endowed with certain lands in Spain, in exchange for his hereditary
estates, in order that the name and fame of the rebel William should be
forever extinguished in the Netherlands. With the same view, a new
sentence against the Prince of Orange was now proposed by the Viceroy.
This was, to execute him solemnly in effigy, to drag his escutcheon
through the streets at the tails of horses, and after having broken it in
pieces, and thus cancelled his armorial bearings, to declare him and his
descendants, ignoble, infamous, and incapable of holding property or
estates. Could a leaf or two of future history have been unrolled to
King, Cardinal, and Governor, they might have found the destined fortune
of the illustrious rebel's house not exactly in accordance with the plan
of summary extinction thus laid down.

Not discouraged, the Prince continued to send his emissaries in every
direction. Diedrich Sonoy, his most trustworthy agent, who had been
chief of the legation to the Northern Courts, was now actively canvassing
the governments and peoples of, Germany with the same object. Several
remarkable papers from the hand of Orange were used upon this service.
A letter, drawn up and signed by his own hand, recited; in brief and
striking language, the history of his campaign in 1568, and of his
subsequent efforts in the sacred cause. It was now necessary, he said,
that others besides himself should partake of his sacrifices. This he
stated plainly and eloquently. The document was in truth a letter asking
arms for liberty. "For although all things," said the Prince, "are in
the hand of God, and although he has created all things out of nought,
yet hath he granted to different men different means, whereby, as with
various instruments, he accomplishes his, almighty purposes. Thereto
hath he endowed some with strength of body, others with worldly wealth,
others with still different gifts, all of which are to be used by their
possessors to His honor and glory, if they wish not to incur the curse