Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 3.djvu/638

618 broke and fled. Seven hundred were killed. The rest, attempting to escape on the other side of the town, fell into the hands of the Prince of Orange. Charles, coolly merciless, refused to spare a man who had borne arms against him. The commander was hanged before the gates: the other prisoners were variously executed. By the sunset of the 24th of August the town of Duren was left to the possession of old men and children, and the dishonoured widows of its late defenders.

No second example was required of the consequences of resistance to the arms of the Emperor. Strong cities, powerfully garrisoned, lay in his course as he descended the Rhine; but a panic opened their gates for him. The keys of Gurlik were brought to him by women: every able-bodied man had fled. Bergen, Ruremonde, Herclens, Nieustadt, Stittart, surrendered at a summons. At Venlo only was there found courage to attempt a second defence; and at Yenlo the terrified townsmen prepared to compel the soldiers to submit. All that side of Germany lay at once at Charles's feet. The old Duchess of Cleves, the Puritan mother of Anne, died of sorrow, 'raging,' so wrote Dr Wotton, 'and in a manner out of her wits for spite and anger.' Bonner's train were attacked and almost murdered in the streets of Cologne by some of her partisans; and the unfortunate Duke drew his sword upon his own minister in his council-chamber. Helpless before his gigantic antagonist, he had to choose between submission and