History of the United Netherlands, 1584-86 | Page 2

the subject. It was desirable to
throw full light on these prominent points of the history, while the law
of historical perspective will allow long stretches of shadow in the
succeeding portions, in which less important objects may be more
slightly indicated. That I may not be thought capable of abusing the

reader's confidence by inventing conversations, speeches, or letters, I
would take this opportunity of stating--although I have repeated the
remark in the foot-notes--that no personage in these pages is made to
write or speak any words save those which, on the best historical
evidence, he is known to have written or spoken.
A brief allusion to my sources of information will not seem superfluous:
I have carefully studied all the leading contemporary chronicles and
pamphlets of Holland, Flanders, Spain, France, Germany, and England;
but, as the authorities are always indicated in the notes, it is
unnecessary to give a list of them here. But by far my most valuable
materials are entirely unpublished ones.
The archives of England are especially rich for the history of the
sixteenth century; and it will be seen, in the course of the narrative,
how largely I have drawn from those mines of historical wealth, the
State Paper Office and the MS. department of the British Museum.
Although both these great national depositories are in admirable order,
it is to be regretted that they are not all embraced in one collection, as
much trouble might then be spared to the historical student, who is now
obliged to pass frequently from the one place to the other, in order to,
find different portions of the same correspondence.
From the royal archives of Holland I have obtained many most
important, entirely unpublished documents, by the aid of which I have
endeavoured to verify, to illustrate, or sometimes to correct, the recitals
of the elder national chroniclers; and I have derived the greatest profit
from the invaluable series of Archives and Correspondence of the
Orange-Nassau Family, given to the world by M. Groen van Prinsterer.
I desire to renew to that distinguished gentleman, and to that eminent
scholar M. Bakhuyzen van den Brink, the expression of my gratitude
for their constant kindness and advice during my residence at the
Hague. Nothing can exceed the courtesy which has been extended to
me in Holland, and I am deeply grateful for the indulgence with which
my efforts to illustrate the history of the country have been received
where that history is best known.
I have also been much aided by the study of a portion of the Archives
of Simancas, the originals of which are in the Archives de l'Empire in
Paris, and which were most liberally laid before me through the
kindness of M. le Comte de La Borde.

I have, further; enjoyed an inestimable advantage in the perusal of the
whole correspondence between Philip II., his ministers, and governors,
relating to the affairs of the Netherlands, from the epoch at which this
work commences down to that monarch's death. Copies of this
correspondence have been carefully made from the originals at
Simancas by order of the Belgian Government, under the
superintendence of the eminent archivist M. Gachard, who has already
published a synopsis or abridgment of a portion of it in a French
translation. The translation and abridgment of so large a mass of papers,
however, must necessarily occupy many years, and it may be long,
therefore, before the whole of the correspondence--and particularly that
portion of it relating to the epoch occupied by these volumes sees the
light. It was, therefore, of the greatest importance for me to see the
documents themselves unabridged and untranslated. This privilege has
been accorded me, and I desire to express my thanks to his Excellency
M. van de Weyer, the distinguished representative of Belgium at the
English Court, to whose friendly offices I am mainly indebted for the
satisfaction of my wishes in this respect. A letter from him to his
Excellency M. Rogier, Minister of the Interior in Belgium--who
likewise took the most courteous interest in promoting my
views--obtained for me the permission thoroughly to study this
correspondence; and I passed several months in Brussels, occupied
with reading the whole of it from the year 1584 to the end of the reign
of Philip II.
I was thus saved a long visit to the Archives of Simancas, for it would
be impossible conscientiously to write the history of the epoch without
a thorough examination of the correspondence of the King and his
ministers. I venture to hope, therefore--whatever judgment may be
passed upon my own labours--that this work may be thought to possess
an intrinsic value; for the various materials of which it is composed are
original, and--so far as I am aware--have not been made use of by any