most necessary for the very existence of the fatherland that Catholic and
Protestant should mingle their social and political relations, it was
indeed a bitter disappointment for him to see wise statesmen of his own
creed unable to rise to the idea of toleration. "The affair of the
Anabaptists," wrote Saint Aldegonde, "has been renewed. The Prince
objects to exclude them from citizenship. He answered me sharply, that
their yea was equal to our oath, and that we should not press this
matter, unless we were willing to confess that it was just for the
Papists to compel us to a divine service which was against our
conscience." It seems hardly credible that this sentence, containing
so sublime a tribute to the character of the Prince, should have been
indited as a bitter censure, and that, too, by an enlightened and
accomplished Protestant. "In short," continued Saint Aldegonde, with
increasing vexation, "I don't see how we can accomplish our wish in this
matter. The Prince has uttered reproaches to me that our clergy are
striving to obtain a mastery over consciences. He praised lately the
saying of a monk who was not long ago here, that our pot had not gone to
the fire as often as that of our antagonists, but that when the time came
it would be black enough. In short, the Prince fears that after a few
centuries the clerical tyranny on both sides will stand in this respect
on the same footing."

Early in the month of May, Doctor Leoninus and Caspar Schetz, Seigneur de
Grobbendonck, had been sent on a mission from the states-general to the
Prince of Orange. While their negotiations were still pending, four
special envoys from Don John arrived at Middelburg. To this commission
was informally adjoined Leoninus, who had succeeded to the general
position of Viglius. Viglius was dead. Since the memorable arrest of
the State Council, he had not appeared on the scene of public affairs.
The house-arrest, to which he had been compelled by a revolutionary