History of Protestantism in the Netherlands - James Aitken Wylie

which is at once the consequence and the
retribution of its estranging itself from the public
cause of humanity and justice. Once and again and
a third time had the Southern Netherlands
manifested this blindness to the mighty perils that
menaced them on the side of Spain, and remained
deaf to the call of patriotism and religion. When
the standards of William first approached their
frontier, they were unable to see the door of escape
from the yoke of a foreign tyrant thus opened to
them. A tithe of the treasure and blood which were
lost in the "Antwerp Fury" would have carried the
banner of William in triumph from Valenciennes to
the extreme north of Zealand; but the Flemings
cared not to think that the hour had come to strike
for liberty. A second time the Deliverer approached
them, but the ease-loving Netherlanders understood
not the offer now made to them of redemption from
the Spanish yoke. When Alva and his soldiers -- an
incarnated ferocity and bigotry -- entered the Low
Countries, they sat still: not a finger did they lift to
oppose the occupation. When the cry of Naarden,
and Zutphen, and Haarlem was uttered, Antwerp
was deaf.
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