Foreign Statesmen
WILLIAM THE SILENT
WILLIAM THE SILENT
BY
FREDERIC HARRISON
"The Prince is a rare man, of great authoritie, universally beloved, verie wyse in resolution in all things, and voyd of pretences, and that which is worthie of speciall prayse in hym, he is not dismayed with any losse or adversitie."
Dr. Wilson to Lord Burleigh, 3rd December 1576.
London
MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited
NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1898
All rights reserved
First Edition 1897. Reprinted 1898
CONTENTS
Family—Birth—Education—Early Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1 | |
| 1533–1556 | ||
| CHAPTER II | ||
General and Minister—Second Marriage—In Loyal Opposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
19 | |
| 1556–1564 | ||
| CHAPTER III | ||
The Protestant Revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
37 | |
| 1564–1567 | ||
| CHAPTER IV | ||
Sedition—Rebellion—War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
55 | |
| 1566–1567 | ||
| CHAPTER V | ||
Alva—Terror—Defeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
79 | |
| 1567–1569 | ||
| CHAPTER VI | ||
In Exile and Affliction—The Nassau Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
102 | |
| 1567–1580 | ||
Beggars of the Sea—Brill—St. Bartholomew—Defeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
113 | |
| 1569–1572 | ||
| CHAPTER VIII | ||
The Death Grapple—Negotiations—Abandonment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
134 | |
| 1572–1574 | ||
| CHAPTER IX | ||
Requesens—Leyden—Charlotte de Bourbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
159 | |
| 1573–1576 | ||
| CHAPTER X | ||
Don John—General Union—Apogee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
177 | |
| 1576–1578 | ||
| CHAPTER XI | ||
Discord—Ban—Apology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
195 | |
| 1577–1580 | ||
| CHAPTER XII | ||
United States—Anjou—Assassins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
212 | |
| 1581–1583 | ||
| CHAPTER XIII | ||
Louise de Coligny—Death—Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
228 | |
| 1583–1584 | ||
To Emma Queen-Regent
OF
HOLLAND
IS INSCRIBED THIS LIFE
OF HER GREAT ANCESTOR
FOUNDER OF THE
NATION'S INDEPENDENCE
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1927.
The author died in 1923, so this work is also in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 95 years or less. This work may also be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.