630 Outlines of European History Both the northern and southern provinces combine against Spain, 1576 The " Span- ish fury " The Union of Utrecht The northern provinces declare themselves independent of Spain. 1581 Assassination of William the Silent Alva recaptured a number of the revolted towns and treated their inhabitants with his customary cruelty ; even women and children were slaughtered in cold blood. But instead of quench- ing the rebellion, he aroused the Catholic southern provinces to revolt. After six years of this tyrannical and mistaken policy, Alva was recalled. His successor soon died and left matters worse than ever. The leaderless soldiers, trained in Alva's school, indulged in wild orgies of robbery and murder; they plun- dered and partially reduced to ashes the rich city of Antwerp. The " Spanish fury," as this outbreak was called, together with the hated taxes, created such general indignation that repre- sentatives from all of Philip's Burgundian provinces met at Ghent in 1576 with the purpose of combining to put an end to the Spanish tyranny. This union was, however, only temporary. Wiser and more moderate governors were sent by Philip to the Netherlands, and they soon succeeded in again winning the confidence of the southern Catholic provinces. So the northern provinces went their own way. Guided by William the Silent, they refused to consider the idea of again recognizing Philip as their king. In 1579 seven provinces (Holland, Zealand, Utrecht, Gelderland, Overyssel, Groningen, and Friesland, all lying north of the mouths of the Rhine and the Scheldt) formed the new and firmer Union of Utrecht. The articles of this union served as a constitution for the United Provinces which, two years later, at last formally declared themselves independent of Spain. Philip realized that William was the soul of the revolt and that without him it might not improbably have been put down. The king therefore offered a patent of nobility and a large sum of money to any one who should make way with the Dutch patriot. After several unsuccessful attempts, William, who had been chosen hereditary governor of the United Prov- inces, was shot in his house at Delft, 1584. He died praying the Lord to have pity upon his soul and " on this poor people."
