The Castle thundered with shot at the town: but it was a very misty day; so that they could neither find their marks very well, not yet see how the streets' ends were entrenched.
It was a strange thing to see the willingness of the inhabitants, and how soon many hands had despatched a very great piece of work. For, before midnight, they had made the trenches as high as the length of a pike; and had begun one trench for a Counterskarf [Counterscarp] between all those streets and the Castle Yard: the which they perfected unto the half way from St George's Churchyard unto the water's side by St Michael's; and there left from work, meaning to have perfected it the next day.
That Counterscarf had been to much purpose, if it had been finished: as shall appear by a Model [Plan] of the whole place which I have annexed to this treaty [treatise]; by view whereof the skillful Reader may plainly perceive the execution of every particularity.[3]
These things thus begun and set in forwardness; it is to be noted that the Spaniards (having intelligence of the States' Power, when it set forward from Brussels; and perceiving that it bent towards Antwerp) had sent to Maestricht, Lierre, and Alost to draw all the Power that could be made, unto the Castle of Antwerp. So that on Sunday, the 4th of this instant [November 1576], in the morning, they all met at the said Castle. And their Powers, as far as I could gather, were these:
There came from Maestricht, very near to 1,000 Horsemen, led by Alonzo de Vargas who is the General of the Horsemen; and 500 Footmen or more, governed by the Camp Master, Francesco de Valdez.
There came from Lierre, 500 Footmen or more, governed by the Camp Master, Juliano de Romero.
There came from Alost, 2,000 Footmen, which were the same that rebelled for their pay and other unreasonable demands, immediately after the Winning of Zierikzee [J. de Rodas, at page [168], states that these 2,000 soldiers were "desperate men.">[ These had none other conductor than their Electo [or Eletto, i.e., their elected Chief; at this time a man named Navarette], after the manner of such as mutiny and rebel: but were of sundry Companies, as Don Emanuel's, and others. Nevertheless I have been so bold in the Model [Plan] as to set down the said Don Emanuel, for their leader: both because I think that, their mutiny notwithstanding, he led them at the exploit; and also because he was slain amongst them at their entry.
Thus the number of [the] Spaniards was 4,000 or thereabouts; besides some help that they had of the garrison within the Castle. And besides, 1,000 High Almains [Germans] or more; which came from Maestricht, Lierre, and those parts. And they were of three sundry Regiments: