republic.

But much as might be expected from the cooeperation of these men in a
body, it would have been futile and ridiculous to build any hopes on any
one of them singly; and the great difficulty was to effect a union among
them. Even to bring them together, some unusual occurrence was
necessary; and, fortunately, such an incident presented itself. The
nuptials of Baron Montigny, one of the Belgian nobles, as also those of
the prince Alexander of Parma, which took place about this time in
Brussels, assembled in that town a great number of the Belgian nobles.
On this occasion relations met relations; new friendships were formed
and old renewed; and, while the distress of the country was the topic of
conversation, wine and mirth unlocked lips and hearts, hints were
dropped of union among themselves and of an alliance with foreign
powers. These accidental meetings soon led to concealed ones, and public
discussions gave rise to secret consultations. Two German barons,
moreover, a Count of Holle and of Schwarzenberg, who happened at this
time to be on a visit to the Netherlands, omitted nothing to awaken
expectations of assistance from their neighbors. Count Louis of Nassau,
too, had also, a short time before, visited several German courts to
ascertain their sentiments.[2] It has even been asserted that secret
emissaries of the admiral Coligny were seen at this time in Brabant; but
this, however, may be reasonably doubted.

[2] It was not without cause that the Prince of Orange suddenly
disappeared from Brussels in order to be present at the election
of a king of Rome in Frankfort. An assembly of so many German
princes must have greatly favored a negotiation.

If ever a political crisis was favorable to an attempt at revolution, it
was the present: a woman at the helm of government; the governors of
provinces disaffected themselves, and disposed to wink at
insubordination in others; most of the state counsellors quite
inefficient; no army to fall back upon; the few troops there were, long
since discontented on account of the outstanding arrears of pay, and
already too often deceived by false promises to be enticed by new;
commanded, moreover, by officers who despised the Inquisition from their
hearts, and would have blushed to draw a sword in its behalf; and
lastly, no money in the treasury to enlist new troops or to hire
foreigners. The court at Brussels, as well as the three councils, not
only