absurdity of taking the reins of government at that crisis from the hands
of a most determined and energetic man, to confide them to the keeping of
a woman. A king who was willing to reflect upon the consequences of his
own acts, must have foreseen the scandal likely to result from an open
quarrel for precedence between such a mother and son. Margaret of Parma
was instantly informed, however, by Alexander, that a divided authority
like that proposed was entirely out of the question. Both offered to
resign; but Alexander was unflinching in his determination to retain all
the power or none. The Duchess, as docile to her son after her arrival
as she had been to the King on undertaking the journey, and feeling
herself unequal to the task imposed upon her, implored Philip's
permission to withdraw, almost as soon as she had reached her
destination. Granvelle's opinion was likewise opposed to this
interference with the administration of Alexander, and the King at last
suffered himself to be overruled. By the end of the year 1581, letters
arrived confirming the Prince of Parma in his government, but requesting
the Duchess of Parma to remain, privately in the Netherlands. She
accordingly continued to reside there under an assumed name until the
autumn of 1583, when she was at last permitted to return to Italy.

During the summer of 1581, the same spirit of persecution which had
inspired the Catholics to inflict such infinite misery upon those of the
Reformed faith in the Netherlands, began to manifest itself in overt acts
against the Papists by those who had at last obtained political.
ascendency over them. Edicts were published in Antwerp, in Utrecht, and
in different cities of Holland, suspending the exercise of the Roman
worship. These statutes were certainly a long way removed in horror from
those memorable placards which sentenced the Reformers by thousands to
the axe; the cord, and the stake, but it was still melancholy to see the
persecuted becoming persecutors in their turn. They were excited to