he dishonour of God and to the total
desolation of the country." The members of the League might be good
Catholics though they were pledged to resist the Inquisition. They
always promised to attempt nothing "to the diminution of the King's
grandeur, majesty, or dominion." {83} All who signed the Compromise
were to be mutually protected by an oath which permitted none to be
persecuted. It was a League, in fact, against the foreign government
of the Netherlands, signed by nobles whose spirit was roused to protest
against the influence of such men as Alva.

The Compromise did not gain the support of William of Orange because he
was distrustful of its objects. The members were young and imprudent,
and many of them were not at all disinterested in their desire to
secure the broad lands belonging to the Catholic Church. Their wild
banquets were dangerous to the whole country, since spies sat at the
board and took note of all extravagant phrases that might be construed
into disloyalty. Orange himself held meetings of a very different sort
in his sincere endeavour to avert the catastrophe he feared.

Troops rode into Brussels, avowing their intention to free the country
from Spanish tyranny. Brederode was among them--a handsome reckless
noble, descended from one of the oldest families of Holland. The
citizens welcomed the soldiers with applause and betrayed the same
enthusiasm on the following day when a procession of noble cavaliers
went to present a petition to Margaret of Parma, urging that she should
suspend the powers of the Inquisition while a messenger was sent to
Spain to demand its abolition.

As the petitioners left the hall, they heard with furious resentment
the remark of one Berlaymont to the troubled Regent. "What, Madam! is
it possible that your highness can entertain fears of these beggars?
(_gueux_). Is it not obvious what manner of men they are? They have
not had wisdom enough to manage their own estates, and are they now to
teach the King {84} and Your Highness how to govern the country? By
the living God, if my advice were taken, their petition should have a
cudgel for a commentary, and we would make them go down the steps of
the palace a great deal faster than they mounted them."

The Confederates received an answer from the Duchess not altogether to
their satisfaction, though she promised to make a special application
to the King for the modification of edicts and ordered the Inquisitors
to