The monarch, feeling safe on the religious point, was willing to make liberal promises upon the political questions.

In truth, the great grievance of which the Walloons complained was the insolence and intolerable outrages of the foreign soldiers.

This, they said, had alone made them malcontent.

It was; therefore, obviously the cue of Parma to promise the immediate departure of the troops.

This could be done the more easily, as he had no intention of keeping the promise.
Meantime the efforts of Orange, and of the states-general, where his influence was still paramount, were unceasing to counteract the policy of Parma.