so much their own advantage The Souldiers of this Company and Officers are sworn not only to the Curatours but also to the States General and to the General of the Army because it is not safe that private men should have an Army at their command These two Companies have the priviledge of Trading alone into both the Indies not for ever but for twenty or thirty year more or less And it was wisely order'd so for two reasons First because it may be the necessity of affairs might have been such as to have oblig'd the States to make Peace or Truce with the Spaniards which it may be would not have been obtain'd without relinquishing the Trade to the Indies which they could not do had they granted a perpetual priviledge to these Companies Secondly that whensoever they demand the renewing of their Priviledges the Commonwealth may take occasion to demand a round sum of money in acknowledgement of the favour they receive In a word these two Companies are so well establish'd as to be upon all occasions a very great prop to the State for they are a Nursery of Souldiers and Seamen out of which in time of War the States may upon a sudden be provided with Ships Armes and some thousands of Men and by which in time of Peace many thousands got a very handsom livelihood CHAP. XXII What Judgement may be made of the lasting or decay of this Commonwealth CArdinal Bentivoglio who was for some time the Popes Nuncio in the Low-Countries has writ the History of their Wars and in his Book has given me occasion of adding here this Chapter For he has propounded the same Question and after he has brought some Reasons which seem to conclude in favour of the perpetuity of this Commonwealth he does produce some others to shew that a contrary opinion is more likely 'T is certainly a great vanity to go about to dispute about futures yet the Form and Government and present felicity of a State may give us leave to give a guess at its future happiness And first if we consider the cause of the founding of this State we cannot think that it will ever be dissolv'd For that was the recovering of lost Liberties and the preservation of them when recovered two things mightily priz'd by all mankind but particularly by the Northern Nations of the world Besides not only by this the Liberties of all its Subjects are secur'd but none of the neighbouring Nations can stand in fear of losing theirs by the increase of this so that it will be no bodies Interest to procure a change for the people cannot be more easie than they are already adde to this the mutual aversion between the Spaniards and the Hollanders that it is natural to fear and not to trust those that we have offended Besides let any body cast back their eyes upon the first change and they shall find it such as no body is offended at 'T is most certain that when in Government men pass from one extremity to the other there are many whom a desire of the first Government does sollicite and possess but here it was not so for except the change that was made of the person of the King of Spain for the States General there was no change made in the Laws Constitutions and Customs of these Provinces Since therefore that the antient Laws and Magistrates and all other Priviledges do remain it is easily agreed that the change was scarce sensible to the Inhabitants And upon this we may found this maxim that Those States that have suffer'd least in their change are like to last longest The inequality of strength and riches in these Provinces is one of the tyes of their perpetuity though ordinarily it be the cause of ruptures and fallings out in these cases If we consider the riches of these Provinces and the industry of the Inhabitants to acquire them we may certainly conclude that they will not be wanting to themselves in their Government besides without doubt as long as the Spaniards power shall give occasion of jealousie to Europe England and France will never forsake the protection of Holland If we consider also the example of some Commonwealths of our time as of the Swizzers who do not only maintain themselves free from neighbouring Princes by the natural situation of their Countrey but are a terrour to many of them These are our reasons but Cardinal Bentivoglio brings some against them as follows Liberty begets license that begets inequality inequality begets Monarchy so the Romans having driven out Kings gave themselves up to the enjoyment of their Liberty after that they fell out by the inequality of Charges and Honours and at last fell under the domination of Emperors To this is answer'd that it is in vain that this example is alleadged because the change proceeded from the oversight in the constitution of the Roman Government in which it was not provided against inequality but it is not so with the Hollanders As for what he sayes that the Authority of the Governour General is too great we do confess it yet the Authority of the States is above it for in him lies only perswasion in them the power of commanding If it be objected that the charges of a War are here incredible and excessive and that the Treasury must needs be exhausted I shall answer that our Enemies are not in a better condition but there is this difference between us that our Enemies grow Beggars and we grow rich under this oppression If it be further urged that one Province Holland is much superiour to the others in strength and riches and so may usurpe the domination over the rest I shall answer that in this inequality of power all the Provinces are equal in Authority and do not meddle with one anothers affairs As for the diversity and plurality of Religions it is so far from being an apple of discord that it is a tye of union and concord every one being pleas'd with the liberty he has to enjoy the freedome of his conscience CHAP. XXIII An Abridgement of the State of the United Provinces by Paul Merle GErmany which is one of the noblest parts of Europe is divided into two parts high and low It is not our design to say any thing of the higher Germany The lower call'd the Eye of the North by reason of its excellency is compos'd of seventeen Provinces Those of them that lye upon the banks of the River Rhin towards the North were us'd to be reckoned among the Lordships of the upper Germany and the others upon the banks of the same River towards the East were anciently esteem'd dependances of Gallia Belgica Each of them have been govern'd till within these few years by their particular Princes and Princesses The Provinces of Brabant Limbourg Luxembourg and Gueldres were govern'd by Dukes Flanders Artois Hainaut Zeeland Holland Namur and Zutphen by Earls Antwerp which bears the title of the Marquessship of the holy
Religion John Calvin likewise writ against the Church of Rome and his books met with as favourable a reception in Holland as Lutheâ—s did in Germany The Emperour endeavoured by strict Edicts to stop the course of this change and recommended to his Son Philip to do so likewise Philip the second King of Spain and Earl of Holland the Thirty fifth In the year 1556. Philip took in hand the reins of Government in the Low-Countreys and made Philibert Duke of Savoy a great and stout Prince his Lieutenant and Governour in all the Low-Countreys The truce that was between France and Spain being broken by reason of the succour which the French sent the Pope Queen Mary of England declar'd War likewise against the French at the instigation of her Husband King Philip. The Duke of Savoy comes into Picardy and defeats entirely the French Army upon St. Laurence day with so great a slaughter of Nobility and Gentry that it astonish'd the whole Kingdome Paris it self being forsaken by its inhabitants was in danger of being lost had the conquerour followed his victory But the Duke of Guise coming out of Italy soon recruited and set a new Army on foot took Caâ—ais in seven dayes time which had been so many hundred years in the power of the English Fortune continuing still averse to the French they received another overthrow in Flanders where the Earl of Egmont behav'd himself as nobly as he had done in the first battell of St. Laurence and was the cause of the winning of the day 'T is true that ten English men of War which happened by chance to be near the shore play'd with their great Guns upon the French Army and much disorder'd it After this Queen Mary of England dying left Philip a widower and he took to his second Wife Isabelle of France Philip before he embarqued for Spain being desirous to provide for the peace and tranquillity of the Low-Countreys made Margaret of Austria Dutchess of Parma and bastard Daughter to Charles the Emperour his Regent and Governess over all the Low-Countreys The Earl of Egmont was made Governour of Flanders and Artois the Duke Mansfield of Luxemburg the Earl William of Nassaw Prince of Orange was made Governour of Holland and Zeland CHAP. VII Containing the memorable Passages under the Government of Margaret of Parma KIng Philip having install'd and setled this Princess in the Government of the Low-Countreys left her at Brussels with an ample power and embarqued at Flushing for Spain After his departure that peace and tranquillity which he left things in lasted not long for what with the discontent of great ones who thought themselves neglected and the jealousies of the people who were afraid of being oppress'd by the Inquisition all men were ready and dispos'd for tumults Adde to this the non-performance of that promise which the King had made at his going away which was to recall all Spanish and forreign Forces out of the Low Countreys The first appearance of sedition was a Petition presented to the Princess by five hundred Gentlemen dress'd like beggars To content them the Spanish Forces were with-drawn and not long after Cardinal Granvell whom they much envied was recall'd But still in every place there was execution done upon those whom they call'd hereticks who by their constant sufferings so animated the people that at last they would no longer endure they should be put to death but rescued them out of the hands of the hang-men by force The King having notice of all order'd that the Councell of Trent should be publish'd in the Low-Countreys the execution of which caus'd more troubles and gave occasion to the Count Egmont to take a journey into Spain there he was very well receiv'd by the King soon dispatch'd and in his return home he brought with him Alexander Prince of Parma Son to the Princess Regent Prince Maurice of Nassaw was born in this year 1565. in which was fram'd the league or confederation of the Nobility which was followed by the revolt and rising of the meaner sort who broke down Images and Altars invaded Monasteries and Nunneries and at last attak'd Towns But their fury was stop'd by the Countrey people called Wallons who fell upon them and routed them The Confederates made a new Assembly at Leege and there the Regent sent to them the Prince of Orange and the Count Egmont to desire them to forbear all new designs They sent her another Petition which she defer'd to answer till the generall Assembly of the Knights of the Golden Fleâ—câ— should be holden In this very year the Prince of Orange the Count Egmond Count Lewis of Nassaw and Horne met at Dondermond to consider whether it were safe for them to let the King who did threaten to appear with an Army come peaceably in or oppose his passage by main force Upon this Consultation the Gentry and the Merchants joyn'd with them and all resolv'd to maintain by force that which they had obtain'd by Petition from the Princess The Prince of Orange his Brother and Hogestract met at Breda and writ to Fgmont to know whether he would joyn with them but he refus'd it In 1567. was struck the first stroke of War between Beauvor for the Princess and the Lord of Tholoze for the Confederates who were routed and their leader kill'd in the sight of the inhabitants of Antwerp who stood upon their Walls and looked on for a while till at last seeing their party worsted they ran to their Arms but were appâ—ased by the Prince of Orange The Princess taking heart at this propos'd a new Oath of Allegiance but it was first refus'd by Brederode and Horn and then by the Prince of Orange himself who forsook all his employments and charges and retir'd with his Brother into Germany Before he went he had a meeting with the Count Egmont and he told him in the presence of Count Mansfield I foresee said he that thou wilt be the Bridge over which the Spaniards will march into the Low-Countreys This departure of the Prince of Orange and his friends did for a time so â—â—artle most of the Towns that they began to ask pardon and submit The small Army which Brederode had gather'd together was routed and dispersed and he forced to fly with his Family into Friezeland This made Holland and Zeland receive Garrisons and drive away the Protestant Ministers insomuch that all was setled again and obedience restor'd to the Prince Hereupon the Princess writ to the King to come in person and by his presence heal up a wound which else might open afresh but Philip glad it may be of this occasion of diminishing the priviledges of his Low-Countrey Subjects sent the Duke of Alva with an Army to execute his commands The Princess soon perceiv'd that the severe proud nature of the Duke would undoe all that her milde temper had made up In effect as soon as he came he clap'd up the Earls of Horn and Egmont
it is agreed that there be chosen in the Name of all the Confederates some Plenipotentiaries and that these Plenipotentiaries do assign the day and place of the Assembly of the States of each Province and that they send to them in due time the Grievances and Heads of matters they are to treat about Yet if there be such points as require secrecy that then they reserve to declare them in the Assembly General of the States that all the Provinces being thus advertiz'd do send their Deputies with their instructions and powers necessary to the place of the Assembly General that the preference be given by the plurality of Votes except in important affairs that if some Provinces do neglect to send their Deputies that those that shall meet do nevertheless debate and deliberate and decree as if all had been there but if the things to be debated will endure a delay then the Provinces that have not sent their Deputies shall be call'd upon two or three times and those that have not convenience of sending their Deputies let them send their advice by writing 16. If the States of the particular Provinces have any knowledge of those things that deserve to be examin'd and pass'd in the Council of the States General let them give notice to the Plenipotentiaries who shall assign and call together the Assembly of the Confederates 17. If there should be any difficulty about the interpretation of these Articles or any doubt arise let the sence of the major part of the Confederates be taken for the true meaning of all 18. If it be found necessary to abolish or change any Laws already made or make any new ones let it be done by the Votes and consent of all 19. Let all observe and solemnly swear to keep inviolably these Laws that if any thing be done either directly or indirectly contrary to them let it be ipso facto void and let it be lawfull for the other Provinces to seise and take the Cities Possessions and Goods of those that shall infringe them and persist so to do In short if in these Constitutions there be any thing against the Right of any particular Province now constituting it shall not be sufficient to make a general renunciation to it except it be preceded by a particular renunciation of each of the Confederates These are the Laws that have been the foundation and basis of this Commonwealth and are still exactly observed in all points except in the 11th Article concerning Religion which was alter'd by the States General in the Year 1583. And since by the Union of Utrect it is free to amplifie change and shorten any of the said Articles when the safety of the Provinces should require it the States ordain'd that no Religion should be henceforth receiv'd but that which is publickly taught in the United Provinces which is the Reformed but that if any Members Provinces or Papish Towns would enter into this alliance that then they should enjoy the liberty of their Religion in subscribing to the rest of the Articles CHAP. II. The rank and dependencies of the United Provinces towards one another HAving made a slight draught of the Commonwealth of these Uâ—ited Provinces we must now consider what are these Provinces thus united and to that end it is observable that all those Towns that do depend on the administration and Government of the States do send their Deputies to the Hague and do share in the Government but that those Cities and Towns that have been added and subjected by the force of Armes are as conquer'd Nations used to be with the Romans 'T is true that those Towns that by the happy success of the States Armes have been with great cost and time conquer'd in Brabant have often solicited their admission and reception into the Body of the Commonwealth but because they have stood the State in so much blood and treasure and that they are incapable of assisting and being a help against the Enemy by reason of their long sufferings and also because it is fit that they alone who first conspir'd to this alliance should enjoy it they have not yet obtain'd their request But to know whether those Towns of Brabant to the number of eight viz. Bolduc Breda Berguenopsooun Mastrect Grave Steenbergue Heindove and Helmont do deserve the priviledge that the Countrey of Drent now enjoys viz. of having particular Treasurers not accomptable to the States General is a point which deserves a greater discussion than is here to be expected However within these few years the said Towns have a Court of Judicature which does Soveraignly and without Appeal judge and decide all controversies arising in those parts This Court sits at the Hague and is made up of seven Counsellors one Secretary one Attorney of the Exchequer and one Attorney General The Towns likewise conquer'd in Flanders have a Court of Judicature at Middlebourg determining all causes Soveraignly The Countrey of Drent has many great Priviledges as the power to choose a Governor to contribute to the publick necessities as other Provinces do and it has also an ambulatory Court of Justice which goes from Town to Town to hear causes and decree upon them without Appeal besides it has the liberty of naming Commissaries for the Treasury but it has not yet the priviledge of sending Deputies call'd Pensionaries to the States General because they did not at first come into the League and Alliance made between the other Provinces and also because since that time there has been no occasion of making any Articles with any of their Towns except Couverde which is disputed too there being in this Countrey scarce any place which has juâ— Civitatis except the little Town of Meppâ—l which would sooner attain its desire of taking share in the Government if by the consent of Drent it were united to some of the neighbouring Provinces To Drent is ordinarily joyn'd the Mannor or Demean of Rhun which is an antient Lordship of the House of Munster But Gueldres Holland Zeeland Utrect Friezland Overyssel and Groningue with Omlund are of the first alliance and have for Armes a Lion holding in his paw seven Arrows the symbole of their Union and the States General do use it as their publick Seal This order which we have set down though it were so at first was nevertheless disputed between Friezland and Uâ—rect they both pretending to the precedency but besides that Utrect is in possession it has two strong reasons The first is that formerly all Friezland was subject to the Bishop of Utrect as for the Spiritual Jurisdiction â—ly That a 〈…〉 Utrect had declar'd for the Union when divers Towns of Friezland were yet in suspence CHAP. III. What was the Form of the General Assemblies till the time of the Earl of Leicester FRom the first time that the Deputies met to make and ordain Laws about the setling and firm establishing of the Commonwealth it was agreed by the 17th Article of the Union of
to be understood of Privateers CHAP. XIX Of the particular Government of the Towns in Holland VVE have seen hitherto what is the Government of the whole Body of the United Provinces now we may descend to the particular Towns The Towns are govern'd by a Bailif a Senate or Councill by Bourgmasters or Consuls and by Aldermen There is but one Bailif in each Town who to say true has no power of himself to pronounce judgement but in criminal Causes he is as it were an Attourney-Generall and manages accusations against offenders in the name of the States This is done before the Aldermen who have power to examine the heads of the accusation and to pronounce sentence The Bailifs have no Sallary and all the profit of their places rises from the Fines that are lay'd upon the guilty The Senate and the greatest is that which is call'd Den breeden raâ—dâ— or De Vroedschap in most Towns as at Leyden it is compos'd of about fourty persons according to the number of the richest Citizens more or less The ancient Laws admit none to be of this Senate but such as are of the richer sort This Assembly seldome meets but upon the occasion of choosing new Magistrates as also when the States of the Province are to meet then the heads of the Deliberations are examin'd in this Senate before-hand They do also controle and correct their Bourgmasters and Aldermen if in the Assembly of the States they chance to go beyond their Commission And to the end they may do it without fear it has been ordain'd by our wise Ancestours that the charge of Senatour should be perpetuall that so they may not fear to be persecuted for what they shall do in the defence of the publick liberty The Bourgmasters and Aldermen are chosen from amongst these Senatours by the plurality of voices In some places there are four Bourgmasters and in some there are but two Their Office is to determine all that concerns the good order of the Town as also to inform themselves of all the fallings out of the Citizens and bring them either by themselves or others to an agreement which if they cannot compass then their duty is to cite them before the Aldermen They meet in a common Chamber and give audience to all Inhabitants without distinction In some places there are seven Aldermen in others nine They are the Judges of the Town who meet three or four set times a week and determine all civill Causes between the Inhabitants and judge all crimes propos'd by the Bailif For the first cognizance of the Cause belongs to the Judge of the place where he that is cited dwells Except they be priviledged Causes the Towns judge of no greater summe than five pounds and the Bourghs of thirty shillings though in very great Cities they may judge as far as thirty pound The appeal is first to the Court of the Province and then to the great Councill where there is a double number of Judges they that are cast are fin'd for having appeal'd without reason In the Court of the Province the Fine is three pound ten shillings in the great Councill of six pound and when the Process is re-viewed if the sentence be confirm'd the Fine is of twenty pound As for criminall Causes the Judges are absolute and there is no appeal from them neither in the Villages nor in the Towns except the Bailif require that the criminall should undergo a severer punishment and then the accused has liberty to defend himself There are two sort of Laws in Holland the first sort is the Customes Priviledges and Constitutions of the Countrey and former Princes and of the States The second is the Roman Law call'd the Civill Law Moreover that the course of justice be not retarded nor the Judges time taken up in petty businesses there are chosen by the Aldermen a certain number of the richer sort of Citizens who are call'd Commissaries of small Causes These take cognizance of all Causes that are not above five pound as also of all Actions for reparation of Honour and of the Differences between Masters and Servants and such like An Alderman presides ordinarily in this Assembly and is ordinarily a good Civilian There is also in the Senate or Town-House and in the Colledge of the Bourgmasters one who is call'd a Syndiâ— or Pensioner who ought to be eloquent and learn'd as being the Speaker of the whole Town or Corporation in their most important affairs CHAP. XX. Of the Tributes and Imposts of how many sorts they are and of the manner of levying them in Holland SInce as Tacitus sayes there is no War without pay nor no pay without tributes and that that is the particular case of the United Provinces who have been long in War to which they have all contributed their share it is fit to consider of the wayes they use to levy them There are two sorts of Tributes the ordinary and the extraordinary The ordinary which being once granted are alwayes continued the extraordinary which are levied but for some certain time and are then left off There are three sorts of extraordinary Tributes viz. the Tribute by Head or Pole-money the Chimney-money and the Land Taxes The Pole-money is so levied that the State has twenty pence for every Head they that are extream poor are freed from this Tribute To my remembrance this was never practis'd but once and then too there was great murmuring and many refus'd to pay The Chimney-money is that Tribute which is paid for every Chimney or Hearth which is twenty pence and in this the Hollanders have imitated the Spaniards in the Kingdome of Naples The third Tribute call'd a Land Taxe may be properly call'd the two hundredth penny for out of two hundred pound a year for example is paid one pound to the States So out of four hundred two pounds or fourty shillings To this may be objected that it is a very hard thing if not impossible for the perfect knowledge of the true value of mens Estates to be had It is answer'd that the Magistrate does take his measure from the publick voice and the generall report that any man has to have such and such revenues And because in this there is room for a mistake the Law gives any man leave to complain of the greatness of his Taxe and if he will take his Oath he is not worth so much as the world values his Estate at his Taxe shall be moderated As for the ordinary Tributes the chief are these following 1. The Tribute from Salt call'd in Dutch Sonte geldt it is levied after this manner The Magistrate of the Town visits each Family and reckons every head of it then they guess at the quantity of Salt that they may reasonably be thought to spend in one year and thereupon they exact from them a summe of money proportionable to the quantity of Salt they are to have And in some Towns they set a price upon the
of gold and silver and carv'd work good Hangings excellent Pictures rare Cabinets fill'd with China c. I have observ'd one thing of the Hollanders by living long amongst them which is that they do not easily give credit to such as tell strange Stories and wonderfull accidents hapned a great way off and when by their silence and postures they seem to admire it 't is then that they believe least of all what you say but they do not take pleasure in contradicting They are not given to swearing nor robbing but are tender-hearted and inclin'd to pity and will not willingly see any body wrong'd in their presence They are a little too indulgent to their Children and are punished for it for many of them rebell against their Parents and at last go away to the Indies the ordinary vent of these Provinces When any body tells them of their fondness to their Children they presently say Does any body spoil their own Face or cut off their own Nose They are very laborious and industrious and in the name of liberty and profit undertake any thing They love familiarity and are much taken with people that being of great quality do not refuse to eat and drink with them Prince William the first Prince of Orange won their hearts with that popular way and did the King of Spain more mischief by it than if he had been at the head of an Army against him They despise and undervalue proud people and to please them you must conform to their humour They are very free and open apparently but are indeed alwayes upon their guard They hate cheats and are seldome deceiv'd twice Those amongst them that are descended from Strangers do retain something of their first origine and are a good while before they become right Hollanders We have spoke already of their Diet but this is only to be added that Trade having brought riches sumptuosity has followed so that the Hague may be call'd a compendium of the most glorious Courts in Chrystendome and Amsterdam the magazine of all that 's precious in Europe CHAP. V. Of the Trade of the Hollanders and the wayes of getting a Livelyhood IT is an ordinary saying in Holland that He that will work can never want and it is a very true one for there are so many Trades kept going by their great commerce that no body can want work All Arts are here exercised and experience shews that Manufactures are better made here than in the other Provinces All turns to account here and even they that make clean the Kennals with an Iron and Nets at the end of it to bring up the ordure may earn half a Crown a day if they will work hard Children as so on as they are bound Apprentice get their own bread Amongst the Countrey people some make Butter and Cheese others cut up Turfs every Market-day they bring their Milk and Butter and Whey to Town which the Tradesmen and Journeymen live most upon Among the Citizens some put out their Money and live upon the interest others trade with it and are call'd Merchants Their chief Commodities are Butter and Cheese and Cloth and many other Manufactures as we shall see in the Description of Leyden The situation of this noble Province is such as if Nature intended it for the generall Mart of Europe for it has the neighbourhood of the Sea and is it self full of navigable Lakes Rivers Channels all which are night and day loaded with Boats and Passengers Many Channels have been made since the publication of the peace with Spain as that from Leyden to Harlem and from Amsterdam to Goude which is call'd Trech-Schâ—iteâ— because there the Boats are drawn by Horses that so they may come in at set-times The said Channels are made with the greatest ease that can be for as soon as you have digg'd three or four foot you meet with the water The Herring-Fishing is properly the golden Mines of this Countrey by the great revenue it brings yearly to it It is a hard matter to say how many thousands of men are kept by it for besides those that go to Sea who are a great number there are employed as many more in making of Boats and Barrels to pickle them up in Every Summer in June there sets out a Fleet of Fishermen from the Meuse they call them Busses They cast their Nets near the English Coast upon Midsummer-Eve according to the ancient custome they pickle them up in Barrels and serve all the rest of the world with them the last Fishing is most valued and the Herrings of that Fishing are all carried abroad Ten dayes after Midsummer they may sell them publickly but not before then many go up and down crying Fresh Herring which are esteem'd as a dainty by every body The name of the man that first invented the way of pickleing them deserves to be known it was William Bueckeld and he died at Bieverliet in the year 1347. Charles the fifth Emperor went one day to see his Tomb in acknowledgment of the service he had done his Countrey The Merchants do every day encrease their Trade by making Societies and Companies and setting out men of War at their own charges to protect their Ships home They never want Seamen for the Hollanders do delight in going to Sea nay I have heard many of them say that they could never enjoy their health but at Sea There are many of these Companies as that of Moscovy for Furrs Skins and Rye that of Island and Groenland for the fishing of Whales but the chiefest of all and who with Force and Arms drive a prodigious Trade are the East and West-India Companies who have a Patent from the States The West-India Company had made great profit by the taking of the Baia de â—odos lâ—s sanctos and of the Silver Fleet which Jason Peter Hain brought into Holland in the year 1629. which also was the cause of the taking of Bosleduke from the Spaniards The taking of Fernambuco did likewise give hopes of conquering the rest of Brasil but after the depart of the noble Count Morice of Nassaw the Negroes and Portugueses joyning together revolted and reduced the Company to great extremities since it has suffer'd another defeat which has almost made an end of ruining it It has often been proposed to unite it with the East-India Company but all in vain for the one is too high and rich and the other too poor The East-India Company has its principall Seat at Amsterdam 'T is this Company that has Kings and Kingdomes tributary to it and depending upon it 'T is this Company that makes the Hollanders name famous in the remotest parts of the Earth and triumphs over the riches of the Orient bringing home Pearls Diamonds Gold all sorts of Aromatick Druggs c. Besides Batavia the principall Town the Company has a great number of strong Forts well in order to protect their Merchants terrifie Strangers and keep the Indians in
of the Market-place with an Inscription in Latin upon it to this purpose This House hates loves punishes conserves and honours Wickedness Peace Crimes Laws good men Haec Domus odit amat punit conservat honorat Nequitiam Pacem Crimina Jura bonos They have here a great Trade of Beer which they brew very well The Town is not so big as Leyden but it has a fairer Market-place and though there be not so much Trade nor the Houses so richly adorn'd on the inside yet are there very rich Citizens The Countrey about lies lower than about Leyden therefore in certain seasons as when the Wind is North-East if they should open their Sluces all the Meadows about Delft would be overflown Delft is but four leagues from Leyden and you have the convenience of a Waggon Between these two Towns lies Lordsendam a great and fair Village which grows rich since the Channell of Leyden was made There are two great Sluces to preserve the Countrey about Delft Voorburg is a little on one side the Channell and is the ancientest Village in Holland There are yet to be seen some foundations of a strong Castle built by the Romans as it appears by the Inscriptions of the Stones that are every day taken from among the ruines It being so near the Hague and upon the passage of so many people seems rather a Town than a Village It is but two leagues and a half from Leyden and one league from the Hague Losdun is a Village near the Hague in which was a Nunnery for Gentlemen and Noblemens Daughters and no others founded by Margaret Countess of Holland whose Daughter Machtilde was brought abed of 365. Children at once as many as there are dayes in the year who were all baptized by Otho Bishop of Utrect the name of John was given to the males and that of Elizabeth to the females who all died the same day with their Mother The Story sayes that this Princess refus'd Alms to a poor Woman that had Twins in her Arms saying that they were not of one mans getting whereupon the poor Woman finding her self unjustly suspected wish'd her as many at a time as there were dayes in the year In memory of this History there is a Picture hung up in the Church with an Inscription to this purpose Here is a monstrous and memorable thing which has not had its like since the beginning of the world Reader having perused this Story go away and admire it Near the Meuse there is a Castle with 365. Windows which are the names of the said Children and yet there are many people that do not believe this Story at all This Village has a sandy ground on one side of it and on the other a fertile Corn-Countrey call'd Vestland CHAP. XII Of Dort THis Town is very ancient and rich by reason of the great abundance of all sorts of Merchandizes that come down the Rhene It s situation is incomparable for it is environ'd with the Waters of the Rhene and Meuse which make it a place of great Trade It is call'd the Maiden Town because it was never taken though often besieged and once particularly by the Duke of Brabant in the year 1304. For he having conquer'd a great part of Holland and committed all sorts of inhumanities upon that Nation sate down at last before Dort but the Citizens unexpectedly sallying out upon him routed his whole Army and pursued him to Bosleduke and in their way home obtain'd a victory over the Flemmings at Isselmond In the year 1421. upon St. Katherines day the Banks broke near Dort and about threescore and ten fair Villages were swallowed up by this unmercifull Element of Water and above a 100000. men died miserably with their Wives and Children It is said that a wicked Countrey-Boor being envious of his Neighbours prosperity made one night a Hole in the Bank that he might drown him and all his Family in their Beds with a design of stopping it again but the Tide coming in with a strong Winde broke quite through first drown'd this perfidious Rogue and then overwhelm'd all that stood in its way Since the Water having by little and little been driven away by the industry of the infatigable Inhabitants they have drain'd most part of that which lay under Water and discover'd some Villages There is hopes of getting all during this peace but it can only be done in the great heat of Summer As it happens often that when we are ignorant of the cause of a thing we are apt to attribute it to some invisible supernaturall power or to our sins that provoke Gods anger so some have said that these Villages were drown'd because they did make ill use of their great riches that they would not wear any other than golden Spurrs and liv'd in a great magnificence But let us return to the Town which by an unlucky accident of Fire had like to have been quite destroyed there were burn'd above 2000. Houses with the Town-house and Cathedral-Church 1618. the National Synâ—d was held in the same Town under the Authority of the high and mighty Lords the States Generall to decide those Controversies that were risen concerning Predestination There were present many learned men both from France and other parts amongst others the most Reverend Father in God the Archbishop of Canterbury who since was beheaded in the troubles in England Dort was the place where was born that factious Preacher Brother Cornelius Adrian of whom the people to this day tell so many pleasant Stories For my part I have heard worthy persons say that he was really a very eloquent person who did ravish his hearers with admiration but that he did handle some points that were a little too free in those dayes but he fear'd no body He died at Bruges It is to be observ'd that when the Earls of Holland were to be inaugurated that is acknowledged for lawfull Princes they did first come into Dort and there did swear to the States to observe all their liberties and priviledges from whom consequently they did receive an Oath of Allegiance In the Assembly of the States of Holland the Dort-Deputies have the first place and speak first Before the Town are taken great quantities of all sorts of Fish and particularly of Salmon for in one year there were sold in the said Town 892. Salmons and it is commonly said that Servants put it in their bargain that they shall not eat Salmon above twice a Week There is a very convenient Port for â—ll Merchandizes coming down the â—hene and it is in this City that all the Rhenish Wine is first unloaden But this is enough of the first Town of Holland in dignity which besides the beauty of its Edifices is placed in a fruitfull Soyl and a temperate Air. Leyden is distant ten leagues from Dort and the ordinary way is by Water CHAP. XIII Of Goude THis is the sixth and last of the great Towns five leagues from Leyden It lies