September 2, 2025 • 34 mins
Set in the tumultuous 1570s, By Pike and Dyke plunges listeners into the harrowing world of the Netherlands, where the shadow of Spanish tyranny looms large. Amidst the chaos, Edward Ned‚ Martin‚a young man caught between two worlds as the son of an English captain and a Dutch lady‚takes a stand to help his mothers people and seek vengeance for his slain relatives. Joining the ranks of the revolutionary leader William the Silent, Prince of Orange, Ned embarks on perilous secret missions across occupied territories. Through narrow escapes, fierce naval battles, and heart-stopping sieges, he witnesses the stirring yet tragic birth of the Dutch republic. (Summary by D. Leeson)
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter fifteen of by Pike and Dike, A Tale of
the Rise of the Dutch Republic. This LibriVox recording is
in the public domain by Pike and Dike. By G. A. Henty,
Chapter fifteen, Ned receives promotion. It was fortunate for Ned
that the watch round the city had relaxed greatly when
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he started from it. The soldiers were discontented at the
arrangement that had been made for the city to pay
an immense sum of money to escape a general sack.
They were all many months in arrear of their pay
they had suffered during the siege, and they now considered
themselves to be cheated of their fair reward. The sum
paid by the city would go into the hands of
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the Duke, and although the soldiers were promised a share
of the prize money, the Duke's necessities were so great
that it was probable little of the money would find
its way into the hands of the troops. A sack,
upon the other hand, was looked upon as a glorious lottery.
Every one was sure to gain something. Many would obtain
pain most valuable prizes of money or jewelry. No sooner therefore,
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had Harlem surrendered than a mutinous spirit began to show
itself among the troops. They became slack in obeying the
orders of their officers, refused to perform their duties, and
either gathered in bodies to discuss their wrongs or sulked
in their tents. Thus, the work of keeping a vigilant
watch round the walls by night to prevent the escape
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of the victims selected to satiate the vengeance of Don
Frederick was greatly relaxed. After lowering himself from the walls,
Ned proceeded with great caution. On reaching the spot where
he expected to meet with a cordon of sentries, he
was surprised at finding everything still and quiet. Unaware of
the state of things in the camp, and suspecting that
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some device had perhaps been hit upon with the view
of inducing men to try to escape from the city,
he redoubled his precautions, stopping every few paces to listen
for the calls of the sentries, or a heavy tread
or the clash of allars. All was silent, and he
continued his course until close to the camps of some
of the German regiments. Incredible as it seemed to him,
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it was now evident that no sentries had been posted.
He saw great fires blazing in the camps, and a
large number of men standing near one of them. They
were being addressed by a soldier standing upon a barrel.
Keeping in the shadow of the tents, ned made his
way close up to the group, and the similarity of
the German language to the Dutch enabled him to gather
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without difficulty the meaning of the speaker's words. He was
recounting to the soldiers the numberless toils and hardships through
which they had passed in the service of Spain, and
the ingratitude with which they were treated. They pretend they
have no money, he exclaimed. It is not true. Spain
has the wealth of the Indies at her back, and
yet she grudges us our pay for the service as
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we have faithfully rendered her. Why should we throw away
our lives for Spain? What do we care whether she
is mistress of this wretched country or not. Let us resolve, brethren,
to be moved neither by entreaties or threats, but to
remain fast to the oath. We and our Spanish comrades
have sworn that we will neither much afoot nor lift
an arm until we have received our pay, and not
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only our pay, but our sheriff a booty they have
stolen from us. The shouts of approval that greeted the
speech showed that the speaker's audience was thoroughly in accord
with him. Ned waited to hear no further orations. He
understood now the withdrawal of the sentries. It was another
of the mutinies that had so frequently broken out among
the Spanish forces in the Netherlands. Making his way out
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through the other side of the camp, he proceeded on
his journey. The news was important, for if the mutiny continued,
it would give the Prince of Orange time to prepare
for the forward march of the enemy. He passed several
other camps, but observed everywhere the same slackness of discipline
and the absence of military precaution. All night he pushed
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forward without stopping, and as soon as the gates of
Leiden were opened, he entered. Upon ing, he found that
the Prince was at Delft, and hiring a horse, he
at once rode there. The Prince received him with real pleasure.
And so you have escaped safe and sound from the siege,
Master Martin, truly, your good fortune is wonderful. I am
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glad indeed to see you. Tell me how it goes.
In Harlem, rumors reached me that there, as at other towns,
they have broken their oathes and are massacring the whole population.
It is not so bad as that, Sir Ned replied.
They have put to death numbers of the principal citizens
and all refugees they could discover in the city, but
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there has been no regular sack. The women have not
been ill treated, and although five executioners were kept busily
at work, there has been nothing like a general massacre.
Thank God for that, the Prince said piously. That has
eased my mind. I feared that the horrors of Zutfen
and Nodden had been re enacted. I have another piece
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of good news to give you, sir. As I passed
through their camps, I learned that all the troops German
as well as Spanish, are in open mutiny and have
sworn that they will neither march nor fight until they
receive all arrears of pay. That is good news, indeed,
the Prince exclaimed, It will give us breathing time, of
which we are sadly in need. Were the Spaniards to
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march forward. Now they could sweep over Holland, for I
could not put a thousand men in the field to
withstand them. And now, Master Martin, what shall I do
for you? You have received as yet no reward whatever
for the great service you rendered us by the successful
carrying out of your mission to Brussels, to say nothing
of the part you have borne in the defense of Harlem.
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I know that you joined us from pure love of
our cause and hatred of Spanish tyranny. Still, that is
no reason why I should not recognize your services. If
you would like it, I would gladly appoint you to
the command of a company of volunteers. I thank you greatly,
your highness, replied ned, but I am far too young
to command men, and pray that you will allow me
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to remain near your person and to perform such service
as you may think me capable of. If that be
your wish, it shall be so for the present, the
Prince replied. And it is pleasant to me in these
days when almost every noble in the Netherlands puts a
price on his services, and when even the city's bargain
for every crown piece. They advance to find one who
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wants nothing, but now you need rest. When I am
more at leisure, you shall furnish me with further details
of what took place inside Harlem during the siege. The
long defense of Harlem, the enormous expenditure, which it had
cost both in money and life, for no less than
ten thousand soldiers had fallen in the assault or by disease,
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induced Alva to make another attempt to win back the
people of Holland, and three days after Ned's return, a
proclamation was sent to every town. He adopted an affectionate tone,
ye are well aware, began the address that the King
has over and over again manifested, did his willingness to
receive his children in however forlorn a condition the prodigals
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might return. His Majesty assures you once more that your sins,
however black they may have been, shall be forgiven and
forgotten in the plenitude of royal kindness, if you will
repent and return in season to His Majesty's embrace. Notwithstanding
your manifold crimes, His Majesty still seeks like a hen
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calling her chickens to gather you all under the parental wing.
This portion of the document which was by the order
of the magistrates, affixed to the doors of the town halls,
was received with shouts of laughter by the citizens, and
many were the jokes as to the royal hen and
the return of the prodigals. The conclusion of the document
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afforded a little further insight into the affectionate disposition of
the Royal bird. If continued the proclamation, ye disregard these
offers of mercy and receive them with closed ears, as heretof,
then we warn you that there is no rigor or cruelty,
however great, which you are not to expect by laying waste,
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starvation and the sword in such manner that nowhere shall
remain a relic of that which at present exists. But
his Majesty will strip bar and utterly depopulate the land
and cause it to be inhabited again by strangers, since
otherwise his Majesty would not believe that the will of
God and of his Majesty had been accomplished. This proclamation
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produced no effect whatever, for the people of Holland were
well aware that Philip of Spain would never grant that
religious toleration for which they were fighting, and they knew
also that no reliance whatever could be placed in Spanish
promises or oaths. For a month, Alva was occupied in
persuading the troops to return to their duty, and at
last managed to raise a sufficient sum of money to
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pay each man a portion of the arrears due to him,
and a few crowns on account of his share of
the ransom paid by Harlem. During this breathing time, the
Prince of Orange was indefatigable in his efforts to raise
a force capable of undertaking the relief of such towns
as the Spanish might invest. This, however, he found well
nigh impossible. The cities were all ready to defend themselves,
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but in spite of the danger that threatened, they were
cherry and the extreme and contributing money for the common cause.
Nor would the people enlist for service in the field.
Nothing had occurred to shake the belief in the invincibility
of the Spanish soldiery in fair fight in the open,
and the disasters which had befallen the bodies of volunteers
who had endeavored to relieve Haarlem effectually deterred others from
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following their example. The Prince's only hope therefore, of being
able to put a force into the field rested upon
his brother Louis, who was raising an army of mercenaries
in Germany. He had little assurance, however, that relief would
come from this quarter, as the two armies he had
himself raised in Germany had effected absolutely nothing. His efforts
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to raise a fleet were more successful. The hardy mariners
of Zealand were ready to fight on their own element,
and asked nothing better than to meet the Spaniards at sea. Nevertheless,
the money had to be raised for the purchase of vessels, stores,
artillery and ammunition. Ned was frequently despatched by the Prince
with letters to magistrates of the chief towns, to nobles
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and men of influence, and always performed his duties greatly
to the Prince's satisfaction. As soon as the Duke of
Alva had satisfied the troops, preparations began for a renewal
of hostilities, and the Prince soon learnt that it was
intended that Don Frederick should invade northern Holland with sixteen
thousand men, and that the rest of the army, which
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had lately received further reinforcements, should lay siege to Leiden.
The Prince felt confident that Leiden could resist for a time,
but he was very anxious as to the position of
things in North Holland. In the courage and ability of Sonoy,
the Lieutenant Governor of North Hollandland, the Prince had entire confidence,
but it was evident by the tone of his letters
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that he had lost all hope of being able to
defend the province, and altogether despaired of the success of
their cause. He had written in desponding tones at the
utterly insufficient means at his disposal for meeting the storm
that was about to burst upon the province, and had
urged that unless the Prince had a good prospect of help,
either from France or England, it was better to give
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up the struggle than to bring utter destruction upon the
whole people. The letter in which the Prince answered him
has been preserved and well illustrates the lofty tones of
his communications in this crisis of the fate of Holland.
He reprimanded with gentle but earnest eloquence, the despondency and
want of faith of his lieutenant and other adherents he
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had not expected. He said that they would have so
soon forgotten their manly courage. They seemed to consider the
whole fate of the country attached to the city of Haarlem.
He took God to witness that he had spared no
pains and would will willingly have spared no drop of
his blood to save that devoted city. But as notwithstanding
our efforts, he continued, it has pleased God Almighty to
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dispose of Haarlem according to his divine will. Shall we
therefore deny and deride His Holy word as his Church
therefore come to naught. You ask if I have entered
and too affirm treaty with any great king or potentate,
to which I answer that, before I ever took up
the cause of the oppressed Christians in these provinces, I
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had entered into a close alliance with the King of kings,
And I am firmly convinced that all who put their
trust in Him shall be saved by his almighty hand.
The God of armies will raise up armies for us
to do battle with our enemies and his own. In conclusion,
he detailed his preparations for attacking the enemy by sea
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as well as by land, and encouraged his lieutenant and
the population of the northern province to maintain a bold
front before the advancing foe. That Sonoy would do his best.
The Prince was sure, but he knew how difficult it
is for one who himself regards resistance as hopeless to
inspire enthusiasm in others, and he determined to send a
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message to cheer the people of North Holland, and urged
them to resist to the last, and to entrust it
to one who could speak personally as to the efforts
that were being made for their assistance, and who was
animated by a real enthusiasm in the cause. It was
an important mission, but after considering the various persons of
his household, he decided to entrust it to the lad
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who had showed such courage and discretion in his dangerous
mission to Brussels. A keen observer of character, the Prince
felt that he could trust the young fellow absolutely to
do his best, at whatever risk to himself. He had
believed when he first joined him that ned was some
eighteen years of age, and the year that had since elapsed,
with its dangers and responsibilities, had added two or three
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years to his appearance. It was the fashion in Holland
to entirely shave the face, and Ned's smooth cheeks were
therefore no sign of youth. Standing over the average height
of the natives of Holland, with broad shoulders and well
set figure, he might readily pass as a man of
three or four and twenty. The Prince accordingly sent for
the lad I have another mission for you, Master Martin,
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and again a dangerous one. The Spaniards are on the
point of marching to lay siege to Alkma, and I
wish a message carried to the citizens, assuring them that
they may rely absolutely upon my relieving them by breaking
down the dikes. I wish you, on this occasion, to
be more than a messenger. In these despatches I have
spoken of you as one Captain Martin, who possesses my
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fullest confidence. You would, as you say, be young to
be a captain of a company of fighting men, But
as an officer attached to my household, you can bear
that rank as well as another. It will be useful
and will add to your influence and authority. And I
have therefore appointed you to the grade of captain, of
which by your conduct you have proved yourself to be worthy.
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Your mission is to encourage the inhabitants to resist to
the last, to rouse them to enthusiasm if you can,
to give them my solemn promise that they shall not
be deserted, and to assure them that if I cannot
raise a force sufficient to relieve them, I will myself
come round and superintend the operation of cutting the dikes
and laying the whole country under water. I do not
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know whether you will find the Lieutenant Governor in the city,
but at any rate, he will not remain there during
the siege, as he has work outside. But I shall
give you a letter recommending you to him, and ask
him to give you his warmest support. The Prince then
took off the gold chain he wore round his neck
and placed it upon ned. I give you this in
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the first place, Captain Martin, in token of my esteem
and of my gratitude for the perilous service you have
already rendered, and secondly as a visible mark of my
confidence in you, and as a sign that I have
entrusted you with authority to speak for me. Going as
you now do, it will be best for you to
assume somewhat more courtly garments in order to do credit
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to your mission. I have given orders that these shall
be prepared for you, and that you shall be provided
with a suit of armor, such as a young noble
would wear. All will be prepared for you this afternoon
at six o'clock a ship will be in readiness to sail,
and this will land you on the coast at the
nearest point to Alkmar. Should any further point occur to
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you before evening, speak to me freely about it. Ned retired,
depressed rather than elated at the confidence the Prince reposed
in him, and at the rank and dignity he had
bestowed upon him. He questioned too, whether he had not
done wrong in not stating at once, when the Prince had,
on his first joining him, set down his age at
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over eighteen, that he was two years under that age.
And he hesitated whether he ought not even now to
go to him and state the truth. He will have
done so had he not known how great were the
labors of the Prince, and how incessantly he was occupied,
and so feared to upset his plans and cause him
fresh trouble. Anyhow, he said to himself at last, I
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will do my best, and I could do no more
if I were nineteen instead of seventeen. The Prince has
chosen me for this business, not because of my age,
but because he thought I could carry it out, And
carry it out I will, if it be in my power.
In the afternoon, a clothier arrived with several suits of
handsome material and make out of sober colors, such as
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a young man of good family would wear, and an
armorer brought him amorion and breast and back pieces of steel,
handsomely inlaid with gold. When he was alone, he attired
himself in the quietest of his new suits, and, looking
at himself in the mirror, burst into a fit of
hearty laughter. What in the world would my father and
mother and the girls say were they to see me
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pranked out in such attire as this? They would scarce
know me, and I shall scarce know myself for some time. However,
I think I shall be able to play my part
as the Prince's representative better in these than I should
have done in the dress I started in last time,
or in that I wore on board the good Venture.
At five o'clock, ned paid another visit to the Prince
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and thanked him heartily for his kindness. Towards him, and
then received a few last instructions. On his return to
his room, he found a corporal and four soldiers at
the door. The former saluted, we have orders, Captain Martin,
to place ourselves under your command for detached duty. Our
kits are already on board the ship. The men will
carry down your mails if they are packed. I only
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take that trunk with me, Ned said, pointing to the
one that contained his new clothes. And there is besides
my armor and that brace of pistols. Followed by the
corporal and men, Ned now made his way down to
the port, where the captain of the little vessel received
him with profound respect. As soon as they were on board,
the sails were hoisted and the vessel ran down the
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channel from Delf through the Hague through the sea. On
the following morning, they anchored. Soon after daybreak, a boat
was lowered and Ned and the soldiers landed on the
sandy shore. Followed by them, he made his way over
the high range of sand hills facing the sea, and
then across the low cultivated country extending to Alkmar. He
saw parties of men and women hurrying northward along the
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causeways laden with goods and leading in most instances horses
or donkeys staggering under the weights placed upon them. I
think we are but just in time, corporal. The population
of the villages are evidently fleeing before the advance of
the Spaniards. Another day and we should have been too
late to get into the town. Alkmar had been in
sight from the time they had crossed the dunes, and
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after walking five miles, they arrived at its gates. Is
the Lieutenant governor in the town, Ned asked one of
the citizens. Yes, he is still here, the man said,
you will find him at the town hall. There was
much excitement in the streets. Armed burghers were standing in groups.
Women were looking anxiously from doors and casements, but Ned
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was surprised to see no soldiers about, although he knew
that the eight hundred whom the Prince had dispatched as
a garrison, must have arrived there some days before. On
arriving at the town hall, he found the general seated
at table. In front of him were a group of
elderly men, whom he supposed to be the leading citizens,
and it was evident by the raised voices and angry
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looks both of the old officer and of the citizens
that there was some serious difference of opinion between them.
Whom have we here, so NOI asked, as Ned approached
the table, I am a messenger, Sir, from the Prince.
I bear these despatches to yourself, and have also letters
and messages from him to the citizens of Alkmar. You
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come at a good season, the governor said, shortly, taking
the despatches, and if anything you can say will soften
the obstinacy of these good people here, you will do
them and me a service. There was silence for a
few minutes as the governor read the letter Ned had
brought him. My good friends, he said, at last to
the citizens, this is Captain Martin, an officer whom the
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Prince tells me stands high in his confidence. He bore
part in the siege of Haarlem, and has otherwise done
great service to the state. The Prince commends him most
highly to me and to you. He has sent him
here in the first place to assure you fully of
the Prince's intentions on your behalf. He will especially represent
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the Prince during the siege, and from his knowledge of
the methods of defense at Haarlem, of the arrangements for
portioning out the food and other matters. He will be
able to give you valuable advice and assistance. As you
are aware, I ride in an hour to wank Housen
in order to superintend the general arrangement for the defense
of the province and especially for affording you aid. And
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I am glad to leave behind me an officer who
is so completely in the confidence of the Prince. He
will first deliver the messages with which he is charged
to you, and then we will hear what he says
as to this matter which is in dispute between us.
The passage of Ned with his escorts through the street
had attracted much attention, and the citizens had followed him
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into the hall in considerable numbers to hear the message,
of which he was no doubt the bearer. Ned took
his place by the side of the old officer, and,
facing the crowd, began to speak. At other times he
would have been diffident in addressing a crowded audience, but
he felt that he must justify the confidence imposed on him, and,
knowing the preparations that were being made by the Prince
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and his intense anxiety that Alkmar should resist to the end,
he began without hesitation, and speedily forgot himself in the
importance of the subject citizens of Alkmar. He began. The
Prince has sent me specially to tell you what there
is in his mind concerning you, and how his thoughts,
night and day have been turned towards your city. Not
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only the Prince, but all Holland are turning their eyes
towards you, And none doubt that you will show yourselves
as worthy, as faithful, and as steadfast as have the
citizens of Harlem. You fight not for glory, but for
your liberty, for your religion, for the honor and the
lives of those dear to you. And yet your glory
and your honor will be great. Indeed, if this little
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city of yours should prove the bulwark of Holland and
should beat back from its walls the power of Spain,
the Prince bids me tell you that he is doing
all he can to collect an army and a fleet.
In the latter respect, he is succeeding well. The hardy
seamen of Holland and Zealand are gathering round him, have
sworn that they will clear the zider Zee of the Spaniards,
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or die in the attempt. As to the army, it is,
as you know, next to impossible to gather one capable
of coping with the host of Spain in the field.
But happily you need not rely solely upon an army
to save you in your need. Here you have an
advantage over your brethren of Haarlem. There it was impossible
to flood the land round the city, and the dikes
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by which the food supply of the Spaniards could have
been cut off, were too strongly guarded to be won,
even when your noble governor himself led his forces against them.
But it is not so here. The dikes are far
away and the Spaniards cannot protect them. Grievous as it
is to the Prince to contemplate the destruction of the
rich country your fathers have won from the sea, he
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bids me tell you that he will not hesitate, but
that as a last resource he pledges himself that he
will lay the country under water and drown out the
Spaniards to save you. They have sworn, as you know,
to turn Holland into a desert, to leave none alive
in her cities and villages. Well, then better a thousand
times that we should return it to the ocean from
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which we want it, and that then, having cast off
the Spaniards, we should renew the labors of our fathers
and again recover it from the sea. A shout of
applause rang through the hall. But this, Ned went on,
is the last resource and will not be taken until
naught else can be done to save you. It is
for you first to show the Spaniards how the men
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of Holland can fight for their freedom, their religion, their families,
and their homes. Then, when you have done all that
men can do, the Prince will prove to the Spaniards
that the men of Holland will lay their country under
water rather than surrender. Does the Prince solemnly bind himself
to do this? One of the elder burghers asked, he does,
and here is his promise in black and white, with
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his seal attached. We will retire and let you have
our answer in half an hour. Ned glanced at the Governor,
who shook his head slightly. What is their need of deliberation?
Ned asked, in a voice that was heard all over
the hall, to you citizens at large, I appeal of
what use is it now to deliberate. Have you not
already sent a defiant answer to Alva? Are not his
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troops within a day's march of you? Think you that
even if you turn traitors to your country and to
your prince and throw open the gates, it would save you? Now?
Did submission save narde? How many of you think you
would survive the sack? And for those who did so,
what would life be worth? They would live an object
of reproach and scoffing among all true Hollanders as the
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men of the city who threatened what they dared not perform,
who were bold while Alva was four days march away,
but who cowered like children when they saw the standards
of Spain approaching their walls. I appeal to you, Is
this a time to hesitate or discuss? I ask you now,
in the name of the Prince? Are you true men
or false? Are you four or injoor? Alva? What is
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your answer? A tremendous shout shook the hall. We will
fight to the death, no surrender down with the council,
and there were loud and threatening shouts against some of
the magistrates. The governor now rose, my friends, he said,
I rejoice to hear your decision, and now there is
no time for idle talk. Throw open the gates and
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call in the troops whom the Prince has sent to
your aid, and whom your magistrates have hitherto refused to admit.
Choose from among yourselves six men upon whom you can
rely to confer with me and with the officer commanding
the troops. Choose good and worshipful men, zealous in the cause.
I will see before I leave to day that your
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magistracy is strengthened. You need now men of heart and
action at your head. Captain Martin, who has been through
the siege of Haarlem, will deliberate with twelve citizens, whom
I will select as to the steps to be taken.
For gathering the food into magazines for the public use,
for issuing daily rations, for organizing the women as well
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as the men, for such work as they are fit.
There is much to be done, and but little time
to do it. For tomorrow the Spaniard will be in
front of your walls in an hour's time. The eight
hundred troops marched in from Egmont Castle and Egmont Abbey,
where they had been quartered. While the citizens were wavering
between resistance and submission. Four of the citizens, who had
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already been told off for the purpose, met them at
the gate and allotted them quarters in the various houses.
Governor Sonoy was already in deliberation with the six men
chosen by the townspeople to represent them. He had at
once removed from the magistracy an equal number of those
who had been the chief opponents of resistance, for here,
as in other towns, the magistrates had been appointed by
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the Spaniards. Ned was busy conferring with the committee and
explaining to them the organization adopted at Harlem. He pointed
out that it was a first necessity that all the
men capable of bearing arms should be divided into companies
of fifty, each of which should select its own captain
and lieutenant. That the names of the women should be
inscribed with their ages. That the active and able bodied
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should be divided into companies for carrying materials to the
walls and aiding in the defense when a breach was attacked,
And that the old and feebles should be made useful
in the hospitals and for such other work as their
powers admitted. All children were to join the companies to
which their mothers belonged, and to help as far as
they could in their work. Having set these matters in train,
(29:01):
ned rejoined the governor. I congratulate you, Captain Martin, upon
the service you have rendered to day. Your youth and
enthusiasm have succeeded where my experience failed. You believe in
the possibility of success, and thus your words had a
ring and fervor which were wanting in mine. Fearing as
I do, that the cause is a lost one. I
(29:22):
wondered much when you first presented yourself that the Prince
should have given his confidence to one so young. I
wonder no longer. The Prince never makes a mistake in
his instruments, and he has chosen well this time. I
leave the city to night and shall write to the
Prince from Eenkhausen, telling him how you have brought the
citizens round to a sense of their duty, and that
(29:44):
whereas at the moment of your arrival I believed the
magistrates would throw open the gates to morrow, I am
now convinced the city will resist till the last. In
military matters, the officer in command of the troops will
of course take the direction of things, but in all
all other matters. You, as the Prince's special representative, will
act as adviser of the burghers. I wish I could
(30:06):
stay here and share in the perils of the siege.
It would be far more suitable to my disposition than
arguing with pig headed burghers and trying to excite their
enthusiasm when my own hopes have all but vanished. The
officer commanding the garrison now entered, and the governor introduced
ned to him. You will find in Captain Martin, one
who is in the Prince's confidence and has been sent
(30:29):
here as his special representative, an able coadjutor. He will
organize the citizens as they were organized at Harlem, and
while you are defending the walls, he will see that
all goes on in good order in the town, that
there is no undue waste in provisions, that the breaches
are repaired as fast as made, that the sick and
wounded are well cared for, and that the spirits of
(30:52):
the townspeople are maintained. That will indeed be an assistance,
the officer said courteously. These details are as non necessary
as the work of fighting, and it is impossible for
one man to attend to them. And to see to
his military work. I shall look to you, sir, for
your aid and assistance. Ned said modestly. The Prince is
pleased to have a good opinion of me, But I
(31:14):
am young and shall find the responsibility a very heavy one,
and can only hope to maintain my authority by the
aid of your assistance. I think not that you will
require much aid. Captain Martin, the governor said, I marked
you when you were speaking, and doubt not that your
spirit will carry you through all difficulties. That night was
a busy one in Alkmar. Few thought of sleeping, and
(31:37):
before morning the lists were all prepared. The companies mustered officers,
chosen posts on the wall assigned to them, and every man,
woman and child in Alkmar knew the nature of the
duties they would be called upon to perform. Just before midnight,
the Governor left. Farewell, young man. He said to Ned,
I trust that we may meet again. Now that I
(31:58):
have got rid of the black shape sheep amongst the magistracy,
I feel more hopeful as to the success of the defense.
But may I ask, Sir, why you did not dismiss
them before. Ah, you hardly know the burghers of these towns,
so Nois said, shaking his head. They stand upon their
rights and privileges, and if you touch their civic officers,
they are like a swarm of angry bees. Governor of
(32:21):
North Holland, as I am, I could not have interfered
with the magistracy even of this little town. It was
only because at the moment the people were roused to enthusiasm,
and because they regarded you as the special representative of
the Prince, that I was able to do so. Now
that the act is done, they are well content with
the change, especially as I have appointed the men they
(32:43):
themselves chose to the vacant places. It was the same
thing at Angkhausen. I could do nothing, and it was
only when Sante Aldegonde came with authority from the Prince
himself that we were able to get rid of Alva's creatures. Well,
I must ride away. The Spaniards are encamped aby but
six miles away, and you may expect to see them
soon after daybreak. It was indeed early in the morning
(33:06):
that masses of smoke were seen rising from the village
of Egmont, telling the citizens of Alkmar that the troopers
of Don Frederick had arrived. Alkmar was but a small town,
and when every man capable of bearing arms was mustered,
they numbered only about thirteen hundred besides the eight hundred soldiers.
It was on the twenty first of August that Don Frederick,
(33:27):
with sixteen thousand veteran troops, appeared before the walls of
the town and at once proceeded to invest it, and
accomplished this so thoroughly that Alva wrote it is impossible
for a sparrow to enter or go out of the city.
There was no doubt what the fate of the inhabitants
would be if the city were captured. The Duke was
(33:47):
furious that what he considered his extraordinary clemency in having
executed only some twenty four hundred persons at the surrender
of Haarlem, should not have been met with the gratitude
it deserved. If I take Alkmar, he wrote to the King,
I am resolved not to leave a single person alive.
The knife shall be put to every throat. Since the
(34:07):
example of Harlem has proved to be of no use,
perhaps an example of cruelty will bring the other cities
to their senses. End of Chapter fifteen
Chapter fifteen of by Pike and Dike, A Tale of
the Rise of the Dutch Republic. This LibriVox recording is
in the public domain by Pike and Dike. By G. A. Henty,
Chapter fifteen, Ned receives promotion. It was fortunate for Ned
that the watch round the city had relaxed greatly when
(00:20):
he started from it. The soldiers were discontented at the
arrangement that had been made for the city to pay
an immense sum of money to escape a general sack.
They were all many months in arrear of their pay
they had suffered during the siege, and they now considered
themselves to be cheated of their fair reward. The sum
paid by the city would go into the hands of
(00:41):
the Duke, and although the soldiers were promised a share
of the prize money, the Duke's necessities were so great
that it was probable little of the money would find
its way into the hands of the troops. A sack,
upon the other hand, was looked upon as a glorious lottery.
Every one was sure to gain something. Many would obtain
pain most valuable prizes of money or jewelry. No sooner therefore,
(01:04):
had Harlem surrendered than a mutinous spirit began to show
itself among the troops. They became slack in obeying the
orders of their officers, refused to perform their duties, and
either gathered in bodies to discuss their wrongs or sulked
in their tents. Thus, the work of keeping a vigilant
watch round the walls by night to prevent the escape
(01:24):
of the victims selected to satiate the vengeance of Don
Frederick was greatly relaxed. After lowering himself from the walls,
Ned proceeded with great caution. On reaching the spot where
he expected to meet with a cordon of sentries, he
was surprised at finding everything still and quiet. Unaware of
the state of things in the camp, and suspecting that
(01:46):
some device had perhaps been hit upon with the view
of inducing men to try to escape from the city,
he redoubled his precautions, stopping every few paces to listen
for the calls of the sentries, or a heavy tread
or the clash of allars. All was silent, and he
continued his course until close to the camps of some
of the German regiments. Incredible as it seemed to him,
(02:08):
it was now evident that no sentries had been posted.
He saw great fires blazing in the camps, and a
large number of men standing near one of them. They
were being addressed by a soldier standing upon a barrel.
Keeping in the shadow of the tents, ned made his
way close up to the group, and the similarity of
the German language to the Dutch enabled him to gather
(02:29):
without difficulty the meaning of the speaker's words. He was
recounting to the soldiers the numberless toils and hardships through
which they had passed in the service of Spain, and
the ingratitude with which they were treated. They pretend they
have no money, he exclaimed. It is not true. Spain
has the wealth of the Indies at her back, and
yet she grudges us our pay for the service as
(02:50):
we have faithfully rendered her. Why should we throw away
our lives for Spain? What do we care whether she
is mistress of this wretched country or not. Let us resolve, brethren,
to be moved neither by entreaties or threats, but to
remain fast to the oath. We and our Spanish comrades
have sworn that we will neither much afoot nor lift
an arm until we have received our pay, and not
(03:12):
only our pay, but our sheriff a booty they have
stolen from us. The shouts of approval that greeted the
speech showed that the speaker's audience was thoroughly in accord
with him. Ned waited to hear no further orations. He
understood now the withdrawal of the sentries. It was another
of the mutinies that had so frequently broken out among
the Spanish forces in the Netherlands. Making his way out
(03:34):
through the other side of the camp, he proceeded on
his journey. The news was important, for if the mutiny continued,
it would give the Prince of Orange time to prepare
for the forward march of the enemy. He passed several
other camps, but observed everywhere the same slackness of discipline
and the absence of military precaution. All night he pushed
(03:54):
forward without stopping, and as soon as the gates of
Leiden were opened, he entered. Upon ing, he found that
the Prince was at Delft, and hiring a horse, he
at once rode there. The Prince received him with real pleasure.
And so you have escaped safe and sound from the siege,
Master Martin, truly, your good fortune is wonderful. I am
(04:15):
glad indeed to see you. Tell me how it goes.
In Harlem, rumors reached me that there, as at other towns,
they have broken their oathes and are massacring the whole population.
It is not so bad as that, Sir Ned replied.
They have put to death numbers of the principal citizens
and all refugees they could discover in the city, but
(04:35):
there has been no regular sack. The women have not
been ill treated, and although five executioners were kept busily
at work, there has been nothing like a general massacre.
Thank God for that, the Prince said piously. That has
eased my mind. I feared that the horrors of Zutfen
and Nodden had been re enacted. I have another piece
(04:56):
of good news to give you, sir. As I passed
through their camps, I learned that all the troops German
as well as Spanish, are in open mutiny and have
sworn that they will neither march nor fight until they
receive all arrears of pay. That is good news, indeed,
the Prince exclaimed, It will give us breathing time, of
which we are sadly in need. Were the Spaniards to
(05:17):
march forward. Now they could sweep over Holland, for I
could not put a thousand men in the field to
withstand them. And now, Master Martin, what shall I do
for you? You have received as yet no reward whatever
for the great service you rendered us by the successful
carrying out of your mission to Brussels, to say nothing
of the part you have borne in the defense of Harlem.
(05:38):
I know that you joined us from pure love of
our cause and hatred of Spanish tyranny. Still, that is
no reason why I should not recognize your services. If
you would like it, I would gladly appoint you to
the command of a company of volunteers. I thank you greatly,
your highness, replied ned, but I am far too young
to command men, and pray that you will allow me
(06:00):
to remain near your person and to perform such service
as you may think me capable of. If that be
your wish, it shall be so for the present, the
Prince replied. And it is pleasant to me in these
days when almost every noble in the Netherlands puts a
price on his services, and when even the city's bargain
for every crown piece. They advance to find one who
(06:22):
wants nothing, but now you need rest. When I am
more at leisure, you shall furnish me with further details
of what took place inside Harlem during the siege. The
long defense of Harlem, the enormous expenditure, which it had
cost both in money and life, for no less than
ten thousand soldiers had fallen in the assault or by disease,
(06:43):
induced Alva to make another attempt to win back the
people of Holland, and three days after Ned's return, a
proclamation was sent to every town. He adopted an affectionate tone,
ye are well aware, began the address that the King
has over and over again manifested, did his willingness to
receive his children in however forlorn a condition the prodigals
(07:05):
might return. His Majesty assures you once more that your sins,
however black they may have been, shall be forgiven and
forgotten in the plenitude of royal kindness, if you will
repent and return in season to His Majesty's embrace. Notwithstanding
your manifold crimes, His Majesty still seeks like a hen
(07:27):
calling her chickens to gather you all under the parental wing.
This portion of the document which was by the order
of the magistrates, affixed to the doors of the town halls,
was received with shouts of laughter by the citizens, and
many were the jokes as to the royal hen and
the return of the prodigals. The conclusion of the document
(07:47):
afforded a little further insight into the affectionate disposition of
the Royal bird. If continued the proclamation, ye disregard these
offers of mercy and receive them with closed ears, as heretof,
then we warn you that there is no rigor or cruelty,
however great, which you are not to expect by laying waste,
(08:08):
starvation and the sword in such manner that nowhere shall
remain a relic of that which at present exists. But
his Majesty will strip bar and utterly depopulate the land
and cause it to be inhabited again by strangers, since
otherwise his Majesty would not believe that the will of
God and of his Majesty had been accomplished. This proclamation
(08:30):
produced no effect whatever, for the people of Holland were
well aware that Philip of Spain would never grant that
religious toleration for which they were fighting, and they knew
also that no reliance whatever could be placed in Spanish
promises or oaths. For a month, Alva was occupied in
persuading the troops to return to their duty, and at
last managed to raise a sufficient sum of money to
(08:53):
pay each man a portion of the arrears due to him,
and a few crowns on account of his share of
the ransom paid by Harlem. During this breathing time, the
Prince of Orange was indefatigable in his efforts to raise
a force capable of undertaking the relief of such towns
as the Spanish might invest. This, however, he found well
nigh impossible. The cities were all ready to defend themselves,
(09:16):
but in spite of the danger that threatened, they were
cherry and the extreme and contributing money for the common cause.
Nor would the people enlist for service in the field.
Nothing had occurred to shake the belief in the invincibility
of the Spanish soldiery in fair fight in the open,
and the disasters which had befallen the bodies of volunteers
who had endeavored to relieve Haarlem effectually deterred others from
(09:39):
following their example. The Prince's only hope therefore, of being
able to put a force into the field rested upon
his brother Louis, who was raising an army of mercenaries
in Germany. He had little assurance, however, that relief would
come from this quarter, as the two armies he had
himself raised in Germany had effected absolutely nothing. His efforts
(10:00):
to raise a fleet were more successful. The hardy mariners
of Zealand were ready to fight on their own element,
and asked nothing better than to meet the Spaniards at sea. Nevertheless,
the money had to be raised for the purchase of vessels, stores,
artillery and ammunition. Ned was frequently despatched by the Prince
with letters to magistrates of the chief towns, to nobles
(10:22):
and men of influence, and always performed his duties greatly
to the Prince's satisfaction. As soon as the Duke of
Alva had satisfied the troops, preparations began for a renewal
of hostilities, and the Prince soon learnt that it was
intended that Don Frederick should invade northern Holland with sixteen
thousand men, and that the rest of the army, which
(10:43):
had lately received further reinforcements, should lay siege to Leiden.
The Prince felt confident that Leiden could resist for a time,
but he was very anxious as to the position of
things in North Holland. In the courage and ability of Sonoy,
the Lieutenant Governor of North Hollandland, the Prince had entire confidence,
but it was evident by the tone of his letters
(11:05):
that he had lost all hope of being able to
defend the province, and altogether despaired of the success of
their cause. He had written in desponding tones at the
utterly insufficient means at his disposal for meeting the storm
that was about to burst upon the province, and had
urged that unless the Prince had a good prospect of help,
either from France or England, it was better to give
(11:26):
up the struggle than to bring utter destruction upon the
whole people. The letter in which the Prince answered him
has been preserved and well illustrates the lofty tones of
his communications in this crisis of the fate of Holland.
He reprimanded with gentle but earnest eloquence, the despondency and
want of faith of his lieutenant and other adherents he
(11:46):
had not expected. He said that they would have so
soon forgotten their manly courage. They seemed to consider the
whole fate of the country attached to the city of Haarlem.
He took God to witness that he had spared no
pains and would will willingly have spared no drop of
his blood to save that devoted city. But as notwithstanding
our efforts, he continued, it has pleased God Almighty to
(12:09):
dispose of Haarlem according to his divine will. Shall we
therefore deny and deride His Holy word as his Church
therefore come to naught. You ask if I have entered
and too affirm treaty with any great king or potentate,
to which I answer that, before I ever took up
the cause of the oppressed Christians in these provinces, I
(12:29):
had entered into a close alliance with the King of kings,
And I am firmly convinced that all who put their
trust in Him shall be saved by his almighty hand.
The God of armies will raise up armies for us
to do battle with our enemies and his own. In conclusion,
he detailed his preparations for attacking the enemy by sea
(12:49):
as well as by land, and encouraged his lieutenant and
the population of the northern province to maintain a bold
front before the advancing foe. That Sonoy would do his best.
The Prince was sure, but he knew how difficult it
is for one who himself regards resistance as hopeless to
inspire enthusiasm in others, and he determined to send a
(13:10):
message to cheer the people of North Holland, and urged
them to resist to the last, and to entrust it
to one who could speak personally as to the efforts
that were being made for their assistance, and who was
animated by a real enthusiasm in the cause. It was
an important mission, but after considering the various persons of
his household, he decided to entrust it to the lad
(13:32):
who had showed such courage and discretion in his dangerous
mission to Brussels. A keen observer of character, the Prince
felt that he could trust the young fellow absolutely to
do his best, at whatever risk to himself. He had
believed when he first joined him that ned was some
eighteen years of age, and the year that had since elapsed,
with its dangers and responsibilities, had added two or three
(13:54):
years to his appearance. It was the fashion in Holland
to entirely shave the face, and Ned's smooth cheeks were
therefore no sign of youth. Standing over the average height
of the natives of Holland, with broad shoulders and well
set figure, he might readily pass as a man of
three or four and twenty. The Prince accordingly sent for
the lad I have another mission for you, Master Martin,
(14:18):
and again a dangerous one. The Spaniards are on the
point of marching to lay siege to Alkma, and I
wish a message carried to the citizens, assuring them that
they may rely absolutely upon my relieving them by breaking
down the dikes. I wish you, on this occasion, to
be more than a messenger. In these despatches I have
spoken of you as one Captain Martin, who possesses my
(14:41):
fullest confidence. You would, as you say, be young to
be a captain of a company of fighting men, But
as an officer attached to my household, you can bear
that rank as well as another. It will be useful
and will add to your influence and authority. And I
have therefore appointed you to the grade of captain, of
which by your conduct you have proved yourself to be worthy.
(15:05):
Your mission is to encourage the inhabitants to resist to
the last, to rouse them to enthusiasm if you can,
to give them my solemn promise that they shall not
be deserted, and to assure them that if I cannot
raise a force sufficient to relieve them, I will myself
come round and superintend the operation of cutting the dikes
and laying the whole country under water. I do not
(15:27):
know whether you will find the Lieutenant Governor in the city,
but at any rate, he will not remain there during
the siege, as he has work outside. But I shall
give you a letter recommending you to him, and ask
him to give you his warmest support. The Prince then
took off the gold chain he wore round his neck
and placed it upon ned. I give you this in
(15:48):
the first place, Captain Martin, in token of my esteem
and of my gratitude for the perilous service you have
already rendered, and secondly as a visible mark of my
confidence in you, and as a sign that I have
entrusted you with authority to speak for me. Going as
you now do, it will be best for you to
assume somewhat more courtly garments in order to do credit
(16:11):
to your mission. I have given orders that these shall
be prepared for you, and that you shall be provided
with a suit of armor, such as a young noble
would wear. All will be prepared for you this afternoon
at six o'clock a ship will be in readiness to sail,
and this will land you on the coast at the
nearest point to Alkmar. Should any further point occur to
(16:31):
you before evening, speak to me freely about it. Ned retired,
depressed rather than elated at the confidence the Prince reposed
in him, and at the rank and dignity he had
bestowed upon him. He questioned too, whether he had not
done wrong in not stating at once, when the Prince had,
on his first joining him, set down his age at
(16:51):
over eighteen, that he was two years under that age.
And he hesitated whether he ought not even now to
go to him and state the truth. He will have
done so had he not known how great were the
labors of the Prince, and how incessantly he was occupied,
and so feared to upset his plans and cause him
fresh trouble. Anyhow, he said to himself at last, I
(17:13):
will do my best, and I could do no more
if I were nineteen instead of seventeen. The Prince has
chosen me for this business, not because of my age,
but because he thought I could carry it out, And
carry it out I will, if it be in my power.
In the afternoon, a clothier arrived with several suits of
handsome material and make out of sober colors, such as
(17:34):
a young man of good family would wear, and an
armorer brought him amorion and breast and back pieces of steel,
handsomely inlaid with gold. When he was alone, he attired
himself in the quietest of his new suits, and, looking
at himself in the mirror, burst into a fit of
hearty laughter. What in the world would my father and
mother and the girls say were they to see me
(17:55):
pranked out in such attire as this? They would scarce
know me, and I shall scarce know myself for some time. However,
I think I shall be able to play my part
as the Prince's representative better in these than I should
have done in the dress I started in last time,
or in that I wore on board the good Venture.
At five o'clock, ned paid another visit to the Prince
(18:15):
and thanked him heartily for his kindness. Towards him, and
then received a few last instructions. On his return to
his room, he found a corporal and four soldiers at
the door. The former saluted, we have orders, Captain Martin,
to place ourselves under your command for detached duty. Our
kits are already on board the ship. The men will
carry down your mails if they are packed. I only
(18:37):
take that trunk with me, Ned said, pointing to the
one that contained his new clothes. And there is besides
my armor and that brace of pistols. Followed by the
corporal and men, Ned now made his way down to
the port, where the captain of the little vessel received
him with profound respect. As soon as they were on board,
the sails were hoisted and the vessel ran down the
(18:59):
channel from Delf through the Hague through the sea. On
the following morning, they anchored. Soon after daybreak, a boat
was lowered and Ned and the soldiers landed on the
sandy shore. Followed by them, he made his way over
the high range of sand hills facing the sea, and
then across the low cultivated country extending to Alkmar. He
saw parties of men and women hurrying northward along the
(19:21):
causeways laden with goods and leading in most instances horses
or donkeys staggering under the weights placed upon them. I
think we are but just in time, corporal. The population
of the villages are evidently fleeing before the advance of
the Spaniards. Another day and we should have been too
late to get into the town. Alkmar had been in
sight from the time they had crossed the dunes, and
(19:44):
after walking five miles, they arrived at its gates. Is
the Lieutenant governor in the town, Ned asked one of
the citizens. Yes, he is still here, the man said,
you will find him at the town hall. There was
much excitement in the streets. Armed burghers were standing in groups.
Women were looking anxiously from doors and casements, but Ned
(20:04):
was surprised to see no soldiers about, although he knew
that the eight hundred whom the Prince had dispatched as
a garrison, must have arrived there some days before. On
arriving at the town hall, he found the general seated
at table. In front of him were a group of
elderly men, whom he supposed to be the leading citizens,
and it was evident by the raised voices and angry
(20:24):
looks both of the old officer and of the citizens
that there was some serious difference of opinion between them.
Whom have we here, so NOI asked, as Ned approached
the table, I am a messenger, Sir, from the Prince.
I bear these despatches to yourself, and have also letters
and messages from him to the citizens of Alkmar. You
(20:44):
come at a good season, the governor said, shortly, taking
the despatches, and if anything you can say will soften
the obstinacy of these good people here, you will do
them and me a service. There was silence for a
few minutes as the governor read the letter Ned had
brought him. My good friends, he said, at last to
the citizens, this is Captain Martin, an officer whom the
(21:07):
Prince tells me stands high in his confidence. He bore
part in the siege of Haarlem, and has otherwise done
great service to the state. The Prince commends him most
highly to me and to you. He has sent him
here in the first place to assure you fully of
the Prince's intentions on your behalf. He will especially represent
(21:27):
the Prince during the siege, and from his knowledge of
the methods of defense at Haarlem, of the arrangements for
portioning out the food and other matters. He will be
able to give you valuable advice and assistance. As you
are aware, I ride in an hour to wank Housen
in order to superintend the general arrangement for the defense
of the province and especially for affording you aid. And
(21:51):
I am glad to leave behind me an officer who
is so completely in the confidence of the Prince. He
will first deliver the messages with which he is charged
to you, and then we will hear what he says
as to this matter which is in dispute between us.
The passage of Ned with his escorts through the street
had attracted much attention, and the citizens had followed him
(22:12):
into the hall in considerable numbers to hear the message,
of which he was no doubt the bearer. Ned took
his place by the side of the old officer, and,
facing the crowd, began to speak. At other times he
would have been diffident in addressing a crowded audience, but
he felt that he must justify the confidence imposed on him, and,
knowing the preparations that were being made by the Prince
(22:35):
and his intense anxiety that Alkmar should resist to the end,
he began without hesitation, and speedily forgot himself in the
importance of the subject citizens of Alkmar. He began. The
Prince has sent me specially to tell you what there
is in his mind concerning you, and how his thoughts,
night and day have been turned towards your city. Not
(22:56):
only the Prince, but all Holland are turning their eyes
towards you, And none doubt that you will show yourselves
as worthy, as faithful, and as steadfast as have the
citizens of Harlem. You fight not for glory, but for
your liberty, for your religion, for the honor and the
lives of those dear to you. And yet your glory
and your honor will be great. Indeed, if this little
(23:18):
city of yours should prove the bulwark of Holland and
should beat back from its walls the power of Spain,
the Prince bids me tell you that he is doing
all he can to collect an army and a fleet.
In the latter respect, he is succeeding well. The hardy
seamen of Holland and Zealand are gathering round him, have
sworn that they will clear the zider Zee of the Spaniards,
(23:39):
or die in the attempt. As to the army, it is,
as you know, next to impossible to gather one capable
of coping with the host of Spain in the field.
But happily you need not rely solely upon an army
to save you in your need. Here you have an
advantage over your brethren of Haarlem. There it was impossible
to flood the land round the city, and the dikes
(24:00):
by which the food supply of the Spaniards could have
been cut off, were too strongly guarded to be won,
even when your noble governor himself led his forces against them.
But it is not so here. The dikes are far
away and the Spaniards cannot protect them. Grievous as it
is to the Prince to contemplate the destruction of the
rich country your fathers have won from the sea, he
(24:21):
bids me tell you that he will not hesitate, but
that as a last resource he pledges himself that he
will lay the country under water and drown out the
Spaniards to save you. They have sworn, as you know,
to turn Holland into a desert, to leave none alive
in her cities and villages. Well, then better a thousand
times that we should return it to the ocean from
(24:42):
which we want it, and that then, having cast off
the Spaniards, we should renew the labors of our fathers
and again recover it from the sea. A shout of
applause rang through the hall. But this, Ned went on,
is the last resource and will not be taken until
naught else can be done to save you. It is
for you first to show the Spaniards how the men
(25:04):
of Holland can fight for their freedom, their religion, their families,
and their homes. Then, when you have done all that
men can do, the Prince will prove to the Spaniards
that the men of Holland will lay their country under
water rather than surrender. Does the Prince solemnly bind himself
to do this? One of the elder burghers asked, he does,
and here is his promise in black and white, with
(25:26):
his seal attached. We will retire and let you have
our answer in half an hour. Ned glanced at the Governor,
who shook his head slightly. What is their need of deliberation?
Ned asked, in a voice that was heard all over
the hall, to you citizens at large, I appeal of
what use is it now to deliberate. Have you not
already sent a defiant answer to Alva? Are not his
(25:49):
troops within a day's march of you? Think you that
even if you turn traitors to your country and to
your prince and throw open the gates, it would save you? Now?
Did submission save narde? How many of you think you
would survive the sack? And for those who did so,
what would life be worth? They would live an object
of reproach and scoffing among all true Hollanders as the
(26:10):
men of the city who threatened what they dared not perform,
who were bold while Alva was four days march away,
but who cowered like children when they saw the standards
of Spain approaching their walls. I appeal to you, Is
this a time to hesitate or discuss? I ask you now,
in the name of the Prince? Are you true men
or false? Are you four or injoor? Alva? What is
(26:32):
your answer? A tremendous shout shook the hall. We will
fight to the death, no surrender down with the council,
and there were loud and threatening shouts against some of
the magistrates. The governor now rose, my friends, he said,
I rejoice to hear your decision, and now there is
no time for idle talk. Throw open the gates and
(26:52):
call in the troops whom the Prince has sent to
your aid, and whom your magistrates have hitherto refused to admit.
Choose from among yourselves six men upon whom you can
rely to confer with me and with the officer commanding
the troops. Choose good and worshipful men, zealous in the cause.
I will see before I leave to day that your
(27:13):
magistracy is strengthened. You need now men of heart and
action at your head. Captain Martin, who has been through
the siege of Haarlem, will deliberate with twelve citizens, whom
I will select as to the steps to be taken.
For gathering the food into magazines for the public use,
for issuing daily rations, for organizing the women as well
(27:33):
as the men, for such work as they are fit.
There is much to be done, and but little time
to do it. For tomorrow the Spaniard will be in
front of your walls in an hour's time. The eight
hundred troops marched in from Egmont Castle and Egmont Abbey,
where they had been quartered. While the citizens were wavering
between resistance and submission. Four of the citizens, who had
(27:55):
already been told off for the purpose, met them at
the gate and allotted them quarters in the various houses.
Governor Sonoy was already in deliberation with the six men
chosen by the townspeople to represent them. He had at
once removed from the magistracy an equal number of those
who had been the chief opponents of resistance, for here,
as in other towns, the magistrates had been appointed by
(28:18):
the Spaniards. Ned was busy conferring with the committee and
explaining to them the organization adopted at Harlem. He pointed
out that it was a first necessity that all the
men capable of bearing arms should be divided into companies
of fifty, each of which should select its own captain
and lieutenant. That the names of the women should be
inscribed with their ages. That the active and able bodied
(28:40):
should be divided into companies for carrying materials to the
walls and aiding in the defense when a breach was attacked,
And that the old and feebles should be made useful
in the hospitals and for such other work as their
powers admitted. All children were to join the companies to
which their mothers belonged, and to help as far as
they could in their work. Having set these matters in train,
(29:01):
ned rejoined the governor. I congratulate you, Captain Martin, upon
the service you have rendered to day. Your youth and
enthusiasm have succeeded where my experience failed. You believe in
the possibility of success, and thus your words had a
ring and fervor which were wanting in mine. Fearing as
I do, that the cause is a lost one. I
(29:22):
wondered much when you first presented yourself that the Prince
should have given his confidence to one so young. I
wonder no longer. The Prince never makes a mistake in
his instruments, and he has chosen well this time. I
leave the city to night and shall write to the
Prince from Eenkhausen, telling him how you have brought the
citizens round to a sense of their duty, and that
(29:44):
whereas at the moment of your arrival I believed the
magistrates would throw open the gates to morrow, I am
now convinced the city will resist till the last. In
military matters, the officer in command of the troops will
of course take the direction of things, but in all
all other matters. You, as the Prince's special representative, will
act as adviser of the burghers. I wish I could
(30:06):
stay here and share in the perils of the siege.
It would be far more suitable to my disposition than
arguing with pig headed burghers and trying to excite their
enthusiasm when my own hopes have all but vanished. The
officer commanding the garrison now entered, and the governor introduced
ned to him. You will find in Captain Martin, one
who is in the Prince's confidence and has been sent
(30:29):
here as his special representative, an able coadjutor. He will
organize the citizens as they were organized at Harlem, and
while you are defending the walls, he will see that
all goes on in good order in the town, that
there is no undue waste in provisions, that the breaches
are repaired as fast as made, that the sick and
wounded are well cared for, and that the spirits of
(30:52):
the townspeople are maintained. That will indeed be an assistance,
the officer said courteously. These details are as non necessary
as the work of fighting, and it is impossible for
one man to attend to them. And to see to
his military work. I shall look to you, sir, for
your aid and assistance. Ned said modestly. The Prince is
pleased to have a good opinion of me, But I
(31:14):
am young and shall find the responsibility a very heavy one,
and can only hope to maintain my authority by the
aid of your assistance. I think not that you will
require much aid. Captain Martin, the governor said, I marked
you when you were speaking, and doubt not that your
spirit will carry you through all difficulties. That night was
a busy one in Alkmar. Few thought of sleeping, and
(31:37):
before morning the lists were all prepared. The companies mustered officers,
chosen posts on the wall assigned to them, and every man,
woman and child in Alkmar knew the nature of the
duties they would be called upon to perform. Just before midnight,
the Governor left. Farewell, young man. He said to Ned,
I trust that we may meet again. Now that I
(31:58):
have got rid of the black shape sheep amongst the magistracy,
I feel more hopeful as to the success of the defense.
But may I ask, Sir, why you did not dismiss
them before. Ah, you hardly know the burghers of these towns,
so Nois said, shaking his head. They stand upon their
rights and privileges, and if you touch their civic officers,
they are like a swarm of angry bees. Governor of
(32:21):
North Holland, as I am, I could not have interfered
with the magistracy even of this little town. It was
only because at the moment the people were roused to enthusiasm,
and because they regarded you as the special representative of
the Prince, that I was able to do so. Now
that the act is done, they are well content with
the change, especially as I have appointed the men they
(32:43):
themselves chose to the vacant places. It was the same
thing at Angkhausen. I could do nothing, and it was
only when Sante Aldegonde came with authority from the Prince
himself that we were able to get rid of Alva's creatures. Well,
I must ride away. The Spaniards are encamped aby but
six miles away, and you may expect to see them
soon after daybreak. It was indeed early in the morning
(33:06):
that masses of smoke were seen rising from the village
of Egmont, telling the citizens of Alkmar that the troopers
of Don Frederick had arrived. Alkmar was but a small town,
and when every man capable of bearing arms was mustered,
they numbered only about thirteen hundred besides the eight hundred soldiers.
It was on the twenty first of August that Don Frederick,
(33:27):
with sixteen thousand veteran troops, appeared before the walls of
the town and at once proceeded to invest it, and
accomplished this so thoroughly that Alva wrote it is impossible
for a sparrow to enter or go out of the city.
There was no doubt what the fate of the inhabitants
would be if the city were captured. The Duke was
(33:47):
furious that what he considered his extraordinary clemency in having
executed only some twenty four hundred persons at the surrender
of Haarlem, should not have been met with the gratitude
it deserved. If I take Alkmar, he wrote to the King,
I am resolved not to leave a single person alive.
The knife shall be put to every throat. Since the
(34:07):
example of Harlem has proved to be of no use,
perhaps an example of cruelty will bring the other cities
to their senses. End of Chapter fifteen
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