thousand men. The earth was so shifty and sandy that the soldiers who
were to follow him were not able to climb the wall. Still Stanley
grasped his adversary's pike, but, suddenly changing his plan, he allowed
the Spaniard to lift him from the ground. Then, assisting himself with
his feet against the wall, he, much to the astonishment of the
spectators, scrambled quite over the parapet, and dashed sword in hand
among the defenders of the fort. Had he been endowed with a hundred
lives it seemed impossible for him to escape death. But his followers,
stimulated by his example, made ladders for themselves of each others'
shoulders, clambered at last with great exertion over the broken wall,
overpowered the garrison, and made themselves masters of the sconce.
Leicester, transported with enthusiasm for this noble deed of daring,
knighted Edward Stanley upon the spot, besides presenting him next day
with forty pounds in gold and an annuity of one hundred marks, sterling
for life. "Since I was born, I did never see any man behave himself as
he did," said the Earl. "I shall never forget it, if I live a thousand
year, and he shall have a part of my living for it as long as I live."

The occupation of these forts terminated the military operations of the
year, for the rainy season, precursor of the winter, had now set in.
Leicester, leaving Sir William Stanley, with twelve hundred English and
Irish horse, in command of Deventer; Sir John Burrowes, with one thousand
men, in Doesburg; and Sir Robert Yorke, with one thousand more, in the
great sconce before Zutphen; took his departure for the Hague. Zutphen
seemed so surrounded as to authorize the governor to expect ere long its
capitulation. Nevertheless, the results of the campaign had not been
encouraging. The States had lost ground, having been driven from the
Meuse and Rhine, while they had with difficulty maintained themselves on
the Flemish coast and upon the Yssel.