History of Protestantism in the Netherlands - James Aitken Wylie

His first care was to raise the necessary funds
and soldiers. He could not begin the war with a less
sum in hand than two hundred thousand florins.
The cities of Antwerp, Haarlem, Amsterdam, and
others contributed one-half of that sum; the refugee
merchants in London and elsewhere subscribed
largely. His brother, Count John of Nassau, gave a
considerable sum; and the prince himself
completed the amount needed by the sale of his
plate, furniture, tapestry, and jewels, which were of
great value. In this way were the funds provided.
For troops the chief reliance of William was on
the Protestant princes of Germany. He represented
to them the danger with which their own prosperity
and liberties would be menaced, should the
Netherlands be occupied by the Spaniards, and
their trade destroyed by the foreign occupation of
the sea-board, and the conversion of its great
commercial cities into camps. The German princes
were not insensible to these considerations, and not
only did they advance him sums of money they
winked at his levying recruits within their
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