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One evening, towards the end of December, four monks, wearing the cowls and robes of Mendicant Grey Friars, demanded hospitality at the castle gate. They were at once ushered into the presence of the commandant, a brother of President Tisnacq. He was standing by the fire, conversing with his wife.

His presence there was but temporary, for he had received from Madrid the acceptance of his resignation, accompanied with orders to discharge the duties of President until the arrival of his successor, Charles de Tisnacq.

Upon this occasion, Gonzalo Perez and Ruy Gomez complained bitterly that they had known nothing of the letters which had recently been despatched from Valladolid, while Tisnacq and Courterville had been ignorant of the communications forwarded by the hands of Egmont.

He felt himself odious alike to princes and to plebeians. With his cabinet councillors he had long been upon unsatisfactory terms. President Tisnacq had died early, in the summer, and Viglius, much against his will, had been induced, provisionally, to supply his place. But there was now hardly a pretence of friendship between the learned Frisian and the Governor. Each cordially detested the other.

The garrison was not very strong, and Mondragon, its commander, was absent in Zealand, but the wife of the veteran ably supplied his place, and stimulated the slender body of troops to hold out with heroism, under the orders of his lieutenant, Avilos Maldonado. The mutineers, after having accomplished their victory at Tisnacq, had been earnestly solicited to come to the relief of this citadel.

The garrison was not very strong, and Mondragon, its commander, was absent in Zealand, but the wife of the veteran ably supplied his place, and stimulated the slender body of troops to hold out with heroism, under the orders of his lieutenant, Avilos Maldonado. The mutineers, after having accomplished their victory at Tisnacq, had been earnestly solicited to come to the relief of this citadel.

Having at last been relieved from the stone of Sisyphus, which, as he plaintively expressed himself, he had been rolling for twenty years; having, by the arrival of Tisnacq, obtained his discharge as President of the state council, he was yet not unwilling to retain the emoluments and the rank of President of the privy council, although both offices had become sinecures since the erection of the Council of Blood.

Religious and political sympathies and antipathies in the seventeen provinces Unanimous hatred for the foreign soldiery Use made by the Prince of the mutiny His correspondence Necessity of Union enforced A congress from nearly all the provinces meets at Ghent Skirmishes between the foreign troops and partisan bands Slaughter at Tisnacq Suspicions entertained of the State-Council Arrest of the State-Council Siege of Ghent citadel Assistance sent by Orange Maestricht lost and regained Wealthy and perilous condition of Antwerp Preparations of the mutineers under the secret superintendence of Avila Stupidity of Oberstein Duplicity of Don Sancho Reinforcements of Walloons under Havre, Egmont, and others, sent to for the expected assault of Antwerp Governor Champagny's preparations the mutineers Insubordination, incapacity, and negligence of all but him Concentration of all the mutineers from different points, in the citadel The attack the panic the flight the massacre the fire the sack and other details of the "Spanish Fury" Statistics of murder and robbery Letter of Orange to the states-general Surrender of Ghent citadel Conclusion of the "Ghent Pacification" The treaty characterized Forms of ratification Fall of Zierickzee and recovery of Zealand.

When the news of the public preaching reached Spain, there were almost daily consultations at the grove of Segovia. The eminent personages who composed the royal council were the Duke of Alva, the Count de Feria, Don Antonio de Toledo, Don Juan Manrique de Lara, Ruy Gomez, Quixada, Councillor Tisnacq, recently appointed President of the State Council, and Councillor Hopper.

When the news of the public preaching reached Spain, there were almost daily consultations at the grove of Segovia. The eminent personages who composed the royal council were the Duke of Alva, the Count de Feria, Don Antonio de Toledo, Don Juan Manrique de Lara, Ruy Gomez, Quixada, Councillor Tisnacq, recently appointed President of the State Council, and Councillor Hopper.