s, and the duke exiled, or something like it, had retired
to Amboise.

It was then that the Flemings opened their arms to him. Tired of Spanish
rule, decimated by the Duc d'Alva, deceived by the false peace of John
of Austria, who had profited by it to retake Namur and Charlemont, the
Flemings had called in William of Nassau, prince of Orange, and had made
him governor-general of Brabant. A few words about this man, who held so
great a place in history, but who will only be named here.

William of Nassau was then about fifty. He was the son of William called
the Old, and of Julienne de Stolberg, cousin of that Rene of Nassau
killed at the siege of Dizier. He had from his youth been brought up in
principles of reform, and had a full consciousness of the greatness of
his mission. This mission, which he believed he had received from
Heaven, and for which he died like a martyr, was to found the Republic
of Holland, in which he was successful. When very young he had been
called by Charles V. to his court. Charles was a good judge of men, and
often the old emperor, who supported the heaviest burden ever borne by
an imperial hand, consulted the child on the most delicate matters
connected with the politics of Holland. The young man was scarcely
twenty-four when Charles confided to him, in the absence of the famous
Philibert Emanuel of Savoy, the command of the army in Flanders. William
showed himself worthy of this high confidence: he held in check the Duc
de Nevers and Coligny, two of the greatest captains of the time, and
under their eyes fortified Philipville and Charlemont. On the day when
Charles V. abdicated, it was on William of Nassau that he leaned to
descend the steps of the throne, and he it was who was charged to carry
to Ferdinand the imperial throne which Charles had resigned.

Then came Philippe II., and in spite of his father's recommendations to
him to regard William as a brother, the latter soon found a great
difference. This strengthened in his mind the great idea of freeing
Holland and Flanders, which he might never have endeavored to carry into
effect if the old emperor, his friend, had remained on the throne.

Holland, by his advice, demanded the dismissal of the foreign troops,
and then began the bloody struggle of the Spaniards to retain the prey
which was escaping from them, and then passed over this unhappy people
the vice-royalty of Marguerite of Austria and the bloody consulship of
the Duc d'Alva