Mediaeval and modern history . iniquitous taxes, particularly by an impo-sition known as the tenth penny, a tax often per cent on all salesof commodities. This was ruinous to business, and drove the thriftyburghers almost to desperation. 404. William of Orange The eyes of all patriot Netherlanders were now turned to the Prince of Orange as their only prince, though never a zealous Church partisan, was a deeplyreligious man, and believedhimself called of Heavento the work of rescuing hiscountry from Spanish tyr-anny. Up to this time hehad been a Catholic, hav-ing been brought up a
Mediaeval and modern history . iniquitous taxes, particularly by an impo-sition known as the tenth penny, a tax often per cent on all salesof commodities. This was ruinous to business, and drove the thriftyburghers almost to desperation. 404. William of Orange The eyes of all patriot Netherlanders were now turned to the Prince of Orange as their only prince, though never a zealous Church partisan, was a deeplyreligious man, and believedhimself called of Heavento the work of rescuing hiscountry from Spanish tyr-anny. Up to this time hehad been a Catholic, hav-ing been brought up as apage in the household ofthe Emperor Charles now embraced Protes-tantism ; but both as aCatholic and as a Protes-tant he opposed persecu-tion on account of religiousbelief. His attitude here isworthy of special notice,for it set him apart from the great majority of his contemporaries,and had a vast influence in shaping the policies and the des-tinies of the small yet great commonwealth of which he was to bethe Fig. 70. — William of Orange (TheSilent). (After a painting by Mierevelt,Amsterdam) 368 REVOLT OF THE NETHERLANDS William of Orange, like our own Washington, was a statesmanrather than a soldier; yet even as a leader in war he evinced tal-ent of a high order. The Spanish armies were commanded suc-cessively by the most experienced and distinguished generals ofEurope ; but the prince coped ably with them all, and in the mas-terly service which he rendered his country earned the title ofThe Founder of Dutch Liberties. 405. The Isolation of the Provinces. — Never did any peoplemake a more heroic defense of their religious and civil libertiesthan did the Netherlanders. The struggle lasted for more than ageneration, — for over forty years. The Netherlanders sustainedthe unequal contest almost single-handed ; for, though they foundsympathy among the Protestants of Germany, France, and Eng-land, they never received material assistance from any of thesecount
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