proper, except in a few inftances, to alter them, they fill, with regard to the particulars unaltered, continue in full force. UNISON, in music. See INTERVAL.

UNIT, or UNITY, in arithmetic, the number one; or one fingle individual part of difcrete quantity.

UNITARIANS, in ecclefiaftical hiftory, a name given to those who confine the glory and attribute of divinity to the One only great and fupreme God, and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

UNITED BRETHREN, OF UNITAS Fratrum, in ecclefiaftical history, a church of which many of our readers will think that an account fufficiently full has been given under the word HERRN HUT. With that account, however, fome of the brethren have expreffed themselves diffatisfied, in terms which might, without impropriety, be called acrimonious; and the prefent Editor of this Work, being convinced by his own experience how difficult it is to extract pure and unfophifticated truth from the perplexed writings of angry polemics, refolved, when he entered upon his laborious task, to permit every fect of Christians to plead its own caufe, upon the fingle condition of not loading its opponents with opprobrious epithets. He hopes therefore that the public will forgive him for inferting the following account of the rife, progrefs, worship, and difcipline, of the church of the United Brethren, extracted from a tedious manufcript fent to him by one of their clergy. He has faithfully abridged the narrative of his author; but does not confider himself as un ́der any obligation either to maintain its truth, or to convict it of falsehood.

According to this writer, the church of the United Bre thren took its rife in Moravia during the 14th century; though in the sentence immediately following this affertion, he fays, that it derived its origin from the Greek church in the 9th century, when, by the inftrumentality of Metho. dius and Cyrillus, two Greek monks, the kings of Bulgaria and Moravia being converted to the faith, were, together with their fubjects, united in communion with the Greek church. Methodius was their first bifhop; and for their ufe Cyrillus tranflated the Scriptures into the Sclavonian language.

The antipathy of the Greek and Roman churches is well known; and by much the greater part of the brethren were in procefs of time compelled, after many ftruggles, to fubmit to the fee of Rome. A few, however, adhering to the rites of their mother church; united themselves in 1176 to the Waldenfes, and fent miffionaries into many countries. In 1457 they were called fratres legis Chrifli, or brethren of the law of Chrift, because about that period they had thrown off all reverence for human compilations of the faith, profeffing fimply to follow the doctrines and precepts contained in the word of God.

There being at this time no bishops in the Bohemian church who had not fubmitted to the papal jurifdiction, three priests of the fociety of United Brethren were, about the year 1467, confecrated by Stephen bishop of the Waldenfes in Auftria (fee WALDENSES); and these prelates, on their return to their own country, confecrated ten co-bi. hops, or confeniors, from among the reft of the prefbyters. In 1523, the United Brethren commenced a friendly correfpondence, firft with Luther, and afterwards with Calvin and other leaders among the Reformers. A perfecution, which was brought upon them on this account, and fome religious difputes which took place among themselves, threatened for a while the fociety with ruin; but the difputes were in 1570 put an end to by a fynod, which decreed that differences about non-effentials should not deftroy their union; and the perfecution ceafed in 1575, when the

United Brethren obtained an edit for the public exercile United of their religion. This toleration was renewed in 1609, Brethren, and liberty granted them to erect new churches. But a civil war which in 1612 broke out in Bohemia, and a violent perfecution which followed it in 1621, occafioned the disperfion of their minifters, and brought great diftress upon the Brethren in general. Some of them fled to England, others to Saxony and Brandenburg, whilst many, overcome by the severity of the perfecution, conformed to the rites of the church of Rome. One colony of thefe, who retained in purity their original principles and practice, was, in 1722, conducted by a brother named Chriftian David, from Fulneck in Moravia to Upper Lufatia, where they put themfelves under the protection of NICHOLAS LEWIS COUNT OF ZINZENDORF, and built a village on his eftate, at the foot of a hill called Hutberg, or "Watch Hill" (fee HERRN. HUT). The count, who foon after their arrival removed from Dresden to his eftate in the country, showed every mark of kindness to the poor emigrants; but being a zealous member of the church established by law, he endea voured for fome time to prevail upon them to unite them. felves with it, by adopting the Lutheran faith and discipline. This they declined; and the count, on a more minute inquiry into their ancient history and diftinguishing tenets, not only defifted from his firft purpose, but became himself a convert to the faith and difcipline of the United Bre

thren.

The fynod, which in 1570 put an end to the difputes which then tore the church of the Brethren into factions, had confidered as non-effentials the diftinguishing tenets of their own fociety, of the Lutherans, and of the Calvinifts. In confequence of this, many of the Reformers of both these fects had followed the Brethren to Herrnhut, and been received by them into communion; but not being endued with the peaceable fpirit of the church which they had joined, they started difputes among themselves, which threatened the deftruction of the whole establishment. By the indefatigable exertions of Count Zinzendorf these disputes were allayed; and ftatutes being in 1727 drawn up and agreed to for the regulation both of the internal and of the external concerns of the congregation, brotherly love and union was again eftablished; and no fchifm whatever, in points of doctrine, has fince that period disturbed the church of the United Brethren.

In 1735 the Count, who under God had been the inftrument of renewing the Brethren's church, was confecrated one of their bishops, having the year before been examined and received into the clerical orders by the f'heological Facul ty of Tubingen. Dr Potter, then archbishop of Canterbury, congratulated him upon this event, and promised his affiftance to a church of confeffors, of whom he wrote in terms of the highest respect for their having maintained the pure and primitive faith and discipline in the midst of the moft tedious and cruel perfecutions. That his Grace, who had ftudied the various controverfies about churchgovernment with uncommon fuccefs, admitted the Moravian epifcopal fucceffion, we know from the most unque ftionable authority; for he communicated his fentiments on the fubject to Dr Secker while bishop of Oxford, and from his Lordship they came through a dignitary of the church of England to the compiler of this article. In conformity with thefe fentiments of the archbishop, we are affured that the parliament of Great Britain, after mature investigation, acknowledged the Unitas Fratrum to be a Proteftant epif copal church; and in 1794 an act was certainly paffed in their favour.

We have elsewhere (fee HERRNHUT) mentioned the

fion, which does not, after being thoroughly weighed, appear to the affembly eligible in itself.

In every fynod the inward and outward ftate of the unity, and the concerns of the congregations and miffions, are taken into confideration. If errors in doctrine or deviations in practice have crept in, the fynod endeavours not only to remove them, but by salutary regulations to prevent them for the future. It confiders how many bishops are to be confecrated to fill up the vacancies occafioned by death; and every member of the fynod gives his vote for fuch of the clergy as he thinks beft qualified. Those who have the majority of votes are taken into the lot, and they who are approved are confecrated accordingly; but by confecra tion they are vested with no fuperiority over their Brethren, fince it behoves him who is the greatest to be the servant of all.

United favourable report that was made to the court of Drefden Brethren. by a deputation which was appointed to examine into the principles and practices of the United Brethren; of which the confequence was, a toleration through all Saxony, as well as in Upper Lufatia. It is, however, acknowledged by the author of the manufcript which we are abridging, that fome of the converts to the faith and difcipline of the Unitas Fratrum, having previously imbibed extravagant notions, propagated them with zeal among their new friends, in a phrafeology extremely reprehenfible; and that Count Zinzendorf himself fometimes adopted the very improper language of those fanatics, whom he wished to reclaim from their errors to the soberness of truth; but it is added, that much of the extravagance and abfurdity which has been at tributed to the Count, is not to be charged to him, but to thofe persons who, writing his extempore fermons in fhort hand, printed and published them without his knowledge or confent. This account of the matter appears indeed extremely probable; and it is but juftice to the Count to acknowledge, that he seems to have been very defirous to difclaim the improper expreffions, and to vindicate his church from countenancing that impurity which, whether juttly or not, was attributed to himself.

This eminent benefactor to the United Brethren died in 1760; and it is with reason that they honour his memory, as having been the inftrument by which God reftored and built up their church. But they do not regard him as their head, nor take his writings, nor the writings of any other man, as the standard of their doctrines, which they profefs to derive immediately from the word of God.

It has been already obferved, that the church of the United Brethren is epifcopal; but though they confider epifcopal ordination as neceffary to qualify the fervants of the church for their respective functions, they allow to their bifhops no elevation of rank or pre-eminent authority; their church having from its first establishment been governed by fynods, confifting of deputies from all the congregations; and by other fubordinate bodies, which they call conferences. The fynods, which are generally held once in feven years, are called together by the elders who were in the former fynod appointed to fuperintend the whole unity. In the first fitting a prefident is chofen, and these elders lay down their office; but they do not withdraw from the affembly, for they, together with all bishops, feniores civiles, or lay-elders, and those minifters who have the general care or infpection of several congregations in one province, have feats in the fynod without any particular election. The other members are, one or more deputies fent by each congregation, and such minifters or miffionaries as are particularly called to attend. Women approved by the congregations are also admitted as hearers; and are called upon to give their advice in what relates to the minifterial labour among their fex; but they have no decifive vote in the fynod. The votes of all the other members are equal.

In questions of importance, or of which the consequences cannot be foreseen, neither the majority of votes nor the unanimous confent of all prefent can decide; but recourfe is had to the lot. For adopting this unusual mode of deciding in ecclefiaftical affairs, the Brethren allege as reafons the practices of the ancient Jews and the apoftles; the infufficiency of the human understanding amidst the best and pureft intentions to decide for itself in what concerns the adminiftration of Chrift's kingdom; and their own confi. dent reliance on the comfortable promises that the Lord Jefus will approve himself the head and ruler of his church. The lot is never made use of but after mature deliberation and fervent prayer; nor is any thing fubmitted to its deci

Towards the conclufion of every fynod, a kind of execu tive board is chofen, and called the Elder's Conference of the Unity. At present it confifts of 13 elders, and is divided into four committees or departments: 1. The miffion's de partment, which fuperintends all the concerns of the mif. fions into Heathen countries. 2. The helper's department, which watches over the purity of doctrine and the moral conduct of the different congregations. 3. The fervant's department, to which the economical concerns of the Unity are committed. 4. The overfeer's department, of which the bufinefs is to fee that the conftitution and difcipline of the Brethren be everywhere maintained. No refolution, however, of any of these departments has the smallest force, till it be laid before the affembly of the whole Elder's Conference, and have the approbation of that body. The pow ers of the Elder's Conference are indeed very extensive. Befides the general care which it is commiffioned by the fynods to take of all the congregations and miffions, it appoints and removes every servant in the unity, as circumftances may require; authorises the bishops to ordain prefbyters or deacons, and to confecrate other bishops; and, in a word, tho' it cannot abrogate any of the conftitutions of the fynod, or enact new ones ittelf, it is poffeffed of the supreme executive power over the whole body of the United Brethren.

Befides this general conference of elders, which fuperintends the affairs of the whole unity, there is another conference of elders belonging to each congregation, which directs its affairs, and to which the bishops and all other minifters, as well as the lay-members of the congregation, are fubject. This body, which is called the Elder's Conference of the Congregation, confifts, 1. Of the minifter as prefident, to whom the ordinary care of the congregation is committed, except when it is very numerous, and then the general inspection of it is entrusted to a separate person, called the Congregation Helper; 2. Of the warden, whofe office it is to fuperintend with the aid of his council all outward concerns of the congregation, and to affift every individual with his advice; 3. Of a married pair, who care particularly for the spiritual welfare of the married people; 4." Of a fingle clergyman, to whole care the young men are more particularly committed; and, 5. Of those women, who affift in caring for the spiritual and temporal welfare of their own fex, and who in this conference have equal votes with the men. As the Elder's Conference of each Congregation is anfwerable for its proceedings to the Elder's Conference of the Unity, vifitations from the latter to the former are held from time to time, that the affairs of each congregation, and the conduct of its immediate governors, may be intimately known to the fupreme executive government of the whole church.

We have already mentioned the epifcopacy of the Bre4 P 2 thren,

United

Provinces.

United thren, and the very limited powers of their bifhops; and Brethren, have to add, that, in their opinion, epifcopal confecration does not confer any power to prefide over one or more congregations; and that a bishop can discharge no office but by the appointment of a fynod, or of the Elder's conference of the Unity. Prefbyters among them can perform Every function of the bishop except ordination; for if we understand the manufcript before us, he confirms by the laying on of hands young perfons when they firit become candidates for the communion. Deacons are affiftants to the prefbyters much in the fame way as in the church of England; and in the Brethren's churches deaconeffes are retained, for the purpofe of privately admonishing their own fex, and vifiting them in their fickaefs: but though they are folemnly bleffed to this office, they are not permitted to teach in public, and far lefs to adminifter the facraments. They have likewife feniores civiles, or lay-elders, in contradiftin&tion to fpiritual elders or bifhops, who are appointed to watch over the conftitution and difcipline of the Unity of the Brethren; over the obfervance of the laws of the country in which congregations or miffions are established; and over the privileges granted to the Brethren by the go. vernments under which they live. They do not confider a regular courfe of literary education as at all neceffary to qualify perfons for admiffion into orders, provided they poffefs a thorough knowledge of the word of God, what they call folid Chriflian experience, and a well regulated zeal to ferve God and their neighbours.

v. 14.

Rom. xvi. 16.

We have mentioned elfewhere (HERRNHUT) their daily meetings in church for worship and edification. On Sunday, besides the public prayers, which are either read from a liturgy or pronounced extempore by the minifter, one or two fermons are preached in every church or chapel; and after the morning fervice an exhortation is given to the children. Previors to the holy communion, which is adminiftered on fome Sunday once a month, and likewise on Maunday Thurfday, each perfon who intends to communicate converles with one of the elders on the ftate of his fol, expreffing his defire to partake of the facrament. The celebration of the communion is generally preceded by a love-feaft, which is alfo kept on other folemn occafions. On Maunday Thursday, before communion, the Brethren have a folemn foot-washing; and at this, and we fuppofe at other times, they greet one another with the kifs of charity. Thefe ceremonics they confider as religious rites, authorised thro' all ages of the church by our Saviour himself and his two apofiles St Peter and St Paul *.

* John xii'. Our limits will not permit us to give a systematic view of 141 Peter the doctrinal tenets of the Brethren. Though they acknowledge no other standard of truth than the facred Scripturcs, they adhere to the Augfburg Confeflion, and speak refpectfully of the 39 articles of the church of England. They profefs to believe that the kingdom of Chrift is not confined to any particular party, community, or church; and they confider themfelves, though united in one body or vitible church, as fpiritually joined in the bond of Chriftian love to all who are taught of God, and belong to the univerial church of Chrift, however much they may differ in forms, which they deem non-effentials. But the reader who wishes to have a fuller account of this fociety of Chriftians, we must refer to Cranz's Ancient and Modern Hiftory of the Protestant Church of the United Brethren, printed in London, 1780; and to a work entitled An Expofition of Chrifian Doctrine as taught in the Proteftant Church of the United Brethren, London, 1784.

UNITED PROVINCES, or UNITED Netherlands, other. wife called the Republic of Holland, confitt of the feven provinces of Holland, Zealand, Friefland, Groningen, Over,

nor.

nion of

At this period the feven provinces, which now compofe the Republic of Holland, enjoyed a kind of independence; but the policy and warlike difpofition of Charles foon reduced them to obedience. When he refined the fceptre to his fon Philip, the Low Countries were in a most 3 Aourishing condition. In this small tract of country were Flourishing reckoned no fewer than 350 large cities incloted with walls, ftate of the and 6300 confiderable towns, all become rich by their ap provinces plication to the arts and to commerce. At the fame time, time. the love of liberty was very prevalent among the inhabitants, and they were jealous of every invasion of their rights and privileges. The arbitrary government of Philip was therefore very difagreeable to his fubjects in the Low Countries, and the partiality fhown on all occafions to the Spani. ards foon loft their affections altogether,

at that

formed.

Court of

The extreme fuperftition, however, and cruel bigotry of Perfecution Philip, proved the greatest fource of difcontent. The doc-of the Retrines of the reformers had been preached and received with avidity in the Low Countries. A cruel perfecution of the reformed had been commenced by Charles V. infomuch that he is faid to have destroyed no fewer than 100,000 perfons on account of religion. This cruelty had no effect except to increase the number of heretics; which being obferved by Mary queen of Hungary, fifter to the emperor, fhe invited him to the Low Countries, that he might perfonally behold the bad effects of his cruelty. On this the emperor granted a toleration, but Philip was altogether inflexible. In order to proceed more effectually against the reformed, a court of inquifition was inftituted; and under 5 pretence that the three bishoprics, which at that time com-; inquifition prehended the whole country, were too large, 17 of these established dignitaries were erected, three with the title of archbishops. To afford fufficient revenues for thefe, it became neceffary to fuppress several abbeys, which of itfelf produced great difcontent. But what gave the finishing ftroke to the wholewas, Philip's announcing his intention of refiding conftant- Duchefs of ly in Spain; his appointing the duchefs of Parma, his na- Parma aptural fifter, to be regent of the Netherlands; and giving herpointed go for a counfellor cardinal Granvele, a bloody perfecutor of the reformed; at the fame time that the provinces were oppreffed by the violences of foreign troops, for the payment of whom they were also oppreffed by taxes. Three councils were eftablished at Bruffels; one to prefide over the laws and courts of justice; a fecond to direct every thing reipecting peace or war; and the third to manage the revenues: but fill the duchefs of Parma was ordered to confult Gran. vele in every matter, and make him at all times her chief confidant.

6

vcriefs.

Extreme

red.

II

which are the ufual operations of a lawless mob. The United principal inhabitants, however, ftill remained quiet, and even Provinces. did all in their power to reftrain the violence of the commonalty; to that, had Philip made any kind of reasonable conceffion, the public tranquillity might have been reftored. Inftead of this, however, a new oath of allegiance was ad. New oath miniftered by the governante, and all perfons were obliged of allegito fwear that they would regard as traitors and enemies to ance requi their country all whom the king should think proper to profcribe. This extraordinary proceeding was followed by the most cruel perfecution that can be imagined; at the fame time that the duke of Alva was fent into the Netherlands with an army of 10,000 veteran troops, to put the laft hand to the mifery of the people, and fully to establish the defpotifm of the court. Counts Egmont and Horn took the above mentioned oath; but the prince of Orange Prince of could by no means be induced to it, and therefore retired Orange re into Germany, along with counts Brodenrode and Hoog. tires. ftrate. Their example was followed by great numbers of all ranks and conditions; and after the arrival of the army commanded by the duke of Alva, fuch multitudes continued to emigrate, that the duchefs of Parma informed the king, that within a few days 100,000 families had left his dominions; that in a fhort time the country must be depo pulated, in which cafe there were would be no occafion for a governante; fhe therefore begged leave to refign, before Duchess of fhe fhould have the mortification and difgrace of being left, igns. alone in the Netherlands.

United The duehefs endeavoured to allay the ferment by fair words, Provinces, but in vain. At the head of the malecontents were the prince of Orange, count Egmont, and count Horn, who frenuoufly infifted on calling an affembly of the States-general, and laying before them the grievances by which the country was oppreffed. The event was, that in 1564 the cardinal was obliged to refign his dignity; which yet did not produce any good effect, as he was fucceeded by two of his creatures, Darkiment and Viglie, who trod exactly in his footileps. They pushed on the inquisition to freth executions; firmatized the principal nobility as heretics; and on all occafions fhewed fuch violent and intolerable zeal for the Catholic religion, that one of Philip's minifters reprefented to him the danger there was of a total revolt of the provinces, unless the rigours of perfecution were fome what relaxed. But Philip no fooner received this intelligence, bigotry of than he replied, "that he had rather be without fubjects, Philip. than be a king of heretics." Agreeable to this reply, all the obnoxious decrees were enforced with double rigour; upon which the flate of affairs became fo alarming, that it was thought neceffary to fend count Egmont into Spain, in order to have a perfonal interview with the king on the fubjet. Philip, accustomed to deceit, gave a smooth anfwer, abated the rigour of his decrees, and ordered the governante fometimes to confult with the prince of Orange. Thus tranquillity was for a time restored; but in the year 1566, it being difcovered that a fcheme for the total extirpation of the Protestants had been concerted by the queen-mother of France, her fon Charles IX. and Ifabella queen of Spain, in a conference at Bayonne, matters became worfe than ever. That the information received concerning this deteftable combination was true, very foon appeared, from Philip's disclaiming all the favourable interpretations which had been put upon his anfwer to count Egmont, and from his ordering the inquifition to proceed with more fury than ever. The confequence of this was a general affociation against A general this abominable tribunal, which was fubfcribed by all orders against the and degrees of men, Roman Catholics as well as Proteftants. inquifition. The confederates, headed by Henry de Brodenrode, a defcendant of the ancient earls of Holland, waited on the du chefs of Parma, in fuch a formidable body, that he was obliged to difmifs them with an abfolute promife that their demands fhould be granted. Thefe demands were, that the inquifition fhould be abolished, and the edicts against liberty of confcience recalled; and for this fhe immediately interpofed all her intereft with Philip. Sir William Temple alleges, that Philip, in confequence of the governante's remonftrances, granted all that was defired, but too late. All other hitorians, however, agree that he was inflexible, and that the duchefs could procure no better conditions than that heretics fhould from that time forward be hanged in flead of being burned. Even this appeared a conceffion unworthy of the king; the royal name was therefore for

9

affociation

bid to be used.

Before the confederates proceeded to extremities, they fent deputies to Madrid; but, according to fome authors, they were retufed admittance into the king's prefence. It appears, however, that they had found means of reprefenting the true ftate of affairs to the king, and of informing him that the disturbances proceeded from the detertation in which the inquifition was everywhere held in the Low Countries. Their reprefentations produced no other effect than an equivocal promife, which was evidently never in The people tended to be kept. The governante received orders to break out proceed against heretics with the utmoft feverity; upon into act of which the people broke out into acts of open. rebellion. In rebellion. feveral towns of Flanders the churches were destroyed, images pulled down, and all those acts of violence committed

ΤΟ

12

13

Parma re

14

duke of

Alva.

85

to retuu

Philip immediately complied with the request of the Is fucceedprincefs, and the duke of Alva was appointed to fucceeded by the her in the government. It may eafily be imagined that the miferies of the people would now become intolerable. The king was a proud and mercilefs tyrant, fet at too great a diftance from his fubjects to be thoroughly fenfible of their. calamities, and totally deftitute of compaffion had he known them ever fo well. The new governor was of the fame dif pofition; and the army he commanded was fierce, rapaci ous, and cruel, defiring nothing more ardently than to enricht themselves at the expence of the inhabitants. The whole country was filled with blood and horror; counts Egmont and Horn were ignominiously executed, and the eftate of the prince of Orange was confifcated. Thefe lait proceed-Prince of ings drove the people into defpair; and they invited the Orange inprince to return, in order to take upon him the defence of vitel by, the country from fuch infufferable tyranny and oppreffion. the people All this time the prince of Orange, and his brother Louis of Naflau, had been labouring to form alliances for the defence of the liberties of their country. He had repre fented matters in fuch a light to the emperor Maximilian, that his Imperial majefty fent an ambaffádor to Philip, exhorting him to treat his fubjects in the Netherlands with lef・・ rigour. This embaffy was haughtilyreceived; Philip continued his perfecutions, and the prince of Orange his preparations Hoftilities. for entering the Low Countries. His firft efforts, however, commence, were very unfuccefsful. A détachment of Germans in the to the cutfervice of the prince attempted to penetrate into Brabant and furprise Ruremond; but were defeated by a detach- of the ment from the duke of Alva's army. Another party, con- prince. fifting chiefly of French, attempted to penetrate into Artois by the way of Picardy; but their officers were arrested by order of Charles IX. Louis of Naffau, however, defeat. ed a body of Spaniards, and killed 600 of them on the spot; but the vigilance of his enemies prevented him from drawing, any advantage of confequence from his victory.

The duke of Alva was fo much chagrined at the defeat fuftained by his party, that he inftantly affembled his troops. from all quarters. His army then appeared too formidable. to be oppofed, and the prince of Naffau with count Hoog

Arate

advantage

17

Count

18

Prince of

army.

19

the duke off Alva.

go

24

the Gueux.

26

of Rotter

range faction, and forced to retire with lofs to the island of United Beyerland. Trifling as this victory might feem, it ferved Provinces, to animate the depreffed fpirits of the enemies to the wernment. The prince of Orange, fenfible of the advantage A party of of poffeffing this ifland, exhorted the nobility of his party his forces to fortify and garrifon it; his orders were obeyed, by which defeated by means he foon became mafter of Delfshaben, a town fituated 25 on the oppofite banks of the Meufe. It appeared in Bof- The Gueur fu's retreat how unpopular the duke of Alva was in every take Delfspart of the country. Dordrecht shut its gates again him; haben. Rotterdam refused to admit his troops; but Boffu obtaining permiffion that they should pass through in separate small divifions, feized the gates, and began a general maffacre of Inhabitants the inhabitants. Four hundred perished by the fword, the maffae town was pillaged, the women were ravished, and every pof-cred by the fible act of barbarity and inhumanity committed. Re-Spaniards. tribution was foon made by the enemy. Alva had detached Offorio d'Angulo with a body of forces to fecure Flushing, a confiderable port in Zealand, and to erect a citadel. The inhabitants denied Offorio admittance, fhut their gates, and feized Pacanco, a famous engineer, who had come to measure the ground where the citadel was to be erected. Apprehending that attempts would be made to force them to fubmiffion, they petitioned Lumey, admiral of the Gueux, for affiftance; and he furnished them with 200 men, under the command of Captain Treflong. On the arrival of this reinforcement, the Spanish engineer was hanged, and an unfuccefsfl attempt made to furprife Middleburg, the capital of the island of Walcheren. Not difpirited by this difappointment, the Zealanders affiduoufly profecuted their cruizes upon the Spaniards, and obtained as much wealth as purchased a large ftore of arms and ammunition at Antwerp. Joined by great numbers of English and Scotch adventurers, they ventured to attack the duke of Medina Celi, 27 fent with a ftrong fquadron to fucceed the duke of Alva in Duke de the government of the Netherlands. The duke was com pletely defeated, a great number of his fhips were taken, ly defeated and a booty, amounting to near 1,000,000 livres, was car- by the Zea ried off by the Zealanders.

United rate retired towards the river Ens. But being hard push Provinces, ed by the duke of Alva, and mutinies arifing among their troops for want of pay, they were foon brought to an ac Prince of tion, and totally defeated. The infantry were entirely cut Naffau and in pieces; the cavalry were faved, but all the baggage and artillery were taken by the enemy. Hoogstrate In the mean time, the defeated by prince of Orange was haftening to the relief of his diftreffed the duke of allies with an army of 28,000 men; but having the misforAlva. tune of being alfo defeated, and count Hoog ftrate killed in the action, his foldiers deferted in fuch crowds, that he was Oratige de, at laft obliged to difband his army and return to Germany. feated, and This difafter happened in the year 1569. The duke of difbands his Alva refolved to make the moft of his time. He entered Bruffels in triumph; and let loofe his vengeance against all who had in the leaft aflifted, or been fuppofed to affift, the prince of Orange. All the prifoners taken in the laft camCruelty of paign were put to death: and, not contented with this barbarity, the cruel governor projected nothing less than the total extirpation of the reformed religion, by the deftruction of every one who profeffed it; and of rendering himself defpotic, by erecting citadels in all the confiderable towns, which were to be garrifoned by his foldiers. He began with Amfterdam, in which he laid the foundations of a ftrong citadel. The people complained of it as an infringement of their rights, but the duke was deaf to their complaints. At Antwerp he caufed his ftatue to be erected; and here he was figured treading on the necks of two fmaller ftatues, which reprefented the two eftates of the His intole- Low Countries. This piece of infolent vanity exafperated rant prin- the people to a great degree; and they were ftill farther ciples and exactions. Provoked by a demand of the hundredth part of every man's eftate to be paid immediately for the fupport of the army, befides the tenth of all the merchandise, and the twentieth of all immoveables, to be annually levied as a standing revenue. The provinces remoastrated, and refused to fubmit to fuch intolerable exactions: the governor was inflexible; and being incenfed at their refiftance, he fent the regiment of Lombardy to live at free quarters in the province of Utrecht.

20

Duke of

tempts in vain to eltablish his

All this time the prince of Orange was employed in layAlva at ing plans for the deliverance of his diftreffed country; but in 1571, the duke of Alva growing impatient, ordered the edict concerning the new taxes to be published at Bruffels. new taxes The city was inftantly filled with confufion; the foldiers at Bruffels. feized on the goods of the inhabitants by force; tradefmen fhut up their fhops; and the pealants refused to bring provilions to the market. The ftates offered to pay a fubfidy of 2,000,000 of florins annually in lieu of the intended tax; but their offer was rejected. The drum beat to arms, and orders were iffued to hang all who refused to comply. The foldiers were preparing to obey, when news arrived of the furrender of Briel in the island of Voorn, at the entrance range par- of the Meufe, to a fquadron of fhips of war that had been fitted out by the prince of Orange. Lumey, who commanded the iquadron, made a descent on the island from 40 fhips, deftroyed the churches, broke the images, and executed the priests, but offered no violence to the other inhabitants.

22

Briel taken by the O

23

Duke of

However unimportant the conqueft of fo inconfiderable a place might appear, it alarmed the duke of Alva, and produced the moft extravagant rejoicings in Bruffels. The Alva defils duke regarding it as the harbinger of further oppofition, from enfoicing his dropped his taxes and executions for the prefent, and dili Laxes. gently applied himself to fupprefs the growing fpirit of rebellion. He withdrew the garrifon from Bruffels, and de tached it under the command of Maximilian Hermin Boffu, against the fhips of war which were called Gueux. This officer, endeavouring to force Briel, was defeated by the O

Medina

Celi entire

landers at

towns in

The duke of Alva now ordered a fquadron of fhips to fea. be equipped at Amfterdam, to bridle the infolence of Lumey and the Zealanders, while he bufied himself in raising an army to oppofe the prince of Orange and Lewis de Naffau, who were making great preparations in Germany and France. To augment the army in the field, he had draughted moft of the garrifons. By this means the prince's friends gained poffeffion of North Holland; and Louis de Nassau was projecting a scheme to surprise Mons, with the inhabitants of which he held a fecret correfpondence. The de- 28 fign fucceeded; which emboldened most of the cities and Most of the towns in Holland to declare against the government. The and count de Bergues gained over feveral cities in Overyffel, declare Guelderland, and Friefland. In a word, the revolt became gainst the fo general, that the duke of Alva foon found he could not Spaniards. long refift the torrent, He now, when too late, published an edict to appease the people, fetting forth, that he would confent to remit the molt oppreffive taxes, if the states could fuggeft any other means of raifing the neceffary supplies. He convoked the States-general to meet at the Hague, but his orders were now disregarded; and the States, in 29 contempt of his authority, affembled at Dordrecht, inviting ings of the deputies from the prince of Orange, the nobility, and the States-getowns that had declared against the governor. Here mo-neral in faney was raised to enable the prince of Orange to begin his vour of the march. His forces amounted to 15,000 foot and 7000 prince of Orange. horse. He had promited to advance three months pay; and was enabled to perform his engagements by the liberality and public fpirit of the States-general and the cities.

He

Proceed