This is a major new English-language edition of five central texts in the historyof the political thought of the Dutch Revolt. Published between 1570 and1590 these texts exemplify the development of the political ideas whichmotivated and legitimated the resistance to the government of Philip lI in theLow Countries, and which became the cmcial part of the ideologicalfoundations of the Dutch Republic as it started to become one of Europe'smain powers. Ks is shown by the 1570'Defence and True Declaration', the1576 Address and Opening', the 1579 ' Brief Discourse', the 1582 PoliticalEducation and the 1587 ' Short Exposition ' notions of liberty,constitutionalism, representation and popular soverei~ty were of centralimportance to the political thought and the revolutionary events of the DutchRevolt. In the introduction, which locates the five texts in their political andintellectual context, Martin van Gelderen argues that the Revolt's oliticalthought was as much inspired by the indigenous legacy of Dutchconstitutionalism and civic consciousness as by the intellectual legacy of thelateMiddle Ages, Renaissance and Refomaation.Biographical notes and numerous annotations are provided to aid the student mexploring some of the most innovative texts of the Dutch Revolt; this editionalso includes a chronology of the Revolt's main events and a guide to furtherreading.