God's bureaucrat, who dressed soberly in black, read everything, ruled absolutely, thought suspiciously and acted cautiously

Philip was suspicious of the whole idea of Holy Leagues, and it was not in his nature to act spontaneously. God's bureaucrat, who dressed soberly in black, read everything, ruled absolutely, thought suspiciously and acted cautiously, was not a man to make up his mind quickly - nor to reveal his intentions prematurely

R. Crowley, Empires of the sea: the final battle for the Mediterranean, 1521-1580 (2008), 217