people
with a peerless memorial: the University of Leyden. This awakened and
kept alive in the busy city and the country bleeding for years in severe
conflicts, that lofty aspiration and effort, which is its own reward, and
places eternal welfare far above mere temporal prosperity. The tree,
whose seed was planted amid the deepest misery, conflict and calamity,
has borne the noblest fruits for humanity, still bears them, and if it is
the will of God will continue to bear them for centuries.

................................

On the twenty-sixth of July, 1581, seven years after the rescue of
Leyden, Holland and Zealand, whose political independence had already
been established for six years, proclaimed themselves at the Hague free
from Spain. Hitherto, William of Orange had ruled as King Philip's
"stadtholder," and even the war against the monarch had been carried on
in his name. Nay, the document establishing the University, a paper,
which with all the earnestness that dictated it, deserves to be called an
unsurpassed masterpiece of the subtlest political irony, purported to
issue from King Philip's mouth, and it sounds amusing enough to read in
this paper, that the gloomy dunce in the Escurial, after mature
deliberation with his dear and faithful cousin, William of Orange, has
determined to found a freeschool and university, from motives, which
could not fail to seem abominable to the King.

On the twenty-fourth of July this game ceased, allegiance to Philip was
renounced, and the Prince assumed sovereign authority.

Three days after, these joyful events were celebrated by a splendid
banquet at Herr Van der Werff's house. The windows of the dining-room
were thrown wide open, and the fresh breeze of the summer night fanned
the brows of the guests, who had assembled around the burgomaster's
table. They were the most intimate friends of the family: Janus Dousa,
Van Hout, the learned Doctor Grotius of Delft, who to Maria's delight had
been invited to Leyden as a professor, and this very year filled the
office of President of the new University, the learned tavern-keeper
Aquarius, Doctor Bontius, now professor of medicine at the University,
and many others.

The musician Wilhelm was also present, but no longer alone; beside him
sat his beautiful, delicate wife, Anna d'Avila, with whom he had recently
returned from Italy. He had borne for several years the name of Van
Duivenbode (messenger-dove), which the cit