Regent. I must confess that Egmont caused me to-day deep and heart-felt
annoyance.

Machiavel. How so?

Regent. By his accustomed demeanour, his usual indifference and levity. I
received the fatal tidings as I was leaving church, attended by him and
several others. I did not restrain my anguish, I broke forth into
lamentations, loud and deep, and turning to him, exclaimed, "See what is
going on in your province! Do you suffer it, Count, you, in whom the king
confided so implicitly?"

Machiavel. And what was his reply?

Regent. As if it were a mere trifle, an affair of no moment, he answered:
"Were the Netherlanders but satisfied as to their constitution! The rest
would soon follow."

Machiavel. There was, perhaps, more truth than discretion or piety in his
words. How can we hope to acquire and to maintain the confidence of the
Netherlander, when he sees that we are more interested in appropriating
his possessions, than in promoting his welfare, temporal or spiritual? Does
the number of souls saved by the new bishops exceed that of the fat
benefices they have swallowed? And are they not for the most part
foreigners? As yet, the office of stadtholder has been held by
Netherlanders; but do not the Spaniards betray their great and irresistible
desire to possess themselves of these places? Will not people prefer being
governed by their own countrymen, and according to their ancient
customs, rather than by foreigners, who, from their first entrance into the
land, endeavour to enrich themselves at the general expense, who measure