Title:  History of the United Netherlands, 1600-02

Author:  John Lothrop Motley

Release Date:  January, 2004 [EBook #4874] [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, 1600-02 ***

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. 74

History of the United Netherlands, 1600-1602

CHAPTER XXXIX.

Effects of the Nieuport campaign—­The general and the statesman—­ The Roman empire and the Turk—­Disgraceful proceedings of the mutinous soldiers in Hungary—­The Dunkirk pirates—­Siege of Ostend by the Archduke—­Attack on Rheinberg by Prince Maurice—­Siege and capitulation of Meura—­Attempt on Bois-le-Duc—­Concentration of the war at Ostend—­Account of the belligerents—­Details of the siege—­ Feigned offer of Sir Francis Vere to capitulate—­Arrival of reinforcements from the States—­Attack and overthrow of the besiegers.

The Nieuport campaign had exhausted for the time both belligerents.  The victor had saved the republic from impending annihilation, but was incapable of further efforts during the summer.  The conquered cardinal-archduke, remaining essentially in the same position as before, consoled himself with the agreeable fiction that the States, notwithstanding their triumph, had in reality suffered the most in the great battle.  Meantime both parties did their best to repair damages and to recruit their armies.

The States—­or in other words Barneveld, who was the States—­had learned a lesson.  Time was to show whether it would be a profitable one, or whether Maurice, who was the preceptor of Europe in the art of war, would continue to be a docile pupil of the great Advocate even in military affairs.  It is probable that the alienation between the statesman and the general, which was to widen as time advanced, may be dated from the day of Nieuport.

Fables have even been told which indicated the popular belief in an intensity of resentment on the part of the prince, which certainly did not exist till long afterwards.

“Ah, scoundrel!” the stadholder was said to have exclaimed, giving the Advocate a box on the ear as he came to wish him joy of his great victory, “you sold us, but God prevented your making the transfer.”