Hendrik Van Brederode, count, a patriot of the Netherlands, a descendant of the old sovereign counts of Holland, born in Brussels in 1531, died at the castle of Hardenberg, in Germany, in 1568. He was one of the leaders in the rising against the Spanish domination in the Netherlands. In 1562 he made himself conspicuous by his wild demonstrations against Cardinal Granvelle; and in 1565, at a banquet given to Egmont, he grossly insulted the archbishop of Cambray, who was one of the guests. Brederode, Charles de Mansfeld, and Louis of Nassau were the first three signers of the original protest (" the compromise of Breda "), made early in 1566, against the inquisition. He was chosen Us bearer of the memorable petition addressed by the states general to the regent, Margaret of Parma, in which capacity he made his entry into Brussels April 3. On the 8th he gave a banquet, at which the healths of himself and of Egmont and the prince of Orange were drunk. Berlaymont, the state councillor, had told the duchess of Parma that the signers of the petition were a parcel of beggars. This was reported at the banquet, whereupon Brederode exclaimed, " They call us beggars! let us accept the name.

We will contend with the inquisition, but remain loyal to the king, even if compelled to wear the beggar's sack! " He then hung a leathern wallet, the badge of a mendicant, around his neck, and gave the toast, Vivent les gueux - "Long live the beggars ! " which became the war cry of the Dutch uprising. During the autumn and winter of 1566 Brederode excited disturbances nearValenciennes in order to make a diversion in favor of that city, which was then besieged. In January, 1567, he established his headquarters at Vianen, where he had seigneurial rights. He strengthened its fortifications, removed all statues and emblems from the Roman Catholic churches, and assembled turbulent bands, keeping the Spanish authorities in perpetual apprehension. Early in February he visited the prince of Orange at Breda, in order to inform him of the new petition which he had prepared for presentation to the duchess of Parma. The duchess declining to grant him letters of safe-conduct to Brussels, he forwarded the document to her from Antwerp. It claimed the exercise of the reformed religion as a right, and insisted upon the dismissal of the Spanish forces and the faithful fulfilment of the concessions of August, ,1565. The regent ordering him to leave Antwerp, he accepted her threatening answer as a formal declaration of hostilities, and began to enlist troops in that city and its vicinity, apparently with a view of making an attempt upon the island of Walcheren. He anticipated the formal proclamation of the prince of Orange against these enlistments by removing the scene of his operations to Holland, saying that he took the field to relieve Valenciennes, and dictate peace in Brussels. But he remained at Vianen and Amsterdam after the disastrous expedition of Marnix de Tholouse to Middelbnrg, which he had planned, but in which he had not assisted; and in Amsterdam he disgusted even the reformers by spending his time in singing the beggars' songs, without showing any capacity for serious enterprises.

At length, in March, 1567, the regent demanded that Brederode should be expelled from Amsterdam; whereupon he bullied her secretary, and denounced the duchess as a tyranfr. But early in April, after hearing of the success of the Spaniards, he begged Egmont to intercede for him with the regent; but as she would not accord him any terms, he set out for Emden in the night of April 25. He died before the lapse of a year, of disappointment and intemperance. His followers dispersed after his departure from the Netherlands, many of them being captured and put to death. His daughter recovered his estates after the restoration of peace; but as she left no issue, they passed into the hands of a junior branch of the family, which became extinct in 1679, when they passed to the counts van der Lippe, who in 1727 sold the principal domain of Vianen to the states general. Mr. Motley charges Brederode with having disgraced his party by his buffoonery, and with having done nothing for the cause of freedom. M. C. van Hall, however, had previously written in his defence, Hendrik Graaf van Brederode verdedigd (1845); and P. Scheltema published Hendrik van Brederode te Amsterdam in 1567 (1847).