FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   480   481   482   483   484   485   486   487   488   489   490   491   492   493   494   495   496   497   498   499   500   501   502   503   504  
505   506   507   508   509   510   511   512   513   514   515   516   517   518   519   520   521   522   523   524   525   526   527   528   529   >>   >|  
or steal in the midst of the expected carnage and rapine, shared the discontent of the soldiery, by whom they were now driven ignominiously out of the town. The citizens were immediately disarmed. All the fine weapons which they had been obliged to purchase at their own expense, when they had been arranged by the magistrates under eight banners, for defence of the city against tumult and invasion, were taken from them; the most beautiful cutlasses, carbines, poniards, and pistols, being divided by Noircarmes among his officers. Thus Tournay was tranquillized. During the whole of these proceedings in Flanders, and at Antwerp, Tournay, and Mechlin, the conduct of the Duchess had been marked with more than her usual treachery. She had been disavowing acts which the men upon whom she relied in her utmost need had been doing by her authority; she had been affecting to praise their conduct, while she was secretly misrepresenting their actions and maligning their motives, and she had been straining every nerve to make foreign levies, while attempting to amuse the confederates and sectaries with an affectation of clemency. When Orange complained that she had been censuring his proceedings at Antwerp, and holding language unfavorable to his character, she protested that she thoroughly approved his arrangements--excepting only the two points of the intramural preachings and the permission to heretics of other exercises than sermons--and that if she were displeased with him he might be sure that she would rather tell him so than speak ill of him behind his back. The Prince, who had been compelled by necessity, and fully authorized by the terms of the "Accord", to grant those two points which were the vital matter in his arrangements, answered very calmly, that he was not so frivolous as to believe in her having used language to his discredit had he not been quite certain of the fact, as he would soon prove by evidence. Orange was not the man to be deceived as to the position in which he stood, nor as to the character of those with whom he dealt. Margaret wrote, however, in the same vein concerning him to Hoogstmaten, affirming that nothing could be further from her intention than to characterize the proceedings of "her cousin, the Prince of Orange, as contrary to the service of his Majesty; knowing, as she did, how constant had been his affection, and how diligent his actions, in the cause of God and the King." She also sen
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   480   481   482   483   484   485   486   487   488   489   490   491   492   493   494   495   496   497   498   499   500   501   502   503   504  
505   506   507   508   509   510   511   512   513   514   515   516   517   518   519   520   521   522   523   524   525   526   527   528   529   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

proceedings

 

Orange

 

Prince

 

arrangements

 

actions

 

conduct

 
character
 
Tournay
 

language

 

Antwerp


points

 
compelled
 

approved

 

authorized

 
necessity
 

protested

 

intramural

 
displeased
 

preachings

 

sermons


heretics

 

exercises

 

Accord

 
permission
 

excepting

 
frivolous
 

intention

 

characterize

 

cousin

 

affirming


Hoogstmaten

 

contrary

 

service

 

diligent

 

affection

 

Majesty

 

knowing

 

constant

 

discredit

 

unfavorable


calmly
 

matter

 

answered

 

Margaret

 

position

 

deceived

 

evidence

 

banners

 

defence

 

expense