FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   546   547   548   549   550   551   552   553   554   555   556   557   558   559   560   561   562   563   564   565   566   567   568   569   570  
571   572   573   574   575   576   577   578   579   580   581   582   583   584   585   586   587   588   589   590   591   592   593   594   595   >>   >|  
his body-guard and the archers of the Regent's household, who were at last, with difficulty, persuaded to allow the mercenaries of the hated Captain-General to pass. Presenting himself at three o'clock in the afternoon, after these not very satisfactory preliminaries, in the bedchamber of the Duchess, where it was her habit to grant confidential audiences, he met, as might easily be supposed, with a chilling reception: The Duchess, standing motionless in the centre of the apartment, attended by Berlaymont, the Duke of Aerachot, and Count Egmont, acknowledged his salutations with calm severity. Neither she nor any one of her attendants advanced a step to meet him. The Duke took off his hat, but she, calmly recognizing his right as a Spanish grandee, insisted upon his remaining covered. A stiff and formal conversation of half an hour's duration then ensued, all parties remaining upon their feet. The Duke, although respectful; found it difficult to conceal his indignation and his haughty sense of approaching triumph. Margaret was cold, stately, and forbidding, disguising her rage and her mortification under a veil of imperial pride. Alva, in a letter to Philip, describing the interview, assured his Majesty that he had treated the Duchess with as much deference as he could have shown to the Queen, but it is probable, from other contemporaneous accounts, that an ill-disguised and even angry arrogance was at times very visible in his demeanor. The state council had advised the Duchess against receiving him until he had duly exhibited his powers. This ceremony had been waived, but upon being questioned by the Duchess at this interview as to their nature and extent, he is reported to have coolly answered that he really did not exactly remember, but that he would look them over, and send her information at his earliest convenience. The next day, however, his commission was duly exhibited. In this document, which bore date 31st January, 1567, Philip appointed him to be Captain-General "in correspondence with his Majesty's dear sister of Parma, who was occupied with other matters belonging to the government," begged the Duchess to co-operate with him and to command obedience for him, and ordered all the cities of the Netherlands to receive such garrisons as he should direct. At the official interview between Alva and Madame de Parma, at which these powers were produced, the necessary preliminary arrangements were made regar
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   546   547   548   549   550   551   552   553   554   555   556   557   558   559   560   561   562   563   564   565   566   567   568   569   570  
571   572   573   574   575   576   577   578   579   580   581   582   583   584   585   586   587   588   589   590   591   592   593   594   595   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Duchess

 

interview

 

Philip

 
powers
 
exhibited
 

Majesty

 
General
 

Captain

 

remaining

 

answered


extent
 

waived

 

questioned

 

ceremony

 

reported

 
nature
 

coolly

 

contemporaneous

 

accounts

 
disguised

probable

 
deference
 

council

 

advised

 

receiving

 

demeanor

 

arrogance

 
visible
 

cities

 

ordered


Netherlands

 

receive

 

obedience

 

begged

 

government

 

operate

 

command

 

garrisons

 

preliminary

 

arrangements


produced

 

direct

 

official

 

Madame

 

belonging

 

matters

 
convenience
 

earliest

 

information

 

remember