Parma’s demonstrations against Sluys had commenced in the early days of June.  The commandant of the place was Arnold de Groenevelt, a Dutch noble of ancient lineage and approved valour.  His force was, however, very meagre, hardly numbering more than eight hundred, all Netherlanders, but counting among its officers several most distinguished personages-Nicholas de Maulde, Adolphus de Meetkerke and his younger brother, Captain Heraugiere, and other well-known partisans.

On the threatening of danger the commandant had made application to Sir William Russell, the worthy successor of Sir Philip Sidney in the government of Flushing.  He had received from him, in consequence, a reinforcement of eight hundred English soldiers, under several eminent chieftains, foremost among whom were the famous Welshman Roger Williams, Captain Huntley, Baskerville, Sir Francis Vere, Ferdinando Gorges, and Captain Hart.  This combined force, however, was but a slender one; there being but sixteen hundred men to protect two miles and a half of rampart, besides the forts and ravelins.

But, such as it was, no time was lost in vain regrets.  The sorties against the besiegers were incessant and brilliant.  On one occasion Sir Francis Vere—­conspicuous in the throng, in his red mantilla, and supported only by one hundred Englishmen and Dutchmen, under Captain Baskerville—­held at bay eight companies of the famous Spanish legion called the Terzo Veijo, at push of pike, took many prisoners, and forced the Spaniards from the position in which they were entrenching themselves.  On the other hand, Farnese declared that he had never in his life witnessed anything so unflinching as the courage of his troops; employed as they were in digging trenches where the soil was neither land nor water, exposed to inundation by the suddenly-opened sluices, to a plunging fire from the forts, and to perpetual hand-to-hand combats with an active and fearless foe, and yet pumping away in the coffer-dams-which they had invented by way of obtaining a standing-ground for their operations—­as steadily and sedately as if engaged in purely pacific employments.  The besieged here inspired by a courage equally remarkable.  The regular garrison was small enough, but the burghers were courageous, and even the women organized themselves into a band of pioneers.  This corps of Amazons, led by two female captains, rejoicing in the names of ‘May in the Heart’ and ‘Catherine the Rose,’ actually constructed an important redoubt between the citadel and the rampart, which received, in compliment to its builders, the appellation of ‘Fort Venus.’

The demands of the beleaguered garrison, however, upon the States and upon Leicester were most pressing.  Captain Hart swam thrice out of the city with letters to the States, to the governor-general, and to Queen Elizabeth; and the same perilous feat was performed several times by a Netherland officer.  The besieged meant to sell their lives dearly, but it was obviously impossible for them, with so slender a force, to resist a very long time.