100 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 57. April. allowed such instructions to have been executed were it true that they had been seriously given. De la Mark's first step on clearing the har- bour was to dash upon the merchant fleet. Two large vessels, one of which was worth, it was said, 60,000 crowns, were taken, and their crews flung over- board. 1 The rest fled up Channel with the rovers in close chase. A few days later the privateer squadron was seen anchoring, at daybreak, in the mouth of the Meuse, opposite the town of Brille. A boat came on shore, with a summons to the Governor to surrender to the Admiral f the Prince of Orange within two hours. He might perhaps have .resisted, for the batteries were well armed; but the terror of de la Mark's name struck the citizens into a panic. They fled in all directions, taking with them as much property as they could carry. The crews landed, burnt the gates, and entered without difficulty. The churches were plundered, thirteen miserable monks and priests, who had neglected to escape, were murdered ; but there were no further out- rages, and ' the sea beggars ' had firm and quiet posses- sion of an important station which by land was all but impregnable. Count Bossu, Alva's Stadtholder, flew from Utrecht to the rescue ; but he found the dykes cut and the country under water. Brille, for the 1 ' La flote de Flaudres qui re- venoit d'Espaigne est passee lexxviii. de Mars dans 1'estroict de Calais ; et les vaisseaulx da Princ^ d' Orange ont donne sur la queue; qui ont prins d.eux ourquesfcien riches; dont 1'une s'estime valloir plus de sorxante milleescus, y ont jette la pluspart de ceulx qui estoient dedans hors bort dans 1'eau.' La Mothe Fenelon, April 14 : De^ches^ vol. iv.
