array of united strength that he would find himself forced to submit to
the demands of the estates. The tenor, motive, and effect were all as
had been proposed and foreseen. The agreement to expel the Spaniards,
under the Catholic and loyal manifestations indicated, passed from hand
to hand through all the provinces. It soon received the signature and
support of all the respectability, wealth, and intelligence of the whole
country. Nobles, ecclesiastics, citizens, hastened to give to it their
adhesion. The states-general had sent it, by solemn resolution, to every
province, in order that every man might be forced to range himself either
upon the side of the fatherland or of despotism. Two copies of the
signatures procured in each province were ordered, of which one was to be
deposited in its archives, and the other forwarded to Brussels. In a
short time, every province, with the single exception of Luxemburg, had
loaded the document with signatures. This was a great step in advance.
The Ghent Pacification, which was in the nature of a treaty between the
Prince and the estates of Holland and Zealand on the one side, and a
certain number of provinces on the other, had only been signed by the
envoys of the contracting parties. Though received with deserved and
universal acclamation, it had not the authority of a popular document.
This, however, was the character studiously impressed upon the "Brussels
Union." The people, subdivided according to the various grades of their
social hierarchy, had been solemnly summoned to council, and had
deliberately recorded their conviction. No restraint had been put upon
their freedom of action, and there was hardly a difference of opinion as
to the necessity of the measure.

A rapid revolution in Friesland, Groningen, and the dependencies,
had recently restored that important country to the national party.
The Portuguese De Billy had been deprived of his authority as King's
stadholder, and Count Hoogstraaten's brother, Baron de Ville, afterwards