The Revolt of The Netherlands, Book III.

Excerpt

1565.  Up to this point the general peace had it appears been the sincere wish of the Prince of Orange, the Counts Egmont and Horn, and their friends.  They had pursued the true interests of their sovereign as much as the general weal; at least their exertions and their actions had been as little at variance with the former as with the latter.  Nothing bad as yet occurred to make their motives suspected, or to manifest in them a rebellious spirit.  What they had done they had done in discharge of their bounden duty as members of a free state, as the representatives of the nation, as advisers of the king, as men of integrity and honor.  The only weapons they had used to oppose the encroachments of the court had been remonstrances, modest complaints, petitions.  They had never allowed themselves to be so far carried away by a just zeal for their good cause as to transgress the limits of prudence and moderation which on many occasions are so easily overstepped by party spirit.  But all the nobles of the republic did not now listen to the voice of that prudence; all did not abide within the bounds of moderation.