Inscribed on the tower are the Latin words nec spe, nec metu ("not with hope, not with fear"). This was the motto of Spain's Philip II, whose domain expanded into the Low Countries in 1555.
The inscription on the tower reads "not with hope, not with fear" (Latin: "nec spe, nec metu"), which was Philip II's royal motto. His dominion included the Low Countries starting in 1555.