The Siege of Leyden

Once upon a time, there were a people in Holland that worked hard and worshiped their God. They were happy, and they read the Bible openly, despite the way that the rest of Europe functioned in those days. Holland did not desire to have any contentions or wars with other nations, but rather to live in simple peace and harmony. They built houses and canals, erected windmills, grew food, and they prospered. Thus, we see that hard workers prosper.

Most of the country was under sea level, and as a result, the Hollanders built dikes (or fences) to stop the water from flowing into the country. These dikes worked well for the most part. The people of Holland worked hard on these dikes, and they prospered more. The people were devout in study of the Bible as well, and through this, the people of Holland started to think. It is very dangerous when someone starts thinking. New ideas and philosophies start coming into their head, and these philosophies can be used for good or bad. Fortunately, the people of Holland used their philosophies for good, but there must be opposition in all things. Other countries and people were determined to stop the people of Holland from thinking. We learn from this that hard work and willingness to do God’s will does bring benefits, but it doesn’t guarantee that one will be momentarily free from evil.

There was also king called Charles V of Spain. This king was devoted to the Pope of the Catholic Church, so when people were doing things that were contrary to church standards, Charles felt that it was his responsibility to put a stop to it. Charles feasted and drank day and night, and he ordered that those who went against the Pope would be put to death. Many of the God-fearing people of Holland were burned at the stake, and their only crime was having read the Bible. Even the people that came in contact with those who had read the Bible were put to death. Charles taxed and taxed Holland, and cast thousands of people into prison. When Charles V retired to gluttony, he gave his crown to his son, Philip, who was no better than his father.

The people of Holland elected their leader to be a man named William, and he was often called “William the Silent” because of his quiet nature. William was a Catholic, but he believed that men ought to have freedom to think for themselves. He was a very devoted Hollander to this cause, and he was willing to give his money, his life, or whatever it took to keep freedom. Finally, Philip was sick of the Hollanders, so he sent his army to besiege a city in Holland that was called Leyden. The people of Leyden were strong, as you will soon see. Philip sat comfortably in Spain, and he gave Holland one last chance to surrender. However, the people of Holland were not willing to give up their freedom so easily.

The Spaniards surrounded Leyden, meaning to starve out the city. The people of Leyden had much food stored, but it would not last them forever. Philip’s army waited patiently while the people of Leyden were slowly starving. Soon, there seemed no other choices than surrender or death. The people stayed strong, but one’s desire for food is also strong. They began eating anything they could: rats, cats, dogs, pets, trees, and anything else that was edible. The Spaniards laughed at the “rat-eaters”, and there seemed no way of escape. In the midst of this, at a city that was far away called Amsterdam, William the Silent had an idea.

“Let us destroy the dikes!” he cried to the people. The people gladly accepted, because there really was no other choice. “Better a drowned land than a lost land!” they said. After cutting their dikes, the people of Amsterdam could sail to Leyden and save their brothers. There weren’t many soldiers from Amsterdam to fight the Spaniards, but many of the Hollanders volunteered their services. So, the work commenced. The people of Amsterdam began to cut their dikes. A message soon came to Leyden, saying that the dikes had been cut and reinforcements were on their way. The people of Leyden rejoiced, but they were still in need of food. Some of the people of Leyden wanted to give up the city, because they couldn’t handle starvation anymore, but the majority stayed strong. Many perished in Leyden, but not all.

As the fleet of ships was coming from Amsterdam to Leyden, the rescuers realized that they may not have been able to get to Leyden in time. There wasn’t enough water to keep the boats going, and as a result, the Hollanders found themselves stuck in their boats in the mud. Unless more water flowed in from the dike (and that would take wind), then the Hollanders wouldn’t be able to keep moving forward. Suddenly, one night, the wind moved in their favor, and the water rose. They were able to continue forward. Meanwhile, in Leyden, things were getting even worse. The food supply was running out fast. The Spaniards continued to laugh, but the Hollanders stayed strong. “We will eat with our left arms, and fight with our right!” they said.

That night, as the wind was blowing, the rescuers made it to the Spaniards’ camp. The Spaniards tried to run, but the Hollanders chased them. Water was now pouring in through the holes in the dikes, and finally, the Spaniards fled Holland. The rescuers brought food and supplies to Leyden, and the city was saved. Because of the great courage of the Hollanders, freedom would continue to abound in Holland. What do we learn from this? Freedom takes sacrifice, and every generation must pay for their freedom. Also, enduring hard times brings better days. The battle for Holland would later usher in the Pilgrims, who certainly needed religious freedom. Courage does matter.