On the night of 29th August Alexander himself entered Zutphen for the purpose of encouraging the garrison by promise of-relief, and of ascertaining the position of the enemy by personal observation.  His presence as it always did, inspired the soldiers with enthusiasm, so that they could with difficulty be restrained from rushing forth to assault the besiegers.  In regard to the enemy he found that Gibbet Hill was still occupied by Sir John Norris, “the best soldier, in his opinion, that they had,” who had entrenched himself very strongly, and was supposed to have thirty-five hundred men under his command.  His position seemed quite impregnable.  The rest of the English were on the other side of the river, and Alexander observed, with satisfaction, that they had abandoned a small redoubt, near the leper-house, outside the Loor-Gate, through which the reinforcements must enter the city.  The Prince determined to profit by this mistake, and to seize the opportunity thus afforded of sending those much needed supplies.  During the night the enemy were found to be throwing up works “most furiously,” and skirmishing parties were sent out of the town to annoy them.  In the darkness nothing of consequence was effected, but a Scotch officer was captured, who informed the Spanish commander that the enemy was fifteen thousand strong—­a number which was nearly double that of Leicester’s actual force.  In the morning Alexander returned to his camp at Borkelo—­leaving Tassis in command of the Veluwe Forts, and Verdugo in the city itself—­and he at once made rapid work in collecting victuals.  He had soon wheat and other supplies in readiness, sufficient to feed four thousand mouths for three months, and these he determined to send into the city immediately, and at every hazard.

The great convoy which was now to be despatched required great care and a powerful escort.  Twenty-five hundred musketeers and pikemen, of whom one thousand were Spaniards, and six hundred cavalry, Epirotes; Spaniards, and Italians, under Hannibal Gonzaga, George Crescia, Bentivoglio, Sesa, and others, were accordingly detailed for this expedition.  The Marquis del Vasto, to whom was entrusted the chief command, was ordered to march from Borkelo at midnight on Wednesday, October 1 (St. Nov.) [N.S.].  It was calculated that he would reach a certain hillock not far from Warnsfeld by dawn of day.  Here he was to pause, and send forward an officer towards the town, communicating his arrival, and requesting the cooperation of Verdugo, who was to make a sortie with one thousand men, according to Alexander’s previous arrangements.  The plan was successfully carried out.  The Marquis arrived by daybreak at the spot indicated, and despatched Captain de Vega who contrived to send intelligence of the fact.  A trooper, whom Parma had himself sent to Verdugo with earlier information of the movement, had been captured on the way.  Leicester had therefore been apprized, at an early moment, of the Prince’s intentions, but he was not aware that the convoy would be accompanied by so strong a force as had really been detailed.