, ▁ 1 5 4 3 ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Me ch lin , ▁H abs burg ▁Netherlands , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Nicola as ▁de ▁S ille ▁and ▁Barbara ▁van ▁der ▁Go es . ▁His ▁grand father , ▁Anton ius ▁de ▁S ille , ▁was ▁a ▁page ▁for ▁Philip , ▁Duke ▁of ▁Burg und y . ▁ ▁He ▁spent ▁his ▁early ▁life ▁studying , ▁eventually ▁becoming ▁a ▁Doctor ▁Jur is ▁and ▁pract icing ▁at ▁the ▁Super ior ▁Court ▁of ▁Me ch lin . ▁ ▁Political ▁career ▁In ▁ 1 5 7 6 , ▁N icas ius ▁was ▁sent ▁by ▁the ▁state ▁to ▁an nex ▁Gel der land . ▁In ▁ 1 5 7 7 , ▁he ▁became ▁the ▁p ension ary ▁of ▁Nam ur , ▁and ▁represented ▁the ▁city ▁at ▁the ▁Assembly ▁of ▁Br uss els . ▁The ▁following ▁year ▁he ▁signed ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁Br uss els . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 5 7 8 , ▁he ▁became ▁secretary ▁to ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁State ▁for ▁Arch du ke ▁Matth ias , ▁who ▁had ▁become ▁governor - general ▁of ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁Dutch ▁revol t , ▁and ▁secretary ▁for ▁the ▁General ▁States . ▁After ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Southern ▁Provin ces , ▁de ▁S ille ▁removed ▁to ▁Holland ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁p ension ary ▁of ▁Amsterdam ▁while ▁maintain ing ▁his ▁duties ▁as ▁secretary . ▁In ▁ 1 5 7 9 , ▁on ▁a ▁mission ▁to ▁secure ▁Me ch lin , ▁he ▁was ▁arrested ▁and ▁imprison ed ▁out ▁of ▁reven