BY PIKE AND DYKE.

Bush Advocate, Volume V, Issue 354, 16 August 1890, Page 5

BY PIKE AND DYKE.

A TALE OF THE MSF, C? THE DUTCH HE PUBLIC. By G. A. HEXTY. Author of " The Lion of St. 31a,-'.: ;" " Bornio Trine Charley," " WithClivo in In li.i ;" '■ W-.th Lee in 1 Virgiuia ;" " The Cit oi Jiuiwsto ;'" Eo. -'-'*- CHAPTER XXI. THE 6IEGK OP ANTWERP. On tho 10th of July, ISS-r, n (loop was cast all over Holland and England by t!i3 assassmation of tho Prince of Orange. Many attempts had been mado upon hia life by paid agents of the King of Spain. One hud been nearly successful, and the prince had lain for W«eks almost at the point ct death. At last the hatred of Philip aud Parma gained its end, , and the prince fell a victim to the bullet of an assassin, who came before him disguised as a petitiouer. His murderer was captured, and put to death with horrible tortures, boasting of tie crime to the last. It was proved beyond all question that he, as well as tho authors of the previous attempts, was acting at the instigation of tho Spanish authorities, and had been promised vast suras in the event of his success. Thus died the greatest statesman of his age ; a pure patriot, a disinterested politician, a great orator, a mau possessing at once immense talent, unbounded perscverenco, a fortitude under misfortunes beyond proof, and an . nnshakeable faith in God. But terrible aewM the blow to the Netherlands, it failed to have the effect which its instigators had hoped from It. On the very day of the murder the Estates of Holland, then sitting at Delft, passed a resolution "to , maintain the good causa, with God'a help, to tho uttermost, without sparing gold or blood." The prince's eldest sou hiul been kidnapped from school in Leyden by Philip's orders, and had been a -captive in Spain for seventeen years under the tutorship of the Jesuits. Maurice, tho next son, now seventeen " Tears old, was appointed head of the States Council. But the condition of the Netherlands was still well-nigh desperate. Flanders and Brabant lay at the ftet of tho Spaniards. A rising which had lately taken place had been crushed. Bruges had surrendered without a blow. The Duke of Parma, with 18,000 troop 3, iNJsides his garrisons, was threatening Ghent, Mechlin, Brussels, and Antwerp, and was freely using promises and bribery to induce them to surrender." Dendermonde and Vilvoorde both opened their gates, tho capitulation of the latter town cutting the communication between Brussels and Antwerp. Ghent followed the example and surrendered without striking a blow, and at tho moment of the assassination of the Prince of Orange Parma's army was closing round Antwerp. Bir Edward Martin was at Antwerp, where he had gono by the queen's . order, when he ; received the news of {he murder of the prince, whom ho had seen but a few days before. He was filled with grief and horror at the loss of one who had boon for six years his friond, and whom ho regarded with enthusiastio admiration. It seemed to him at first that with tho death of the princo tbo cause of the Netherlands was 'lost, and had the former attempts of Philip's emissaries upon the princes life been successful, such a result would no doubt have followed : but the successful defence of their cities, and the knowledge they had gained that the sea could be made to fight for them, had given the people of Holland strength and hope. Their material resources, too, were larger than • l»fore, for great numbers of the Protestants from the other provinces had emigrated there, and had added alike to their strength and wealth. At first, however, tho news caused something like despair in Antwerp. Men went about depressed and sorrowful, as if they had lost their dearest friend ; bat Sainte Aldegonde, who had ; "been appointed by the prince to take charge of the defence of Antwerp, encouraged thecltizens, and their determination to resist returned. Unfortunately there had already been terriblo. thundering. William de Blois, Lord Treslong J and Admiral of the fleet ©f Holland and Zeeland, had been ordered to carry up to the city provisions and munitions of war sufficient to last for a year, the money having been freely voted by the States-general of these t provinces. But Ti-eslong disobeyed the orders, and remained week alter week at Ostend drinking Leavilyand doing nothing else. At last the States, enraged at his disobedience, ordered him to be arrested and thrown into prison ; but this Was too late to enable the needed stores to be taken up to Antwerp. The citizens wore under ; no uneasiness. They believed it was absolutely impossible to block tho river, and that, there-. fore, the}' could at all tunes receive supplies from the coast. On both sides of the river below tho town tho land was low and could at any time be laid under water, and Sainte Aldegonde brought the Prince of Orange's instructions that the groat dyke, called the Blanwgaren, was to bo pierced. This would have laid the country under water for miles, and even the blocking of the river would übt have prevented the arrival of ships with provisions and supplies. Unfortunately Sainte Aldegonde's'power was limited, The Butcher's Guild rose against the proposal, and their leaders appeared before the magistrates and protested against the step being carried out. Twelve thousand cattle grazed upon the pastures which would be submerged, and the destruction of farms, homesteads, and orchards would be terrible. As to the blocking op of the rives, the idea was absurd, and the operation far beyond the power of man. The butchers wero supported by the officers of the militia, who declared that were the authorities to attempt the destructioa of the dyke the municipal soldier" would oppose it by f6rce. Such was the state of things when the only man whom the democracy would listen to and «bey fell by the assassin's hands, and his death and the obstinate stupidity of the burghers of Antwerp sealed the fate of tho city. Sainte Aldegonde had hailed the arrival of Elizabeth's «uvoy, and consulted with him as to the steps to be taken for the defence of the city. He himself did not believe in the possibility of the river being* stopped. It was nearly half a mile in wiath and sixty feet in dopth, with a tidal rise and fall of eleven feat* Ned agreed with the governor or burgomaster— for this was Sainto Aldegonde's title — that the blocking of this river Beemed impossible, but his reliance upon the opinion of tho princo was so great that he did what he could towards persuading tho populace to permit the plans to be carried out. But Elizabeth had bo often disappointed the people of the Netherlands that her envoy posceased bo authority, and tho magistrates with whom were tho wardtraasters, tho deans of the guilds, the presidents of the chamber*, and heads of colleges, squabbled and quarrelled amongst thotnsolres, aud notlung was done. The garrison couKisted only of a regiment of English, under Colonel Morgan, ana a Scotch regiment, uader Colonel Bulfour, but these were !n a state of indiscipline, and a mutiny liad shortly before broken out among them. Many of the troops had deserted to Parma and some had returned home, and it was not uutil Morgan had beheaded Captain Leo and Captain Powell that order was restored among them. Besides these were tho burgher militia, who were brave and well-tttiiuea but insubordinate, and ready on every cccaaon to refuse obedience to authority. The first result of tho general confusion which prevailed in Antwerp was that Herenthals was allowed to fall without assistance. Had this small but important city been succoured it would have enabled Antwerp to protract its own defence for some time. Tho veteran Mondragon as he took possession remarked, " Now it is easy to see that tho "Prince of Orange is dead ;" and, indeed, it was only undor his wiso supervision and authority that anything liko conceited action be4weea the cities, which were really small republics, was possible. Quietly, but steadily tho Duko of Pnrma established fortified posta at variouß points on liOth banks of tho Lower Scheldt, thereby rendering its navigation more difficult, and covering in some decree tho spot where he intended to close the river. Nino miles below the city were two forts— Lillo and Lieflcenshoek— on» ©n either side of the Btream. The fortifications of LiUo were complete, but thoso of Liefkeushoek were not finished when Parma ordered tho Marquis of Eichefxjtirg to carry it by assault. It was taken t>y surprise, and the eight hundred men who composed its garrison were all killed or (drowned. This first blow took place on tho -very day Prinoo of Orange woe killed. lillo was garrisoned by Antwerp volunteers, «aHedthe " Young Bachelors," together with a jCOitipany of French under Captain Gftscoi^no, and 400 Scotch and Englishmen under Colonel Morgan. Mondragon was ordered to fctko tho place at any cost. He took up his position .with 5,000 men at the country-house and farm of Lillo, a ehortdistance from tlie fort, planted Hp "batteries, and opened fire. The fort responded briskly, and finding that the Vallß were little injured by his artillery by special arrangement ""ivitlT Blaekie

(»)

till:, .u.uu.<iti. rS utji tIiCU. IU LiiKU 1C L>,y inllUMg. Teligny, iiov/tsver, ran counter mines, and for three woeks tho siogo coutinubd, the Spaninvds gaining no advnntngo and losiug a considerable number of men. At last Toligny made a aortio, aud a determined action took pin co without ndvuntnge on either side. Tho defeiulnra wero then recalled to tho fort., the siuieo gulos wave opened, and tho waters of the Scheldt,, swollen l>yahi»h lido, poured ovor the country. Swoi>t'iy tha fire of the guns of the fort, and siirrouniled by tho water, tho Spaniards wure forcod to make a rapid retreat, struggling breast high in tho wavt 8. Seeing the usblnsauosd of the siege the attempt to cnpfuro Lilio was abandoned, having cost tin; HjvHniurds no le^s than two thousand lives. Porinn'H own amp was on tho opposite sido of the river, at the villages ol'Beveron, Kalloo, and Borgut, and he wus tlius nearly opposite to Antwerp, as tho river swept round with a sharp curve. lie had with him half his army, while the rust were at Stabrook on the opposite side of the river, nearly ten inilus bolow Autworp. Kalloo stood upon rising ground, aud was speedily transformed into a bustling town. From this point an army of mon dug a canal to Stenkon, a place on the river above Antwerp twelve miles from Kalloo, and as soon as Ghent and Deudermonde had fallen, great rafts of timber, fleets of boats ludon with provisions, munitions, building materials, ami every other requisite for tho great undertaking Purina had in view, were brought to Kalloo. To this pliice was brought also by Parma's orders the shipwrights, masons, ronemakera, sailors, boataien, bakers, brewerd, ami butchers of Flanders and Brabant, and work went on unceasingly. But while the autumn wore 00. ' the river was Btill open ; aud in spite ef the Spanish batteries on the banks the daring sailors of Zoeland brought up their ships ladeu with corn to Antwerp, where the price was already high. Had this traffic been continued Antwerp would soon have been provisioned for a year's siege ; but the folly aud stupidity of the municipal authorities put a stop to it, tor they enacted that, instead of the high prices current for grain, which had tempted the Zeelanders to run tho gauntlet of the Spanish batteries, a price but little above that obtainable in other places should be given. The natural result was, the supply of provisions ceased at once. " Did you ever see anything like the obstinacy and folly of these burgliera P" Sainte Aldegjonde said in despair to Nod, when, iv spite of his entreaties, this suicidal edict had been issued. " What possible avail is it to endeavour to defend a city which seems bent on its own destruction ?" " The best thing to do," Ned replied in great anger, " would ba to surround the town-hall with the companies of Morgan's regiment remaining here, and to hang evory one of theso thick-headed and insolent tradesmen.'* "It would bo the best way," Sainte Aldegonde agreed, "if we had also a sufficient force to keep dewn the city. Those knaves think vastly more of their own privileges than of the good of the State, or even of tho safety of the town,_ Here, as in Ghent, the people are divided into sections and parties^ who, when there is no one else to quarrel with, are ever readr to fly at each other's throats. Each of these leaders of guilds and presidents of chambers considers himself a little god, and it is quite enough if anyon* else expresses anopinio* for the majority to take up at once the opposite view." "I looked in at tho town-hall yestarday," Ned said, " and such an uproar was going on that no one csuld be heard to speak. Twenty men were oh their feet at once, shouting and haranguing, and paying mot the slightest attention to each other ; while tho rest joined in from time to time with deafening cries and yells. Never did I see euch a scene. And it is upon such men as these that it rests to decide upon the measures t» be takea for the safety of tEocityJ" " Ah, if wo had but the prince here among us again for a few hours there- would be some hope," Sainte Aldegonde said i " for he would be able to persuade the people that in times like these there is no safety in many counsellors, but that they must be content for" the time to obey one man." On tho Flemish side of the river tht sluices had been opened, at Saftingen. Tho whole country there, with the exception of the ground on which Kalloo and tho other villages stood, was under water. Still the Biauwgaren dyke. : aud inner dyke called the Kowenstyn, barred back the water, which, had it free course, would have turnod the country into a sea and given passage to the fleets of Zeeland. Now that it was too late, those who had so fiercely opposed the plan at first were eager that these should be cut. But it was now out of their power to do co. The Lord of Kowonstyn, who had a castle on 'the dyke which boro his same, had '• repeatedly urged upon tho Antwerp magistracy the extreme importance of cutting through thiß dyke, even if they deferred tie \ destruction of the outer one. Enraged at their } obstinacy and folly, and having tho Spanish i' armies all round him, he made terms with | Parma, and the Spaniards established themselves firmly along the bank, built strong redoubts upon it,, and stationed five thousand men there. As the prince had foreseen, the opening of the Saftingen sluice had assisted Parma instead of adding to his difficulties ; for he was now no longer confined to the canal, but was able to briaga fleet of large vessels, laden with cannon and ammunition, from Ghent down the Scheldt, and in through a breach through tho dyke of Borght to KoDoo. Sainte Aldegondo, in order to bar the Borght passage, built a work called Fort Teligny upon the dyke, opposite that thrown up by the Spaniards, and in the narrow passage between thorn, constant fighting went on between the Spaniards and patriots. Still i the people of Antwerp felt confident, for the [ Scheldt was still open, and whea food became | short the Zeeland fleet could at any time sail up :to their assistance. But before the winter , closed in Parma commenced the work for < which he had made such mighty preparations. ; Between Kalloo and Oordam, on tho opposite side, a sand bar had been discovered, which somewhat diminished the depth of the stream and rendered pile-driving comparatively easy. ; A strong fort was erected on each bank and the [ work, of driving in the piles began. From each «ide a framework of heavy timber, supported on these massiro piles, was carried out bo far that tho width of open water was reduced from twenty-four to thirteen hundred foot, and strong block-houßes were erected upon each pier to protect them from assault. Had a concerted attack been mode by the Antwerp ships 1 from above, and the Zeeland fleet from below, the works could at this time have been easily destroyed. But the fleet had been paralysed by the insubordination of Treslong. and there was no plan or concert ; so that although constant skirmishing went on, no serious attack was made. The brave Teligny, ono night going down in a row-boat to communicate with tho' Zeelauderß and arrange for joint action, was captured by the Spanish boate, and romainod for six years in prison. Hi 3 loss was a very serious blow to Antwerp and to the cause. On the 13th of November Parma sent in a letter to Antwerp, begging tho citizens to take compassion on their wives aud children and make terms. Parma had none of the natural blood-thirstiness of Alva, and would have been really glad to hare arranged matters without further fighting ; especially as he was almost without funds, and the attitude of the King of France was e6 doubtful that he knew that at any moment his plans might bo overthrown. The States in January attempted to make a diversion in favour of Antwerp by attacking Bois-lc-Duo, a town from which tho Spaniards drew a largo portion of their supplies. Parma, although feeling tho extreme importance of this town, had been able to spare no mou for ita defonco; and although it was atrong. and ita burghers notably brave and warlike, it seemed that it might bo readily captured by surprise. Count Hoiienlohe was entrusted with the enterprise, and with 4,000 infantry and 200 cavalry advauced towards the place. Fifty men, under [ nn officer who knew the town, hid at night near tho goto, nnd when in thi morning the portcullis w;iß lifted ru.-hed in, overpowered tho guard, and threw open tho gate, and Hohenfohe, with his 200 troopers and 500 pikemen, entered. Theso aAance, instead of sacurinw tho town, scattered to pluudor. It happened that forty Spanish lancers and thirty iJot uoldiers had coma into lhn town tho night before to form [an escortrtfor acouvoy of provisions. Thoy i were about starting when tho tumult broko out. 1 As Hohonlohe's troops thought of nothing but pillago, time w.is given to' the bnrghers to ecize their urine ; and they, with tholittlo body of troupa, fell npon tho phutdertsrH, who, ut the Hgut of the Spanish uuituiui.3, wero seized with a panic HoheulohegtUhpedto thegnte to bring in the rest of the troop* ; but while ho was (t,w.iy ono of its ga-.tr.ls, although desperately wounded at its capture, crawled to tho rot ion which held up tho portcullis and cut them with Iks knife. Thu-j those within voro cut off "from their friends. M-uiy eP them w.«ro killed, others throw thmnwlvai from the wnlls into •ho taunt, nnd vory fjw oi those w»o Jki-.I eaiered mado their escuj.o. When Huhouloho relumed with '2,000 fr.V.i troop* and found the gitos fihut in hi« face, ho had nothing to do but to ridu uway. thoet.torpriso Laving foiled entirely through hi? owo folly and reddtsstucsß : I'or it was ho himcolf who had encouraged his folio were to plunder. Had hs kojxt them" together until the main force entered, rw rsalstanco c;uld Uave been offered

R"Sfr]a ? TSSEsrSmXBt ir-aS* Wl-31UH1K AtmißEftMK fIHBJWJ " J

. to turn, or had iio when ho rodo out to fetch r reinforcomonts left a guard at the gate to pre--3 vent it beiug shut, the town could again have I been taken. Parma himself wrote to Philip' t acknowledging that " Had the rebels succeeded l in their enterprise, I should havo beeli com- . polled to havo abandoned tho siege of Ant- , werp." f But now thn winter, upon which tho people r in Antwerp had chielly depended for proventb ing the blocking of the stream, was upon tho s besiegers. The frrcat river, lashed by storms j into fury, aud rolling huge masses of ico upaud down with the tide, beat against tho piers, and constantly threatened to carry them away. But the structure was enormously strong. The piles had boen driven fifty feet into the river bod, and withstood the force of tho stream, and on the 2isth of February the Scheldt was cloßed. Parma had from tho first soon that it was absolutely impossible to drive piles across tho deep water between the piers, and had prepared to connect them with a bridge of boats. For this purpose ho had constructed thirty-two groat barge 9, each sixty- two feet in length and twelve in breath. These were moored in pairs with massive chains and anchors, the distance between each pair being twenty-two feet. All were bound together with chain? and timbers, nnd a roadway protected by a parapet of massive beams was formed across it. Each boat wan turnod into a fortress by the ereqtion^ of solid wcodon redoubts at each end, mounting hear)' guns, and was manned by thirty-two soldiers aud four sailors. The forts at the end of tho bridge each mounted ten great guns, and twenty armed vessels with heavy pieces of artillery were moored in front of each fort. Thus the structure was defended by 170 great guns. As an additional protection to the bridge, two hea*y rafts, each 1,250 feet long, composed of empty barrels, heavy timbers, ships' masts, and woodwork bound solidly together, wore moored at some little distance above and bolow tho bridge of boats. These rafts were protected by projecting beams of wood tipped with iron, to catch any vessels floating down upon them. The erection of this structure was one of the most remcrkablo military enterprises ever carried out. Now that it was too late the people of Antwerp bitterly bewailed their past folly, which had permitted an enterprise that could at any moment have been interrupted to be carried to a successful i6sue. 1 But if something like despair seized the citizens at tho sight of the obstacle that cut them off from all hope of succour, the feelings of the great general whose enterprise and ability had carried out the work were almost as depressed. His troops had dwindled to the mere shadow of an army, the cavalry had nearly disappeared, the garrisons in the various cities were starring, and the burghers had no food either for the soldiers or themselves. Tha troops were two years behind in their pay. Parma had long exhausted every means of credit, and his appeals to Us sovereign for money met with no response. But while in his letters to Philip he showed tha feelings of despair which possessed him, ho kept a smiling countenance to all else. A spy having been captured, he ordered him to be conducted over every port of the encampment. Tho forts and bridge were shown to him, and he was requested to csunt tho pieces of artillery, and was then sent back to the town to inform the citizens of what he had seem. At this moment Brussels, which had long been besieged, was starved into surrender, and Parma was reinforced by the troops who had been engaged in the siege of that city. A misfortune now befell him similar to that which the patriots had suffered at Bois-le-Duc. He had experienced great inconvenience from not possessing a port on the sea coast of Flanders, and consestoatoa prop»sal of La Motte, one of the most experienced of the Walloon generals, to surprise Ostend. <Onth« night of the 29th of March, La Motte, with 2,000 foot and 1,200 cavalry, surprised amd carried the old port of the town. Leaving an officer im Charge of tho positUn, he west back to bring up the rest of lis force. In his absence the soldiers scattered to plunder. The citizens roused themselves, killed many of them, and put the rest to flight, and by the time La, Motto returned with the,: fresh troops the panic had .become so general that the enterprise had to be abandoned. ' The people of Antwerp now felt- that unless some decisive steps were taken their fate was sealed. A number «f armed vessels sailed up from Zeeland, and, assisted by a detachment from Fort Lillo, sifddenly attacked and carried < Fort Lief kenehoek, which had been taken from them at the commencement of the siege, and also Fort St. Anthony lower dowa tho river. In advancing towards the hitter fort they disoboyed Sainte Aldegonde's express orders, ; which where that they should, after capturing Liofkenshoek, at once follow the dyke up the river to the point where it was broken near tha fort at the end of tho bridge, and should there instantly throw up strong wwks. Had they followed out thes» orders they could from this point have battered tho bridge, , aud destroyed this barrier over the river. But the delay caused by the attack on the Fort St. ; Anthony was fatal, for at night Parma sent a strong body of soldiers and sappers in boats from KaQoo to the broken end of the dyke, and thesa before morning threw up works upon the very spot where Sainte Aldegondo had intended the battery for the destruction of the bridge to be erected. Nevertheless the success was a considerable one. Tho possession of Lillo and Lief konshoek restored to the patriots tho command of the river to within three miles of the bridge, and enabled tho Zeeland fleet to be brought up at that point* Another blow was now meditated. Thero was in Antwerp an Italian named Gianobelli, aman of great science and inventive power. Ho had first gone to Spain to offer his inventions to^Phillp. but had met with such insolent neglect there mat he had betaken himself in a rage to Flanders, swearing that the Spaniards should rcpant their treatment of him. He had laid his plans before the Council of Antwerp, and had asked from them three ships of a hundred and fifty, three hundred and fifty, and five hundred tons respectively : besides these he wanted sixty flat-bottomed scows. Had his request been complied with it is certain that Parma's bridge would have been utterly destroyed ; but the leading men wore building a great ship or floating castlo of their own design, from which they expected such groat things that they christened it the Eud of the War. Gianobelli had warned them that this ship would certainly turn out a failure However, they persisted, and instead of granting him the ships he wanted, only gave him two small vessels of seventy and eighty tons. Although disgusted with their parsimony on so momentous an occasion, Giaaobolli set to work with the aid of two skilful artisans of Antwerp to fit them up. In tho hold of each vessel a eolid flooring of brick and mortar a foot thick was first laid down. Upon this was built a chamber of masonry forty feet long, threo and a half feet wide, and as many high, and with side walls five feet thick. This cliamber was covered with a roof nix feet thick of tombstones placed edgesv.'iySj and was filled with a powder of Giiinobelh's own invention. Above was piled a pyramid of mill-Btonos, cannon-balls, chainshot, iron hooks, and heavy missiles of all | kinds, and ugnin over theso wcro laid heavy marble 6hvbs. Tho rest of the hold was tilled with paving-stones. One ship was christened the Fortune, and on this tho mine was to bo exploded by a slow matci, cut bo as to explodo at a calculated moment. Tha mino onboard tho Hope was to bo started by a pieco of clock-work, which nt tho appointed time was to Btriko fire from a flint. "Planks and woodwork wero piled on tho decks to giro to the two vessels tho appearance of simple lire-ships. Thirty-two 6mall craft, saturated with tar and turpentino and filled with inflammable materials, were to be sent down the liver in detachments of eight every hoH hour, to clear away if possible the raft above tho bridge and to occupy the attention of the Spauiacde. Tho sth of April, tho day after tho capture I of the Liefkenshoek, was chosun for tho attempt. It began badly. Admiral Jacobzoou, who was in command, instead of sending down : the fire-boats in batches aB arranged, sent them all off ono aftor another, and started tho twa mine-ships immediately afterwards. As Boon as their approach was discovered, tbo Spaniards, who had heard vague rumours thnt an attack by water wub meditated, at. onco got underarms and mustered upon tho briclgo nnd fortfl. Parma himsolf, with all hia principal ' officers, superintended the arrangements. As the fleot of Bnwll ships approached they burst into fumes. The Spaniards silently watched the upproacliing danger, but soon began to take heart. Many^ of tho boata grounded on tho ba-nloi of the river beforo reaching their destii nation, others burned out and Bank, while the rest drifted against the raft, bat wero kept from touching it by the long projecting timbers, and burned out without doing any daniago. Then anno the two ships. The pilots as they noatari the bridge escaped in boats, and the curr.nt carried thorn down, one on each tjide of tho raft, towards tho Bolitl ends of tho bridge. The Fortuuo came firat, but grounded near the fihoro without touching tbo bridge. Just as it did so tho slow match upon deck burnt out. There was a faint explosion, but no result ; and Sir Itonuld Yorko. tho man who hid handed ovor Zutphon, sprang on board with a party of volunteers, extinguished the fire smouldering on deck, and thrusting their Bpeare down into

tho iiold, endeavoured to ascertain the nature of its contents. Finding it impossible to do so they returned to the bridge. Tho Spaniards were now shouting with laughter at tho impotent attempt of the Autwerpcrs to destroy tho bridge, and were watching the Hope, which was now following her consort. She paßsed just clear of the end of tho raft, and struck tho bridge close to tho blockhouse at the commencement of the floating portion. .A fire was smouldering on her deck, and a party of soldiers at once sprang on board to extinguish this, as their comrades had dono tho fire on board the Fortune. The Marquis of Richebourg, standing on tho bridge, directed the operations. The Prince of Parma was standing close by, when an officer named Vega, moved by a sudden impulse, fell on his knees and implored him to'leave the place, and not to risk a hf o so precious to Spain. Moved by the officer's entreaties Parma turned and walked along the bridge. Ifo had jast reached the entrance to the fort when a terrific explosion took place. Tho clock-work] of the Hope had succeeded better than the slow-match of the Fortune. In an instant she disappeared, and with her tho block-houso against which she had struck, with all its garrison, a large portion of the bridge, and all the troops stationed upon ..it. The f round was shaken as if by ajn earthquake, ouses fell miles away, and the air was filled with a rain of mighty blocks of stone, some of which wero found a league away. A thousand soldiers were killed in an instant, tho rest wore dashed to the ground, stunned and bewildered. The Marquis of Richebourg and most of Parma's best officers wore killed. Parma himself lay for a long time as if dead, but presently recovered and' set to work to do what he could to repair tho disaster. ] The Zeeland fleet were lying below, only; waiting for the signal to move up to destroy, the rest of tho bridgo and carry succour to the city ; but the incompetent and cowardly Jacobzoon rowed hastily away after the explosion, and the rocket that should have summoned tho Zoelanders was never sent up, Parma moved about among his troops, restoring order and confidence, and as the night wont on and no assault took place he set his men to work to collect drifting timbers and spara, and mado a hasty and temporary restoration in appearance at least of the ruined portion of the bridge. It waß not until three days afterwards that tho truth that the bridgo had been partially destroyed, and that tho way was open, was known at Antwerp. But by this time it was too late. The Zeelanders had retired^ the Spaniards had recovered their confidence, and were hard at work restoring tho bridge. From time to time fresh fireship3 were sent down ; but Parma had now established a patrol of boats, which went out to meet them and towed them to shore far above the bridge. In the weeks" that followed Parma's army dwindled away from sickness brought on by starvation, anxiety, and overwork; while the people ef Antwerp were preparing for an attack upon the dyke of Kowenstyn. If that could be captured and broken, Parma's bridge would be rendered useless, as the Zeeland fleet could pass up over the submerged country with aid. Parma was well aware of the supreme importance of this dyke. Ho had fringed both its margins with breastworks of stakes, and bad strengthened the whole body of the dyke with timber work and piles, Where it touched tho great Scheldt dyke a strong fortress called the , Holy Cross had been constructed under the command of Mondragon, and at the further end, in the neighbourhood of Mansfeldt's headquarters, was another fort called the Stabroek, whichcommandod and raked the whole dyke. On the body of the dyke itself were three strong forts a milo%part« called Bt. James, St. George, and the Fort of the Palisades. Several attacks had been made from time to time, both upon tho bridge and dyke, and at daybreak on the 7th May a fleet from LUlo, under Hohenlohe, landed five hundred Zeelanders upon it between St. George'e and Fort Palisade. But the fleet that was to have come out from Antwerp to his assistance never arrived, and the Zeelanders were overpowered by the fire from the two forts and the attacks of the Spaniards, and retreated leaving four of their chins behind them, and more than a fourth of their force. Upon the 26th of the same month the grand attack, from which the people of Antwerp hoped bo muck, took place-. Two hundred vessels were ready. A portion of these were to come up from Zeeland, under Hohenloho ; the .rest to advance from Antwerp, under Salute ; Aldegonde. At two o'clock in the morning, the ! Spanisß sentinels saw four fire-ships approach- ; ing thedyke. Theymuste-ed reluctantly fearing [a repetition of the previous explosion, ana retired to the fort When the fire-ships reached the stakes protecting the dyke, they burned and exploded but without affecting much damage. But in the meantime « swarm of vessels of variouß sizes were seen approaching. It was tho fleet of Hohenlohe, which had been sailing and rowing from 10 Vclock on the previous night. V Guided by the light of the fire-ships they approached the dyke, and the Zeelanders sprang ashore and climbed up. They were met by several hundred Spanish troops, who, as soon as they saw the fire-ships burn out harmlessly, salliedforth from their forts. The Zeelanders . were beginning to give way when the Antwerp fleet came up on tj the other eide^ headed by Saint© Aldegonde. The new arrivals sprang from their boats and climbed the dyke. The Spaniards were driven off, and three thousand men occupied all tho space between Fort George and the Palisade Fort. With Sainto Aldegonde came all th« English and Scotch troops in Antwerp, under Balfour and Morgan, and many volunteers, among whom was Nod Martin. With Hohenlohe came Prince Maurice, William the Silent'a son, a lad of eighteen. YVith woolsacks, sandbags., planks, and other materials tho patriots now rapidly entrenched the position they had gained, while a large . body of eappere ' and minors set to work with picks, mat- . tooka and ehovela, tearing down tho dyke-. Tho Spaniards poured out from the forts ; but Antwerpers, Dutchmen, Zeelanders, Scotchmen, and Englishmen met them bravely, and a tremoDdous conflict went on at each end of the narrow cause way. ; < Both parties f ought with the greatest obsti- : naoy, and for an hour there was no advantage on either aide. At last tho patriots wero victorious, drove tho Spaniards back into their two \ forts, and following up their success attacked tho Palisado Fork. Its outworks were in thoir hands when a tremendous cheer ' was heard. The Bappera and miners had ' dono their work. Saltwater poured through tho ■ broken dyko, anil a Zoeland birgo freighted with provisions, floated triumphantly into tho '■ water beyond, now no longer an inland sea. Then when tho triumph seemed'-achioved another fat :vl mistako was made by the patriots. Sainto Aldegonde mul Hohenlohe, the two com- ] manuers of tho enterprise, both loapt on board, ] anxious to bo the\first to cany news of tho - victory to Antwerp, where they arrived m i triumph, and set all the bells ringing und bon- < fires biasing. . j For three hours the party on tho dyko ro- 1 mained unmolested. Parma was at his eimp ! four leagues away, andiu ignorance of what had ; been dono, and Miiusfehlt could send no word acrnsa to him. The latter held a council of I war, lnit it seemed that nothing could be done. ( Throe thousand men were entrenched on tho 1 narrow dykci, covered by the guns of a hundred : J m»d sixty Zeeland ships. Some of tho officers I were in favour of waiting until nightfall, but i at last tho advice of a gallant officer, Gamillo i Capizucca, colonel of tho Italian Legion, car- i ried tho dav in favour of nn immediate assault, and the Italians and Spaniards marched together 1 from Fort Stu brock to the Palisade Fort, which ' was now in extremity. J ] They camo up in time, drovo back the assailants, and wero preparing to odvjinco i against them when a distant shout from the ] other end of tho dyke told that I'.'irra.i had ( arrived there. Mondni«oh movod horn the i Holy Cross to Fort St. Giiorgo ; und from that j fort and from tno Palis'iclo tho Bpani:«rds ( advanced to the attack of tho patriot's j;r»i ( tion. During the wholo. war no more des- < perate encounter took place than that i upon tho dyko, which w;is but s : x ( paces xvide. The tight whr lone nisd J'uiioup. \ Threo times the Sp.-uiiavds wore ropn-stsl with j tremendous) loss ; and while thb patriot soldiers fought, their pioneers still carried on the de- ( struct ion of the dyke* ( A fourth assault was likewise ref.'Utsed. but 1 the fifth was more euiMVssful. Tho ui.nnianla ! beliovod that they wero I*l by a dead com- I mander who had 'fallen some mouths before,' 1 nml thissupcrstitinua bciiif inspired them with i freflh courage. Tho entrenchment wu» carried, J but its defenders fought na obstinately i as before on the dyke nehncl it Jut-t at c this moment the vessel si (ri the /'oel.imlara f began to draw o!L Many >»:i= I k-.on mink 1 or disabled by tho lire that tho ferfa had maintained on thorn ; nn.l the tv-»t. tuund ] tho water sinking t'ubt, icr tho iiJjwas now ■ ebbing. Tho patriots, believing that they wen- do- j fjerted by tho fleet, wore si-iand with v mid. lea panic : and, leaving tho dvko, tri.-d to w:uie , or swim of! to the fillips. The Spciniirds with ; shouta of victory pureneil thuin. Tno English and Scotch were the lust lo abandon llse.j^si- c

tiou thoy iiaa nuia iov seven hours, and most of them wore put to tho sword. Two thousand in all wore slain or drowned, the remainder succeeded in reaching the ships on one side or other of the dyke. Ned Martin had fought to tho last. lie was standing side by side with Justinius of Nassau, and tho two sprang together into a clump of high lushes, tore off their heavy armour and swam out to one of tho Zeeland ships, which at once dropped down the river and reached the sea. Ned's mission was now at an end, and ho at once returned to England. Thof ailure of the attempt upon tho Koweustyn dyke sealed the fate of Antwerp. It resisted until the middle of June ;,when finding hunger staring tho city in tho face, and having no hope whatever of relief, Sainto Aldegonde yielded to tho clamour of tho mob and opened negotiations. These wore continued for noarly two months. Parma was unaware that tho town was reduced to ouch an extremity, and consented to give honourable terms. The treaty was signed on tho 17th August. There was to be a complete amnesty for tho past. Koyalißt absentees wore to be reinstated to their positions. Monasteries and churches to be restored to their former possessors. The inhabitants of tho city were to practice the Catholic religion only, while those who refused to conform were allowed two years for the purposo of winding up their affairs. All prisoners with the exception of Teligny were to be released. Four hundred thousand florins were to be paid by the city as a fine, and the garrison were to leave the town with arms and baggage, and all honours of wai. The fall of Antwerp brougnt with it tne entire submission of Brabant and Flanders, and henceforth the war was continued solely by Zeeland, Holland, and Friesland. The death of the Prince of Orange, and the fall of Antwerp, marked the conclusion of what maybe called the first period ef the struggle of the Netherlands for freedom. It wan henceforth to enter upon another phase. England, which had long assisted Holland privately with money, and openly, by the raising of volunteers for her service, was now about to enter the arena boldly and to play on important part in the struggle, which, after a lomj period of obstinate strife, was to end in the complete emancipation of the Netherlands from the yoke of Spain. Sir Edward Martin married Gertrude Von Harp soon after his return to England. He retained the favour of Elizabeth to the day of her death, and there were few whose counsels had more influence with her. He long continued in the public service, although no longer compelled to do so as a means of livelihood ; for as Holland and Zeeland freed themselves from the yoke of Spain, and made extraordinary strides in wealth and prosperity, the estates of the countess once more produced a splendid revenue, and this at her death came entirely to her daughter. A considerable portion of Sir Edward Martin's life, when not actually engaged upon publia affaire, was spent upon the broad estates which had come to him from hiß wife. [The End.]