their gates and surrendered without firing a gun.
Popular indignation rose high. Upon William, always
a favourite among the commonalty, and the inheritor of
a name ennobled not only by civil wisdom but by
military exploits, all eyes were turned. An insurrection
in his favour took place at Dort, and the magistrates of
that city, intimidated by the clamour of the people,
passed an ordinance repealing the perpetual edict, and
made him Stadtholder. Other cities followed their
example, and the States-General of the provinces con-
firmed their decrees. The two De Witts, John and his
brother Cornelius, now the objects of popular suspicion
and hatred, were assassinated in a street riot; and the
people, as if inspired with now courage by the restoration
of a Prince of Orange to a position from which princes of
that name had so often led them to victory, turned
fiercely upon their French invaders. Five thousand of
Louis's troops were repulsed before Ardenburg by the
bravery of no more than two hundred burghers, assisted
by the women and children of the town, and one hundred
garrison soldiers. The citizens of Groningen, aided by
the spirited students of its university, defended them-
selves with equal vigour and good fortune against the
warlike Bishop of Munster, at the head of 30,000 soldiers,
compelling him to raise the siege. It was evident that
a Dutch conquest was going to be no more military pro-
menade, as had first appeared to promise, and Louis
thought it advisable to negotiate. To the chief of a
state so desperately be-sted as were the United Provinces
at that moment, the terms offered to William by the
French monarch,--no less than the sovereignty of his
country under the protection of England and France,--

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