midday
Frau Plomaert was slow , but she was strong when she chose to exert herself , and when the conflict was at its thickest she lighted the balls at the fires over which caldrons of oil were seething , and whirling them round her head sent them one by one into the midst of the Spanish column . `` Three of them hit men fairly in the face , '' she said to one of her neighbours , `` so I think I have done : my share of today 's work . '' She then calmly descended the wall , joined her daughters and returned home , paying no attention to the din of the conflict at the breach , and contended that she had done all that could be expected of her . On reaching home she bade the girls take to their knitting as usual , while she set herself to work to prepare the midday meal . A few days later the Prince of Orange sent from Sassenheim , a place on the southern extremity of the lake , where he had now taken up his headquarters , a force of 2000 men , with seven guns and a convoy of wagons with ammunition and food towards the town , under General Batenburgh . This officer had replaced De la Marck , whose brutal and ferocious conduct had long disgraced the Dutch cause , and whom the prince , finding that he was deaf alike to his orders and to the dictates of humanity , had now deprived of his commission . Batenburgh 's expedition was no more fortunate than that of De la Marck had been .