authority on the Prince, defining his powers in eighteen articles. He
was declared chief commander by land and sea. He was to appoint all
officers, from generals to subalterns, and to pay them at his discretion.
The whole protection of the land was devolved upon him. He was to send
garrisons or troops into every city and village at his pleasure, without
advice or consent of the estates, magistrates of the cities, or any other
persons whatsoever. He was, in behalf of the King as Count of Holland
and Zealand, to cause justice to be administered by the supreme court.
In the same capacity he was to provide for vacancies in all political
and judicial offices of importance, choosing, with the advice of the
estates, one officer for each vacant post out of three candidates
nominated to him by that body. He was to appoint and renew, at the
usual times, the magistracies in the cities, according to the ancient
constitutions. He was to make changes in those boards, if necessary,
at unusual times, with consent of the majority of those representing
the great council and corpus of the said cities. He was to uphold the
authority and pre-eminence of all civil functionaries, and to prevent
governors and military officers from taking any cognizance of political
or judicial affairs. With regard to religion, he was to maintain the
practice of the Reformed Evangelical religion, and to cause to surcease
the exercise of all other religions contrary to the Gospel. He was,
however, not to permit that inquisition should be made into any man's
belief or conscience, or that any man by cause thereof should suffer
trouble, injury, or hindrance.

The league thus concluded was a confederation between a group of
virtually independent little republics. Each municipality, was, as it
were, a little sovereign, sending envoys to a congress to vote and to
sign as plenipotentiaries. The vote of each city was, therefore,
indivisible, and it mattered little, practically, whether there were