were destined to enlighten him. In the course of the first conversation
between Leoninus and the Prince at Middelburg, the envoy urged that Don
John had entered the Netherlands without troops, that he had placed
himself in the power of the Duke of Aerschot, that he had since come
to Louvain without any security but the promise of the citizens and
of the students; and that all these things proved the sincerity of his
intentions. He entreated the Prince not to let slip so favorable an
opportunity for placing his house above the reach of every unfavorable
chance, spoke to him of Marius, Sylla, Julius Caesar, and other promoters
of civil wars, and on retiring for the day, begged him to think gravely
on what he had thus suggested, and to pray that God might inspire him
with good resolutions.

Next day, William informed the envoy that, having prayed to God for
assistance, he was more than ever convinced of his obligation to lay the
whole matter before the states, whose servant he was. He added, that he
could not forget the deaths of Egmont and Horn, nor the manner in which
the promise made to the confederate nobles by the Duchess of Parma, had
been visited, nor the conduct of the French monarch towards Admiral
Coligny. He spoke of information which he had received from all
quarters, from Spain, France, and Italy, that there was a determination
to make war upon him and upon the states of Holland and Zealand. He
added that they were taking their measures in consequence, and that they
were well aware that a Papal nuncio had arrived in the Netherlands, to
intrigue against them. In the evening, the Prince complained that the
estates had been so precipitate in concluding their arrangement with Don
John. He mentioned several articles in the treaty which were calculated
to excite distrust; dwelling particularly on the engagement entered into
by the estates to maintain the Catholic religion. This article he
declared to be in direct contravention to the Ghent treaty, by which this