Hemart was accordingly led to the scaffold on the 28th June.  He spoke to the people with great calmness, and, in two languages, French and Flemish, declared that he was guiltless of treachery, but that the terror and tears of the women, in an hour of panic, had made a coward of him.  He was beheaded, standing.  The two captains, Du Ban and Koeboekum, who had also been condemned, suffered with him.  A third captain, likewise convicted, was, “for very just cause,”, pardoned by Leicester.  The Earl persisted in believing that Hemart had surrendered the city as part of a deliberate plan, and affirmed that in such a time, when men had come to think no more of giving up a town than of abandoning a house, it was highly necessary to afford an example to traitors and satisfaction to the people.  And the people were thoroughly satisfied, according to the governor, and only expressed their regret that three or four members of the States-General could not have their heads cut off as well, being as arrant knaves as Henlart; “and so I think they be,” added Leicester.

Parma having thus made himself master of the Meuse, lost no time in making a demonstration upon the parallel course of the Rhine, thirty miles farther east.  Schenk, Kloet; and other partisans, kept that portion of the archi-episcopate and of Westphalia in a state of perpetual commotion.  Early in the, preceding year, Count de Meurs had, by a fortunate stratagem, captured the town of Neusz for the deposed elector, and Herman Kloet, a young and most determined Geldrian soldier, now commanded in the place.

The Elector Ernest had made a visit in disguise to the camp of Parma, and had represented the necessity of recovering the city.  It had become the stronghold of heretics, rebels, and banditti.  The Rhine was in their hands, and with it the perpetual power of disturbing the loyal Netherlands.  It was as much the interest of his Catholic Majesty as that of the Archbishop that Neusz should be restored to its lawful owner.  Parma had felt the force of this reasoning, and had early in the year sent Haultepenne to invest the city.  He had been obliged to recal that commander during the siege of Grave.  The place being reduced, Alexander, before the grass could grow beneath his feet advanced to the Rhine in person.  Early in July he appeared before the walls of Neusz with eight thousand foot and two thousand horse.  The garrison under Kloet numbered scarcely more than sixteen hundred effective soldiers, all Netherlanders and Germans, none being English.

The city is twenty-miles below Cologne.  It was so well fortified that a century before it had stood a year’s siege from the famous Charles the Bold, who, after all, had been obliged to retire.  It had also resisted the strenuous efforts of Charles the Fifth; and was now stronger than it ever had been.  It was thoroughly well provisioned, so that it was safe enough “if those within it,” said Leicester, “be men.”  The Earl expressed the opinion, however, that “those fellows were not good to defend towns, unless the besiegers were obliged to swim to the attack.”  The issue was to show whether the sarcasm were just or not.  Meantime the town was considered by the governor-general to be secure, “unless towns were to be had for the asking.”