The Rise of the Dutch Republic, 1582-84 | Page 2

Walloon
officer who was sitting near Parma, and, who was earnestly requesting
a foremost place in the. morrow's assault. A portion of his skull struck
out the eye of another gentleman present. A second ball from the town
fortifications, equally well directed, destroyed two more of the guests
as they sat at the banquet--one a German captain, the other the
Judge-Advocate-General. The blood and brains of these unfortunate
individuals were strewn over the festive board, and the others all started
to their feet, having little appetite left for their dinner. Alexander alone
remained in his seat, manifesting no discomposure. Quietly ordering
the attendants to remove the dead bodies, and to bring a clean
tablecloth, he insisted that his guests should resume their places at the
banquet which had been interrupted in such ghastly fashion. He stated
with very determined aspect that he could not allow the heretic
burghers of Oudenarde the triumph of frightening him from his dinner,
or from the post of danger. The other gentlemen could, of course, do no
less than imitate the impassibility of their chief, and the repast was
accordingly concluded without further interruption. Not long
afterwards, the city, close pressed by so determined a commander,
accepted terms, which were more favorable by reason of the respect
which Alexander chose to render to his mother's birthplace. The pillage
was commuted for thirty thousand, crowns, and on the 5th of July the
place was surrendered to Parma almost under the very eyes of Anjou,
who was making a demonstration of relieving the siege.
Ninove, a citadel then belonging to the Egmont family, was next
reduced. Here, too, the defence was more obstinate than could have
been expected from the importance of the place, and as the autumn
advanced, Parma's troops were nearly starved in their trenches, from
the insufficient supplies furnished them. They had eaten no meat but
horseflesh for weeks, and even that was gone. The cavalry horses were
all consumed, and even the chargers of the officers were not respected.
An aid-de-camp of Parma fastened his steed one day at the door of the
Prince's tent, while he entered to receive his commander's instructions.
When he came out again, a few minutes afterwards, he found nothing
but the saddle and bridle hanging where he had fastened the horse.
Remonstrance was useless, for the animal had already been cut into
quarters, and the only satisfaction offered to the aid-de-camp was in the

shape of a steak. The famine was long familiarly known as the "Ninove
starvation," but notwithstanding this obstacle, the place was eventually
surrendered.
An attempt upon Lochum, an important city, in Gelderland, was
unsuccessful, the place being relieved by the Duke of Anjou's forces,
and Parma's troops forced to abandon the siege. At Steenwyk, the royal
arms were more successful, Colonel Tassis, conducted by a treacherous
Frisian peasant, having surprised the city which had so, long and so
manfully sustained itself against Renneberg during the preceding
winter. With this event the active operations under Parma closed for the
year. By the end of the autumn, however, he had the satisfaction of
numbering, under his command, full sixty thousand well-appointed and
disciplined troops, including the large reinforcements recently
despatched: from Spain and Italy. The monthly expense of this
army-half of which was required for garrison duty, leaving only the
other moiety for field Operations--was estimated at six hundred and
fifty thousand florins. The forces under Anjou and the united provinces
were also largely increased, so that the marrow of the land was again in
fair way of being thoroughly exhausted by its defenders and its foes.
The incidents of Anjou's administration, meantime, during the year
1582, had been few and of no great importance. After the pompous and
elaborate "homage-making" at Antwerp, he had, in the month of July,
been formally accepted, by writing, as Duke of Guelders and Lord of
Friesland. In the same month he had been ceremoniously, inaugurated
at Bruges as Count of Flanders--an occasion upon which the Prince of
Orange had been present. In that ancient and stately city there had been,
accordingly, much marching about under triumphal arches, much
cannonading and haranguing, much symbol work of suns dispelling
fogs, with other cheerful emblems, much decoration of ducal shoulders
with velvet robes lined with weasel skin, much blazing of tar-barrels
and torches. In the midst of this event, an attempt was made upon the
lives both of Orange and Anjou. An Italian, named Basa, and a
Spaniard, called Salseda, were detected in a scheme to administer
poison to both princes, and when arrested, confessed that they had been
hired by the Prince of Parma to compass this double assassination. Basa
destroyed himself in prison. His body was, however, gibbeted, with an
inscription that he had attempted, at the instigation of Parma,