The King had recovered the great commercial capital, but its commerce was gone.

The Scheldt, which, till recently, had been the chief mercantile river in the world, had become as barren as if its fountains had suddenly dried up.

It was as if it no longer flowed to the ocean, for its mouth was controlled by Flushing.

Thus Antwerp was imprisoned and paralyzed.

Its docks and basins, where 2500 ships had once been counted, were empty, grass was growing in its streets, its industrious population had vanished, and the Jesuits had returned in swarms.