A tumult had accidentally arisen between his soldiers and the guard at
the gate. Other troops rushing in from without, had joined in the
affray, so that to, his great sorrow, an extensive disorder had arisen.
He manifested the same Christian inclination to forgive, however, which
he had before exhibited. He observed that "good men would never grow
cold in his regard, or find his affection diminished." He assured Van
der Tympel, in particular, of his ancient goodwill, as he knew him to be
a lover of the common weal.

In his original communications he had been both cringing and threatening
but, at least, he had not denied truths which were plain as daylight.
His new position considerably damaged his cause. This forgiving spirit
on the part of the malefactor was a little more than the states could
bear, disposed as they felt, from policy, to be indulgent, and to smooth
over the crime as gently as possible. The negotiations were interrupted,
and the authorities of Antwerp published a brief and spirited defence of
their own conduct. They denied that any affront or want of respect on
their part could have provoked the outrage of which the Duke had been
guilty. They severely handled his self-contradiction, in ascribing
originally the recent attempt to his just vengeance for past injuries,
and in afterwards imputing it to accident or sudden mutiny, while they
cited the simultaneous attempts at Bruges, Denremonde, Alost, Digmuyde,
Newport, Ostend, Vilvoorde, and Dunkirk, as a series of damning proofs of
a deliberate design.

The publication of such plain facts did not advance the negotiations when
resumed. High and harsh words were interchanged between his Highness and
the commissioners, Anjou complaining, as usual, of affronts and
indignities, but when pushed home for particulars, taking refuge in
equivocation. "He did not wish," he said, "to re-open wounds which had