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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 40
History United Netherlands, 1585
Position of Alexander and his Army—La Motte attempts in vain Ostend—Patriots gain Liefkenshoek—Projects of Gianibelli—Alarm on the Bridge—The Fire Ships—The Explosion—Its Results—Death of the Viscount of Ghent—Perpetual Anxiety of Farnese—Impoverished State of the Spaniards—Intended Attack of the Kowenstyn—Second Attack of the Kowenstyn—A Landing effected—A sharp Combat—The Dyke pierced —Rally of the Spaniards—Parma comes to the Rescue—Fierce Struggle on the Dyke—The Spaniards successful—Premature Triumph at Antwerp —Defeat of the Patriots—The Ship War's End—Despair of the Citizens
Notwithstanding these triumphs, Parma was much inconvenienced by notpossessing the sea-coast of Flanders. Ostend was a perpetual stumbling-block to him. He therefore assented, with pleasure to a proposition madeby La Motte, one of the most experienced and courageous of the Walloonroyalist, commanders, to attempt the place by surprise. And La Motte; atthe first blow; was more than half successful.
On the night of the 29th March, (1585) with two thousand foot and twelvehundred cavalry, he carried the whole of the old port of Ostend. Leavinga Walloon officer, in whom he had confidence, to guard the positionalready gained, he went back in person for reinforcements. During hisadvance, the same ill luck attended his enterprise which had blastedHohenlo's achievement at Bois-le-Duc. The soldiers he left behind himdeserted their posts for the sake of rifling the town. The officer incommand, instead of keeping them to their duty, joined in the chase. Thecitizens roused themselves, attacked their invaders, killed many of them,and put the rest to flight. When La Motte returned; he found the panicgeneral. His whole force, including the fresh soldiers just brought tothe rescue, were beside themselves with fear. He killed several with hisown hand, but the troops were not to be rallied. His quick triumph waschanged into an absolute defeat.
Parma, furious at the ignominious result of a plan from which so much hadbeen expected, ordered the Walloon captain, from whose delinquency somuch disaster had resulted, to be forthwith hanged. "Such villainy,"said he, "must never go unpunished."
It was impossible for the Prince to send a second expedition to attemptthe reduction of Ostend, for the patriots were at last arousingthemselves to the necessity of exertion. It was very obvious—now thatthe bridge had been built, and the Kowenstyn fortified—that one or theother was to be destroyed, or Antwerp abandoned to its fate.
The patriots had been sleeping, as it were, all the winter, hugging thedelusive dream of French sovereignty and French assistance. No languagecan exaggerate the deadly effects from the slow poison of thatnegotiation. At any rate, the negotiation was now concluded. The dreamwas dispelled. Antwerp must now fall, or a decisive blow must be struckby the patriots themselves, and a telling blow had been secretly andmatur