ANST - FW: Musing on July 10 -- Silent like an Orange

[j'lynn yeates]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1


- -----Original Message-----
From: Ellsworth Weaver [mailto:astroweaver at yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2000 16:07
To: 2thpix at surfari.net
Subject: Musing on July 10 -- Silent like an Orange


Dear Folk,

On July 10, 1584, William of Orange who was known as "The Silent" was
killed by a fanatic. Why was this Orange sliced? Why was he known as
"The Silent?"

Billy was a German count who had come by a French principality,
Orange,
and some land in the Netherlands as an inheritance. He was pretty
good
friends with Emperor Chuck V. Chuck’s son was the infamous Spanish
guy
Phil II. Remember he had married Bloody Mary I, jilted her, and then
later put together a fleet of ships -- called them his Armada -- to
take England away from Lizzie I? True, same guy. Phil later married
one
of the daughter of Kate de Medici and Hank II of France. Isn’t it
interesting how this all links together?

Anyway, the Netherlands belonged to Spain at the time. The Spaniards
believed that anyway. The Netherlands was a hotbed of Protestantism
(although some of the Protestant beds were cold)  and Phil II had
instituted what he thought were needed reforms. Most of them revolved
around whacking Protestants. The Dutch did some armed revolving
themselves. Billy Orange was sent to France to arrange a treaty of
truce. The king of France thought Billy was pro-Catholic and in the
pocket of Chuck and his son so he kind of spilled the beans about how
he knew Phil was going to essentially wipe out all those Protestants.
Billy was like a tar baby: he didn’t say nothing he just sat there
and
listened; thus, his nickname "The Silent." Billy supported freedom of
religion and notified the rest of the boys what was up. Forewarned
and
all of that.

Phil II sent in the Duke of Alba and things got really low in the Low
Countries. Billy’s eldest son, Philip William, got abducted and
hauled
away to Spain. Alba played dragoon and killed most everyone who even
looked non-Catholic. He beheaded the Counts of Egmont and Homes. This
eventually po’d the Dutch such that they fought back. We now call it
the Eighty Years War. Billy (who would be played by Mel Gibson if
this
were a movie) and his brothers sold their plates and jewels to raise
money to kick out the Spanish. It was tough guerrilla fighting. Billy
lost most of his early battles and two of his brothers got themselves
killed.

Billy parked his wife, Anna, safely in Germany with his folks during
the fighting.  Anna got bored at her in-laws’ place and became a
general nuisance. Billy’s folks got tired of her and her public
nastiness. She moved to Cologne, the big city, and lead a wild life.
When she got drunk, she beat and berated her staff. She threw
outrageous parties. Ripped right through any money they had left.

Anna had a rather public affair with Johannes Rubens. Eventually she
moved in with him. In 1571 Rubens was arrested. Anna said they had
done
nothing wrong even though she was very obviously pregnant. Note:
Billy
had not been home with her in a long time. This was 400 years before
soap operas, remember. Anna broke down, told Billy to just go ahead
and
kill her and her Johnny. Hey, it was within the law of the time.
Billy
said no and told Rubens to scram. Anna gave birth to Peter Paul
Rubens,
the rather famous painter. She also gave birth to Ruben’s daughter
Christina. Billy had enough and had the marriage annulled. You know
it
was just as well. Anna had really gone around the bend. The staff
kept
knives away from her, she was delusional, and raged horribly.

In 1573 Billy became an official Protestant. He remarried twice. And
of
course, the Catholics never forgave him. In fact, one stabbed him to
death on this day 1584. Anna had left Billy and her country something
precious, Billy’s son Maurits of Orand-Nassua. Maurits lead the
troops
which finally got rid of the Spanish from the Low Country in 1600.
Their sovereignty was finally recognized 48 years later in the Treaty
of Westphalia.

Christina was taken care of by Billy’s family. They even found her a
nice German count to marry.

What have we to learn from this? Softly, softly, catchee monkey?
Don’t
try to force your religion on anyone? Better to remain silent and be
thought a fool, than open your mouth and be proven one? How about, no
matter how good you are in battle, you got to take care of business
at
home? Like Elvis’ ring used to say: TCB.

Remember, you cannot measure beliefs, only actions, folks. As always
if
you forward this or any of my humble missives, make sure you keep my
name and sig. intact.

Your chronicler,
Ellsworth Weaver

SCA -- Sir Balthazar of Endor
AS -- Polyphemus Theognis
TRV -- Sebastian Yeats


=====
SmileWeavers Astrology Charts & Interpretations
Modern & Medieval
Full Counselling -- Fast & Discreet
Email or snailmail    We take checks
(805) 473-8867 astroweaver at yahoo.com

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get Yahoo! Mail – Free email you can access from anywhere!
http://mail.yahoo.com/

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: PGP Personal Privacy 6.5.3
Comment: public key for jyeates at realtime.net at certserver.pgp.com

iQA/AwUBOWmSIc50zdvN3Vp0EQKYcACgiLThA5tcjepymLAAUwTbt1HmndwAoMHd
xBjopBFLMnaWlN7WMypom5IK
=5l3g
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

============================================================================
Go to http://lists.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks.