174 DEFECTION OF THE NETHfiEX AND S 



early grave. Perceiving their forces to bend under the 

 fuperior power of the foe, they proftrated themfelve? 

 as fuppliants before the mightieft throne in Europe, to 

 rid them of a fovereignty which could no longer pro- 

 tect them. At length, after tedious expectation — fo 

 contemptible was the commencement of this ftate, that 

 even the covetoufnefs of foreign kings difdained their 

 intercourfe — at length they compelled a foreigner to 

 fill their tottering throne. Frefh hopes revived their 

 drooping courage ; but, in this hew father of their 

 country fortune had given them a traitor, and in that 

 critical moment when the inexorable enemy was thun- 

 dering at their very gates, Charles of Anjou made at- 

 tacks on that liberty which his people had called hirri 

 to defend. To add to their misfortunes, the hand of 

 an afTaflin ftxuck the pilot from the helm ; their defhi- 

 ny feemed now complete, for with William of Orange 

 the laffc delivering angel was fled — but the fhip rode 

 ill the ftorm, and the fwelling fails bore her forward 

 without the help of a fteerfman. Philip the fecond 

 fees the fruit of that action deftroyed which cofr. him 

 his princely honour ; and who knows but, together 

 with that, the fecret pride of a quiet confcience ? Ob- 

 ftinate and uncertain were the ftruggles of freedom 

 with defpotifm, bloody battles were gained on either 

 fide, a fhining race of heroes fprang up from the field 

 of glory ; Flanders and Brabant were the fchools that 

 educated commanders for the fucceeding age. A long 

 and defolating war deftroyed the labours of the open 

 country, the victors and the vanqulllied bled, while 

 the growing watery flate drew to itfelf the flying com- 

 merce^ and, on the ruin of its neighbours^ raifed the 



glCH 



