Considering our inconstancy it is not surprising that we have changed our government many times. In less than four years we have seen the Archduke Matthias, the Council of State, the Nearer Union, the Council of the Land, the duke of Anjou. And now a new council is about to be set up. Truly we cannot understand why, unless some mischief-makers are seeking their own profit and deceive the authorities by pretending that change from one government to another is an improvement. Yet they know perfectly well that everywhere these and similar changes have been disastrous for the provinces. This is why they are looked on as a punishment from God. And when we consider our past experiences and what has happened recently, we find that all our misfortunes were accompanied by a change of government, and all changes of government by misfortunes. Recently we lost the town of Zutphen, while the States General were moving from place to placed and the discussions spun out from month to month only to bring about a change of government and a new council. Is it not a great pity that we thus promote the enemy's cause and bring on ourselves so much damage that it looks as if we had firmly sworn to surrender these provinces to him?