History of the United Netherlands, 1585 part 2 | Page 8

always hope to
do; but I say no more of what passed, or what was done by myself,
because it does not become me to speak of these things."
Notwithstanding this discomfiture, the patriots kept up heart, and were
incessantly making demonstrations against Parma's works. Their
proceedings against the bridge, although energetic enough to keep the
Spanish commander in a state of perpetual anxiety, were never so
efficient however as on the memorable occasion when the Mantuan
engineer and the Dutch watchmaker had exhausted all their ingenuity.
Nevertheless, the rebel barks swarmed all over the submerged territory,
now threatening this post, and now that, and effecting their retreat at
pleasure; for nearly the whole of Parma's little armada was stationed at
the two extremities of his bridge. Many fire-ships were sent down from
time to time, but Alexander had organized a systematic patrol of a few
sentry-boats, armed with scythes and hooks, which rowed up and down
in front of the rafts, and protected them against invasion.

Some little effect was occasionally produced, but there was on the
whole more anxiety excited than damage actually inflicted. The
perturbation of spirit among the Spaniards when any of these 'demon
fine-ships,' as they called them, appeared bearing down upon their
bridge, was excessive. It could not be forgotten, that the `Hope' had
sent into space a thousand of the best soldiers of the little army within
one moment of time.
Such rapid proceedings had naturally left an uneasy impression on the
minds of the survivors. The fatigue of watching was enormous. Hardly
an officer or soldier among the besieging forces knew what it was to
sleep. There was a perpetual exchanging of signals and beacon-fires
and rockets among the patriots--not a day or night, when a concerted
attack by the Antwerpers from above, and the Hollanders from below,
with gun-boats and fire-ships, and floating mines, and other devil's
enginry, was not expected.
"We are always upon the alert," wrote Parma, "with arms in our hands.
Every one must mount guard, myself as well as the rest, almost every
night, and the better part of every day."
He was quite aware that something was ever in preparation; and the
nameless, almost sickening apprehension which existed among his
stout- hearted veterans, was a proof that the Mantuan's
genius--notwithstanding the disappointment as to the great result--had
not been exercised entirely in vain. The image of the Antwerp
devil-ships imprinted itself indelibly upon the Spanish mind, as of
something preternatural, with which human valour could only contend
at a disadvantage; and a day was not very far distant--one of the
memorable days of the world's history, big with the fate of England,
Spain, Holland, and all Christendom--when the sight of a half-dozen
blazing vessels, and the cry of "the Antwerp fireships," was to decide
the issue of a most momentous enterprise. The blow struck by the
obscure Italian against Antwerp bridge, although ineffective then, was
to be most sensibly felt after a few years had passed, upon a wider
field.
Meantime the uneasiness and the watchfulness in the biesieging army
were very exhausting. "They are never idle in the city," wrote Parma.
"They are perpetually proving their obstinacy and pertinacity by their
industrious genius and the machines which they devise. Every day we

are expecting some new invention. On our side we endeavour to
counteract their efforts by every human means in our power.
Nevertheless, I confess that our merely human intellect is not
competent to penetrate the designs of their diabolical genius. Certainly,
most wonderful and extraordinary things have been exhibited, such as
the oldest soldiers here have never before witnessed."
Moreover, Alexander saw himself growing weaker and weaker. His
force had dwindled to a mere phantom of an army. His soldiers, ill-fed,
half- clothed, unpaid, were fearfully overworked. He was obliged to
concentrate all the troops at his disposal around Antwerp. Diversions
against Ostend, operations in Friesland and Gelderland, although most
desirable, had thus been rendered quite impossible.
"I have recalled my cavalry and infantry from Ostend," he wrote, "and
Don Juan de Manrique has fortunately arrived in Stabroek with a
thousand good German folk. The commissary-general of the cavalry
has come in, too, with a good lot of the troops that had been encamped
in the open country. Nevertheless, we remain wretchedly weak--quite
insufficient to attempt what ought to be done. If the enemy were more
in force, or if the French wished to make trouble, your Majesty would
see how important it had been to provide in time against such
contingencies. And although our neighbours, crestfallen, and rushing
upon their own destruction, leave us in quiet, we are not without plenty
of work. It would be of inestimable advantage to make diversions in
Gelderland and Friesland, because, in that case, the Hollanders, seeing
the