concessions for the
Protestants, knowing the temper of the Flemish, to whom she was allied
by birth, but Granvelle was artful in his policy and managed by
frequent correspondence with Spain to baffle the efforts of the whole
party, which looked with indignation on the work of the Inquisitors.
Peter Titelmann, the chief instrument of the Holy Office in the
Netherlands, alarmed Margaret as well as her subjects, who were at the
mercy of this monster. He rode through the country on horseback,
dragging suspected persons {79} from their very beds, and glorying in
the knowledge that none dared resist him. He burst into a house at
Ryssel one day, seized John de Swarte, his wife and four children,
together with two newly-married couples and two other persons,
convicted them of reading the Bible, of praying within their own
dwellings, and had them all immediately burned. No wonder that the
Duchess of Parma trembled when the same man clamoured at the doors of
her chamber for admittance. High and low were equally in danger. Even
the royal family were at the mercy of the Holy Office. Spies might be
found in any household, and both men and women disappeared to answer
"inquiries" made with torture of the rack, without knowing their
accusers.

Granvelle had enemies, who bent themselves to accomplish the downfall
of the minister. He was of humble origin, though he had amassed great
wealth and possessed a remarkable capacity for administration. Egmont,
the fierce, quarrelsome soldier, was his chief adversary among the
nobles. There was a lively scene when Egmont drew his sword on the
Cardinal in the presence of the Regent.

William of Orange was, perhaps, the one man whom all respected for his
true courage and strength of character. Granvelle wrote of him to
Philip as highly dangerous, knowing that in the Silent he had met his
match in cunning; for William's qualities were strangely mingled--he
had vast ambition and yet took up a cause later that broke his splendid
fortunes. He was upright, yet he had few scruples in dealing with
opponents. He would employ spies to acquaint him with secret papers
and use every possible means of gaining an advantage.

Egmont and Orange vied with each other in the state they kept, their
wives being bitterly jealous of each {80} other. William's second
marriage had been arranged for worldly motives. His bride was Princess
Anna of Saxony, daughter of the Elector Maurice who had worked such