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All the effects, and more than all, that had been predicted by the Mantuan wizard had come to pass. The famous bridge was cleft through and through, and a thousand picked men Parma's very "daintiest" were blown out of existence. The Governor-General himself was lying stark and stiff upon the bridge which he said should be his triumphal monument or his tomb.
The Farneses claimed Portugal; so that children sprung from the bloodroyal of England blended with that of Parma, might choose to make those pretensions valid. But the objection was promptly solved by the Commander: "The Queen of Scotland is sure to have no children," he said. That matter being adjusted, Parma's probable attitude as King of England was examined.
Then remembering, in a lucky moment, something that he had heard four years before of the fire ships sent by the Antwerpers against Parma's bridge the inventor of which, the Italian Gianibelli, was at that very moment constructing fortifications on the Thames to assist the English against his old enemy Farnese Winter suggested that some stratagem of the same kind should be attempted against the Invincible Armada.
Parma recalls the foreign troops Siege of Oudenarde Coolness of Alexander Capture of the city and of Nineve Inauguration of Anjou at Ghent Attempt upon his life and that of Orange Lamoral Egmont's implication in the plot Parma's unsuccessful attack upon Ghent Secret plans of Anjou Dunkirk, Ostend, and other towns surprised by his adherents Failure at Bruges Suspicions at Antwerp Duplicity of Anjou The "French Fury" Details of that transaction Discomfiture and disgrace of the Duke His subsequent effrontery His letters to the magistracy of Antwerp, to, the Estates, and to Orange Extensive correspondence between Anjou and the French Court with Orange and the Estates Difficult position of the Prince His policy Remarkable letter to the States-general Provisional arrangement with Anjou Marriage of the Archbishop of Cologne Marriage of Orange with Louisa de Coligny Movements in Holland, Brabant, Flanders, and other provinces, to induce the Prince to accept sovereignty over the whole country His steady refusal Treason of Van den Berg in Gueldres Intrigues of Prince Chimay and Imbize in Flanders Counter efforts of Orange and the patriot party Fate of Imbize Reconciliation of Bruges Death of Anjou
I did not fail to do what I am obliged to do, and always hope to do; but I say no more of what passed, or what was done by myself, because it does not become me to speak of these things." Notwithstanding this discomfiture, the patriots kept up heart, and were incessantly making demonstrations against Parma's works.
One assault had already been delivered by the Spaniards against Knodsenburg, but this had been repulsed with heavy loss. As soon as the patriot army approached the neighbourhood, Parma's cavalry went out to drive in its skirmishers.
"Your Lordship may see," he wrote, after getting possession of Parma's letter to the Queen, and unravelling Croft's intrigues, "what effects are wrought by such weak ministers. They that have been the employers of them are ashamed of the matter."
England was wild with joy at its deliverance, but the household at Hedingham was plunged into deep sorrow. Weeks passed and then Lionel received a letter from Francis Vere saying that Parma's army was advancing into Holland, and that as active work was at hand he had best, if his intentions remained unchanged, join him without delay.
He said that he had just received an urgent letter from the Dutch governor of Sluys, saying that Parma's army was advancing from Bruges towards the city, and had seized and garrisoned the fort of Blankenburg on the sea-coast to prevent reinforcements arriving from Ostend; he therefore prayed the governor of Flushing to send off troops and provisions with all haste to enable him to resist the attack.
But as things were going, rebellion was likely to break out at home; their homesteads might be burning, their country overrun with the Prince of Parma's army, the Inquisition at their own doors, and a Catholic sovereign bringing back the fagots of Smithfield. The Reformation at its origin was no introduction of novel heresies.
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