e first issued by Louis
of Nassau, brother of William of Orange, and in 1569 there were
18 ships engaged, increased in the next year to 84. The bloody
and licentious De la Marek, who wore his hair and beard unshorn
till he had avenged the execution of his relative, Egmont, was
a typical leader of still more wild and reckless crews. It was
no uncommon practice to go over the rail of a merchant ship with
pike and ax and kill every Spaniard on board. In 1569 William of
Orange appointed the Seigneur de Lumbres as admiral of the beggar
fleet, and issued strict instructions to him to secure better order,
avoid attacks on vessels of friendly and neutral states, enforce
the articles of war, and carry a preacher on each ship. The booty
was to be divided one-third to the Prince for the maintenance of
the war, one-third to the captains to supply their vessels, and
one-third to the crews, one-tenth of this last share going to the
admiral in general command.

[Illustration: THE NETHERLANDS IN THE 16TH CENTURY]

The events of commerce warfare, though they often involve desperate
adventures and hard fighting, are not individually impressive, and
the effectiveness of this warfare is best measured by collective
results. On one occasion, when a fleet of transports fell into the
hands of patriot forces off Flushing in 1572, not only were 1000
troops taken, but also 500,000 crowns of gold and a rich cargo, the
proceeds of which, it is stated, were sufficient to carry on the whole
war for a period of two years. Again it was fear of pirates (Huguenot
in this case) that in December of 1568 drove a squadron of Spanish
transports into Plymouth, England, with 450,000 ducats ($960,000)
aboard for the pay of Spanish troops. Elizabeth seized the money
(on the ground that it was still the property of the Genoese bankers
who had lent it and that she might as well borrow it as Philip),
and minted it into English coin at a profit of L3000. But Alva at
Antwerp, with no money at all, was forced to the obnoxious "Hundreds"
tax--requiring a payment of one per cent on all possessions, five
per cent on all real estate transfers, and 10 per cent every time
a piece of merchandise was sold--a typical tax after the Spanish
recipe, which, though not finally enforced to its full extent, aroused
every Netherlander as a fatal blow at national prosperity. To return
to the general effect of commerce destruction, it is estimated
that Spain thus lost annually 3,000,0