Orange--Maestricht lost and regained--Wealthy and perilous condition
of Antwerp--Preparations of the mutineers under the secret
superintendence of Avila--Stupidity of Oberstein--Duplicity of Don
Sancho--Reinforcements of Walloons under Havre, Egmont, and others,
sent to for the expected assault of Antwerp--Governor Champagny's
preparations the mutineers--Insubordination, incapacity, and
negligence of all but him--Concentration of all the mutineers from
different points, in the citadel--The attack--the panic--the flight
--the massacre--the fire--the sack--and other details of the
"Spanish Fury"--Statistics of murder and robbery--Letter of Orange
to the states-general--Surrender of Ghent citadel--Conclusion of the
"Ghent Pacification"--The treaty characterized--Forms of
ratification--Fall of Zierickzee and recovery of Zealand.

Meantime, the Prince of Orange sat at Middelburg, watching the storm.
The position of Holland and Zealand with regard to the other fifteen
provinces was distinctly characterized. Upon certain points there was
an absolute sympathy, while upon others there was a grave and almost
fatal difference. It was the task of the Prince to deepen the sympathy,
to extinguish the difference.

In Holland and Zealand, there was a warm and nearly universal adhesion to
the Reformed religion, a passionate attachment to the ancient political
liberties. The Prince, although an earnest Calvinist himself, did all in
his power to check the growing spirit of intolerance toward the old
religion, omitted no opportunity of strengthening the attachment which
the people justly felt for their liberal institutions.

On the other hand, in most of the other provinces, the Catholic religion
had been regaining its ascendency. Even in 1574, the estates assembled