Falling intentionally into the Prince's hands
they affected to inform him of the vulnerability of the defences,
and outlined a scheme by which his capture of a decisive position
was practically certain. Having been entrusted with the conduct of
the attack, they led his men, by preconcerted design, into an ambush,
with the result that the siege was raised.
All being fair in love and war one should, I suppose, be at the feet
of these brave fellows; but I have no enthusiasm for that kind of
thing. At the same time there is no doubt that the Dutch ought to,
and therefore I am the more distressed by Bergen-op-Zoom's rudeness
to our foreign garb.
Bergen had seen battle before the siege, for when it was held by the
Spanish, at the beginning of the war, a naval engagement was held off
it in the Scheldt, between the Spanish fleet and the Beggars of the
Sea, whom we are about to meet. The victory was to the Beggars. Later,
in 1747, Bergen was besieged again, this time by the French and much
more fiercely than by the Spaniards.
From Bergen-op-Zoom we went to Tholen, passing the whitest of windmills
on the way. Tholen is an odd little ancient town gained by a tramway
and a ferry. Head-dresses here, as at Bois le Duc, are very much
over-decorated with false flowers; but in a little shop in one of the
narrow and deserted streets we found some very pretty lace.
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