History of Protestantism in the Netherlands - James Aitken Wylie

Maestricht was trifling, compared with the injury
inflicted by another achievement of Parma, and
which he gained not by arms, but by diplomacy.
Knowing that the Walloons were fanatically
attached to the old religion, he opened negotiations,
and ultimately prevailed with them to break the
bond of common brotherhood and form themselves
upon a separate treaty. It was a masterly stroke. It
had separated the Roman from the Batavian
Netherlands. William had sought to unite the two,
and make of them one nationality, placing the keystone
of the arch at Ghent, the capital of the
Southern Provinces, and the second city in the
Netherlands. But the subtle policy of Parma had cut
the Fatherland in twain, and the project of William
fell to the ground.
The Prince of Orange anxiously considered
how best to parry the blow of Parma, and neutralise
its damaging effects. The master-stroke of the
Spaniard led William to adopt a policy equally
masterly, and fruitful beyond all the measures he
had yet; employed; this was the "Union of
Utrecht." The alliance was formed between the
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