to gain friends for his cause. He had repeated audiences of the King,
to whose court he had come in disguise. He made a strong and warm
impression upon Elizabeth's envoy at the French Court, Walsingham. It is
probable that in the Count's impetuosity to carry his point, he allowed
more plausibility to be given to certain projects for subdividing the
Netherlands than his brother would ever have sanctioned. The Prince was
a total stranger to these inchoate schemes. His work was to set his
country free, and to destroy the tyranny which had grown colossal. That
employment was sufficient for a lifetime, and there is no proof to be
found that a paltry and personal self-interest had even the lowest place
among his motives.

Meantime, in the autumn of 1569, Orange had again reached Germany.
Paul Buys, Pensionary of Leyden, had kept him constantly informed of
the state of affairs in the provinces. Through his means an extensive
correspondence was organized and maintained with leading persons in every
part of the Netherlands. The conventional terms by which different
matters and persons of importance were designated in these letters were
familiarly known to all friends of the cause, not only in the provinces,
but in France, England, Germany, and particularly in the great commercial
cities. The Prince, for example, was always designated as Martin
Willemzoon, the Duke of Alva as Master Powels van Alblas, the Queen of
England as Henry Philipzoon, the King of Denmark as Peter Peterson. The
twelve signs of the zodiac were used instead of the twelve months, and a
great variety of similar substitutions were adopted. Before his visit to
France, Orange had, moreover, issued commissions, in his capacity of
sovereign, to various seafaring persons, who were empowered to cruise
against Spanish commerce.

The "beggars of the sea," as these privateersmen designated themselves,