FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   952   953   954   955   956   957   958   959   960   961   962   963   964   965   966   967   968   969   970   971   972   973   974   975   976  
977   978   979   980   981   982   983   984   985   986   987   988   989   990   991   992   993   994   995   996   997   998   999   1000   1001   >>   >|  
ef of Leyden, had charge of the expedition. Mondragon had surrounded the shallow harbor with hulks and chains, and with a loose submerged dyke of piles and rubbish. Against this obstacle Boisot drove his ship, the 'Red Lion,' with his customary audacity, but did not succeed in cutting it through. His vessel, the largest of the feet, became entangled: he was, at the same time, attacked from a distance by the besiegers. The tide ebbed and left his ship aground, while the other vessels had been beaten back by the enemy. Night approached; and there was no possibility of accomplishing the enterprise. His ship was hopelessly stranded. With the morning's sun his captivity was certain. Rather than fall into the hands of his enemy, he sprang into the sea; followed by three hundred of his companions, some of whom were fortunate enough to effect their escape. The gallant Admiral swam a long time, sustained by a broken spar. Night and darkness came on before assistance could be rendered, and he perished. Thus died Louis Boisot, one of the most enterprising of the early champions of Netherland freedom--one of the bravest precursors of that race of heroes, the commanders of the Holland navy. The Prince deplored his loss deeply, as that of a "valiant gentleman, and one well affectioned to the common cause." His brother, Charles Boisot, as will be remembered, had perished by treachery at the first landing of the Spanish troops; after their perilous passage from Duiveland.--Thus both the brethren had laid down their lives for their country, in this its outer barrier, and in the hour of its utmost need. The fall of the beleaguered town could no longer be deferred. The Spaniards were, at last, to receive the prize of that romantic valor which had led them across the bottom of the sea to attack the city. Nearly nine months had, however, elapsed since that achievement; and the Grand Commander, by whose orders it had been undertaken, had been four months in his grave. He was permitted to see neither the long-delayed success which crowded the enterprise, nor the procession of disasters and crimes which were to mark it as a most fatal success. On the 21st of June, 1576, Zierickzee, instructed by the Prince of Orange to accept honorable terms, if offered, agreed to surrender. Mondragon, whose soldiers were in a state of suffering, and ready to break out in mutiny, was but too happy to grant an honorable capitulation. The garrison were allowed t
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   952   953   954   955   956   957   958   959   960   961   962   963   964   965   966   967   968   969   970   971   972   973   974   975   976  
977   978   979   980   981   982   983   984   985   986   987   988   989   990   991   992   993   994   995   996   997   998   999   1000   1001   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Boisot
 
success
 
months
 
enterprise
 
Mondragon
 
honorable
 

perished

 

Prince

 

romantic

 
Charles

receive
 

treachery

 

Spaniards

 
brethren
 

remembered

 

bottom

 
common
 

attack

 
brother
 

deferred


longer

 

perilous

 

troops

 

country

 

passage

 

Duiveland

 
barrier
 

landing

 

beleaguered

 

Spanish


utmost

 

agreed

 

offered

 
surrender
 

soldiers

 

Zierickzee

 
instructed
 
Orange
 

accept

 
suffering

capitulation
 

garrison

 

allowed

 

mutiny

 

orders

 

Commander

 

undertaken

 

achievement

 
elapsed
 

affectioned