his friends.  Then he indulged himself with music, and listened particularly to a strange song which he had himself composed during his illness, and which he had entitled ’La Cuisse rompue.’  He took leave of the friends around him with perfect calmness; saying to his brother Robert, “Love my memory.  Cherish my friends.  Above all, govern your will and affections by the will and word of your Creator; in me beholding the end of this world with all her vanities.”

And thus this gentle and heroic spirit took its flight.

Parma, after thoroughly victualling Zutphen, turned his attention to the German levies which Leicester was expecting under the care of Count Meurs.  “If the enemy is reinforced by these six thousand fresh troops,” said Alexander; “it will make him master of the field.”  And well he might hold this opinion, for, in the meagre state of both the Spanish and the liberating armies, the addition of three thousand fresh reiters and as many infantry would be enough to turn the scale.  The Duke of Parma—­for, since the recent death of his father, Farnese had succeeded to his title—­determined in person to seek the German troops, and to destroy them if possible.  But they never gave him the chance.  Their muster-place was Bremen, but when they heard that the terrible ‘Holofernese’ was in pursuit of them, and that the commencement of their service would be a pitched battle with his Spaniards and Italians, they broke up and scattered about the country.  Soon afterwards the Duke tried another method of effectually dispersing them, in case they still retained a wish to fulfil their engagement with Leicester.  He sent a messenger to treat with them, and in consequence two of their rittmeisters; paid him a visit.  He offered to give them higher pay, and “ready money in place of tricks and promises.”  The mercenary heroes listened very favourably to his proposals, although they had already received—­besides the tricks and promises—­at least one hundred thousand florins out of the States’ treasury.

After proceeding thus far in the negotiation, however, Parma concluded, as the season was so far advanced, that it was sufficient to have dispersed them, and to have deprived the English and patriots of their services.  So he gave the two majors a gold chain a-piece, and they went their way thoroughly satisfied.  “I have got them away from the enemy for this year,” said Alexander; “and this I hold to be one of the best services that has been rendered for many a long day to your Majesty.”

During the period which intervened between the action at Warnsfeld and the death of Sidney, the siege-operations before Zutphen had been continued.  The city, strongly garrisoned and well supplied with provisions, as it had been by Parma’s care, remained impregnable; but the sconces beyond the river and upon the island fell into Leicester’s hands.  The great fortress which commanded the Veluwe, and which was strong enough to have resisted Count Hohenlo on a