CHAPTER XXIV. Prince Maurice--State of the Republican army--Martial science of the period--Reformation of the military system by Prince Maurice--His military genius--Campaign in the Netherlands--The fort and town of Zutphen taken by the States' forces--Attack upon Deventer--Its capitulation--Advance on Groningen, Delfzyl, Opslag, Yementil, Steenwyk, and other places--Farnese besieges Fort Knodsenburg-- Prince Maurice hastens to its relief--A skirmish ensues resulting in the discomfiture of the Spanish and Italian troops--Surrender of Hulat and Nymegen--Close of military, operations of the year.While the events revealed in the last chapter had been occupying theenergies of Farnese and the resources of his sovereign, there had beenample room for Prince Maurice to mature his projects, and to make asatisfactory beginning in the field. Although Alexander had returned tothe Netherlands before the end of the year 1590, and did not set forth onhis second French campaign until late in the following year, yet thecondition of his health, the exhaustion of his funds, and the dwindlingof his army, made it impossible for him to render any effectualopposition to the projects of the youthful general.For the first time Maurice was ready to put his theories and studies intopractice on an extensive scale. Compared with modern armaments, thewarlike machinery to be used for liberating the republic from its foreignoppressors would seem almost diminutive. But the science and skill of acommander are to be judged by the results he can work out with thematerials within reach. His progress is to be measured by a comparisonwith the progress of his contemporaries--coheirs with him of what Timehad thus far bequeathed.The regular army of the republic, as reconstructed, was but ten thousandfoot and two thousand horse, but it was capable of being largely expandedby the trainbands of the cities, well disciplined and enured to hardship,