Once more we were in Antwerp. We stayed there, however, but a short
time, to confer with Master Clough on various financial and commercial
matters. I should mention that an attempt was made by the Papists to
stir up enmity against the new Queen of England among the people of
Antwerp, in order, if possible, to prevent Sir Thomas Gresham from
obtaining the point he required. For this purpose a friar was engaged
to preach a sermon. He furiously attacked the Queen, abused her as a
heretic and a heathen, who cared not for God nor religion, and whose
great object was to make all her people heathens, telling his hearers
that any Catholic would be justified in putting her to death; not only
that, but he would thereby perform a meritorious work, highly pleasing
to the Church and to God. The indignation, however, of the people of
Antwerp on hearing this sermon was very great, for at that time there
were fully fifty thousand professed Protestants in that city, besides
many more who secretly approved of their principles. Had the friar
ventured abroad, there would have been little doubt that he would have
been well bastinadoed by the populace. He must have suspected that such
would be his fate if he showed himself.
The following day Sir Thomas received a visit from Master Lazarus
Tucker. He came, he said, on the part of the friar to request that Sir
Thomas would throw his protection over him, to save him from the
treatment he was likely to receive. I had seldom seen my patron so
amused.
"By my troth," he answered, "this is impudence! Here is a villainous
fellow who preaches black treason in the name of religion, and then
sends to me, the envoy of the Queen's Majesty, to protect him! No, no!
let him go forth if he lists, and if he is well bastinadoed by the
people, he will only obtain his desert."
The friar, however, remained shut up in his house, but shortly
afterwards, through the aid of Cardinal Granvelle, secretly left the
city, and took refuge in Brussels. No man in authority was more hated
at that time in the Netherlands than was Cardinal Granvelle. When
Philip went to Spain, he had been left behind in Flanders. His ambition
had procured for him a cardinal's hat, and, by his insolent and
imperious bearing, he soon incurred such deep hatred, that the first
noblemen of the country conspired against him, and vowed to effect his
ruin.
I was present on one occasion when the spirit which was abroad, even
among people of the highest rank, exhibited itself. When at Brussels,
our old friend Jasper Schetz, now Lord of Grobbendonck, invited Sir
Thomas to a banquet. A large party of Flemish nobles were collected,
among whom I felt myself a very humble person. The conversation turned
upon the thoroughly hated Cardinal Granvelle, his luxurious style of
living, and the air of haughty superciliousness with which he treated
all who approached him. As the wine circulated, the abuse of the
Cardinal became more vehement. His magnificent equipages, liveries, and
the arrangements of his household, excited their derision; the way he
lived, and the tinsel and glitter in which the prelate pranked himself,
were contrasted with the simple habits and garments of the nobles of
Germany.
At length it was proposed that the plainest possible livery should be
adopted for the servants of all present, as unlike as possible to that
worn by the menials of the Cardinal. Some one also proposed that a
symbol should be added to the livery, to show the universal contempt for
Granvelle. By whom should it be designed? was the question. It was
agreed that the matter should be decided by lot. Dice were called for.
Count Egmont won. A few days afterwards his retainers appeared in
doublet and hose of the coarsest grey, long hanging sleeves, such as
were worn by the humblest classes, the only ornament being a monk's
cowl, or a fool's cap and bells, embroidered on the sleeves. The other
nobles, who had been present at the dinner, ordered all their servants
to appear in the same costume, which now became so popular, that all the
tailors in Brussels could scarcely furnish those in demand. Many of
them, indeed, wore in front of their dress a fool's head with a
cardinal's hat upon it.
The Regent, Margaret of Parma, at first laughed with the rest at this
proceeding, as she had no love for Granvelle. She induced the nobles to
omit the fool's cap from the livery, and to substitute a bundle of
arrows, or a wheatsheaf. The Cardinal, who was soon after this
recalled, took care to avenge himself on those who had thus mocked him.
He represented to Philip, that though he could easily forgive the fools'
caps and cowls, yet the wheatsheaf and the bundle of arrows betokened
the existence of a conspiracy against the authority of the Prince
himself; and probably on that very occasion the death of Count Egmont
was determined on by Philip and the Cardinal. They had, however, to
abide their time.
Fearful was the vengeance the Cardinal took, not only on the nobles, but
on all the people of this unhappy country. But I am anticipating.
The most terrible and remorseless instrument employed for this purpose
was Peter Titelmann, Inquisitor General. Throughout the whole of
Flanders, Douay, and Tournay, the most populous portions of the
Netherlands, he proceeded at a rapid pace, spreading dismay far and
wide, dragging suspected persons from their firesides or beds, and
thrusting them into dismal dungeons: arresting, torturing, strangling,
burning, with hardly the shadow of warrant, information, or process.
My heart sickens as I contemplate the dreadful scenes I was often
compelled to witness, and I think of the number of those simply accused
of reading the Bible who were hurried to the flames. Even the Roman
Catholics, who had hitherto looked on with indifference, were now
aroused, and representations were made to the Regent of the fearful
proceedings of Peter Titelmann, the Inquisitor.
Still the Protestant faith was not put down, and Philip, maddened by the
opposition he met with, at length issued a decree condemning to death
the whole of his subjects who would not conform to the Church of Rome.
The Prince of Orange, a moderate man, and one who never spoke without
weighing his words, declared that, at this time, fifty thousand persons
in the provinces had been put to death in obedience to the edicts.
Philip declared, that as his father had chastised his people with a
scourge, he would make them feel the effect of a whip of scorpions. The
edicts were enforced, therefore, with renewed vigour; and, as may be
supposed, all who could escape fled out of this doomed land as soon as
possible. The tide of commerce was completely changed, and whereas
formerly manufactures were sent from Antwerp to England, now every week
vessels came from Sandwich to Antwerp laden with silk, satin, and cloth
manufactured in England.
My sagacious patron had long seen the course events were taking. I may
state now that, for some years past, he had been busily employed in
purchasing gunpowder, arquebuses, cannon, and all sorts of munitions of
war, as well as cordage, and all naval stores required for fitting out
ships. He had urged the English Government also to increase their
military forces, and to prepare and fit out as many large ships as could
possibly be built. He had agents in all parts of Europe, and by their
means had kept himself thoroughly well acquainted with all that was
going forward. The plots for the destruction of the life of the Queen
of England were soon made known to him, and by his means communicated to
Sir William Cecil. As long as King Philip hoped to gain the hand of
Queen Elizabeth, and thereby to recover an influence in England, he
pretended amity to the English. It was also Cecil's policy to remain at
peace, that he might be better prepared for war, when that inevitable
time should arrive.
The great object of the Pope of Rome, and of all whom he could
influence, was to destroy England, because it was evident by this time
that England had become, in most part, a Protestant country, and would
never, while she remained free and independent, again yield to the Papal
power. Queen Mary by her burnings in Smithfield, and King Philip and
his father by the wholesale murders of their subjects in the
Netherlands--the latter thereby driving thousands of Protestants into
England--had done more to destroy the power of Romanism in that land
than all the cardinals and bishops and the most talented preachers could
ever repair.
My patron, in writing to the Government at home, had to be very careful
in the expressions he used, lest his letters might be seen, and those he
employed brought into trouble. This shipment of warlike stores was
contrary to the laws of the Netherlands, consequently, when we were
shipping gunpowder, we always used the words _velvet_ and _silks_:
_damasks_ and _satins_ were employed to signify very different articles.
The authorities evidently suspected what was going forward, and gave
orders to the custom-house officers to search all ships loading for
England. However, as these custom-house officers were ill-paid by their
Government, there was no great difficulty in inducing them to close
their eyes during their searches, and to declare that certain casks on
board the vessels, however suspicious might have been their appearance,
contained the pieces of velvet mentioned in the bill of lading.