Texts concerning the Revolt of the Netherlands

27 A short account of the true causes and reasons which have forced the States General of the Netherlands to take measures for their protection against Don John of Austria, 1577 ¹

Marnix of St Aldegonde wrote this justification by order of the States General in the autumn of 1577. Some letters from Don John and his secretary Juan de Escovedo to the king, which were intercepted and handed to the prince of Orange, were also published by him in this pamphlet.

It is common knowledge that Don John intends, as he has always done, to set the country ablaze with war; and, as Escovedo says, to remedy matters by fire and bloodshed. Indeed, the States could not avoid or escape such a pressing need to act as they did, unless they wished to commit treachery and to break the oath by which they swore to protect their fatherland. For they have been called by God and men to be the protectors of the privileges, rights and freedoms of the common people, whom they represent in the three estates of clergy, nobles and towns. Not only does their oath bind them to protect the common people; they have also received in their hands the oath of the king² along with that of His Highness so that they must see to it that this is kept. Moreover they are bound and united by the alliance and union they have concluded, of

1 Cort verhael van de rechte oorsaecken ende redenen, die de Generale Staten der Nederlanden ghedwonghen hebben hen te versiene tot hunder beschermenisse teghen den heere Don Jehan van Oostenrijck (Knuttel, no. 310).

2 Sworn in 1549.

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which His Highness has himself approved,³ on penalty of being forswearers and devoid of all honour.

The sovereign may not wage or declare war on another prince or foreign nation without the consent of the States because the privileges of the country prohibit this. If the prince should abuse his power and break the privileges and wrong the common people contrary to all reason and justice, they are bound to oppose this by force. In that case they may refuse him obedience and choose a governor to rule them until the mistakes committed be corrected. This appears conclusively from the privileges of the country and the examples set by our forefathers in conformity with written law.⁴ Who can deny that the States are duty-bound to resist with weapons a stadholder of the prince, who before being accepted as governor by all provinces⁵ and even before carrying out the principal points and conditions on which he ought to have been accepted in conformity with the Perpetual Edict, already takes up arms against the country and like an enemy captures its strongholds,⁶ with the intention of destroying everything by fire and sword? Not only does he attempt to get free of the unbreakable obligations already entered into by oath and mutual contract; he also intends to oppress and to trample on the privileges, rights and freedoms of the fatherland.

For it is so well known that His Highness did not carry out the conditions to which he bound himself when he was accepted, that no proof is needed. We have already seen that contrary to the said accord he invoked the help of foreigners⁷ and held councils and private councils with people who are sworn and public enemies of the common peace and prosperity of the country and entirely suspect to good patriots. And we know that instead of punishing the soldiers, Spaniards as well as Germans, who brought about the ruin and piteous desolation of these provinces, for their misdeeds, in conformity with the seventh article of the said edict,⁸ he has not only approved them and considered them his best servants, but he has asked them to help him in the current affairs of state and has favoured them and recommended them seriously to His Majesty.

3 At the beginning of May 1577 Don John was received by the States General within the city-walls of Brussels and accepted the Union concluded by the provinces of the Netherlands.

4 See Document 47.

5 The States General and the governor held fruitless discussions with the provinces of Holland and Zeeland at Geertruidenberg in May 1577.

6 On 24 July 1577 Don John took the citadel of Namur by surprise but an attack on that of Antwerp failed.

7 Especially the secretary Escovedo.

8 The Perpetual Edict of 12 February 1577.