Title:  History of the United Netherlands, 1600

Author:  John Lothrop Motley

Release Date:  January, 2004 [EBook #4873] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 15, 2002]

Edition:  10

Language:  English

Character set encoding:  ASCII

*** Start of the project gutenberg EBOOK history United Netherlands, 1600 ***

This eBook was produced by David Widger widger@cecomet.net

[Note:  There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the file for those who may wish to sample the author’s ideas before making an entire meal of them.  D.W.]

HISTORY OF THE UNITED NETHERLANDS From the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year’s Truce—­1609

By John Lothrop Motley

MOTLEY’S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg Edition, Vol. 73

History of the United Netherlands, 1600

CHAPTER, XXXVIII.

Military events—­Aggressive movement of the Netherlanders—­State of the Archdukes provinces—­Mutiny of the Spanish forces—­Proposed invasion of Flanders by the States-General—­Disembarkation of the troops on the Spanish coasts—­Capture of Oudenburg and other places —­Surprise of Nieuport—­Conduct of the Archduke—­Oudenburg and the other forts re-taken—­Dilemma of the States’ army—­Attack of the Archduke on Count Ernest’s cavalry—­Panic and total overthrow of the advance-guard of the States’ army—­Battle of Nieuport—­Details of the action—­Defeat of the Spanish army—­Results of the whole expedition.

The effect produced in the republic by the defensive and uneventful campaigning of the year 1599 had naturally been depressing.  There was murmuring at the vast amount of taxation, especially at the new imposition of one-half per cent. upon all property, and two-and-a-half per cent. on all sales, which seemed to produce so few results.  The successful protection of the Isle of Bommel and the judicious purchase of the two forts of Crevecoeur and St. Andrew; early in the following year, together with their garrisons, were not military events of the first magnitude, and were hardly enough to efface the mortification felt at the fact that the enemy had been able so lately to construct one of those strongholds within the territory of the commonwealth.