The Holland Society of New York - Yearbook (New York, NY)

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290 e service of the King, showing to I-Ier they would risk, in th ' Highness the dangerous condition of affairs, and warning her, if the protection of the Inquisition were continued, of the terrible consequences which they foresaw would shake the State to its foundations. They demanded, secondly, that the edict of the King relating to the Inquisition, and relating to religion in general, be reformed by the Assembly of the States-General, and that, while awaiting this, the execution of this edict should be suspended, as a protection against the sad evils of which it was already, and of Which it would be more and more, the fertile source. The Regent, hiding as well as possible the uneasiness and indignation which this affair caused her, received the petition, and replied to the supplicants that she would ex- amine into their demands with the Lords of the Council, and that in a short time she would let them know her decision. With this response, the confederate lords re- turned to Culemburg's residence in the same order and with the same gravity with which they had left it. After the Regent had deliberated on the petition of the nobles, that Princess replied the following day in writing that she would represent to the King their first demand in the most favorable manner possible, but that she was obliged to refuse absolutely the second, because the matter was not in her power. While this affair was thus treated at the palace of the Princess, the populace insulted the confederate nobles by the opprobrious epithet of Gueux, which those who under- stood French badly changed into Geuzen, which afterward bCC-21116 very common as the name of a party or sect. Others say that the author of the sobriquet was the Baron of Barlemont, who, seeing the Regent surprised at the sight of so many nobles, tried to encourage her by saying, Ce ne sont que des gueuxf However that may be, this name was received by the nobles as a precious epithet, and soon became the most honorable title of that illustrious league. The 6th of April, Brederode, being at dinner with other lords of his Pa1'tY at CH1emburg's,e put around his neck a Wallet, and flllins with wine a Wooden cup, like that worn bl' the beggars, made all the guests follow his example.

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289 I One of these me the time of his assassination. H g a S The following is the description, translated by the irst ecre ary of the Society, Mr. Ge . W. V S' Loon's Nederlandsche Penwingenci an men, from Van The nobles assembled several times in different places t0 find methods to protect the liberties of their count . TY from the perils which Irlenaced them from all sides. Those who showed themselves most zealous and most ardent upon these occasions were Henry of Brederodeg Louis of Nassau, brother of the Prince of Orange, Florent of Pal- lant, Count of Culemburgg and William, Count of Bergen. They pushed the affair so far that meetings were held,. first at Breda, and afterward at Hoogstraten. ' At the latter place several discontented nobles pro- jected an alliance, which, going from hand to hand, was in a short time accepted and signed by more than four hun- dred persons, all of whom promised to be in Brussels on a certain day. To give greater aclat to this league, Henry of Brederode, as chief of the confederates, found it convenient to make his entry into that city on the 3d of April, A.D. 1566, accompanied by Count Louis of Nassau and many nobles, followed by a great number of servants. The fourth day of that month was employed in preparations and in awaiting the Counts of Bergen and of Culemburg. Al- though on the following day these lords had not yet arrived, the confederates did not delay in demanding an audience. lt was granted to them, and the Princess-Regent appointed the hour of noon to avoid the tumultuous concourse of the populace. . The time named being near, Brederode and Count Louis were seen to leave the residence of Culemburg and to walk with a decent gravity toward the court, preceded by more than three hundred gentlemen, of whom they thCI11SC1VCS formed the last rank. When theY amlfed before me Duchess, Brederode spoke for all, and, havn1g.1il11ShfiCl 1115 harangue, he presented to Her Highness a petition signed in the name of all that illustrious troop. In th1s.Pet1t1?nf after having represented their obedience and their fidelity to the King, they declared that, notwithstandmg the hatred that their procedure would very likely draw upon them' 19 dals was worn by William of Oran e t

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291 He de remaining faithful to his King, not only would Ijzhilekalways thing in defence of the liberties of the countr T every- ' , yr Pl Ollgh he unit be Teduced to Caffymg a wallet, but he was even TCH Y to give up his life in so good a cause All those h , , - w o were at the feast' havm-8' 11'l turn taken the wallet and the Cup, made the same declaration one after the other in the midst of a continual cry of 'Vfivent les Gueux 1' Several of these nobles appeared the nerit day in the ying at the girdle as clared to them at the same time that streets dressed in gray frieze,a11d Carr a badge of honor, a small wallet and a little wooden cup or calabash. mrhen CA-11 15665, 945 110W cA.D. I732J, the wooden bowl was in Brabant, like the wallet, a distinctive mark, and, so to speak, a livery of beggars. ,Furnished with this neces- sary utensil of their profession, they went certain days of the week to the cloisters, where, after having taken part in the catechising, they each received, according as he had answered well or badly, a portion of soup left over by the monks. I . It was by this low and despised method that the Pro- fessor, Thomas Stapleton, was able to reach the highest degree of erudition, notwithstanding his poverty and low birth. Sure, thanks to his porringer, of victuals which were absolutely necessary to him, he applied himself first to the languages, and afterwards to the higher sciences, with such success that he was honored with. the most distin- guished professorship in the University of Louvain. He never forgot his porringer, In the feasts which they gave when he was elevated to 'this important charge, not only did he then cause the first toast to be drunk in that cup, then ornamented with a foot of silver, but he desired that after his death it should be added to the rich ornaments of his marble tomb, as an example and as a beacon for other distinguished men of genius, the meanness of whose ex- traction might seem to condemn them to darkness. G The reader must pardon me this digression, which I would not have made but from the same motive which caused this great man to parade his begga1 S bOW1- The gourd or bottle had its origin from the usage made of it by the pilgrims--that class of Pe0P1e Who, to Perform