First Fragment:
Below is the first fragment of the Act of Abjuration. (We start with the second paragraph of the document.). To study this text in more detail, click the underlined words or phrases and an explanation will appear in a new screen. Links will often contain questions for you to answer.
[fragment:] The >States General of the United Netherlands greet all those who will see or hear this read. It is common knowledge that the prince of a country is appointed by God to be the head of his subjects to protect and shield them from all iniquity, trouble and violence as a shepherd is called to protect his sheep, and that the subjects are not created by God for the benefit of the prince to submit to all that he decrees, whether godly or ungodly, just or unjust, and to serve him as slaves. On the contrary, >the prince is created for the subjects (without whom he cannot be prince) to govern them according to right and reason [...]. It is clear therefore that if he acts differently and instead of protecting his subjects endeavours to oppress and molest them and to deprive them of their >ancient liberty, privileges and customs and to command and use them like slaves, >he must be regarded not as a prince but as a tyrant. And according to right and reason his subjects, at any rate, must no longer recognise him as a prince [...], but should renounce him; in his stead >another must be elected to be an overlord called to protect them. This becomes even more true when these subjects have been unable either to turn him away from his tyrannical enterprises, and have no other means left to protect their ancient liberty (for the defence of which they must according to the law of nature be prepared to risk life and property) as well as that of their wives, children and descendants. This has often happened for similar reasons in many other countries at various times and there are well known instances of it. And this should happen particularly in these countries, which have always been governed (as they should be) in accordance with the oath taken by the prince at his inauguration and in conformity with the privileges, customs and old traditions of these countries which he swears to maintain. >Moreover, nearly all these countries have accepted their prince conditionally, by contracts and agreements and if the prince breaks them, he legally forfeits his sovereignty.