s decrees laid before them--The hundredth, tenth,
and fifth pence--Opposition of Viglius to the project--Estates of
various provinces give a reluctant consent--Determined resistance of
Utrecht--The city and province cited before the Blood Council--
Sentence of confiscation and disfranchisement against both--Appeal
to the King--Difficulty of collecting the new tax--Commutation for
two years--Projects for a pardon-general--Growing disfavour of the
Duke--His desire to resign his post--Secret hostility between the
Governor and Viglius--Altered sentiments of the President--Opinions
expressed by Granvelle--The pardon pompously proclaimed by the Duke
at Antwerp--Character of the amnesty--Dissatisfaction of the people
with the act--Complaints of Alva to the King--Fortunes and fate of
Baron Montigny in Spain--His confinement at Segovia--His attempt to
escape--Its failure--His mock trial--His wife's appeal to Philip--
His condemnation--His secret assassination determined upon--Its
details, as carefully prescribed and superintended by the King--
Terrible inundation throughout the Netherlands--Immense destruction
of life and property in Friesland--Lowestein Castle taken by De
Ruyter, by stratagem--Recapture of the place by the Spaniards--
Desperate resistance and death of De Ruyter.

It was very soon after the Duke's return to Brussels that a quarrel
between himself and the Queen of England took place. It happened thus.
Certain vessels, bearing roving commissions from the Prince of Conde, had
chased into the ports of England some merchantmen coming from Spain with
supplies in specie for the Spanish army in the Netherlands. The trading
ships remained in harbor, not daring to leave for their destination,
while the privateers remained in a neighbouring port ready to pounce upon
them should they put to sea. The commanders of the merchant fleet
complained to the Spanish ambassador in London. The envoy laid the case
before the Queen. The Queen promised redress, and, almost as soon as the
promise had been made, seized upon all the specie in the vessels,
amounting to about eight hundred thousand dollars--[1885 exchange
rate]--and appropriated the whole to her own benefit. The pretext for
this proceeding was twofold. In the first place, she assured the
ambassador that she had taken the money into her possession in order that
it might be kept safe for her royal brother of Spain. In the