206 DEFECTION OF THE NETHERLANDS 



lot. Betides, thefe princes poifetTed nothing but what 

 the Netherlands gave them, no troops but what the 

 nation raifed for them, no riches but what were grant- 

 ed them by the eftates. Every thing now took a dif- 

 ferent turn. They were now fallen under a fovereign, 

 who had other inftruments and other refources at com- 

 mand, who could arm a foreign power againft them. 

 Charles the fifth reigned over his fpanifh dominions 

 with an arbitrary fway ; in the Netherlands he was no- 

 thing More than the foremoft burgher. The moR per- 

 fect fubmiffion in the fouthern parts of his empire, na - 

 turally made him hold in contempt the rights of indivi- 

 duals ; here he was reminded to refpecf therm , The 

 more he there relifhed the pleafure of unlimited author 

 rity and the greater the opinion he had of himfelf : fo 

 much the more unwillingly would he here ftoop to pre- 

 ferred forms, fo much the more muffc he be induced 

 to vanquifh thefe obftacles to his ambition. It requires 

 a high degree of virtue not to attack with animolity the 

 power which relifts our favourite wifhes. Rather than 

 fubmit to a blind neceffity, we give it the colour of a 

 voluntary difpolition which we ought to oppofe with 

 obftinacy and rancour ; how much more then when it 

 is freedom that fets bounds to our freedom ! 



The Netherlands were not long in difcovering that 

 they were become the province of a monarchy. While 

 their former fovereigns had no higher aim than to at- 

 tend to their welfare, their condition approached to 

 the calm profperity of a private family, whofe head the 

 regent was. Charles the fifth produced them on the 

 ftage of the political world. They now formed a limb 

 ©f the gigantic body, which each of them employed as 



