The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 23: 1576Motley, John Lothrop
History
The Rise of the Dutch Republic — Volume 23: 1576
Motley, John Lothrop
Netherlands -- Church history; Netherlands -- History -- Eighty Years' War, 1568-1648
In this Spanish Fury many more were massacred in Antwerp than in the
Saint Bartholomew at Paris. Almost as many living human beings were
dashed out of existence now as there had been statues destroyed in the
memorable image-breaking of Antwerp, ten years before, an event which had
sent such a thrill of horror through the heart of Catholic Christendom.
Yet the Netherlanders and the Protestants of Europe may be forgiven, if
they regarded this massacre of their brethren with as much execration as
had been bestowed upon that fury against stocks and stones. At least,
the image-breakers, had been actuated by an idea, and their hands were
polluted neither with blood nor rapine. Perhaps the Spaniards had been.
governed equally by religious fanaticism.--Might not they believe they
were meriting well of their Mother Church while they were thus
disencumbering infidels of their wealth and earth of its infidels?
Had not the Pope and his cardinals gone to church in solemn procession,
to render thanks unto God for the massacre of Paris? Had not cannon
thundered and beacons blazed to commemorate that auspicious event?
Why should not the Antwerp executioners claim equal commendation? Even
if in their delirium they had confounded friend with foe, Catholic with
Calvinist, and church property with lay, could they not point to an equal
number of dead bodies, and to an incredibly superior amount of plunder?
Marvellously few Spaniards were slain in these eventful days. Two
hundred killed is the largest number stated. The discrepancy seems
monstrous, but it is hardly more than often existed between the losses
inflicted and sustained by the Spaniards in such combats. Their prowess
was equal to their ferocity, and this was enough to make them seem
endowed with preterhuman powers. When it is remembered, also, that the
burghers were insufficiently armed, that many of their defenders turned
against them, that many thousands fled in the first moments of the
encounter--and when the effect of a sudden and awful panic is duly
considered, the discrepancy between the number of killed on the two sides
will not seem so astonishing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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