The Holy State, Book 5 · Chapter 19
FERDINAND Alvarez de Toledo Duke of Alva, Viceroy of the Netherlands under Philip the 2d. He dyed in Portugall Anno Dni 1582. in the …75. yeare of his Age. W.M. sculp:
CHAP. 19. The life of Duke D'ALVA.
FErdinand Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alva, one bred abroad in the world in severall warres (whom Charles the fifth more employed, then affected, using his churlish nature to hew knotty service) was by Philip the second, King of Spain, appointed Governour of the Netherlands.
At his first arrivall there, the loyalty of the Netherlanders to the King of Spain was rather out of joint, then broken off, as not being weary of his government but their own grievances. The wound was rather painfull then deadly, onelyonly the skirts of their lungs were tainted, sending out discontented not rebellious breath, much regretting that their Priviledges, Civil and Ecclesiasticall, were infringed, and they grinded with exactions against their Laws and Liberties.
But now Duke D'Alva coming amongst them, he intended to cancell all their charters with his sword, and to reduce them to absolute obedience. And whereas every city was fenced not onelyonly with severall walls, but different locall liberties, and municipall immunities, he meant to lay all their priviledges levell, and casting them into a flat to stretch a line of absolute command over them. He accounted them a Nation rather stubborn then valiant, and that not from stoutnesse of nature, but want of correction, through the long indulgence of their late Governours. He secretly accused Margaret Dutchesse of Parma, the last Governesse, for too much gentlenesse towards them, as if she meant to cure a gangren'd arm with a lenitive plaister, & affirmed that a Ladies hands were too soft to pluck up such thistles by the root. Wherefore the said Dutchesse, soon after D'Alva's arrivall (counting it lesse shame to set, then to be outshin'd) petitioned to resigne her regencie, and return'd into Italie.
To welcome the Duke at his entrance, he was entertain'd with prodigies and monstrous *Famianus Stra. de Bell… Belgico, p. 430.births,Ann. Dom. 1568. which hapned in sundry places; as if Nature on set purpose mistook her mark, and made her hand to swerve, that she might shoot a warning-piece to these countreys, and give them a watch-word of the future calamities they were to expect. The Duke, nothing moved hereat, proceeds to effect his project, and first sets up the Counsell of troubles, consisting of twelve, the Duke being the President. And this Counsell was to order all things in an arbitrary way, without any appeal from them. Of these twelve some were strangers, such as should not sympathize with the miseries of the countrey; others were upstarts, men of no bloud, and therefore most bloudy; who being themselves grown up in a day, cared not how many they cut down in an houre. And now rather to give some colour, then any virtue to this new composition of counsellours, foure Dutch Lords were mingled with them, that the native Nobility might not seem wholly neglected. Castles were built in every city to bridle the inhabitants, and Garisons put into them. New Bishops Seas erected in severall cities, and the Inquisition brought into the countrey. This Inquisition, first invented against the Moores, as a trappe to catch vermine, was afterwards used as a snare to catch sheep, yea they made it heresie for to be rich. And though all these proceedings were contrary to the solemn oath King Philip had taken, yet the Pope (who onelyonly keeps an Oath-office, and takes power to dispence with mens consciences) granted him a faculty to set him free from his promise.
Sure as some adventurous Physicians, when they are posed with a mungrell disease, drive it on set purpose into a fever, that so knowing the kind of the maladie they may the better apply the cure: So Duke D'Alva was minded by his cruell usage to force their discontents into open rebellion, hoping the better to come to quench the fire when it blazed out, then when it smok'd and smother'd.
And now to frighten the rest, with a subtle train he seiseth on the Earls of Egmond and Horn. These counted themselves armed with innocencie and desert, having performed most excellent service for the King of Spain. But when subjects deserts are above their Princes requitall, oftentimes they study not so much to pay their debts, as to make away their creditours. All these victories could not excuse them, nor the laurel wreaths on their heads keep their necks from the ax, and the rather, because their eyes must first be closed up, which would never have patiently beheld the enslaving of their countrey. The French Embassadour was at their execution, and wrote to his Master Charles the ninth, King of France, concerning the Earl of Egmond, *Fam. Strad. de bell. Belgico, pag. 449.That he saw that head struck off in the Marketplace of Brussels, whose valour had twice made France to shake.
This Counsell of troubles having once tasted Noble bloud, drank their belly-fulls afterwards. Then descending to inferiour persons by apprehensions, executions, confiscations, and banishments, they raged on mens lives and states. Such as upon the vain hope of pardon returned to their houses, were apprehended, and executed by fire, water, gibbets, and the sword, and other kinds of deaths and torments: yea the bodyes of the dead (on whom the earth as their common mother bestowed a grave for a childs portion) were cast out of their *Grimst. Hist. of the Netherlands, pag. 413.tombes by the Dukes command, whose cruelty outstunk the noysomnesse of their carcases.
And lest the maintaining of Garisons might be burdensome to the King his Master, he laid heavy impositions on the people: the Duke affirming that these countreys were fat enough to be stewed in their own liquour, & that the Souldiers here might be maintained by the profits arising hence; yea he boasted that he had found the mines of Peru in the Low-countreys, though the digging of them out never quitted the cost. He demanded the hundredth peny of all their moveable and immoveable goods, and besides that, the tenth peny of their moveable goods that should be bought and sold, with the twentieth peny of their immoveable goods; without any mention of any time, how long those taxes and exactions should continue.
The States protested against the injustice hereof, alledging that all trading would be press'd to death under the weight of this taxation: weaving of stuffs (their staple trade) would soon decay, and their shuttles would be very slow, having so heavy a clog hanging on them; yea hereby the same commodity must pay a new tole at every passage into a new trade. This would dishearten all industry, and make lazinesse and painfulnesse both of a rate, when beggery was the reward of both, by reason of this heavy imposition, which made men pay dear for the sweat of their own brows. And yet the weight did not grieve them so much, as the hand which laid it on, being impos'd by a forein power against their ancient priviledge. Hereupon many Netherlanders, finding their own countrey too hot, because of intolerable taxes, sought out a more temperate climate, and fled over into England.
As for such as stayed behind, their hearts being brimfull before with discontents, now ran over. 'Tis plain these warres had their originall, not out of the Church, but the State-house. Liberty was true doctrine to Papist and Protestant, Jew and Christian. It is probable that in Noahs Ark the wolf agreed with the lambe, and that all creatures drowned their antipathy, whilest all were in danger of drowning. Thus all severall religions made up one Commonwealth to oppose the Spaniard: and they thought it high time for the Cow to find her horns, when others not content to milk her, went about to cut off her bag.
It was a rare happinesse that so many should meet in one chief, William of Nassaw, Prince of Orange, whom they chose their Governour. Yea he met their affections more then halfway in his loving behaviour; so that Alva's cruelty did not drive more from him, then Nassaw's courtesie invited to him. His popular nature was of such receipt, that he had room to lodge all comers. In peoples eyes his light shined bright, yet dazled none, all having free accesse unto him: every one was as well pleased as if he had been Prince himself, because he might be so familiar with the Prince. He was wont to content those, who reproved his too much humanity, with this saying,*Bar…l. Icon. Anim. cap. 5. That man is cheap bought, who costs but a salutation.
I report the Reader to the Belgian Histories, where he may see the changes of warre betwixt these two sides. We will onelyonly observe that Duke D'Alva's covetousnesse was above his policy in fencing the rich inland and neglecting the barren maritime places. He onelyonly look'd on the broad gates of the countrey whereby it openeth to the continent of Germany and France, whilest in the mean time almost half the Netherlands ran out at the postern doore towards the sea. Nassaw's side then wounded Achilles in the heel indeed, and touch'd the Spaniard to the quick, when on Palm-sunday (as if the day promised victory) at Brill they took the first livery and seasin of the land, and got soon after most cities towards the sea. Had Alva herein prevented him, probably he had made those Provinces as low in subjection as situation.
Now at last he began to be sensible of his errour, and grew weary of his command, desiring to hold that staff no longer, which he perceived he had taken by the wrong end. He saw that going about to bridle the Netherlanders with building of castles in many places, they had gotten the bit into their own teeth: He saw that warre was not quickly to be hunted out of that countrey, where it had taken covert in a wood of cities: He saw the cost of some one cities siege would pave the streets thereof with silver, each city, …ort, and sconce being a Gordian knot, which would make Alexanders sword turn edge before he could cut thorow it, so that this warre and the world were likely to end together, these Netherlands being like the headblock in the chimney, where the fire of warre is alwayes kept in (though out every where else) never quite quench'd though rak'd up sometimes in the ashes of a truce. Besides, he saw that the subdued part of the Netherlands obeyed more for fear then love, and their loyalty did rather lie in the Spanish Garisons, then their own hearts, and that in their sighes they breathed many a prosperous gale to Nassaw's party: Lastly, he saw that forrein Princes, having the Spaniards greatnesse in suspicion, desired he might long be digesting this break-fast, lest he should make his dinner on them, both France and England counting the Low-countreys their outworks to defend their walls: wherefore he petitioned the King of Spain his Master to call him home from this unprofitable service.
Then was he called home, and lived some years after in Spain, being well respected of the King, and employed by him in conquering Portugall, contrary to the expectation of most, who look'd that the Kings displeasure would fall heavy on him, for causing by his cruelty the defection of so many countreys; yet the King favourably reflected on him, perchance to frustrate on purpose the hopes of many, and to shew that Kings affections will not tread in the beaten path of vulgar expectation: or seeing that the Dukes life and state could amount to poore satisfaction for his own losses, he thought it more Princely to remit the whole, then to be revenged but in part: or lastly, because he would not measure his servants loyalty by the successe, and lay the unexpected rubs in the allie to the bowlers fault, who took good aim though missing the mark. This led many to believe that Alva onelyonly acted the Kings will, and not willed his acts, following the instructions he received, and rather going beyond then against his Commission.
However most barbarous was his cruelty. He bragg'd as he sate at dinner (and was it not a good grace after meat) that he had caused eighteen thousand to be executed by the ordinary minister of justice within the space of six years, besides an infinite more murthered by other tyrannous means. Yea some men he killed many times, giving order to the executioners to pronounce each syllable of torment long upon them, that the thred of their life might not be cut off but unravell'd, as counting it no pain for men to die, except they dyed with pain; witnesse Anthony Utenhow, whom he caused to be tied to a stake with a chain in *Grimst. Hist. of the Netherlands, pag. 411.Brussells, compassing him about with a great fire, but not touching him, turning him round about like a poore beast, who was forced to live in that great torment and extremity, roasting before the fire so long, untill the Halberdiers themselves, having compassion on him, thrust him through, contrary to the will both of the Duke and the Spanish Priests.
When the city of Harlem surrendred themselves unto him on condition to have their lives, he suffered some of the Souldiers and Burgers thereof to be starved to death, saying that though he promised to give them their lives, he did not promise to find them meat. The Netherlanders used to fright their children with telling them, Duke. D'Alva was coming; and no wonder if children were scared with him, of whom their fathers were afraid.
He was one of a lean body and visage, as if his eager soul, biting for anger at the clog of his body, desired to fret a passage through it. He had this humour, that he neglected the good counsel of others, especially if given him before he ask'd it, and had rather stumble then beware of a block of another mans telling.
But as his life was a miroir of cruelty, so was his death of Gods patience. It was admirable, that his tragicall acts should have a comicall end; that he that sent so many to the grave, should go to his own, & die in peace. But Gods justice on offenders goes not alwayes in the same path, nor the same pace: And he is not pardoned for the fault, who is for a while reprived from the punishment; yea sometimes the guest in the inne goes quietly to bed, before the reckoning for his supper is brought to him to discharge.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Fuller, The Holy State (1642)