoit plustost pour capitanes que soldats." OEuvres, tom. I. p. 60.

[939]

"Corpus in Italia est, tenet intestina Brabantus; Ast animam nemo. Cur?
quia non habuit."

Borgnet, Philippe II. et la Belgique, p. 60.

[940] No two writers, of course, agree in the account of Alva's forces.
The exact returns of the amount of the whole army, as well as of ea