Texts concerning the Revolt of the Netherlands

3 Compromise, January 1566 ¹

The real originators of the Compromise of the nobles at the beginning of December 1565 were the Calvinists John Marnix, lord of Tholouse and Nicholas de Hames, herald-at-arms of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Shortly after, Louis of Nassau and Henry Brederode gave it their approval and on this basis some hundreds of nobles were to unite.

Every one who has this paper before him must know that we, the undersigned, have been duly and sufficiently warned and informed that there is a great crowd of foreigners²- men without any concern for the safety and prosperity of the provinces in the Netherlands, with no care for God's glory and honour or for the commonweal, driven only by private avarice and ambition, even to the disadvantage of the king and all his subjects - who pretend to be zealous for the maintenance of the Catholic religion and the union of the people and have managed to persuade His Majesty by their well-turned remonstrances and false information to violate his oath³ and to disappoint the expectations he has always let us cherish, by

1 G. Groen van Prinsterer ed., Archives ou Correspondance inédite de la Maison d'Orange-Nassau, le série, ii (Leyden, 1835), pp. 2ff.

2 The reference here is above all to Cardinal Granvelle, but Philip's Spanish counsellors may also have been included.

3 Made at his investiture in the Netherlands in 1549, while his father Charles V was still reigning.

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not only failing to mitigate the edicts already in force,⁴ but by reinforcing them and even by introducing the inquisition in all its strength. Not only is this inquisition iniquitous and against all divine and human laws, surpassing the worst barbarism ever practised by tyrants, it will also most certainly lead to the dishonouring of God's name and to the utter ruin and desolation of these Netherlands. Under the veil of only a few men's false hypocrisy, it will inevitably destroy all law and order, do away with all honesty, wholly weaken the authority and force of the old laws, customs and ordinances observed from time immemorial. It will deprive the States of this country of all freedom to express their opinion, it will do away with all ancient privileges, franchises and immunities, and not only make the burghers and inhabitants of this country miserable and everlasting slaves of the inquisitors, who are worthless people, but even subject the magistrates, officers and all nobles to the mercy of their investigations and visitations, and finally endanger the lives and possessions of all the king's honest and loyal subjects perpetually and openly. Not only will the glory of God and the holy Catholic religion (which they pretend to maintain) be very much affected, but so too will the Majesty of our king and lord. He will be in grave danger of losing the whole of his estate, because normal business will cease, people will leave their trade and be continually incited to sedition, the garrisons of the frontier-towns will become untrustworthy. In a word, the only result will be horrible confusion and disorder.

We have carefully pondered all these matters and duly considered the duty to which we are all bound as faithful vassals of His Majesty and particularly as nobles, that is, as His Majesty's helpers whose function it is to maintain His authority and greatness by providing for the prosperity and safety of the country through our prompt and willing service. We have come to the conclusion that we cannot perform our duty but by obviating those disastrous consequences and by trying at the same time to provide for our personal safety and that of our possessions so that we may not fall a prey to those who would wish to enrich themselves at the cost of our lives and goods under the pretext of religion. Therefore we have decided to form a sacred and legitimate confederation and alliance by which we promise and bind ourselves mutually by solemn oath to prevent by all means the introduction of this inquisition in whatever shape, open or covert, under whatever disguise or mask it may assume, whether bear-

4 As appears from Philip's letters from Segovia which had arrived at Brussels at the beginning of November (see Document 1).

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ing the name of inquisition, visitation, edicts or otherwise, and to extirpate and eradicate it entirely as the mother and cause of all disorder and iniquity. We have the example of the inhabitants of the kingdom of Naples before our eyes: they wisely reject it to the great relief and peace of their country.⁵

We protest however before God and men with a good conscience, that we have no intention whatsoever of attempting anything that might eventually dishonour God or diminish the king's grandeur and majesty, or that of his estates; on the contrary our purpose is to maintain the king in his estate and to keep order and peace, suppressing, as much as we can, all seditions, popular risings, monopoly, factions and partiality. We have promised and sworn and now again we promise and swear to preserve this confederation and alliance forever holy and inviolable as long as we shall live. We take Almighty God as witness for our conscience that we will not contravene our alliance in any way, neither in deed nor in word, directly nor indirectly of our own free will. And to ratify this alliance and confederation and make it firm and strong forever, we have promised and do promise each other full assistance with our bodies and goods, as brothers and loyal companions, joining hands so that none of us or of our confederates shall be investigated, harassed, tormented or persecuted in whatever manner, for any cause resulting from the inquisition or on account of the edicts or of our confederation. And if any molestation or persecution does take place involving any of our brothers and allies, whatever and however it may be, we have promised and sworn and promise and swear now to assist them with our bodies and property, to the utmost of our ability without sparing anything and without any exception or subterfuge whatever, just as if it concerned ourselves; and we emphasise that we will not withdraw or absolve ourselves from this confederation, even if those molesters or persecutors try to conceal their persecution by some pretext (for example, by claiming that they only want to punish rebellion, or some similar pretext) provided it is clear that their action is occasioned by these causes. This is of great importance because we maintain that in these and similar cases it is wrong to claim that the crime of rebellion⁶ has been committed because its source is the holy zeal and laudable desire to maintain the glory of God, the king's Majesty, the public peace and the safety of our lives and possessions. However, we agree and promise one

5 The nobles and burghers of Naples formed a union against the introduction of the Spanish inquisition in 1547.

6 From the onset it was feared that the action of the nobles against religious persecution might be construed as attempted revolt.

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another that in such cases each of us shall follow the common opinion of all brothers and allies or of those whom we elect to take the decision, so that the sacred union be maintained among us and that what will be done will be the firmer and stabler thanks to our joint assent.

As witness and surety of this confederation and alliance we have invoked and invoke now the most holy name of Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, who sees into our consciences and thoughts, and knows that this is our firm decision. We most humbly entreat Him that by His heavenly power He will keep us firm and steady and endow us with such a spirit of prudence and discretion, that, always enjoying good and mature counsel, we may bring our design to a happy conclusion, to the glory of His name, the service of His Majesty the king and the public weal. Amen. H. Brederode. Charles, count of Mansfeld.⁷ Louis of Nassau.

7 Son of Peter Ernest Mansfeld, stadholder of Luxemburg.