Then came the siege of Haarlem, and then the siege of Alkmaar.  Hoorn’s turn followed, but Hoorn was gloriously equal to it in the hands of Admiral Dirckzoon, whose sword is in the Alkmaar museum, and whose tomb is at Delft.  Motley shall tell the story:  “On the 11th October, however, the whole patriot fleet, favored by a strong easterly breeze, bore down upon the Spanish armada, which, numbering now thirty sail of all denominations, was lying off and on in the neighbourhood of Hoorn and Enkhuyzen.  After a short and general engagement, nearly all the Spanish fleet retired with precipitation, closely pursued by most of the patriot Dutch vessels.  Five of the King’s ships were eventually taken, the rest effected their escape.  Only the Admiral remained, who scorned to yield, although his forces had thus basely deserted him.  His ship, the ‘Inquisition,’ for such was her insolent appellation, was far the largest and best manned of both the fleets.  Most of the enemy had gone in pursuit of the fugitives, but four vessels of inferior size had attacked the ‘Inquisition’ at the commencement of the action.  Of these, one had soon been silenced, while the other three had grappled themselves inextricably to her sides and prow.  The four drifted together, before wind and tide, a severe and savage action going on incessantly, during which the navigation of the ships was entirely abandoned.  No scientific gunnery, no military or naval tactics were displayed or required in such a conflict.  It was a life-and-death combat, such as always occurred when Spaniard and Netherlander met, whether on land or water.  Bossu and his men, armed in bullet-proof coats of mail, stood with shield and sword on the deck of the ‘Inquisition,’ ready to repel all attempts to board.  The Hollander, as usual, attacked with pitch hoops, boiling oil, and molten lead.  Repeatedly they effected their entrance to the Admiral’s ship, and as often they were repulsed and slain in heaps, or hurled into the sea.

“The battle began at three in the afternoon, and continued without intermission through the whole night.  The vessels, drifting together, struck on the shoal called the Nek, near Wydeness.  In the heat of the action the occurrence was hardly heeded.  In the morning twilight, John Haring, of Hoorn, the hero who had kept one thousand soldiers at bay upon the Diemer dyke, clambered on board the ‘Inquisition,’ and hauled her colors down.  The gallant but premature achievement cost him his life.  He was shot through the body and died on the deck of the ship, which was not quite ready to strike her flag.  In the course of the forenoon, however, it became obvious to Bossu that further resistance was idle.  The ships were aground near a hostile coast, his own fleet was hopelessly dispersed, three-quarters of his crew were dead or disabled, while the vessels with which he was engaged were constantly recruited by boats from the shore, which brought fresh men and ammunition, and removed their killed and wounded.  At eleven o’clock Admiral Bossu surrendered, and with three hundred prisoners was carried into Holland.  Bossu was himself imprisoned at Hoorn, in which city he was received, on his arrival, with great demonstrations of popular hatred.”