History of Protestantism in the Netherlands - James Aitken Wylie

and the danger of taking away the army out of the
country; but Philip, blinded by his ambition,
refused to listen to the prudent counsels of his
general. The folly of the King of Spain gave a
breathing-space to the young Republic, and
enabled its governor, Prince Maurice, to display
that resource, prudence, and promptitude which
gained him the confidence and esteem of his
subjects, and which, shining forth yet more
brilliantly in future campaigns, won for him the
admiration of Europe.
When Parma returned from France (1590) he
found Holland greatly stronger than he had left it:
its frontier was now fortified; several towns beyond
the boundary of the United Provinces had been
seized by their army; and Parma, with a treasury
drained by his campaign, and soldiers mutinous
because ill-paid, had to undertake the work of
recovering what had been lost. The campaign now
opened was a disastrous one both for himself and
for Spain. After many battles and sieges he found
that the Spanish Power had been compelled to
retreat before the arms of the infant Republic, and
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