The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-16
CAREER Of GALLANT
BUT Inflated EGM0hT


M. Palace .. offered For Permanent
Home of the League Of Nations.
washington, D. c., March 15.--'"rh'
proposal under consideration by Brus
sells that tho historic Egmont palace
he offered as the permanent home o
the League of Nations recalls tbs
career of that gallant and ili-fate'
Count Egmnnt,. once it's occupant. whc
~ |ASts .S., - ! Ky ',ss,yss.r e
rnwful days Of the Spanish fnauisitton'
Gays bulletin just issued by the Ma
tional Geographic society
"ERmonta name ia inextricablS
linked with two other heroes of those
dark days of the Netherlands. which
then included Belgium~-the nahle VII
liam of Nassau, Prince of Orange. and
tho blunt Count Horn.
"Egmouts brilliant Victories in thu
war between Spain and France made
him a national hero, but aroused the
jealousy Of the Duke Of Alva. Tn
iettered but Of noble birth. EEmont
unw'tttngiy made another dangerous
enemy in the learned. but low1y born
and sycophantic bishop of Arras. later
Cardinal Granville
III was while the Duchess OF Parma
often called the man In petticoats.
more for her mustache. govt. and
workmanship than for any masculine
If the Netherlands that the cruel
faratieal Philip II. lnf Spain. instigated
the Wholesale burning. stranglinE and
hurying alive of heretics in his North
Sea domain. This pleasant lady. Incl
dentslly. was married to her first hus-
band when she was twelvs years old,
but only obtained a second by we'd
ding a youngster of thirteen.
Peter Tttelman already had been
a n Cling Hfr N cling he
suspected of heresy, tearing out the
tonguessof some and roasting others
over a slow FIRE: and a sort of informal
union OF executioners had adopted
fixed rates for torturing, burning. and
drowning victims. when Egmont. along
with Count Horn and the Prince of
Orange wrote n joint protest to Car
dinal Granville. This gave the Duke
of Aiya pretext to advise Philip to
get rid of all three.
Brussels merchants Of the sixteenth
century lived in luxury and entertained
sumptuously So did the noblemen
Asa slight economy to meet the rising
cost of living the Prince of Orange.
upon one occasion. dismissed twenty
eight of his expert cooks. At q din
ner party where wine flowed freely the
suggestion was made that dice be
thrown to choose a man who would Mt
out his servants in livery to burlesque
the detested cardinal The unfortunate
Egmont was selected. Soon his re-
tanners appeared in coarse garments of
gray. wearing foofscap on their
sleeves. Hence the famous fools-cap
livery which mobiles soon donned.
Philip was compelled to remove the
cardinal A trip was the pretext for
his going. Brussels citizens displayed
wit similar to that with which the
Reigians annoyed the slow witted Ger
man garrisons In 1918, by putting on
the cardinals palace a sign. For Sale
Imme tiiately.'
Against Williams advice Egmont
was sent on mission to Spain to pro-
test against the frfghtful violence The
simple minded envoy was dazzled by
the rosy assurances OF the crafty Philip
and returned proudly bearing sealed
instructions which turned out to be or
ders for even more drastic persecu-
lions.
"FEmort was ut the wedding of
Alexander, Prince Of Parma, when a
covenant, also disapprcved by william,
was made in further protest against
tho 'harharous and violent inouisitton'
During subsequent discussion of a
petition to the duchess to send anoth-
or envoy to Spain the petitioners were
referred to ne begxars. Count Brede-
rode the Patrick Henry of that
period. sounded the slogan. Long live
the beEgars' Again Egmont appeared
fnopportuntefy and with William and
Horn. had to drink the toast which
became a revolutionary war cry and
suggested the distinctive costumes
which fastened upon the confederates
their historical nickname OF the beg
gsrs.'
The cfear-thinktnR prfnce William
saw tina time for resistance had come.
Fgmont, Horn and others persisted In
seeking surcease from Philip. william
left the Netherlands. returning to fight
g!oriously another day. Egmont stayed
and his sincere. but misguided. loyalty
cost him his head
When tho Duke of A1va was dis
patched to the Netherlands with an
armed forcs--armed with the rnuskets
That then were a noveity-EKmont was
warned 10 dee. Letters from PhiJin
and presents from Aiva again tricked
the soldier. Horn and others also ware
duped. Egmont received his last warn
ing from son of tho Duke, at whosA
home he was dining But ne persisted
In his blind trust, accepted a invitation
10 Alva's house. ana was thrown into
prison.
Meanwhile the infamous council Of
blood had been set MP Vargas was
Joking about the wholesale butch~r,es
the ofopslcal Hsssels was snoring Mt
the trials. occasionally aroused bv a
nudge from an attendant and crying
mechanically. TO the Gibbet,' ana dog
ing Off again. while the ingenuity Of
Aiva's parasites had devised the ex-
quistte torture Of putting victims
tongues through rings then seorchinr
them. and counseiinR them not to talk
With friends while they awaited the
overworked executioners
THE most atrocious Of all innuisition
dccrees. practically condemning 5000. =
coo Netherianders to death. was issued
February ~. 1863. Five months later
Egmonf was led to the spacious Rrus-
sells Square, the morning after the Duke
or AVA had promised his weeping wife
he would he freed Amid thousands OF
Spanish troops assembled for this in
QUESTION holiday, Egmont paid for his
LOYALTY by walking calmly to the plat
form. recittng psalm, and. as he
knet down tn pray an executioner
struck of hts head with n single swfft
stroke
Count Horns execution followed
The heads OF the two noblemen were
m mounted on spears for the crowd TO see.
When the soldiers went away the citi-
Gems dipped their hsndkerchiefs In the
blood 10 be kept as tokens of ven
geance."