called them, appeared bearing down upon their bridge, was excessive. It
could not be forgotten, that the `Hope' had sent into space a thousand of
the best soldiers of the little army within one moment of time.

Such rapid proceedings had naturally left an uneasy impression on the
minds of the survivors. The fatigue of watching was enormous. Hardly an
officer or soldier among the besieging forces knew what it was to sleep.
There was a perpetual exchanging of signals and beacon-fires and rockets
among the patriots--not a day or night, when a concerted attack by the
Antwerpers from above, and the Hollanders from below, with gun-boats and
fire-ships, and floating mines, and other devil's enginry, was not
expected.

"We are always upon the alert," wrote Parma, "with arms in our hands.
Every one must mount guard, myself as well as the rest, almost every
night, and the better part of every day."

He was quite aware that something was ever in preparation; and the
nameless, almost sickening apprehension which existed among his stout-
hearted veterans, was a proof that the Mantuan's genius--notwithstanding
the disappointment as to the great result--had not been exercised
entirely in vain. The image of the Antwerp devil-ships imprinted itself
indelibly upon the Spanish mind, as of something preternatural, with
which human valour could only contend at a disadvantage; and a day was
not very far distant--one of the memorable days of the world's history,
big with the fate of England, Spain, Holland, and all Christendom--when
the sight of a half-dozen blazing vessels, and the cry of "the Antwerp
fireships," was to decide the issue of a most momentous enterprise. The
blow struck by the obscure Italian against Antwerp bridge, although
ineffective then, was to be most sensibly felt after a few years had