by G. A. Henty
CHAPTER XX
THE "SPANISH FURY"
In a very short time the countess and her daughter returned to theroom where Ned was awaiting them. Each carried a handbag.
"We are ready now," the countess said. "I have my jewels and purse.As for the things we leave behind, they are scarce worth the takingby the Spaniards."
Locking the door of the house behind them the three women accompaniedNed down to the riverside. He took the first boat that came tohand and rowed them down to the fleet, which was moored a quarterof a mile below the town. He passed the first ship or two, and thenrowed to one with whose captain he was acquainted.
"Captain Enkin," he said, "I have brought on board two ladies whohave long been in hiding, waiting an opportunity of being taken toHolland--the Countess Von Harp and her daughter. I fear greatlythat Antwerp will fall today, and wish, therefore, to place themin safety before the fight begins. Before sunset, unless I ammistaken, you will have a crowd of fugitives on board."
"I am very pleased, madam," the captain said, bowing to the countess,"to receive you, and beg to hand over my cabin for your use. Thename you bear is known to all Dutchmen; and even were it not so,anyone introduced to me by my good friend Captain Martin would beheartily welcome.
"Are you going to return on shore?" he asked Ned.
"Yes, I must do so," Ned replied. "I promised the governor tostand by him to the last; and as he has scarce a soul on whom hecan rely, it is clearly my duty to do so. It is not for me to shirkdoing my duty as long as I can, because I fear that the day willgo against us."
"You will have difficulty in getting off again if the Spaniardsonce enter the city," the captain said. "There will be such a rushto the boats that they will be swamped before they leave shore."
"I have a boat hidden away in which I hope to bring off the governorwith me," Ned replied. "As to myself, I can swim like a fish."
"Mind and get rid of your armour before you try it. All the swimmingin the world could not save you if you jumped in with all thatsteel mail on you."
"I will bear it in mind," Ned said. "Goodbye, countess. Good-bye,Fraulein Gertrude. I trust to see you at nightfall, if not before."
"That is a very gallant young officer," Captain Enkin said as thetwo ladies sat watching Ned as he rowed to the shore.
"You addressed him as Captain Martin?" the countess said.
"Yes, he has been a captain in the prince's service fully threeyears," the sailor said; "and fought nobly at Alkmaar, at thenaval battle on the Zuider Zee, and in the sea fight when we droveRomero's fleet back in Bergen. He stands very high in the confidenceof the prince, but I do not think he is in our service now. Heis often with the prince, but I believe he comes and goes betweenEngland and Holland, and is, men say, the messenger by whom privatecommunications between the queen of England and the prince arechiefly carried."
"He is young to have such confidence reposed in him," the countesssaid.
"Yes, he is young," Captain Enkin replied. "Not, I suppose, beyondseven or eight and twenty. He was a captain and high in the prince'sconfidence when I first knew him three years ago, so he must surelyhave been four or five and twenty then; and yet, indeed, now youspeak of it, methinks he is greatly bigger now than he was then.I do not think he was much taller than I am, and now he tops meby nigh a head. But I must surely be mistaken as to that, for theprince would scarcely place his confidence in a mere lad."
The countess made no reply, though she exchanged a quiet smilewith her daughter. They knew that Ned could not be much more thantwenty. He was, he had said, about three years older than Gertrude,and she had passed seventeen but by a few months.
Ned, on returning to shore, tied up the boat, and then proceededto the palace of the governor. A servant was holding a horse atthe door.
"The governor ordered this horse to be ready and saddled for you,sir, when you arrived, and begged you to join him at once in themarketplace, where he is telling off the troops to their variousstations."
Leaping on the horse, Ned rode to the marketplace, and at onceplaced himself under orders of the governor.
"There is nothing much for you to do at present," Champagny said."The troops are all in their places, and we are ready when theydeliver the assault."
It was not until eleven o'clock that the Spaniards advanced to theattack--3000 of them, under their Eletto, by the street of St.Michael; the remainder with the Germans, commanded by Romero, bythat of St. George. No sooner did the compact masses approach thebarricades than the Walloons, who had been so loud in their boastsof valour, and had insisted upon having the post of danger, brokeand fled, their commander, Havre, at their head; and the Spaniards,springing over the ramparts, poured into the streets.
"Fetch up the Germans from the exchange!" Champagny shouted toNed; and leaping his horse over a garden wall, he himself rode toanother station and brought up the troops there, and led them inperson to bar the road to the enemy, trying in vain to rally theflying Walloons he met on the way. For a few minutes the two partiesof Germans made a brave stand; but they were unable to resist theweight and number of the Spaniards, who bore them down by sheerforce. Champagny had fought gallantly in the melee, and Ned, keepingclosely beside him, had well seconded his efforts; but when theGermans were borne down they rode off, dashing through the streetsand shouting to the burghers everywhere to rise in defence of theirhomes.
They answered to the appeal. The bodies already collected at theexchange and cattle market moved forward, and from every house themen poured out. The Spanish columns had already divided, and werepouring down the streets with savage cries. The German cavalryof Havre under Van Eude at once deserted, and joining the Spanishcavalry fell upon the townsmen. In vain the burghers and such ofthe German infantry as remained faithful strove to resist theirassailants. Although they had been beaten off in their assaultsupon breaches, the Spaniards had ever proved themselves invincibleon level ground; and now, inspired alike by the fury for slaughterand the lust for gold, there was no withstanding them.
Round the exchange some of the bravest defenders made a rally, andburghers and Germans, mingled together, fought stoutly until theywere all slain.
There was another long struggle round the town hall, one of themost magnificent buildings in Europe; and for a time the resistancewas effective, until the Spanish cavalry and the Germans under thetraitor Van Eude charged down upon the defenders. Then they tookrefuge in the buildings, and every house became a fortress, and fromwindow and balcony a hot fire was poured into the square. But nowa large number of camp followers who had accompanied the Spaniardscame up with torches, which had been specially prepared for firingthe town, and in a short time the city hall and other edifices inthe square were in flames.
The fire spread rapidly from house to house and from street tostreet, until nearly a thousand buildings in the most splendid andwealthy portion of the city were in a blaze.
In the street behind the town hall a last stand was made. Here themargrave of the city, the burgomasters, senators, soldiers, andcitizens fought to the last, until not one remained to wield a sword.When resistance had ceased the massacre began. Women, children,and old men were killed in vast numbers, or driven into the riverto drown there.
Then the soldiers scattered on the work of plunder. The flames hadalready snatched treasures estimated at six millions from theirgrasp, but there was still abundance for all. The most horribletortures were inflicted upon men, women, and children to forcethem to reveal the hiding places, where they were supposed to haveconcealed their wealth, and for three days a pandemonium reignedin the city. Two thousand five hundred had been slain, double thatnumber burned and drowned. These are the lowest estimates, manyplacing the killed at very much higher figures.
Champagny had fought very valiantly, joining any party of soldiersor citizens he saw making a defence. At last, when the town hallwas in flames and all hope over, he said to Ned, who had keptthroughout the day at his side: "It is no use throwing away ourlives. Let us cut our
way out of the city."
"I have a boat lying in readiness at the bridge," Ned said. "If wecan once reach the stairs we can make our way off to the fleet."
As they approached the river they saw a Spanish column crossing thestreet ahead of them. Putting spurs to their horses they gallopedon at full speed, and bursting into it hewed their way through andcontinued their course, followed, however, by a number of Spanishinfantry.
"These are the steps!" Ned exclaimed, leaping from his horse.
Champagny followed his example. The Spaniards were but twenty yardsbehind.
"If you pull on that rope attached to the ring a boat lying underthe bridge will come to you," Ned said. "I will keep them back tillyou are ready."
Ned turned and faced the Spaniards, and for two or three minuteskept them at bay. His armour was good, and though many blows struckhim he was uninjured, while several of the Spaniards fell underhis sweeping blows. They fell back for a moment, surprised at hisstrength; and at this instant the governor called out that all wasready.
Ned turned and rushed down the steps. The governor was alreadyin the boat. Ned leaped on board, and with a stroke of his swordsevered the head rope. Before the leading Spaniards reached thebottom of the steps the boat was a length away. Ned seated himself,and seizing the oars rowed down the river. Several shots were firedat them from the bridge and wharves as they went, but they passedon uninjured. Ned rowed to the admiral's ship and left the governorthere, and then rowed to that of Captain Enkin.
"Welcome back," the captain said heartily. "I had begun to fearthat ill had befallen you. A few fugitives came off at noon withthe news that the Spaniards had entered the city and all was lost.Since then the roar of musketry, mingled with shouts and yells, hasbeen unceasing, and that tremendous fire in the heart of the citytold its own tale. For the last three hours the river has been fullof floating corpses; and the countess and her daughter, who untilthen remained on deck, retired to pray in their cabin. The numberof fugitives who have reached the ships is very small. Doubtlessthey crowded into such boats as there were and sank them. At anyrate, but few have made their way out, and those chiefly at thebeginning of the fight. Now we had best let the ladies know youare here, for they have been in the greatest anxiety about you."
Ned went to the cabin door and knocked. "I have returned, countess."
In a moment the door opened. "Welcome back, indeed, Captain Martin,"she said. "We had begun to fear that we should never see you again.Thankful indeed am I that you have escaped through this terribleday. Are you unhurt?" she asked, looking at his bruised and dentedarmour and at his clothes, which were splashed with blood.
"I have a few trifling cuts," he replied, "but nothing worth speakingof. I am truly thankful, countess, that you and your daughter putoff with me this morning."
"Yes, indeed," the countess said. "I shudder when I think whatwould have happened had we been there in the city. What a terriblesight it is!"
"It is, indeed," Ned replied. The shades of night had now fallen,and over a vast space the flames were mounting high, and a pall ofred smoke, interspersed with myriads of sparks and flakes of fire,hung over the captured city. Occasional discharges of guns werestill heard, and the shrieks of women and the shouts of men rosein confused din. It was an immense relief to all on board whenan hour later the admiral, fearing that the Spaniards might bringartillery to bear upon the fleet, ordered the anchors to be weighed,and the fleet to drop a few miles below the town.
After taking off his armour, washing the blood from his wounds andhaving them bound up, and attiring himself in a suit lent him bythe captain until he should get to Delft, where he had left hisvalise, Ned partook of a good meal, for he had taken nothing buta manchet of bread and a cup of wine since the previous night.He then went into the cabin and spent the evening in conversationwith the countess and her daughter, the latter of whom had changedsince they had last met to the full as much as he had himself done.She had been a girl of fourteen--slim and somewhat tall for herage, and looking pale and delicate from the life of confinement andanxiety they had led at Brussels, and their still greater anxietyat Maastricht. She was now budding into womanhood. Her figure waslissome and graceful, her face was thoughtful and intelligent,and gave promise of rare beauty in another year or two. He learnedthat they had remained for a time in the village to which they hadfirst gone, and had then moved to another a few miles away, andhad there lived quietly in a small house placed at their disposalby one of their friends. Here they had remained unmolested until twomonths before, when the excesses committed throughout the countryby the mutinous soldiery rendered it unsafe for anyone to liveoutside the walls of the town. They then removed to Antwerp, wherethere was far more religious toleration than at Brussels; and thecountess had resumed her own name, though still living in completeretirement in the house in which Ned had so fortunately found her.
"The times have altered me for the better," the countess said. "TheSpaniards have retired from that part of Friesland where some ofmy estates are situated, and those to whom Alva granted them havehad to fly. I have a faithful steward there, and since they haveleft he has collected the rents and has remitted to me such portionsas I required, sending over the rest to England to the charge ofa banker there. As it may be that the Spaniards will again sweepover Friesland, where they still hold some of the principal towns,I thought it best, instead of having my money placed in Holland,where no one can foresee the future, to send it to England, whereat least one can find a refuge and a right to exercise our religion."
"I would that you would go there at once, countess; for surely atpresent Holland is no place for two unprotected ladies. Nothingwould give my mother greater pleasure than to receive you until youcan find a suitable home for yourselves. My sisters are but littleolder than your daughter, and would do all in their power to makeher at home. They too speak your language, and there are thousandsof your compatriots in London."
"What do you say, Gertrude?" the countess asked. "But I know thatyour mind has been so long made up that it is needless to questionyou."
"Yes, indeed, mother, I would gladly go away anywhere from here,where for the last six years there has been nothing but war andbloodshed. If we could go back and live in Friesland among ourown people in safety and peace I should be delighted to do so, butthis country is as strange to us as England would be. Our friendsstand aloof from us, and we are ever in fear either of persecutionor murder by the Spanish soldiers. I should be so glad to be awayfrom it all; and, as Captain Martin says, there are so many of ourown people in London, that it would scarce feel a strange land tous."
"You have said over and over again that you would gladly go if youcould get away, and now that we can do so, surely it will be betterand happier for us than to go on as we have done. Of course itwould be better in Holland than it has been here for the last fouryears, because we should be amongst Protestants; but we should bestill exposed to the dangers of invasion and the horrors of sieges."
"It is as my daughter says, Captain Martin; our thoughts have longbeen turning to England as a refuge. In the early days of thetroubles I had thought of France, where so many of our people went,but since St. Bartholomew it has been but too evident that there isneither peace nor safety for those of the religion there, and thatin England alone can we hope to be permitted to worship unmolested.Therefore, now that the chance is open to us, we will not refuseit. I do not say that we will cross at once. We have many friendsat Rotterdam and Delft, and the prince held my husband in highesteem in the happy days before the troubles; therefore I shalltarry there for a while, but it will be for a time only. It willnot be long before the Spanish again resume their war of conquest;besides, we are sick of the tales of horror that come to us daily,and long for calm and tranquillity, which we cannot hope to obtainin Holland. Had I a husband or brothers I would share their fatewhatever it was, but being alone and unable to aid the cause inany way it would be folly to continue here and endure trials andrisks. You say that you come backwards and fo
rwards often, wellthen in two months we shall be ready to put ourselves under yourprotection and to sail with you for England."
The next morning the admiral despatched a ship to Rotterdam withthe news of the fate of Antwerp, and Ned obtained a passage in herfor himself, the ladies, and servant, and on arriving at Rotterdamsaw them bestowed in comfortable lodgings. He then, after aninterview with the prince, went on board a ship just leaving forEngland, and upon his arrival reported to the minister, and afterwardsto the queen herself, the terrible massacre of which he had beena witness in Antwerp.
The Spanish fury, as the sack of Antwerp was termed, vastly enrichedthe soldiers, but did small benefit to the cause of Spain. Theattack was wanton and unprovoked. Antwerp had not risen in rebellionagainst Philip, but had been attacked solely for the sake of plunder;and all Europe was shocked at the atrocities that had taken place,and at the slaughter, which was even greater than the massacrein Paris on the eve of St. Bartholomew. The queen remonstrated inindignant terms, the feeling among the Protestants in Germany wasequally strong, and even in France public feeling condemned theact.
In the Netherlands the feeling of horror and indignation wasuniversal. The fate that had befallen Antwerp might be that ofany other sister city. Everywhere petitions were signed in favourof the unity of all the Netherlands under the Prince of Orange.Philip's new governor, Don John, had reached the Netherlands onthe very day of the sack of Antwerp, and endeavoured to allay thestorm of indignation it had excited by various concessions; butthe feeling of unity, and with it of strength, had grown so rapidlythat the demands of the commissioners advanced in due proportion,and they insisted upon nothing less than the restoration of theirancient constitution, the right to manage their internal affairs,and the departure of all the Spanish troops from the country.
Don John parleyed and parried the demands, and months were spentin unprofitable discussions, while all the time he was workingsecretly among the nobles of Brabant and Flanders, who were littledisposed to see with complacency the triumph of the democracyof the towns and the establishment of religious toleration. Uponall other points Don John and his master were ready to yield. TheSpanish troops were sent away to Italy, the Germans only beingretained. The constitutional rights would all have been conceded,but on the question of religious tolerance Philip stood firm.At last, seeing that no agreement would ever be arrived at, bothparties prepared again for war.
The Queen of England had lent 100,000 pounds on the security of thecities, and the pause in hostilities during the negotiations hadnot been altogether wasted in Holland. There had been a municipalinsurrection in Amsterdam; the magistrates devoted to Philip hadbeen driven out, and to the great delight of Holland, Amsterdam,its capital, that had long been a stronghold of the enemy, agate through which he could at will pour his forces, was restoredto it. In Antwerp, and several other of the cities of Brabant andFlanders, the citizens razed the citadels by which they had beenoverawed; men, women, and children uniting in the work, tearingdown and carrying away the stones of the fortress, that had workedthem such evil.
Antwerp had at the departure of the Spanish troops been againgarrisoned by Germans, who had remained inactive during thisexhibition of the popular will. The Prince of Orange himself hadpaid a visit to the city, and had, at the invitation of Brussels,proceeded there, and had received an enthusiastic reception, andfor a time it seemed that the plans for which so many years he hadstruggled were at last to be crowned with success. But his hopeswere frustrated by the treachery of the nobles and the cowardiceof the army the patriots had engaged in their service.
Many of the Spanish troops had been secretly brought back again,and Don John was preparing for a renewal of war.
Unknown to the Prince of Orange, numbers of the nobles had invitedthe Archduke Mathias, brother of the Emperor Rudolph of Germany,to assume the government. Mathias, without consultation with hisbrother, accepted the invitation and journeyed privately to theNetherlands. Had the Prince of Orange declared against him he mustat once have returned to Vienna, but this would have aroused theanger of the emperor and the whole of Germany. Had the prince uponthe other hand abandoned the field and retired into Holland, hewould have played into the hands of his adversaries. Accordinglyhe received Mathias at Antwerp with great state, and the archdukewas well satisfied to place himself in the hands of the most powerfulman in the country.
The prince's position was greatly strengthened by the queeninstructing her ministers to inform the envoy of the Netherlandsthat she would feel compelled to withdraw all succour of the statesif the Prince of Orange was deprived of his leadership, as it wasupon him alone that she relied for success. The prince was thereuponappointed Ruward of Brabant, a position almost analogous to thatof dictator. Ghent, which was second only in importance to Antwerp,rose almost immediately, turned out the Catholic authorities, anddeclared in favour of the prince. A new act of union was signedat Brussels, and the Estates General passed a resolution declaringDon John to be no longer governor or stadtholder of the Netherlands.The Prince of Orange was appointed lieutenant general for Mathias,and the actual power of the latter was reduced to a nullity, buthe was installed at Brussels with the greatest pomp and ceremony.
Don John, who had by this time collected an army of 20,000 veteransat Namur, and had been joined by the Prince of Parma, a generalof great vigour and ability, now marched against the army of theEstates, of which the command had been given to the nobles of thecountry in the hope of binding them firmly to the national cause.
The patriot army fell back before that of the Spaniards, but weresoon engaged by a small body of cavalry. Alexander of Parma cameup with some 1200 horse, dashed boldly across a dangerous swamp,and fell upon their flank. The Estates cavalry at once turned andfled, and Parma then fell upon the infantry, and in the course ofan hour not only defeated but almost exterminated them, from 7000to 8000 being killed, and 600 taken prisoners, the latter beingexecuted without mercy by Don John. The loss of the Spaniards wasonly about ten men. This extraordinary disproportion of numbers,and the fact that 1200 men so easily defeated a force ten timesmore numerous, completely dashed to the ground the hopes of theNetherlands, and showed how utterly incapable were its soldiers ofcontending in the field with the veterans of Spain.
The battle was followed by the rapid reduction of a large number oftowns, most of which surrendered without resistance as soon as theSpanish troops approached. In the meantime the Estates had assembledanother army, which was joined by one composed of 12,000 Germansunder Duke Casimir. Both armies were rendered inactive by want offunds, and the situation was complicated by the entry of the Dukeof Alencon, the brother of the King of France, into the Netherlands.Don John, the hero of the battle of Lepanto, who had shown himselfon many battlefields to be at once a great commander and a valiantsoldier, was prostrate by disease, brought on by vexation, partlyat the difficulties he had met with since his arrival in theNetherlands, partly at the neglect of Spain to furnish him withmoney with which he could set his army, now numbering 30,000, inmotion, and sweep aside all resistance. At this critical momenthis malady increased, and after a week's illness he expired, justtwo years after his arrival in the Netherlands.
He was succeeded at first temporarily and afterwards permanentlyby Alexander of Parma, also a great commander, and possessing fargreater resolution than his unfortunate predecessor.
The two years had been spent by Edward Martin in almost incessantjourneyings between London and the Netherlands. He now held, however,a position much superior to that which he had formerly occupied.The queen, after hearing from him his account of the sack of Antwerpand his share in the struggle, had said to the Secretary, "I thinkthat it is only just that we should bestow upon Captain Martinsome signal mark of our approbation at the manner in which he hasfor two years devoted himself to our service, and that without payor reward, but solely from his loyalty to our person, and from hisgoodwill towards the state. Kneel, Captain Martin."
The queen took the sword that Walsingham hand
ed to her, and said,"Rise, Sir Edward Martin. You will draw out, Mr. Secretary, our newknight's appointment as our special envoy to the Prince of Orange;and see that he has proper appointments for such a post. His dutieswill, as before, be particular to myself and the prince, and willnot clash in any way with those of our envoy at the Hague."
The delight of Ned's mother and sisters when he returned home andinformed them of the honour that the queen had been pleased tobestow upon him was great indeed. His father said:
"Well, Ned, I must congratulate you with the others; though I hadhoped to make a sailor of you. However, circumstances have been toomuch for me. I own that you have been thrust into this work ratherby fortune than design; and as it is so I am heartily glad thatyou have succeeded. It seems strange to me that my boy should havebecome Sir Edward Martin, an officer in the service of her majesty,and I say frankly that just at present I would rather that it hadbeen otherwise. But I suppose I shall get accustomed to it in time,and assuredly none but myself will doubt for a moment that you havegained greatly by all this honour and dignity."
Queen Elizabeth, although in some respects parsimonious in theextreme, was liberal to her favourites, and the new made knightstood high in her liking. She loved to have good looking men abouther; and without being actually handsome, Ned Martin, with hisheight and breadth of shoulder, his easy and upright carriage, hisfrank, open face and sunny smile, was pleasant to look upon. He hadserved her excellently for two years, had asked for no rewards orfavours, but had borne himself modestly, and been content to wait.Therefore the queen was pleased to order her treasurer to issuea commission to Sir Edward Martin, as her majesty's special envoyto the Prince of Orange, with such appointments as would enablehim handsomely to support his new dignity and his position as herrepresentative.
Even Captain Martin was now bound to confess that Ned had gainedprofit as well as honour. He did indeed warn his son not to placetoo much confidence in princes; but Ned replied, "I do not think thequeen is fickle in her likes and dislikes, father. But I rely notupon this, but on doing my duty to the state for further employment.I have had extraordinary good fortune, too; and have, without anymerit save that of always doing my best, mounted step by step fromthe deck of the Good Venture to knighthood and employment by thestate. The war appears to me to be as far from coming to an endas it did six years ago; and if I continue to acquit myself to thesatisfaction of the lord treasurer and council, I hope that at itsconclusion I may be employed upon such further work as I am fittedfor."
"You speak rightly, Ned; and I am wrong to feel anxiety about yourfuture when you have already done so well. And now, Ned, you hadbest go into the city and order from some tailor who supplies thecourt such suits as are fitting to your new rank. The queen lovesbrave dresses and bright colours, and you must cut as good a figureas the rest. You have been somewhat of an expense to me these last twoyears; but that is over now, and I can well afford the additionaloutlay to start you worthily. What was good enough for CaptainMartin is not good enough for Sir Edward Martin; therefore stintnot expense in any way. I should not like that you should not holdyour own with the young fops of the court."
It was well that Ned had provided himself with a new outfit, forhe was not sent abroad again for more than a month, and duringthat time he was almost daily at court, receiving from the royalchamberlain a notification that the queen expected to see him atall entertainments. At the first of these Lord Walsingham introducedhim to many of the young nobles of the court, speaking very highlyof the services he had rendered; and as the queen was pleased tospeak often to him and to show him marked favour, he was exceedinglywell received, and soon found himself at ease.
He was, nevertheless, glad when the order came for him to proceedagain to Holland with messages to the Prince of Orange. Upon hisarrival there he was warmly congratulated by the prince.
"You have well earned your rank," the prince said. "I take some prideto myself in having so soon discovered that you had good stuff inyou. There are some friends of yours here who will be glad to hearof the honour that has befallen you. The Countess Von Harp and herdaughter have been here for the last six weeks. I have seen themseveral times, and upon each occasion they spoke to me of theirgratitude for the services you have rendered them. One of my pageswill show you where they are lodging. They are about to proceed toEngland, and I think their decision is a wise one, for this countryis at present no place for unprotected women."
The countess and her daughter were alike surprised and pleasedwhen Ned was announced as Sir Edward Martin. And when a fortnightlater Ned sailed for England, they took passage in the same ship.Ned had sent word to his mother by a vessel that sailed a weekpreviously that they would arrive with him, and the best room inthe house had been got in readiness for them, and they receiveda hearty welcome from Ned's parents and sisters. They stayed afortnight there and then established themselves in a pretty littlehouse in the village of Dulwich. One of Ned's sisters accompaniedthem to stay for a time as Gertrude's friend and companion.
Whenever Ned returned home he was a frequent visitor at Dulwich,and at the end of two years his sisters were delighted but notsurprised when he returned one day and told them that GertrudeVon Harp had accepted him. The marriage was not to take place fora time; for Ned was still young, and the countess thought it hadbest be delayed. She was now receiving a regular income from herestates; for it had been a time of comparative peace in Holland,and that country was increasing fast in wealth and prosperity.
Alexander of Parma had by means of his agents corrupted the greaterpart of the nobility of Flanders and Brabant, had laid siege toMaastricht, and, after a defence even more gallant and desperatethan that of Haarlem, and several terrible repulses of his soldiers,had captured the city and put the greater part of its inhabitants--menand women--to the sword. After vain entreaties to Elizabethto assume the sovereignty of the Netherlands, this had been offeredto the Duke of Anjou, brother of the King of France.
The choice appeared to be a politic one, for Anjou was at the timethe all but accepted suitor of Queen Elizabeth, and it was thoughtthat the choice would unite both powers in defence of Holland. Theduke, however, speedily proved his incapacity. Irritated at thesmallness of the authority granted him, and the independent attitudeof the great towns, he attempted to capture them by force. He wassuccessful in several places; but at Antwerp, where the Frenchthought to repeat the Spanish success and to sack the city, theburghers gathered so strongly and fiercely that the French troopsemployed were for the most part killed, those who survived beingignominiously taken prisoners.
Anjou retired with his army, losing a large number of men on hisretreat by the bursting of a dyke and the flooding of the country.By this time the Prince of Orange had accepted the sovereignty ofHolland and Zeeland, which was now completely separated from therest of the Netherlands. After the flight of Anjou he received manyinvitations from the other provinces to accept their sovereignty;but he steadily refused, having no personal ambition, and knowingwell that no reliance whatever could be placed upon the nobles ofBrabant and Flanders.