History of Protestantism in the Netherlands - James Aitken Wylie

emphatically refused to receive its new spiritual
ruler. With the bishop they knew would come the
Inquisition; and with secret denunciations,
midnight apprehensions, and stakes blazing in their
market-place they foresaw the flight of the foreign
merchants from their country, and the ruin of their
commerce. They sent deputies to Madrid, who put
the matter in this light before Philip; and the king,
having respect to the state of his treasury, and the
sums with which these wealthy merchants were
accustomed to replenish his coffers, was graciously
pleased meanwhile to tolerate their opposition.[1]
At the State Council storms were of frequent
occurrence. At that table sat men, some of whom
were superior in rank to Arras, yet his equals in
talent, and who moreover had claims on Philip's
regard to which the bishop could make no
pretensions, seeing they had laid him under great
obligations by the brilliant services which they had
rendered in the field. There were especially at that
board the Prince of Orange and Counts Egmont
and Horn, who in addition to great wealth and
distinguished merit, held high position in the State
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