The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1572-73 | Page 3

and always struggling with the waves which
every instant threatened to engulph them.
Before the tide had risen to more than half-flood, before the day had
dawned, the army set foot on dry land again, at the village of Irseken.
Of the whole three thousand, only nine unlucky individuals had been
drowned; so much had courage and discipline availed in that dark and
perilous passage through the very bottom of the sea. The Duke of Alva
might well pronounce it one of the most brilliant and original
achievements in the annals of war. The beacon fires were immediately
lighted upon the shore; as agreed upon, to inform Sancho d'Avila, who
was anxiously awaiting the result at Bergen op Zoom, of the safe
arrival of the troops. A brief repose was then allowed. At the approach
of daylight, they set forth from Irseken, which lay about four leagues
from Tergoes. The news that a Spanish army had thus arisen from the
depths of the sea, flew before them as they marched. The besieging
force commanded the water with their fleet, the land with their army;
yet had these indomitable Spaniards found a path which was neither
land nor water, and had thus stolen upon them in the silence of night. A
panic preceded them as they fell upon a foe much superior in number to
their own force. It was impossible for 't Zeraerts to induce his soldiers
to offer resistance. The patriot army fled precipitately and
ignominiously to their ships, hotly pursued by the Spaniards, who
overtook and destroyed the whole of their rearguard before they could
embark. This done, the gallant little garrison which had so successfully
held the city, was reinforced with the courageous veterans who had
come to their relief. his audacious project thus brilliantly accomplished,
the "good old Mondragon," as his soldiers called him, returned to the
province of Brabant.
After the capture of Mons and the sack of Mechlin, the Duke of Alva
had taken his way to Nimwegen, having despatched his son, Don
Frederic, to reduce the northern and eastern country, which was only
too ready to submit to the conqueror. Very little resistance was made
by any of the cities which had so recently, and--with such enthusiasm,
embraced the cause of Orange. Zutphen attempted a feeble opposition
to the entrance of the King's troops, and received a dreadful
chastisement in consequence. Alva sent orders to his son to leave not a
single man alive in the city, and to burn every house to the ground. The

Duke's command was almost literally obeyed. Don Frederic entered
Zutphen, and without a moment's warning put the whole garrison to the
sword. The citizens next fell a defenceless, prey; some being, stabbed
in the streets, some hanged on the trees which decorated the city, some
stripped stark naked; and turned out into the fields to freeze to death in
the wintry night. As the work of death became too fatiguing for the
butchers, five hundred innocent burghers were tied two and two, back
to back, and drowned like dogs in the river Yssel. A few stragglers who
had contrived to elude pursuit at first, were afterwards taken from their
hiding places and hung upon the gallows by the feet, some of which
victims suffered four days and nights of agony before death came to
their relief. It is superfluous to add that the outrages upon women were
no less universal in Zutphen than they had been in every city captured
or occupied by the Spanish troops. These horrors continued till scarcely
chastity or life remained, throughout the miserable city.
This attack and massacre had been so suddenly executed, that
assistance would hardly have been possible, even had there been
disposition to render it. There was; however, no such disposition. The
whole country was already cowering again, except the provinces of
Holland and Zealand. No one dared approach, even to learn what had
occurred within the walls of the town, for days after its doom had been
accomplished. "A wail of agony was heard above Zutphen last
Sunday," wrote Count Nieuwenar, "a sound as of a mighty massacre,
but we know not what has taken place."
Count Van, den Bergh, another brother-in-law of Orange, proved
himself signally unworthy of the illustrious race to which he was allied.
He had, in the earlier part of the year, received the homage of the cities
of Gelderland and Overyssel, on behalf of the patriot Prince. He now
basely abandoned the field where he had endeavoured to gather laurels
while the sun of success had been shining. Having written from
Kampen, whither he had retired, that he meant to hold the city to the
last gasp, he immediately afterwards fled secretly and precipitately
from the country. In his flight he was plundered by