Herr von Nordwyk.
"Whoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, knows the views of the
gentlemen belonging to the old city families, who are reared from infancy
as future magistrates; and I speak not only of Leyden, but the residents
of Gouda and Delft, Rotterdam and Dortrecht. Among a hundred, sixty would
bear the Spanish yoke, even do violence to conscience, if only their
liberties and rights were guaranteed. The cities must rule and they
themselves in them; that is all they desire. Whether people preach
sermons or read mass in the church, whether a Spaniard or a Hollander
rules, is a matter of secondary importance to them. I except the present
company, for you would not be here, gentlemen, if your views were similar
to those of the men of whom I speak."

"Thanks for those words," said Dirk Smaling, "but with all due honor to
your opinion, you have painted matters in too dark colors. May I ask if
the nobles do not also cling to their rights and liberties?"

"Certainly, Herr Dirk; but they are commonly of longer date than yours,"
replied Van Bronkhorst. "The nobleman needs a ruler. He is a lustreless
star, if the sun that lends him light is lacking. I, and with me all the
nobles who have sworn fealty to him, now believe that our sun must and
can be no other person than the Prince of Orange, who is one of
ourselves, knows, loves, and understands us; not Philip, who has no
comprehension of what is passing within and around us, is a foreigner and
detests us. We will uphold William with our fortunes and our lives for,
as I have already said, we need a sun, that is, a monarch--but the cities
think they have power to shine and wish to be admired as bright stars
themselves. True, they feel that, in these troublous times, the country
needs a leader, and that they can find no better, wiser and more faithful
one than Orange; but if it comes to pass--and may God grant it--that the
Spanish yoke is broken, the noble William's rule will seem wearisome,
because they enjoy playing sovereign themselves. In short: the cities
endure a ruler, the nobles gather round him and need him. No real good
will be accomplished until noble, burgher and peasant cheerfully yield to
him, and unite to battle under his leadership for the highest blessings
of life."

"Right," said Van flout. "The well-disposed nobility may well serve as an
example to the governing classes here and in the other cities, but the
people, the poor hard-working people, know what