connivance of Orange—­Alarm at Brussels—­Tholouse at Ostrawell—­Brederode in Holland—­De Beauvoir defeats Tholouse—­Excitement at Antwerp—­ Determined conduct of Orange—­Three days’ tumult at Antwerp suppressed by the wisdom and courage of Orange.

It was then that Noircarmes and his “seven sleepers” showed that they were awake.  Early in January, 1567, that fierce soldier, among whose vices slothfulness was certainly never reckoned before or afterwards, fell upon the locksmith’s army at Zannoy, while the Seigneur de Rassinghem attacked the force at Waterlots on the same day.  Noircarmes destroyed half his enemies at the very first charge.  The ill-assorted rabble fell asunder at once.  The preacher fought well, but his undisciplined force fled at the first sight of the enemy.  Those who carried arquebusses threw them down without a single discharge, that they might run the faster.  At least a thousand were soon stretched dead upon the field; others were hunted into the river.  Twenty-six hundred, according to the Catholic accounts, were exterminated in an hour.

Rassinghem, on his part, with five or six hundred regulars, attacked Teriel’s force, numbering at least twice as many.  Half of these were soon cut to pieces and put to flight.  Six hundred, however, who had seen some service, took refuge in the cemetery of Waterlots.  Here, from behind the stone wall of the inclosure, they sustained the attack of the Catholics with some spirit.  The repose of the dead in the quiet country church-yard was disturbed by the uproar of a most sanguinary conflict.  The temporary fort was soon carried, and the Huguenots retreated into the church.  A rattling arquebusade was poured in upon them as they struggled in the narrow doorway.  At least four hundred corpses were soon strewn among the ancient graves.  The rest were hunted, into the church, and from the church into the belfry.  A fire was then made in the steeple and kept up till all were roasted or suffocated.  Not a man escaped.

This was the issue in the first stricken field in the Netherlands, for the cause of religious liberty.  It must be confessed that it was not very encouraging to the lovers of freedom.  The partisans of government were elated, in proportion to the apprehension which had been felt for the result of this rising in the Walloon country.  “These good hypocrites,” wrote a correspondent of Orange, “are lifting up their heads like so many dromedaries.  They are becoming unmanageable with pride.”  The Duke of Aerschot and Count Meghem gave great banquets in Brussels, where all the good chevaliers drank deep in honor of the victory, and to the health of his Majesty and Madame.  “I saw Berlaymont just go by the window,” wrote Schwartz to the Prince.  “He was coming from Aerschot’s dinner with a face as red as the Cardinal’s new hat.”