William, Father of The Netherlands

248 Pages·1969·13.303 MB·English

by  Dawn Langley Simmons

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William
Father of the Netherlands
BY GORDON LANGLEY HALL
Illustrated with photographs
and with maps by Don Pitcher
TWO HUNDRED YEARS before the
American Revolution, the people of the
Netherlands chose to fight for political and
religious independence—the same path that
the American colonists would later take.
Spain, not England, was the ruling mother
country, but the spirit and aims of both rev-
olutions were remarkably similar. The man
who was to become the father of his country,
The Netherlands, was William of Orange.
The dramatic career of William of Orange,
also known as William the Silent, is brought
to life through the author’s careful investiga-
tion of people, places, and facts. The influ-
ences that led to William’s momentous deci-
sion to cast aside his loyalties to the crown in
favor of love for his adopted fatherland are
revealed in this portrait of his public and pri-
vate life. William himself—strong, coura-
geous, tolerant—is set against the sinister,
royal backdrop of murders, political intrigues,
and advantageous marriages. Three of his
wives brought him happiness; the fourth—
half-crazed Anna of Saxony--and the un-
timely deaths of those near to him caused
William much unhappiness and grief. Such
famous and infamous historical figures as
Queen Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, the
Duke of Alva, and “Bloody Mary” were in-
volved in the events that determined
Continued on back flap
RIVERSIDE CITY & COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
0 00 01 0357173 3
CENTRAL
Langley
aoTNtfhe hete hre rlands.
949.203 Hall, Gordon Langley
H176w William, father of The Netherlands.
Chicago, Rand McNally, c1969.
kop. illus.,maps,ports. 22cm.
Bibliography: p228.
1.Willem I, Prince of Orange, 15 33-
1584. 2.Netherlands--History--Wars
of Independence, 1556-1648. I.Title.
) APR2 3 1973

William
Father of the Netherlands
By the Author of:
GOLDEN BOATS FROM BURMA:
The Story of Ann Hasseltine Judson,
First American Woman to Go to Burma in 1812
VINNIE REAM:
The Story of the Girl Who Sculptured Lincoln
OSCEOLA
MISTER JEFFERSON’S LADIES
LADY BIRD AND HER DAUGHTERS
illiam
Father of the
Netherlands
GORDON LANGLEY HALL
Illustrated with photographs and maps
&
RAND MENALLY & COMPANY
Chicago - New York « San Francisco
For MARJORIE HALL COPPER
Copyright © 1969 by Gordon Langley Hall
Copyright 1969 under International Copyright Union by Gordon Langley Hall
All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 71-80072
First Printing, May, 1969
Contents
AUTHOR'S NOTE 9
1
A Child Is Born 11
2
At the Court of the Emperor 16
3
Master of Breda 28
4
First Princess of Orange 34
5
A New Chapter 39
6
A Country in Confusion 52
7
A Time of Sorrows 56
8
A Substitute for the Queen of Scots 67
9
The Prince and the Cardinal 78
10
The Unfortunate Anna 87
11
A Weeping Regent 96
12
A Time of Rebellion 105
=
A Haven in Dillenburg 113
14
A Flag Unfurled 130
7
The Fight Begins 138
16
Sea Beggars 147
ay
The Siege of Leiden 153
18
Charlotte, His Dearest Love 167
19
A Rare Man 174
20
Welcome to Brussels 184
21
The Little Frog 197
22
A Prophecy Fulfilled 215
FOR FURTHER READING 228
INDEX 2 29