History of the United Netherlands, 1586a | Page 9

same time, the walls had
suffered so little, that he must have been obliged to wait long for a
practicable breach.
"There was no good reason even for women to have surrendered the
place," exclaimed Leicester, when he heard the news. And the Earl had
cause to be enraged at such a result. He had received a letter only the
day before, signed by Hemart himself and by all the officers in Grave,
asserting their determination and ability to hold the place for a good
five months, or for an indefinite period, and until they should be
relieved. And indeed all the officers, with three exceptions, had
protested against the base surrender. But at the bottom of the
catastrophe--of the disastrous loss of the city and the utter ruin of
young Hemart--was a woman. The governor was governed by his
mistress, a lady of good family in the place, but of Spanish inclinations,
and she, for some mysterious reasons, had persuaded him thus
voluntarily to capitulate.
Parma lost no time, however, in exulting over his success. Upon the
same day the towns of Megen and Batenburg surrendered to him, and
immediately afterwards siege was laid to Venlo, a town of importance,
lying thirty miles farther up the Meuse. The wife and family of Martin
Schenk were in the city, together with two hundred horses, and from
forty to one hundred thousand crowns in money, plate; and furniture

belonging to him.
That bold partisan, accompanied by the mad Welshman, Roger
Williams, at the head of one hundred and thirty English lances and
thirty of Schenk's men, made a wild nocturnal attempt to cut their way
through the besieging force, and penetrate to the city. They passed
through the enemy's lines, killed all the corps-de-garde, and many
Spanish troopers--the terrible Martin's own hand being most effective
in this midnight slaughter--and reached the very door of Parma's tent,
where they killed his secretary and many of his guards. It was even
reported; and generally believed, that Farnese himself had been in
imminent danger, that Schenk had fired his pistol at him unsuccessfully,
and had then struck him on the head with its butt-end, and that the
Prince had only saved his life by leaping from his horse, and
scrambling through a ditch. But these seem to have been fables. The
alarm at last became general, the dawn of a summer's day was fast
approaching; the drums beat to arms, and the bold marauders were
obliged to effect their retreat, as they best might, hotly pursued by near
two thousand men. Having slain many of, the Spanish army, and lost
nearly half their own number, they at last obtained shelter in
Wachtendonk.
Soon afterwards the place capitulated without waiting for a battery,
upon moderate terms. Schenk's wife was sent away (28 June 1586)
courteously with her family, in a coach and four, and with as much
"apparel" as might be carried with her. His property was confiscated,
for "no fair wars could be made with him."
Thus, within a few weeks after taking the field, the "dejected,
melancholy" man, who was so "out of courage," and the soldiers who
were so "marvellously beginning to run away"--according to the Earl of
Leicester--had swept their enemy from every town on the Meuse. That
river was now, throughout its whole course, in the power of the
Spaniards. The Province of Brabant became thoroughly guarded again
by its foes, and the enemy's road was opened into the northern
Provinces.
Leicester, meantime, had not distinguished himself. It must be
confessed that he had been sadly out-generalled. The man who had
talked of following the enemy inch by inch, and who had pledged
himself not only to protect Grave, and any other place that might be

attacked, but even to recover Antwerp and Bruges within a few weeks,
had wasted the time in very desultory operations. After the St. George
feasting, Knewstub sermons, and forces of Hercules, were all finished,
the Earl had taken the field with five thousand foot and fifteen hundred
horse. His intention was to clear the Yssel; by getting possession of
Doesburg and Zutphen, but, hearing of Parma's demonstrations upon
Grave, he abandoned the contemplated siege of those cities, and came
to Arnheim. He then crossed the Rhine into the Isle of Batavia, and
thence, after taking a few sconces of inferior importance--while Schenk,
meanwhile, was building on the Island of Gravenweert, at the
bifurcation of the Rhine and Waal, the sconce so celebrated a century
later as 'Schenk's Fort' (Schenkenschans)---he was preparing to pass the
Waal in order to attack Farnese, when he heard to his astonishment, of
the surrender of Grave.
He could therefore--to his chagrin--no longer save that important city,
but he could, at least, cut off the head of the culprit. Leicester was in