affection, who could patiently superintend all the details of a great military work, or manage a vast political intrigue by alternations of browbeating and bribery, or lead a forlorn hope, or murder a prisoner in cold blood, or leap into the blazing crater of what seemed a marine volcano, the Marquis of Richebourg had ever made himself most actively and unscrupulously useful to his master.  Especially had he rendered invaluable services in the reduction, of the Walloon Provinces, and in the bridging of the Scheldt, the two crowning triumphs of Alexander’s life.  He had now passed from the scene where he had played so energetic and dazzling a part, and lay doubled round an iron cable beneath the current of the restless river.

And in this eventful night, Parma, as always, had been true to himself and to his sovereign.  “We expected,” said he, “that the rebels would instantly attack us on all sides after the explosion.  But all remained so astonished by the unheard-of accident, that very few understood what was going on.  It seemed better that I—­notwithstanding the risk of letting myself be seen—­should encourage the people not to run away.  I did so, and remedied matters a little but not so much as that—­if the enemy had then attacked us—­we should not have been in the very greatest risk and peril.  I did not fail to do what I am obliged to do, and always hope to do; but I say no more of what passed, or what was done by myself, because it does not become me to speak of these things.”

Notwithstanding this discomfiture, the patriots kept up heart, and were incessantly making demonstrations against Parma’s works.  Their proceedings against the bridge, although energetic enough to keep the Spanish commander in a state of perpetual anxiety, were never so efficient however as on the memorable occasion when the Mantuan engineer and the Dutch watchmaker had exhausted all their ingenuity.  Nevertheless, the rebel barks swarmed all over the submerged territory, now threatening this post, and now that, and effecting their retreat at pleasure; for nearly the whole of Parma’s little armada was stationed at the two extremities of his bridge.  Many fire-ships were sent down from time to time, but Alexander had organized a systematic patrol of a few sentry-boats, armed with scythes and hooks, which rowed up and down in front of the rafts, and protected them against invasion.

Some little effect was occasionally produced, but there was on the whole more anxiety excited than damage actually inflicted.  The perturbation of spirit among the Spaniards when any of these ‘demon fine-ships,’ as they called them, appeared bearing down upon their bridge, was excessive.  It could not be forgotten, that the `Hope’ had sent into space a thousand of the best soldiers of the little army within one moment of time.

Such rapid proceedings had naturally left an uneasy impression on the minds of the survivors.  The fatigue of watching was enormous.  Hardly an officer or soldier among the besieging forces knew what it was to sleep.  There was a perpetual exchanging of signals and beacon-fires and rockets among the patriots—­not a day or night, when a concerted attack by the Antwerpers from above, and the Hollanders from below, with gun-boats and fire-ships, and floating mines, and other devil’s enginry, was not expected.