the gates of the city, or into a bastion recently raised to fortify the point when the troops had landed.  Young Nassau stormed the bulwark sword in hand, carried it at the first assault, and planted his colours on its battlement.  It was the flag of William the Silent; for the republican banner was composed of the family colours of the founder of the new commonwealth.  The blazonry of the proscribed and assassinated rebel waved at last defiantly over one of the chief cities of Spain.  Essex and Nassau and all the rest then entered the city.  There was little fighting.  Twenty-five English and Hollanders were killed, and about as many Spaniards.  Essex knighted about fifty gentlemen, Englishmen and Hollanders, in the square of Cadiz for their gallantry.  Among the number were Lewis Gunther of Nassau, Admiral Warmond, and Peter Regesmortes.  Colonel Nicolas Meetkerke was killed in the brief action, and Sir John Wingfield, who insisted in prancing about on horseback without his armour, defying the townspeople and neglecting the urgent appeal of Sir Francis Vere, was also slain.  The Spanish soldiers, discouraged by the defeat of the ships on which they had relied for protection of the town, retreated with a great portion of the inhabitants into the citadel.  Next morning the citadel capitulated without striking a blow, although there, were six thousand able-bodied, well-armed men within its walls.  It was one of the most astonishing panics ever recorded.  The great fleet, making a third of the king’s navy, the city of Cadiz and its fortress, were surrendered to this audacious little force, which had only arrived off the harbour thirty-six hours before.  The invaders had, however, committed a great mistake.  They had routed, and, as it were, captured the Spanish galleons, but they had not taken possession of them, such had been their eagerness to enter the city.  It was now agreed that the fleet should be ransomed for two million ducats, but the proud Duke of Medina Sidonia, who had already witnessed the destruction of one mighty armada, preferred that these splendid ships too should perish rather than that they should pay tribute to the enemy.  Scorning the capitulation of the commandant of the citadel, he ordered the fleet to be set on fire.  Thirty-two ships, most of them vessels of war of the highest class, were burned, with all their equipments.  Twelve hundred cannon sunk at once to the bottom of the Bay of Cadiz, besides arms for five or six thousand men.  At least one-third of Philip’s effective navy was thus destroyed.

The victors now sacked the city very thoroughly, but the results were disappointing.  A large portion of the portable wealth of the inhabitants, their gold and their jewelry, had been so cunningly concealed that, although half a dozen persons were tortured till they should reveal hidden treasures, not more than five hundred thousand ducats worth of-plunder was obtained.  Another sum of equal amount having been levied upon the citizens; forty notable personages;