Every one on the walls had expected, that a skirmish between the
retreating Englishmen and Castilians would now take place before their
eyes. But they were greatly mistaken. Before the first ranks reached
the enemy, the matches for lighting the cannon flew through the air, the
banners were lowered, and when darkness came and the curious spectators
dispersed, they knew that the Englishmen had deserted the good cause and
gone over to the Spaniards.

The thirty-six men, who had been admitted through the gates, were the
only ones who refused to be accessory to this treason.

The task of providing quarters for Captain Cromwell and the other
Englishmen and Netherlanders, who had remained faithful, was assigned to
Van Hout. Burgomaster Van der Werff went home with Commissioner Van
Bronkhorst. Many a low-voiced but violent word had been exchanged
between them. The commissioner protested that the Prince would be highly
incensed at the refusal to admit the Englishmen, for with good reason he
set great value on Queen Elizabeth's favorable disposition to the cause
of freedom, to which the burgomaster and his friends had rendered bad
service that day. Van der Werff denied this, for everything depended
upon holding Leyden. After the fall of this city, Delft, Rotterdam and
Gouda would also be lost, and all farther efforts to battle for the
liberty of Holland useless. Five hundred consumers would prematurely
exhaust the already insufficient stock of provisions. Everything had
been done to soften their refusal to admit the Englishmen, nay they had
had free choice to encamp beneath the protection of the walls under the
cannon of the city.

When the two men parted, neither had convinced the other, but each felt
sure of his comrade's loyalty. As Peter took leave, he said: