The event was what might have been foreseen.

The Netherlanders were very moderately excited by the arrival of their former regent, but the Prince of Parma was furious.

His mother actually arrived at Namur in the month of August, 1580, to assume the civil administration of the provinces,--and he was himself, according to the King's request, to continue in the command of the army.

Any one who had known human nature at all, would have recognized that Alexander Farnese was not the man to be put into leading strings.

A sovereign who was possessed of any administrative sagacity, would have seen the absurdity of taking the reins of government at that crisis from the hands of a most determined and energetic man, to confide them to the keeping of a woman.