History of the United Netherlands from the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce, 1585cMotley, John Lothrop
History
History of the United Netherlands from the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce, 1585c
Motley, John Lothrop
Netherlands -- History -- Eighty Years' War, 1568-1648
Several strange and less tragical incidents occurred. The Viscomte de
Bruxelles was blown out of a boat on the Flemish side, and descended safe
and, sound into another in the centre of the stream. Captain Tucci, clad
in complete armour, was whirled out of a fort, shot perpendicularly into
the air, and then fell back into the river. Being of a cool temperament,
a good swimmer, and very pious, he skilfully divested himself of cuirass
and helmet, recommended himself to the Blessed Virgin, and swam safely
ashore. Another young officer of Parma's body-guard, Francois de Liege
by name, standing on the Kalloo end of the bridge, rose like a feather
into the clouds, and, flying quite across the river, alighted on the
opposite bank with no further harm than a contused shoulder. He imagined
himself (he said afterwards) to have been changed into a cannon-ball, as
he rushed through the pitchy atmosphere, propelled by a blast of
irresistible fury.
[The chief authorities used in the foregoing account of this famous
enterprise are those already cited on a previous page, viz.: the MS.
Letters of the Prince of Parma in the Archives of Simancas; Bor, ii.
596, 597; Strada, H. 334 seq.; Meteren, xii. 223; Hoofd Vervolgh,
91; Baudartii Polemographia, ii. 24-27; Bentivoglio, etc., I have
not thought it necessary to cite them step by step; for all the
accounts, with some inevitable and unimportant discrepancies, agree
with each other. The most copious details are to be found in Strada
and in Bor.]
It had been agreed that Admiral Jacobzoon should, immediately after the
explosion of the fire-ships, send an eight-oared barge to ascertain the
amount of damage. If a breach had been effected, and a passage up to the
city opened, he was to fire a rocket. At this signal, the fleet
stationed at Lillo, carrying a heavy armament, laden with provisions
enough to relieve Antwerp from all anxiety, and ready to sail on the
instant, was at once to force its way up the river.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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