exactly the same account as Horn had given. The Prince, the Admiral, and
himself, had conversed between a quarter past eleven and dinner time,
which was twelve o'clock, on various matters, particularly upon the
King's dissatisfaction with recent events in the Netherlands, and upon a
certain letter from the ambassador Alava in Paris to the Duchess of
Parma. He had, however, expressed his opinion to Madame that the letter
was a forgery. He had permitted public preaching in certain cities,
outside the walls, where it had already been established, because this
was in accordance with the treaty which Madame had made at Duffel, which
she had ordered him honorably to maintain. He had certainly winked at
the religious exercises of the Reformers, because he had been expressly
commanded to do so, and because the government at that time was not
provided with troops to suppress the new religion by force. He related
the visit of Horn, Orange, and himself to Culemburg House, at the
memorable banquet, in almost the same words which the Admiral had used.
He had done all in his power to prevent Madame from leaving Brussels,
in which effort he had been successful, and from which much good had
resulted to the country. He had never recommended that a pardon should
be granted to those who had taken up arms, but on the contrary, had
advised their chastisement, as had appeared in his demeanor towards the
rebels at Osterwel, Tournay, and Valenciennes. He had never permitted
the cry of "Vivent les gueux" at his own table, nor encouraged it in his
presence any where else.

Such were the leading features in these memorable cases of what was
called high treason. Trial there was none. The tribunal was
incompetent; the prisoners were without advocates; the government
evidence was concealed; the testimony for the defence was excluded; and
the cause was finally decided before a thousandth part of its merits
could have been placed under the eyes of the judge who gave the sentence.