Even though
they denied the equal rights of the common people they asserted the
sovereignty of the representative assembly. The Council of State,
having assumed the authority of the viceroy during the interim, was
deluged with letters petitioning them to shake off the Spanish yoke
entirely. But, as the Council still remained loyal to Philip, on
September 4 its members were arrested, a _coup d'etat_ planned in the
interests of Orange and doubtless with his knowledge. It was, of
course, tantamount to treason. The Estates General now seized
sovereign powers. Still protesting their loyalty to the monarch's
person and to the Catholic religion, they demanded virtual independence
and the withdrawal of the Spanish troops. To enforce their demands
they collected an army and took possession of several forts. But the
Spanish veterans never once thought of giving way. Gathering at
Antwerp where they were besieged by the soldiers of the States General,
[Sidenote: November 4, 1576] they attacked and then scattered the bands
sent against them and proceeded to sack Antwerp like a captured town.
In one dreadful day 7000 of the patriots, in part soldiers, in part
noncombatants, perished. The wealth of the city was looted. The army
of occupation boasted as of a victory of this deed of blood, known to
the Netherlanders as "the Spanish fury."

Naturally, such a blow only welded the provinces more firmly together
and steeled their temper to an even harder resistance. Its immediate
result was a treaty, known as the Pacification of Ghent, between the
provinces represented in the States General on the one hand and Holland
and Zeeland on the other, for the purposes of union and of driving out
the foreigner. The religious question was left undecided, save that
the northern provinces agreed to do nothing for the present against the
Roman church. But, as {266} heretofore, the Calvinists, now inscribing
"Pro fide et patria" on their banners, were the more active and
patriotic party.

[Sidenote: Don John, 1547-78]

On May 1, 1577, the new Governor-General, Don John of Austria, entered
Brussels. A natural son of Charles V, at the age of twenty-four he had
made himself famous by the naval victory of Lepanto, and his name still
more celebrated in popular legend on account of his innumerable amours.
That he had some charm of manner must be assumed; that he had ability
in certain directions cannot be denied; but his aristocratic hauteur,