Egmont, Count (1522-1568), a Dutch statesman and soldier. Egmont's life belongs to the stormy period of the Reformation. He won high reputation as a soldier and commander under the banner of Charles V. He regretted the hostility which developed later between his country and his sovereign. Although an ardent Roman Catholic, he sided with the Dutch and took arms with William, Prince of Orange, when Holland was attacked by the Spanish. In order to strike terror into the hearts of the Dutch, Philip II ordered Egmont seized and executed. He appears to have been a man of a reflective turn of mind and kind feelings. He did not sympathize with his people in their Protestantism, yet was a sincere patriot. He is the chief character in Goethe's celebrated drama of Egmont. The reader will also wish to consult Motley's The Rise of the Dutch Republic.