 CHAPTER I. STORY OF THE NETHERLANDS God made the sea, but the Hollander made the land. Far away in the northwest corner of Europe lie the Netherlands, the lands which are now to play a large part in the world's history. The Low Countries, they were called by the men of old time, and with good reason too, for many parts were actually below the level of the sea. Spongy and marshy, bleak and cold, was this corner of the European continent in the olden days. Winds and waves have wrought sad havoc with the coast. The rough North Sea was ever encroaching on the low-lying land, breaking over the shores with its never-ceasing roar and tumble, and flooding the country below its level whenever the wild West wind blew it home. Not only had the people of this country to contend with wind and wave, but from the other side many great rivers rolled through the land to empty their waters into the North Sea, overflowing their low banks and flooding the surrounding neighborhood. The largest of these was the Rhine, rising amid the snowy Alps, leaping joyously over the famous falls of Schoffhausen, flowing in majesty right through Germany. The Rhine at last reached the Netherlands. The mouth of this famous river gave some trouble to the Hollanders. They made colossal pumps and locks by which they lifted the water and lowered it into the sea. There was no rest for a lazy river in these parts. The stream must be kept moving. It must do its share of work in the country. As long as grass grows and water runs, this was their idea of forever. I struggle, but I emerge. This was the motto of Zealand, with the crest of a lion riding out of the waves, and it sums up the history of the people of the Netherlands. For hundreds of years they fought the angry waters with a stubborn determination, a patient energy, a dauntless genius, an example to other countries. They erected great mounds or dikes to keep out the North Sea. They dug canals to direct course of their sluggish rivers and to keep them within bounds. And when the ocean ties were high or the winds blew long from the west, when the heavy snows from the mountains melted or the rainfall was unusually great, so that the dikes were broken down and the waters rushed in boundless masses over their land. Yet the Hollander would not give up. With dogged perseverance he began again, so that today such an inundation is impossible. God made the sea, but we made the land. They can say today with pride. But even today these great dikes which keep out the sea have to be watched. Every little hole has to be carefully stopped up, or the sea would rush in and devour the land once more. Every man, woman, and child in the country knows the importance of this. A little Dutch boy was returning from school in the late afternoon, with his bag of books hanging over his shoulder. When he thought he heard the sound of running water, he stood still and listened. Like all other little boys in the Netherlands, he knew that the least crack in a dike would soon let the water in, that it would cover the land and bring ruin to the people. He ran to the mound and looked about. There he saw a small hole through which the water had already begun to trickle. He was some way from his home yet. Suppose he were to run on fast and tell someone to come. It might already be too late. The water might even then be rushing over the land. He stooped down on the cold, damp ground and put his fat little hand into the hole where the water was running out. It was just big enough to stop up the hole and prevent the water from escaping any more. His mind was made up. He must stop there till someone came to relieve him. He grew cold and hungry, but no one passed that lonely way. The sunset, the night grew dark, and the cold winds began to blow. Still, the little boy kept his hand in the hole. Hour after hour passed away, and he grew more and more cold and frightened as the night advanced. At last he saw little streaks of light across the sky. The dawn was coming. By and by the sun rose, and the boy knew his long lonely watch must soon be over. He was right. Some workman going early to work found him crouched on the ground, with his little cold hand still thrust into the hole. But the large tears were on his cheeks, and his piteous cries showed how hard he had found it to keep faithful all through the long dark night. The boy was at once set free, and the hole was mended. And so it depends on each man to watch the dykes, though there are now bands of watchers appointed by the state for this purpose. So these people have, as the poet says, scooped out an empire for themselves, and kept it by their never-ceasing vigilance and industry. End of chapter 1 Chapter 2 of The Awakening of Europe This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by M.B. Singh Chapter 2 Brave Little Holland Brave men are brave from the very first. Corne. It will be interesting to trace the history of these resolute people who reclaimed their land from the angry North Sea and built busy cities which should play a large part in the history of the world. The earliest chapter in the history of the Netherlands was written by their conqueror, Julius Caesar. Why he cast covetous eyes toward these swampy lowlands is hard to see, but he must needs conquer them and he thought he should have an easy task. At least one tribe rung from him admiration by its rare courage. When others were begging for mercy these people swore to die rather than to surrender. At the head of ten Roman legions Caesar advanced to the banks of one of the many rivers of this low country, but hardly had the Roman horsemen crossed the stream. When down rushed a party of Netherlanders from the summit of a wooded hill and overthrew horses and riders in the stream. For a moment it seemed as if this wild lowland tribe was going to conquer the disciplined forces of Rome. Snatching a shield the world's conqueror plunged into the hottest of the fight and soon turned the tide. The battle was lost, but true to their vow the wild Netherlanders refused to surrender. They fought on till the ground was heaped with their dead, fought till they had perished almost to a man. Caesar could respect such courage and when he left the country to be governed by Romans he took back his soldiers from the Netherlanders to form his imperial guard in Rome. When in the fifth century the Romans sailed away from the shores of Britain to defend their own land they turned their backs on the Netherlands. Then came the wandering of the nations when barbarians from the north and west tripped over the country. This was followed by the Dark Ages when the Netherlands with the rest of Europe was plunged in sleep. Charlemagne next arose and added the Netherlands to his great kingdom of the Franks. Carl de Grota, as he was called, was very fond of this new part of his great possessions. He built himself a beautiful palace at Nimvegan high up on a table land raised above the surrounding country. For beauty of scenery he could hardly have chosen a more lovely spot. Below lay some of the many rivers making their way slowly through the low country to the sea while the rich meadows and fields beyond were the scenes of legend and poetry of a later age. At Nimvegan today the curfew rings at 8.30 every evening. It is often called Kaiser Carl's Clock. In the city museum the dead world seems to live again in the relics of the past. With the death of Carl de Grota came the Norsemen. Up the many creeks and into the rivers of the Netherlands these fierce Vikings pushed their single masted galleys. For three centuries they were a terror to every sea coast country. From the fury of the Norsemen good Lord deliver us, sobbed the men of the Netherlands with the rest of Europe. For further protection the Netherlands were divided up into provinces, each put under account or lord. Among others was one Count Dirk who was set over the little province of Holland. It was a small piece of country along the sea coast, but it was destined to be the cradle of an empire. And this is the first mention of Holland in history. The Lowland. The Holland as it was called. The Count of Holland lived at Harlem till he built himself a castle to the south, standing some three miles from the sea. To make it safe it was surrounded by a hedge, known as the Count's Hedge. Skravenhagen. Now the Hague, the capital of the Netherlands. Then the Counts of Holland also built the new town of Dordrecht. Every ship that comes up the river shall pay a toll for the new town, said Dirk. But this made the men of other provinces very angry and the men of Friesland fought over it. But a time was at hand when they should find something better to fight over than the toll of Dordrecht. The new teaching under the name of Christianity was making its way to the Netherlands. And the Counts of Holland were not slow to join the rest of Europe in their rush to the Holy Land. To free the Holy Sepulchre from the hands of the Mohabitans. One day the men from Holland sailed down the river Moss in twelve ships, gay with banners and streamers, and out into the North Sea, on their way to the Holy Land. They would have to sail down the English Channel between the coast of England and France through the Bay of Biscay and the Straits of Gibraltar, to the eastern ports of the Blue Mediterranean, before ever they could reach their destination. But it is probable that the Crusades did more for Holland than Holland did for the Crusades, for by her contact with the East she learnt that of which she had not even dreamt before. End of Chapter 2 Chapter 3 of The Awakening of Europe This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by M. B. Singh Chapter 3 A Wealth of Herrings Commerce Changes the Fate and Genius of Nations T. Gray It has been said that the Crusades did more for the Netherlands than perhaps the Netherlands did for the Crusades. Thousands of ignorant, half-civilized Hollenders left their cold, wet homes in the North to feast their eyes upon the sunny land of Syria. From their huts and rude lives they came into contact with great cities such as Constantinople and Alexandria. They saw houses of marble and Greek statues. They met men of learning and scholars of Greece and Rome. For the first time they saw the use of linen sheets, carpets, soap and spices. All the refinement and luxury of the East, the golden sunshine, the brilliant dresses, came before the Hollenders and dazzled them after their dull lives and overcast climate. They returned home full of new wands. They too must have linen sheets and pillowcases. They too must make their food pleasant with the spices of the East. They must build more ships to send round to Venice. They must trade by the overland route to the Queen of the Adriatic and establish closer relations with the East. Changes too passed over the landscape of Holland. The idea of the windmill was brought back from the East to make their rough winds work as they blew over the flat land, commended itself to the Hollenders and very soon hundreds of windmills were working all over the country. Today they stand in thousands like sentinels keeping guard over the land. Not only do they pump water but they saw wood, grind grain, help to load and unload the boats and hoist burdens. Just as the lazy rivers were made to work so the wind has been made to do its share too and these mills played a very large part in the commerce that at this time arose in the Netherlands. It was natural that a people living in constant conflict with the sea should seek their livelihood in fishing and spend much of their time on the water. From the earliest times they were a seafaring people. Holland is an island, wrote an old historian, inhabited by a brave and warlike people who have never been conquered by their neighbors and to prosecute their commerce on every sea. So the Hollenders built their ships and fished their creeks and inlets and did a thriving trade in herrings. Early in the 14th century there lived a man called Bocaels. He was unknown and poor but he made a great discovery which did much to enrich his country. He found out how to keep herrings by curing them so that they could be packed in barrels and exported. Herrings were a very valuable food in those days when the church demanded much fasting for her members. For a long time the Hollenders kept the herring fish to themselves. They sailed across to the British coast opposite and fished in the base and inlets of Scotland and they became rich. The foundations of Amsterdam are laid on herring bones. They used to say of one of their most wealthy towns. So herring fishery helped to lay the foundation of the wealth of the Netherlands. But there were soon other sources of wealth. Flax was brought back from Egypt and grown in Holland until Dutch flax became famous all over Europe. Linen factories sprang up. Tablecloths, shirts, handkerchiefs were manufactured. For a long time linen sheets, pillowcases, and shirts were used only by kings and nobles. They were rough and dark colored but the Dutch studied the art of bleaching till all over Europe the finest linen, whitest snow, was known as Holland. The ground around Harlem was used largely for this purpose of bleaching or spreading out the sheets of linen in the sun till the country looked as if a snowstorm had whitened the earth. The wool trade carried on chiefly in the south of the Netherlands was a source of power and the Flemish weavers were famous throughout Europe. The towns of Ghent and Brugge had long been centers of importance. They were among the richest towns in Europe. From foreign lands came raw material to be made up here. Every year the famous Northern Squadron from Venice visited the neighborhood. It was the great marketplace of English wool and thrived until that day when Vasco de Gama found the route to India by the Cape of Good Hope. Then with Venice the famous cities of Ghent and Brugge fell. Grass grew in the fair and pleasant streets of Brugge and seaweed clustered about the marble halls of Venice. The next city to rise to great importance was Antwerp which soon became the commercial capital not only of the Netherlands but of the whole world. This was under Charles V. one of the greatest figures in the early part of the 16th century whom it will be interesting now to know. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Netherlands now became absorbed in the greater kingdom of Charles V who ruled over the largest empire since the days of Charlemagne. He was the grandson of that Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain who had driven the moors from Granada and sent Columbus on his great voyage to the New World. From his father he inherited the Netherlands and in the year 1519 he was elected emperor over the heads of the kings of France and England. Both claimants for the high position. His reign was full of importance not only for the Netherlands but for the whole world. For a wonderful change was passing over Europe. That great renaissance at which we have already glanced for a moment. The new learning was spreading rapidly now and the great empire of this Charles V was not behind hand to adopt it. Indeed Holland was to produce one of the greatest scholars of the age in Erasmus the forerunner of Martin Luther the famous German reformer. I have given up my whole soul to Greek learning said this man in the early days of his enthusiasm and as soon as I get any money I shall buy Greek books and then I shall buy some clothes. Erasmus was born in Rotterdam one of the famous towns of the Netherlands at this time in the year 1467. Seven years after the death of the sailor Prince of Portugal he was a bright little boy with flaxen hair, grey-blue eyes and with the voice of an angel. This little fellow would come to something by and by set a famous scholar patting the boy's flaxen head for he had been struck with the ability of Erasmus as he inspected the school where he was learning. The boy had a passion for study. He devoured any book he could get hold of. He was always at work writing poetry or essays always thinking and pondering though full of life and brightness. But monastery life was distasteful to him and at the age of twenty he was glad to escape to Paris still wearing his monk's dress to continue his studies. He yearned to go to Italy, the center of the new learning to mix with the great Greek scholars to breathe in the new life which had not as yet taken root in his own country. But money was not forthcoming for this and he made his way to England where the new learning had been well received. I have found an Oxford, he soon wrote, so much polish and learning that now I hardly care about going to Italy at all. When I listen to my friend call it it seems like listening to Plato himself. Amid a little group of English scholars Erasmus found the sympathy he needed. He worked on at Greek translations and wrote a new grammar book for the little scholars under the new learning. Moreover he gained some repute by writing a song of triumph over the old world of darkness and ignorance which was to vanish away before the light and knowledge of the new era. But more than this he had studied his Bible very deeply and carefully especially the New Testament and the writings of the early fathers. He was greatly struck with the difference between the teaching of Christ by his disciples in the old days of long ago and the distorted version of Christianity now taught by the priests, monks, and clergy of Europe. The people knew only what they were taught by the priests. Copies of the Bible were rare, shut up in convent libraries and read only by the few. Erasmus saw that before any reform could take place the Bible must be in the hands of all rich and poor alike. I wish that even the weakest woman might read the Gospels and the Epistles of St. Paul. He says as he works during the long hours at his translation and notes, I long for the day when the husbandmen shall sing portions of them to himself as he follows the plow, when the weaver shall hum them to the tune of his shuttle, when the traveller shall while away with their stories the weariness of the journey. Since his boyhood printing presses had been established everywhere. At last his work was finished, text and translation printed and the wonderful story of Christ, his disciples and his teaching was revealed to an astonished world in all its beautiful simplicity. A single candle shone far in the universal darkness. The New Testament of Erasmus became the topic of the day. Every household eagerly purchased a copy. It was read and discussed with alternate fear and joy. A new era was dawning. Erasmus had sown the seeds of that more far-reaching movement which Martin Luther was to finish. He had prepared the way, but a greater than he was needed to stand up boldly with the eyes of Europe on him to denounce the abuses that had crept into the Christian teaching and to show mankind the Christ of the New Testament. The whole world and its history was waiting for this man. Carlisle. Erasmus was sixteen years old when Martin Luther was born. Martin Luther, the great German reformer, whose name was soon to be known throughout the whole continent of Europe. This is the story of his life. He was born in the year 1483. His father was an humble minor. His mother was a Christian. His father was a Christian. His mother was a Christian. His father was an humble minor. His mother was noted for her goodness and virtue. When quite a little child his parents wished to make a scholar of him. So he was early taught to read and write, and at six years old he was sent to school. Both at home and at school his training was very severe. His father whipped him for mere trifles, and one day poor little Martin was bright and clever, but he had a strong will of his own and a love of fun and mischief. When he was fourteen his parents could not afford to keep him any longer. So they sent him forth into the world with his bag on his back to seek for learning from the charity of strangers. With a boyfriend he set forth to walk to Magdeburg where there was a school for poor boys kept by the Franciscan monks. In order to get food on the way the boys had to beg or to sing. They were thankful enough for a morsel of bread or a knight's shelter. Indeed, life became such a hard struggle that Martin told himself he would never be a scholar and it would be better to return home and win an honest livelihood with his spade. But at this moment the tide had turned. By his sweet voice he attracted a good lady who took pity on him and gave him a comfortable home. Here he worked hard making great progress in Latin till he was eighteen. By this time his father had made enough money to send him to a university where he took his degree in 1505. And now a strange thing happened that altered his whole life. One day he was walking with a friend when a tremendous thunderstorm came on. A sudden vivid flash of lightning struck the friend at his side who fell down dead at his feet. The suddenness of the young man's death made a great impression on Martin Luther. Struck to the heart he made up his mind that henceforth he would devote his life to God and God's service. In spite of his father's protest he became a monk. For the first two years his life was a very hard one. His food was very scanty. He had to perform the lowliest tasks and to beg for alms and bread. Whatever spare time he had he worked hard at his books studying the epistles and gospels diligently. In the library of the university he found a complete Bible in Latin. It was the first time he had seen one. He devoured it eagerly. A new light came into his life and in his close study of the Bible he strengthened himself for his future work. Before long he had risen to a position of importance in the monastery. He became a priest and went to live at Wittenberg a town which he made famous by his name. In 1509 he began to lecture on the scriptures. Bibles were not in the hands of all as they are today Luther was able to tell his countryman a great deal that they did not know by reason of his deep learning. His lectures made a great impression. This monk said the head of the university will bring in a new doctrine. He also began now to preach in the churches. He was very earnest and the people who listened to him were deeply moved at his words. In 1511 he was sent on a mission to Rome where Leo X was Pope. Now from early times there has been a Pope Papa or Father of Rome who in the Middle Ages had come to be looked on as the head of the Christian church by many if not all of the countries of Europe. At first the Pope was a bishop of Rome as other bishops were in other cities but when Rome was no longer the sole imperial city the power of the bishops became greater and greater until in the 12th century under Innocent III the papal authority reached its height. Now during the Middle Ages many abuses had crept into the church. One of these was known as the sale of indulgences. I'll feel it right that sinners should suffer for their sins but there is no Biblical foundation for the teaching that by money payments a sinner may be saved from the punishment of his sin. Yet in those days persons who paid money received an indulgence and agents went about the country selling them. One of these named John Tetzel came to Germany. He disgusted Martin Luther by his method of extorting money from ignorant people and being a man of great courage he called it his duty to remonstrate. He stood up boldly in his pulpit and denounced the system openly. It was a tremendous moment. It was indeed the visible beginning of the Reformation. That great movement which was to move wider and wider until it should affect the whole Christian world. Into the deeper causes of the Reformation we cannot enter here. The revival of Greek learning had caused me to study the scriptures for themselves as Luther did and this caused dissatisfaction with the medieval corruption of the Roman Church. End of chapter 5 Chapter 6 of The Awakening of Europe This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe The Awakening of Europe by M.B. Singh Chapter 6 The Diet of Worms Here stand I. I cannot act otherwise so help we God. Martin Luther Tetzel was coming to Wittenberg in the autumn of 1517 when Luther determined on more open opposition. It was the eve of all saints when he posted up on the door of the Church 95 reasons against the sale of indulgences. He had no idea what a storm he was raising. He did not wish to quarrel with the Pope only to expose this abuse in the Church. But he had kindled the spark that fired the great Reformation. Widespread excitement followed and at last Luther was summoned to Rome to answer for his 95 reasons. But the distance was great and it was agreed that he should go to Augsburg where a representative of the Pope would meet him. Martin Luther was but a poor friar still and he walked the distance clad in his brown frock with his few wands on his back. His fellow citizens attended him to the gates and followed him some way along the road. Luther forever they cried as they bade him farewell. No, he answered quietly, Christ forever. Arrived at Augsburg the cardinal sent by the Pope received Luther with all civility. He made no doubt that he could soon settle this son of a German minor and so perhaps he might had he been the right man. But he took a high hand and simply told him to withdraw his position and retract his words at once. What is wrong? asked Luther. The cardinal refused to discuss matters. I am come to command, not to argue he replied. But the little monk refused to retract. Then history says the cardinal grew angry. What? he cried. What? do you think the Pope cares for the opinion of a German peasant? The Pope's little finger is stronger than all Germany. I am not a prince to defend you. I tell you no. And where will you be then? Then as now in the hands of Almighty God answered Luther. The cardinal and monk parted but Luther was too deeply moved to keep silent. God hurries and drives me he said. I am not master of myself. I wish to be quiet and am hurried into the midst of it. At this moment Charles V became emperor of Germany and ruler of half the world. Matters were now referred to him for Luther was taking firmer ground and attacking not only the abuses of the papacy but the whole church of Rome. At last a command came from the Pope, forbidding Luther to preach any more. He replied by burning the document at the gate of the city. To see the fire blaze up. Then Luther, pale as death, stepped forward holding in his hand the document with the Pope's seal upon it. He knew full well what he was doing now as he dropped it into the flames that rose high that wintry afternoon at Wittenpark. The crowds shouted approval and admiration. It was the shout of the awakening of nations, says a famous writer. Not only the little crowd at Wittenpark but the whole world was looking on. For that little fire lit up the whole of Europe. Luther was now ordered by the Emperor Charles to appear before a council or diet as it was called which should meet at Worms. A city on the Rhine. He was warned by his friends not to go for feeling ran high. There would surely be bloodshed they told him, and he would never leave Worms again. Were there as many devils in Worms as there are tiles upon the roofs of the houses, I would go on," replied Luther. The whole country was moved by his heroism. Whether he was right or whether he was wrong, this was a brave man. In April 1521 at ten in the morning he arrived at Worms in the room provided for him. God will be with me, he said as he descended from the wagon. Crowds assembled to see him as he passed the council chamber, this resolute little monk who was defying the Pope of Rome. Inside the scene was most impressive. On a raised platform sat Charles V, ruler of half the world. Archbishops, ministers, princes, stood on either side to hear and judge the son of a minor, who had made the world ring with his name. In the body of the hall stood knights and nobles, stern hard men in gleaming armor. Between them Luther was led, still in his monk's dress, as he passed up the hall a knight touched him on the arm. Pluck up thy spirit, little monk, he said, some of us here have seen warm work in our time, but never night in this country more needed a stout heart than thou needest it now. If thou hast faith, little monk, go on, in the name of God forward. Yes, said Luther throwing back his head, in the name of God forward. At last he stood alone before his judges. It was the greatest scene in modern European history, the greatest moment in the modern history of men. The books he had written lay on a table at hand. The titles were read aloud, and he was asked if he had written them. Yes, was his firm answer. Would he withdraw all he had written? No, that was impossible. For two long hours Luther defended his opinions. He would retract nothing. They might kill him if they wished, and he knew death penalty, but he was ready to die in such a case. What he said he now repeated, for the matter had gone far beyond the sale of indulgences by this time. Here stand I. I cannot act otherwise, so help me God. Uttering these famous words he ended. The council broke up in excitement, and Luther was free to go home. It is past. It is past. He cried in heart-rending accents as he clasped his hands above his head. The verdict was not long in coming. It was against him. He must preach no more. Teach no more. The emperor of half the world must uphold the authority of the pope. Be it so, said Luther on complaining, I will bear anything for his Imperial Majesty and the Lord of God must not be bound. For the next year he was sheltered by one of his friends in an old German castle, lest he should suffer violence from the hands of those who disapproved his conduct. But after a time he returned to Wittenberg, the scene of his old labours, while others carried on the work of reformation which he had done. This is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by M. B. Singh Chapter 7 An Historic Scene Europe's eye is fixed on mighty things, the fall of empires and the fate of the Germans. The great movement known as the Reformation now swept through Europe. Gradually the conflict began in Germany between Luther and the Pope, passed into England, Scotland, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Throughout the long vexed reign of the Emperor Charles V, this war of religion raged fiercely intolerantly. Those who followed Luther were known to protested against the power of the Pope. While those who acknowledged the supreme power of Rome were Roman Catholics. In the year 1530 a religious peace was made at Augsburg. Though Martin Luther was not allowed to appear, he helped to draw up 28 articles of the faith professed by the Protestants. Luther passed to his rest but his followers carried on the conflict. Twenty six years after the Diet of Worms Charles the Emperor was at Wittenberg. He asked to see the tomb of Martin Luther. As he stood gazing at it, full of many thoughts, someone suggested that the body should be taken up, tied to a stake, and burned in the marketplace of the town. There was nothing unusual in the suggestion. Most heretics were burned in those days. They thought to please the one of nature's gentlemen. I wore not with the dead, he answered quietly. But the trebles and toils of a long reign had already begun to tell on the Emperor, and he determined to lay down a burden which he was no longer fitted to bear. The 25th of October, 1555 was fixed for the great abdication of this mighty Emperor. It was to take place in the palace at Brussels, the residence of the Emperor in the Netherlands. His beloved son Philip was to succeed him. Long before the appointed hour, crowds had filled the historic palace. The wealth of the Netherlands was there. There were the knights of the famous Order of the Golden Fleece. There was the flower of Flemish Shilvery, bishops, counts, barons, representatives from all the Emperor's vast empire. As the clock struck three, the hero of the whole scene arrived. Caesar, as he was more often called in the classic language of the day, came in leaning heavily on the shoulder of William of Orange, the man who was to play such a large part in the story of the Netherlands. They were followed by Philip and accompanied by an immense throng of glittering Spanish warriors. Here stood Count Egmont, the idol of the people whose victories were to resound through Europe, tall, gallant, ill-fated. Here, too, was Count Horn, sullen and gloomy, though as yet ignorant of his coming tragedy. The whole company rose to their feet as the Emperor entered, and all eyes were directed towards him and his young son. Charles himself, though not yet 56, was bent with old age, crippled with gout, worn with anxiety. It was with some difficulty that he supported himself, even with the aid of a crutch. Philip, his son, had the same broad forehead and blue eyes of his father, but he was very small, with thin legs, a narrow chest and the timid air of an invalid. He had been married but a year since, to Mary of England, a valuable alliance to this great Empire which was now passing into his weak hands. Presently the Emperor rose, supporting himself upon the shoulder of a handsome young man of two and twenty. Then he spoke to the vast throng before him. He sketched shortly his wars, his nine expeditions into Germany, six to Spain, seven to Italy, four to France, two to England, ten to the Netherlands, two to Africa, and eleven voyages by sea. He assured his subjects that he had striven to uphold the Roman Catholic religion. They knew of his lifelong opposition to Martin Luther. Now he told them life was ebbing away. Instead of an old man whose strength was past they should have a young man in the prime of his youthful manhood to rule over them. Turning to the fair-haired son at his side he bequeathed to him the magnificent Empire, begging him to prove himself worthy of so great an inheritance. He entreated the nations under him to help in the colossal task of putting down the Protestants in the Empire. Then, beseeching them to pardon his own shortcomings, he ceased. Sobs were heard in every part of the hall, and tears flowed from many eyes as the old Emperor sank back, pale and fainting, into his golden chair. The tears poured freely down his furrowed cheeks as Philip dropped on his knees and kissed his hand with reverence. Raising his son, he kissed him tenderly. So the curtain fell forever upon the mightiest Emperor since the days of Charlemagne, and when it rose again Philip had begun the long and tremendous tragedy which lasted till his death. End of Chapter 7 Chapter 8 The Awakening of Europe This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by M. B. Singh Chapter 8 How The Trouble Began Our noisy years seemed moments in the beginning of the eternal silence. Chapter 9 Philip was now left to gather up the reins of his mighty Empire keeping ever in view the desire of his father to crush the Protestants out of the land. Nowhere had they increased more rapidly than in the Netherlands. The First Dutch Bible had been printed some thirty years before by this time, at Amsterdam, but the study of it had been forbidden by the Emperor under pain of death. If you will not obey me you shall be burned," he added. Two monks were burned at once for disobeying the royal command. The first Protestant martyrs of the Netherlands. The leaders of a great host who were afterwards burnt at the stake for conscience's sake. Still the numbers of Luther's followers increased. A further step was taken. Men called inquisitors were sent by the Emperor to question the people about their belief with instructions to burn alive all those who took part with Luther against the Pope. But as in the days of the early Christians in Rome, the martyrdom of the Protestants only tended to strengthen their faith. Hundreds and thousands had been burnt in the Netherlands under the Emperor Charles. It was not likely that Philip would be more tolerant. To begin with, he had no sympathy born and educated in Spain. He was Spanish to the backbone and his great idea was to make Spain the capital of his empire so that he might rule from there. So four years after his accession he made his sister, Margaret Regent of the Netherlands, and sailed away from Flushing for sunny Spain, never to return. I shall not rest so long as there is one man left believing in the teaching of Martin Luther. He said as he left his sister to carry out his instructions and the Inquisition went forward more rigidly than ever before. But no sooner had Philip turned his back than the men of the Netherlands began to show their discontent. Spanish soldiers had been left behind to enforce the Inquisition. Day by day, men were dragged from their homes, tortured and killed for reading the Bible or for listening to Protestant teaching. In their misery many of them went to England where they were kindly treated and where there never was any Inquisition. Meanwhile, Margaret saw the growing frenzy of the people and grew alarmed. She was a rigid Roman Catholic herself but she saw that her brother was pushing things too far in the Netherlands. She wrote despairing letters to him describing the gloomy state of the country and her fears of a rebellion. She sent the Count Egmont in person to try and alarm him as to the serious state of affairs. But nothing was done. At last the nobles of the land determined to intercede. Some two hundred of them made their way to the abode of Margaret in Brussels with a petition. An immense crowd watched them with shouts and cheers. For were they not the deliverers of the tyranny of the Spanish Inquisition? They passed through the Great Hall where ten years before Charles had abdicated his throne and entered the council chamber. The document was read to Margaret. It told her what she already knew but it affected her deeply and at the end she remained quite silent with tears running down her cheeks. Is it possible that your Highness is afraid of these beggars? I cried one standing by her. Take my advice and you will drive them faster down the steps of the palace than they came up. Begun in a jest the name of beggars became the watchword of these men. The famous cry of liberty which was to ring over land and sea amid burning cities on blood-stained decks through the smoke and den of many a battlefield. They dressed themselves in the garb of coarse gray. They wore the beggars' wallet and common felt-caps while each wore a newly made badge with the words faithful to the king even to the beggars' sack. They shaved off their beards to resemble beggars yet more nearly. Hundreds of Netherlanders now became beggars until they became as numerous as the sands on the seashore. Long lived the beggars! Margaret grew more and more alarmed at their gathering numbers and their defiant heir and still her brother Philip was blind to the coming danger. You have done wrong, he wrote to her. We will not be less cruel to the Protestants. I will not give up the inquisition. End of Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Of the Awakening of Europe This is the LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in this domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by M. B. Singh Chapter 9 The Storm Bursts Like one fierce cloud over a waste of waves hung tyranny. Shelley The answer from Philip had come but a more terrible one was to follow. News soon spread through the already heartbroken Netherlands that the Duke of Alva was on his way with a splendid Spanish army to suppress in the country the struggle for religious liberty. All knew what this meant. Alva's name was known and feared throughout Europe. Like his royal master he would have no mercy no pity on the Netherlands. He had come to conquer not to make peace. I have tamed men of iron in my day," he had said with contempt. Shall I not easily crush these men of butter? The whole country shuddered at the arrival of this man as they prepared, almost hopelessly to defend their religious liberty to the end. Alva's first act was to get rid of the Counts Egmont and Horn who though rigid Roman Catholics had the authority and injustice of the Inquisition. Professing great friendship for them he invited them both to his house in Brussels one evening to talk over the plans, so he said of a great castle he meant to build in Antwerp. The Counts went, though they had been warned of treachery. A large plan of the proposed castle lay on the table and the Counts discussed it warmly with Alva. Suddenly the remaining illness left the room. Not long after the party broke up. The Count Horn had left and Egmont was leaving when he was requested to stay behind a moment. Then a Spanish soldier ordered him to give up his sword. Others rushed in and he was hurried to a dark room with barred windows and hung with black. Meanwhile the Count Horn had been arrested outside and both were sent to a dungeon in the castle of Ghent. Having accomplished this Alva next appointed a council of men to help him in carrying out the king's commands. This council is known to history by the terrible name of the Blood Council. And so thoroughly did it perform its deadly work that in three months eighteen hundred human beings had suffered death at its hands. Men, women, children were beheaded or burnt. There were stakes and scaffolds in every village. Every hour told the church bells for one who had suffered in their midst. It seemed as if the spirit of the nation was broken as if the suffering people could endure no more. Having been confined in the castle of Ghent for nearly a year the Count's Egmont and Horn were now brought up for trial before the Blood Council. They were found guilty and condemned the following day. Their heads to hang on high in some public place decreed by Alva. He knew the death of the Count's would have a great effect on the people of the Netherlands. It was a summer morning in the June of 1568. Three thousand Spanish troops were drawn up in battle array round the scaffold which had been set up in the large square at Brussels. Then Count Egmont was led forth. There was a robe of red Damasque over which was thrown a short black mantle worked in gold while on his head he wore a black silk hat with plumes. Hear my cry, O God, and give ear unto my prayer. He cried as he walked to his death. He was beheaded together with his friend and countryman, Count Horn. As Alva had foretold their deaths made a deep impression on the public mind. They fell from the eyes of the Netherlanders. They also fell from those of the Spanish soldiers who had respected the Count's as brave and valiant generals. It is said, too, that tears were even seen on the iron cheek of Alva who was gazing at the ghastly scene from a window opposite. But from that hour the people hated Alva with a more bitter hatred than before. The death of such nobles of high birth filled the land with horror and anguish. They determined never to rest till they had overthrown the power of Spain. Alva was now Governor-General of the Netherlands and Margaret had left the country forever. The Awakening of Europe by M.B. Sing Chapter 10 Beggars of the Sea Long live the beggars, Christians, you must cry. Long live the beggars, pluck up courage then. Long live the beggars, if you would not die. Long live the beggars, shout, ye Christian men. Beggars' Song 1570 The Liberty now becomes more or less the story of one man's life. That man was William of Orange or William the Silent as he was called from his quiet ways. It was on his shoulder that the broken-down old emperor had lent when, thirteen years before this he had resigned his empire and returned to Spain leaving Philip to manage his affairs. William of Orange had been left in the Netherlands to rule over the provinces in the north Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Friesland. He soon discovered Philip's plan of planting the Inquisition in the Netherlands and from this time up to the last tragic moment of his life he toiled to suppress it and to uphold the ancient rights and liberties of his country. From this time he came forward to champion the cause of the Netherlands. He was to prove, indeed, the guiding star of a whole brave nation. Of him it would be truly said that he went through life bearing the load of a people's sorrows upon his shoulders with a smiling face. Tranquil amid raging waves was the motto of his life and perhaps no man ever carried out their life's decree more completely than did this man William the Silent. He had been born in Germany and brought up as a follower of Luther but Charles the Fifth had carried him off to Spain and educated him as a Roman Catholic. When William introduced the Inquisition and burnt people for their opinions William grew very thoughtful. He thought that Christians of every kind should live together in peace and for this end he worked in a cruel age which could not understand so high a creed. The result of his own deep thought combined with all that had passed was that he returned to the belief of his boyhood and enrolled himself forever a soldier of the Reformation. William had been in Germany when his friends, the Count's Egmont and Horn, had been led forth to die in the square at Brussels raising troops for his brothers to march against the Duke of Alva but they had fought in vain. They were no match for the brilliant Spanish commander in his well-trained troops. Unsuccessful by land, William, undaunted, turned his eyes to the sea. The men of the Netherlands were more at home on the sea after all. They had always been sailors and fishermen and every sea-coast city had its ships. They would chase the Spaniard by sea and destroy the ships sailing to ruin their fair country. So the sea-beggars, as they were called, began their wild work sailing over the high seas living as the old Vikings had done by pillage and plunder. One day it was the first of April they were coasting about the mouth of the Meuse when they found they had eaten all their food. There were some three hundred of them at most and they must land in order to avert starvation. The little seaport town of Brille or the Brille lies near the mouth of the Broad River Meuse. It was known to be in the hands of the Duke of Alfa, like the rest of the country, at this time. But the sea-beggars were hungry. The sea-beggars were also desperate. So about two o'clock on this April afternoon a ferryman from Brille saw the squadron sailing up the broad mouth of the river towards Brille. He at once gave the alarm that the sea-beggars were here, though secretly the ferryman was in sympathy with the marauders. The inhabitants of Brille were struck with terror. How many of the sea-beggars were coming? There might be some five thousand, carelessly answered the ferryman. The Spaniards and townspeople decided to take refuge in flight. They sent two men to confer with the strangers while they fled from the town. So the sea-beggars entered and Admiral took lawful possession of it in the name of William of Orange. It was the first step in the freedom of Holland, and it was achieved by some 250 wild seamen driven from their country by Spanish rulers. Up with Orange was the cry henceforth rung from the very hearts of the stricken people. The hero Prince should yet come to his own again. The first ray of light had penetrated the gloom of years and all hands were now stretched out to William the Silent, who should yet save their country. And while the rage of the Duke of Alva knew no bounds, the men of Holland sang aloud in their joy the popular couplet. On April Fool's Day Duke Alva's spectacles were stolen away. End of Chapter 10 Chapter 11 of The Awakening of Europe This is a LibriVox recording. LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by M. B. Singh Chapter 11 The Massacre of St. Bartholomew To Us Pitiful To Us Wondrous Pitiful Shakespeare But the Netherlands was not the only place where persecution for religion was going on. Though Spain and the Netherlands lay paralyzed under the heavy hand of the Inquisition, yet France and England were taking part together with the rest of Europe in the struggle between Protestants and Roman Catholics. And this very year when the Protestants seemed to be gaining ground in the Netherlands, France was to be stained with a crime which can never be forgotten and which historians must always remember as one of the greatest plots in the annals of mankind. This was the wholesale massacre of the Protestants or Huguenots as they were called in France on a terrible summer night in the year 1572. Francis, king of France, had left a delicate little brother to succeed him on the throne and his mother, Catherine de Medici was to govern the kingdom till the boy Charles was old enough to rule it himself. She was a rigid Roman Catholic and hated the Huguenots with her whole heart. Indeed, like her neighbor Philip over the Pyrenees she made up her mind to crush them out of the country. The leaders of the French Huguenots were the young Henry of Navarre and the Prince of Conde and it was against these two that Catherine de Medici plotted. She planned a marriage between her daughter Margaret Henry of Navarre, the former being a Roman Catholic, the latter a Huguenot. It seemed strange to those who looked on and men grew suspect to the motives of the Queen Regent. We shall marry the two religions, said the king of France, who was entirely under his mother's control. Still amid murmurs of discontent the wedding preparations went forward until the day arrived for Henry, now king of Navarre to come to Paris for his bride. Attended by the Prince of Conde the old warrior Huguenot Admiral Colligny and eight hundred distinguished followers the king of Navarre rode into the French capital his handsome face and winning smile attracting all alike. Still there were murmurs of disapproval and the air was heavy with evil rumors. The wedding day came. It was the eighteenth of August a glorious summer morning. Cannons roared, bells rang out from every steeple. Crowds lined the street as King Henry, dressed in pale yellow satin, adorned with silver and pearls led out his young bride. It was a gorgeous sight. Bishops and archbishops led the way in robes of gold, cardinals in scarlet, knights blazing with orders, and ministers of state all added to the splendor of the sight. The next three days were spent in festivities. All seemed peace and goodwill. The young king Charles the Tenth was making friends with the Admiral Colligny. He already loved his new brother-in-law Henry of Navarre. Catherine grew alarmed lest her plot should after all fail and her own power over the young king should wane. She gave orders for the Admiral Colligny to be killed. Her commands were imperfectly carried out. The Admiral was badly wounded but not killed. When Charles heard the news he was in an agony of surprise and fear. His mother was in a panic. Huguenots gathered in angry crowds and discussed the need. Henry of Navarre vowed vengeance on the would-be murderer. It was after dinner on the 23rd of August that Catherine led her son outside into the private gardens of the Tullaries to unfold her plan. The time, she said, was ripe. Eight thousand Huguenots were in Paris breathing revenge. In one hour the whole hated body of them might be put to death. To this the young king's sanction must be obtained and, first of all, Colligny must be killed. Charles burst into one of his fashion. Woe to anyone who touches a hair of his head, he cried. He is the only friend I have, saved my brother of Navarre. But Catherine would not give in. She knew she must conquer at last and she did. Lashed into a frenzy the young king started to his feet. Kill the Admiral then, if you like, he screamed, but kill all the Huguenots with him all, all, all, so that not one be left to reproach me with his deed. The word was spoken. There was no time to lose. Hastily through the darkness of the starless summer night preparations went forward. Let every true Catholic tie a white band on his arm, put a white cross on his cap and begin the vengeance of God. Went forth the order. The signal was to be given by the great bell of the Palace of Justice at two o'clock in the morning. Soon after midnight Catherine went to her son. He was pacing his room in an agony of passion, swearing the Huguenots should not die. It is too late to retreat even if it were possible, declared Catherine. Feverishly mother and son awaited the signal. As the harsh sound of the bell rang through the silent summer night the roar began. The sound of clanging bells, crashing doors, musket shots was followed by the shrieks of the victims and the yells of the crowd. Till the stoutest hearts quailed and the strongest trembled. Shaking in every limb, the poor young king shouted for the massacre to be stopped. It was too late. Already beacon fires had sent the signal through the land of France. Old men, young girls, helpless children were alike smitten down. Through the long dark night the slaughter continued until Paris was such a scene of terror as human eyes have rarely seen. In vain did Charles order the massacre to be stopped at the end of one day. It was continued for a whole week till some eighty thousand Huguenots had been slain. And the heart of Protestant Europe stood still with horror. End of Chapter 11 Chapter 12 of The Awakening of Europe This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by M. B. Singh Chapter 12 The Siege of Leiden Better a drowned land than a lost land. Motley The news of the terrible massacre of Saint Bartholomew that had staggered Europe seemed only to strengthen the resolution of the Protestants in the Netherlands. The return of William of Orange had given new vigor to the Hollenders. Town after town rose after the taking of Brill turning out the hated Spaniard and raised aloft the colors of their prints. As winter came on and the great expanses of water froze into masses of solid ice the undaunted Dutchman put on their skates and glided into battle to the astonishment of the Spaniards. Not to be beaten, Alva ordered seven thousand pairs of skates to be supplied to the Spaniards who soon became expert skaters too. Harlem was now attacked. Harlem, one of the most beautiful cities in the country lying between the Zeitersie and the German Ocean. With the utmost heroism she held out for seven months and then fell. She had cost the Spaniards twelve thousand men and even rich Spain with all her treasure from the New World could not go on much longer at this rate. Men from England were helping the Netherlands now. Over the seas they sailed in small companies and with pike and musket they stood shoulder to shoulder with the men of Harlem against the power of mighty Spain. Like a hen calling her chickens his majesty still seeks to gather you all under the parental wing cried Alva at last but if you will not he added sternly every city in the Netherlands shall be burned to the ground. The Protestants refused and the Spaniards next besieged the town of Leiden south of Harlem. It was one of the most wonderful feats of the whole war. The siege began on October 1573. It was October 1574 when it ended and all through this long dreary year the Dutchmen inside the town were fighting with famine and starvation fighting for their religious liberty and freedom from the Spanish tyranny. In the very center of Leiden rose an old tower standing high above the surrounding low country. From it could be seen the broad fertile fields which once had lain under the sea little villages with their bright gardens and fruitful orchards numerous canals and the 145 bridges that spanned those watery streets. The Prince of Orange was doing all he could from outside to help his countrymen in their plucky defense when the months were on their condition became desperate. They were starving but they would not yield for if Leiden fell Holland fell too yet what could be done? The Prince of Orange knew what could be done. Better a drowned land than a lost land if nothing else could save the city the dykes could be opened and the great stormy sea would once more ebb and flow but it would not be in the hands of the Spaniards. We have held out as long as we can wrote the starving citizens human strength can do no more. Then the Prince went himself and had the great dykes bored in sixteen places the water gates were opened and the water began slowly to pour over the flat land. The good news was carried into the despairing city the citizens took fresh heart Leiden, their city would yet be saved the besiegers too heard the news of the cutting of the dykes but they did not believe in the possibility of the sea getting up so far as Leiden. Go up to the tower you beggars they laughed go up to the tower and tell us if you can see the ocean coming over the dry land to your relief and day after day the citizens crept up the old ruined tower with their eyes out over the sea watching, hoping, praying, fearing and at last almost despairing of relief by God or man. Meanwhile the Prince lay in a burning fever at Rotterdam under the strain of the last months he had broken down in his fever he seemed to hear the cries of the starving citizens would they give in before the ships could sail to their relief it was the first of September when the sea beggars embarked in their shallow boats on the water that was now slowly rising over the land the little fleet made its way over fifteen miles of flooded country between the sea coast and Leiden so far a favorable wind had blown them onwards now the wind changed the waters began to sink and despair once more fell on the starving people within Leiden they had eaten everything now they had boiled the leaves of trees and eaten roots women and children dropped down dead in the streets the burgers could hardly drag their weary legs up to the watchtower yet they would not give up Leiden was sublime in her despair they must be true to their charge true to their Prince true to their country the old burgamaster of the town was suffering from time to time my life is at your disposal he said one day here is my sword plunge it into me and divide my flesh among you but expect no surrender as long as I live as well shouted the angry Spaniards as well can the Prince of Orange pluck the stars from the sky as bring the ocean to the walls of Leiden on the first of October a violent gale stepped over the waste of waters from the northwest the waters rose rapidly and the sea beggars sailed proudly forward in the darkness of the night within the town all was mysterious would the Spaniards attack them or flee must they yet perish inside of help but before morning had dawned the Spanish host had grown alarmed at the rapidly rising waters and the crews of wild fierce sailors sailing never nearer and nearer and before the waters reached them they had crept away under cover of the darkness a long line of moving lights were seen to flit across the black face of the waters at dead of night and when day dawned at last there was not a Spaniard left only a boy stood waving his cap from the summit of the Spanish fort a boy who had seen the enemy's flight and had had the courage to go so the sea beggars sailed to Leiden and the city was saved the Prince of Oranches had a new and beautiful town built up to celebrate the victory over Spain and as long as the world rolls on this splendid story of heroic defense will be told and retold with ever growing enthusiasm End of Chapter 12 Chapter 13 of The Awakening of Europe This is the LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by M. B. Singh Chapter 13 William the Silent As long as he lived he was the guiding star of a whole brave nation and when he died the little children cried in the streets quietly. William the Silent now became more popular than ever. Untiring was his work for his country's good unwearying his patience unflagging his energy but he saw more plainly than ever that the Netherlands now split up into 17 provinces must be united in the face of a common foe and to this end he worked Union is important above all he cried to his chosen people act together separate twigs can be snapped in too easily but no one is strong enough to break a faggot unite yourselves firmly do this and the people will be a shield and buckler of their rights and will no longer ebb and flow like the waves of the sea do this and you will be an example to all free people and to all unjust oppressors a terrible massacre of protestants at Antwerp soon showed how right he was in his advice the Spaniard was yet bent on the destruction of those who had accepted the reformed faith and this terrible deed known to history as the Spanish Fury by which 8,000 people lost their lives showed that something must be done and at once in 1577 a union was decided on at Ghent between the 17 provinces and it is known as the pacification of Ghent there is a curious Dutch picture representing the 17 provinces as 17 ladies each holding the coat of arms of a province they are all pinned like sheep in an enclosure the entrance of which is guarded by the Belgian lion with shield and sword all around the peaceful enclosure with guns and bayonets while three great cannons stand facing the entrance it is typical of the strength of the union but the troubles of the Netherlands were not over yet Spain now sent one of her strongest and best generals to try and quell the disturbances Don John of Austria was half-brother of Philip king of Spain and son of the late emperor he had done much for Spain and was known as the hero of Lepanto for a Spanish victory that he had gained he now entered Brussels with the flourish of trumpets as governor general of the country meanwhile at the request of his people William the Silent made a tour of the newly united provinces his reception was simple and pathetic there were no triumphal arches no martial music the prize rung from the hearts of the people Father William is come Father William is come he had guided them through the storm he would deliver them yet but even the prince could not do the impossible Don John with a large Spanish army came against him and defeated the Netherlands near Brussels further union was now necessary and in the year 1579 the famous union of Utrecht was made strengthening the union of Ghent and laying the foundation of the powerful Republic of the United Netherlands which was to play its part in the world's history out of chaos and night a new light seemed dawning but slowly it was recognized that the prince was a danger and that he must be got rid of somehow a price was accordingly set upon his head it was March 15th 1880 when the famous ban was put forth by Spain declaring William of Orange to be a traitor to his country and ordering that he be banished from the realm he who had already beggared himself to serve his country was now to be an outlaw an exile a traitor he answered the ban by the ever famous document known as his apology I am in the hand of God he pleaded my worldly goods and my life have long been given to his service so much did he love his country that he was willing to go into exile if his absence would help them what reward can I hope after my long service and the almost total wreck of my earthly fortunes if not the prize of having acquired your liberty he cried to his people if then my masters you judge that my absence or my death can serve you behold me ready to obey command me send me to the ends of the earth I will go but if you judge that my life can yet be of service to you I dedicated a fresh to you and to the country this was followed by a further step in the direction of liberty the men of the Netherlands drew up a declaration of independence refusing any longer to be subject to Spain William of Arange was their prince and master him only would they obey but William their prince was not to be with them much longer a price was already on his head as he had lived for them so now he was to die for them the summer of 1584 found him living at Delft a quiet little old world city near Rotterdam it was a Sunday morning when a shabby, travel-stained man begged for money wherewith to buy some shoes and stockings to attend church the prince, on hearing this ordered a sum of money to be given him next day the poor man whose name was Gerard bought a pair of pistols with the prince's own money the following day the prince with his wife on his arm went into the dining room about midday he rose to leave for his own room when suddenly a man emerged from a dark corner and shot him as he felt what had happened the prince fell back into the arms of one of his servants oh God have mercy upon this poor people he uttered with touching pathos they were his last words a few minutes later he breathed his last bitterly the country mourned him father William was gone from them he had borne the load of the people's sorrow their name had been the last word on his lips true indeed were the last words of the historian who so loved him as long as he lived he was the guiding star of a whole brave nation and when he died the little children cried in the street ever grateful have the Dutch people been to the house of orange still the colors of William the Silent are their colors still his motto I will maintain is their national motto still one of the house of orange rules the country and when Dutchmen have left their shores and gone to dwell in distant lands beyond the sea still the name of orange has marked their love of this ancient hero and the Orange River colony in South Africa no less than the Orange County in New York State America bare testimony that William the Silent has never been forgotten End of Chapter 13 Chapter 14 of The Awakening of Europe this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by N. B. Singh Chapter 14 of The Awakening of Europe this happy breed of men this little world this precious stone set in the Silver Sea Shakespeare up to this time Spain had been the strongest and mightiest nation in Europe not only did she rule a great part of Italy, Sicily, the Netherlands nearly all North America all South America but Portugal had fallen to her with rich possessions South Africa and India she commanded the land because she commanded the sea her galleys were in every port and harbor of the known world trading with all the rich countries under her sway it has been truly said whosoever commands the sea commands the trade whosoever commands the trade of the world commands the riches of the world and consequently the world itself this then was quite true of Spain in the 16th century she was the first empire in the world of whom it could be said that the sun never set on her dominions this sunny Spain washed by the waters of the great Atlantic on one side and the blue Mediterranean on the other was yet looking round for new worlds to conquer when as yet the other nations of Europe had scarce ventured beyond their own fishing grounds the largest merchant ship of either England or Holland was not fit to brave the storms of the Atlantic but the sea-loving spirit of the old Vikings was in these northern countries it had slept through the long ages of over five hundred years but now it was to burst forth again with its old vigor and its old strength England and Holland were side by side to regain the mastery of wind and wave until Spain crushed and powerless before their superior seamanship how did it all come about what was this race of English who manned the ships that carried the flag of their country round the world who fought the Spaniard on his own ground who destroyed his invincible fleet known to history as the Spanish Armada how did this little island set in a silver sea managed to destroy the great power of Spain and finally possessed themselves of an empire on which the sun never sets the answer lies in the romantic life story of the old sea-captain Drake and the encouragement given to sailors by the English Queen under whom he sailed the good Queen Bess of the 16th century but before beginning this old story it will be well to see what had been happening in England while Spain was so busy trying to crush out the Netherlands what part had this England played in the great awakening of mankind and in the Reformation that had spread over Europe England has been called the sea-cradle of the Reformation because it was by reason of the Reformation that the King of England, Henry VIII was induced to strengthen his coast and build his navy to protect Protestant England against Roman Catholic Spain like the Netherlands England had taken a strong Protestant line when the choice had to be made Henry VIII had cast off the supreme power of the Pope but retained the title of Defender of the Faith a title which to this day is borne by sovereigns of England there was danger in the air the whole country was divided into two sides France became Roman Catholic and sided with Spain England must prepare for possible invasion now when Henry VIII came to the throne England had no fleet at all a few merchant hulks traded with Lisbon and Antwerp a fishing fleet sailed to Iceland for cod it is true that Cabot had sailed across the Atlantic but his enterprise had not been followed up and Spain ruled the waters as before but Henry VIII was not blind to the needs of the nation if war broke out the merchant and fishing ships must help to defend the coast he repaired all of the important dockyards and built fortresses ruins of which may still be seen from Berwick in the land's end he built new ships capable of carrying guns the great Harry was the wonder of the day she carried seven hundred men and was one thousand tons burden but when Henry died the fleet perished his daughter Mary was a stern Catholic and Mary to Philip of Spain there was no further danger of war with the great empire the new queen was too busy warring against Protestantism to look to the seas her father's fine ships rotted in the harbors she left the seas to privateers that is to any men who were rich enough to buy fit out and command ships for themselves and this privateering ruled the day till the death of Mary in 1558 when her sister Elizabeth came to the throne Elizabeth was an English woman she loved the spirit of adventure and enterprise that took her sailor subjects on the high seas she encouraged privateering for the risk was small and the hope of profit was great so she became the restorer of England's naval glory the queen of the northern seas End of Chapter 14 Chapter 15 of The Awakening of Europe This is the LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by M. B. Singh Chapter 15 Elizabeth Sailors Brave the captain was the seamen made a gallant crew gallant sons of English freedom sailors bold and true Tennyson Now of all the great sailors who helped Queen Elizabeth to build up England's sea power the greatest was Francis Drake of all the histories whose exploits have set our world's history aglow with romance there is not one more thrilling than the life story of this man his every deed from the cradle to the grave is a story the first side of him is as a small blue-eyed curly-haired boy in the midst of a party of desperate Protestants in Devonshire fleeing for their lives from an outburst of Roman Catholic fury coming of a large Protestant family the boy grew up full of hatred for the Church of Rome At the time of the abdication of Charles V he was 15 and already a apprentice to the master of a small ship plying between England and the Netherlands there he would hear a Philips tyranny of all this massacres of the Netherlands revolt his rough school on the high seas was not without its reward he became a remarkably clever sailor and when the skipper of his ship died he left it to young Francis Drake but the narrow seas were a prison for so large a spirit born for greater undertakings and the very year that the Count's Egmont and Horn were beheaded in Brussels 1567 Drake was commanding a small ship the Judith in an expedition commanded by his kinsman John Hawkins now John Hawkins was a Devonshire man too and related to the Drake's his father had been a sailor in the time of Henry V and his son John Henry of England was about thirty at the time when Elizabeth became queen with young Drake in command of the Judith and some other ships Hawkins set sail from Plymouth in October 1567 the little fleet was a good deal knocked about in the rough gales then blowing in the Bay of Biscay but they reached the Canary Isles in safety and sailed thence to some of the Spanish settlements here having collected a vast store of gold silver and jewels they turned homewards but a gale blew them into the Gulf of Mexico where they knew full well no welcome would wake them from the Spaniards there however they made a treaty and stopped to repair their injured ships but treachery was in the air and without note or warning the Spaniards suddenly attacked them furiously enough they tried to defend their ships and their cargo but at last they had to escape as best they might Hawkins in one battered ship and Drake in another on the 23rd of January 1569 a weather-beaten man was riding post-haste from Plymouth to London with tidings of a desperate fray from the Spaniards it was Francis Drake and soon all England was ringing with the news which had the great result that trade between Spain and England had stopped it was the beginning of the end true Hawkins and Drake became the heroes of the hour that over England herself a fierce war-cloud lowered the horizon was dark with the danger of coming storm the Netherlands were an open revolt against Spain but so far England had taken no part publicly the very year that the beggars of the sea were sailing to Brill Drake was stealing secretly away from Plymouth Port with a little fleet and crew of 73 men all under the age of 30 on a desperate venture against Spain on the farther side of the Atlantic he had found out that Philip's treasure from the mines of Peru was landed at Panama and carried across the narrow neck of land on the backs of many mules to be reshipped for Spain on the other side I have brought you the treasure-house of the world," cried Drake when he sailed safely across the broad Atlantic. Blame yourselves if you go away empty they were but a handful of men against the Spaniards who attacked them as Drake led his little party of adventurers forward he was badly wounded and fainted from loss of blood this prevented the Spanish treasure off by the English the sun rose next morning on their glorious failure and the famous attempt on the treasure-house of the world was at an end but Drake was still undaunted disasters befell him his brother died in his arms 30 of his little band died of sickness others were too ill to stand it is impossible to follow all his adventures but the story of how he first saw the Pacific Ocean must be told with 18 men and native guides he started off to climb the forest clad spurs of the dividing ridge of mountains dividing the two seas the expedition was not unlike that of Balboa some 60 years before arrived at the top he climbed a tree and for the first time an Englishman gazed on the vast southern sea named by Magellan the Pacific Ocean returning to his men he fell on his knees like a crusader of old and basalt, almighty God of his goodness to give him life and leave to sell once in an English ship on that sea it was a great moment in the history of England jealously had Spain guarded this southern sea which now lay under the eyes of an Englishman End of Chapter 15 Chapter 16 of The Awakening of Europe This is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by M. B. Singh Chapter 16 Drake's Voyage Round the World Coast-wise cross seas round the world and back again Drake's Chance came at last and with the sanction of his queen he sailed out of Plymouth Harbour bound for the chartless ocean hitherto only crossed by Magellan it was the middle of November in the year 1577 Drake was now 32 and the prime of his strength and manhood dressed in his semen's shirt belted at the waist a scarlet cap with gold band on his head he waved his farewell to England from the deck of his flagship the Pelican a small vessel indeed for the vast expedition before him the semen some 150 in number knew nothing of their destination but they must have guessed from the 20 guns on the Pelican that there was danger ahead there was indeed danger ahead but there was danger on board too second in command of the little fleet was when Thomas Dottie his conduct was suspicious from the very first and by the time South America was reached there was no longer any room to doubt that he was a traitor having run the ships into a harbour on the coast of Patagonia Drake called his men together to take counsel what should be done it was the spot where Magellan had tried his mutinous men years ago and the stump of his gallows stood on the desolate windswept shore the trial lasted two days the case was even more desperate than Drake had imagined Dottie had betrayed the queen's secret he had nearly upset the whole expedition they that think this man worthy of death let them with me hold up their hands cried Drake at the last as the words left his lips a throng of brown hands were raised the traitor must die a block was prepared an altar was raised beside it then the two old friends Drake and Dottie knelt side by side to ask forgiveness rising they kissed one another and in another minute the sword had fallen and as Dottie's head was held up to view Drake cried low this is the end of traitors from this moment his rule was undisputed treason and mutiny played no further part in the expedition boldly now Drake entered the straits of Magellan bound for the southern sea storms and tempest burst upon the little ships but the commanders splendid seamanship triumphed over unknown dangers till after fourteen days they sailed out into the pacific ocean here a terrific storm burst upon them the sky was dark by night and day the wind roared and howled this went on for fifty-three days at the end of which time Drake found himself alone his little fleet had entirely disappeared but the winds had driven him farther south than any ship had been before he landed on an unknown island and laying himself flat on the earth he embraced with his arms the southernmost point of the world now known as Cape Horn a month later a Spanish ship was lazily wading in the harbor of Valparaiso for a wind to carry her to Panama with a cargo of gold from Peru when a sail hoved in sight the Spaniards ran up flags and beat their drums to welcome their supposed countrymen the Pelican shot alongside and English sailors leapt on board crying down, dogs, down as they caught and bound the astonished Spaniards it was not long before the Spanish crew were stowed safely away and their precious cargo was transferred to the Pelican for three days the plunder went on the English who had lived on salt penguin for months were refreshed and the Pelican operated with Spanish goods sailed northwards with its prize still chasing and plundering Spanish ships on the coast of South America Drake made his way northwards and ever northwards up the coast of North America to San Francisco still hugging his treasure the cold was intense his rigging was frozen his crew sick but his hot courage never failed him on July 25th, 1579 he struck across the unknown ocean bound for the Maluccas as if by inspiration he pushed on and on 68 days passed with no signs of land till at last he reached the Philippine islands where Magellan had met his tragic end it would take too long to tell of the homeward voyage by the Cape of Good Hope how the treasure-laden ship ran onto a reef amongst the East India Islands and how even her commander gave her up as lost but she overcame all difficulties and accomplished her great exploit it was three years after Drake had sailed from England that the Pelican whose name was now changed to the Golden Hind labored into Plymouth Sound the prayer uttered by Drake six years before had been fulfilled he had sailed the Pacific Ocean in an English ship and he had sailed it from side to side its secret was England's at last and laden with its wealth the triumphant explorer was now stepping ashore to lay his booty at the feet of his queen soon all England was ringing with his name Elizabeth herself went to Plymouth and after a banquet on board she was at the reef of the unknown world she ordered the Golden Hind to be preserved forever as a worthy rival of Magellan's Victoria the tide of the great Spanish Empire had turned at last End of Chapter 16 Chapter 17 of the Awakening of Europe This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by M.B. Sing Chapter 17 The Great Armada When the great fleet invincible against her bore in vain the richest spoils of Mexico the stoutest hearts of Spain Macaulay The romantic daring of Drake's voyage and the vastness of his spoil roused great enthusiasm in England but the honors heaped upon him by Elizabeth were looked on by Philip of Spain with fierce anger She had accepted his stolen treasure and plans with regard to the conquest of England now began to take shape The dogyards of Spain became busy centers and the first ships of that great armada or armed force destined for war with England began to collect in Tagus If England were conquered the Empire of Spain would be safe so thought Philip whose possessions even now rivaled the Roman Empire of old That a great fleet was building in Spain soon became known in England and Drake hurried off to the scene of action He sailed to Cadiz entered the harbor sank the guard ship sent flying a fleet of ships intended for the invasion of England set fire to others and sailed out again having lost neither man nor boat I have singed the king of Spain's beard this time, said Drake while all Europe was wondering at his last adventure Then not content with having delayed the armada he seized the largest Spanish merchant ship afloat laden with spoil from India which he towed triumphantly into Dartmouth harbor Not only was it the richest cargo that had ever entered an English port but on board were found papers telling of the richness and mysteries of the East Indian trade hitherto known only to Spain and Portugal By the end of April 1588 the Spanish armada was ready July found the fleet named by the Spaniards the Invincible Armada at the mouth of the English Channel It was formidable enough as it sailed on in the form of a crescent extending for seven miles There were a hundred thirty ships standing high out of the water On board were guns many soldiers and sailors priests, surgeons and food for six months The hull was under the command of the Duke of Medina, Sedonia From whose flagship waved the imperial banner bearing on one side the crucified Christ and on the other his mother Mary For this was not only an attack on England it was an attack on England's Protestantism too It was the 19th of July when the Spanish fleet so long expected was seen by the English off the coast of Cornwall at once fires of alarm were lit along the coast Far on the deep the Spaniards along each southern shire Cape beyond Cape in endless range those twinkling points of fire When the news arrived at Plymouth the English commander Lord Howard of Effingham was playing bowls with his captains None knew better than Drake what the news meant There was not a moment to lose for the English ships were all huddled in ports along the coast at the mercy of the Spanish a panic would spoil all he refused to stop playing bowls There is time to play the game and beat the Spaniards he said quietly But there was no sleep for England that night while in port and harbour the ships were manned and sailed bells of alarm rang out all night horsemen gathered together cannons roar and notes of the bugle broke the silence of the night Night sank upon the dusky beach and on the purple sea Such night in England never had been nor air again shall be There was but one hope for the English in this desperate struggle Her ships, though fewer were lighter and faster sailing than those of the enemy Therefore a close encounter would be fatal Worrying and harrying the Spanish fleet the English ships pursued them of the English Channel till Calais was reached For nearly a week this running fight had lasted By July 29th the Spaniards had lost 4,000 men Three great ships had sunk Their masts were shot away the men had lost heart The Spanish commander decided to retreat to Spain by way of Scotland Nevertheless as Drake said the fleet seemed still wonderful, great and strong The work of destruction was reserved for a mightier foe than Drake Suddenly the wind rose into a storm which drove pursuers and pursued across the Netherlands narrowly escaping shipwreck on the flat coast of Holland the shattered armada was driven pitilessly northwards hurrying before the wind There was never anything pleased me better, said Drake as he followed after than seeing the enemy flying with a southerly wind to the northwards Supplies fell short and forced the English ship to give up the chase The Spaniards sailed on to the Orkney Islands at the north of Scotland where the storms of the northern seas broke on them furiously round the coast they staggered scattering the shores with their wrecks 8,000 Spaniards perished near the giant's causeway 11,000 bodies were washed up on the coast of Ireland Out of the magnificent fleet that had sailed from Spain only 50 ships returned bearing a few thousand sick and manned Spaniards I sent you to fight against men and not with the winds said Philip to his unfortunate commander who slunk away to his home to be tormented after by boys crying under his window Drake is coming Drake is coming It was indeed Drake's name with which Europe rang as the news of the victory spread though Elizabeth acknowledged the power of the storm when she struck a medal with this motto God blew with his wind and they were scattered End of Chapter 17 Chapter 18 of the Awakening of Europe This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Awakening of Europe by M. B. Singh Chapter 18 Among the Icebergs And now there came both mist and snow and it grew wondrous cold Coleridge Drake and Hawkins No one had been of more use in pursuing the Spanish Armada than Martin Frobisher Born in 1535 he had been at sea all his life for he was one of the first among early explorers to sail amid the ice of the far north in search of a passage to China by North America For years past it had been the dream of every voyager to find a short way to the east where swares could be exchanged for the pearls and spice of India without the long voyage by the Cape of Good Hope It had been the dream of Cabot and the dream of Sir Hugh Willoughby who had perished in the attempt It was now the dream of Martin Frobisher The discovery of the Northwest Passage he said was the only thing of the world that was yet left undone by which a notable mind might be made famous and fortunate He did not care for plundering Spanish ships laden with treasure Rather did he look for honor for his country, fame for himself knowledge of new lands for the whole world The idea did not appeal to his countrymen and like Columbus before him he asked for ships and money in vain For thirteen long years he toiled until at last a patron to apply the necessary funds And in the year 1576 two little ships the Gabriel and Michael left England for the ice-bound regions of the north Wondrous indeed was the courage of the men who set forth on such an expedition of danger with two small ships and a crew of only thirty-five men Queen Elizabeth stood at an open window of her palace at Greenwich giving farewell to the captain of this little feet bound for unknown seas of ice She recognized the greatness of his spirit and the daring of his adventure but she had not stirred a finger to get him new ships for his perilous undertaking So Frobisher sailed away to the north by the eastern coast of England and the north of Scotland Here a furious storm broke Frobisher had reached the icy coast of Greenland, the Gabriel was alone The Michael had deserted and gone home with the story that Frobisher himself had perished in a storm Meanwhile the captain was sailing bravely onwards with his storm-shattered ship and his diminished crew of eighteen I will sacrifice my life to God rather than return home without discovering a northwest passage to Cathay his men with that enthusiasm which alone can carry a man through great enterprises and the men, catching his spirit of courage, sailed their battered ship across the shores of Labrador Amid a group of American islands he entered what seemed to be a strait that might lead to the east bearing in mind Magellan Straits leading from the Atlantic to the Pacific by South America these Frobisher Straits hoping they might lead from ocean to ocean by North America Further than all former mariners he sailed into this unknown sea yet for all his courage the expedition failed man after man died the weather grew very cold snow fell heavily and reluctantly he sailed home A curious thing now happened which he had brought from the frozen regions to England was said to contain gold Martin Frobisher sprang into fame a new fleet was at once fitted out not for the discovery of the northwest passage but for the discovery of more gold the queen sent a large ship of her own this time men offered their services by the score Frobisher was made high admiral of all seas and waters of the country's lands and aisles of the icy north and in 1577 he sailed off on his second expedition the fleet did not go far but it returned laden with supposed gold kneeling on the frozen snow the little party of Englishmen had taken possession of the country in the name of the queen leaving a cross of stones and the English flag flying while Drake was sailing off the world Martin Frobisher was being given command of a yet more famous fleet of 15 ships so that she should sail to the frozen land of gold and leave there a little colony of Englishmen to protect English interest from strangers away sailed the magnificent fleet away once more to the northern coast of America towards the Frobisher's straits amid snow and ice, fogs and gales the ships made their way one vessel was crushed between mighty icebergs in a thick fog the ships lost their course but Frobisher now made the greatest discovery of his life he had found out that Frobisher's straits were no straits but a bay now to the north of Frobisher's bay he was sailing west through another channel which might lead on into the open sea in reality he was sailing up the straits known later as Hudson's Straits and he was close on the entrance to the great inland sea of North America when he turned back to fulfill his orders and search for gold the ships returned home with their freight of stones but by this time England was raging with disappointment for little enough gold had been produced from the black stones of the frozen north and no more ships were sent in search of it the plan of a colony was given up it was three hundred years before the northwest passage into the Pacific Ocean was found after many a ship had been lost and many life laid down intricate enough was the channel that led from sea to sea and far to the north of anything that Martin Frobisher with all his courage and with all his enthusiasm were have found with the imperfect ships at his command End of Chapter 18