232 HOL 
prince William was uefervedly celebrated. On the 23d 
of January 1579, deputies from the provinces of-Holland, 
Zealand, Utrecht, Fried and, Groningen, Overyffel, and 
'Guelderland, met at Utrecht, and figned the alliance ever 
Since known by the name of the Union of Utrecht, the bafts 
of that commonwealth fo renowned by the appellation of 
the UnitjvD Provinces. This treaty of alliance was 
founded upon the infraction of the pacification of Ghent 
f 'cmnly acceded to by Philip, and the late invalion of 
'certain towns in Guelderland-. It was not hereby intended 
to divide .the, fever, provinces from all others, or to re¬ 
nounce the pacification of Ghent; its objeft was to pre- 
i'erve the liberty (Stipulated in that pacification', by more 
vigorous operations, and united councils. The chief ar¬ 
te'i£s of this union are the following: 
The (even provinces Shall unite themfeives in intereft 
a one province, never to be Separated or divided by tefta- 
ment; donation, exchange, fale, or agreement; reierving 
to each particular province and city all its privileges, 
rights, cuftoms, and Statutes. Tit ail disputes arifing be¬ 
tween either of the provinces, the reft Shall interpofe only 
as mediators. They ilia'll aflift each other with life and 
fortune again ft every foreign attempt upon any particular 
province, whether to eftabiifh fovereignty, the catholic 
religion, arbitrary measures, or whatever elfe-.may appear 
inconsistent with the liberties of the provinces and the 
.intention of the alliance. All frontier-towns belonging 
to the United Provinces Shall, if old, be fortified at the 
expence of the provinces;/if new, at the joint expence of 
the union. The public iinpofts and duties Shall be farmed 
for three months to the highest bidder, and employed 
with the king's taxes in the public Service.' No province, 
city, or member of the union, Shall contract an alliance 
with any foreign prince or power, without the concur¬ 
rence of all the other members. Foreign powers Shall be 
admitted into the alliance, only by the consent of all the 
contracting parties. As to religion, no man Shall be op- 
prefied on the account of conscience. All the inhabi- 
- tants, from the age of eighteen to Sixty, Shall be trained 
a ltd disciplined to war. Peace and war Shall be declared 
by the unanimous voice of all the provinces ; other mat¬ 
ters that concern the internal policy Shall be regulated by 
a majority. The States Shall be held in the uliial consti¬ 
tutional manner, and coinage Shall be deferred to future 
determination. Finally, the parties agree, that the inter¬ 
pretation of thefe articles Shall remain in the States-gene- 
ral; but, in cafe of their failing to decide, in the ftadtholder. 
This alliance was fo universally approved, that in a Short 
time the cities of Ghent, Mimeguen, Arnheim, Leewar- 
den, Venlo, Ypres, Antwerp, Breda, Bruges, with Several 
other towns, beSides a great number of noblemen and per- 
fons of distinction, embraced and Signed the union. Thus 
the foundation of a commonwealth was laid, but in a 
fluctuating and uncertain State of affairs, when men were 
actuated by different pafiions, views, and intereils; inti¬ 
midated by the great Strength of the Spanish monarchy, 
and Supported Chiefly by a zealous adherence to liberty, 
and firm refolution to periSh in defence of freedom. The 
firSt coin Struck after this alliance was expreSftve of the 
Situation of the infant republic: on it was represented a 
Ship labouring amidst the waves, unaSiiSted by Jails or oars, 
with this motto, Incertum quo fata . forant. 
It was expected, that the important objeft of this alli¬ 
ance would have attracted the attention of the Walloons, 
and indeed of all the. catholic inhabitants of the Nether¬ 
lands: it in S’act did fo, but in a different manner from 
what was imagined. The Walloons not only refufed to 
accede to the union, but they made, the ftrongeft remon¬ 
strances to the States-general upon the danger, impro¬ 
priety, and illegality, of Such a confederacy. It appears 
At om Strada and Bentivoglio, that the duke of P'arma was 
at the bottom of their intrigues. He Stimulated and 
■ prompted their mealures, inspiring them with a jealotaSy 
of the proteftant defigns on the catholic religion. In the 
• end, he contracted an alliance with*.them; and thereby 
L A N D. 
confirmed by his own example the legality and necelJity 
of the union of Utrecht. Immediately they began levy¬ 
ing an army; but Still kept up appearances with the con¬ 
federated provinces, though it was obvious that hostilities 
mult Soon commence. To prevent the effufion of blood, 
the emperor, as mediator, let on foot another ftegociation ; 
but Philip would allow no reafonable terms of accommo¬ 
dation, and give no Security for liberty of confluence. 
Inftead of granting equitable conditions, he laboured to 
detach the prince of Orange from the union'; made him 
extraordinary propolals; offered to reftore him to all his 
eilates, indemnify his Ioffes, raife him to the height of 
power, and give him the firft place in his' efteem and fa¬ 
vour. But William was too wife to rely on the promises 
of a king who had Shown himielf perfidious. He deter¬ 
mined to Share the fate of the United Provinces, to fulfil 
hisengagements, and the hope conceived of his conduit 
by the people. 
The duke of Parma -was nojefs vigilant to di(concert his 
projects. He difpatched Gonzaga and Mondragon with 
8000 men to,lay Siege to MarSien. The town was taken by 
ailault; the governor hanged; and forty-five of the chief 
inhabitants were tortured to death, for having valiantly 
defended themlelves, and faithfully discharged their duty. 
It is Said the duke of Parma disavowed this bloody pro¬ 
ceeding, fo inconsistent with the character of a hero. The 
Spanish army next infulted Antwerp, where the prince of 
Orange then was. The States army was-entrenched near 
Borgerhont, a poft attacked without fuccefs by the duke 
of Parma, after a brisk Skirmishing of two hours between 
the armies. La Noue, however, the' Dutch general, not 
choofing to expoie himielf to continual alarms from the 
enemy’s cavalry, retired under the cannon of Antwerp. 
On. La Noue’s retreat, the duke of Parma invested Mae- 
ilricht. The fiege began on the 8th of March, and con¬ 
tinued without remission to the 29th of June ; during 
which time the garrifon Sustained frequent alfaults, and 
made divers bloody fillies, by which they were fo much 
fatigued, that during a parley the town was furpriSed and 
taken. For three days Maeltricht was a feene of the ut- 
moft deSolation and horror, the Spanish Soldiers com¬ 
mitting every excels and enormity, in defpite of all the 
endeavours of the general to restrain their licentioufrfeSs. 
With -Such diligence did the duke apply himfelf night 
and day to this Siege, that, unable to Support the fatigue, 
he was Seized with a fever, which had nearly.,proved fatal. 
At laft the prince of Orange determined on calling in 
a foreign power, and opened a treaty with the duke of 
Anjou. The queen of England was alfo offered the fove¬ 
reignty; but Elizabeth declined it for political reafons. 
The duke of Anjou was for fome time oppofed by a great 
number of the reformed, on account of the Share his mo¬ 
ther had in the horrid maffacre of the proteftants at Paris. 
All arguments to remove their prejudices were in vain. 
This determined the prince of Orange to have recourse to 
the States-general, to whom he Sent a long remonftrance, 
pointing out the cauSes why the confederacy did not pro¬ 
duce the intended effect; and exhorting them to consider 
well th.e affair refpefting the duke of Anjou. In conie- 
qtience, the States-general referred the prince’s remon- 
lirances to the provincial States and cities ; and, after long 
deliberations, it was at length determined, in 1 jSo, to cal' 
in the duke of Anjou, as the only refource in lo great a 
calamity. Accordingly the year began with a Solemn, 
treaty, whereby the United Provinces renounced their al¬ 
legiance to Philip, and acknowledged. Francis Hercules 
de Valois, duke of Alen^on and Anjou, for their lawful 
fovereign. Deputies were fent to the duke of Anjou to 
congratulate him on his acceffion. As to the provinces 
of Holland and Zealand, they were left wholly in the hands 
of the prince of Orangfr, whofe power as ftadtholder v'as 
in no reipeet limited by the duke’s fovereignty. When 
the king of Spain was informed of this open defection of 
the Provinces, he attributed the whole to the prince of 
Orange, and proceeded directly to proscribe him ; lie eon- 
j fifeated 
