spectacles to the unostentatious appearance of Sir Philip Sidney at Flushing. "Driven to land," he says, "at Rammekins, because the wind begun to rise in such sort as our mariners durst not enter the town, I came from thence on foot with as dirty a walk as ever poor governor entered his charge withal."

Now that the English supplies had arrived in the Netherlands and the greetings and pageantry over, some useful work was naturally looked for by the Dutchmen. Leicester had promised much; he had affected to despise the Prince of Parma, had given out on no credible authority that

Alexander was dismayed at his approach, and that not only would Antwerp be recovered, but the Low Countries soon swept of every Spanish soldier as effectually as though every dyke had been pierced and the North Sea rolled over the land. But, however encouraging these words might be, the Prince of Parma, so far from retiring before Leicester, boldly attacked and successfully captured several important towns. The earl still vaunted his own and his troops' prowess, and beat the enemy over and over again in theory; but in fact the enemy budged not an inch; their "war-worn coats" were still stout enough to withstand a blow, and

though they often looked "so many ghosts," there was body enough to give a good blow when the time came.

Gradually Leicester found his popularity, both at home and in the Netherlands, decreasing. The Dutchmen stood in need of skilful soldiership; the battle had to be won before they rejoiced in victory; and although the earl was an excellent trencherman at a banquet, he seemed to have but little stomach for a feast of lances. So the Dutchmen complained and Leicester expostulated and conducted himself very much like an absolute master. This assumption, especially as it was all done in the queen's name, but without the queen's sanction, roused her Majesty's indignation, and she who had once sworn to unfrock a proud prelate was quite as ready to strike the spurs from the heels of an arrogant knight. So the position of Leicester was not altogether enviable.

Leicester at length took the field, with the intention of capturing Zutphen, or Suthfen, an important town on the right bank of the Yssel, capital of an ancient Landgrave.

"The ancient river, broad, deep, and languid, glides through a plain of almost boundless extent till it loses itself in the flat and misty horizon on the other side of the stream. In the district called Veluwe, or bad meadow, were three sconces, one of them of remarkable strength. An island between the city and the shore was likewise well fortified. On the landward side the town was protected by a wall and moat sufficiently strong in those infant days of artillery. Near the hospital gate on the east was an external fortress guarding the road to Warnsfeld. This was

a small village, with a solitary slender church spire shooting up above a cluster of neat one-storied houses. It was about an English mile from Zutphen, in the midst of a low, somewhat fenny plain, which, in winter time, became so completely a lake, that peasants were not unfrequently drowned in attempting to pass from the city to the village. In summer the vague expanse of country was fertile and cheerful of aspect. Long rows of poplars marked the straight highways, clumps of pollard-willows scattered around the little meres, snug farmhouses with kitchen gardens and brilliant flower patches dotting the level plain, verdant pastures sweeping off into seemingly infinite distance, where innumerable cattle seemed to swarm like insects, windmills swinging their arms in all directions, like protection giants, to save the country from inundation, the lagging sail of market-boats shining through rows of orchard trees-all gave to the environs of Zutphen a tranquil and domestic charm."

The successes of Parma had driven the English both from the Meuse and the Rhine, and it was very important that they should obtain possession of the Yssel, that branch of the Rhine which flows between Gelderland and Overyssel into the Zuyder Zee. Daventer and Kampen were the two principal places on the river, and these were already in the hands of the States. Could the English obtain possession of Zutphen their command of the Yssel would be complete.

At the commencement of the operations a fortified camp was established by Sir John Norris, on an eminence christened by the unpropitious name of Gibbet Hill. In company with Sir John Norris, and in joint command, were Count Louis William of Nassau, and Sir Philip Sidney. Leicester

himself who had ordered the construction of a bridge of boats, crossed over to the opposite side of the river, so that he might personally superintend the attack on the Veluwe forts.

When the Duke of Parma was informed of the siege of Zutphen, he broke up his camp, then at Rheinberg, and came to Wesel. There he built a bridge over the Rhine and fortified it with two blockhouses, and thus effectually impeded all traffic. Having accomplished this work he hastened to Groll and Burite, seizing both and throwing in small garrisons. He then approached Zutphen, a city which he was determined to relieve. He had with him but five thousand men, exclusive of fifteen hundred under Verdugo; but he was determined to give battle to the

enemy and, as he himself said, "Leave the issue with the God of battles."

On the 29th of August, 1586, the Duke of Parma entered Zutphen. He had previously sent on a reinforcement of horse and foot, but he was well aware of the encouragement given by his own personal appearance; he knew that the people were devotedly attached to him, regarding him both as saint and soldier, and he was therefore the more anxious to show himself amongst them. He had besides another object in view; he was desirous by personal observation of ascertaining the exact position of the enemy. He found Gibbet Hill, as we have seen, occupied by Sir John Norris, who was supposed to have thirty-five thousand men under his command. Sir John, in the opinion of Parma, was the best soldier the English had, and his position was impregnable. The rest of the English were on the other side of the river, and Parma observed with satisfaction that they had abandoned a small redoubt, outside the Low-gate, through which reinforcements might enter the city. Availing himself of this capital error on the part of Leicester, Parma determined to seize the opportunity of sending to Zutphen the much needed supplies. All through the night there was skirmishing between the Spaniards and the English ; a Scotch officer who was captured assured Parma that Leicester had no less than fifteen thousand men under his command-rather more than double his real number-but had he declared, and had it been true, that thirty instead of fifteen thousand beleaguered the city, Parma would still have hazarded his experiment.

In the morning Parma returned to his camp and at once made rapid work in collecting victuals. Wheat and other provisions sufficient to feed four thousand men for three months were soon in readiness, and these he determined to send into Zutphen immediately, at every risk.

The incidents which followed are thus graphically related by the historian of the Netherlands:

The convoy which was now to be dispatched required great care and a powerful escort. Twenty-five hundred musketeers and pikemen, of whom one thousand were Spaniards, and six hundred cavalry, Epirotes, Spaniards, and Italians, under Hannibal Gonzago, George Crescia, Bentivoghu, Sesa, and others, were accordingly detailed for this expedition. The Marquis del Vasto, to whom was entrusted the chief command, was ordered to march from Berkelo at midnight, on Wednesday, October 1. It was calculated that he would reach a certain hillock not far from

Warnsfeld by dawn of day. Here he was to pause and send forward an officer towards the town communicating his arrival, and requesting the co-operation of Verdugo, who was to make a sortie with one thousand men, according to Alexander of Parma's previous arrangements. The plan was successfully carried out. The marquis arrived by daybreak at the spot indicated, and dispatched Captain de Vego, who contrived to send intelligence of the fact. A trooper whom Parma had himself sent to Verdugo with earlier information of the movement, had been captured on the way. Leicester had therefore been apprized, at an early moment, of the prince's intentions; but he was not aware that the convoy would be accompanied by so strong a force as had really been detailed.

Leicester had accordingly ordered Sir John Norris, who commanded on the outside of the town, near the road which the Spaniards must traverse, to place an ambuscade in the way. Sir John, always ready for adventurous enterprises, took a body of two hundred cavalry, all picked men, and ordered Sir William Stanley, with three hundred pikemen, to follow. A much stronger force of infantry was held in reserve; but it was not thought it would be required. The ambuscade was successfully placed before the dawn of Thursday morning, in the neighbourhood of Warnsfeld Church. On the other hand, the Earl of Leicester himself, anxious as to the result, came across the river just at daybreak. He was accompanied by the chief gentlemen in his camp, who could never be restrained when blows were passing current.

The business that morning was commonplace enough-to "impeach" a convoy of wheat and barley, butter and cheese-but the names of the noble and knightly volunteers who took share in it, sound like the roll call for some chivalrous tournament. There were Essex and Audley, Stanley, Pelham, Russell, both the Sidneys, all the Norrises, Lord Willoughby "of courage fierce and full." Twenty such volunteers as these sat on horseback that morning around the stately Earl of Leicester. It seemed an incredible extravagance to send a handful of such heroes against an army.

It was five o'clock of a chill autumn morning. It was time for day to break, but the fog was so thick that a man at the distance of five yards was quite invisible. The creaking of wheels, and the measured tramp of soldiers, soon became faintly audible, however, to Sir John Norris and his five hundred as they sat there in the mist. Presently came galloping forward in hot haste those noblemen and gentlemen, with their esquires,