FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   440   441   442   443   444   445   446   447   448   449   450   451   452   453   454   455   456   457   458   459   460   461   462   463   464  
465   466   467   468   >>  
hich had characterized the system of human sacrifice for the past half-century. Such was the church of Notre Dame at Antwerp. Thus indifferent or hostile towards the architectural treasure were the inhabitants of a city, where in a previous age the whole population would have risked their lives to defend what they esteemed the pride and garland of their metropolis. The Prince of Orange had been anxiously solicited by the Regent to attend the conference at Duffel. After returning to Antwerp, he consented, in consequence of the urgent entreaties of the senate, to delay his departure until the 18th of August should be past. On the 13th of that month he had agreed with the magistrates upon an ordinance, which was accordingly published, and by which the preachings were restricted to the fields. A deputation of merchants and others waited upon him with a request to be permitted the exercises of the Reformed religion in the city. This petition the Prince peremptorily refused, and the deputies, as well as their constituents, acquiesced in the decision, "out of especial regard and respect for his person." He, however, distinctly informed the Duchess that it would be difficult or impossible to maintain such a position long, and that his departure from the city would probably be followed by an outbreak. He warned her that it was very imprudent for him to leave Antwerp at that particular juncture. Nevertheless, the meeting of the Fleece-knights seemed, in Margaret's opinion, imperatively to require his presence in Brussels. She insisted by repeated letters that he should leave Antwerp immediately. Upon the 18th August, the great and time-honored ceremony of the Ommegang occurred. Accordingly, the great procession, the principal object of which was to conduct around the city a colossal image of the Virgin, issued as usual from the door of the cathedral. The image, bedizened and effulgent, was borne aloft upon the shoulders of her adorers, followed by the guilds, the military associations, the rhetoricians, the religious sodalities, all in glittering costume, bearing blazoned banners, and marching triumphantly through the streets with sound of trumpet and beat of drum. The pageant, solemn but noisy, was exactly such a show as was most fitted at that moment to irritate Protestant minds and to lead to mischief. No violent explosion of ill-feeling, however, took place. The procession was followed by a rabble rout of scoffers, but th
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   440   441   442   443   444   445   446   447   448   449   450   451   452   453   454   455   456   457   458   459   460   461   462   463   464  
465   466   467   468   >>  



Top keywords:

Antwerp

 

procession

 
Prince
 

August

 

departure

 

imprudent

 

Nevertheless

 

opinion

 

conduct

 
Virgin

colossal
 

knights

 

issued

 
Margaret
 
Fleece
 

object

 

meeting

 
imperatively
 

immediately

 
letters

repeated

 
insisted
 
Brussels
 

presence

 

occurred

 

Accordingly

 
juncture
 

Ommegang

 

require

 
honored

ceremony
 

principal

 

guilds

 

moment

 

fitted

 

irritate

 

Protestant

 

pageant

 

solemn

 
mischief

rabble
 
scoffers
 

feeling

 

violent

 

explosion

 
trumpet
 

warned

 

adorers

 

military

 

associations