The news of this important exploit spread with great rapidity.  Alva, surprised at the very moment of venting his rage on the butchers and grocers of Brussels, deferred this savage design in order to deal with the new difficulty.  He had certainly not expected such a result from the ready compliance of queen Elizabeth with his request.  His rage was excessive; the triumph of the people, by whom he was cordially detested, proportionably great.  The punsters of Brussels were sure not to let such an opportunity escape them, for the name of the captured town was susceptible of a quibble, and the event had taken place upon All Fools’ Day.

                   “On April’s Fool’s Day,
                    Duke Alva’s spectacles were stolen away,”

became a popular couplet.  The word spectacles, in Flemish, as well as the name of the suddenly surprised city, being Brill, this allusion to the Duke’s loss and implied purblindness was not destitute of ingenuity.  A caricature, too, was extensively circulated, representing De la Marck stealing the Duke’s spectacles from his nose, while the Governor was supposed to be uttering his habitual expression whenever any intelligence of importance was brought to him:  ’No es nada, no es nada—­’Tis nothing, ’tis nothing.

The Duke, however, lost not an instant in attempting to repair the disaster.  Count Bossu, who had acted as stadholder of Holland and Zealand, under Alva’s authority, since the Prince of Orange had resigned that office, was ordered at once to recover the conquered sea-port, if possible.

Hastily gathering a force of some ten companies from the garrison of Utrecht, some of which very troops had recently and unluckily for government, been removed from Brill to that city, the Count crossed the Sluis to the island of Voorn upon Easter day, and sent a summons to the rebel force to surrender Brill.  The patriots being very few in number, were at first afraid to venture outside the gates to attack the much superior force of their invaders.  A carpenter, however, who belonged to the city, but had long been a partisan of Orange, dashed into the water with his axe in his hand, and swimming to the Niewland sluice, hacked it open with a few vigorous strokes.  The sea poured in at once, making the approach to the city upon the north side impossible:  Bossu then led his Spaniards along the Niewland dyke to the southern gate, where they were received with a warm discharge of artillery, which completely staggered them.  Meantime Treslong and Robol had, in the most daring manner, rowed out to the ships which had brought the enemy to the island, cut some adrift, and set others on fire.