applause, cries of gratitude, and exclamations of "Leyden is saved! Leyden is saved! The Lord be eternally praised!" Yet even this joyful moment proved fatal to some unfortunate beings. Maddened by hunger, numbers rushed into the water, to seize the food which they had wanted so long, and many of them perished on the spot, by too hastily satisfying the cravings of nature. A stop was, however, soon put to this by the magistrates, who appointed persons to regulate the supply. As soon as the succours were landed, and order was restored, the officers and seamen of the fleet, and a multitude of the citizens, proceeded to the church, to offer up thanksgivings to their Almighty Father, for having brought their labours and sufferings to a happy termination. This duty being performed, alms were abundantly distributed to the poor, that none might be prevented from sharing in the general gladness. On the morrow, an incident occurred, which was piously regarded as an additional and striking manifestation of the goodness of Providence. The wind veered round again to the north-east, driving the waters back towards the Maas; and, soon after, a violent northerly gale arose, which hurried them through the broken dykes, and accelerated their evaporation, and thus contributed powerfully to restore the submerged territory to the dominion of man.

A solemn festival, held by the townsmen, on the 3rd of October, still commemorates the deliverance of Leyden. The establishment of the celebrated university, by the Prince of Orange, in 1575, was the reward which was bestowed upon the citizens; it was wisely and nobly chosen by them, in preference to an exemption from taxes.

DARING ENTERPRISES OF SPANISH TROOPS IN
ZEALAND.

THERE are no perils which brave soldiers, under able and respected leaders, have not willingly confronted; the mine, the breach, the furious charge with bayonet or sabre, the escalade, the fiery shower of shot and shells, have all, in turn, put their courage to the test; but in no case, perhaps, has that courage been so hardly tasked as in those enterprises in which they have had to make their way through the trackless waves, enveloped in darkness, and surrounded by foes whom their situation deprived them of the power to combat. Of such enterprises the number is scanty.

The march of Alexander from Lycia into Pamphylia is, I believe, the first recorded attempt of the kind to which I allude; for the passage of the Red Sea by the Israelites belongs to the class of supernatural events. There is, however, very little to excite wonder in what was done by Alexander, though it was magnified into a miracle by interested and shameless flatterers. His course was in open day, near the shore, along a firm and level beach, in a tideless sea and shallow water, where his troops were never immersed higher than the middle of their bodies, and where no enemy was at hand to alarm' or impede them. The danger was trifling, and the merit is, of course, the same.

Far more embarrassing were the many obstacles which barred the way of the men whose exploits I am about to relate. They were, indeed, such as might well excuse some hesitation and misgiving in the minds of the most courageous. Encumbered not only with their arms, but also with additional burdens, the daring adventurers had to accomplish, in the dead of night, a march of several

miles, through arms of the sea, exposed to the influence of the tide, and having an oozy and treacherous bottom, intersected by deep indentations; while, at the same time, they were every moment liable to attack from a naval force, manned by enemies who abhorred them, and whom they had neither the power to resist, nor the possibility of flying from. Nor was this all; when, drenched and exhausted, they had effected a landing, there still remained the risk of being suddenly assailed and overpowered, before they could put their disordered ranks into military array. It required no common nerve to face such manifold peril, where ruin seemed almost inevitable, and even the hope of glory was doubtful. There are many who would rush upon death to win renown, who would shrink from falling unseen and unhonoured. Ajax himself could not endure the thought of perishing in darkness." He," says Burke, "who would pray for nothing else towards his defence, is forced to pray for light."

On the northern margin of the island of South Beveland, in the province of Zealand, stands the town of Goes, or Tergoes. It is the principal town of the island, and was formerly a fortress of some consequence. In 1572, at an early period of the struggle made by the Dutch against the tyranny of Spain, Tergoes was besieged by the revolters, who reduced it to great extremity, in spite of a vigorous resistance on the part of its defenders. To save it was of the utmost importance, not only for its own value, but because the loss of it would almost necessarily involve that of Middelburg, the capital of Walcheren. The ferocious Alba, therefore, who had recently compelled Mons to surrender, determined to succour the beleaguered town. Mondragone, a veteran and skilful officer, was ordered to perform this service. But it was a task of extreme difficulty. The maritime force of the Dutch was much superior to that of their

antagonists; and, after several fruitless attempts had been made to descend the East Scheldt, the design of relieving Tergoes, by reaching it on that side, was reluctantly abandoned.

All hope of saving the town seemed now to be extinguished. It was reserved for a very brave Flemish officer, named Bloemart, to revive it. He was well acquainted with the whole of the surrounding country. His plan was characterised by startling boldness, which at first sight might appear like almost insane temerity. In the years 1530 and 1532, a considerable portion of South Beveland, at its eastern extremity, was submerged under the waves, since which time it has been known by the appellation of "the drowned land." It was across this wide expanse that Bloemart proposed to conduct the troops, under cover of the night. His scheme was listened to with astonishment by all, and probably with contempt for its author by some. It was objected to him, that, from the Brabant shore to the spot where the troops were to land, they would have to traverse a distance of at least seven miles, and that, though the water might be shallow in places, the bottom was muddy, and was moreover furrowed in various parts by the beds of former streams, which could not now be seen, and might prove fatal in a nocturnal march. Nor did the objectors fail to point out the risk of being caught by the rising tide, or attacked in a helpless state by a vigilant enemy. Assuredly, if the dictates of cold calculating prudence ought always to be obeyed, his opponents were right; but the general who yields that obedience has little chance of immortalising himself by any splendid achievement. In war, great triumphs are to be gained only by forming vigorous plans, and then taking all possible precautions to ensure their success. So Bloemart appears to have thought. He adhered steadily to his project, explained the grounds on which it was formed, refuted the objec

tions which had been urged, and offered to go himself in search of a ford, and to act as guide in the proposed expedition. The strictest secrecy was, he said, all that was necessary to give a happy result to their enterprise. His perseverance and arguments prevailed so far, that it was resolved he should reconnoitre "the drowned land." Accompanied by two Spaniards, and a peasant who knew the submerged district, Bloemart proceeded on his mission, and discovered a ford, which, though full of difficulty, was not impracticable. Mondragone was now convinced, and he no longer hesitated to adopt the sole plan which afforded a chance of rescuing Tergoes from the danger which threatened it.

The troops selected to make this hazardous attempt were three thousand in number. To excite emulation, they consisted of Spaniards, Germans, and Walloons, in an equal proportion. Each soldier carried on his shoulder a small sack, containing powder, ball, match, and biscuit, as well to furnish a supply to the besieged town, as to provide refreshment for the men after they had landed. At the appointed time, the whole of the force silently arrived at the spot where they were to commence their singular march. Here, in an explanatory and animating harangue, Mondragone first made known to them the nature of the service which they had to perform. His speech was received with clamorous applause. All were really or professedly eager to move forward.

That he might not be endangered by the rising tide, Mondragone resolved to depart some time before the waters ceased to ebb. The necessary arrangements were speedily completed. The Spaniards formed the van, the Germans occupied the centre, and the Walloons brought up the rear. They were directed to keep in close order, that they might not deviate from the ford, and might also be at hand to succour each other. Accompanied by Bloemart, Mondragone himself, who was nearly sixty