151 In the meantime, the Duke had gathered in Bergen-op-Zoom more than a ton of gold, obtaining thereby forced cooperation of all the other lords such as lord of Berleymont, lord Nockerme, Vigilius… A big advantage for the Duke since the city was so powerful, with boat access deep inside the land, such as count Louis quite a treasure had there with this situation. With all other treasures and tapestries, the Duke had made this bastion even stronger, obtaining allegiance of the inhabitants, not leaving them a moment of free time. Numerous boats came from Portugal in Flessingue, putting again pressure up to Antwerp, in spite of forbidden maritime presence by the crual Duke, at the time of the visit of the Duke of Medina Sidona. In August, a French Admiral shot with a gun in his arm, while reading a letter at his window… It was at the time that the King of France was passing by with the Duke of Guise in the house of the Admiral. This made the King believe in a temptative murder and caused a whole investigation and punishment story for the said Admiral as well as the Hugenots troops... Both Dukes, of Alba and of Medina, went to Mons in Hainaut with their armies to demonstrate their power to the Hugenots. On September 21st the city of Mons gave up under the army of the Duke of Alba without any fights since the city authorities preferred peaceful talks and the French, who believed they were home, and their Admiral was dead, let the other troops enter in Mons. All was done as if the French count Louis would retire from this place without the inhabitants rejecting the new invaders, thereby giving access up to Roermond in Gelderland because the brother of the
152 Prince (of Orange) had recaptured that city, freeing the previously invaded soldiers! The duke then came to Malines, bringing again terror to local peaceful inhabitants, raping and steeling their animals and doing all kinds of other bad things. That year, the procession of the Ommegang was the saddest ever. The Duke of Alba was invited in the City Hall but did not want to accept the meal offered to him. He only wanted to see the procession but had in fact little or no feeling for it. That year, the Duke of Alba, the great tyran, finally left Brussels and returned to Spain with his son Dom Frederic, as good as his father, during six years and three and half month such bad a governor was in our region. Also, all our aldermen left to go to Bergen-Op-Zoom to celebrate the departure of the Spaniards from Middelbourg too. The next year, the Ommegang procession was very nice to see again. Dom Jan, His Highness, came to the City Hall and stayed for the table food celebrations with many high-ranked personalities. Count of Egmont, son of the one who was killed by the Duke, and count of Arenberg, participated in the golden collar celebrations. Dom Jan was made King of the Golden Collar of Louvain. The next month, came the King of Navarre from France to meet Dom Jan who offered a large banquets to him and all Brussels personalities. It was a great success and the visit in Leuven was also quite a great moment. In August, we all went to Antwerp to destroy with great pleasure the castle built by the Duke of Alba. It was demolished with the agreement of the Grand Council and the City Hall.
153 Longest look in the past, furthest foreseeing the future. Churchill