six thousand veteran Spaniards, the country seemed chained in every limb.
The foreigner's foot was on its neck. Brussels was almost the only
considerable town out of Holland and Zealand which was even temporarily
safe. The important city of Maestricht was held by a Spanish garrison,
while other capital towns and stations were in the power of the Walloon
and German mutineers. The depredations committed in the villages,
the open country, and the cities were incessant--the Spaniards treating
every Netherlander as their foe. Gentleman and peasant, Protestant and
Catholic, priest and layman, all were plundered, maltreated, outraged.
The indignation became daily more general and more intense. There were
frequent skirmishes between the soldiery and promiscuous bands of
peasants, citizens, and students; conflicts in which the Spaniards were
invariably victorious. What could such half-armed and wholly untrained
partisans effect against the bravest and most experienced troops in the
whole world? Such results only increased the general exasperation, while
they impressed upon the whole people the necessity of some great and
general effort to throw off the incubus.




1576-1577 [CHAPTER V.]

Religious and political sympathies and antipathies in the seventeen
provinces--Unanimous hatred for the foreign soldiery--Use made by
the Prince of the mutiny--His correspondence--Necessity of Union
enforced--A congress from nearly all the provinces meets at Ghent--
Skirmishes between the foreign troops and partisan bands--Slaughter
at Tisnacq--Suspicions entertained of the State-Council--Arrest of
the State-Council--Siege of Ghent citadel--Assistance sent by