In the meantime, Farnese, while awaiting these reinforcements, had not been idle, but had been quietly picking up several important cities.  Early in the spring he had laid siege to Oudenarde, a place of considerable importance upon the Scheld, and celebrated as the birthplace of his grandmother, Margaret van Geest.  The burghers were obstinate; the defence was protracted; the sorties were bold; the skirmishes frequent and sanguinary:  Alexander commanded personally in the trenches, encouraging his men by his example, and often working with the mattock, or handling a spear in the assault, Like a private pioneer or soldier.  Towards the end of the siege, he scarcely ever left the scene of operation, and he took his meals near the outer defences, that he might lose no opportunity of superintending the labors of his troops.  One day his dinner was laid for himself and staff in the open air, close to the entrenchment.  He was himself engaged in planting a battery against a weak point in the city wall, and would on no account withdraw for all instant.  The tablecloth was stretched over a number of drum-heads, placed close together, and several, nobles of distinction—­Aremberg, Montigny, Richebourg, La Motte, and others, were his guests at dinner.  Hardly had the repast commenced, when a ball came flying over the table, taking off the head of a, young Walloon officer who was sitting near Parma, and, who was earnestly requesting a foremost place in the. morrow’s assault.  A portion of his skull struck out the eye of another gentleman present.  A second ball from the town fortifications, equally well directed, destroyed two more of the guests as they sat at the banquet—­one a German captain, the other the Judge-Advocate-General.  The blood and brains of these unfortunate individuals were strewn over the festive board, and the others all started to their feet, having little appetite left for their dinner.  Alexander alone remained in his seat, manifesting no discomposure.  Quietly ordering the attendants to remove the dead bodies, and to bring a clean tablecloth, he insisted that his guests should resume their places at the banquet which had been interrupted in such ghastly fashion.  He stated with very determined aspect that he could not allow the heretic burghers of Oudenarde the triumph of frightening him from his dinner, or from the post of danger.  The other gentlemen could, of course, do no less than imitate the impassibility of their chief, and the repast was accordingly concluded without further interruption.  Not long afterwards, the city, close pressed by so determined a commander, accepted terms, which were more favorable by reason of the respect which Alexander chose to render to his mother’s birthplace.  The pillage was commuted for thirty thousand, crowns, and on the 5th of July the place was surrendered to Parma almost under the very eyes of Anjou, who was making a demonstration of relieving the siege.