and then proceeded (June 3) to lay siege to Mons,
where Lewis, in hopes that relief would reach him,
prepared for an obstinate defence. These hopes
were not without foundation, for he knew that, beyond
the Rhine, Orange with a considerable army was on
the point of entering the Netherlands from the east,
and that the Huguenot leader, Genlis, was leading another
force from France to his succour. William at
the head of 20,000 German and 3000 Walloon mercenaries
actually entered Gelderland (July 7), captured Roeremonde
and then marched into Brabant. Here (July 19)
the news reached him of the complete defeat and annihilation
of the raw levies of Genlis by Toledo’s veteran
troops. Hampered by lack of funds William now,
as throughout his life, showed himself to be lacking
in the higher qualities of military leadership.
With an ill-paid mercenary force time was a factor
of primary importance, nevertheless the prince made
no effort to move from his encampment near Roeremonde
for some five weeks. Meanwhile his troops got
out of hand and committed many excesses, and when,
on August 27, he set out once more to march westwards,
he found to his disappointment that there was no popular
rising in his favour. Louvain and Brussels shut
their gates, and though Mechlin, Termonde and a few
other places surrendered, the prince saw only too plainly
that his advance into Flanders would not bring about
the relief of Mons. All his plans had gone awry.
Alva could not be induced to withdraw any portion
of the army that was closely blockading Mons, but contented
himself in following Orange with a force under his
own command while avoiding a general action.
And then like a thunderclap, September 5, the news
of the massacre of St Bartholomew was brought to the
prince, and he knew that the promise of Coligny to
conduct 12,000 arquebusiers to the succour of Lewis
could not be redeemed. In this emergency William
saw that he must himself endeavour to raise the siege.
He accordingly marched from Flanders and, September
11, encamped at the village of Harmignies, a short
distance from Mons. In the night six hundred
Spaniards, each of whom to prevent mistakes wore a
white shirt over his armour, surprised the camp.
The prince himself was awakened by a little dog that
slept in his tent and only narrowly escaped with his
life, several hundred of his troops being slain by
the Camisaders. He was now thoroughly
discouraged and on the following day retreated first
to Mechlin, then to Roeremonde, where on September
30 the ill-fated expedition was disbanded. The
retirement from Harmignies decided the fate of Mons.
Favourable conditions were granted and Lewis of Nassau,
who was ill with fever, met with chivalrous treatment
and was allowed to return to Dillenburg.