September 2, 2025 • 24 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)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter seventeen 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 seventeen A Rescue. At twelve o'clock on the following day,
Ned went to the town hall, and, on stating that
he was the bearer of an order from the Council,
(00:23):
was at once shown into the chamber in which three
of the magistrates were sitting. I am the bearer of
an order from the Council for the delivery to me
of the persons of the Countess von Harp, her daughter
and the woman arrested in company with them, for conveyance
to Brussels, there to answer the charges against them. This
is the order of the Council, with their seal, ordering
(00:44):
all magistrates to render assistance to me as one of
their servants. This is the special order for the handing
over to me of the prisoners named. The magistrates took
the first order, glanced at it and at the seal,
and perfectly satisfied with this, gave a casual glance at
that for thems transferring of the prisoners. I think you
were about a year since with Council Vonnaardt. One of
(01:06):
the magistrates said, Ned bowed.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
By the way.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Did I not hear that you were missing or that
some misfortune had befallen you some months since? I have
a vague recollection of doing so. Yes, I was sorely
maltreated by a band of robber peasants who left me
for dead, But as you see, I am now completely recovered.
I suppose you have some men with you to escort
the prisoners, one of the magistrates asked, assuredly, Ned replied,
(01:33):
I have with me three men behind whom the women
will ride. The magistrates countersigned the order upon the governor
of the prison to hand over the three prisoners, and
gave it with the letter of the council to Ned.
He bowed and retired. I should not have remembered him again,
the magistrate, who had been the chief speaker said, after
he had left the room, had it not been for
(01:55):
that villainous cast in his eyes? I remember noticing it
when he was here last time, and wondered that Vaughan
arch should like to have a man whose eyes were
so cross ways about him. Otherwise I do not recall
the face at all, which is not surprising, seeing that
I only saw him for a minute or two and
noticed nothing but that abominable squint of his. Ned walked
(02:17):
back to his inn, ordered his horse to be saddled
at two o'clock, and partook of a hearty meal. Then,
paying his reckoning, he went out and mounted his horse.
As he did so, three men in green doublets and
red hose rode up and took their places behind him.
On arriving at the prison, he dismounted, and, handing his
horse to one of his followers, entered, I have an
(02:39):
order from the council, countersigned by the magistrates here for
the delivery to me of three prisoners. The warder showed
him into a room. The governor is ill, he said,
and confined to his bed, but I will take the
order to him. Ned was pleased with the news, for
he thought it likely that Janet might have been there
before on similar errands, and his person be known to
(03:01):
the governor. In ten minutes, the warder returned. The prisoners
are without, he said, and ready to depart. Pulling his
bonnet well down over his eyes, Ned went out into
the courtyard. You are to accompany me to Brussels Countess.
He said, gruffly horses are waiting for you. Without The
Countess did not even glance at the official who had
(03:21):
thus come to convey her to what was in all
probability death, but followed through the gate into the street.
The men backed their horses up to the block of
stone used for mounting. Ned assisted the females to the pillions,
and when they were seated, mounted his own horse and
led the way down the street. Many of the people
as they passed along groaned or hooted, for the feeling
(03:43):
in Maastricht was strongly in favor of the patriot's side,
a feeling for which they were some years later to
be punished by almost total destruction of the city and
the slaughter of the greater portion of its inhabitants. Ned
paid no attention to these demonstrations, but, quickening his horse
into a trot, rode along the street and out of
the gate of the city. As the road was a
(04:05):
frequented one, he maintained his place at the head of
the party until they had left the city, nearly two
miles behind them. On arriving at a small cross road,
one of the men said, this is the way, sir.
It is up this road that the cart is waiting.
Ned now reined back his horse to the side of
that on which the Countess was riding. Countess, he said,
have you forgotten the English lad you aided a year
(04:27):
ago in Brussels? The Countess started. I recognize you now, sir,
she said coldly, and little did I think at that
time that I should next see you as an officer
of the Council of Blood. Ned smiled. Your mistake is
a natural one, Countess. But in point of fact, I
am still in the service of the Prince of Orange,
and have only assumed this garb as a means of
(04:48):
getting you and your daughter out of the hands of
those murderers. I am happy to say that you are
free to go where you will. These good fellows are
like myself, disguised and are at your service. In a
few minutes we shall come to a cart which will
take you wheresoever you like to go, and there are
disguises similar to those with which you once fitted me
out in readiness for you. There. The surprise of the
(05:11):
Countess for a moment kept her silent, but Gertrude, who
had overheard what was said, burst into exclamations of delight.
Pardon me for having doubted you, the Countess exclaimed, much affected.
No pardon is required, Countess, seeing that the prison authorities
handed you over to me, you could not but have
supposed that I was as I seemed, in the service
(05:32):
of the council. Just at this moment they came upon
a cart drawn up by the roadside. Ned assisted the
Countess and her daughter to alight, and while he was
rendering similar assistance to the old servant, mother and daughter
threw themselves into each other's arms and wept with delight
at this unexpected delivery that had befallen them. It was
(05:53):
some time before they were sufficiently recovered to speak. But
how do you come here, the countess asked Ned, And
how have you affected this miracle? Ned briefly related how
he had heard of their captivity and the manner in
which he had been enabled to effect their escape. And now, Countess,
he said, the day is wearing on, and it is
(06:13):
necessary that you should at once decide upon your plans.
Will you again try to make to the German frontier
or to the sea coast, or remain in hiding here?
We cannot make for Germany without again crossing the Mars.
The countess said, and it is a long way to
the sea coast. What say you, Magdalen? I think the
old woman.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Said that you had best carry out the advice I
gave you before. It is a little more than twelve
miles from here to the village, where as I told you,
I have relations living. We can hire a house there,
and there is no chance of your being recognized. I
can send a boy thence to Brussels to fetch the
jewels and money you left in charge of your friend,
(06:54):
the Count von d'ort there.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
That will certainly be the best way, Magdalen. We can
wait there there until either there is some change in
the state of affairs, or until we can find some
safe way of escape. It is fortunate, indeed, that I
left my jewels in Brussels, instead of taking them with me,
as I had at first intended. It will hardly be necessary,
will it, She asked ned to put on the disguises,
(07:19):
for nothing in the world can be simpler than our
dresses at present. You had certainly best put the peasant
cloaks and caps on. Inquiries are sure to be made
all through the country when they find at Mastricht, how
they have been tricked. Three peasant women in a cart
will attract no attention whatever, even in passing through villages.
But dressed as you are now, someone might notice you
(07:39):
and recall it if inquiries were made. The three men
who had aided in the scheme had ridden off as
soon as the cart was reached, and Ned, being anxious
that the party should be upon their way, and desirous
too of avoiding the expressions of gratitude of the three women,
hurried them into the cart. It was not necessary for
them to change their garments, as the peasant's cloaks completely
(08:02):
enveloped them, and the high head dresses quite changed their appearance.
Do not forget, Countess, I hope some day to see
you in England, Ned said, as they took their seats.
I will not forget, the Countess, said, and only wish
that at present I was on my way thither. After
a warm farewell, and seeing the cart fairly on its way,
(08:22):
Ned mounted his horse and rode northwest. He slept that
night at Hiernthos, and on the following night Atois le
duc Here he sold his horse for a few crowns,
and taking boat proceeded down the Domol into the mas
and then on to Rotterdam. On his arrival at Delft,
he was heartily welcomed by the Prince, who was greatly
pleased to hear that he had, without any accident or hitch,
(08:46):
carried out successfully the plan he had proposed to himself.
Three weeks later, the Prince heard from his correspondent at Mastricht.
The letter was cautiously worded, as were all those interchanged,
lest it should fall into the hands of the Spanish.
There has been some excitement here a week since a
messenger arrived from Brussels with orders that three female prisoners
(09:07):
confined here should be sent at once to Brussels. But
curiously enough it was found that the three prisoners in
question had been handed over upon the receipt of a
previous order. This is now pronounced to be a forgery,
and it is evident that the authorities have been tricked.
There has been much search and inquiry, but no clue
whatever has been obtained as to the direction taken by
(09:28):
the fugitives or concerning those engaged in this impudent adventure.
Alva's reign of terror and cruelty was now drawing to
an end. His successor was on his way out, and
the last days of his administration were embittered by his
failure of his plans, the retreat of his army from
before Alkmar and the naval defeat from the zider Z.
(09:49):
But he continued his cruelties to the end. Massacres on
a grand scale were soon carried on, and a nobleman
named euten Hove, who had been taken prisoner, was conde
to be roasted to death before a slow fire, and
was accordingly fastened by a chain to a stake around
which a huge fire was kindled. He suffered in slow
(10:10):
torture a long time until despatched by the executioner with
a spear, a piece of humanity that greatly angered the Duke.
Alva had contracted an enormous amount of debt, both public
and private, in Amsterdam, and now caused a proclamation to
be issued that all persons having demands upon him were
to present their claims on a certain day. On the
(10:32):
previous night, he and his train noiselessly took their departure.
The heavy debts remained unpaid, and many opulent families were
reduced to beggary. Such was the result of the confidence
of the people of Amsterdam in the honor of their tyrant.
On the seventeenth of November, Don Louis de Requiseeinne, Grand
Commander of Saint Iago, Alva's successor, arrived in Brussels, and
(10:55):
on the eighteenth of December the Duke of Alva left.
He is said to have boasted on his way home
that he had caused eighteen thousand inhabitants of the provinces
to be executed during the period of his government. This was, however,
a mere nothing to the number who had perished in battle, siege,
starvation and massacre. After the departure of their tyrant, the
(11:17):
people of the Netherlands breathed more freely, for they hoped
that under their new governor there would be a remission
in the terrible agony they had suffered, and for a
time his proclamations were of a conciliatory nature. But it
was soon seen that there was no change in policy.
Peace was to be given only on the condition of
all Protestants recanting or leaving their country. The first military
(11:41):
effort of the new governor was to endeavor to relieve
the city of Middelburg the capital of the island of Vulcarin,
which had long been besieged by the Protestants. Mandragun, the
governor was sorely pressed by famine and could hold out
but little longer unless rescue came. The importance of the
city was felt by both parts parties. Requizene himself went
(12:02):
up to bergenope Zum, where seventy five ships were collected
under the command nominally of Admiral de Glines, but really
under that of Julian Romero, while another fleet of thirty
ships was assembled at Antwerp under d'avela and moved down
towards Flushing, there to await the arrival of that of Romero.
Upon the other hand, the Prince of Orange collected a
(12:24):
powerful fleet under the command of Admiral Boisseau, and himself
paid a visit to the ships and assembling the officers,
roused them to enthusiasm by a stirring address. On the
twentieth of January, the good venture again entered the port
of Delft, and, hearing that the battle was expected in
a few days, Captain Martin determined to take part in it.
(12:45):
As soon as he had unloaded his cargo. He called
the crew together and informed them of his determination, but
said that as this was no quarrel of theirs, and
he who chose, could remain on shore until his return.
But Englishmen felt that the cause of Holland was their own,
and not a single man on board availed himself of
this permission. Ned informed the Prince of Orange of his
(13:07):
father's intention and asked leave to accompany him. Assuredly, you
may go if you please, the Prince said, but I
fear that sooner or later the fortune of war will
deprive me of you, and I should miss you much moreover.
Almost every sailor in port is already in one or
other of Wasseau's ships, and I fear that with your
(13:28):
weak crew, you would have little chance if engaged with
one of these Spanish ships full of men. We have
enough to work our cannon, Sir Ned said. Besides, I
think we may be able to beat up some volunteers.
There are many English ships in port waiting for cargoes,
which come in but slowly, and I doubt not that
some of them will gladly strike a blow against the Spaniards.
(13:50):
Ned and Peters accordingly went round among the English vessels
and in the course of two hours had collected a
hundred volunteers. In those days, every Englishman regarded a Spaniard
as a natural enemy. Drake and Hawkins and other valiant
captains were warring fiercely against them in the Indian seas,
and officers and men in the ships in Delft were
(14:11):
alike eager to join in the forthcoming struggle against them.
The good venture had flying the Dutch flag, joined Boisseau's
fleet at Romersville, a few miles below Bergen, on the
twenty seventh of January, and when the Hollanders became aware
of the nationality of the vessel which had just joined them,
they welcomed them with tremendous cheers. Two days later, the
(14:32):
fleet of Romero were seen coming down the river in
three divisions. When the first of the Spanish ships came near,
they delivered a broadside, which did considerable execution among the
Dutch fleet. There was no time for further cannonading. A
few minutes later the fleets met in the narrow channel,
and the ships, grappling with each other, a hand to
hand struggle began. The fighting was of the most desperate character.
(14:56):
No quarter was asked or given on either side, and
men fought with fury, hand to hand upon decks slippery
with blood, but the combat did not last long. The
Spaniards had little confidence in themselves on board ship, Their
discipline was now of little advantage to them, and the
savage fury with which the Zealanders fought shook their courage.
(15:17):
Fifteen ships were speedily captured and twelve hundred Spaniards slain,
and the remainder of the fleet, which, on account of
the narrowness of the passage, had not been able to
come into action, retreated to Bergen Roumero himself, whose ship
had grounded, sprang out of a porthole and swam ashore
and landed at the very feet of the Grand Commander,
(15:38):
who had been standing all day upon the dike in
the midst of a pouring rain, only to be a
witness of the total defeat of his fleet. Mongragon now capitulated,
receiving honorable conditions. The troops were allowed to leave the
place with their arms, ammunition and personal property, and Mondragon
engaged himself to procure the release of Sante a Lagonde
(16:00):
and four other prisoners of rank, or to return and
give himself up as a prisoner of war. Requisinne, however,
neither granted the release of the prisoners nor permitted Mondragon
to return. It was well for these prisoners that Bossu
was in the hands of the Prince. Had it not
been for this, they would have all been put to death.
(16:20):
With the fall of Middelburg, the Dutch and Zealanders remained
masters of the entire line of sea coast, but on
land the situation was still perilous. Leiden was closely invested,
and all communications by land between the various cities suspended.
The sole hope that remained was in the army raised
by Count Louis. He had raised three thousand cavalry and
(16:43):
six thousand infantry, and, accompanied by the prince's other two brothers,
crossed the Rhine in a snowstorm and marched towards Maastricht.
The Prince of Orange had, on his part, with the
greatest difficulty, raised six thousand infantry and wrote to Count
Louis to move to join him in the Isle of
Baummel after he had reduced Maastricht. But the expedition, like
(17:05):
those before it, was destined to failure. A thousand men deserted,
seven hundred more were killed in a night surprise, and
the rest were mutinous for their pay. Finally, Count Louis
found himself confronted by a force somewhat inferior in numbers
to his own. But the Spanish infantry were well disciplined
and obedient. Those of Louis were mercenaries and discontented, and
(17:27):
although at first his cavalry gained an advantage, it was
a short one, and after a fierce action, his army
was entirely defeated. Count Louis, finding that the day was lost,
gathered a little band of troopers, and with his brother,
Count Henry and Christopher, son of the Elector Palatine, charged
into the midst of the enemy. They were never heard
(17:48):
of more. The battle terminated in a horrible butchery. At
least four thousand men were either killed in the field,
suffocated in the marshes, drowned in the river, or burned
in the farm houses in which they had taken refuge.
Count Louis and his brother and friend probably fell on
the field, but stripped of their clothing, disfigured by wounds
(18:09):
and the trampling of horses, their bodies were never recognized.
The defeat of the army and the death of his
two brave brothers was a terrible blow to the Prince
of Orange. He was indeed paying dear for his devotion
to his country. His splendid fortune had been entirely spent.
His life had been one of incessant toil and anxiety.
(18:29):
His life had been several times threatened with assassination. He
had seen as every plan dwarted save on the sandy
slip of coast by the ocean. The whole of the
Netherlands was still prostrate beneath the foot of the Spaniard.
And now he had lost two of his brothers. England
and France had alternately encouraged and stood aloof from him.
(18:50):
And after all these efforts and sacrifices, the prospects of
ultimate success were gloomy in the extreme. Fortunately, the Spaniards
were not able to take full advance of their victory
over the army of Count Louis. They differed from the
German mercenaries inasmuch as that while the latter mutinied before
they fought, the Spaniards fought first and mutinied afterwards. Having
(19:11):
won a great battle, they now proceeded to defy their generals.
Three years pay were due to them, and they took
the steps that they had always adopted upon these occasions.
A commander, called the Eletto was chosen by acclamation. A
board of councilors was appointed to assist and control him.
While the councilors were narrowly watched by the soldiers, they
(19:33):
crossed the mas and marched to Antwerp. The Grand Commander
hastened there to meet them, and when they arrived in
perfect military order, he appeared before them on horseback and
made them an oration, promising that their demands should be satisfied.
The soldiers simply replied, we want money, not words. Requizan
consulted the city council and demanded four hundred thousand crowns
(19:57):
to satisfy the troops. The citizens hesitated at providing so
enormous an amount, knowing by past experience that it would
never be repaid. The soldiers, however, employed their usual methods.
They quartered themselves upon the houses of the citizens and
insisted upon being supplied with rich food, wine, and luxuries
of all kinds. And in a week or two the
(20:19):
burghers saw that they must either pay or be ruined.
An offer was accordingly made of ten months arrears in cash,
five months in silks and woolen cloths, and the rest
in promises to be fulfilled within a few days. The
Aletto declared that he considered the terms satisfactory, whereupon the
troops at once deposed him and elected another. Carousing and
(20:42):
merrymaking went on at the expense of the citizens, and
after suffering for some weeks from the extortions and annoyance
of the soldiers, the four hundred thousand crowns demanded by
Requisant were paid over, and the soldiers received all their
paid due, either in money or goods. A great banquet
was held by the whole mass of soldiery, and there
(21:02):
was a scene of furious revelry. The soldiers arrayed themselves
in costumes cut from the materials they had just received. Broadcloths, silks, satins,
and gold embroidered brocades were hung in fantastic drapery over
their ragged garments, and when the banquet was finished, gambling began.
But when they were in the midst of their revelry,
the sound of cannon was heard. Bosseau had sailed up
(21:25):
the Skelt to attack the fleet of the Avella, which
had hastened up to Antwerp for refuge. After the defeat
of Romero. There was a short and sharp action, and
fourteen of the Spanish ships were burnt or sunk. The
soldiers swarmed down to the dike and opened a fire
of musketry upon the Dutch. They were, however, too far
off to effect any damage, and Bosseau, with a few
(21:47):
parting broadsides, sailed triumphantly down the river, having again struck
a heavy blow at the naval power of Spain. The
siege of Leiden had been raised when Count Louis crossed
the Rhine, the troops being called in from all parts
to oppose his progress. The Prince of Orange urged upon
the citizens to lose no time in preparing themselves for
(22:08):
a second siege, to strengthen their walls, and above all
to lay in stores of provisions. But as ever, the
Dutch Burghers, although ready to fight and to suffer when
the pinch came, were slow and apathetic. Unless in the
face of necessity, and in spite of the orders and
entreaties of the Prince, nothing whatever was done, and the Spaniards,
(22:30):
when they returned before the city on the twenty sixth
of May, after two months absence, found the town as
unprepared for resistance as it had been at their first coming,
and that the citizens had not even taken the trouble
to destroy the forts that they had raised round it.
Leiden stood in the midst of broad and fruitful pastures
reclaimed from the sea. Around were numerous villages with blooming
(22:53):
gardens and rich orchards. Innumerable canals cut up the country,
and entering the city, formed its street. These canals were
shaded with trees, crossed by one hundred forty five bridges.
Upon an artificial elevation. In the center of the city
rose a ruined tower of great antiquity, assigned either to
the Saxons before they crossed to England, or with greater probability,
(23:16):
to the Romans. The force which now appeared before the
town consisted of eight thousand Walloons and Germans. Commanded by Valdez.
They lost no time in taking possession of the Hague
and all the villages and forts round Leiden. Five hundred
English volunteers, under command of Colonel Chester, abandoned the fort
of Valkenburg, which had been entrusted to them, and fled
(23:39):
towards Leiden, not as yet had the English soldiers learnt
to stand before the Spaniards. But the time was ere
long to come, when, having acquired confidence in themselves, they
were to prove themselves more than a match for the
veterans of Spain. The people of Leiden refused to open
their gates to the fugitives, and they surrendered to Valdez
(24:00):
as at that moment a mission was on the point
of starting from Requisent to Queen Elizabeth. The lives of
the prisoners were spared and they were sent back to England.
End of Chapter seventeen.
Chapter seventeen 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 seventeen A Rescue. At twelve o'clock on the following day,
Ned went to the town hall, and, on stating that
he was the bearer of an order from the Council,
(00:23):
was at once shown into the chamber in which three
of the magistrates were sitting. I am the bearer of
an order from the Council for the delivery to me
of the persons of the Countess von Harp, her daughter
and the woman arrested in company with them, for conveyance
to Brussels, there to answer the charges against them. This
is the order of the Council, with their seal, ordering
(00:44):
all magistrates to render assistance to me as one of
their servants. This is the special order for the handing
over to me of the prisoners named. The magistrates took
the first order, glanced at it and at the seal,
and perfectly satisfied with this, gave a casual glance at
that for thems transferring of the prisoners. I think you
were about a year since with Council Vonnaardt. One of
(01:06):
the magistrates said, Ned bowed.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
By the way.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Did I not hear that you were missing or that
some misfortune had befallen you some months since? I have
a vague recollection of doing so. Yes, I was sorely
maltreated by a band of robber peasants who left me
for dead, But as you see, I am now completely recovered.
I suppose you have some men with you to escort
the prisoners, one of the magistrates asked, assuredly, Ned replied,
(01:33):
I have with me three men behind whom the women
will ride. The magistrates countersigned the order upon the governor
of the prison to hand over the three prisoners, and
gave it with the letter of the council to Ned.
He bowed and retired. I should not have remembered him again,
the magistrate, who had been the chief speaker said, after
he had left the room, had it not been for
(01:55):
that villainous cast in his eyes? I remember noticing it
when he was here last time, and wondered that Vaughan
arch should like to have a man whose eyes were
so cross ways about him. Otherwise I do not recall
the face at all, which is not surprising, seeing that
I only saw him for a minute or two and
noticed nothing but that abominable squint of his. Ned walked
(02:17):
back to his inn, ordered his horse to be saddled
at two o'clock, and partook of a hearty meal. Then,
paying his reckoning, he went out and mounted his horse.
As he did so, three men in green doublets and
red hose rode up and took their places behind him.
On arriving at the prison, he dismounted, and, handing his
horse to one of his followers, entered, I have an
(02:39):
order from the council, countersigned by the magistrates here for
the delivery to me of three prisoners. The warder showed
him into a room. The governor is ill, he said,
and confined to his bed, but I will take the
order to him. Ned was pleased with the news, for
he thought it likely that Janet might have been there
before on similar errands, and his person be known to
(03:01):
the governor. In ten minutes, the warder returned. The prisoners
are without, he said, and ready to depart. Pulling his
bonnet well down over his eyes, Ned went out into
the courtyard. You are to accompany me to Brussels Countess.
He said, gruffly horses are waiting for you. Without The
Countess did not even glance at the official who had
(03:21):
thus come to convey her to what was in all
probability death, but followed through the gate into the street.
The men backed their horses up to the block of
stone used for mounting. Ned assisted the females to the pillions,
and when they were seated, mounted his own horse and
led the way down the street. Many of the people
as they passed along groaned or hooted, for the feeling
(03:43):
in Maastricht was strongly in favor of the patriot's side,
a feeling for which they were some years later to
be punished by almost total destruction of the city and
the slaughter of the greater portion of its inhabitants. Ned
paid no attention to these demonstrations, but, quickening his horse
into a trot, rode along the street and out of
the gate of the city. As the road was a
(04:05):
frequented one, he maintained his place at the head of
the party until they had left the city, nearly two
miles behind them. On arriving at a small cross road,
one of the men said, this is the way, sir.
It is up this road that the cart is waiting.
Ned now reined back his horse to the side of
that on which the Countess was riding. Countess, he said,
have you forgotten the English lad you aided a year
(04:27):
ago in Brussels? The Countess started. I recognize you now, sir,
she said coldly, and little did I think at that
time that I should next see you as an officer
of the Council of Blood. Ned smiled. Your mistake is
a natural one, Countess. But in point of fact, I
am still in the service of the Prince of Orange,
and have only assumed this garb as a means of
(04:48):
getting you and your daughter out of the hands of
those murderers. I am happy to say that you are
free to go where you will. These good fellows are
like myself, disguised and are at your service. In a
few minutes we shall come to a cart which will
take you wheresoever you like to go, and there are
disguises similar to those with which you once fitted me
out in readiness for you. There. The surprise of the
(05:11):
Countess for a moment kept her silent, but Gertrude, who
had overheard what was said, burst into exclamations of delight.
Pardon me for having doubted you, the Countess exclaimed, much affected.
No pardon is required, Countess, seeing that the prison authorities
handed you over to me, you could not but have
supposed that I was as I seemed, in the service
(05:32):
of the council. Just at this moment they came upon
a cart drawn up by the roadside. Ned assisted the
Countess and her daughter to alight, and while he was
rendering similar assistance to the old servant, mother and daughter
threw themselves into each other's arms and wept with delight
at this unexpected delivery that had befallen them. It was
(05:53):
some time before they were sufficiently recovered to speak. But
how do you come here, the countess asked Ned, And
how have you affected this miracle? Ned briefly related how
he had heard of their captivity and the manner in
which he had been enabled to effect their escape. And now, Countess,
he said, the day is wearing on, and it is
(06:13):
necessary that you should at once decide upon your plans.
Will you again try to make to the German frontier
or to the sea coast, or remain in hiding here?
We cannot make for Germany without again crossing the Mars.
The countess said, and it is a long way to
the sea coast. What say you, Magdalen? I think the
old woman.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Said that you had best carry out the advice I
gave you before. It is a little more than twelve
miles from here to the village, where as I told you,
I have relations living. We can hire a house there,
and there is no chance of your being recognized. I
can send a boy thence to Brussels to fetch the
jewels and money you left in charge of your friend,
(06:54):
the Count von d'ort there.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
That will certainly be the best way, Magdalen. We can
wait there there until either there is some change in
the state of affairs, or until we can find some
safe way of escape. It is fortunate, indeed, that I
left my jewels in Brussels, instead of taking them with me,
as I had at first intended. It will hardly be necessary,
will it, She asked ned to put on the disguises,
(07:19):
for nothing in the world can be simpler than our
dresses at present. You had certainly best put the peasant
cloaks and caps on. Inquiries are sure to be made
all through the country when they find at Mastricht, how
they have been tricked. Three peasant women in a cart
will attract no attention whatever, even in passing through villages.
But dressed as you are now, someone might notice you
(07:39):
and recall it if inquiries were made. The three men
who had aided in the scheme had ridden off as
soon as the cart was reached, and Ned, being anxious
that the party should be upon their way, and desirous
too of avoiding the expressions of gratitude of the three women,
hurried them into the cart. It was not necessary for
them to change their garments, as the peasant's cloaks completely
(08:02):
enveloped them, and the high head dresses quite changed their appearance.
Do not forget, Countess, I hope some day to see
you in England, Ned said, as they took their seats.
I will not forget, the Countess, said, and only wish
that at present I was on my way thither. After
a warm farewell, and seeing the cart fairly on its way,
(08:22):
Ned mounted his horse and rode northwest. He slept that
night at Hiernthos, and on the following night Atois le
duc Here he sold his horse for a few crowns,
and taking boat proceeded down the Domol into the mas
and then on to Rotterdam. On his arrival at Delft,
he was heartily welcomed by the Prince, who was greatly
pleased to hear that he had, without any accident or hitch,
(08:46):
carried out successfully the plan he had proposed to himself.
Three weeks later, the Prince heard from his correspondent at Mastricht.
The letter was cautiously worded, as were all those interchanged,
lest it should fall into the hands of the Spanish.
There has been some excitement here a week since a
messenger arrived from Brussels with orders that three female prisoners
(09:07):
confined here should be sent at once to Brussels. But
curiously enough it was found that the three prisoners in
question had been handed over upon the receipt of a
previous order. This is now pronounced to be a forgery,
and it is evident that the authorities have been tricked.
There has been much search and inquiry, but no clue
whatever has been obtained as to the direction taken by
(09:28):
the fugitives or concerning those engaged in this impudent adventure.
Alva's reign of terror and cruelty was now drawing to
an end. His successor was on his way out, and
the last days of his administration were embittered by his
failure of his plans, the retreat of his army from
before Alkmar and the naval defeat from the zider Z.
(09:49):
But he continued his cruelties to the end. Massacres on
a grand scale were soon carried on, and a nobleman
named euten Hove, who had been taken prisoner, was conde
to be roasted to death before a slow fire, and
was accordingly fastened by a chain to a stake around
which a huge fire was kindled. He suffered in slow
(10:10):
torture a long time until despatched by the executioner with
a spear, a piece of humanity that greatly angered the Duke.
Alva had contracted an enormous amount of debt, both public
and private, in Amsterdam, and now caused a proclamation to
be issued that all persons having demands upon him were
to present their claims on a certain day. On the
(10:32):
previous night, he and his train noiselessly took their departure.
The heavy debts remained unpaid, and many opulent families were
reduced to beggary. Such was the result of the confidence
of the people of Amsterdam in the honor of their tyrant.
On the seventeenth of November, Don Louis de Requiseeinne, Grand
Commander of Saint Iago, Alva's successor, arrived in Brussels, and
(10:55):
on the eighteenth of December the Duke of Alva left.
He is said to have boasted on his way home
that he had caused eighteen thousand inhabitants of the provinces
to be executed during the period of his government. This was, however,
a mere nothing to the number who had perished in battle, siege,
starvation and massacre. After the departure of their tyrant, the
(11:17):
people of the Netherlands breathed more freely, for they hoped
that under their new governor there would be a remission
in the terrible agony they had suffered, and for a
time his proclamations were of a conciliatory nature. But it
was soon seen that there was no change in policy.
Peace was to be given only on the condition of
all Protestants recanting or leaving their country. The first military
(11:41):
effort of the new governor was to endeavor to relieve
the city of Middelburg the capital of the island of Vulcarin,
which had long been besieged by the Protestants. Mandragun, the
governor was sorely pressed by famine and could hold out
but little longer unless rescue came. The importance of the
city was felt by both parts parties. Requizene himself went
(12:02):
up to bergenope Zum, where seventy five ships were collected
under the command nominally of Admiral de Glines, but really
under that of Julian Romero, while another fleet of thirty
ships was assembled at Antwerp under d'avela and moved down
towards Flushing, there to await the arrival of that of Romero.
Upon the other hand, the Prince of Orange collected a
(12:24):
powerful fleet under the command of Admiral Boisseau, and himself
paid a visit to the ships and assembling the officers,
roused them to enthusiasm by a stirring address. On the
twentieth of January, the good venture again entered the port
of Delft, and, hearing that the battle was expected in
a few days, Captain Martin determined to take part in it.
(12:45):
As soon as he had unloaded his cargo. He called
the crew together and informed them of his determination, but
said that as this was no quarrel of theirs, and
he who chose, could remain on shore until his return.
But Englishmen felt that the cause of Holland was their own,
and not a single man on board availed himself of
this permission. Ned informed the Prince of Orange of his
(13:07):
father's intention and asked leave to accompany him. Assuredly, you
may go if you please, the Prince said, but I
fear that sooner or later the fortune of war will
deprive me of you, and I should miss you much moreover.
Almost every sailor in port is already in one or
other of Wasseau's ships, and I fear that with your
(13:28):
weak crew, you would have little chance if engaged with
one of these Spanish ships full of men. We have
enough to work our cannon, Sir Ned said. Besides, I
think we may be able to beat up some volunteers.
There are many English ships in port waiting for cargoes,
which come in but slowly, and I doubt not that
some of them will gladly strike a blow against the Spaniards.
(13:50):
Ned and Peters accordingly went round among the English vessels
and in the course of two hours had collected a
hundred volunteers. In those days, every Englishman regarded a Spaniard
as a natural enemy. Drake and Hawkins and other valiant
captains were warring fiercely against them in the Indian seas,
and officers and men in the ships in Delft were
(14:11):
alike eager to join in the forthcoming struggle against them.
The good venture had flying the Dutch flag, joined Boisseau's
fleet at Romersville, a few miles below Bergen, on the
twenty seventh of January, and when the Hollanders became aware
of the nationality of the vessel which had just joined them,
they welcomed them with tremendous cheers. Two days later, the
(14:32):
fleet of Romero were seen coming down the river in
three divisions. When the first of the Spanish ships came near,
they delivered a broadside, which did considerable execution among the
Dutch fleet. There was no time for further cannonading. A
few minutes later the fleets met in the narrow channel,
and the ships, grappling with each other, a hand to
hand struggle began. The fighting was of the most desperate character.
(14:56):
No quarter was asked or given on either side, and
men fought with fury, hand to hand upon decks slippery
with blood, but the combat did not last long. The
Spaniards had little confidence in themselves on board ship, Their
discipline was now of little advantage to them, and the
savage fury with which the Zealanders fought shook their courage.
(15:17):
Fifteen ships were speedily captured and twelve hundred Spaniards slain,
and the remainder of the fleet, which, on account of
the narrowness of the passage, had not been able to
come into action, retreated to Bergen Roumero himself, whose ship
had grounded, sprang out of a porthole and swam ashore
and landed at the very feet of the Grand Commander,
(15:38):
who had been standing all day upon the dike in
the midst of a pouring rain, only to be a
witness of the total defeat of his fleet. Mongragon now capitulated,
receiving honorable conditions. The troops were allowed to leave the
place with their arms, ammunition and personal property, and Mondragon
engaged himself to procure the release of Sante a Lagonde
(16:00):
and four other prisoners of rank, or to return and
give himself up as a prisoner of war. Requisinne, however,
neither granted the release of the prisoners nor permitted Mondragon
to return. It was well for these prisoners that Bossu
was in the hands of the Prince. Had it not
been for this, they would have all been put to death.
(16:20):
With the fall of Middelburg, the Dutch and Zealanders remained
masters of the entire line of sea coast, but on
land the situation was still perilous. Leiden was closely invested,
and all communications by land between the various cities suspended.
The sole hope that remained was in the army raised
by Count Louis. He had raised three thousand cavalry and
(16:43):
six thousand infantry, and, accompanied by the prince's other two brothers,
crossed the Rhine in a snowstorm and marched towards Maastricht.
The Prince of Orange had, on his part, with the
greatest difficulty, raised six thousand infantry and wrote to Count
Louis to move to join him in the Isle of
Baummel after he had reduced Maastricht. But the expedition, like
(17:05):
those before it, was destined to failure. A thousand men deserted,
seven hundred more were killed in a night surprise, and
the rest were mutinous for their pay. Finally, Count Louis
found himself confronted by a force somewhat inferior in numbers
to his own. But the Spanish infantry were well disciplined
and obedient. Those of Louis were mercenaries and discontented, and
(17:27):
although at first his cavalry gained an advantage, it was
a short one, and after a fierce action, his army
was entirely defeated. Count Louis, finding that the day was lost,
gathered a little band of troopers, and with his brother,
Count Henry and Christopher, son of the Elector Palatine, charged
into the midst of the enemy. They were never heard
(17:48):
of more. The battle terminated in a horrible butchery. At
least four thousand men were either killed in the field,
suffocated in the marshes, drowned in the river, or burned
in the farm houses in which they had taken refuge.
Count Louis and his brother and friend probably fell on
the field, but stripped of their clothing, disfigured by wounds
(18:09):
and the trampling of horses, their bodies were never recognized.
The defeat of the army and the death of his
two brave brothers was a terrible blow to the Prince
of Orange. He was indeed paying dear for his devotion
to his country. His splendid fortune had been entirely spent.
His life had been one of incessant toil and anxiety.
(18:29):
His life had been several times threatened with assassination. He
had seen as every plan dwarted save on the sandy
slip of coast by the ocean. The whole of the
Netherlands was still prostrate beneath the foot of the Spaniard.
And now he had lost two of his brothers. England
and France had alternately encouraged and stood aloof from him.
(18:50):
And after all these efforts and sacrifices, the prospects of
ultimate success were gloomy in the extreme. Fortunately, the Spaniards
were not able to take full advance of their victory
over the army of Count Louis. They differed from the
German mercenaries inasmuch as that while the latter mutinied before
they fought, the Spaniards fought first and mutinied afterwards. Having
(19:11):
won a great battle, they now proceeded to defy their generals.
Three years pay were due to them, and they took
the steps that they had always adopted upon these occasions.
A commander, called the Eletto was chosen by acclamation. A
board of councilors was appointed to assist and control him.
While the councilors were narrowly watched by the soldiers, they
(19:33):
crossed the mas and marched to Antwerp. The Grand Commander
hastened there to meet them, and when they arrived in
perfect military order, he appeared before them on horseback and
made them an oration, promising that their demands should be satisfied.
The soldiers simply replied, we want money, not words. Requizan
consulted the city council and demanded four hundred thousand crowns
(19:57):
to satisfy the troops. The citizens hesitated at providing so
enormous an amount, knowing by past experience that it would
never be repaid. The soldiers, however, employed their usual methods.
They quartered themselves upon the houses of the citizens and
insisted upon being supplied with rich food, wine, and luxuries
of all kinds. And in a week or two the
(20:19):
burghers saw that they must either pay or be ruined.
An offer was accordingly made of ten months arrears in cash,
five months in silks and woolen cloths, and the rest
in promises to be fulfilled within a few days. The
Aletto declared that he considered the terms satisfactory, whereupon the
troops at once deposed him and elected another. Carousing and
(20:42):
merrymaking went on at the expense of the citizens, and
after suffering for some weeks from the extortions and annoyance
of the soldiers, the four hundred thousand crowns demanded by
Requisant were paid over, and the soldiers received all their
paid due, either in money or goods. A great banquet
was held by the whole mass of soldiery, and there
(21:02):
was a scene of furious revelry. The soldiers arrayed themselves
in costumes cut from the materials they had just received. Broadcloths, silks, satins,
and gold embroidered brocades were hung in fantastic drapery over
their ragged garments, and when the banquet was finished, gambling began.
But when they were in the midst of their revelry,
the sound of cannon was heard. Bosseau had sailed up
(21:25):
the Skelt to attack the fleet of the Avella, which
had hastened up to Antwerp for refuge. After the defeat
of Romero. There was a short and sharp action, and
fourteen of the Spanish ships were burnt or sunk. The
soldiers swarmed down to the dike and opened a fire
of musketry upon the Dutch. They were, however, too far
off to effect any damage, and Bosseau, with a few
(21:47):
parting broadsides, sailed triumphantly down the river, having again struck
a heavy blow at the naval power of Spain. The
siege of Leiden had been raised when Count Louis crossed
the Rhine, the troops being called in from all parts
to oppose his progress. The Prince of Orange urged upon
the citizens to lose no time in preparing themselves for
(22:08):
a second siege, to strengthen their walls, and above all
to lay in stores of provisions. But as ever, the
Dutch Burghers, although ready to fight and to suffer when
the pinch came, were slow and apathetic. Unless in the
face of necessity, and in spite of the orders and
entreaties of the Prince, nothing whatever was done, and the Spaniards,
(22:30):
when they returned before the city on the twenty sixth
of May, after two months absence, found the town as
unprepared for resistance as it had been at their first coming,
and that the citizens had not even taken the trouble
to destroy the forts that they had raised round it.
Leiden stood in the midst of broad and fruitful pastures
reclaimed from the sea. Around were numerous villages with blooming
(22:53):
gardens and rich orchards. Innumerable canals cut up the country,
and entering the city, formed its street. These canals were
shaded with trees, crossed by one hundred forty five bridges.
Upon an artificial elevation. In the center of the city
rose a ruined tower of great antiquity, assigned either to
the Saxons before they crossed to England, or with greater probability,
(23:16):
to the Romans. The force which now appeared before the
town consisted of eight thousand Walloons and Germans. Commanded by Valdez.
They lost no time in taking possession of the Hague
and all the villages and forts round Leiden. Five hundred
English volunteers, under command of Colonel Chester, abandoned the fort
of Valkenburg, which had been entrusted to them, and fled
(23:39):
towards Leiden, not as yet had the English soldiers learnt
to stand before the Spaniards. But the time was ere
long to come, when, having acquired confidence in themselves, they
were to prove themselves more than a match for the
veterans of Spain. The people of Leiden refused to open
their gates to the fugitives, and they surrendered to Valdez
(24:00):
as at that moment a mission was on the point
of starting from Requisent to Queen Elizabeth. The lives of
the prisoners were spared and they were sent back to England.
End of Chapter seventeen.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!