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Fortress after fortress fell; the line of the Yssel was abandoned. Soon the whole of Gelderland, Overyssel, Drente and Utrecht were in the possession of the enemy. Even the castle of Muiden, but ten miles from Amsterdam, was only saved from capture at the last moment by Joan Maurice throwing himself with a small force within the walls.
Two hundred students on richly caparisoned horses, clothed in armor, decorated with mantles embroidered with coats of arms, with waving plumes and large swords proudly brandished, formed the retinue of the Duke of Gelderland.
Louis XI, the hereditary enemy of her house, at once took possession of the duchy of Burgundy, which by failure of heirs-male had reverted to its liege-lord. French armies overran Artois, Hainault and Picardy, and were threatening Flanders, where there was in every city a party of French sympathisers. Gelderland welcomed the exiled duke, Adolf, as their sovereign.
But year after year had seen new gains on his German frontier. Elsass and the Breisgau passed into his hands as security for a loan to the Austrian Duke Sigismund; in 1473 he seized Lorraine by force of arms, and inherited from its Duke Gelderland and the county of Cleves.
He had been drowned, fished up, hanged, drawn, and quartered; after which his scattered fragments, having been exposed on all the principal towers of the city, had been put in pickle and deposited in a chest. They were now collected and buried triumphantly in the tomb of the Dukes of Gelderland. Thus the shade of the grim freebooter was at last appeased.
Aldegonde at the Diet Municipal revolution in Amsterdam The Prince's letter on the subject of the Anabaptists of Middelburg The two armies inactive De la None Action at Rijnemants John Casimir Perverse politics of Queen Elizabeth Alencon in the Netherlands Portrait of the Duke Orange's position in regard to him Avowed and supposed policy of the French court Anger of Elizabeth Terms arranged between Alencon and the Estates Renewed negotiations with Don John Severe terms offered him Interview of the English envoys with the Governor Despondency of Don John Orange's attempts to enforce a religious peace His isolation in sentiment The malcontent party Count John Governor of Gelderland Proposed form of religious peace Proclamation to that effect by Orange, in Antwerp A petition in favor of the Roman Church presented by Champagny and other Catholic nobles to the States General Consequent commotion in Brussels Champagny and others imprisoned Indolence and poverty of the two armies Illness and melancholy of Don John His letters to Doria, to Mendoza, and to the King Death of Don John Suspicions of poison Pompous burial Removal of his body to Spain Concluding remarks upon his character.
During the whole month of December, an active correspondence had been carried on by the Prince and his brother John with various agents in Gelderland, Friesland, and Groningen, as well as with influential personages in the more central provinces and cities.
Notwithstanding these direful warnings from a prince of the Reformation, notwithstanding the "olla podrida" and the "comet," Count John had nevertheless accepted the office of Governor of Gelderland, to which he had been elected by the estates of that province on the 11th of March.
It was also important to hold the Yssel, the course of which river led directly through the United Netherlands, quite to the Zuyder Zee, cutting off Friesland, Groningen, and Gelderland from their sister provinces of Holland and Zeeland. And here again the keys to this river had been lost by English treason.
Count Van, den Bergh, another brother-in-law of Orange, proved himself signally unworthy of the illustrious race to which he was allied. He had, in the earlier part of the year, received the homage of the cities of Gelderland and Overyssel, on behalf of the patriot Prince. He now basely abandoned the field where he had endeavoured to gather laurels while the sun of success had been shining.
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