commonwealth, built as it is upon a foundation which cannot suffer this
diversity in the public exercise of religion. Already," continued
Maurice, "there are the seeds of dissension in the provinces and in the
cities, sure to ripen in the idleness and repose of peace to an open
division. This would give the enemy a means of intriguing with and
corrupting those who are already wickedly inclined."

Thus in the year 1608, the head of the Dutch republic, the son of William
the Silent, seemed to express himself in favour of continuing a horrible
war, not to maintain the political independence of his country, but to
prevent Catholics from acquiring the right of publicly worshipping God
according to the dictates of their conscience.

Yet it would be unjust to the prince, whose patriotism was as pure and
unsullied as his sword, to confound his motives with his end. He was
firmly convinced that liberty of religious worship, to be acquired during
the truce, would inevitably cause the United Provinces to fall once more
under the Spanish yoke. The French ambassador, with whom he conferred
every day, never doubted his sincerity. Gelderland, Friesland,
Overyssel, Groningen, and Utrecht, five provinces out of the united
seven, the prince declared to be chiefly inhabited by Catholics. They
had only entered the union, he said, because compelled by force. They
could only be kept in the union by force, unless allowed freedom of
religion. His inference from such a lamentable state of affairs was, not
that the experiment of religious worship should be tried, but that the
garrisons throughout the five provinces ought to be redoubled, and the
war with Spain indefinitely waged. The President was likewise of opinion
that "a revolt of these five provinces against the union might be at any
moment expected, ill disposed as they were to recognise a sovereignty
which abolished their religion." Being himself a Catholic, however, it