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HISTORY OF THE UNITED NETHERLANDS
From the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce—1609
By John Lothrop Motley
MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg Edition, Vol. 59
History of the United Netherlands, 1588-1589
CHAPTER XX.
Alexander besieges Bergen-op-Zoom—Pallavicini's Attempt to seduce
Parma—Alexander's Fury—He is forced to raise the Siege, of Bergen
—Gertruydenberg betrayed to Parma—Indignation of the States—
Exploits, of Schenk—His Attack on Nymegen—He is defeated and
drowned—English-Dutch Expedition to Spain—Its meagre Results—
Death of Guise and of the Queen—Mother—Combinations after the
Murder of Henry III.—Tandem fit Surculus Arbor.
The fever of the past two years was followed by comparative languor.The deadly crisis was past, the freedom of Europe was saved, Holland andEngland breathed again; but tension now gave place to exhaustion. Theevents in the remainder of the year 1588, with those of 1589—althoughimportant in themselves—were the immediate results of that history whichhas been so minutely detailed in these volumes, and can be indicated in avery few pages.
The Duke of Parma, melancholy, disappointed, angry stung to the soul bycalumnies as stupid as they were venomous, and already afflicted with apainful and lingering disease, which his friends attributed to poisonadministered by command of the master whom he had so faithfully served—determined, if possible, to afford the consolation which that master wasso plaintively demanding at his hands.
So Alexander led the splendid army which had been packed in, and unpackedfrom, the flat boats of Newport and Dunkerk, against Bergen-op-Zoom, andbesieged that city in form. Once of great commercial importance,although somewhat fallen away from its original prosperity, Bergen waswell situate on a little stream which connected it with the tide-watersof the Scheldt, and was the only place in Brabant, except Willemstad,still remaining to the States. Opposite lay the Isle of Tholen fromwhich it was easily to be supplied and reinforced. The Vosmeer, a branchof the Scheldt, separated the island from the main, and there was a pathalong the bed of that estuary, which, at dead low-water, was practicablefor wading. Alexander, accordingly, sent a party of eight hundredpikemen, under Montigny, Marquis of Renty, and Ottavio Mansfeld,supported on the dyke by three thousand musketeers, across; the dangerousford, at ebb-tide, in order to seize this important island. It was anadventure similar to those, which, in the days of the grand commander,and under the guidance of Mondragon; had been on two occasions sobrilliantly successful. But the Isle of Tholen was now defended by CountSolms and a garrison of fierce amphibious Zeelanders—of those determinedbands which had just been holding Farnese and his fleet in prison, anddaring him to the issue—and the invading party, after fortunatelyaccomplishing their night journey along the bottom of the Vosmeer, wereunable to effect a landing, were driven with considerable loss into thewaves again, and compelled to find their way back as best they could,along their dangerous path, and with a rapidly rising tide. It was ablind and desperate venture, and the Vosmeer soon swallowed four hundredof the Span