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is son, who also inherited the Flemish provinces. Mr. Motley's incomparable History of the Rise of the Dutch Republic, commences at this point, with the abdication of Charles V., and the accession of Philip II. I hope all who have not read this work will do so, as many of you can, here in the midst of the scenes described in its glowing pages. "Philip was a bigot and a tyrant, and his despotism, which included the establishment of the Inquisition, drove the people to madness, and provoked them to rebellion. During the reign of Charles V. the Reformation had made considerable progress in Germany, and its principles were firmly planted in the Low Countries. Philip imposed upon himself the duty of rooting out the obnoxious doctrines, and of restoring the supremacy of the Catholic church. "After his accession to the Netherlands, the king remained four years in the country, and then departed for Spain, from which he did not again return. He made his sister regent, and she was to be assisted by Granvelle, Bishop of Arras. William, Prince of Orange, and the Counts Egmont and Horn, were associated with the bishop as councillors, but they had no real power or influence. "The despotic conduct of Granvelle, and the attempt on his part to introduce the Inquisition, by order of his royal master, excited the most desperate opposition. The people organized under the lead of the Prince of Orange, and Egmont and Horn, and an insurrection broke out in Flanders, in 1566. These Protestant rebels have been styled iconoclasts, or image-breakers, for they broke into the churches, overturned the images, defaced the valuable paintings, and otherwise injured the church property. "The famous Cathedral of Notre Dame, which you can see from the deck of the ship, was ravaged by the mob. The statues of Christ, the Virgin, and the Saints were hurled from their pedestals; the rich paintings, the choicest works of Flemish art, were cut to pieces; the organs were torn down, the altars overturned, and the gold and silver vessels used in the mass were carried off. For three days these tumultuous proceedings continued, and were suppressed only when the fury of the mob had ceased, by the Knights of the Golden Fleece, of which the Prince of Orange was a member. The career of this remarkable man is closely identified with the history of the Netherlands during this period. He was opposed to the violence of the mob, not only from prudential motives, but
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