the Straits, he at last put to sea. It has been said that he started with no definite intentions, that by Elizabeth's orders he was unsupplied even with provisions, and that what he accomplished was under the impulse of desperation. It was convenient both for Elizabeth and De la Mark that it should be so represented to the world; but the Spanish Ambassador had sent a sketch of the projected movement six months previously to Alva,2 and the buccaneering interest was too powerful at Dover to have allowed such instructions to have been executed were it true that they had been seriously given. De la Mark's first step on clearing the harbour was to dash upon the merchant fleet. Two large vessels, one of which was worth, it was said, 60,000 crowns, were taken, and their crews flung overboard. The rest fled up Channel with the rovers in close chase. A few days later the privateer squadron was seen 1 Rise of the Dutch Republic, vol. ii. p. 351. 2Para saber mas á los Françeses y asegurarles desta voluntad, me hizó la Reyna de Inglaterra salir de su Reyno, que hasta entonces los Françeses decian que aquella Reyna pretendia la amistad de Francia, solamente para negociar mejor con V. Magd, y assi con mi salida pensó darles seguridad desta sospecha, como ello ha sido, y asi han concluido su liga, para la confirinacion de la qual en Inglaterra se celebra gran lamento, y se guardan allí el Marshal de Montmorency, y en Francia el Almirante de Inglaterra: y en el entretanto ha tratado la presa de Brilla y levantamiento de las tierras de Zeeland. Desta presa de la Brilla tuvó el Embajador aviso en Inglaterra seis meses antes que se executase, y dió 3La flote de Flandres qui re- CHAP XXII 1572 July CHAP XXII 1572 April anchoring, at daybreak, in the mouth of the Meuse, opposite the town of Brille. A boat came on shore, with a summons to the Governor to surrender to the Admiral of the Prince of Orange within two hours. He might, perhaps, have resisted, for the batteries were well armed; but the terror of De la Mark's name struck the citizens into a panic. They fled in all directions, taking with them as much property as they could carry. The crews landed, burnt the gates, and entered without difficulty. The churches were plundered, thirteen miserable monks and priests, who had neglected to escape, were murdered; but there were no further outrages, and the sea beggars' had firm and quiet possession of an important station which by land was all but impregnable. Count Bossu, Alva's Stadtholder, flew from Utrecht to the rescue; but he found the dykes cut and the country under water. Brille, for the present, was lost. Rotterdam was likely to revolt at the news, and thither Bossu hastened, to find the gates closed and entrance refused. Promises made to rebels and broken when they had answered their purpose, were the legitimate stratagems of Spanish warfare. Bossu entreated only that his men might be allowed to pass through, and swore that no hurt should be done to anyone. The burghers weakly consented, and to prevent the contagion from spreading, there was a general massacre of men, women, and children. But Bossu gained little by his treachery. Preparations had been made all along the coast towns for a rising, and De la Mark's arrival was the signal for it to break out. The success at Brille was scarcely known in England, when news came that Flushing had risen also, overpowered its garrison, and fired upon Alva's fleet. The English Government had lighted the train, and looked quietly on. The excitement in London was uncontrollable. Torrents of money poured out of the Protestant churches, and streamed across the Channel converted into guns and powder. The Flemish exiles formed in companies and went to join their comrades, accompanied by hundreds of English volunteers, and the cry rose in Parliament and out of it to drive the accursed Spaniards out of the Provinces for ever.1 The Bishops petitioned Elizabeth to declare war and complete the work. But it seemed at first as if no help was needed. Through Zealand, Holland, Utrecht, Overyssel, port after port followed the example of Flushing. Enkhuizen the Spanish arsenal on the Zuyder Zee, Dort, Leyden, Haarlem, Alkmaar, all rose, destroyed or expelled their garrisons, and raised the standard of freedom. The time was come for which Orange had been so long looking and preparing. While the Prince himself collected an army in Germany, Count Louis, La Noue, de Genlis, and other Huguenot leaders, with the connivance of the French Court, stooped 1 On the 24th of May de Guaras writes: Es increible cosa las passiones desta gente; con toda la solicitud que pueden, envian todas las municiones, dineros y ayuda, á la Brilla y Flushing, y mucha gente dellos, y asimismos persuaden á muchos Ingleses ir allá. Por las calles hay grandes lamentaciones por la fama que han echado, de que en Rotterdam no solamente matáron á todos los hombres, pero á todas las mugeres y niños, y asi lo creen todos los Ingleses, que la mejor palabra es que somos tiranos, y á proposito desto en este parlamento hacen gran instancia los que se nombran Obispos especial mente que conviene al estado de In- And again on the 29th: 'De las nuevas que vienen de ay de los trabajos que hoy se ofrecen es increible el contentamiento que nuestros rebeldes y cassi todo este pueblo tienen dello, y lo menos que dicen todos con grandes voces en la Bolsa y por todas las calles, es que esos Estados son perdidos del todo; y que vuestra Excellencia con los Españoles que ay se hallan han de salir de la tierra.-Antonio de Guaras al Duque de Alva. MSS. Simancas. CHAP XXII 1572 May CHAP XXII 1572 May suddenly upon Hainault, scized Mons, and threw into it 2,000 of Coligny's bravest troops. Montgomery joined him a few days later with 1,500 more, and de Genlis went back to Paris to bring up reinforcements which Charles himself had promised. The Duke of Alva had been on the point of relinquishing his government; his successor was at last actually on his way, and he believed that he had extinguished in blood the last spark of the insurgent spirit. He had raised a monument to his own greatness in the Great Square at Brussels, as Conqueror of the Netherlands, and now the Netherlands were not conquered; the great marts of industry were nests of maddened hornets; and the dreaded French were in a fortified town a few leagues distant from the capital. Disasters came thick on one another. Medina Celi sailed into the Scheldt, with some thousands of fresh troops, and chests of bullion to pay them. Dreaming of no danger, he passed under the guns of Flushing, and lost half his fleet and all his money. A thousand Spanish soldiers were taken, and half a million crowns in gold and jewels. knew the meaning of these symptoms. could divide France and England, or bring about a Catholic revolution in one or both of those countries, in a few months the armed hand of the united Protestantism of the world would be upon him, and crush him into dust. The Catholics of England had failed him, and he had no leisure now for Scotch experiments; would the French Catholics succeed better? He tore his beard for despite,' and to one who saw and spoke with him, he seemed to despair that things would any more succeed as they had done.' But Alva knew better than to sit down in despondency. Walcheren was not lost, for Middleburgh held out, and was safe for the Alva well Unless he XXII 1572 June summer. Leaving the revolted towns to enjoy their CHAP freedom, he concentrated his force at Ghent, Brussels, and Antwerp. A change of government at such a time was not to be thought of. Medina Celi, by his own. act, suspended his commission. Mons was chosen for the first point to be attacked; while the Duke directed all the resources of diplomatic adroitness on the AngloFrench alliance. In England, his best hopes were with Elizabeth herself, on whom he could work through the back influences of the bed-chamber; in France, he looked to Catholic fanaticism, which was lashing itself to madness at the ascendency of the Huguenots at the Court, and at the control which they were assuming over the public policy of the nation. Whatever skill, courage, and ferocity could achieve in the way of assistance, he could calculate upon with certainty from the Cardinal of Lorraine, the Duke of Guise, and the mob of Paris. Had the Royal Family been as Protestant as Coligny himself, they could not maintain themselves in a liberal policy without England to support them. They must have yielded to the Catholics, or they would themselves be the first victims of an otherwise inevitable collision. So matters stood when the English Parliament rose, and Elizabeth had to decide on the Alençon marriage. The French Court were at the moment giving another proof to Europe of their Huguenot sympathies. A second marriage had been arranged between the Princess Margaret and the young King of Navarre. The Catholics had struggled desperately to prevent it, but Charles had been resolute. At the beginning of June, a magnificent state reception was given to the bridegroom at Paris. After a week of splendour the Court broke up, and went into the country, to reassemble |