Never did his versatility, patience and skill in management shine more brightly.

Among the troops raised by the patriots he kept strict discipline, thus making by contrast more lurid the savage pillage by the Spaniards.

He kept far from fanatics and swashbucklers of whom there were plenty attracted to the revolt.

His master idea was to keep the Netherlands together and to free them from the foreigner.

Complete independence of Spain was not at first planned, but it soon became inevitable.
For a moment there was a prospect of help from Coligny's policy of prosecuting a war with Spain, but these hopes were destroyed by the defeat of the French Huguenots near Mons [Sidenote: July 17, 1572] and by the massacre of Saint {262} Bartholomew.