William I biography

Dromo's Den

William of Orange Biography

WILLIAM I (the Silent). Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau (1533–84). Leader of the revolt of the Netherlands against Spain. He was the eldest son of William, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, and was born at Dillenburg, April 16, 1533. In 1544 he inherited from his cousin, René of Nassau, the Principality of Orange. On his succession to the family estates in the Low Countries, he was sent to the Queen Regent's court at Brussels and brought up in the Catholic faith. At the age of 15 he became page to the Emperor Charles V, who in 1555 promoted him to the command of the Imperial army on the French frontier. Charles V on his abdication recommended William to his son, Philip II, who employed him in the negotiation of the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis with France (1559). On returning to the Low Countries he became the leader of the party which devoted itself to the assertion of the liberties of the country, agitated for the recall of the Spanish troops, and finally entered into open opposition to Cardinal Granvella (q.v.), the president of the council and the willing agent of Philip's tyranny. The King, nevertheless, proceeded to more extreme measures, the edicts against heretics being made still more stringent. William steadily refused to allow these enactments to take effect in his provinces of Holland, Zealand, and Utrecht, of which he had been made Stadtholder. Up to Alva's arrival as Governor (1567) William had labored conjointly with Hoorn and Egmont, but, failing to convince his two associates of the duplicity of the King, of which he himself was assured by means of the spies in his pay at the Spanish Court, he was compelled to leave them to their fate, and retired to his German estates. Cited as a rebel, he refused to appear, on the ground of being a Knight of the Golden Fleece and a sovereign prince, and was outlawed.

William now became convinced that the only means of resisting the Spanish tyranny was by force. An army under his brother Louis of Nassau gained some success, but was finally driven from the country. William in person invaded Brabant, but failed to effect anything of importance, for lack of means. In 1569 he went to France to aid the Huguenots, and later (1572) made an unsuccessful attempt to relieve his brother Louis, who was besieged by Alva in Mons. In the same year the provinces of Holland, Zealand, Gelderland, Overyssel, and Utrecht proclaimed him as their Stadtholder for the King, whose authority he and they still acknowledged. The fortune of the Spaniards on land, however, was in the ascendant, fortress after fortress fell into their hands despite William's utmost efforts to relieve them, and though Holland and Zealand still remained faithful he found it impossible to raise an army which could fairly cope with the enemy. In April, 1574, Louis and Henry of Nassau were defeated and slain in the battle of Mooker-Heide. William succeeded, however, in rescuing Leyden from the terrible fate which had befallen Haarlem. It was at this period that William openly professed himself a Calvinist, though he disclaimed the fanaticism which characterized his coreligionists and continually urged Calvinists and Lutherans to harmonize their differences. In October, 1575, the provinces of Holland and Zealand pronounced Philip's deposition, and gave power to William to choose the country under whose protectorate they were to be placed. Meantime, the rapacity of the Spanish soldiery had roused the 15 provinces which still remained loyal to Philip, and the league known as the Pacification of Ghent (October, 1576), the object of which was to drive out the Spanish troops, and establish, at least for a time, toleration in religion, was the consequence. This was a brilliant success for William, and Don John of Austria, the new Governor, was compelled to ratify the Pacification by the Perpetual Edict (Feb. 12, 1577). Owing, however, to the Spanish monarch's lack of faith war was resumed, and the patriots suffered a great defeat. At Gembloux (Jan. 31, 1578) John of Austria's successor, Alexander Farnese, succeeded in detaching the Walloon provinces from the league. On the other hand William brought about the formation of the Union of Utrecht (1579), which comprised the provinces of Holland, Zealand, Utrecht, Gelderland, Groningen, Friesland, and Overyssel, and marked the birth of the Dutch Republic. In 1581 the United Provinces declared Philip deposed and, in accordance with William's desire, chose as their ruler the Duke of Anjou, brother of Henry III of France. The Duke, however, abandoned the country in 1582. In 1580 Philip had, by Granvella's advice, put a price of 25,000 gold crowns on William's head, and on July 10, 1584, he was assassinated at Delft by Balthasar Gerard. In personal relations William was frank and generous. His piety and integrity were unquestioned, and his sagacity, courage, and determined will made him a leader of men.

The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XXIII (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 579-580.