her enemies with terror likewise.  The lights which had been seen moving during the night were the lanterns of the retreating Spaniards, and the boy who was now waving his triumphant signal from the battlements had alone witnessed the spectacle.  So confident was he in the conclusion to which it led him, that he had volunteered at daybreak to go thither all alone.  The magistrates, fearing a trap, hesitated for a moment to believe the truth, which soon, however, became quite evident.  Valdez, flying himself from Leyderdorp, had ordered Colonel Borgia to retire with all his troops from Lammen.  Thus, the Spaniards had retreated at the very moment that an extraordinary accident had laid bare a whole side of the city for their entrance.  The noise of the wall, as it fell, only inspired them with fresh alarm for they believed that the citizens had sallied forth in the darkness, to aid the advancing flood in the work of destruction.  All obstacles being now removed, the fleet of Boisot swept by Lammen, and entered the city on the morning of the 3rd of October.  Leyden was relieved.

The quays were lined with the famishing population, as the fleet rowed through the canals, every human being who could stand, coming forth to greet the preservers of the city.  Bread was thrown from every vessel among the crowd.  The poor creatures who, for two months had tasted no wholesome human food, and who had literally been living within the jaws of death, snatched eagerly the blessed gift, at last too liberally bestowed.  Many choked themselves to death, in the greediness with which they devoured their bread; others became ill with the effects of plenty thus suddenly succeeding starvation; but these were isolated cases, a repetition of which was prevented.  The Admiral, stepping ashore, was welcomed by the magistracy, and a solemn procession was immediately formed.  Magistrates and citizens, wild Zealanders, emaciated burgher guards, sailors, soldiers, women, children, nearly every living person within the walls, all repaired without delay to the great church, stout Admiral Boisot leading the way.  The starving and heroic city, which had been so firm in its resistance to an earthly king, now bent itself in humble gratitude before the King of kings.  After prayers, the whole vast congregation joined in the thanksgiving hymn.  Thousands of voices raised the-song, but few were able to carry it to its conclusion, for the universal emotion, deepened by the music, became too full for utterance.  The hymn was abruptly suspended, while the multitude wept like children.  This scene of honest pathos terminated; the necessary measures for distributing the food and for relieving the sick were taken by the magistracy.  A note dispatched to the Prince of Orange, was received by him at two o’clock, as he sat in church at Delft.  It was of a somewhat different purport from that of the letter which he had received early in the same day from Boisot; the letter in which the admiral had, informed him that the success of the enterprise depended; after-all, upon the desperate assault upon a nearly impregnable fort.  The joy of the Prince may be easily imagined, and so soon as the sermon was concluded; he handed the letter just received to the minister, to be read to the congregation.  Thus, all participated in his joy, and united with him in thanksgiving.