HOLLAND. History, xxxix
passed in 1477, along with the other lands of Burgundy, into the
hands of Emp. Maximilian I. (p. xxiii).

Under the Emperor Charles V., who united under his sway Fries-
land (1515), the bishopric of Utrecht (1517), Groningen (1536),
and the duchy of Guelders (1538; p. 445), the land enjoyed a
golden era of prosperity, in consequence of the powerful protection
accorded by that monarch to commerce and navigation. Under his
bigoted son and st sor Philip Il. of Spain, after the Duke of
Alva’s arrival at Bri s (1568), began that memorable, and at
first apparently hopeless struggle which lasted for 80 years, and
terminated in the recognition of the Northern Netherlands as an
independent state by the haughty Spaniards, and in the establish-
ment of the powerful Dutch Republic.

The great founder of Dutch liberty was William of Nassau,
‘the Silent’, Prince of Orange, a German nobleman, who was born
at Dillenburg in the Duchy of Nassau in 1533. He was a great favour-
ite of Philip Il., who appointed him, when 26 years of age only,
‘stadtholder’ or governor of the provinces of Holland, Zeeland,
Friesland, and Utrecht (1559). In 1564 he found himself at variance
with Cardinal Granvella, whose recall he effected in 1564. When
the Low Countries came into the possession of the Duke of Alva,
the Spanish Governor (p. xxiv), William at first retired to Dillen-
burg, but in Sept., 1568, he embarked, with the aid of the French
Huguenots, on a short and fruitless campaign the object of which
was to liberate the Southern provinces. In 1574 he sided with the
‘Water Beggars’ (see p. 452), and in 1572 he was invited by Holland
aud Zeeland to take the command of their troops against the Span-
iards. He shortly afterwards captured Middelburg, and succeeded
in raising the siege of the distressed town of Leyden. On 29th Jan.,
1579, was formed the famous defensive league of the N. Netherlands,
known as the Utrecht Union (p. 488). William was soon afterwards
condemned to banishment by Philip IJ., but the States General
bravely defied the king’s authority, and in 1581 formally threw off
their allegiance to the Spanish crown. On 10th July, 1584, William
fell by the hand of an assassin at Delft (p. 341), very shortly before
the day on which the States intended to have conferred upon him
the dignity of an hereditary count of Holland. The year following
his death his son Maurice was elected stadtholder in his stead.

Under his presidency (1585-1625) the power and wealth of
the Republic rapidly increased, active hostilities were frequently
undertaken against the Spaniards, and the Dutch E. India Com-
pany was formed (1602). Meanwhile, however, there arose serious
dissensions between the democratic and the government parties,
which were greatly aggravated by the pernicious theological contro-
versies of the Arminians and the Gomarists (p. 457). Contrary to
the sound advice of the stadtholder, John van Oldenbarnevelt, Grand
pensionary or chancellor of Holland, concluded a twelve years’