History of Protestantism in the Netherlands - James Aitken Wylie

ut as he could not speak the tongue of the
Flemings, the king addressed the convention by the
mouth of the Bishop of Arras. The orator set forth,
with that rhetorical grace of which he was a master,
that "intense affection" which Philip bore to the
Provinces; he next craved earnest attention to the
three millions of gold florins which the king had
asked of them; and these preliminaries dispatched,
the bishop entered upon the great topic of his
harangue, with a fervor that showed how much this
matter lay on the heart of his master.
The earnestness of the bishop, or rather of
Philip, can be felt only by giving his words. "At
this moment,", said he, "many countries, and
particularly the lands in the immediate
neighborhood, were greatly infested by various
'new, reprobate, and damnable sects;' as these sects,
proceeding from the foul fiend, father of discord,
had not failed to keep those kingdoms in perpetual
dissension and misery, to the manifest displeasure
of God Almighty; as his Majesty was desirous to
avert such terrible evils from his own realms,
according to his duty to the Lord God, who would
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