He was viceroy
of Portugal from 1584-1595, when Philip, thinking to appease the
people of the Low Countries, made him commander or regent there, and
determined to marry him to his daughter Isabel. The sovereignty of all
the Netherlands was to be left jointly to them and their heirs, and,
in case of no issue, to revert to the Spanish crown. Philip formally
abdicated his authority over the Low Countries, May 6, 1598, and their
marriage was solemnized jointly with that of Philip III, April 13,
1599, after Albert had renounced his cardinalate and archbishopric. He
died July 13, 1621, after ruling his provinces humanely and generously,
although unable to stem the current toward Dutch independence. See
Moreri's _Dictionnaire_.
[90] Jacques (Jakob) le Maire (Lemaire), the Dutch navigator, and
the first to double Cape Horn, was born at Egmond, and died at sea,
December 31, 1616. His expedition to the South Seas was undertaken at
the instigation of his father, Isaac le Maire, a well-known merchant,
and the ships were to reach the South Seas by Magalhaes's or any other
route. The two vessels were placed in command of Wilhelm van Schouten,
and Le Maire was chosen director-general. The ships were equipped at
the port of Hoorn, and set sail June 14, 1615, from the Texel. Passing
by the south-eastern corner of Tierra del Fuego, they entered and
passed through the strait that now bears Le Maire's name January
24-26, 1616. Between January 27 and 31, they doubled the Horn, which
they named for the port of Hoorn.
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