History of the United Netherlands, 1604-05 | Page 2

of Englishmen, Spaniards,
and Frenchmen being at war with each other, while the Governments
might be nominally at peace, "Let us take off our masks. If the
Spaniard has designs against our State, has he not cause? He knows the
aid we are giving you, and resents it. If we should abstain, he would

leave us in peace. If the Queen of England expects to draw us into a
league, she is mistaken. Look to yourselves and be on your guard.
Richardot is intriguing with Cecil. You give the queen securities,
fortresses, seats in your council. The king asks nothing but
communication of your projects."
In short, all the comfort that Aerssens had been able to derive from his
experiences at the French court in the autumn of 1602, was that the
republic could not be too suspicious both of England and France.
Rosny especially he considered the most dangerous of all the
politicians in France. His daughter was married to the Prince of
Espinoy, whose 50,000 livres a year would be safer the more the
archduke was strengthened. "But for this he would be stiffer," said
Aerssens. Nevertheless there were strong motives at work, pressing
France towards the support of the States. There were strong political
reasons, therefore, why they should carry the war into Flanders, in
conformity with the wishes of the king.
The stadholder, after much argument, yielded as usual to the authority
of the magistrates, without being convinced as to the sagacity of their
plans. It was arranged that an army should make a descent upon the
Flemish coast in the early spring, and make a demonstration upon Sluys.
The effect of this movement, it was thought, would be to draw the
enemy out of his entrenchments, in which case it would be in the power
of Maurice to put an end at once to the siege. It is unquestionable that
the better alternative, in the judgment of the prince, was to take
possession; if possible, of Sluys itself. His preparations were, however,
made with a view to either event, and by the middle of April he had
collected at Willemstad a force of fifteen thousand foot and three
thousand horse. As on the former memorable expedition, he now again
insisted that a considerable deputation of the States and of the States'
council should accompany the army. His brother Henry, and his
cousins Lewis William, Lewis Gunther, and Ernest Casimir, were
likewise with him, as well as the Prince of Anhalt and other
distinguished personages.
On the 25th April the army, having crossed the mouth of the West
Scheld, from Zeeland, in numberless vessels of all sizes and degrees,
effected their debarkation on the island of Cadzand.
In the course of two days they had taken possession of the little town,

and all the forts of that island, having made their entrance through what
was called the Black Channel. Had they steered boldly through the
Swint or Sluys channel at once, it is probable that they might have
proceeded straight up to Sluy's, and taken the place by surprise.
Maurice's habitual caution was, perhaps, on this occasion, a
disadvantage to him, but he would have violated the rules of war, and
what seemed the dictates of common sense, had he not secured a basis
of operations, and a possibility of retreat, before plunging with his
army into the heart of a hostile country. The republic still shuddered at
the possible catastrophe of four years before, when circumstances had
forced him to take the heroic but dangerous resolution of sending off
his ships from Nieuport. Before he had completed his arrangements for
supplies on the island of Cadzand, he learned from scouts and
reconnoitring parties that Spinola had sent a thousand infantry, besides
five hundred cavalry, under Trivulzio, to guard the passage across the
Swint. Maurice was thus on the wrong side of the great channel by
which Sluy's communicated with the sea?
The town of Sluy's and its situation have been described in a former
chapter. As a port, it was in those days considered a commodious and
important one, capable of holding five hundred ships. As a town, it was
not so insignificant as geographical and historical changes have since
made it, and was certainly far superior to Ostend, even if Ostend had
not been almost battered out of existence. It had spacious streets and
squares, and excellent fortifications in perfectly good condition. It was
situate in a watery labyrinth, many slender streams from the interior
and several saltwater creeks being complicated around it, and then
flowing leisurely, in one deep sluggish channel, to the sea. The wrath
of Leicester, when all his efforts to relieve the place had been baffled
by the superior skill of Alexander Farnese, has been depicted, and
during the seventeen years which