Greetings to all those who will see these papers or hear them read. These countries have fallen into great misery and distress through civil war, haughty and harsh government, wilfulness, robberies and other disturbances committed by the Spaniards and their adherents during these nine or ten years. In order to take measures against these evils and to prevent further troubles, oppressions and poverty in the country by means of a lasting peace and pacification, commissioners of His Majesty and of the prince of Orange, the States of Holland, Zeeland and their associates met at Breda in the month of February in the year 1575, and put forward several measures by which such a pacification could be furthered. But the proposals did not bear the fruits which had been expected ; on the contrary, instead of the relief and compassion which it was hoped His Majesty would give us, the Spaniards continued every day to oppress and ruin the poor subjects and to reduce them to eternal slavery. Several times they themselves rose in mutiny, threatening lords and towns and taking many places by force, robbing them and burning them down. This is why the councillors entrusted with the government of he countries declared them to be enemies of His Majesty and the common weal and why the States have been forced, with the permission of the aforementioned councillors, to take up arms.