268 THE AGE OF HAPSBURG ASCENDENCY Spanish troops, none of which Philip would concede. But a sudden outbreak of the Spanish troops, known as ' The Spanish Fury,' once again roused the whole country, and north and south joined in the pacification of Ghent to renew their demands for freedom. Alva's successor was dead. He was followed by John of Austria, Philip's half-brother, who saw the necessity for making concessions which again parted the Catholic from the Protestant states. On his death, within two years, the governorship was given to Alexander of Parma, Philip's nephew, who continued the policy Alexander of conciliating the Catholic provinces. Systematic- of Parma. a u Vj i ncn Dv { ncnj he proceeded with the subjuga- tion of the northern provinces, which still held together in the Union of Utrecht under the leadership of the Prince of Orange. The united provinces declared their own independence, and would have placed themselves under the protectorate of either the Queen of England or Francis of Anjou. Elizabeth declined, and Anjou played the traitor. Then the great chief William of Orange was assassinated. It was well that just at this moment Elizabeth's hand was about to be forced, and she was at last compelled to make open war against Spain. From 1585 the Spaniard had England on his hands as well as the people whom we may henceforth call the Dutch. Ever since the beginning of Elizabeth's reign she and Philip had been covertly at war, though outwardly at peace, each 6. Spain and desiring to defer an open struggle. Philip wished England. to finish off the Netherlands before turning on England. Elizabeth hoped to evade a contest altogether by delay, while she also knew that with every year England was grow- ing stronger and stronger, and Spain was becoming more and more exhausted. In the meantime her sailors ignored the Spanish trade-laws, and forced their trade on the Spanish colonies at the sword's point. The Spaniards were not content to treat them as pirates, but handed over the English sailors, when they got hold of them, to the Inquisition, to be dealt with as heretics. Thus the English regarded themselves as champions of the reformed faith, warranted like the Israelites of old in despoiling the Egyptians and the Amalekites. With
