NED RECEIVES PROMOTION
It was fortunate for Ned that the watch round the city had relaxed
greatly when 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 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 most
valuable prizes of money or jewelry. No sooner, therefore, had
Haarlem 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 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 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 arms. 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, 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 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 services 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 march a foot nor lift an arm until we have
received our pay; and not only our pay, but our share of the 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 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 forward without stopping, and as soon as the
gates of Leyden were opened he entered. Upon inquiring 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 glad indeed to
see you. Tell me how goes it in Haarlem. Rumours reached me that
there, as at other towns, they have broken their oaths, 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 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 Zutphen and Naarden had been
re-enacted."
"I have another piece 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 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 defence of Haarlem. 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 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 cities bargain for every crown piece they advance, to
find one who 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 Haarlem during the siege."
The long defence of Haarlem, the enormous expenditure which it had
cost, both in money and life, for no less than 10,000 soldiers had
fallen in the assault or by disease, 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 his
willingness to receive his children, in however forlorn a condition
the prodigals might return. His majesty assures you once more that
your sins, however black they may have been, shall be forgiven and
forgotten in the plentitude 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 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 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 heretofore, then we warn you that there is no rigour
or cruelty, however great, which you are not to expect, by laying
waste, starvation, and the sword. In such manner that nowhere shall
remain a relic of that which at present exists, but his majesty
will strip bare 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 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 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 Haarlem.
During this breathing time the Prince of Orange was indefatigable
in his endeavours 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, but in spite of the danger that
threatened they were chary in the extreme in 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 endeavoured to
relieve Haarlem, effectually deterred others from 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 to raise a fleet were
more successful. The hardy mariners of Zeeland 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 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 16,000 men, and that the rest of the army, which had lately
received further reinforcements, should lay siege to Leyden. The
prince felt confident that Leyden 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
Holland, the prince had entire confidence; but it was evident by
the tone of his letters 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 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 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 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 dispose of Haarlem according to His divine will,
shall we, therefore, deny and deride His holy word? Has His church,
therefore, come to nought? You ask if I have entered into a firm
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 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 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 message to cheer the people of North
Holland, and urge them to resist to the last, and to intrust 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 intrust it to the lad 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 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; and again a dangerous
one. The Spaniards are on the point of marching to lay siege to
Alkmaar, and I wish a message carried to the citizens, assuring them
that they may rely absolutely upon my relieving them by breaking
down the dykes. 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 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. 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 dykes and laying the
whole country under water. I do not 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 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 intrusted 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 to your mission. I have given orders that these shall
be prepared for you, and that you shall be provided with a suit
of armour, 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 Alkmaar. Should any further point occur to 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 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 would have done so had he not known how
great were the labours 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 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 colours, such as a young man of
good family would wear, and an armourer brought him a morion 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 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, 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 take that trunk with me," Ned said, pointing to the one
that contained his new clothes; "and there is besides my armour,
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 channel from Delft through the
Hague to 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 Alkmaar. He saw parties of men and women
hurrying northward along the 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."
Alkmaar had been in sight from the time they had crossed the dunes,
and 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 was surprised to see no soldiers about, although he knew
that the eight hundred whom the prince had despatched 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 looks, both of
the old officer and of the citizens, that there was some serious
difference of opinion between them.
"Whom have we here?" Sonoy 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 Alkmaar."
"You 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 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 the prince during the siege, and from his
knowledge of the methods of defence 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 Enkhuizen in order to superintend the general
arrangement for the defence of the province, and especially for
affording you aid, and 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 escort through the street had attracted
much attention, and the citizens had followed him 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, and his intense
anxiety that Alkmaar should resist to the end, he began without
hesitation, and speedily forgot himself in the importance of the
subject.
"Citizens of Alkmaar," 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
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 Haarlem. You
fight not for glory, but for your liberty, for your religion, for
the honour and the lives of those dear to you; and yet your glory
and your honour will be great indeed if this little 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 Zeeland are gathering round him, have sworn that they
will clear the Zuider Zee of the Spaniards 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
dykes 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 dykes 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 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 which we won it,
and that then, having cast out the Spaniards, we should renew the
labours 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 nought else can be done to save you. It is for you,
first, to show the Spaniards how the men 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 this 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 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 there 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 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 Naarden? 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 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 for Orange or Alva? What is 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 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 today that your
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 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 800 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 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 the Spaniards.
Ned was busy conferring with the committee, and explaining to them
the organization adopted at Haarlem. 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 should
be divided into companies for carrying materials to the walls,
and aiding in the defence when a breach was attacked; and that the
old and feeble 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, Ned
rejoined the governor.
"I congratulate you, Captain Martin, upon the service you have
rendered today. 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 fervour which were wanting in mine,
fearing as I do, that the cause is a lost one. I 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 tonight, and shall write to the prince from
Enkhuizen telling him how you have brought the citizens round
to a sense of their duty; and that whereas, at the moment of your
arrival I believed the magistrates would throw open the gates
tomorrow, 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 other matters you,
as the prince's special representative, will act as adviser of the
burghers. I wish I could 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 here as his special representative,
an able coadjutor. He will organize the citizens as they were
organized at Haarlem; 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 the townspeople are maintained."
"That will indeed be an assistance," the officer said courteously.
"These details are as 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 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 Alkmaar. Few thought of sleeping, and
before morning the lists were all prepared, the companies mustered,
officers chosen, posts on the walls assigned to them, and every
man, woman, and child in Alkmaar 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 have got rid of the black sheep among the magistracy
I feel more hopeful as to the success of the defence."
"But may I ask, sir, why you did not dismiss them before?"
"Ah! you hardly know the burghers of these towns," Sonoy 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 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 themselves
chose to the vacant places. It was the same thing at Enkhuizen--I
could do nothing; and it was only when Sainte 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
about six miles away, and you may expect to see them soon after
daybreak."
It was indeed early in the morning that masses of smoke were seen
rising from the village of Egmont, telling the citizens of Alkmaar
that the troopers of Don Frederick had arrived. Alkmaar was but a
small town, and when every man capable of bearing arms was mustered
they numbered only about 1300, besides the 800 soldiers. It was on
the 21st of August that Don Frederick with 16,000 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 furious that what he considered
his extraordinary clemency in having executed only some 2400
persons at the surrender of Haarlem should not have been met with
the gratitude it deserved.
"If I take Alkmaar," 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 example of Haarlem has proved to be of no use, perhaps
an example of cruelty will bring the other cities to their senses."