What course should he now pursue?  He had been sent to cut the archduke’s road.  He had failed.  Had he remained in his original encampment his force would have been annihilated by the overwhelming numbers of the enemy so soon as they reached the right bank of Nieuport haven, while Maurice could have only looked hopelessly on from the opposite shore.  At least nothing worse than absolute destruction could befal him now.  Should he accept a combat of six or eight to one the struggle would be hopeless, but the longer it was protracted the better it would be for his main army, engaged at that very moment as he knew in crossing the haven with the ebbing tide.  Should he retreat, it might be possible for him to escape into Fort Albert or even Ostend, but to do so would be to purchase his own safety and that of his command at the probable sacrifice of the chief army of the republic.  Ernest hesitated but an instant.  Coming within carbine-shot of the stream, where he met his cavalry which had been sent forward at full speed, in the vain hope of seizing or destroying the bridge before it should be too late, he took up a position behind a dyke, upon which he placed his two field-pieces, and formed his troops in line of battle exactly across the enemy’s path.  On the right he placed the regiment of Scots.  On the left was Van der Noot’s Zeeland infantry, garnished with four companies of riders under Risoir, which stood near St. Mary’s church.  The passage from the stream to the downs was not more than a hundred yards wide, being skirted on both sides by a swamp.  Here Ernest with his two thousand men awaited the onset of the archduke’s army.  He was perfectly aware that it was a mere question of time, but he was sure that his preparations must interpose a delay to the advance of the Spaniards, should his troops, as he felt confident, behave themselves as they had always done, and that the delay would be of inestimable value to his friends at the haven of Nieuport.

The archduke paused; for he, too, could not be certain, on observing the resolute front thus presented to him, that he was not about to engage the whole of the States’ army.  The doubt was but of short duration, however, and the onset was made.  Ernest’s artillery fired four volleys into the advancing battalions with such effect as to stagger them for a moment, but they soon afterwards poured over the dyke in over whelming numbers, easily capturing the cannon.  The attack began upon Ernest’s left, and Risoir’s cavalry, thinking that they should be cut off from all possibility of retreat into Fort St. Albert, turned their backs in the most disgraceful manner, without even waiting for the assault.  Galloping around the infantry on the left they infected the Zeelanders with their own cowardice.  Scarcely a moment passed before Van der Noot’s whole regiment was running away as fast as the troopers, while the Scots on the right hesitated not for an instant to follow their example.  Even before the expected battle had