The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28
III.

Tho great Stakeholder has been accused Ct
personal ambition by some eminent historians,
and there is no doubt that INSCRIPTIONS self.
seeking did stain the career of williams do.
scendants and successors. Mr.. Harrison, on the
other hand, finds it a moro difficult task to de-
fend the memory Of William tho Silent from
the charge of being too backward TO assume tho
manifest headship into which he was forced by
events and by his people. Should he not, asks
the author Of this book. havo urged. from tho
first, upon the people of the Netherlands the
reputation of tho Spanish crowni Was he
right to have toiled for twelve years by a thou.
sand schemes. and, in spite of rebuffs. failure,
and treachery. to find n protector for his SUBJ
jects in some foreign Prince. German, Austrian,
French, or EnRlishi Was he not infatuated in
%clinging, to the last. to the tickle and treacher.
Gus Duke of Anjouf Should he not early have
accepted for himself the sovereignty in name
as well as in facti Should he not have
recognized at once how hopeless was the effort
to drive out of Belgium tho House of Hapsburg
and the creed of Rome7 Should he not, quite
early in the struggle, have concentrated the de-
proclaimed its sovereign Lord and COUNTY
I iG,r are yh al questions most ttotGo complex and OBJ,
ground Of three centuries OF subsequent his.
tory. Mr.. Harrison attempts to solve as follows:
Prince, the enS heir hit Of two was sn nimSe' rui i sof Soassa.
those Of Nassau-Dilenburg and of Orange. and
e es bnaio Of cb nrGssh +. up Where From he 6G SaS ss. in h the
traditions of loyalty and kingcraft. sufhccd to
no,d nstlSns together sed ne N th hir,b age en Of c cmi6 ion:
throes of civil and religious wars. BY tempera-
s %fmr; eSn MIX 1he IDEAS t Of the fal mall a"sfe w S"a
with respect for hereditary rights and duties
as the foundation of social order, Thore had
2 nation defying their lawful sovereign. much
i eom]% Sa snS,r i1nnd hlf this G hnew so E fsse' In, ibnae ssa1a n.
reer OF the Prince; but, in, the end, having OK
H !ssao OF s sSSs5iK e sinaepen sfeS%' uh 10 HT Sis o taS
leadership. no resolntely accepted It as final.
Another point to which the author Of this book
sonaRe, when accepted as n foreign protector,
always brought about the open or secret assist
imperial, or French. or English. AS a matter OF
t tse Prince lao oor of oro Pro,e IaboTad sGTnr nt. which
nero offer OF them. did bring help to the
riai or IN means oGnie lGp% @as a'T no do or b,nd risSf. +, mats" to.
lieving that the open or yelled assistance OF one
al ans sn SO e Cruelty S sSando %nsh the tn ea fsrman a af heT.
land, was absolutely Indispensable to successful
fGsa"ss as h his T Iest cff rIsnai an Tifh IT in par lSSSfiIssh t.
fh ra% o from fr IN iSs as sS a means ms q pTosqpsinE help
Austria or England. Had the knife of jacques
Clement struck earlier home, had the bullet Of,
William Of Orange Ard Henry Of Navarro Lived
to mi nit t bsye 'nc as s allied "a 1 tSu great things
Europe. William tho Silent could not 10 on.
pcctcd 10 look Forward for a hundred years.
when. in a TRANSFORMED Europe, and with 4
d~echdcnt Spain, Holland would be engaged in
death Grapplc with Louis XIV.
AS TO tho sovereign title. had II boon early
claimed by tho Calvinist William, he being
but one or the vassal Counts of tho Neither
lands, 1t would have inNo vol the instank
detection Of all tho Belgic provinces. now
pretoninantly Catholic, and full OF chicfa
who regarded themselves ms his peers. and
his ascendancy with jealousy and scorn. We
who was Count OF Nassau on the Lain,
and titular Prince OF Orange on tho Rhone'
was. In Brabant, a mere Baron OF Bredni
and, for such n one TO claim the splendid sue.
cnssion, of the great House OF Burg1ndy in the
Netherlands was simply To abandon all prospoct
OF union between III" seventeen proyinrea.
william. therefore. q bstainod from any snpges.
lion that no should be made tituiar Prince
or the entire Netherlands, though no fully
and, frankly accepted the real and paramount
authority. Long before his death he saw that
even, this was not possible. or. at all events.
could not be lasting. Slowly, reluctantly and
Win reserve. he nee epted Tho simple Countshin
or Holland. which. in effect, was TO fnil bnck IN
me seven northern provinces. and TO take mn
Tor himself ard his SUCCESSORS, tho soyCreivn
RUE, Az last. almost, as II were, with his diving
breath, he recognized tho logic of oycnIs
rounded the hmhller nation, which. FOR thren
centuries, has had SO glorious u history. and
transmitted to his descendants, under ynrlnus
lilles, ana with soma rude intervals of break
The throne OF Holland, which the younr
Queen now fills, amid tho devotion OF her own
people and the cordial friendship OF the DOWets