On Jan. 5, 1579, the deputies of Hainault, Artois, Douai, formed themselves into a league for the defence of the Catholic religion, and, subject to his observance of the political stipulations of the Union of Brussels, professed loyal allegiance to the king. This league of Arras called forth the answering Protestant Union of Utrecht, the work of John of Nassau. Both were nominally under the Pacification of Ghent, but the signatories were cleanly divided by religion. At this point it is convenient to end the narrative of the history of the Netherlands, treating henceforth as separate political units the obedient provinces of the south and the seven northern provinces which had already as good as won their inde pendence and were to maintain it as a republic. (See BELGIUM : History, and HOLLAND : History.) BIBLIOGRAPHY.-The best short general accounts in English are G. Edmundson, History of Holland (1922) and the same writer's chapters in Cambridge Modern History, vol. i. c. xiii. (1902), vol. iii. c. vi. and vii. (1904) : both works have bibliographies. For original authorities and books in the Dutch language see the excellent lists in I. H. Gosses and N. Japikse, Handboek tot de staatkundige
geschiedenis van Nederland (The Hague, 1920), which is the best handbook, and P. J. Blok, History of the People of the Netherlands, 5 vols. (1898-1912), the standard work for the northern provinces; that for the southern is H. Pirenne, Histoire de Belgique, vols. i.—vii. (3rd ed., 1909-26) to which the same author's Bibliographie de l'histoire de Belgique is a companion. For the earlier part of the period E. Armstrong, The Emperor Charles V., 2 vols. (2nd ed., London, 1910), is valuable. J. L. Motley, The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 3 vols. (186 and many subsequent editions) is a classical work and still a popular favourite. Ruth Putnam, William the Silent (1910 is a brief modern biography ; F. Rachfahl, Margaretha von Parma (Munich, 1898), an excellent work of the same class; the same author's Wilhelm von Oranien and der niederlandische Auf stand, 3 vols. (The Hague, 1906-24) is a minute study of the period down to 1569. (G. N. C.)