that weighed heavily upon him, there was the continual dread of assassination.  Ever since the failure of the attempt of Jaureguy, there had been a constant succession of plots against the life of the rebel leader and heretic at the instigation of the Spanish government, and with the knowledge of Parma.  Religious fanaticism, loyalty to the legitimate sovereign, together with the more sordid motive of pecuniary reward, made many eager to undertake the murderous commission.  It was made the easier from the fact that the prince always refused to surround himself with guards or to take any special precautions, and was always easy of access.  Many schemes and proposed attempts came to nothing either through the vigilance of William’s spies or through the lack of courage of the would-be assassins.  A youth named Balthazar Gerard had however become obsessed with the conviction that he had a special mission to accomplish the deed in which Jaureguy had failed, and he devoted himself to the task of ridding the world of one whom he looked upon as the arch-enemy of God and the king.  Under the false name of Francis Guyon he made his way to Delft, pretended to be a zealous Calvinist flying from persecution, and went about begging for alms.  The prince, even in his poverty always charitable, hearing of his needy condition sent to the man a present of twelve crowns.  With this gift Gerard bought a pair of pistols and on July 10, 1584, having managed on some pretext to gain admittance to the Prinsenhof, he concealed himself in a dark corner by the stairs just opposite the door of the room where William and his family were dining.  As the prince, accompanied by his wife, three of his daughters and one of his sisters, came out and was approaching the staircase, the assassin darted forward and fired two bullets into his breast.  The wound was mortal; William fell to the ground and speedily expired.  Tradition says that, as he fell, he exclaimed in French:  “My God, have pity on my soul!  My God, have pity on this poor people!” But an examination of contemporary records of the murder throws considerable doubt on the statement that such words were uttered.  The nature of the wound was such that the probability is that intelligible speech was impossible.

Balthazar Gerard gloried in his deed, and bore the excruciating tortures which were inflicted upon him with almost superhuman patience and courage.  He looked upon himself as a martyr in a holy cause, and as such he was regarded by Catholic public opinion.  His deed was praised both by Granvelle and Parma, and Philip bestowed a patent of nobility on his family, and exempted them from taxation.

In Holland there was deep and general grief at the tragic ending of the great leader, who had for so many years been the fearless and indefatigable champion of their resistance to civil and religious tyranny.  He was accorded a public funeral and buried with great pomp in the Nieuwe Kerk at Delft, where a stately memorial, recording his many high qualities and services, was erected to his memory.