, one of the principal lords of the bow Countries, was born in 1522
, one of the principal lords
of the bow Countries, was born in 1522 of an illustrious
family in Holland, and served with great distinction in the
armies of the emperor Charles V. whom he followed into
Africa in 1544. Being appointed general of horse under
Philip II. he signalized himself at the battle of St. Quentin
in 1557, and that of Graveliwes in 1553. But, after the
departure of Philip for Spain, unwilling, as he said himself,
to fight for the re-establishment of the penal laws, and the
inquisition, he took a part in the troubles which broke out
in the Low Countries. He nevertheless made it his endeavour to dispose the governess of those provinces, and the
nobles combined against her, to terms of peace and moderation. He even took an oath to that princess to support the Romish religion, to punish sacrilege, and to extirpate heresy; but his connections with the prince of
Orange and the chief nobles of that party, brought him
into suspicion with the court of Spain. The duke of Alva
having been sent by Philip II. into the Low Countries to
suppress the rebels, ordered his head to be struck off at
Brussels, the 5th of June 1568, as well as that of Philip
de Montmorency, comte de Horn. The count Egmont
was then in his 46th year; and submitted to death with resignation, professing himself of the communion of the
church of Rome. The ambassador of France wrote to his
court, that “he had seen that head fall, which had twice
made France to tremble.
” The same day that the count
Egmont was executed, his wife, Sabina of Bavaria, came
to Brussels, for the purpose of consoling the countess of
Aremberg on the death of her husband; and as she was
discharging this office of affection and. charity, the afflicting tidings were announced to her of the condemnation of
the count her husband. The count of Egmont had written
to Philip II. protesting to him, “that he had never attempted any thing against the catholic religion, nor contrary to the duty of a good subject;
” but this justification
was deemed insufficient. Besides, it was thought necessary to make an example; and Philip II. observed on occasion of the deaths of the counts Egmont and Horn, that he
struck off their heads, because “the heads of salmons
were of greater accoufct than many thousands of frogs.
”
The posterity of count Egmont became extinct in the person of Procopius Francis, count Egmont, general of the
horse, and of the dragoons of the king of Spain, and brigadier in the service of the king of France, who died without children at Fraga in Arragon, in 1707, at the age of
38. Maximilian d' Egmont, count 9f Buren, a general in
the army of Charles V. of the same family, but of a different branch, displayed his courage and conduct in the wars
against Fi%ncis I.; but besieged Terouane in vain, and
died of a quinsey at Brussels in 1543. The president De
Thou says, that he was great both in war and in peace,
and praises his fidelity and magnificence. His physician,
Andrew Vesalius, having, as it is pretended, foretold him
the time of his death, he made a great feast for his friends,
and distributed rich presents among them. When the entertainment was over, he put himself to bed, and died
precisely at the time foretold him by Vesalius.