should fly over into their neighbours' ground. The States were fighting
the battle of liberty against slavery, in which the future generations of
Germany, as well as of the Netherlands were interested. They were
combating that horrible institution, the Holy Inquisition. They were
doing their best to strike down the universal monarchy of Spain, which
they described as a bloodthirsty, insatiable, insolent, absolute dominion
of Saracenic, Moorish Christians. They warred with a system which placed
inquisitors on the seats of judges, which made it unlawful to read the
Scriptures, which violated all oaths, suppressed all civic freedom,
trampled, on all laws and customs, raised inordinate taxes by arbitrary
decree, and subjected high and low to indiscriminate murder. Spain had
sworn the destruction of the provinces and their subjugation to her
absolute dominion, in order to carry out her scheme of universal empire.

These were the deeds and designs against which the States were waging
that war, concerning some inconvenient results of which their neighbours,
now happily neutral, were complaining. But the cause of the States was
the cause of humanity itself. This Saracenic, Moorish, universal
monarchy had been seen by Germany to murder, despoil, and trample upon
the Netherlands. It had murdered millions of innocent Indians and
Granadians. It had kept Naples and Milan in abject slavery. It had
seized Portugal. It had deliberately planned and attempted an accursed
invasion of England and Ireland. It had overrun and plundered many
cities of the empire. It had spread a web of secret intrigue about
Scotland. At last it was sending great armies to conquer France and
snatch its crown. Poor France now saw the plans of this Spanish tyranny
and bewailed her misery. The subjects of her lawful king were ordered to
rise against him, on account of religion and conscience. Such holy
pretexts were used by these Saracenic Christians in order to gain
possession of that kingdom.