By England's Aid Or, the Freeing of the Netherlands, 1585-1604   By: George Alfred Henty (1832-1902)

By England's Aid

Or, Or, the Freeing of the Netherlands, 1585 1604

BY

G. A. HENTY

[Illustration: GEOFFREY AND LIONEL SAVE FRANCIS VERE'S LIFE]

PREFACE.

In my preface to By Pike and Dyke I promised in a future story to deal with the closing events of the War of Independence in Holland. The period over which that war extended was so long, and the incidents were so numerous and varied, that it was impossible to include the whole within the limit of a single book. The former volume brought the story of the struggle down to the death of the Prince of Orange and the capture of Antwerp; the present gives the second phase of the war, when England, who had long unofficially assisted Holland, threw herself openly into the struggle, and by her aid mainly contributed to the successful issue of the war. In the first part of the struggle the scene lay wholly among the low lands and cities of Holland and Zeeland, and the war was strictly a defensive one, waged against overpowering odds. After England threw herself into the strife it assumed far wider proportions, and the independence of the Netherlands was mainly secured by the defeat and destruction of the great Armada, by the capture of Cadiz and the fatal blow thereby struck at the mercantile prosperity of Spain, and by the defeat of the Holy League by Henry of Navarre, aided by English soldiers and English gold. For the facts connected with the doings of Sir Francis Vere and the British contingent in Holland, I have depended much upon the excellent work by Mr. Clement Markham entitled the Fighting Veres . In this full justice is done to the great English general and his followers, and it is conclusively shown that some statements to the disparagement of Sir Francis Vere by Mr. Motley are founded upon a misconception of the facts. Sir Francis Vere was, in the general opinion of the time, one of the greatest commanders of the age, and more, perhaps, than any other man with the exception of the Prince of Orange contributed to the successful issue of the struggle of Holland to throw off the yoke of Spain.

G. A. HENTY.

CONTENTS

CHAP.

I. AN EXCURSION II. A MEETING IN CHEPE III. IN THE LOW COUNTRY IV. THE SIEGE OP SLUYS V. AN HEROIC DEFENCE VI. THE LOSS OF THE "SUSAN" VII. A POPISH PLOT VIII. THE SPANISH ARMADA IX. THE ROUT OF THE ARMADA X. THE WAR IN HOLLAND XI. IN SPAIN XII. RECRUITING THEIR FUNDS XIII. THE FESTA AT SEVILLE XIV. THE SURPRISE OF BREDA XV. A SLAVE IN BARBARY XVI. THE ESCAPE XVII. A SPANISH MERCHANT XVIII. IVRY XIX. STEENWYK XX. CADIZ XXI. THE BATTLE OF NIEUPORT XXII. OLD FRIENDS XXIII. THE SIEGE OF OSTEND

ILLUSTRATIONS

Geoffrey And Lionel Save Francis Vere's Life The Four Pages Carry Down The Wounded Soldier The Next Few Minutes It Was A Wild Struggle For Life Geoffrey Carried Overboard By The Falling Mast Geoffrey Gives Inez Her Lover's Note Geoffrey Falls Into The Hands Of The Corsairs Crossing The Bridge Of Boats Over The Haven Vere's Horse Shot Under Him At The Fight Before Ostend

Plan of Sluys and the Castle, to illustrate the Siege of 1587

Plan of Breda and its Defences, illustrating its surprise and capture in 1590

Map of Cadiz and Harbour at the time of its capture in 1596, showing the position of the English and Spanish Ships

Plan of Ostend and its Defences, showing the lines of the attacking forces during the siege of 1601 4

BY ENGLAND'S AID

CHAPTER I

AN EXCURSION