The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1567 part 1 | Page 6

might have effected an entrance. He
collected accordingly seven or eight hundred Walloon veterans, at his
disposal in Flanders, in the little port of Sas de Ghent, prepared at once
to execute his intention, "worthy," says a Catholic writer, "of his

well-known courage and magnanimity." The Duchess expressed
gratitude for the Count's devotion and loyalty, but his services in the
sequel proved unnecessary. The rebels, several boat-loads of whom had
been cruising about in the neighborhood of Flushing during the early
part of March, had been refused admittance into any of the ports on the
island. They therefore sailed up the Scheld, and landed at a little village
called Ostrawell, at the distance of somewhat more than a mile from
Antwerp.
The commander of the expedition was Marnix of Tholouse, brother to
Marnix of Saint Aldegonde. This young nobleman, who had left
college to fight for the cause of religious liberty, was possessed of fine
talents and accomplishments. Like his illustrious brother, he was
already a sincere convert to the doctrines of the reformed Church. He
had nothing, however, but courage to recommend him as a leader in a
military expedition. He was a mere boy, utterly without experience in
the field. His troops were raw levies, vagabonds and outlaws.
Such as it was, however, his army was soon posted at Ostrawell in a
convenient position, and with considerable judgment. He had the
Scheld and its dykes in his rear, on his right and left the dykes and the
village. In front he threw up a breastwork and sunk a trench. Here then
was set up the standard of rebellion, and hither flocked daily many
malcontents from the country round. Within a few days three thousand
men were in his camp. On the other handy Brederode was busy in
Holland, and boasted of taking the field ere long with six thousand
soldiers at the very least. Together they would march to the relief of
Valenciennes, and dictate peace in Brussels.
It was obvious that this matter could not be allowed to go on. The
Duchess, with some trepidation, accepted the offer made by Philip de
Lannoy, Seigneur de Beauvoir, commander of her body-guard in
Brussels, to destroy this nest of rebels without delay. Half the whole
number of these soldiers was placed at his disposition, and Egmont
supplied De Beauvoir with four hundred of his veteran Walloons.
With a force numbering only eight hundred, but all picked men, the
intrepid officer undertook his enterprise, with great despatch and
secrecy. Upon the 12th March, the whole troop was sent off in small
parties, to avoid suspicion, and armed only with sword and dagger.
Their helmets, bucklers, arquebusses, corselets, spears, standards and

drums, were delivered to their officers, by whom they were conveyed
noiselessly to the place of rendezvous. Before daybreak, upon the
following morning, De Beauvoir met his soldiers at the abbey of Saint
Bernard, within a league of Antwerp. Here he gave them their arms,
supplied them with refreshments, and made them a brief speech. He
instructed them that they were to advance, with furled banners and
without beat of drum, till within sight of the enemy, that the foremost
section was to deliver its fire, retreat to the rear and load, to be
followed by the next, which was to do the same, and above all, that not
an arquebus should be discharged till the faces of the enemy could be
distinguished.
The troop started. After a few minutes' march they were in full sight of
Ostrawell. They then displayed their flags and advanced upon the fort
with loud huzzas. Tholouse was as much taken by surprise as if they
had suddenly emerged from the bowels of the earth. He had been
informed that the government at Brussels was in extreme trepidation.
When he first heard the advancing trumpets and sudden shouts, he
thought it a detachment of Brederode's promised force. The cross on
the banners soon undeceived him. Nevertheless "like a brave and
generous young gentleman as he was," he lost no time in drawing up
his men for action, implored them to defend their breastworks, which
were impregnable against so small a force, and instructed them to wait
patiently with their fire, till the enemy were near enough to be marked.
These orders were disobeyed. The "young scholar," as De Beauvoir had
designated him, had no power to infuse his own spirit into his rabble
rout of followers. They were already panic-struck by the unexpected
appearance of the enemy. The Catholics came on with the coolness of
veterans, taking as deliberate aim as if it had been they, not their
enemies, who were behind breastworks. The troops of Tholouse fired
wildly, precipitately, quite over the heads of the assailants. Many of the
defenders were slain as fast as they