History of Protestantism in the Netherlands - James Aitken Wylie

arrows, Granvelle, in writing to Philip, interpreted
to mean "conspiracy." Meanwhile the king had
made up his mind as to the course to be taken. He
dispatched two sets of instructions to Brussels, one
open and the other secret. According to the first,
the Duchess Margaret was commanded to
prosecute the heretics with more rigour than ever;
the three lords were ordered to return to their posts
at the Council-table; and the cardinal was told that
the king, who was still deliberating, would make
his resolution known through the regent. But by the
secret letter, written at the same time, but sent off
from Madrid so as to arrive behind the others,
Philip wrote to the cardinal, saying that it appeared
to him that it might be well he should leave the
Provinces for some days, in order to visit his
mother, and bidding him ask permission to depart
from the regent, whom he had secretly instructed to
give such permission, without allowing it to be
seen that these orders had come from the king.
The plan mystified all parties at the time, save
Orange, who guessed how the matter really stood;
but the examination of Philip's correspondence has
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