The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 13: 1567, part IIMotley, John Lothrop
History
The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 13: 1567, part II
Motley, John Lothrop
Netherlands -- Church history; Netherlands -- History -- Eighty Years' War, 1568-1648
With an army thus perfect, on a small scale, in all its departments, and
furnished, in addition, with a force of two thousand prostitutes, as
regularly enrolled, disciplined, and distributed as the cavalry or the
artillery, the Duke embarked upon his momentous enterprise, on the 10th
of May, at Carthagena. Thirty-seven galleys, under command of Prince
Andrea Doria, brought the principal part of the force to Genoa, the Duke
being delayed a few days at Nice by an attack of fever. On the 2d of
June, the army was mustered at Alexandria de Palla, and ordered to
rendezvous again at San Ambrosio at the foot of the Alps. It was then
directed to make its way over Mount Cenis and through Savoy; Burgundy,
and Lorraine, by a regularly arranged triple movement. The second
division was each night to encamp on the spot which had been occupied
upon the previous night by the vanguard, and the rear was to place itself
on the following night in the camp of the corps de bataille. Thus
coiling itself along almost in a single line by slow and serpentine
windings, with a deliberate, deadly, venomous purpose, this army, which
was to be the instrument of Philip's long deferred vengeance, stole
through narrow mountain pass and tangled forest. So close and intricate
were many of the defiles through which the journey led them that, had one
tithe of the treason which they came to punish, ever existed, save in the
diseased imagination of their monarch, not one man would have been left
to tell the tale. Egmont, had he really been the traitor and the
conspirator he was assumed to be, might have easily organized the means
of cutting off the troops before they could have effected their entrance
into the country which they had doomed to destruction. His military
experience, his qualifications for a daring stroke, his great popularity,
and the intense hatred entertained for Alva, would have furnished him
with a sufficient machinery for the purpose.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account