The Tower Clock Stopped

By Jan De Haan

This is a story about a surprise attack by the Spanish army on Sluis, a small city in a southern coastal province of The Low Countries, now known as The Netherlands.
During the early 1500’s, the Reformation spread through the Low Countries. Emperor Charles V tried to stop this threat to Roman Catholicism by persecuting the Protestants. His son, Philip II of Spain, stepped up this persecution. As a result the nobles, led by William I of Orange, revolted against his harsh rule.
The Dutch fought for their freedom from Spain in an eighty year war, from 1568 to 1648. The surprise attack on Sluis is part of that war.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pro Ecclesia Publishers
• Release date: Dec 31, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301317462

Jan De Haan

Jan Folkerts de Haan was a Dutch journalist and author. He was born in 1906 in Boornbergum, and village in the province of Friesland, and died in 1978. He worked for a series of newspapers, including the Trouw.His first love of teaching was evident in his authorship of a number of books for children. Besides De Torenklok Zweeg (The Tower Clock Stopped), he also wrote in the Dutch and Friesen languages Het kolenschip van Venlo (The coal ship of Venlo)(1960), De holle polsstok (The hollow pole)(1952), ‘t Geweld onttogen (1948), Een schip in de dorpsvaart (1950), It Frysk findel (1982), De Friese kurassier: historisch verhaal 1812 – 1824 (1944), Fen bûgjen frjemd (1945), and Zulke galgebrokken (1946).

Book preview

The Tower Clock Stopped

The Unsuccessful Attack on Sluis

Jan Folkerts De Haan

Illustrations by Hein Kray

Published by:

Pro Ecclesia Publishers

proecclesia.com.au

Copyright 2013 Pro Ecclesia Publishers

First published in English in 2000

First eBook edition: 2013

First published in Dutch as De Torenklok Zweeg - De mislukte overrompeling van Sluis in 1948 by Jan Haan NV, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Translated by C Bonker

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More information about the author, the illustrator and the image separating sections is found at the end of the book.

Introduction

This is a story about a surprise attack by the Spanish army on Sluis, a small city in a southern coastal province of The Low Countries, now known as The Netherlands.

During the early 1500’s, the Reformation spread through the Low Countries. Emperor Charles V tried to stop this threat to Roman Catholicism by persecuting the Protestants. His son, Philip II of Spain, stepped up this persecution. As a result the nobles, led by William I of Orange, revolted against his harsh rule.

The Dutch fought for their freedom from Spain in an eighty year war, from 1568 to 1648. The surprise attack on Sluis is part of that war.

Key players in this story are the ‘Beggars’ (Dutch: Geuzen, French: gueux), a group of people who rebelled against Spanish rule in the Netherlands in the 16th century. The Geuzen formed themselves into an association in 1565 and presented a petition to the regent, Margaret of Parma (1566). When the regent hesitated to receive them, one of her councillors asked her what she had to fear from mere ‘beggars’. The word was remembered, and the party adopted it as an honoured title. They maintained a vigorous warfare against Philip II for some time, and though finally suppressed by the Duke of Alva, had helped by their fight to establish the Dutch republic. A group of them operated mainly at sea, and were called the Watergeuzen. These ‘Beggars of the Sea’ did much damage to the Spanish fleet and captured Brielle in 1572, a victory which ultimately resulted in the independence of the Netherlands in 1648.

Chapter 1

Hey there, you rascal! Do you want to be killed!?"

The frightened driver of the dray [Footnote: A low, strong cart without fixed sides, for carrying heavy loads.] which rattles noisily over the uneven cobble-stones of Sluis, raises his whip in a threatening manner and lashes out angrily.

Oh, those boys… they’re always game to risk it, madly dashing across the street just in front of the horses’ hooves. But he’s had enough of it!

He raises his whip again, but Hans succeeds in slipping past the dray, dodging the blow. Bending quickly, he ducks and runs on without looking back.

The driver may carry on as much as he wants, Hans’ only worry is to get to the church on time. His grandfather is the sexton of the large church of Sluis. At four o’clock he is going to climb the tower-staircase to wind up the clock; and yesterday he promised Hans that he could come up with him.

Oh dear, hopefully he is not too late. He can hear the church clock strike. Four clear strokes roll over the small Zealand town. [Footnote: Zealand is one of the southern Dutch provinces, close to the Belgium border.]

Four o’clock! Will he be too late? Grandfather had urged him to be on time. Don’t forget, he said, I’m a stickler for time!

Hans starts to run even faster.

Fortunately it is not far now, just around the corner of the Dolfijn tavern.

Turning the corner at full speed, Hans collides with a stranger who is just about to enter the tavern. The man, short of stature, is wearing a half-length brownish cloak over a green shirt. The impact of the collision almost knocks him over.

A torrent of angry words pours out after the running boy, who casts a quick glance behind him. He notices a pair of flashing eyes in a tawny face. The man also shakes his fist at him. Hans does not understand the foreign words, which sound much like French to him. Perhaps the man is a wine merchant. He knows that some of them come from as far as Antwerp [Footnote: A large city in what is now the country of Belgium.]

At last, there is the church, and next to it, in the shadow of the tower, the sexton’s cottage. When Hans tries to open the door he finds it locked. Where is grandfather? Has he gone up the tower already?

It is quiet and dusky in the large church of Sluis, which is totally different from what it is on Sundays.

The sun is shining through the high arched windows, displaying a tiny part of the radiant blue sky. The sunlight makes magical dancing spots on the massive columns and the grey tombstone floor. The dark-brown pews, some of which are decorated with beautiful carvings, stand empty. There are no feet shuffling across the tombstones inscribed with names, dates, and coats of arms.

But the quiet church is not completely deserted.

An old man, slightly bent and in stockinged feet, shuffles across the slabs. In his wrinkled, calloused hands he carries a cloth to dust the pews.

It is old Martinus, the sexton.

As he bends over the pews, the sun shines on his white hair. Everybody in Sluis knows him, for every Sunday they see him in church.

Martinus is also the town’s grave-digger. He has dug many graves, outside in the churchyard, where the birds twitter and the daisies bloom abundantly.

Another job he does is wind up the clockwork in the tower. The big clock is not allowed to stop. With its metallic voice it tells the people, nearby in the town and out in the fields, what time it is.

Every day without fail, the sexton climbs the stone flight of stairs.

When visitors want to see the inside of the church, Martinus is their guide. He lets them admire the majestic organ, which reaches high into the arched roof. He shows them the pulpit craftily decorated with carvings, and the large pulpit bible with its broad silver clasps.

He is proud of his church, the big church of Sluis. It has a huge tower, which can be seen from a great distance.

Not long ago, Martinus was guide to some very important guests. That was about two years back, in 1604, when Prince Maurice, accompanied by other highly placed people, visited the town.

Old Martinus loves to tell that story again and again.

It had been a day never to be forgotten, not only for him, but for every citizen of Sluis. The Spanish army had been driven out, and Sluis had chosen the side of the Prince of Orange. The Spanish