FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   367   368   369   370   371   372   373   374   375   376   377   378   379   380   381   382   383   384   385   386   387   388   389   390   391  
392   393   394   395   396   397   398   399   400   401   402   403   404   405   406   407   408   409   410   411   412   413   414   415   416   >>   >|  
who should insinuate that he had committed or contemplated any injury to that prelate; offering freely to fight any man who disputed either of his two positions. The whole scene was dramatized and represented in masquerade at a wedding festival given by Councillor d'Assonleville, on the marriage of Councillor Hopper's daughter, one of the principal parts being enacted by a son of the President-judge of Artois. It may be supposed that if such eminent personages, in close connexion with the government, took part in such proceedings, the riot must have been considered of a very pardonable nature. The truth was, that the Bishop was a cardinalist, and therefore entirely out of favor with the administration. He was also a man of treacherous, sanguinary character, and consequently detested by the people. He had done his best to destroy heresy in Valenciennes by fire and sword. "I will say one thing," said he in a letter to Granvelle, which had been intercepted, "since the pot is uncovered, and the whole cookery known, we had best push forward and make an end of all the principal heretics, whether rich or poor, without regarding whether the city will be entirely ruined by such a course. Such an opinion I should declare openly were it not that we of the ecclesiastical profession are accused of always crying out for blood." Such was the prelate's theory. His practice may be inferred from a specimen of his proceedings which occurred at a little later day. A citizen of Cambray, having been converted to the Lutheran Confession, went to the Archbishop, and requested permission to move out of the country, taking his property with him. The petitioner having made his appearance in the forenoon, was requested to call again after dinner, to receive his answer. The burgher did so, and was received, not by the prelate, but by the executioner, who immediately carried the Lutheran to the market-place, and cut off his head. It is sufficiently evident that a minister of Christ, with such propensities, could not excite any great sympathy, however deeply affronted he might have been at a drinking party, so long as any Christians remained in the land. Egmont departed from Cambray upon the 30th January, his friends taking a most affectionate farewell of him; and Brederode assuring him, with a thousand oaths, that he would forsake God for his service. His reception at Madrid was most brilliant. When he made his first appearance at the palace, Phi
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   367   368   369   370   371   372   373   374   375   376   377   378   379   380   381   382   383   384   385   386   387   388   389   390   391  
392   393   394   395   396   397   398   399   400   401   402   403   404   405   406   407   408   409   410   411   412   413   414   415   416   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

prelate

 
appearance
 
Cambray
 

Lutheran

 
taking
 
requested
 

proceedings

 

Councillor

 

principal

 

forsake


permission

 

Archbishop

 
Confession
 

service

 
country
 

assuring

 

petitioner

 
Brederode
 

property

 

forenoon


farewell

 

thousand

 

Madrid

 

palace

 

practice

 
inferred
 

theory

 

crying

 
specimen
 

occurred


citizen

 

brilliant

 

reception

 

converted

 
dinner
 

excite

 

departed

 

sympathy

 

propensities

 
minister

Christ
 
accused
 

deeply

 

Christians

 

remained

 

drinking

 

affronted

 

Egmont

 
evident
 

burgher