Don John meant peace, wise William meant war, for he knew that no other issue was possible.

Peace, in reality, was war in its worst shape.

Peace would unchain every priestly tongue, and unsheath every knightly sword in the fifteen provinces against little Holland and Zealand.

He had been able to bind all the provinces together by the hastily forged chain of the Ghent treaty, and had done what he could to strengthen that union by the principle of mutual religious respect.

By the arrival of Don John that work had been deranged.