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HISTORY OF THE UNITED NETHERLANDS
From the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce—1609
By John Lothrop Motley
MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg Edition, Volume 41
History United Netherlands, v41, 1584
Sainte Aldegonde discouraged—His Critical Position—His
Negotiations with the Enemy—Correspondence with Richardot—
Commotion in the City—Interview of Marnix with Parma—Suspicious
Conduct of Marnix—Deputation to the Prince—Oration of Marnix—
Private Views of Parma—Capitulation of Antwerp—Mistakes of Marnix
—Philip on the Religious Question—Triumphal Entrance of Alexander—
Rebuilding of the Citadel—Gratification of Philip—Note on Sainte
Aldegonde
Sainte Aldegonde's position had become a painful one. The net had beendrawn closely about the city. The bridge seemed impregnable, the greatKowenstyn was irrecoverably in the hands of the enemy, and now all thelesser forts in the immediate vicinity of Antwerp-Borght, Hoboken,Cantecroix, Stralen, Berghen, and the rest—had likewise fallen into hisgrasp. An account of grain, taken on the 1st of June, gave an average ofa pound a-head for a month long, or half a pound for two months. Thiswas not the famine-point, according to the standard which had once beenestablished in Leyden; but the courage of the burghers had been rapidlyoozing away, under the pressure of their recent disappointments. Itseemed obvious to the burgomaster, that the time for yielding hadarrived.
"I had maintained the city," he said, "for a long period, without anyexcessive tumult or great effusion of blood—a city where there was sucha multitude of inhabitants, mostly merchants or artisans deprived of alltheir traffic, stripped of their manufactures, destitute of allcommodities and means of living. I had done this in the midst of a greatdiversity of humours and opinions, a vast popular license, a confusedanarchy, among a great number of commanders, most of them inexperiencedin war; with very little authority of my own, with slender forces ofships, soldiers, and sailors; with alight appearance of support from kingor prince without, or of military garrison within; and under all thesecircumstances I exerted myself to do my uttermost duty in preserving thecity, both in regard to its internal government, and by force of arms byland and sea, without sparing myself in any labour or peril.
"I know very well that there are many persons, who, finding themselvesquite at their ease, and far away from the hard blows that are passing,are pleased to exhibit their wisdom by sitting in judgment upon others,founding their decision only upon the results. But I demand to be judgedby equity and reason, when passion has been set aside. I claim that myhonour shall be protected against my calumniators; for all shouldremember that I am not the first man, nor shall I be the last, that hasbeen blamed unjustly. All persons employed in public affairs are subjectto such hazards, but I submit myself to Him who knows all hearts, and whogoverns all. I take Him to witness that in the affair of Antwerp, as inall my other actions since my earliest youth, I have most sincerelysought His glory and the, welfare of His poor people, without regard tom