Council, in sending his case to Alva for his sentence, were inspired by a
humane feeling. They felt so much compunction at the impending fate of a
man who, among other meritorious acts, had furnished nearly all the funds
for the brilliant campaign in Picardy, by which the opening years of
Philip's reign had been illustrated, as to hint at the propriety of a
pardon. But the recommendation to mercy, though it came from the lips
of tigers, dripping with human blood, fell unheeded on the tyrant's ear.
It seemed meet that the man who had supplied the nerves of war in that
unforgiven series of triumphs, should share the fate of the hero who had
won the laurels.

[Bor, Cappella, Hoofd, ubi sup. The last words of the Burgomaster
as he bowed his neck to the executioner's stroke were, "Voor wel
gedaan, kwaclyk beloud,"--"For faithful service, evil recompense."
--Cappella, 232.]

Hundreds of obscure martyrs now followed in the same path to another
world, where surely they deserved to find their recompense, if steadfast
adherence to their faith, and a tranquil trust in God amid tortures and
death too horrible to be related, had ever found favor above. The "Red-
Rod," as the provost of Brabant was popularly designated, was never idle.
He flew from village to village throughout the province, executing the
bloody behests of his masters with congenial alacrity. Nevertheless his
career was soon destined to close upon the same scaffold where he had so
long officiated. Partly from caprice, partly from an uncompromising and
fantastic sense of justice, his master now hanged the executioner whose
industry had been so untiring. The sentence which was affixed to his
breast, as he suffered, stated that he had been guilty of much
malpractice; that he had executed many persons without a warrant,
and had suffered many guilty persons for a bribe, to escape their doom.