History of Protestantism in the Netherlands - James Aitken Wylie

other towns placed their names on the
distinguished list of cities that came forth at this
great crisis to the help of conscience and of liberty
against the mighty.
A small incident which happened at this
moment was fraught with vast consequences.
Count Louis of Nassau, approaching from France,
made himself master of the frontier town of Mons
in the south.[11] Alva was excessively mortified by
this mishap, and he was bent on recovering the
place. He was counselled to defer the siege of
Mons till he should have extinguished the rising in
the north. He was reminded that Holland and
Zealand were deeply infected with heresy; that
there the Prince of Orange was personally popular;
that nature had fortified these Provinces by
intersecting them with rivers and arms of the sea,
and that if time were given the inhabitants to
strengthen their canals and cities, many sieges and
battles might not suffice to reduce them to their
obedience. This advice was eminently wise, but
Alva stopped his ear to it. He went on with the
siege of Mons, and while "he was plucking this
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