ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS:
All fellow-worms together
Continuing to believe himself invincible and infallible
He spent more time at table than the Bearnese in sleep
Henry the Huguenot as the champion of the Council of Trent
Highest were not necessarily the least slimy
His invectives were, however, much stronger than his arguments
History is a continuous whole of which we see only fragments
Infinite capacity for pecuniary absorption
Leading motive with all was supposed to be religion
Past was once the Present, and once the Future
Sages of every generation, read the future like a printed scroll
Sewers which have ever run beneath decorous Christendom
Wrath of that injured personage as he read such libellous truths
CHAPTER XXX. 1594
Prince Maurice lays siege to Gertruydenberg—Advantages of the new
system of warfare—Progress of the besieging operations—Superiority
of Maurice's manoeuvres—Adventure of Count Philip of Nassau—
Capitulation of Gertruydenberg—Mutiny among the Spanish troops—
Attempt of Verdugo to retake Coeworden—Suspicions of treason in the
English garrison at Ostend—Letter of Queen Elizabeth to Sir Edward
Norris on the subject—Second attempt on Coeworden—Assault on
Groningen by Maurice—Second adventure of Philip of Nassau—Narrow
escape of Prince Maurice—Surrender of Groningen—Particulars of the
siege—Question of religious toleration—Progress of the United
Netherlands—Condition of the "obedient" Netherlands—Incompetency
of Peter Mansfeld as Governor—Archduke Ernest, the successor of
Farnese—Difficulties of his position—His unpopularity—Great
achievements of the republicans—Triumphal entry of Ernest into
Brussels and Antwerp—Magnificence of the spectacle—Disaffection of
the Spanish troops—Great military rebellion—Philip's proposal to
destroy the English fleet—His assassination plans—Plot to poison
Queen Elizabeth—Conspiracies against Prince Maurice—Futile
attempts at negotiation—Proposal of a marriage between Henry and
the Infanta—Secret mission from Henry to the King of Spain—Special
dispatch to England and the Staten—Henry obtains further aid from
Queen Elizabeth and the States—Council—Anxiety of the Protestant
countries to bring about a war with Spain—Aspect of affairs at the
close of the year 1594.
While Philip's world-empire seemed in one direction to be so rapidly fading into cloudland there were substantial possessions of the Spanish crown which had been neglected in Brabant and Friesland.
Two very important cities still held for the King of Spain within the territories of what could now be fairly considered the United Dutch Republic—St. Gertruydenberg and Groningen.
Early in the spring of 1593, Maurice had completed his preparations for a siege, and on the 24th March appeared before Gertruydenberg.
It was a stately, ancient city, important for its wealth, its strength, and especially for its position. For without its possession even the province of Holland could hardly consider itself mistress of its own little domains. It was seated on the ancient Meuse, swollen as it approached the sea almost to the dimension of a gulf, while from the south another stream, called the Donge, very brief in its course, but with considerable depth of water, came to mingle itself with the Meuse, exactly under the walls of the city.
The site of the place was so low that it was almost hidden and protected by its surrounding dykes. These afforded means of fortification, which had been well improved. Both by nature and art the city was one of the strongholds of the Netherlands.
Maurice had given the world a lesson in the beleaguering science at the siege of Steenwyk, such as had never before been dreamt of; but he was resolved that the operations before Gertruydenberg should constitute a masterpiece.