had for sometime been urging upon the States-General that the time for remaining upon the strict defensive was past, and that, when the enemy’s efforts were weakened and distracted, the best defence was a vigorous offensive.  At first he spoke to deaf ears, but he found now a powerful supporter in Maurice, and the two stadholders prevailed.  They had now by careful and assiduous training created a strong and well-disciplined army for the service of the States.  This army was made up by contingents of various nationalities, English, Scottish, French and German as well as Netherlanders.  But the material was on the whole excellent, and the entire force was welded together by confidence in their leaders.

In 1590 the capture of Breda by a ruse (seventy men hidden beneath a covering of peat making their entrance into the town and opening the gates to their comrades outside) was a good omen for the campaign that was planned for 1591.  For the first time Maurice had an opportunity for showing his genius for war and especially for siege warfare.  By rapid movements he took first Zutphen, then Deventer and Delfzijl, and relieved the fort of Knodsenburg (near Nijmwegen).  Thus successful on the eastern frontier, the stadholder hurried to Zeeland and captured Hulst, the key to the land of Waas.  He then turned his steps again to the east and appearing suddenly before Nijmwegen made himself master of this important city.  Such a succession of brilliant triumphs established Maurice’s fame, and to a lesser degree that of William Lewis, whose co-operation and advice were of the greatest service to the younger man.  This was markedly the case in the following year (1592) when the two stadholders set to work to expel the Spaniards from the two strongly fortified towns of Steenwijk and Coevorden, whose possession enabled a strong force under the veteran Verdugo to retain their hold upon Friesland.  The States army was not at its full strength, for the English contingent under Sir Francis Vere had been sent to France; and Verdugo was confident that any attempt to capture these well-garrisoned fortresses was doomed to failure.  He had to learn how great was the scientific skill and resource of Maurice in the art of beleaguering.  Steenwijk after an obstinate defence capitulated on June 5.  Coevorden was then invested and in its turn had to surrender, on September 12.  During this time Parma had been campaigning with no great success in northern France.  In the autumn he returned to the Netherlands suffering from the effects of a wound and broken in spirit.  Never did any man fill a difficult and trying post with more success and zeal than Alexander Farnese during the sixteen years of his governor-generalship.  Nevertheless Philip was afraid of his nephew’s talents and ambition, and he despatched the Count of Fuentes with a letter of recall.  It was never delivered.  Parma set out to meet him, but fell ill and died at Spa, December 2, 1592.  He appointed the Count of Mansfeld to take his place, until the Archduke Ernest of Austria, who had been appointed to succeed him, arrived in the Netherlands.