balance the power of the nobles he granted charters to many of
the towns. Floris made himself master of Amstelland and
First Charter to Amsterdam.
Gooiland; and Amsterdam, destined to become the
chief commercial town of Holland, counts him the
founder of its greatness. Its earliest extant charter
dates from 1275. In 1296 Floris forsook the alliance
of Edward I. for that of Philip IV. of France, probably because
Edward had given support to Guy, count of Flanders, in his
dynastic dispute with John of Avesnes, count of Hainaut,
Floris’s nephew (see Flanders). The real motives of his policy
will, however, never be known, for shortly afterwards a conspiracy
of disaffected nobles, headed by Gijsbrecht van Amstel,Murder of Floris V.
Gerard van Velzen and Wolfert van Borselen, was
formed against him. He was by them basely murdered
in the castle of Muiden (June 27, 1296). The tragic
event has been immortalized in dramas from the pens of
Holland’s most famous writers (see Vondel, Hooft). The
burghers and people, who knew him to be their best friend,
took such vengeance on his slayers as permanently to reduce
the power of the nobles.
John I., his son, was in England when his father was murdered;
he was but 15 years of age, feeble in body and mind. He was
married to Eleanor, daughter of Edward I. His
reign was a struggle between John of Avesnes, the
young count’s guardian and next heir, and Wolfert van Borselen,
John I.
Extinction of the first line of Counts. Their high character.
who had a strong following in Zeeland. In 1299 van Borselen
was killed, and a few months later John I. died. John of
Avesnes was at once recognized as his successor by the Hollanders.
Thus with John I. ended the first line of counts, after a rule
of nearly 400 years. Europe has perhaps never seen
an abler series of princes than these fourteen lineal
descendants of Dirk I. Excepting the last there
is not a weak man among them. Physically handsome
and strong, model knights of the days of chivalry,
hard fighters, wise statesmen, they were born leaders
of men; always ready to advance the commerce of
the country, they were the supporters of the growing towns,
and likewise the pioneers in the task of converting a land
of marshes and swamps into a fertile agricultural territory
rich in flocks and herds. As individuals they had their
failings, but one and all were worthy members of a high-souled
race.
John of Avesnes, who took the title of John II., was the son
of John of Avesnes, count of Hainaut, and Alida, sister of
William II. of Holland. On his succession to the
countship the Hollanders were willing to receive him,
but the Zeelanders were hostile; and a long struggle
John II. of the House of Avesnes.
William III.
ensued before his authority was generally recognized.
In 1301 Bishop William of Utrecht invaded Amstelland, but
was killed in battle. John made use of his victory to secure the
election of his brother Guy as bishop in his place. A war with
the Flemings followed, in which the Flemings were at first
victorious, but after a struggle of many vicissitudes they were at
length driven out of Holland and Zeeland In 1304. John II. died
in that year and was succeeded by his son William III., surnamed
the Good (1304–1337). In his reign the long-standing quarrel
with Flanders, which had during a century and a half
caused so many wars, was finally settled by the treaty
of 1323, by which the full possession of West Zeeland
was granted to William, who on his part renounced all claim in
Imperial Flanders. The Amstelland with its capital, Amsterdam,
which had hitherto been held as a fief of Utrecht, was by William,
on the death of his uncle Bishop Guy, finally annexed to Holland.
This count did much to encourage civic life and to develop the
resources of the country. He had close relations through
marriage with the three principal European dynasties of his
time. His wife was Jeanne of Valois, niece of the French king;
in 1323 the emperor Louis the Bavarian wedded his daughter
Margaret; and in 1328 his third daughter, Philippa of Hainaut,
was married to Edward III. of England. By their alliance
William III. occupied a position of much dignity and influence,
which he used to further the interests and increase the welfare
of his hereditary lands. He was in all respects a great prince
and a wise and prudent statesman. He was succeeded by his
William IV.
son, William IV., who was the ally of his brother-in-law,
Edward III., in his French wars. He was fond of adventure,
and in 1343 made a journey to the Holy Land in
disguise, and on his way took part in an expedition of the
knights of the Teutonic Order against the infidel Wends and
Lithuanians. He was killed in battle against the Frisians in
1345. He left no children, and the question as to the succession
now brought on Holland a period of violent civil commotions.
The Empress Margaret.
His inheritance was claimed by his eldest sister,
the empress Margaret, as well as by Philippa of
Hainaut, or in other words, by Edward III. of England.
Margaret came in person and was duly recognized
as countess in Holland, Zeeland and Hainaut; but returned
to her husband after appointing her second son (the eldest,
Louis, renounced his rights) Duke William of Bavaria, as
stadholder in her place. William was but sixteen, and disorder
and confusion soon reigned in the land. The sudden death of
the emperor in 1347 added to the difficulties of his position.
In 1349 Margaret was induced to resign her sovereignty, andWilliam V. of the House of Bavaria.
the stadholder became count under the title of William
V. This was the time of the formation of the famous
parties in Holland, known as Kabbeljauws (Cods)
and Hoeks (Hooks); the former, the burgher party,
were the supporters of William (possibly the name was
derived from the light blue, scaly looking Bavarian coat of
arms), the latter the party of the disaffected nobles, who wanted
to catch and devour the fat burgher fish. In 1350 such was
the disorder in the land that Margaret, at the request of the nobles,
came to Holland to take into her own hands the reins of government.
The struggle between the nobles and the cities broke out
into civil war. Edward III. came to Margaret’s aid, winning
a sea-fight off Veere in 1351; a few weeks later the Hooks
and their English allies were defeated by William and the Cods
at Vlaardingen—an overthrow which ruined Margaret’s cause.
Edward III. shortly afterwards changed sides, and the empress
saw herself compelled (1354) to come to an understanding with
her son, he being recognized as count of Holland and Zeeland,
she of Hainaut. Margaret died two years later, leaving William,
who had married Matilda of Lancaster, in possession of the
entire Holland-Hainaut inheritance (July 1356). His tenure
of power was, however, very brief. Before the close of 1357
he showed such marked signs of insanity that his wife, with his
Albert of Bavaria.
own consent and the support of both parties, invited
Duke Albert of Bavaria, younger brother of William
V., to be regent, with the title of Ruward (1358).
William lived in confinement for 31 years. Albert died
in 1404, having ruled the land well and wisely for 46 years,
first as Ruward, then as count. Despite outbreaks from time
to time of the Hook and Cod troubles, he was able to make his
authority respected, and to help forward in many ways the
social progress of the country. The influence of the towns was
steadily on the increase, and their government began to fall
into the hands of the burgher patrician class, who formed the
Cod party. Opposed to them were the nobility and the lower
classes, forming the Hook party. In Albert’s latter years a
fresh outbreak of civil war (1392–1395) was caused by the count’s
espousing the side of the Cods, while the Hooks had the support
of his eldest son, William. Albert was afterwards reconciled
William VI.
Jacqueline of Bavaria.
to his son, who succeeded him as William VI. in 1404.
On his accession to power William upheld the Hooks,
and secured their ascendancy. His reign was much
troubled with civil discords, but he was a brave soldier, and was
generally successful in his enterprises. He died in 1417, leaving
an only child, a daughter, Jacqueline (or Jacoba),
who had in her early youth been married to John,
heir to the throne of France. At a gathering held at
the Hague (August 15, 1416) the nobles and representatives
of the cities of Holland and Zeeland had promised at
William’s request to support his daughter’s claims to the succession.
But John of France died (April 1417), and William VI.
