1825. ] 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
Inrropuction to the History of the 
Revour of the Untrrp NETHERLANDS 
- from the Spanish Monarcny. By 
F. Scurerer. Translated from the 
German. 
NE of the most remarkable poli- 
tical events which rendered the 
sixteenth century the most splendid in 
history, appears to me to be the esta- 
blishment of the liberty of the Nether- 
lands. Ifthe glaring deeds of ambition, 
and an obnoxious desire to conquer, 
lay claim to our admiration, how much 
more should an event in which op- 
pressed humanity contends for her 
noblest rights, in which extraordinary 
powers associate themselves with a 
good cause, and the auxiliaries of re- 
solute despair are victorious over the 
frightful acts of tyranny in an unequal 
contest. Great and tranquillizing is 
the thought, that there still exists one 
succour against the insolent assump- 
tion of kings, that their plans, when 
most calculated to oppose human free- 
dom, can be brought to nought, that a 
courageous resistance is able to un- 
nerve the stretched arm of despotism, 
and an heroic perseverance can at 
length exhaust its terrible resources. 
At no time was I so forcibly impressed 
with this truth as when reading the 
histery of that memorable revolt, which | 
for ever separated the United Nether- 
lands from the Spanish crown. For 
this reason I considered it worth an 
attempt to present that memorial of 
the strength of citizens to the world, 
to awaken in the bosom of my reader 
a cheerful sense of his own importance, 
to offer a new and unexceptionable 
example of what men can hazard for 
the good cause, and how much they can 
accomplish by being united. 
It is not the extraordinary or the 
heroic part of that event which incites 
me to give a description of it. The 
annals of the world have preserved to 
us similar undertakings, which appear 
more bold in their design, and more 
brilliant in their accomplishment. Many 
states crumble together with a pom- 
pous concussion, others rise on majestic 
wings. Neither must the reader here 
expect the achievements of an eminent 
colossean hero, nor any of those asto- 
nishing deeds which the history of an- 
cient times affords to us in such abun- 
dance. Those times are gone by ; those 
men are no more! In the lap of hu- 
man refinement we have allowed those 
amazing powers to. relax, which the 
Monvrury Maa, No, 405. 
Revolt of the United Netherlands from Spain. 17 
circumstances of former ages exercised, 
and rendered indispensable, With hum- 
ble admiration we now gaze at those 
gigantic images, as a decrepit old man 
beholds the vigorous exercises of youth. 
Not so with the history before us. The 
people who appear on this stage were 
the most peaceable in.this part of the 
globe, and less capable than any of 
their neighbours of such heroic deeds 
as give a higher colour to the slightest 
action. The urgency of circumstances 
surprised them with the discovery of 
their own strength, and forced upon them 
a transitory greatness, which was not 
native to them, and which, perhaps, 
they never again will have. It is there- 
fore the very want of an heroic great- 
ness which renders this event so pecu- 
liar and instructive; and, while it is the 
aim of other historians to exalt genius 
above fate, I here intend to present my 
readers with a picture in which neces- 
sity created a substitute for genius, and 
chance made heroes. 
If on any occasion it be permitted to 
interweave a higher Providence with 
human affairs, it must be allowed in 
this history; for the event was con- 
trary to reason and universal expe- 
rience, Philip the Second, the mightiest 
sovereign of his time, whose prepon- 
derating power threatened to absorb 
the whole of Europe, whose treasures 
exceeded the united riches of all the 
Christian kings, whose fleet pervaded 
all seas; a monarch whose numerous 
armies were adequate to his dangerous 
designs — armies which were made hardy 
by sanguinary wars and a Roman dis- 
cipline, inspired by an unconquerable 
national pride, and inflamed by the re- 
membrance of past victories—an army 
thirsting for honour and spoil, and 
moving as a machine under the daring 
genius of its leader!—that dreaded 
potentate was resolutely and obstinate- 
ly bent on an undertaking which occu- 
pied the restless labour of his long 
reign. All these terrible resources of 
his turned on one object, which, how- 
ever, he is compelled to abandon in the 
evening of his life. Philip the Second 
at war with a powerless nation, and 
unable to finish the combat !—And 
against what nation? Here a peace- 
able people, consisting of fishermen 
and shepherds, living in an obscure 
corner of Europe, which with much 
labour and difficulty is defended from 
the overflowing of the sea—the medium 
at once of their trade, their subsistence, 
and their torment ;—a people who had 
D a free 
