'These citizens,' wrote Don Frederic, 'do as much as the best soldiers in the world could do.'" The whole story is too dreadful to be told; but events proved the implacable old soldier to be right.

Month after month passed, assault after assault was repulsed by the wretched but indomitable burghers; but time was all on the side of the enemy.

On July 12th, after the frustration again and again of hopes of relief from the Prince of Orange, whose plans were doomed to failure on every occasion, the city surrendered on the promise of complete forgiveness by Don Frederic.
The Don, however, was only a subordinate; the Duke of Alva had other views.

He quickly arrived on the scene, and as quickly his presence made itself felt.

"The garrison, during the siege, had been reduced from four thousand to eighteen hundred.