History of the United Netherlands, 1585 part 2 | Page 5

John Lothrop Motley
'Hope,' which had now drifted very near
the place of its destination. Tearing her way between the raft and the
shore, she struck heavily against the bridge on the Kalloo side, close to
the block-house at the commencement of the floating portion of the
bridge. A thin wreath of smoke was seen curling over a slight and
smouldering fire upon her deck.

Marquis Richebourg, standing on the bridge, laughed loudly at the
apparently impotent conclusion of the whole adventure. It was his last
laugh on earth. A number of soldiers, at Parma's summons, instantly
sprang on board this second mysterious vessel, and occupied
themselves, as the party on board the 'Fortune' had done, in
extinguishing, the flames, and in endeavoring to ascertain the nature of
the machine. Richebourg boldly directed from the bridge their
hazardous experiments.
At the same moment a certain ensign De Vega, who stood near the
Prince of Parma, close to the block-house, approached him with
vehement entreaties that he should retire. Alexander refused to stir from
the spot, being anxious to learn the result of these investigations. Vega,
moved by some instinctive and irresistible apprehension, fell upon his
knees, and plucking the General earnestly by the cloak, implored him
with such passionate words and gestures to leave the place, that the
Prince reluctantly yielded.
It was not a moment too soon. The clockwork had been better adjusted
than the slow match in the 'Fortune.' Scarcely had Alexander reached
the entrance of Saint Mary's Fort, at the end of the bridge, when a
horrible explosion was heard. The 'Hope' disappeared, together with the
men who had boarded her, and the block-house, against which she had
struck, with all its garrison, while a large portion of the bridge, with all
the troops stationed upon it, had vanished into air. It was the work of a
single instant. The Scheldt yawned to its lowest depth, and then cast its
waters across the dykes, deep into the forts, and far over the land. The
earth shook as with the throb of a volcano. A wild glare lighted up the
scene for one moment, and was then succeeded by pitchy darkness.
Houses were toppled down miles away, and not a living thing, even in
remote places, could keep its feet. The air was filled with a rain of
plough-shares, grave-stones, and marble balls, intermixed with the
heads, limbs, and bodies, of what had been human beings. Slabs of
granite, vomited by the flaming ship, were found afterwards at a
league's distance, and buried deep in the earth. A thousand soldiers
were destroyed in a second of time; many of them being torn to shreds,
beyond even the semblance of humanity.
Richebourg disappeared, and was not found until several days later,
when his body was discovered; doubled around an iron chain, which

hung from one of the bridge-boats in the centre of the river. The
veteran Robles, Seigneur de Billy, a Portuguese officer of eminent
service and high military rank, was also destroyed. Months afterwards,
his body was discovered adhering to the timber-work of the bridge,
upon the ultimate removal of that structure, and was only recognized by
a peculiar gold chain which he habitually wore. Parma himself was
thrown to the ground, stunned by a blow on the shoulder from a flying
stake. The page, who was behind him, carrying his helmet, fell dead
without a wound, killed by the concussion of the air.
Several strange and less tragical incidents occurred. The Viscomte de
Bruxelles was blown out of a boat on the Flemish side, and descended
safe and, sound into another in the centre of the stream. Captain Tucci,
clad in complete armour, was whirled out of a fort, shot perpendicularly
into the air, and then fell back into the river. Being of a cool
temperament, a good swimmer, and very pious, he skilfully divested
himself of cuirass and helmet, recommended himself to the Blessed
Virgin, and swam safely ashore. Another young officer of Parma's
body-guard, Francois de Liege by name, standing on the Kalloo end of
the bridge, rose like a feather into the clouds, and, flying quite across
the river, alighted on the opposite bank with no further harm than a
contused shoulder. He imagined himself (he said afterwards) to have
been changed into a cannon-ball, as he rushed through the pitchy
atmosphere, propelled by a blast of irresistible fury.
[The chief authorities used in the foregoing account of this famous
enterprise are those already cited on a previous page, viz.: the MS.
Letters of the Prince of Parma in the Archives of Simancas; Bor, ii. 596,
597; Strada, H. 334 seq.; Meteren, xii. 223; Hoofd Vervolgh, 91;
Baudartii Polemographia, ii. 24-27; Bentivoglio, etc., I have not
thought it necessary to cite them step by step; for all the accounts,
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