History of the United Netherlands, 1594

History of the United Netherlands, 1594

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Title: History of the United Netherlands, 1594
Author: John Lothrop Motley
Release Date: January, 2004 [EBook #4866] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 9, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII

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HISTORY OF THE UNITED NETHERLANDS From the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce--1609
By John Lothrop Motley

MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg Edition, Vol. 66
History of the United Netherlands, 1594

CHAPTER XXX
.
Prince Maurice lays siege to Gertruydenberg--Advantages of the new system of warfare--Progress of the besieging operations--Superiority of Maurice's manoeuvres--Adventure of Count Philip of Nassau-- Capitulation of Gertruydenberg--Mutiny among the Spanish troops-- Attempt of Verdugo to retake Coeworden--Suspicions of treason in the English garrison at Ostend--Letter of Queen Elizabeth to Sir Edward Norris on the subject--Second attempt on Coeworden--Assault on Groningen by Maurice--Second adventure of Philip of Nassau--Narrow escape of Prince Maurice--Surrender of Groningen--Particulars of the siege--Question of religious toleration--Progress of the United Netherlands--Condition of the "obedient" Netherlands--Incompetency of Peter Mansfeld as Governor--Archduke Ernest, the successor of Farnese--Difficulties of his position--His unpopularity--Great achievements of the republicans--Triumphal entry of Ernest into Brussels and Antwerp--Magnificence of the spectacle--Disaffection of the Spanish troops--Great military rebellion--Philip's proposal to destroy the English fleet--His assassination plans--Plot to poison Queen Elizabeth--Conspiracies against Prince Maurice--Futile attempts at negotiation--Proposal of a marriage between Henry and the Infanta--Secret mission from Henry to the King of Spain--Special dispatch to England and the Staten--Henry obtains further aid from Queen Elizabeth and the States--Council--Anxiety of the Protestant countries to bring about a war with Spain--Aspect of affairs at the close of the year 1594.
While Philip's world-empire seemed in one direction to be so rapidly fading into cloudland there were substantial possessions of the Spanish crown which had been neglected in Brabant and Friesland.
Two very important cities still held for the King of Spain within the territories of what could now be fairly considered the United Dutch Republic--St. Gertruydenberg and Groningen.
Early in the spring of 1593, Maurice had completed his preparations for a siege, and on the 24th March appeared before Gertruydenberg.
It was a stately, ancient city, important for its wealth, its strength, and especially for its position. For without its possession even the province of Holland could hardly consider itself mistress of its own little domains. It was seated on the ancient Meuse, swollen as it approached the sea almost to the dimension of a gulf, while from the south another stream, called the Donge, very brief in its course, but with considerable depth of water, came to mingle itself with the Meuse, exactly under the walls of the city.
The site of the place was so low that it was almost hidden and protected by its surrounding dykes. These afforded means of fortification, which had been well improved. Both by nature and art the city was one of the strongholds of the Netherlands.
Maurice had given the world a lesson in the beleaguering science at the siege of Steenwyk, such as had never before been dreamt of; but he was resolved that the operations before Gertruydenberg should constitute a masterpiece.
Nothing could be more beautiful as a production of military art, nothing, to the general reader, more insipid than its details.
On the land side, Hohenlo's headquarters were at Ramsdonck, a village about a German mile to the east of Gertruydenberg. Maurice himself was established on the west side of the city. Two bridges constructed across the Donge facilitated the communications between the two camps, while great quantities of planks and brush were laid down across the swampy roads to make them passable for waggon-trains and