This eBook was produced by David Widger
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
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, Vol. 73
History of the United Netherlands, 1600
Military events—Aggressive movement of the Netherlanders—State of the Archdukes provinces—Mutiny of the Spanish forces—Proposed invasion of Flanders by the States-General—Disembarkation of the troops on the Spanish coasts—Capture of Oudenburg and other places —Surprise of Nieuport—Conduct of the Archduke—Oudenburg and the other forts re-taken—Dilemma of the States' army—Attack of the Archduke on Count Ernest's cavalry—Panic and total overthrow of the advance-guard of the States' army—Battle of Nieuport—Details of the action—Defeat of the Spanish army—Results of the whole expedition.
The effect produced in the republic by the defensive and uneventfulcampaigning of the year 1599 had naturally been depressing. There wasmurmuring at the vast amount of taxation, especially at the newimposition of one-half per cent. upon all property, and two-and-a-halfper cent. on all sales, which seemed to produce so few results. Thesuccessful protection of the Isle of Bommel and the judicious purchase ofthe two forts of Crevecoeur and St. Andrew; early in the following year,together with their garrisons, were not military events of the firstmagnitude, and were hardly enough to efface the mortification felt at thefact that the enemy had been able so lately to construct one of thosestrongholds within the territory of the commonwealth.
It was now secretly determined to attempt an aggressive movement on aconsiderable scale, and to carry the war once for all into the heart ofthe obedient provinces. It was from Flanders that the Spanish armiesdrew a great portion of their supplies. It was by the forts erected onthe coast of Flanders in the neighbourhood of Ostend that this importantpossession of the States was rendered nearly valueless. It was byprivateers swarming from the ports of Flanders, especially from Nieuportand Dunkirk, that the foreign trade of the republic was crippled, and itsintercommunications by river and estuary rendered unsafe. Dunkirk wassimply a robbers' cave, a station from which an annual tax was leviedupon the commerce of the Netherlands, almost sufficient, had it been paidto the national treasury instead of to the foreign freebooters, tosupport the expenses of a considerable army.
On the other hand the condition of the archdukes seemed deplorable.Never had mutiny existed before in so well-organised and definite a formeven in the Spanish Netherlands.
Besides those branches of the "Italian republic," which had beenestablished in the two fortresses of Crevecoeur and St. Andrew, and whichhad already sold themselves to the States, other organisations quite asformidable existed in various other portions of the obedient provinces.Especially at Diest and Thionville the rebellious Spaniards and Italianswere numbered by thousands, all veterans, well armed, fortified in strongcities; and supplying themselves with perfect regularity by contributionslevied upon the peasantry, obeying their Eletto and other officers withexemplary promptne