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which were gathered in the busy commercial bee…hive of
the Netherlands。 But these Flemings and Dutchmen were
devoted followers of the doctrines of Luther and Calvin
and they had cleansed their churches of all images and holy
paintings and they had informed the Pope that they no
longer regarded him as their shepherd but intended to follow
the dictates of their consciences and the commands of their
newly translated Bible。
This placed the king in a very difficult position。 He could
not possibly tolerate the heresies of his Dutch subjects； but
he needed their money。 If he allowed them to be Protestants
and took no measures to save their souls he was deficient in
his duty toward God。 If he sent the Inquisition to the Netherlands
and burned his subjects at the stake； he would lose the
greater part of his income。
Being a man of uncertain will…power he hesitated a long
time。 He tried kindness and sternness and promises and
threats。 The Hollanders remained obstinate； and continued to
sing psalms and listen to the sermons of their Lutheran and
Calvinist preachers。 Philip in his despair sent his ‘‘man of
iron；'' the Duke of Alba； to bring these hardened sinners to
terms。 Alba began by decapitating those leaders who had not
wisely left the country before his arrival。 In the year 1572
（the same year that the French Protestant leaders were all
killed during the terrible night of Saint Bartholomew）； he
attacked a number of Dutch cities and massacred the inhabitants
as an example for the others。 The next year he laid siege
to the town of Leyden； the manufacturing center of Holland。
Meanwhile； the seven small provinces of the northern
Netherlands had formed a defensive union； the so…called union
of Utrecht； and had recognised William of Orange； a German
prince who had been the private secretary of the Emperor
Charles V； as the leader of their army and as commander of
their freebooting sailors； who were known as the Beggars of
the Sea。 William； to save Leyden； cut the dykes； created a
shallow inland sea； and delivered the town with the help of a
strangely equipped navy consisting of scows and flat…bottomed
barges which were rowed and pushed and pulled through the
mud until they reached the city walls。
It was the first time that an army of the invincible Spanish
king had suffered such a humiliating defeat。 It surprised the
world just as the Japanese victory of Mukden； in the Russian…
Japanese war； surprised our own generation。 The Protestant
powers took fresh courage and Philip devised new means for
the purpose of conquering his rebellious subjects。 He hired
a poor half…witted fanatic to go and murder William of
Orange。 But the sight of their dead leader did not bring the
Seven Provinces to their knees。 On the contrary it made them
furiously angry。 In the year 1581； the Estates General （the
meeting of the representatives of the Seven Provinces） came
together at the Hague and most solemnly abjured their
‘‘wicked king Philip'' and themselves assumed the burden
of sovereignty which thus far had been invested in their
‘‘King by the Grace of God。''
This is a very important event in the history of the great
struggle for political liberty。 It was a step which reached
much further than the uprising of the nobles which ended with
the signing of the Magna Carta。 These good burghers said
‘‘Between a king and his subjects there is a silent understanding
that both sides shall perform certain services and shall
recognise certain definite duties。 If either party fails to live
up to this contract； the other has the right to consider it ter…
minated。'' The American subjects of King George III in
the year 1776 came to a similar conclusion。 But they had three
thousand miles of ocean between themselves and their ruler
and the Estates General took their decision （which meant a
slow death in case of defeat） within hearing of the Spanish
guns and although in constant fear of an avenging Spanish
fleet。
The stories about a mysterious Spanish fleet that was to conquer
both Holland and England； when Protestant Queen
Elizabeth had succeeded Catholic ‘‘Bloody Mary'' was an old
one。 For years the sailors of the waterfront had talked
about it。 In the eighties of the sixteenth century； the
rumour took a definite shape。 According to pilots who had
been in Lisbon； all the Spanish and Portuguese wharves were
building ships。 And in the southern Netherlands （in Belgium）
the Duke of Parma was collecting a large expeditionary
force to be carried from Ostend to London and Amsterdam
as soon as the fleet should arrive。
In the year 1586 the Great Armada set sail for the north。
But the harbours of the Flemish coast were blockaded by a
Dutch fleet and the Channel was guarded by the English； and
the Spaniards； accustomed to the quieter seas of the south； did
not know how to navigate in this squally and bleak northern
climate。 What happened to the Armada once it was attacked
by ships and by storms I need not tell you。 A few ships； by
sailing around Ireland； escaped to tell the terrible story of
defeat。 The others perished and lie at the bottom of the North
Sea。
Turn about is fair play。 The British nod the Dutch Prot…
estants now carried the war into the territory of the enemy。
Before the end of the century； Houtman； with the help of a
booklet written by Linschoten （a Hollander who had been in
the Portuguese service）； had at last discovered the route to
the Indies。 As a result the great Dutch East India Company
was founded and a systematic war upon the Portuguese and
Spanish colonies in Asia and Africa was begun in all seriousness。
It was during this early era of colonial conquest that a
curious lawsuit was fought out in the Dutch courts。 Early in
the seventeenth century a Dutch Captain by the name of van
Heemskerk； a man who had made himself famous as the head
of an expedition which had tried to discover the North Eastern
Passage to the Indies and who had spent a winter on the frozen
shores of the island of Nova Zembla； had captured a Portuguese
ship in the straits of Malacca。 You will remember that
the Pope had divided the world into two equal shares； one of
which had been given to the Spaniards and the other to the
Portuguese。 The Portuguese quite naturally regarded the
water which surrounded their Indian islands as part of their
own property and since； for the moment； they were not at war
with the United Seven Netherlands； they claimed that the
captain of a private Dutch trading company had no right to
enter their private domain and steal their ships。 And they
brought suit。 The directors of the Dutch East India Company
hired a bright young lawyer； by the name of De Groot or
Grotius； to defend their case。 He made the astonishing plea
that the ocean is free to all comers。 Once outside the distance
which a cannon ball fired from the land can reach； the sea is
or （according to Grotius） ought to be； a free and