Jean de Noircarmes dating history

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Jean de Noircarmes (died 1585), lord of Selles, was a royalist soldier and diplomat, loyal to Philip II of Spain, during the Dutch Revolt. His most important mission was to attempt to negotiate a return of the Habsburg Netherlands to loyalty after the Pacification of Ghent, with the only two royal demands being the maintenance of Catholicism and the recognition of Philip II's sovereignty. In December 1577 he was sent from Madrid with royal letters to this effect, arriving in Brussels in January 1578. His negotiations with the States General proved fruitless, but he was able to conclude the Treaty of Arras (1579) with the provinces that had formed the Union of Arras.