348 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 66. tion as well as his brother's for what he was doing ; that she was his wife in the sight of God, and could not abandon him. By representations of the same kind, he borrowed large sums of private persons, 1 and being thus supplied with men and finances, he came to a private understanding with the Catholic factions in the cities which he was preparing to surprise. The French gar- risons were quietly increased : his principal camp was brought close to the walls of Antwerp, and the soldiers were told that as their wages were withheld they should have an opportunity of paying themselves. Their plan was to rise at nine or ten places on the same d"ay, over- power the burgher guards, and make themselves masters of Flanders. Secrecy was admirably observed, and in j ,.g~ the smaller towns they were completely success- January. f u i On the 5th I5th of January, they took possession of Dunkirk, Ostend, Dixmuyde, Dendermonde, Alost, and Vilvoorde, without striking a blow. At Ghent, Bruges, and Antwerp, fortune was less pro- pitious. Ghent proved too Spanish to be attempted ; at Bruges the citizens had received information, and 1 ' El de Orange tratando con Alenqon la sospecha que tenian los Estados de que hiciese venir tanta gente tras no tener con que pagar la que se hallaba en ellos, le habia re- spondido que en tanto que el fuese ministro de la Reyna de Inglaterra su lugarteniente cap tn general er. aquella empresa, no le faltarian dineros, assistiendole juntamente el Key de Francia su hermano para la paga do Uutos soldados los quales no venian sin su licencia y particular consentimiento ; asegurandole que esta reyna era delante de Dios y del mundo su muger, y que no podia abandonarle en aquella guerra sin mayor peligro de su persona y reyno. Que asimismo el duque de Alencjon se habia servido del nombre de la Reyna para sacar dineros de algunas personas aficionadas a sus cosas.' Mendoza al Rey, 16 26 de Enero, 1583 : MSS. Simancas.
