[14] The particulars of this event cannot be ascertained, and it would even be doubtful whether Mondragon really rounded the Cape of Good Hope if it were not expressly stated in a summary of the directions issued by the king for his capture that the robbery of Queimado’s ship took place “no canal de Moçambique.”
[15] I do not mention Sir John Mandeville in the text, because modern criticism has proved that what he states concerning India in his book The Voiage and trauayle of syr John Maundeuille, knight, which treateth of the way toward Hierusalem, and of maruayles of Inde, with other Ilands and Countryes was compiled from earlier foreign writers, though his work was regarded as genuine and trustworthy by Englishmen until recently. Nothing is known of him from contemporary records, and it is even regarded as possible that Mandeville was a pseudonym. In his book he states that he was born at St. Albans, and travelled in the east as far as China between the years 1322 and 1357. It is now believed that he really visited Palestine, and his account of that country is considered as partly based on personal observation, but the remainder of the volume is spurious. The original was written in French. See the Encyclopedia Britannica, article Mandeville. Of the numerous copies of the book, in many languages, in the library of the British Museum, the earliest was printed in 1480.
[16] This sketch is drawn chiefly from Motley’s Rise of the Dutch Republic and his History of the United Netherlands to the Twelve Years’ Truce—1609, the Geschiedenis des Vaderlands, by Mr. W. Bilderdyk, edited by Professor H. W. Tydeman, seven octavo volumes, issued at Amsterdam in 1832 to 1853, History of the People of the Netherlands, by Petrus Johannes Blok, Ph.D., four demi octavo volumes (English edition), published at New York and London, 1898 to 1907, (another volume still to appear), Handboek der Geschiedenis van het Vaderland, by Mr. G. Groen van Prinsterer, two octavo volumes (second edition), issued at Amsterdam in 1852, Histoire de Belgique, by Professor H. Pirenne, of the University of Ghent, second edition of Vol. I published at Brussels in 1902, Vol. II published at the same place in 1903, and Vol. III in 1907, (other volumes still to appear), and The History of Belgium, by Demetrius C. Boulger, published at London in 1902. Some other works consulted will be mentioned in notes.
[17] “Belgium ofte Nederland werdt ghemeynelijck verdeelt in zeventhien Provincien, meer om dat de Princen daer over regierende, seventhien Tytelen van de selve hebben ghevoert, als om andere merckelijcke redenen. Want op de ghemeyne vergaderinghen ende by-een-comsten der Staten van den Lande, en pleghen de selve in soodanighen ghetalle niet te verschijnen, maer sommighe sorteerden onder andere, als by exempel: Het Hartoghdom van Limborch met syn appendentien: item het Marck-Graeffschap des H. Rycx ofte van Antwerpen stemden ende contribueerden onder Brabandt, ’t Graeffschap Zutphen maeckte het vierde Quartier van Gelderland: Daer-en-tegens Doornijck ende het Doornijcksche Landt: Item Rijssel, Douay ende Orchies (synde andersints Steden ende Leden van Wals-Vlaenderen) hadden hare stemmen in het bysonder, ende contribueerden apart: Het selve gheschiede oock met Valencyn, dat nochtans een Stad ende Lidt van Henegouwen is.” Atlas of Mercator and Hondius, edition published at Amsterdam in 1633. This superb atlas contains a double page map of all the provinces and no fewer than thirty maps of different sections. A copy obtained by me in Holland is in the South African Public Library.
[18] See the superb Atlas of Ortelius, published at Antwerp in 1570. A copy obtained by me at the Hague is now in the South African Public Library. This atlas contains a map of the whole provinces and separate maps of Holland, Zeeland, the Frisian provinces, Flanders, and Brabant. A comparison of the map of the provinces with one of Holland and Belgium to-day will show the great changes that have taken place in the interim.
[19] See Blok’s History of the People of the Netherlands, Vol. II, page 263.
[20] There was in the south the large province of Liege, nominally a fief of the Holy Roman Empire, under the government of a bishop, but it was not counted with the others, though enclosed by some of them. It had been conquered by Charles the Headstrong of Burgundy, but on his death became independent again, and maintained a perfect neutrality thereafter, though its borders were not always respected by contending armies. It remained an independent principality until it was annexed to France on the 1st of October 1795, and in 1814 for the first time was joined to the other provinces to form the kingdom of the Netherlands. When Belgium seceded and secured its independence in 1831 Liege became one of its provinces.
[21] The greatest of the southern dioceses was Liege, whose bishop was first settled at Tongres, then at Maastricht, and from A.D. 708 at Liege. In the tenth century the bishops of Liege and Cambrai obtained rights as counts over extensive domains.—Blok.
[22] The word “king” is used as a convenient one, though Philippe was not king of the Netherlands. He was duke of one province, count of another, lord of the next, and so on, but under these titles he was sovereign of them all.
[23] Blok gives the number, according to a statement of Requesens, as six thousand.