Procrastination was always his first refuge, as if the march of the world's events would pause indefinitely while he sat in his cabinet and pondered.

It was, however, sufficiently puerile to recommend to his sister an affectation of ignorance on a subject concerning which nobles had wrangled, and almost drawn their swords in her presence.

This, however, was the King's statesmanship when left to his unaided exertions.

Granvelle, who was both Philip and Margaret when either had to address or to respond to the world at large, did not always find it necessary to regulate the correspondence of his puppets between themselves.

In order more fully to divide the nobles, the King also transmitted to Egmont a private note, in his own handwriting, expressing his desire that he should visit Spain in person, that they might confer together upon the whole subject.
These letters, as might be supposed, produced any thing but a satisfactory effect.