tolerate no single exception from the amnesty; but he could neither
deceive his sovereign nor himself by such statements." Certainly, Philip
was totally disappointed in the effect which he had anticipated from the
measure. He had thought "it would stop the mouths of many people."
On the contrary, every mouth in the Netherlands became vociferous to
denounce the hypocrisy by which a new act of condemnation had been
promulgated under the name of a pardon. Viglius, who had drawn up an
instrument of much ampler clemency, was far from satisfied with the
measure which had been adopted. "Certainly," he wrote to his confidant,
"a more benignant measure was to be expected from so merciful a Prince.
After four years have past, to reserve for punishment and for execution
all those who during the tumult did not, through weakness of mind, render
as much service to government as brave men might have offered, is
altogether unexampled."

Alva could not long affect to believe in the people's satisfaction. He
soon wrote to the King, acknowledging that the impression produced by the
pardon was far from favorable. He attributed much evil effect to the
severe censure which was openly pronounced upon the act by members of the
government, both in Spain and the Netherlands. He complained that Hopper
had written to Viglius, that "the most severe of the four forms of pardon
transmitted had been selected;" the fact being, that the most lenient one
had been adopted. If this were so, whose imagination is powerful enough
to portray the three which had been burned, and which, although more
severe than the fierce document promulgated, were still entitled acts of
pardon? The Duke spoke bitterly of the manner in which influential
persons in Madrid had openly abominated the cruel form of amnesty which
had been decreed. His authority in the Netherlands was already
sufficiently weakened, he said, and such censure upon his actions from
head-quarters did not tend to improve it. "In truth," he added, almost