Things Seen in Holland
it, when his personal prestige quickly made itself felt. As a General, however, he was singularly unsuccessful: twice did the Spaniards drive him back. The most memorable event in Dutch history—the taking of Brielle by the “Sea-beggars” in 1572, following upon which a number of towns in Zeeland and Holland dared for the first time to raise the standard of revolt, and to pronounce in favour of William—was accomplished without his having any part in the deed. He failed also in his attempt to relieve beleaguered Haarlem, which was compelled to surrender to the Spaniard, and to witness the massacre of one-half of its population. Lastly, William's dream of welding into one kingdom the seventeen provinces nowadays constituting Holland and Belgium was not to be realized.
With all that, no member of the House
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