from entring furnishing some munition of corne and oats for the Kings armie Leauying fiue thousand men for the guard of the Towne if happely they should offer to force them The confederate princes came to Vlme which refused to bee of their vnion Beeing arriued there they houered about the Towne And for that the Inhabitants were so insolent to shoote at them they demanded for reparation of this outrage three hundred thousand Crownes The which beeing refused they spoiled them all they could From thence Duke Maurice went to Lints in Austria to vnderstand from King Ferdinand the conditions of peace For that Ferdinand desired greatly to pacefie things with the Emperors consent After that hee had conferred with him hee returned to the armie and the next day they marched towards the Alpes Heerevppon the Iudges of the Imperiall Chamber fledde from Spyer For it was against them that both the French King and the Princes were incensed laying vppon them all the blame and cause oâ—… these troubles In the meane time the Queene of Hongary the Emperors sister made an Assembly at Aix la Chappelle vpon the Confines of the Duchie of Iuilliers to make a League with them The Prince of Cleues and Iuilliers excused himselfe by his Ambassadors Adolph Bishop of Cologne came and so did George of Austria Bishop of Liege The French King being come to Weissenbourg after that hee had left the territory of Strasbourg seeing that there was not any thing to bee gotten the Ambassadors of the Prince Elector Palatin of the Archbishops of Mentz and Treues and of the the dukes of Cleues and wirtemberg which were assembled at Wormes for the good of the Common-weale went vnto the King intreating him that hee would not wast and spoile the champion country but take pittie of the poore commons and incline his heart to peace Duke Maurice for his part did also write vnto the King in the which was conteined what had beene treated at Lints with King Ferdinand requiring the King whome Maurice would haue comprehended in the treaty of peace to declare with what conditions he would compound with the Emperour The King found by these letters that they were weary of him in Germany and to say the truth the Princes would not willingly haue seene him aduance so as two daies after he retired with his army againe into Lorraine so into France But before his departure he answered the ambassadors saying that hee had obtained that for which hee came into Germany with his army seeing that the Princes Prisoners should bee deliuered which was the chiefe cause of the warre and therefore he had wonne honor ynough That if it euer chanced that Germany had neede of him that hee would spare neither his labour purse nor person that hearing nowe that his enemies had assayled him within his Realme hee would returne As for that which they writ of the Emperor and of a peace he referred himselfe to them c. with some other complements The King was no sooner gone out of France towardes Germany but presently the Emperors armie of the Netherlandes whereof Martin van Rossen was Commander entred and burnt the frontiers of Champagne and tooke Astenay a towne seated neere to the riuer of Meuze of the Iurisdiction of Lorraine whereon the French had but lately seized Some say it was one of the causes that made the King retire with his army the second was for that hee did not allowe of Duke Maurice his proceeding touching the peace and the third was for that hee had beene deceiued of his expectation vpon the towne of Strasbourg the which hee would willingly haue had as good cheape as hee had gotten Metz Toul and Verdun but Strasbourg was too great a morcell the which if hee had swalloed the Germaines might at leysure haue repented that euer they had called him Beeing retired out of Germanie hee beganne to march the two and twenty of May so as hauing past the Riuer of Mosella hee entred into Luxembourg where hee wasted spoyled and burnt all imitating as hee sayd Martin van Rossen and recouered the towne of Astenay the which hee found without garrison the Borguignons and Rossen being retired vpon the first bruit of the Kings approch Then he went with his armie before Danuilliers the which was yeelded vnto him and then Yuois the strongest place of the country Peeter Ernest Earle of Mansfieldt Gouernor of the countrie was in it with the floure of all the the youth of Luxembourg who were all taken by the French and the towne spoyled through a mutiny among the soldiars against the Kings will as they sayd Duke Maurice after his returne from the treatie at Lints to the Army of the confederate Princes he beeing gone King Ferdinand went presently to Inspruch to the Emperor his Brother to let him vnderstand what had beene treated betwixt them And that at Maurice his returne to the army hee marched with his companions towards the Alpes who being thrust on by du Fresne the French Kings Ambassador they were resolued to charge those soldiars which the Emperor caused to be leuied in that quarter The 18. of May approching to Fiesse which is a smal towne at the entry of the Alpes they sent some troupes to discouer euen vnto the straights which the Emperors men held whereof they tooke some prisoners from whom they learned the estate of that quarter The next day they aduanced with their foote and onely two hundred men at armes and tooke the way to Fiesse nere vnto Rutte they came vnto the straight of the Mountaines which some eight hundred of the Emperors men held with two field peeces whom they assayled won the passage and chased the enemies who flying away strooke a feare into them that were nere vnto Rutte The Princes followed them at the heeles and so charged the rest as they defeated them where there were about a 1000. slaine and drowned The next day they marched towards the fort of Ereberg where they happily tooke the fort vnder the Castell and were maisters of the entries of the passage and tooke the great Canon which was ready mounted This done they crept vp the mountaine the which was very steepe euen vnto the Castell although they played continually vpon them with their small shotte There were within it thirteene companies of foote whereof nine captaines were taken and three Germaines with one Italian escaped there were about 3000. prisoners and the Princes lost few of their men The 22. of May two regiments were sent to Inspruck by the Alpes which is but two dayes iourney from thence all their Caualerie remained with one regiment about Fiesse and Rutte to garde the passage Maurice and the confederate Princes followed the next day and ioyned with their foote neere vnto Zirle which is but two leagues from Inspruck The Emperor hearing newes that Eruberg was taken departed hastily in the night and with great confusion from Inspruck with his brother Ferdinand
Spaniards Wallons and Germanes two thousand paces or thereabouts into the drowned land not knowing whither they went the which they passed in fiue houres and arriued safely though with great toyle in the Island of Zuytbeuelandt where they made them to rest before they would haue them fight with their enemie being aboue foure leagues from them And although that these souldiers were so wet and tyred as they could not march farre and that the Protestants besieging Ter-Goes were fiue thousand men and might easily haue defeated them by reason of the great aduantages they had ouer them had they beene all fresh and lustie yet there fell so great an amazement amongst them in their campe as to their great shame and confusion they raysed the siege and fled retyring vnto their shippes as if the enemies had beene at their heeles when as they did scarce see them Bartel Entens lieutenant to the earle of Marche was one of the ring-leaders in this flight who arriued the two and twentieth of October with his men and the French before la Vere and the English before Flessingue They had left some English and French in the suburbes for the rereward that they might the more easily imbarke the artillerie But the feare and apprehension was so great among them as they abandoned all and fled in such disorder to their shippes as many seeking to enter in the prease were drowned and the artillerie abandoned and lost Captaine Saras vnfortunate in all his exploits was againe taxed with treason so as to iustifie himselfe he went to the prince of Orange who had made him gouernour of Flessingue to whome hee made a declaration of his innocencie desiring him to giue him leaue to call any man by proclamation vnto the combate that should say that he were other than a faithfull and a loyall gentleman hauing in all things discharged himselfe of his dutie and allegeance Whereupon some of his friends aduised him to haue patience and that time would iustifie him sufficiently if that his actions were syncere and iust Bartel Entens being returned with his men into the Isle of Walchren made an enterprise vpon Arnemuyden thinking to surprise it but he fayled for that one of his souldiers hauing shot off his peece indiscreetly and without cause caused an alarum for the which he was hanged then burning some countrey houses about the towne they ran towards Westhouen a castle belonging vnto the bishop of Middlebourg the which they tooke and burned the next day The king of Spaine hearing that the too sharpe and rigorous gouernment of the duke of Alua had beene the cause of all the troubles in the Netherlands whereof hee had dayly many complaints and that through his negligence the Zeelanders and others had taken armes meant to call him home and to send the duke of Medina Coeli in his place a nobleman of a milder disposition to gouerne the said countries of the Netherlands after the duke of Alua. And to that end there was a good fleet of shippes of warre appointed with two thousand Spaniards with whom there ioyned fiue and twentie other marchants shippes Spaniards Portugeses and Italians laden with wooll spice and other good marchandise With all this fleet the duke of Medina sayled happily vntill hee came vnto the coast of Flaunders But the eleuenth of Iune newes being come to Flessingue That there were forty shippes gone towards Ostend euery man posted to arme and put forth his shippe to set vpon them Captaine Worst with other captaines went foorth to find them with twelue shippes and hoyes but before they could come sixe and twentie carauels of this fleet had cast themselues into the Swyn of Scluse whereas the duke of Medina saued himselfe with twelue more in a shippe-boat The Zeelanders burned three which were runne a ground and two others being taken were carried to Flessingue laden with marchandise The Spaniards that were found in these fiue were cast ouer-boord and about threescore caried prisoners to Flessingue from whence the twelfth day of the same moneth went foorth eight other shippes well manned with souldiers mariners and bourgesses gaping after nothing but bootie encouraged with the good successe of the day before and to second those twelue shippes that went forth with captaine Worst to fight with those twelue great shippes laden with Spanish souldiers the which for their greatnesse could not enter into Scluse but these great carackes seeing them come kept so close together as the Zeelanders could not annoy them so as they returned without any effect being hindered by a Westerly winde which was contrarie vnto them Yet the same day they rigged forth certaine great shippes to visit them the next day if happily the wind would serue but the tempest encreasing they could not doe any thing and so for spight they hung vp eleuen Spaniards which they had taken prisoners The next day they discouered many sayles at sea comming from the West yet could they not suddenly discerne what they were and therefore at Flessingue they held their artillerie readie and their rampars well manned The twelue great Spanish carackes were forced by a Southwest wind to ioyne with all these sayles that were discouered The first shippe of this fleâ—… was of Antuerpe at whom they of Flessingue shot which made them to strike sayle as likewise all the fleet did But the twelue carackes laden with Spaniards which followed them although they shot much at them passed on still coasting Flâ—…unders vntill that all twelue came vnder the lee of the castle of Rameken but all the rest of the fleet of Lisbonne which were one and twentie sayles were all taken except three which weyghed anchor in time and aduentured by the Hont towards Antuerpe The Zeelanders had a wonderfull rich bootie in all these shippes besides that which they had before of the duke of Medinas for besides the spices wooll wines and other marchandise they had in one of them in gold and siluer coyned and to coyne two hundred thousand duckets so as if all this bootie had bin well gouerned and applied to the good of the common cause it had beene sufficient to make warre a whole yeare against the king of Spaine But leauing Zeeland a little wee will shew what passed in the meane time in Holland and other prouinces of the Netherlands I thinke it conuenieâ—…t to shew how the towne of Enchuysen obtained her freedome which I will in briefe declare that the Reader may thereby conceiue how other townes likewise proceeded in their actions for that the taking of the Briel Flessingue and Enchuysen were the onely foundation and first originall of the recouering of the freedome of the Netherlands and shaking off the Spanish yoke Enchuysen is a good towne belonging vnto North Holland or West-Friseland and lying vpon the South sea a towne well peopled and well stored with shippes but in times past but little esteemed inhabited by rich sea-faring men and fishers which beeing strongly situated together with
offers towards them as shee hath begun thereby onely to defend them from forraine tyranny to keepe them in the Kings obedience from allyening them-selues to any other Potentates and to defend herselfe and her dominions from the dangers which thereby shee seeth manifestly will insue The thirtith of the said moneth as Captaine Mathew Wibisma had made a leuie of new souldiers and more then were necessarie to supply his company with an intent to seaze vpon some of the Magistrates of Leeuwarden these new souldiers being lead by Captaine Wibo van Gontom would commaund ouer the old souldiers that were in the Castle of the said Towne so as they were in armes one against another The Bourguers fearing that vnder coulour of this tumult they would force the towne and spoile it came and besieged the Castell the which was yeelded vnto them the second of September vpon promise that the towne should pay the garrison The Cittizens hauing receiued the Castell by this composition put a garrison into it of the inhabitants vntill the comming of the Earle of Rheneberg Gouernor of the countrie of Friseland Don Iohn seeing the great forces of the States approch neere vnto Namur beeing commanded by the Earle of Lalain Generall of the Armie Robert of Melun Vicont of of Gant Generall of the horse the signior of Goignies Marshall of the campe La Motte-par-dieu Maister of the Ordinance and others and the small numbers hee had with him making a shewe againe as if hee would treat with the States whilest that hee sent for all his forces out of Bourgongne and Italie hee required to haue some Commissioners sent vnto him to treat with them Wherevpon there were deputed Mathew Moukart Abbot of Saint Guislain the signiors of Willerual Grobbendoncq and others who after some conferences tending all to delaies they returned without any fruite The Inhabitantes of Antwerp beeing still in feare by reason of their castle so long as the warre was thus wauering fearing they should bee at sometime againe surprized terming it a denne of theeues an Inuention of men full of crueltie a neast of Tyranie a receptacle of all filthy villanie abomination and wickednesse obtained leaue of the States to demantle it towardes the towne The which the Bourguers beganne the eight and twentie of August with such spleene as there was neither great nor small wiues children gentlewomen and Burgers and all in generall but would pull downe a peece of it men women and seruants going thither with their Enseignes displayed hauing manie Victuallers vpon the plaine before the castle so as it seemed a campe And although the Masons worke were great stronge and thicke yet were they not long in beating it downe on that side Soone after in imitation of that of Antwerp followed the demanteling of the eastles of Gant Vtrecht Valenciennes Bethune Lisle Aire and others and the Cittie of Arras was laid open towards the towne The Tournesiens were in like sort verie importunate to haue theirs demantled but the Seneshal of Henault who was afterwards Prince of Espinoy would not yeeld vnto it saying that if the sayd castle were ruined beeing a towne scituated in the maine land and that the enemie should come to beseege it and become maister thereof they should bee forced to build it againe at their owne cost and charges the which had so happened for foure yeares after the duke of Parma beseeged and tooke it by composition as wee shall see The states seeing the Landtskneghts of Cont Ouerstein who was drowned at the Massaker of Antwerp growne resolute to hold Boislelduke a faire great towne lying in Brabant they sent the Earle of Hohenloo with an armie to beseege it so as they were forced to yeeld the place by composition the one and twenty day of September The sayd States had the ninth daie of same month published their Iustifications for their taking of armes against Don Iohn the which was printed at Antwerp by William Siluius the Kings Printer whereof the title was Abreefe discours of the iust causes and reasons which haue constrained the generall Estates of the Netherlands to prouide for their defence against Don Iohn of Austria In the end of which iustifications they did adde the letters that were intercepted beeing written in Spanish and translated into French to which Booke I will referre the Reader that is desirous to know the particularities of their iustifications But as the States who sought nothing more then to free themselues from the Spanish Tyranie were to defend themselues against Don Iohns attempts who prepared all the meanes hee could to make sharpe and violent warre against them and had great neede to seeke succors from all parts first they sent to manie Princes and Potentates of Germanie to make their excuse and iustifie the taking of armes to take from them all sinister Impressions which Don Iohn might giue them by his letters as hee had done vnto the Empresse Then they sent vnto the French King to his mother and to his brother who made them manie goodly and large promises But as they desired to relie and depend chiefely vpon the Queene of England they sent the Marquis of Haurec vnto her who was gratiously receiued by her Maiestie the two and twenty of September with whome hoe treated and in the end made a contract touching the succors her Maiestie should send vnto the generall Estates and the league and vnion which should bee from that time betwixt the Realme of England and the Netherlands the which was set downe in an Autenticall Instrument And therevpon her Maiestie published vpon the obiections and reproches which the King of Spaine made vnto her that shee was a mother fauorer and supporter of Rebells her iustifications of the sayd vnion and the assistance which shee gaue vnto the generall Estates of the Netherlands the which was put in print Then the States writ vnto the Prince of Orange beeing in Holland who was wonderfully greeued and discontented at the Actions and strange carriage of Don Iohn intreating him to come and assist them with his person Councell and meanes The which the Prince would not refuse to shewe the dutie wherevnto hee thought him selfe bound to the common cause Comming vnto Antwerp where hee had not beene in ten yeares before on the eighteenth day of September hee was receiued and entertained with great ioye and contentment of all the people The Abbots of Villers and Marolles with the Barons of Fresin and Capres were sent thether from the states to wellcome him and to conduct him to Brussels whether hee came the three and twenty daie The seauenth of October the Landtskneghts of Collonel Fransberg who after his flight from Antwerp had led them to Breda seeing themselues beseeged by the States armie and the small meanes they had to maintaine themselues deliuered vp the towne of Breda and their Collonel also into the states hands as those of Berghen vpon Zoom had done before by
intrappe the cheefe Commanders Collonels and Captaines of English This marchant adressing him-selfe to the Earle of Leicester and some of the deputies of the Estates giuing them to vnderstand that he had good intelligence with many officers and soldiars of the garrison of Graueling and that vnder coullor of carying of corne thether by sea bringing men into the hauen they might easely enter into the towne His desseigne was found reasonable and he had mony giuen him to buy corne and to imbarke it This exploit was to bee done by Sir Philip Sydney and other commanders But this marchant hauing bought and imbarckt his corne and brought it into the hauen hauing assured them that those hee carried with him and those of the garrison which were of his confederacie should open the port at a certaine houre appointed to Sir Philip and his men he being come neere the towne and finding the port wide open sooner then he expected hee began to doubt for that some things fayled which had beene concluded in this enterprise the which staied them from passing any further La Motte and his men who attended them with great deuotion were greedy of their prey and thought it long vntill they entred sending two or three soldiars to wish them to make hast but their marchant kept still within the towne and neuer shewed him-selfe which made them to doubt the more and in the end to retyre La Motte seeing this fell vpon them that were entred with the marchant who at the first were well entertained by them of the counterset and deceitfull faction but in the end they smarted for all the rest being about some thirtie of the English-men that were slaine The affaires of the vnited Prouinces were some-what impayred by the losse of Graue Venlo and other places the which the Prince of Parma had won who prospered more and more There fell out among the sayd Prouinces and some particular townes a secret iarre and disagreement as it happens often in an estate where as many command the one seeking to be freed from chage to day it vpon his companion And with all Collonel Schenke during the time that hee serued the King of Spaine had noted some men who gaue cause to suspect some of the estates as if they were not to bee trusted on the other side the Earle of Leicester newly made gouernor of diuers Prouinces euery one hauing seuerall preuiledges and freedomes being heretofore vnited together vnder one Prince by heriditary successions alliances of marriages guifts pourchase and otherwise retayning yet still their liberty and the preheminences of their estats hee perswaded him selfe that the authority which he ought to haue by reason of the place which he held in the said Prouinces was much diminished for that the gouernment and absolute command depended not vpon him alone nor of his councell but that the generall estats of the vnited country according to their ancient rights although that in the Duke of Aluas time this order had beene broken had in regard of them great authority to take knowledge of all things concerning their Estates This bred a ielousie and distrust the which was after-wards the cause of a greater mischiefe for Maister Paul Buys some-times aduocate of the particular Estates of Holland and appointed a Councellor to the Earle of Leicester beeing at Vtrecht was put in prison and there kept without proceeding iudicially against him nor knowing who was his aduerse partie The captaines which had taken him sayd they had done it by the Earles commandement the which he denied There were also some of the chiefe of the towne among others the signior Nicholas van Zuylen Scout or Baylife and some other priuate men who were dismist and commanded to depart the towne by sunne setting who retired into Holland from whence they sent their complaints in writing vnto the Earle who made himselfe ignorant of all so as no man could iudge whether it were by his commandment or not They of Vtrecht being more incensed against their Burguers that were sent away they banished them not onely out of their iurisdiction but also out of Holland and out of all the vnited Prouinces for a certaine time vpon paine of consiscation of such goods as they had in their signeury and Diocese The states of Holland seeing with what rigour they of Vtrecht proceeded against their fellow Cittizens would gladly haue pacified this spleene but not able to preuaile any thing many of these banished men past the Seas some going to liue in the East-countries and the rest in some other neutrall places some carelesse of this rigorous proscription remained in Holland In the meane time Maister Paul Buys remaining still a prisoner and no proceeding against him by practise or rather by suffrance of some of the prison found meanes to escape out of Vtrecht and to retire into Holland whereas his inlargement was confirmed being bound vpon the penalty of 25000 Florins to appeare and to answer to all that should bee obiected vnto him but neuer any man came to accuse him During these losses which the vnited Prouinces had susteined and the alteration in the gouernment of their affaires their mindes were much troubled with a new apprehension of feare being diuulged and spread abroad that the Queene of England was intended to make a priuate peace with the King of Spaine for her owne estates without any regarde of the safety and liberty of the vnited Prouinces her neighbors To satisfie their distracted mindes and to free them from these doubts and iealousies her Maiestie sent ouer Mr. Thomas Wilkes with letters to the councell of Estate whereof I haue thought good to inserte the coppy as followeth A Letter from the Queene of England to the estates of the vnited Prouinces sent by Mr. Thomas Wilkes the 19. of Iuly 1586. MY Maisters and our good friends wee haue beene aduertised of late that not-with-standing the assurance which wee haue already giuen you by Sir Thomas Hennedge of our firme resolution to proceed in this action wherein wee haue so willingly imbarkt our selues for your defence and preseruation there are some bad instruments among you who neither well affected to vs nor desirous of the publick good of their owne countries haue giuen it out that wee haue an intent to make an accorde with the King of Spaine and to yeeld to make a priuate peace for our owne proper aduantage not comprehending the vnited Prouinces nor caring any more for their safety and preseruation and that you could attend but one yeares succors from vs at the most with other such like inuentions rather maliciously deuised then grounded vpon any discourse of reason For it is apparent to all men of any sence or iudgement that there is such an indiuisible concurrence betwixt the estate of affaires and the publicke good of both countries as we cannot abandon your cause and leaue you to the mercie of your enemies being so farre ingaged in this action and
an Edict to bee proclaimed made at Paris the seauenteene day of Ianuary by the which for the reasons therein contained hee declared the King of Spaine and the Netherlands vnder his obedience his enemies denouncing open warre against them The which hee did also cause to bee proclaimed throughout all the fronter townes of his realme According to which the like Edict was proclaimed in Brusselles on the King of Spaines behalfe against the French King whome hee called Prince of Biarne and all his subiects that held his partie except the Leaguers the which hee termed the good confederate French Catholikes whome hee promised and protested to aide fauor and succor with all the meanes which almighty GOD had giuen him And the like hee promiseth vnto all other of the French Nation bee they townes commonalties or priuate persons that within two monethes after the sayd publication shall forsake him and giue sufficient testimony that they are no enemies to the Romish Catholike and Apostolike religion nor to his Maiesty This Edict bearing date the seauenth day of March was in like manner proclaimed throughout all the townes of the Netherlands vnder the Kings obedience The Archduke Ernestus on the 19. day of February had in his owne name made a proclamation and prescribed an order which he would haue obserued to defend himselfe against the courses and attempts of the Prince of Bearne carrying himselfe sayd hee for King of France who had begunne warre with other pointes how they should gouerne themselues towardes French leaguers who had before made their residence in the sayd Countries or should hereafter come and remaine there And herevpon the warres grew hot of either part The French running daily euen to the ports of Arras and Mons And they of Arthois to Amiens Peronne and farther into Piccardy On the seauenth day of that month of February Cont Philip of Hohenloo Barron of Langenbergh did marrie in the castle of Buren with the Lady Mary of Nassau daughter of the deceased Prince of Orange and of the Lady of Egmont daughter to Maximilian Earle of Buren the which hee had by the Lady of Launoy the onelie heire of the house of Launoy This marriage had beene in question during the life of the Prince her father but for certaine reasons it was deferred vnto that day The general Estates sent the chiefe of all their deputies to honor this marriage as well with their persons as with rich and stately presents worthy the merites and the memorie of the deceased Prince of Orange and the long and faithfull seruices of the sayd Earle of Hohenloo whereof the many scarres which hee carries on his bodie of the woundes which hee hath receiued in the Estates seruice in the life time of the sayd Prince and vnder Prince Maurice his sonne to whom he was and is yet Lieutenant may giue sufficient testimony The same Winter the Vicont of Turene Duke of Bouillon hauing gotten the title of duke by his precedent wife who was duchesse of Bouillon and the onely heire of the house of la Marke married with the Lady Elizabeth of Nassau second daughter to the sayd Prince of Orange which hee had by his third wife the Lady Carlot of Bourbon the solemnities of which marriage were celebrated in the castle of Sedan whereas at this day they keepe their Court. The eight day of February the signior of Herauguiere Gouernor of Breda hauing with him twelue companies of foote and foureteene cornets of the States horse surprized the castle and then the towne of Huy in the diocese of Liege the which is one of the Bishops pallaces scituated vpon the riuer of Meuse with a goodly stone bridge ouer the riuer and within fiue leagues of the towne of Liege Thirty men did this exploite lying hidden in a house ioyning to the castle and right against a windoe which they got vnto with ladders made of ropes Hauing thus wonne the castle they seized vpon the towne whereas the gards thought to make defence but seeing Herauguiere follow with so great troupes they laid downe their armes and were content to receiue a garrison into the towne the which Herauguiere did place there and in the castle likewise which hee beganne to furnish with all things necessarie reducing all the neighbour countrie that was subiect to the King of Spaine about Namur and in Brabant to contribution beeing resolued to hold that place to haue a passage and a retreate on the other side of the riuer of Meuse In the meane time part of the horsemen beeing in garrison in Huy going forth to seeke their aduenture neere vnto Momedy they met with seauen cartes laden with Italien Marchandise as veluet and other sortes of silkes with gold and siluer lace appointed for the towne of Antwerp the which was all spoiled and the bootie diuided amongst them And as they of the garrisons of Berghen vp Zoom Breda and other places vnder the 〈◊〉 commaund n Brabant thought to retire home with their bootie beeing come neere vnto Tillemont hearing that captaine Grobendonc was vpon the passage and attended them with some certaine horse and foote they diuided themselues into three â—…roupes whereof the one was incountred and defeated Besides the bootie Grobendonc tooke about some threescore horses most of the men beeing slaine The one and twenty day of February after a long languishing sicknesse the Archduke Ernestus died yonger brother to the Emperor Rodolphus and sonne to Maximilian the second being forty and two yeares old hauing beene but thirteene monethes Gouernor of the Netherlands for the King of Spaine his vncle brother in lawe and cousin Some gaue it out that hee died of verie melancholie and greefe to see matters goe so against the haire Frst for the marriage of the Infanta Secondly for that hee did see the affaires of the Emperour his Brother and of all the house of Austria succeeded not well against the Turke then for that hee found his hope frustrate beeing a man of a quiet spirit of a peace and vnion which hee pretended to make in the Netherlands for that hee sawe himselfe to bee contemned of the Spaniards who taxed him to bee to heauie for the warres for that hee had not in three monethes receiued any letters from the King of Spaine and for that hee see himselfe so vilanously accused of two attempts to murther Prince Maurice by one Michell Renichon and Peter Du four whereof notwithstanding his good disposition and all the excuses hee could make hee could not purge himselfe from suspition If it were so that hee were culpable as hee was accused by them that were executed for this fact such as haue well knowne him say that it was much against his naturall disposition and seeke to discharge him saying that Barlaimont and La Motte had supposed vnto them that were executed some personage like vnto him making them beleeue that hee was the Archduke the which might easily bee done Whatsoeuer it bee hee had
captaine as hee bent his pistoll vpon him which hee likewise did to him but both fayled wherewith the Spanish captaine thought to haue taken hold of the Earles scarse and for to haue pulled him to him the which Bax perceiuing hee bent his pistoll at him thinking to shoote him into the face but with ouer great hast hee shot him lower in the armor and their they sat both on horse-backe hardly be-sted amongst their enemies and but weakely releeued by meanes of the noise and cries which the Earles horsemen had caused amongst them they had manie shot made at them but in the end Baxes Nephew came and releeued them and by that meanes they gathered some horses together and once againe charged the head of a troupe but were againe put backe and in that sort they fought for the space of seauen houres In the meane time Prince Maurice came on with three field peeces and some troupes of footemen which as then were more necessarie then the horsemen who beeing ledde on by Cont Ernestus and collonel Marquette they discharged a volley of shot amongst the Spaniards at which time Earle Theodoro Trivultio was slaine beeing Lieutenant generall of those troupes a braue souldier and of a Noble house and therewith certaine horsemen led on by the Earle Henrick giuing a new charge the Spaniards were once againe put to flight and were driuen vp a hill some ranne into the wood and many saued themselues in the house of Brooke which at the first they tooke by policie but it was taken from them againe and for want of good order they recouered it againe and so it serued them for a good retraict many were taken and slaine in the flight and diuers horses wonne but such as fled into the wood heareing of Spinolaes comming from Roeroort with the whole armie gathered together againe After this long and tedious fight Prince Maurice hearing of Spinolaes approch hee caused his men to returne willing Bax to staie there to fauour the retraict as hee did but was ill seconded by the other horsemen the Spaniards hauing gotten fresh supplies fell vpon them againe and the horsemen getting ouer Roere the Spaniards fell vpon the English foote who valiantly defended themselues as long as they had any powder but the Earle of Chastillion standing with two troupes vpon the Roere about a hedge shot so fiercely as the Marquises horsemen were forced to retire and so they made an orderly retraict the Spaniards following them still shooting but comming to a heath they left each other where as Prince Maurice called for those horsemen which had fled giuing them many reprochful speeches and shewed them what confusion they had made amongst his men whereas he put his greatest trust in them and by that meanes mist so good and faire an occasion to ouerthrow his enemy It was thought in this fight there were about fiue hundred of Spynolas men slaine whereof one was the Earle Theodoro Trivultio whose body beeing imbalmed was the next yeare sent vnto Milane where hee was borne and Gambarotta and others of account amongst the prisoners one was Nicholas Doria cousin to Spinola and others hauing two cornets taken from them and of Prince Maurices side they lost two Ensignes and about two hundred men amongst the which Mousier Dumdeville was one and certaine captaines the prisoners were Mounsier de Bethune who was presently exchanged for Nicholas Doria as also captaine Sald captaine Pigot and captaine Ratclif but Sir Henrie Carie a gallant Gentleman and Maister of the Iewell house to the King of England after his father was put to a great ransome for that hee serued as voluntarie and was not contained in the quarter This was donne vpon the nineth daie of October which gaue Prince Maurice great cause not to put so great confidence in his horsemen beeing as then but weake of foote so as after that hee durst not by any meanes hazard the like againe This Winter there was little done in the Netherlands touching the warres onely that the garrisons on either side made many enterprises one vpon an other as vpon Nuys Graue Erckelens Deuenter especially ouer the Ice during the frost but they tooke no effect the feare thereof beeing the cause which made the generall Marquis Spinola to staie longer in the Netherlands then hee thought to haue done so as it was the first daie of Ianuary before he tooke poast to passe through France into Spaine where on the waie hee was hindered by sickenesse and beeing in Spaine hee found more want of money then hee expected by the bad traficke in Spaine for that the East and West Indian fleetes were not come as also in regard of the dearth in Spaine whereby al the Spanish ryalles were paied and carried away for corne which was brought thether in great aboundance out of France England and other countries so as in Spaine they were forced to vse most copper money the which was wont to bee as plentifull of siluer as any other countrie In this winter also the counsell of warre assembled in the Hage to giue their censure vpon the gouernor and captaines of Linghen for that they had so basely yeelded vp the towne this counsell consisting of the Earles Henricke Ernest and Iohn of Nassaw the young Earle of Solms the Lord Vander Noote gouernor in Flanders Emerie van Lidie gouernor of Williams Stat Mounsier van Lookeren with some English and Scots Colonels and other captaines with Collonel Warner du Bois as president which met the last of Ianuary They of Gelderland with certaine of the Barron van Hemerts kindred who was beheaded in the Earle of Leicesters time by rigor of lawe said that if they were not beheaded that then the said Barron of Heemert had great wrong offered him for that hee had endured three assaultes giuen against the towne of Graue and receiued aboue a thousand eight hundred cannon shot whereas they to the contrary suffered three bridges to bee laid ouer the towne ditches in the daie time without any resistance and that therefore if they would proceed seuerely against the one and not against them they should then haue good cause to apeale against the Iudgement giuen vpon the Barron de Hemert This counsell sitting tell the 11. day of February at last they gaue sentence that the gouernor of Lynghen called Marten Cobbe and captaine Iohn Witte should bee dismist and with ignominy declared vncapable euer after to beare armes and that the Drosart Albert of Itersome Iohn Ruysch Iohn van Dyck Ernestus Mellinga Nichalas Audaert and the Licentiate Iuthiema should bee deposed from their places cassiered and should serue vnder such companies as they should be appointed vnto to recouer their credits againe if they could This sentence was much spoken of for that many were of opinion that if at the first these men had beene censured they had beene likely to haue lost their heads but so much time passing ouer before they
of warres which all wise princes desire to auoyd as much as possibly they may and neuer desire to enter thereinto vnlesse by compulsion and great necessitie they are constrained or that they expect some great benefit to be gotten thereby It is euident that this warre is not necessarily to be vndertaken by you if by a peace for many yeares you may free your selues thereof and it is most certaine that if you enter into warres you shall bee a meanes to put both your selues and vs to great charges and be a cause of great hurt and spoile It is our intents and meanings to giue the like aduice vnto the archdukes deputies and if they refuse to yeeld vnto a truce we will then tell them plainely that our princes for your good defence will doe all that which belongeth vnto true and faithfull allies This being likewise imparted vnto the archdukes deputies Spinola and the rest desired 4 daies time to peruse their instructions and thereupon to returne an answer and after foure daies were expired they made answer That their commission from the king of Spaine contained no point nor article of truce vpon any such conditions as were propounded and that therefore they could not deale therein without expresse commission from Spaine and for that cause they desired sixe weekes longer time to procure the same but if in the meane time the Estates would enter into treaty touching the same they said they hoped that for as much as imported the archdukes they should giue them full contentment And vpon the ninth of September they gaue certain articles vnto the Estates which were That the archdukes were content to enter into a treatie of truce for seauen yeares as well by sea as by land That either side should enioy and possesse that which they then held That during the said time the king of Spaine shall graunt them free traffique into Spaine and that the said king of Spaine within two moneths after the conclusion of the truce should declare whether he would cōprehend the Indies within the truce or not and if that the king of Spaine were to be ioyned in this action they desired twentie daies longer respite and continuance of the said treaty and that the said kings and princes should be aiders and assisters to keepe and maintaine the said truce in like sort as if an absolute peace were made This dilatorie answer being receiued the generall Estates were of diuers opinions amongst themselues for that president Ianin embassador for France thought it expedient to let them stay the propounded time that was set downe by them to expect an answere out of Spaine some of them resolued to grant so much time but they of Zeeland and many others were of another opinion for that they had not kept any time by them demanded and limited withall finding the peace to be in a desperate and doubtfull estate they thought it best for them not to hold their enemie any longer within their countrey wherein they had so many catholike friends and might procure many more which might tend greatly to their hurt and preiudice and so at last they fully agreed vpon a generall resolution which vpon the thirteenth of September they caused to be deliuered vnto them in writing the contents thereof beeing as followeth The general Estates of the vnited prouinces hauing duely considered of that which hath beene propounded in their full assembly first vpon the ninth and after that vpon the 11 of September by the embassadours of Fraunce and England together with those of the princes electors and others of Germanie that they would graunt vnto the deputies for the archdukes sent into Holland to treat of a peace longer time of staying in the Hage vntill the last of this moneth of September to attend a more ample commission out of Spaine doe to that end by these presents declare that they had rather see the departure of the said deputies for the archdukes towards Brussels there to attend for their said further commission for certaine good reasons deliuered by them vnto the said embassadors in their generall assembly vpon the 11 of September and for diuers other considerations but calling to mind how much they are bound vnto the said kings and princes they are content to pleasure them that the said deputies shall stay here to attend their said commission vntill the last day of this present moneth which commission must be made to confirme the freedome of the vnited prouinces not onely by the king of Spaine but also by the archdukes and that without any restriction or conditions and withall to acknowledge that the said confirmation shall not continue onely for the said time of truce but for euer to the contentment of the said general Estates so as the said deputies for the archdukes shall dispose their affaires hereafter and for want of such full commission to depart vpon the first of October without seeking any further delay neither of the said embassadours nor of the Estates if they cannot obtaine the same Dated in the Hage the 13 of September 1608. Whereupon the deputies for the king of Spaine and the archdukes hauing receiued no other answer from their princes and finding that their departure was so absolutely and so resolutely determined and set downe they made preparation to depart complayning that they had so strict a day giuen them and withall protested that they were sorrie that a peace could not be made doubting not that if the Estates would haue had a little more patience they should haue attained to a good end this done the deputies of the generall Estates went euery man home to their owne houses they of Zeeland openly protesting that they would appeare no more there vnlesse the Spanish deputies were gone out of the countrey or that they could shew an absolute commission Vpon the last of September when they were readie to depart marquesse Spinola and the rest of the deputies were inuited to dine with prince Maurice whither they all came except auditor Vereicken for that he was hurt in one of his legges and was carried in a coach from his lodging after dinner prince Maurice and the rest of the lords went with them to Risewicke and there taking his leaue he left his brother Henrie earle of Nassau to conduct them to Delft hauen where the same euening they tooke shipping in prince Maurices pinnace accompanied by diuers gentlemen as Emery van Liere gouernour of William Staet Haultaine admirall of Zeeland and others who brought them to Antuerpe and returned backe againe from thence they went to Brussels where they found the people in great expectation and desire of peace but all the comfort they could giue them was that they were in good hope it would be concluded Thus ended this long and fruitlesse treatie of peace betwixt the deputies for the king of Spaine and the archdukes and the deputies for the generall Estates of the vnited prouinces the which had filled all Europe
were carried away with the violence of the streame and drowned Some will say That the Batauiens made themselues fearefull by reason of the brightnesse of their armes as in truth it is a commendable thing in a souldier whereas contrariwise by reason of the waters which they did vsually passe armed they were more rustie than any others not caring to keepe them cleane desiring rather to be valiant indeed than to make a shew with the brightnesse of their armes The Roman writers as Tacitus Orosius Suetonius and others write That among all the nations of Germanie the Batauiens by the which was meant the Hollanders and Frisons haue alwayes beene the most strong and able men the most valiant couragious and apt to armes more vigilant actiue laborious and moderat in all their actions than any other of their souldiers whereof the emperors Otho Galba and Vitellius had made triall and had well obserued when as they had them in their armies They say also That the emperour Caligula and Claudius who built the castle of Britt◅n neere vnto Catwick vpon the sea for there are two Catwicks to serue as a lanterne for such as did saile from the riuer of Rhine into England had most commonly the Batauiens neere vnto his person as the archers of his guard Which emperors would not assaile England without the Batauiens for that Iulius Caesar had bin infortunat in that enterprise hauing lost in a maner all his horsemen many of his footmen and a great number of his ships And whensoeuer there grew any mutinies or factions against the Roman emperors or princes they were assured that he was victor and preuailed which had the Batauiens Frisons on his side as Vitellius did when he made war against Otho for when Varus Alphenus cōmander of the Batauiens of that place which at this day they cal Alphen in Holland went to succour him with his Hollanders he defeated Otho and put his armie to rout And in succession of time the Batauiens were so practised in armes so famous and in such credit as they persuaded themselues that they had power to create a Roman emperour or to displace him Once the Batauien horsemen did vaunt That they had done more at the last battail than any other nation that did serue the Romans hauing ouerthrowne foureteene legions and taken the chiefest part of Italy from Nero vaunting That all the fortune of the battail had bin in their hands and consisted in their forces as if they would say That hereafter whosoeuer were on their side should be sure to preuaile These proud presumptuous speeches were troublesome to heare and hard to disgest for the captaines and souldiers of other nations which were in the campe Whereupon Flaccus Valens generall of all the Roman armie resolued to ◅perat the Batauiens beeing such bold speakers from the rest to auoyd all iealousie and tumult The which they of the armie hearing the legions began to mutine and to bee discontented for that they would take from them the ayd and support of their valiant men meaning the Batauiens whom they could in no sort want seeing that whensoeuer there were any matter of danger to bee put in execution they were still the first that presented themselues whereof there were three hundred of them on horsebacke verie heauily armed whereof fortie or fiftie with their horses barded and all their armes did swim thorough any riuers who hauing won so mady goodly victories by their industrie dexteritie and valour now sayd the other Roman souldiers being so neere the enemies there were no reason disioyne them and to withdraw them from their companie wherefore if their generall did loue the safetie of the Roman empire he should not seperat that generous and valiant nation from the bodie of their armie By which speeches we may well conceiue that the Batauiens haue alwayes beene great defenders of the Roman empire For which consideration and for their fidelities they haue alwayes beene free and exempt from all tributes and taxations of the Romans being onely receiued to serue them in the warres with their persons armes and horses at the charge of the emperours or the Roman commonweale So as this prouince of Batauia and the rest adioyning did serue the Romans as a storehouse for men of warre in all occurrents when they had need finding them both readie and resolute as wee may see at this day of the Switsers when as there was any cause to leuie men and that the Romans demanded succours from all places vnder their obedience Writing to the Gaules Germans English and others they did signifie what pay they should receiue monethly but writing vnto the Batauiens and Frisons they made no mention of pay for that comming to the armie they gaue them what they demanded That the Batauiens by reason of their fierce count◅nance strange maner of habits and arms were terrible not onely vnto strange nations but also vnto the Romans themselues it appears by these verses of Martial in the time of the emperor Domitian MARTIAL Sum figuli lusus ruffi persona Bataui Quae tu derides haec tim◅t ora pater This potters clay presents the Dutch and know Your fathers fear'd them though you scorne them now This was spoken by the image of a Hollander made of potters earth the which a citizen of Rome had caused to be set before his house whereat the children in the street did make a iest and yet their fathers were afraid to looke on them He did paint him red for that the Batauiens as well as the Germans were delighted in that colour the poets among others Silius Italicus giuing them the epithite of Auricomes that is to say golden locks And if by nature they had not their haire somewhat red or flaxen the which Plinie in his 2 booke and 78 chapter saith doth happen by reason of the temperature of the ayre and that their children both sonnes and daughters do vsually goe euen vnto this day bare headed they made them red or yellow of purpose with lye which the Mattiaque Zeelanders were accustomed also to vse with certaine little pills which they dissolued in vineger the which the Romans called pilas Mattiacas and the lye spumam Batauam as the said Martial sayes in his Epigrams MARTIAL Et mutat Latias spuma Bataua comas The Dutchmans oyntments dye the Italian locks And by reason of the fierie force which is in the ashes whereof the lye is made they gaue it an epithete of Caustique that is to say burning by these verses MARTIAL Caustica Teutonicos accendit spuma capillos With Caustique drugs the Dutchmen scald their haires The which the Romans did so imitat after the example of the Batauiens as the emperor Antonius was not ashamed to put on a periwig ofred haire to imitat the colour of the Germans according to the saying of Herodian as in like maner Domitian did as Martial writes Tacitus writes That the Germans and Batauiens had blew eies and shining
Wickin and Gadezo earles Lazo Alger and Zuveer that is to say Asuerus knights with a great number of squires and gentlemen besides the men at armes and common souldiors which were very many The bishop Adelbold was much perplexed for this defeat yet he fainted not but gathering together his dispersed troupes would make a second proofe and hazard another battaile the which was more preiudiciall and fatall vnto him than the first for not only his armie was defeated but himselfe was taken prisoner hauing lost among the men of marke Volckert a priest and chanon Bertold a deacon Iohn and Godfrey earles Hiddo Halmeric Wabtelin Hubert and Hildebold knights Zidfrid and Heyman barons with a great number of braue souldiors Cont Thierry after these two victories his men being laden with spoile and good prisoners returned into Holland leading his bishop with him whome he entreated very courteously seeking to comfort him and to moderat his passions in this his aduersitie being much troubled for his ouerthrow and imprisonment One day among the rest Cont Thierry asked of him by way of familiar discourse What had mooued him so to malice the Hollanders and to make war against them seeing that neythâ—…r they nor he himselfe had euer wronged him or don him iniurie The bishop answered Sir I confesse that I neuer receiued any wrong from your selfe nor your subiects neither yet from any of your predecessors but that which moued me to attempt war against you and to oppresse and molest your subiects was only for that I was giuen to vnderstand that the countrie of Holland did antiently hold of my bishoprike of Vtrecht for proofe whereof we read in Hystories that Vtrecht was in old time the chiefe and capitall towne of Holland and that at this day it is so held and therefore in my opinion Holland in former times did belong to my predecessors for this cause I did moue and incite the Frisons to rebell that by the help of their forces and succours I might expell you out of your countrey and ioyne it vnto my seigniorie But seeing I haue taken a wrong course and am taken in the snare which I prepared for you I will foretell you by way of prophesie That there shall neuer bee any pâ—…rtect loue and friendship betwixt them of Vtrecht and the Hollanders and that in future ages they shall much vexe one another by warre robberies oppression and spoiles sometimes one being victor sometimes the other Whereunto Cont Thierry answered Gods wil be done in al things both in my countries and elswhere according to his good pleasure yet I would haue my lord bishop vnderstand that the princes of Holland do little esteeme the towne of Vtrecht but I grieue for the poore commons who endure much through the spoyles and insolencies of men of warre Yet if you will promise me vnder your hand and seale neuer to stirre vp nor incourage my Frisons to rebell I will suffer you to depart free and will giue you leaue to doe what you can for that I do not much apprehend what you and yours can doe vnto me To whom the bishop said Although I do it vnwillingly yet necessitie will force mee vnto it Whereupon the Earle replied If my lord bishop will not accept nor effect that which I haue propounded he may remaine here with me and I will take order for his charges and for all other things necessarie yet my lord must vnderstand that neither he nor any of his predecessors had euer any right of proprietie or temporal iurisdiction vpon Holland nor on the dependances thereof in any sort whatsoeuer Neither shall it bee found in any writings and euidences That the bishops of Vtrecht were euer intitled Earles of Holland seeing that Charles the Bald king of France and afterwards Emperour hauing succeeded by the death of his father Lewis the Gentle sonne to Charlemaigne in the countries of Holland and Zeeland as wel as in the realme of France and other countries of his inheritance after that hee had defeated the Normanes gaue them to my great grandfather Cont Thierry the first sonne to Sigehert Duke of Aquitaine And for the better assurance and confirmation of the said grant at the instance of Pope Iohn the 9. he himselfe in person put the said Count Thierry in full possession of the said Earledomes and subiected them vnto him by force of armes instituting him as his royall letters patents make mention the first Earle to protect and defend them against the incursions of the Danes and by good and mild courses to draw this rough and vnciuile people to his deuotion as he hath done The like I may affirme and proue by good testimonies that Friseland is of the iurisdiction of Holland for that Lewis king of Germanie brother to Charles the Bald gaue all that countrie to the said Cont Thierry vnto the riuer of Lanuvers and beyond it bending towards the East Charles the Great king of France and Emperour gaue it vnto Godefroy king of Denmarke in dowery with his wife vpon condition That he should be baptised who afterwards was slaine And therefore if Godefroy hath made any cession or gift vnto the bishop of Vtrecht I am well pleased therewith and will not pretend any interest to that which lyes beyond the said riuer of Lanuvers My lord must also vnderstand the great ingratitude of them of Vtrecht for the benefits which they receiued of my great grandfather for he and his brother Walger Earle of Teysterbaudt remaining at Anezaet neere vnto Tyl made so long warre against the Danes which did then possesse the towne of Vtrecht as they forced them to abandon the place and restored the bishop Rabod who as an exiled prelat kept at Deuenter to his episcopall seat These be the thanks we receiue now from them of Vtrecht who require me euill for good I therefore conclude with the truth That neither my lord bishop nor any of his predecessors had euer any right interest nor title of temporall iurisdiction in the countries of Holland nor of Friseland for as much as is contained within the riuer of Lanuvers vnlesse your lordship can shew produce some sale transport or donation which my predecessors haue made vnto the bishop of Vtrecht as they had the power and meanes to do the which doth appeare by the letters granted by Emperors kings their benefactors Bishop Adelbold hauing wel duly considered of all Cont Thierries reasons confessed his error and that being ill aduised he had first attempted warre against him and that in all the lands and seigniories of the said Earle he had no other iurisdiction but spirituall in that which concernes the administration and gouernment of the church onely as it had beene giuen from Emperours and kings to Willebrord the first bishop as farre as it may extend vnto this day It is true said the Earle and we acknowledge you for our spirituall father commaunder in diuine things and which concerne the saluation of
Friseland 16 Guilielmus Primus This WILLIAM by great policie did breake the chaine Which crosse the Hauen of Damiet the Sarasins had layne Whereby the Harlemers great honour did obtaine Record whereof within their Towne as yet doth still remaine Two wiues he had whereof one out of Geldre came The second MARY called was a princely English dame Full nineteene yeares he rul'd and peaceably possest His countries and in Rhynsburgh died whereas his bones do rest WILLIAM the sixteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland hauing as we haue said in the time of the Contesse Ada expelled the earle of Loos remained in quiet possession of the said prouinces He had by his wife Alix daughter to the earle of Gueldre Floris who succeeded him in the said Earledomes Otto bishop of Vtrecht and William who was lieutenant of Holland the which was father to the lady Alix married to Didier lord of Brederode and two daughters whereof the one was Abbesse at Rhynsbourg and the other at Delft This Cont William did homage to the Emperor Frederic the second for his Counties of Holland Zeeland and Friseland Afterwards vpon a priuate quarell he went and besieged the castle of Aspren hauing taken it he rased it to the ground Cont Gerard vander Are brother to Didier bishop of Vtrecht in reuenge therof went and besieged the town of Dordrecht into the which he cast wild fire which burnt almost halfe of it Soone after Cont William and the bishop were reconciled together and they made an accord by the which Cont William should pay vnto the bishop a thousand pounds and restore vnto Henry of Craen all that he had taken from him for that as wee haue said before he had once put him in prison by the cōmandement of Cont Thierry his master brother to the said Cont William Item that all the Earles subiects being in the bishoprick of Vtrecht should from that time forth be vassales to the bishop as well as all his vassales remaining in Holland Item that Cont William with a hundred knights attired onely in linnen cloth and bare-footed should present themselues before the Cathedrall church of Vtrecht and being there the Earle should aske him forgiuenesse for that he had before laid hands vpon him and taken him prisoner although he were rescued in the Abbey of Staueren All which articles the Earle did accomplish fearing his excommunication and from that time the Earle and the bishop continued good friends Behold the simplicitie of Princes and the pride of prelats in those daies brauing all the world with their thundering threats At that time died Henry king of Scotland vncle by the mothers side to cont William of Holland leauing no children There was a great nobleman in Scotland who with the helpe of the king of England got possession of the realm The Earle of Holland pretending a title to the Crowne as the neerest kinsman son to the deceased kings sister imployed all his friends for the obtaining thereof and to bring it to effect being imbarked with a goodly armie he landed in Scotland where at the first he tooke many townes and castles In the meane time Lewis earle of Loos knowing Cont William to be absent and that he could not easily come out of Scotland although he had wholly conquered it leuied men secretly to make a new conquest of the Earldome of Holland but Cont VVilliam being aduertised thereof desiring rather safely to enioy his owne inheritance which he had gotten with much paine than to striue to make a doubtfull conquest in a strange countrey and farre off he returned speedily into Holland The earle of Loos hearing of his returne proceeded no further for he feared him much hauing made so good triall of him who afterwards gouerned his countries peaceably during the remainder of his dayes In the yeare 1218 the lady Alix wife to Cont VVilliam died hauing left the children aboue named and was buried in the church of the Abbey of Rhynsbourg Afterwards the said earle maried with Mary daughter to Edmond of Lancaster son to Henry the third king of England by whom he had no children About that time the inhabitants of Ziricxee in the Island of Shouven in Zeeland began to build great shippes for marchandise to traffique throughout al seas as well North as South and to make their towne famous as it was for a time by reason of their nauigation hauing fit and conuenient hauens and rodes the which haue since beene much stopped with barres of sand so as of late the inhabitants of that towne haue made a new hauen going directly to the sea before Noortbeuelandt The Earles of Zeeland who were also Earles of Holland had a palace in the towne of Ziricxee the ruines whereof are to be seene at this day It is the second towne of Zeeland We haue in the life of Cont Thier◅ the seuenth and of his daughter Ada rela◅ed briefely the deeds of this Cont VVilliam the first of that name FLORIS THE FOVRTH OF THAT name the seuenteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland Florentius Quartus My daughter in one day as many children bare As daies within a yeare complete by vs accounted are Twelue yeares I liued Earle Mars durst me not defie But iealous loue was cause that I was murthered cruelly My wife grieu'd at my death and her so hard fortune At her owne charge for women built the cloyster of Losdune VVithout the towne of Delft my sister edified Another which le champ royal she nam'd wherein she died FLORIS the fourth of that name by the death of Cont William was the seuenteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland his brother Otto was made Earle of Friseland in his fathers life and William the youngest was hereditarie gouernour of Kennemerlandt this William had one daughter called Alix the which was married to Didier lord of Brederode who had by her Alfart father to William of Brederode who was General of the Horse to the king of the Romans the eighteenth Earle of Holland Cont Floris had to wife Mathilda daughter to Henry duke of Lothier and Brabant by whom he had the said king William his successor and Floris who was gouernour of Holland then Alix which was Contesse of Henault and Marguerite wife to Herman earle of Henneberg who had that great number of children whereof we shall speake by and by In the time of this Earle Floris there was neere vnto the towne of Arckel a little castle vpon the place of Wolfard belonging to Iohn lord of Arckel about the which there liued some poore fishermen at which place the riuer of Meruve began to ebbe and flow for that the riuers of Meuse and Wahal the which before the towne of Tyel in Gelderland was very narrow and could not enter into that of Linge fell into it These poore fishermen called themselues Gorreckens whereof the towne of Gorrekom now Gorrichom tooke the name This lord of Arckel caused all the houses of
shooes with his foot He tertified little children to behold him and yet there was not any roughnes nor malice in him but was gentle and mild as a lambe for if he had beene fierce and cruell answerable to his greatnesse and proportion he might haue chased a whole armie before him In those daies there sprung vp in the country of Friseland the factions of Schyerlingers and Vetcoopers the which froÌ„ a small beginning vnworthy to be written the which notwithstanding we haue related in our description of the vnited prouinces of the low countries was the cause of great effusion of bloud destruction of the country ruine of good families murthers among all sorts in generall As in like sort the partialities of Hooks and Cabillaux in Holland and those of Guelphes and Gibilins in Italie the diuersitie of coloured hoods in Flanders and other like factions in France were the causes of great miseries in those times also according vnto some opinions it seemes that all these factions began almost at one instant that of the Schyerlingers and Vetcoopers hauing continued in Friseland vntill that the Emperour Maximilian the first sent Albert duke of Saxonie thither to suppresse them for that the Commissioners which he had formerly sent to pacifie and reconcile them had preuailed nothing making him his lieutenant and gouernour hereditarie yet with small profit for he was slaine there and his two sonnes the dukes Henry and George as we shall shew hereafter did not auaile much so as they left all so great louers haue the Frisons alwayes beene of their franchises and liberties But vnder the gouernment of the said princes of Saxonie these factions ceased to oppose themselues with their ioint forces against the rule of strangers as they had done often before when any stranger came to assaile them and hauing chased them away they returned to their first spleene and hatred but the Saxons brought them to so great pouerty and their quarrell continued so long as they forgat their factions IOHN EARLE OF HENAVLT THE second of that name one and twentieth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of West-Friseland 21 Joannes Hannonâ—… Fiue yeares I liued Earle of Holland by descent Of blood and for my comfort God three noble sonnes me sent Whose valours did enfranchise me from all my feare Whil'st Brabant and the Emperor 'gainst me great malice bare By them I ouercame GVIDO DOMPIERRE in fight And freed the towne of Zirickxee from all their enemies might The Flemings I subdu'd that were my enemies And in Valencia deepe intomb'd my bones and ashes lyes THE SECOND BOOKE ¶ The Argument IOhn Earle of Henault sonne to Iohn of Auesnes and the Ladie Alix sister to king William Earle of Holland was the second of that name and one and twentieth Earle of Holland Warre betwixt them of Vtrecht and their Bishop Iohn de Renesse prouokes the Earle of Flanders against the Earle of Holland which was the cause of great warres ¶ William called the Good the third of that name the two and twentieth Earle of Holland Guy of Holland his brother bishop of Vtrecht had great warres against the Frisons Cont William subdued the East-Frisons Iustice done vpon a baylife of South-Holland for a cow whom the Earle caused to be executed lying on his death bed ¶ William the fourth sonne to the good Earle William the three and twentieth Earle of Holland He makes warre against the Russians them of Vtrecht and the Frisons by whom he was slain in battaile leauing no children ¶ Marguerite wife to the Emperour Lewis of Bauiere daughter to the good Earle William the foure and twentieth Commander in Holland and Zeeland where she appointed duke William of Bauiere her eldest sonne Gouernor in her absence He had warre against them of Vtrecht The faction of the Cabillaux rise in Vtrecht which bandie duke William against his mother after the death of the Emperor Lewis whereof followed two cruell battailes in the first the Empresse was victor in the second duke William after much bloud spilt they agreed ¶ William remaining the fiue and twentieth Earle of Holland Vtrecht had warre against their bishop and the bishop against the Earle of Holland who was distract of his wits and the gouernment put into the hands of duke Albert of Bauiere his brother notwithstanding the factions which grew betwixt the Hoocks and the Cabillaux William called the Franticke being dead ¶ Albert of Bauiere was the six and twentith Earle of Holland Delft rebelled against the Earle he besieged it and forceth them to obedience The bishop of Vtrecht in warre against the Earle of Holland Anne of Poelgeest minion to Cont Albert murthered in the night which bred a great quarell betwixt the Earle of Ostrenant and Cont Albert his father An affront done to the Earle of Ostreuant at the French kings table which caused warre against the Frisons who were often subdued and rebelled as often Warre betwixt the Earle of Holland and the Lord of Arckel The historie of a sea-woman taken in Holland ¶ William the sixt of that name the seuen and twentieth Earle of Holland succeeded his father Albert he had great warres against the bishop of Vtrecht and the Lord of Arckel The Liegeois make warre against their bishop brother to the Earle of Holland the Earle goes to succor him and defeats the Liegeois Warre betwixt the Earle of Holland and the duke of Gueldres Cont William leauing one only heire ¶ Iacoba or Iaquelina the eight and twentieth commanding in Holland c. she maried first with the Daulphin of France sonne to Charles the sixt who died at one and twentie yeares of age without children then she maried with Iohn duke of Brabant Iohn of Bauiere bishop of Vtrecht troubles her estate to make himselfe Earle The Lady Iaqueline seperated from the duke her husband by reason of neerenesse of bloud she espouseth the duke of Glocester who after leaues her She had great warres and troubles against the duke of Brabant against her vncle and against the duke of Bourgoigne shee marries Franc of Borsele secretly the duke Philip of Bourgoigne puts him in prison and for his libertie she resignes all her Countries vnto the duke IOHN Earle of Holland sonne to Cont Floris the fifth being dead without heires the Earledomes of Holland and Zeeland with the Seigniorie of Friseland came by succession to Iohn Earle of Henault sonne to Cont Iohn of Auesnes and the Lady Alix sister to William king of Romans and Earle of Holland and so sonne to Cont Iohns great aunt Iohn of Henault was the one and twentieth Earle of Holland for which he quartered his Armes the Lyon sables of Henault and the Lyon gules of Holland in fields or This Earle had foure brethren Botzard bishop of Metz Iohn bishop of Cambray Guy chanon of Cambray and Floris who was prince of Morienne At his comming to this succession of Holland and Zeeland he gaue vnto his brother Guy the Seigniories of Amsterdam
they were proprietaries in possession but for that they were issued from the right stocke of a Duke of Bauaria for the Emperor Lewis was but second sonne to Lewis Duke of Bauaria Palatin ofRhine The Duchie of Bauaria hath alwaies had that priuiledge that all those which were descended of the bloud of Dukes might also intitle themselues Dukes although they had not a foote of land The which is at this day vsed in all the families of the Princes of Germanic yea among Earles and Barons This William the Emperors eldest sonne was at the beginning made Earle of Oesteruant and Albert was siegneor of Nubingen The said Lady Empresse hauing taken possession of all these Countrieâ—… before her returne into Germanie to the Emperor her husband she appointed the said Cont William her Sonne and successor in the said Countries Regent of Holland Zeeland and Friseland vpon condition that he should pay vnto her yeerely ten thousand French Crownes or for want of payment that she might resume and take vnto her againe all the profit of the said siegneories as before of which resignation letters Pattent were drawne and promises made in the presence of many Princes and Prelates Yet a while after through ill councell the Earle would not hold nor performe any thing touching the pension carrying himselfe like an absolute Prince as we will presently shew The Bishop of Vtrecht after the death of Robert of Arckel his Brother and Lieutenant temporall being siaine in Battaile neere vnto Liege finding himselfe greatly indebted to spare and to pay his debts he retired himselfe to Tours in France meaning to liue there as a man vnknowne with a small traine during the truce which hee had with the Empresse Countesse of Holland leauing in this diocesse sixe Noblemen or Knights to gouerne during his absence In the yeare 1348. the Bishoppe finding the truce to bee well neere ended returned into his countries and found his debts rather increased then diminished through the ill husbandrie of the sayd sixe Gouernors Eight dayes after the expiration of the truce on Saint Marguerites day the Bishop went out of Vtrecht with a great number of his Bourgesses in armes and camped in the open plaine neere vnto the great Village of Emenesse The Hollanders being not farre of went to fight with them so as this skirmish turned into a battaile in the which those of Vtrecht had the better the Hollanders were put to route and many of the inhabitants of Emenesse slaine vpon the place Melis of Muyden commander of the Hollanders troupe was taken prisoner and put to a great ransome Those of the said Village of Emenesse which hath not lesse then a good French league in length were forced to leaue their new title which they had giuen themselues calling themselues East-Hollanders to resume their ancient name of Emenesse and to subiect themselues vnder the obedience of the Bishop and of the Diocesse of Vtrecht as they be yet at this day After the death of the Emperor Lewis of Bauaria the Empresse Marguerite his widdow came into Holland to Dordrecht whither shee sent for Duke William her sonne who being come resigned vnto the said Lady his Mother the gouernment and possession of her Counties of Holland Zeeland and Friseland the which before she had deliuered into his hands for an annuall pension of ten thousand Crownes of the which he had not to that day paid any thing This reintegration made William retired into Henault his mother remaining sole Lady regent of her countries the which she gouerned but loosely In the yeare 1349. the Bishop of Vtrecht gathered together a great number of soldiers with the which he entred into Holland and besieged the towne of Oude-water the which he tooke by force burnt a part of it and carried away many prisoners besides other spoile at which siege there dyed of the Bishops men Iohn of Rysenburch two brothers of Lichtenburch Ieames Ihon and Euerard of Dryel three brethren all Knights with many Gentlemen and good Bourgesses of Vtrecht The Hollanders mooued with the losse of this towne leuied an Armie to enter into the Bishops countrie Hee on the other side gathered together all the soldiers and Bourgesses hee could with the which hee went and camped before Schoonhouen where there was a furious charge and a hard incounter but in the end the Hollanders were put to route the Bishops men remaining maisters of the field There were prisoners among others Ghysbrecht of Langerack Herpert of Lyesuelt and Conrade of Oosterwyke knights with many squiers soldiers who were put to ransome the which yeelded a good sum of money vnto the Bishop Soone after by the meanes of some Noblemen a truce was made vnto Saint Martin in the yeare 1350. In that yeare there sprong vp two most dangerous factions in the countrie of Holland whereby they were long afflicted with great miseries and calamities almost to their totall ruine Those of the one party were called Cabillaux or Merlus the which is a deuouring fish in the Sea by which terme they meant that those of this partie should swallow vp their aduersaries Those of the other faction termed themselues Hoecks with the which they catch fish as if they would say If you thinke to swallow vs vp we will first take you with a hooke The chiefe of the Cabillautin faction were Iohn Lord of Arckel father to the Bishop of Vtrecht Iohn Lord of Egmond Gerard Seigneor of Hemskerke with many other Noblemen and Knights of the Hoecketins partie Didier Lord of Brederode Philip Vicont of Leyden Lord of Wassenarie Iohn Lord of Leck and of Polarien Ieames Lord of Binckhorst and many other both Knights and Gentlemen It was a cursed plague which Sathan had powred into the hearts of the Hollanders the which brought forth nothing but hatred quarels rancor hostillities rapines violence detraction false reports deadly foods ruine and desolation ouer all the country In which two factions the chiefe Noblemen and Barons were ingaged seeking nothing but to ruine and destroy one an other For as our Lord IESVS CHRIST saith Euery Realme diuided in it selfe shall be desolate And Salust in his Historie of the Iugurthin warre Small things increase by concord but by discord great things come to ruine Cicero in his Booke of Friendship saith What house is so strongly builded what Citie so surely seated the which by hatred and discord may not perish As we may see by the destruction of Rome at diuers times of Bologne of Genoa and of many others the which haue beene ruined by diuision from the which God by his grace preserue all estates and common-weales that flourish at this day The factions increasing more and more in Holland and the consuming fire of this intestine discord kindling more dayly not onely in the hearts of Noblemen but also in the commons was the cause of great murthers spoiles robberies burnings of either side These heart-burnings
towne accompanied with the Earle of Moeurs and the Earle of Heynsbergh nad Iohn his sonne the lord of Bâ—…ren Prouost of Aiz and about 300. horse besides his ordinarie traine The Duke attended at the Port the Bourgeoises hearing thereof held a councell where it was agreed that the Duke should enter with his ordinarie traine of 120 horse and no more Seuen of the Bourgesses went vnto him who hauing opened the Port the first entred and the rest thrust forward in a prease the Duke entring with the last into the towne The Reuward went with him to the court the next day the Duke came vnto the Towne-house and let the councell vnderstanâ—… that his comming thither was to to entreat some good accord with his brother and the Barons But the Reuward was gone to Louvaine to the Assembly of the Nobles The Duke fearing that hee should returne with him into Brusselles and seaze vppon his person demaunded of the magistrates that if it should so happen wheâ—…her they would open him the gate or not They to assure him said that if hee had any doubt thereof they would deliuer vp the Keyes of the gates into his handes wherewith he remained satisfied But the inhabitants were not in quiet to see those strange soldiers bragging in Tauernes with their swords in their hands that they should be all rich before they went out of Brabant so as the night following they assembled in Armes vppon the market place being aduertised of some dissein of the Earle of Heynsberg and others who should seaze vpon the Market place that night at the sound of a bell and then of the whole towne some soldiers were also found armed vppon their beddes The inhabitants therefore sent in all haste for the Reuward who came posting from Louvaine with all the Nobilitie and Deputies of townes Entring into Brusselles he thanked the Bourgesses for that they had so constantly preserued the towne and day being come hee went to the Court to the Duke where hee caused most of his houshold seruants to be apprehended dismissing others that were not prisoners and soone after hee suffered them to depart that were come into the towne with the gentlemen strangers but the masters as the Earles of Moeure and Heynsbergh with other gentlemen to the number of 150. were deteyned prisoners The lord Reuward seazed vppon all the horse and armes of the Earle of Heynsberg and others and disposed of them to whom he pleased The Emperor Sigismond writ for these Noblemen that were prisoners to the states of Brabant for their libeâ—…ties threatning them with a proscription of the Empire The like letters were written by the Princes Electors to the Reuward to whom he made no other answer but that hee had caused them to be iustly stayed according to the custome of the Countrey as they themselues had required and therefore their cause remained doubtfull vntill they had wonne the fauour of Gerrard vand Zype chiefe counsellor and most familiar with the Reuward who by the perswasion of the saide Vande Zype freed them out of prison vpon certaine conditions All things being thus past and the troubles ended the Earle of S. Pol Lord Reuward resigned vp his office of Reuward which is a dignitie which the States of Brabant haue power according to their Priuiledges to giue vnto whom they please to reduce their Dukes vnto reason when they stray from their duties into the hands of duke Iohn his brother who was by the said Estates confirmed in the gouernment of his Countrie Before that the Earle of S. Pol went out of Brabant there were beheaded Euerard of Tserclaes knight Steward to the duke Adolph of Coudenbergh William of Pipenpois and some 14. of the cheife of Brusselles who had beene the cause or at the least had wincked at the dessigned treason and trouble of Brusseles and there were 600. Crowns promised to him that should bring in the signior of Asschen aliue or dead for that hee had beene the motiue of the unkindnesse and quarrell betwixt the Duke and his wife Then the Earle of S. Pol retyred into France the Contesse and her mother remaining still at Quesnoy discontented still with duke Iohn for some of the said Ladyes councell found not the Bull of her marriage lawfull hauing not been allowed but held it to bee fraudulent and of no force By reason whereof in the yeere 1423. she went into England from whence she sent to cyte duke Iohn to the court of Rome to heare his marriage declared voyde according to the Canons Pope Martin referred this businesse to two Cardinals to determine thereof who assigned a day for the Duke to appeare before them and he appointed certaine Proctors at Rome to defend his cause The Countesse Iaqueline hearing that the Processe would be teedious and long without attending a definitiue sentence allyed her selfe by a promise of mariage to the Duke of Glocester vncle to King Henry the sixth of England then raigning vppon condition that the marriage with the Duke Iohn being declared vnlawfull shee should obtaine a dispensation from the Pope to marry againe Soone after the duke of Glocester came with the Contesse Iaqueline his betrothed Spouse vnto Calais with a great Army marching toward Henault and therefore hee diuided his Armie into three battailions The Lady Marguerite of Bourgongne mother to the Countesse requested the Nobilitie of Henault to accompany her and to goe and meet them and so by assistance and fauour of the lord of Haures Lieutenant to Duke Iohn they entred into Henault The duke of Brabant demanded succors from the duke of Bourgongne and Iohn of Bauaria who promised him all assistance The Duke of Bourgongne sent him the lords of Croy Lisle-dam and Mailly with good troupes of souldiers In the yeare 1423. Iohn van Vlyet had his head cut off at the Hage in Holland being accused by some of the Cabillautin faction that he had poisoned Iohn of Bauaria whereof he had been sick and recouered for the which hee was quartered and his quarters hung at the entrance of foure of the chiefe townes in Holland Iohn of Bauaria hauing receiued letters from the duke of Brabant demanding succors sent him word that if his health would giue him leaue hee would come vnto him with good Troupes within three weekes But hauing his armie readie to march he fell suddenly sick it may be the poison had not been well purged and dyed at the Hage on Twelffe day and was buryed there in the Iacobins Cloister Hee being dead all the Noblemen that had been of his faction called in Iohn duke of Brabant and receiued him for their prince notwithstanding that Iaqueline their Contesse was married againe to the duke of Glocester who hearing how hee had beene receiued held a counsell with her friends by what meanes she might seaze vpon some townes and castles in Holland and to that end she sent Floris of Kifhoeck with men to surprize the
this assault for the great multitude of people that was within the oittie and for their great courage All which difficulties they reported to the Duke from the Kings mouth The which hee tooke in ill part saying that the King did it to saue them but he would not faile to giue an assault in the morning as he had resolued foding the King word That if it pleased him to goe to Namur vntill the Towne were taken he was contented but for his part he would not goe from thence vntil hee had seene the and of it The King answered That hee would not goe to Namur but would be present the next day with the rest for without doubt where there was honour to be gotten hee would not 〈◊〉 taxed of Cowardice Euery man rested himselfe a little being armed day being come and drawing neere to eight of the clocke the Duke caused a Canon and 2. Serpentins to be discharged to aduertise them of the Vantgard who were quartered on the other side farre from him they heard the warning and prepared themselues for the assault The Dukes trumpets began to sound and the Coullors approched the wall The King was in the street well accompanied When they came to ioyne they found no resistance and there were but 2. or 3. men in gard euery man being gone to his home not thinking they would giue an Assault on the Sunday they found in euery house the cloath layed and the table couered There was as little resistance whereas the Fore-warde charged who entred first All the people being retyred beyond the bridge of the Riuer of Meuse towards the Forrest of Ardenne and other places where they thought to be safe In all there dyed not aboue 2. hundred men euery man hiding himselfe in Churches or houses The King marched softly for he saw well there was no resistance the whole armie entred into the towne on 2. sides being in all 40000. men The Duke being farre aduanced into the Cittie turned sodainly to meete the King whom hee conducted to the Pallace then presently retyred and went to the great Cathedrall Church of saint Lambert where his souldiers would haue entred by force to spoile it vnder a colour to take prisoners And although he had set some Gentlemen of his houshold to gard it yet could they not be maisters but they offered to force the 2. doores The Duke seeing this out-rage slew one of his houshold seruantes with his owne hands the which kept the sayd Church from spoile yet they drew foorth certaine Burgesses that were fled into it with their goods The most part of the other Churches were spoiled in seeking for the Townes men that were fled into them The towne being thus taken about Noone the Duke went to the Pallace to the King who had dyned shewing great signes of ioy for this prize and commending highly the dukes great courage and resolution thinking that those words would bee reported vnto him After dyner the King and Duke were seen very ioyfully together and if the King commended his valour behinde his backe hee extolled him more to his face wherewith the Duke was much pleased The King being very desirous to retyer himselfe spake vnto the Duke saying that there was no more to be done and if he had any vse of him that he should not spare him but he had a desire to goe to Paris to cause the accord betwixt them to bee published in the Court of Parliament The duke consented but somewhat vnwillingly vpon condition that the treatiâ—… of peace betwixt them should be read and ratified againe by the King the which he did wherevppon the King tooke his leaue of the Duke and he conducted him halfe a League The King being gone the Duke commanded the towne to be burnt reseruing only the Churches and the Chanoins houses in the which there were 4000. of the Countrie of Luxembourg imployed He caused a great number of poore prisoners to be cast into the Riuer of Meuse this done they went to ruine the Countrey of Franchimont whence are drawne the brauest souldiers of all the Countrie of Liege and was no sooner out of the Cittie but it was fired all along the Riuer Hee lodged that day 4. Leagues from thence where they might heare the cryes and lamentations of poore people as if they had beene within the Cittie The desolation contynued the next day vntill it was quite burnt except the Churches and some 300. houses of Chanoins and Priests which was the cause it was so soone re-edified for the people returned with the Priestes and other Church-men The country of Franchimont being spoyled and burnt hunger forced the Dukes troupes to retier who went to Namur and from thence into Brabant where he was receiued as a victorious Prince Those of the towne of Aix la Chapelle within eight leagues of the cittie of Liege had during these warres giuen some aide and assistance vnto the Liegeois the duke meaning to bee reuenged threatned them But the Regents of the towne went to him to Maestricht to aske him forgiuenesse offring him all seruice in time to come and promising to pay him 80000. florins of the Rhine in three years and so the duke was pacified In the yeare 1469. at the sute of the bishoppe and Chanoins the duke consented to the restauration of the towne of Liege whereas hee placed for Gouernor Guy of Brymeux lord of Humbercourt kinsman to him whome the Liegeois had slaine at Tongres and the signior of Wit-hem for his Lieutenant The duke hauing stayed some time in Brabant came into Zeeland and from thence he went to the Hage in Holland whether many great Princes and Ambassadors came to visit him Among others Sygismonde duke of Austria Brother to the Emperour Frederic The Prince of Trebisonde in Greece the Palatin of Rhine the Marquis of Ferrara The duke of Cleues and the lord of Rauestein his brother the duke of Somerset an Englishman and many other great Noblemen Barons and Knights The bishoppe of Liege Vtrecht Tournay Pouille and Salerne the dukes confessor The Popes Ambassador which was his Nephew his Sisters Sonne accompanied with the duke of Mantoua one from the Venetians and an other from the Archbishoppe of Cologne Duke Charles accompanied with all these Princes writ vnto Adolph Prince of Geldres who kept his owne father in pryson intreating him that all excuses set aside hee would come and honour that Noble company with his presence hoping to perswade him to deliuer his father out of pryson But this Prince doubting the worst excused himselfe vpon his Nobility and townes intreating the duke not to take it in ill part if hee came not for certaine speciall causes At that time there fell great contention betwixt the duke of Bourgongne and them of Vtrecht the duke demanding of them the country of Goyland and all the goods lands and signeuries belonging vnto the deceased Iames of Gaesbeke the which quarrell was
to bring him to the duke These two came to Wyke for the lord of Brederode and the Baylife Amerongen before they were deliuered the bishop would haue the lord of Brederode put againe to the Rack in the presence of Noblemen and that before hee was laied vpon it hee should take a sollemne oth to answere the truth to that which should bee demanded him wherevpon a Notarie and certaine witnesses were called this proceeding continued two whole daies hee was once stript and layed vpon the banke but seeing they could drawe nothing from him without greater torments nor from Amerongen they suffred them to goe with the sayd Comissioners who led them to Berghen vpon Some to the duke but they found him not there being gone to the seege of Amiens so as they conducted them to Ruppelmond in Flanders wheras they were detained almost a whole yeare At the dukes returne the processe beeing referred to the iudgements of the knights of the golden fleece to heare the sayd lord in his iustifications his Accusers were cited to bring proofe of their accusations seeing that by tortures hee did not confesse any of those crimes wherewith hee was charged But none of his Accusers appeering the duke sitting in his seate of iustice with the knights of the order among the which were Engelbert Earle of Nassau Barron of Breda the lordes of Crequy Lalain and others to the number of twelue Barrons the sayd lord of Brederode was adiudged free and absolued of all crimes imposed vpon him and was restored to all his Estates goods and honours to the great content of all these Noblemen and knights who complained much of the great wrong that had beene done him and he was honorably receiued of all men Hee liued not aboue two yeares after hee died in the yeare 1473. and was interred at Vianen let vs heereby consider of what force enuie is which spareth neither great not small Two yeares after Iohn of Amerongen was found innocent of the crimes that were obiected against him notwithstanding his confession vpon the Racke and in like sort absolued inlarged and restored to his Office of Baylife to the great content of the Bourgeses of Vtrecht As for Ghysbrecht Prouost Cathedrall brother to the lord of Brederode before hee could recouer his liberty hee was forced to resigne his Prouostship to an other and to sweare neuer to keepe his residence in Vtrecht the which hauing performed hee was set at liberty in the yeare 1470. and went to liue at Breda where hee died a yeare after and was buried at the Chartreux by Geertruydenbergh Duke Charles not satisfied with the annuall contribution or tribute which the Frisons payed him according to the last appointment writ vnto them that they should send their deputies to the towne of Enchuysen the seauenth of Aprill 1470. to heare what should bee propounded vnto them on his behalfe They sent their Deputies But the duke beeing troubled with the warres of France came not in person but sent Philip of Wassenare lord of Woerburch and others his commissioners There were many things ambiguously and doubtfully propounded and debated and so many cauillations found out to intrappe the Frisons as it did much displease the Noblemen of Friseland who retyred themselues and would not treate in that fashion desiryng to goe plainely and roundly to worke Yet the Clergie and Deputies of townes remayned who willing to haue a finall ende desired to knowe what the dukes demaunde was It was sayd vnto them that hee demaunded a siluer pennie of his coyne vpon euerie chimney for all the countrie of Friseland in generalll The Deputies demanding of what valour this penie should bee for that they had no charge from the Estates to yeelde to aboue three Liards or a soulz at the most the which the dukes commissionars would haue referred to the dukes discretion The Frisons in like sort demanded a day of aduise to make report thereof vnto the Estates The report made they would no waies yeeld vnto it but concluded that if the duke would force them they would defend themselues and hinder his entrie into the coūtry The duke at his returne into France came into Holland hauing heard by his Deputies the intention of the Frisons hee resolued to force them to his will by armes and therevpon caused a great fleete of shippes to be prepared to imbarke his men at armes and to land in Friseland But it fell out happely for the Frisons that Edward the forth King of England being expelled his realme came into Zeeland to the duke his brother in lawe to demande succors of him against the Earle of Warwike who had chased him out of his Kingdome The which the duke promised sending this fleete appointed for the ruine of the Frisons to succor the sayd King Edward the which carried him backe into England Afterwardes the duke had so great warres against the French Suisses and Lorrains in the which in the end hee was slaine as the Frisons remayned in peace without any further disturbance In the yeare 1470. Lewis the leauenth the French King had a great desire to bee reuenged of the brauary which the duke of Bourgongne had done him at Peronne practising vnder hand to haue the townes vpon the Riuer of Some reuolt the which being hard to effect by secret practise hee must attempt it by open warre true it is that hee had iust cause to apprehend the dukes affronts at Peronne who had forced him to make a peace and to go against the Liegeois that were before his friends yet hee beganne it some what fearefully although he had a great desire to it The Earle of Saint Pol Constable of France and the duke of Guiennes people desired warre rather then peace betwixt these two Princes for two considerations the first was for feare to loose their Estates the other was they perswaded the King that if hee had not some forraine warre he should haue ciuill dissention at home The Constable offred the towne of Saint Quentin pretending that hee had great intelligences in Flanders and Brabant where hee would cause many townes to rebell The duke of Guienne offred for his part to serue the King with fiue hundred men at armes The King meaning to beginne this warre with solemnity called a Parliament at Tours whereas many Iudges assisted there it was concluded according to the Kings intention that the duke should bee adiourned to appeere in the open Parliament at Paris The King assuring himselfe that hee would answere proudly or that hee would doe some-thing contrarie to the authority of the court hee should therefore haue more iust cause to make warre against him An Vssher of the Parliament went to Gand to adiorne him being vnder the souerainty of the crowne of France which he did at his comming from the masse whereat he was much amazed and discontented hauing caused the Vsher to be put in prison yet soone after he suffred him
their magistrates to examine them giuing them an assistant of the house of La Marke a mortall enemie to the Lorde of Humbercourt In the beginning they examined them Why they had caused the Lord of Cordes to deliuer vp the cittie of Arras vnto the King but they stucke but little vppon that point although they could not haue conuinced them of any other their passions were not busied about the notable losse of such a Cittie neither did they care â—…o see their Princesse grow weake nor were the capable to comprehend and iudge how preiudiciall the losse of that Towne might bee hereafter The Commissioners or Iudges of the Ganthois stood onely vpon two points the one was vpon certaine gifts and presents which they obiected they had receiued and especially for a sute which the Cittie of Gaunt had lately gotten by their seâ—…tence and pronounced by the Chancellor against a priuat person wherein they accused him To haue sold iustice and to haue taken a bribe of them to haue their right Whereunto the accused answered That in that they had obtained their sute it was according to equitie and iustice that they had iudged it and as for the money which they had receiued they demaunded it not but tooke it when it was offered The second matter wherewith the Commissioners did charge them was That during the time they were in seruice with Duke Charles their Maister and in his absence his Lieutenants they had done many things against the Priuiledges and Statutes of their Towne and that any man that attempted any thing against their Priuiledges must loose his life Herevnto the accused answered That therein there was no matter to charge them withall being neither Bourgesses of the Towne nor any way subiect vnto it and therefore they could not breake their Priuiledges That if Duke Charles or his father had taken any from them it was by a composition made betwixt them after many warres and rebellions but those that had been left them had been well obserued Notwithstanding all the excuses and iustifications of these famous and worthy men vnto those two crimes obiected after they had tormented them cruelly without all order of Lawe the Magistrates of Gaunt condemned them to die They hearing this cruell sentence were much amazed and not without cause seeing themselues in their handes whereas reason had no place notwithstanding for that the soueraigntie of Flanders depended on the crowne of France they did appeale to the Parliament at Paris hoping at the least that it might giue some delay to the execution of the sentence and in the meane time their friends might help to saue their liues There Processe continued but sixe dayes and notwithstanding the sayd appellation being condemned they gaue them but three houres libertie to consider of their affaires and to dispose themselues to death This short time being expired they led them to the Market-place vpon a Scaffold to execute them by the sword The Princesse hearing of this condemnation went to the Towne-house to sue and intreate for these two Noble-men but it preuailed not from thence she went into the Market-place whereas all the people beeing in armes shee saw these two Noble-men that were condemned vpon the Scaffold shee was in a mourning weed and a plaine kerchief on her head which should haue mooued them to pittie Being there shee beseeched the people with teares in her eyes and her haire hanging about her eares to take pitty of her two seruants and deliuer them vnto her Some of the people would haue had her will fulfilled and that they should not die others would haue the contrary and began to bend their Pikes one against another and were ready for murther but those that would haue them dye were the greatest number who cryed out vnto the Officers that were vppon the Scaffold that they should dispatch them wherevppon they lost their heades and this poore Princesse returned desolate to her house After that the Ganthois had done this execution they did sequester from their Princesse the Dutchesse Dowager of Bourgongne her mother in law and the Lorde of Ravensteyn her kinsman for that they had set their hands to the Letter which the Chancellor and Humbercourt had carryed to the King was the cause of their death and did seaze absolutely of the authoritie and gouernment of this poore Princesse Shee might well bee termed poore not onely for the losse of many good Townes which the King had taken from her by force but to see her selfe in the power and subiection of ancient Rebels and very persecutors of her house and that which was the greatest miserie of all was to see her selfe so depriued of her liberty sequestred from her most familiar friendes They of Gaunt hauing forcibly seazed vpon the gouernment of State and of their Princesse person put two Noble-men to death chased whom they pleased out of their Towne and spoyled all the ancient seruantes of the House of Bourgongne of their goods Now they began to studie of alteration first they drew the yong Duke of Gelders out of prison who had beene taken neere vnto Namur and then sent to Gaunt and made him head of an Armie which they raised among themselues and their neighbours of Bruges Ypre and other places and sent it before Tournay where hee onely burnt the Suburbes without any profit There was within the Towne foure hundred men at Armes who sallied foorth and charged these Flemmings in the Reere as they made their retreate who presently fled with disorder The yong duke of Geldres who was a valiant Prince made head against them that pursued that his people might haue the better meanes to retier but beeing ill seconded hee was slaine with a good number of his people The Princesse of Bourgongne and those that loued her were glad of this defeat and of the death of the Prince of Geldres for it was sayd that the Ganthois intended to force her to marry with him else shee would neuer haue done it with her owne good liking for his great disloyaltie and cruelty against his father In the meane time there was a speech of diuers marriages for the Princesse of Bourgongne all men concluding generally that shee must haue a husband to defend all the rest of her Seigneories or els that shee should marrie the Daulphin of France that shee might enioye all in peace Some did much affect that Royall marriage especially shee her selfe before that her letters carried by the Chancellor and Humbercourt had beene discouered Others tooke exception at the Daulphins young and tender age and the marriage of him promised wiâ—…h the daughter of England There were others that laboured for the prince of Cleues Others for Maximillian Arch-duke of Austria the onely sonne to the Emperour Frederick This Princesse had conceiued an extreame hatred against the French King for the discouerie of her letters for shee imagined that hee had beene the cause in giuing them
throughout all the country of Liege as a fee of the Empire vpon euery thousand florins value of Inheritance to helpe to defray the charges of the last warres of Germany The Liegeois would haue opposed themselues and fallen to mutiny but hauing sent their deputies to the Emperor in the end they yeelded vpon certaine conditions The Emperor at the same time did chase all the ministers out of Ausbourg Iohn Frederic duke of Saxony although hee were a prisoner did not forbeare to comfort them and to assist them with money Some of them retired into Suisserland and some else where The newes of this banishment of Ministers amazed many for euery man feared that what had beene done there would be also practised in other places as it was afterwards but for a short time in respect of Germany At such time as all were in these alterations the French King hearing that duke Maurice attempted warre against the Emperor fell vpon 22. ships of Zeeland bound for Spaine being worth aboue 200000. florins the which hee tooke and spoiled and then carried them into his hauens wherevpon the 17. day of September in the same yeare 1551. the French Ambassador was sent away from Brusselles as an enemie with all the French Nobility which had remained with the Lady Elenor Queene Dowager of France and warre was proclaimed the 21. of that month betwixt these two great Princes both by land and sea Many wondred how the King durst â—…eaue the friendship of the Emperor beeing then in so great prosperity neither did the Emperor as some sayd expect it In Ianuary 1552. the generall States of the Netherlands assembled in the towne of Bruges in Flanders whereas the Queene of Hungary Gouernesse of the sayd countries made a demand in the Emperors name of an extraordinary aide or subuention of three Millions of gold wherevnto the Flemings would in no sort yeeld by reason of their small traffick but they offred to entertaine so many men at armes as should fall to their shares wherewith the sayd Lady was not well satisfied Afterwards the sayd estats assembled at Brusselles where vpon certaine conditions they did grant 400000 florins Duke Maurice and the Marquis of Brandenbourg sonnes in lawe to the Landtgraue of Hessen sent their Ambassadors to the Emperor accompanied with the letters of the King of Denmarke of Ferdinand King of Romaines of Albert duke of Bauaria of the brethren of Lunebourg of the Elector Frederic Palatin of Wolfgang duke of Deux Ponts of Iohn Marquis of Brandenbourg of Ernest Marquis of Baden of the dukes of Merklenbourg and of Christopher duke of Wirtemberg to sue for the Landtgraues deliuery But it seemed the Emperour respected all these Princes little referring the answere of their request to the comming of duke Maurice who hee sayd should come to treate with him William eldest sonne to the Landtgraue did importune him and Maurice more both he and the Marquis of Brandenbourg putting him in minde of their bond and promise speaking somewhat bigge vnto him In the meane time the horsemen that had lyen about Magdebourg and within it wintred in Thuringen and the neighbour country where they did much harme especially to the Clergy and aboue all to the Archbishop of Mentz Wherevpon hee and the other two of Collogne and Treues complayned to the Emperor being resolued to forsake the councell To whome hee gaue good words intreating them to stay whether the duke of Wirtemberg those of Strausbourg and other Protestants had sent their Ambassadors and the duke Maurice did also send his the which did much reioyce the sayd Archbishops beleeuing that they had no more any cause to doubt of him The chiefe differences of the Protestants Ambassadors were vpon the safe conduit of their diuines the which they were forced to alter three times and vpon the other points which duke Maurice had propounded These Ambassadors hauing receiued their safe conduits in such forme as they could obtaine them sent them to their Princes and Magistrates Soone after many began to murmur that the councel should be prolonged and that Maurice beeing in league with the French made his preparations to warre against the Emperor This report increased daylie and they sent messengers from Trent to the Emperor to know his pleasure Afterwards an other came from the Emperor but they vsed therein great discretion to keep matters secret least they should discontent the Councell vntill that the first of Aprill Duke Maurice and his companions besieged the Towne of Ausbourg the which three daies after was yeelded vnto him Which was the cause of the dissipation of the Councell Maurice writte letters the which were afterwards printed to the States of the Empire setting downe many liuely reasons which moued him to make warre against the Emperor for the preseruation of his relligion and the liberty of Germany and withall for the deliuery of the Landtgraue his father in law Hee did greatly taxe the Emperor seeking to bring Germany into seruitude vnder his Monarchy as hee had already oppressed it by diuers exactions and suppressions of their priuilidges Albert Marquis of Brandenbourg published a writing almost of the same substance complayning that the libertie of Germany was opprest euen by them that were bound to defend and inlarge it c. The French King did also publish letters by the which hee shewed that hee had no other end but the libertie of Germany and of all Christendome complayning of the wrongs which the Emperor did and had done to him and to his friends in whose succors he had resolued to imploy all his forces in that warre yea euen his owne person without any respect to his owne priuate Interest how great soeuer it might bee But onely that Germany might bee restored and Iohn Frederic Duke of Saxony and the Landtgraue of Hessen deliuered c. These letters of the Princes and of the French King dispersed throughout Germany gaue cause of hope to some and to others of feare and care William the Landtgraues sonne hauing put his men to field went and ioyned with Duke Maurice Albert of Brandenbourg did also ioyne with them with his horse and foote In all places where they past they brought the Townes vnder their subiection taking the Inhabitants into their safegard and protection yet forcing them to furnish both mony and Artillery The Princes did also send to them of high Germany and especially to Nuremberg that they should not faile to bee at Ausbourg in the end of Aprill and did also presse them of Vlme to enter into league with them Whilst these things were doing in Germany the French King marched with a goodly army and tooke Toule and Verdun Imperiall Townes vppon the Frontiers of France Then marching into Lorraine vnder coullor of demanding passage hee tooke Metz a Towne of the Empire also He thought to haue done as much to Strasbourg a faire great rich and mighty Towne but the Senat excused them-selues and kept him
Which their request he would gladly haue denied them but for that they earnestly alledged all their priuiledges and shewed him the copy thereof and what he had promised and sworne and to the contrary must haue beene forced to protest against him he was content to grant that they should depart out of the countrey within three months after but it fell not out in halfe a yere at the least when he had great need of them about the losse of the Island of Zerby in Barbary The cause why the states were so earnest to haue the Spaniards out of the countrey was for that many courtiers wholly depending vpon the king in great credit with him and as then staying in the Netherlands had made it knowne abroad that they were much moued and hoped for a reuenge for that in the last of the nine yeares schating they were denied the receiuing and distribution of the mony and that the states themselues receiued it and paid it vnto their owne countrimen by their seruants whereby the said courtiers nailes were pared which they openly interpreted to bee a kind of disobedience as if they would prescribe lawes vnto the prince and not trust him with the managing of the common mony With them diuers that sought gouernment and authoritie ioined themselues both strangers and others that sought to further and aduance the opinion of the king and the duke of Alua and also the Spanish Inquisition and the Spaniards which was that it was not possible to driue the Lutherans or heretickes out of the Netherlands nor out of Spaine but they must first find means to obtaine absolute and ful obedience authoritie and commaund for the king whereby they might then plant the Spanish Inquisition therein without the which two points they were to account the Netherlands as lost countries which was to be brought to passe by strange garrisons which things being known and perceiued by the best experienced men amongst the states caused them so earnestly to desire the departure of the Spaniards out of the Netherlands This pretence of these counsellors and the Spanish hatred was at the same time sufficiently made knowne vnto the greatest personages of the Netherlands and that it was resolued that the authors of the petition touching the departure and withdrawing of the Spaniards should be well punished and namely a Spanish counsellor that bare a good affection vnto the nobilitie and gentlemen of the Netherlands came to the prince of Orange the earle of Egmont and others playing at Chesse and giuing them warning asked them if they had so much time to play and made no more account touching the request made then vnto the king with such like words which they earnest at their play esteemed to be spoken in ieast but when they had made an end of their play the prince of Orange said to the earle of Egmont as he was a very politicke prince that those words vttered by that counsellor were not spoken in vaâ—…e and therefore desired the earle of Egmont as being very familiar with the said counsellor to speake more at large with him about the same which he did who made him answere That they were to looke vnto themselues and esteeme them to be forewarned by a friend namely that it was determined by the king and his counsell That all those that signed to the petition to haue the Spaniards withdrawne out of the Netherlands or once consented thereunto should be punished for the same at conuenienter time whereof as a friend he gaue them warning And so when all things were ordained and made readie for the kings iourney hee tooke his leaue of the states at Gaunt aboue all things recommending vnto them the maintenance of the Catholicke religion and punishment of heretickes and went to Zeeland where there was a great fleet of ships ready to saile with him exceeding well prouided of all things and amongst the rest great store of capons and hennes to the number of 15000 at the least whereby you may esteeme what the rest of the prouision might be and vpon the 26 of August 1559 he set saile and departed from Vlishing with 20 Spanish and Biscayne shippes 30 hulkes and 40 other shippes and with a good wind in few daies landed at Lacedo in Biscaye where presently the wind changed The counsell of Spaine thought his returne into those countries to be very necessary in regard that the Lutherans began greatly to encrease within the land for the which cause presently vpon his arriuall in Spaine he caused great and rigorous execution to be done not only vpon men but also vpon women and with great and solemne pompe and ceremonies burnt diuers of them and punished others with seuerall kinds of torments and in the moneth of September when he came to Valedolit in October after being personally present with all his court he caused 28 gentlemen of great houses and some of the best in Spaine to bee burnt before him and after that great persecution ensued This yeare in Ianuary Isabella the French kings daughter was brought to the frontiers of France by the king of Nauarre and the Cardinall of Bourbon in great magnificence where she was receiued at Rouceaulx by the Cardinal of Burgos and the duke of Infantasgo and by them conueyed into Castilia to the king and vpon the 31 of Ianuarie with great pompe and solemnitie she was maried vnto him where it is said that during the feast it cost the king two thousand duckets euery day and not long after prince Charles the kings onely sonne was openly proclaimed and declared to be heire apparent vnto all the kingdomes and dominions then in his fathers possession and oath of fidelitie made vnto him for the same This yeare likewise the new riuer made from Antuerpe to Brussels was fully finished which aboue thirtie yeares before had beene begun by them of Brussels digging through many small hilles fields and wayes for which purpose they had bought all the grounds where the said riuer should passe thorow vpon the which they made foure faire great sluces to keepe out the vpper water and digged it so deepe that great ships might passe along within the same Amman van Brussels duke of Lockeghem a great furtherer of this worthy worke was for the same much commended and praised of all the people This yeare vpon the sixteenth of October king Philip erected an Vniuersitie in Doway and endowed it with great reuenewes wherein the Iesuites haue certaine colledges which they of Louen much disliked and in the time of the Emperor Charles in Anno 1530 hindered and staied the erecting therof but at this time without the knowledge of Louen or of the townsmen of Doway it selfe by the procurement of Cardinall Granuelle president Vigilius and the counsellor Nigri it was by the king strongly granted and confirmed by Pope Paul the fourth The reasons the king had to moue him thereunto were That youth might there to the furtherance of the Catholicke religion be
Behold what our cardinall of Granuelle was what his life and by what maner of man the Netherlands haue been gouerned the nobilitie disgraced the subiects pilled and ruined and the troubles raised by whom the king suffered himselfe to be abused and misled to the spoyle of his subiects and the desolation of his countries Such an one was he who called himself the prop and supporter of the Romish church I protest here that what I haue said is not to teare his bones out of his graue nor in malice of his prosperitie and greatnesse and much lesse to detract from him or his race whose remainder I would wish they might hereafter grow in all vertue and better carriage than the said cardinall but onely to let the world know in whose hands these good people haue planted the health both of bodie and soule and that by his example they should take heed of the like who by the like meanes would haply aspire to the same end that he did But let vs returne to the course of our hystorie These creations of new bishops and incorporations of the best benefices ministred matter of murmure and discontent to many of all qualities as an innouation brought in without the consent of the states and townes euery one speaking according to his passions yet truly And although they did their best endeauours to install them in their bishoprickes and to mortifie this feare and opinion of the people yet could they neuer satisfie their minds nor yet the Estates Gouernours Magistrates and Officers of townes and prouinces in generall who were the more incensed for that they saw them that were named to be Inquisitors or Diuines of Louuaine and the rest vnfit to preach the word of God although they made a brag that this point was the chiefe cause of this change but accustomed to affaires of state and the gouernment of Princes Countries and Commonweales as Granuelle Vigilius and Nigry so as they had reason to doubt that they would circumuent them and couertly intrap them with the inquisition of Spaine And that which did the more encrease this feare and apprehension in court they had no good audience giuen them and small hope of redresse for any griefes or complaints that they could make but contrariwise they did perceiue that they meant to proceed vsing all the practises they could Hereupon the earle of Horne admirall of the Netherlands thinking to do the king a gratefull seruice writ vnto him the nineteenth of December 1561 aduertising him That the states of Brabant were resolued to send certain deputies vnto him in the name of their abbots who would by no meanes consent that their abbeyes should be incorporate to these new bishoprickes besides other complaints which the states of other prouinces did for that time passe ouer with silence That both the French and Germanes maintained that it was not in the Popes power to take from them or cut off their spirituall iurisdictions especially when it is done without the consent of the archbishop of Rheims and Cologne That besides the Germans did alledge That although the emperour had consented thereunto yet might it not bee done without the liking and approbation of the princes electors and the states of the empire The French said also That although the archbishop of Rheims who was then the cardinall of Lorraine a great supporter of the Inquisition had giuen his consent yet must they also haue a grant from the French king as patron protecter and defender of the realme and of the rights and priuiledges of the French church That the reasons which they produced made the people to murmure seeing they attempted these things without the consent of the Germane and French nations in the middest wherof the Netherlands did lie who should not be able of themselues to make head against one of them Behold the substance of the earle of Hornes aduertisement to the king with diuers others that were sent from other places to preuent it in time Notwithstanding all which aduertisements and reasons sent vnto the king and his counsell of Spaine many of these new bishops were installed and put in reall possession of the churches appointed to them not demanding the consent of the townes but they promised the people wonders to the end they should suffer them In this manner besides the bishop of Ypre were installed and put in possession the bishops of Bruges and Namur of S. Omer of Harlem of Middelbourg finally the archbishop of Macklyn and a long time after the rest hee of Boisleduke all with great danger of some reuolt and sedition of the inhabitants of townes making publike demonstration that they would not endure that contrarie to their antient freedomes and priuiledges they should be opprest by such insupportable innouations of bishops Inquisition and ecclesiasticall iurisdiction They would haue done the like in other townes but they durst not attempt it fearing these speaches of the people who withall vsed some threats to kill them the first day they should make their entries Mens hearts being alreadie distracted and withdrawne from the clergy and their doctrine were vpon this cause much more incensed as well in townes as generally ouer all so as it was then to be feared least the commons should wreake their spleene vpon the priests During this perplexitie of the people for the innouation of new bishops which made the clergie odious to all men the prelats themselues and other church-men did not agree for the antient archbishops bishops whose iurisdictions and preheminences they did restraine and cut off whereof the most part are depending of the empire and princes thereof as Cologne Liege Vtrecht and Cambray with the chapters parishes which they erected into cathedral churches as also those of the abbies other prebendarie dignities made great cōplaints some grieuing that they tooke away the limits of the empire others that they sought to bring in a new and neuer heard of subiection and to alter or take from them their antient foundations possessions and exemptions without any cause or colour at al but for the profit of some priuat men who sought nothing but to inrich themselues Among which discontentments of the clergie the three chiefe abbies of Brabant Tongrelo S. Bernard Affleghem whose abbots were lately deceased did most repine for notwithstanding all the pursute they made in court they could not be admitted to chuse new abbots according to the antient customs priuiledges of the said abbies And vpon their petition which they did exhibit in Spain vnto the king himselfe by their deputies who had reserued such matters vnto himself according to the practise of our cardinall being sent back vnto the court of the Netherlands answere was made them by an apostile of the 27 of Februarie 1562 That they should be satisfied that they had prouided them good prelats that they should thank God that they did honour their prelat with the title of a bishop And this was all they could
faith and forbearing all outward force he sought by all policie to hinder their encrease wherein he preuailed much more for that some through couetousnesse others through ambition suffered themselues to be persuaded to that whereunto they could not be forced by any violence or threats I will not compare here this new kind of doctrine which is now in question with the Pagan Religion for it is not my intention to interpose my censure but I will onely conclude That in that which consisteth in the persuasion of the heart corporall violence preuailes no more than the vapour or wind that blowes to hinder the heat of the fire as dayly experience hath taught vs. The meanes then to diuert them from their opinions is to persuade them that their faith and beleefe is not conformable to the word of God To effect the which there is no other meanes than to giue them free audience to the end that they may propound their reasons and motiues with all libertie and that they be confuted of errour and heresie by the word of God if they remaine obstinate yet when this disputation and instruction shall be done in the eye of the world those that are weake shall by this meanes bee persuaded not to follow their errours For as for the obstinate euen as instruction would auayle them little or nothing so much lesse would fire or death turne them from their resolued opinions But on the other side those which behold others to die with such constancie take a delight to seeke their opinions and they which by this means come to fall into the like inconuenience should be wholly preserued when they should heare them vanquished by the word of God and by reasons which they cannot contradict If then prelates and bishops trust in the bountie of their cause as with all reason they ought there is not in the world a better means to attaine vnto the kings intention and to preuent the multiplying of sects than to confeire together publickly that all the world may know that the others do falsely brag that they haue the word of God on their side For it is most certaine that when truth is compared with falshood she must of necessitie shew her beautie and obtaine the victorie discouering to the eye of all men what is false and counterfeit And by this meanes a great good shall rise for that they which know not now what to follow in so great a diuersitie of opinions may settle a firme iudgement of the truth after that they haue heard the grounds of either side so as in conference all confusion and disorder all noise and rayling be laid aside As wee haue seene in the disputations and conferences which S. Paule hath made as well with the Iewes as against the Pagans then presently those which sought the truth knew that he had reason and that the other were in â—…rror So in the counsell of Nicene the Arrians were admitted to propound their reasons and grounds with all libertie and being conuicted by the word of God of error and heresie were forced for a time to desist from their enterprise but presently after when they persecuted them they had suddenly many disciples some mooued by pitie others by their false persuasions the which was the cause of great mischiefes and inconueniences in the Church yea in our times we haue seene in all places where the Anabaptists haue beene persecuted they haue encreased infinitly and contrariwise where they haue been heard in publicke conference and disputation and conuicted of errour and heresie by the word of God they haue had no more credit in the world And therefore Mahumet hath so carefully forbidden that they should neuer dispute vpon the points of religion brought in by him knowing well that the truth being once confronted against his lies his doctrine of necessitie must goe to smoake It is a true marke and badge of truth that it desires to be knowne made manifest and debated being like vnto the Palme-tree the more it is deprest and charged the higher and straiter it growes For this reason the auncients did appoint to hold free and generall counsels euery yeare although by the corruption of time many abuses haue beene brought in by the ambition and couetousnesse of those that should giue their voices So it is that the hereticks and sectaries feare nothing in the world more than to be made manifest be it by a free and general counsell or in any other place wheras matters may be freely debated on either side the which we see at this day apparently in the Anabaptists who flie all disputations more than death If then such as desire to root out this new religion which multiplies so fast are assured of the bountie and truth of their cause and of the falshood of their aduersaries there is no fitter meanes than to come publickly to field and to giue their aduersaries free audience and leaue to dispute without doubt if they maintaine heresies there shall need neither fire nor gibbets to hinder the course of their doctrine for that the more manifest it is the more it will decay It will be to no purpose to say That they haue beene often heard and confuted for admit it were so yet a great multitude of people which are enclined thereunto deserue so much paine as to bee instructed in hearing and examining their reasons But when you haue sayd all they were neuer heard with patience For when as Luther began to preach this doctrine in Germanie it was presently condemned by the Pope and persecuted by all the kings and princes of Christendome He was once called to be heard but it was to see if he would recant or maintaine his writings and his doctrine and he on the other side protested nothing more than the desire which he had to be better taught and instructed by the holy Scripture The like proceeding was held against Iohn Hus at the counsell of Constance who was neuer heard in his owne defence but as soone as he was arriued there they laid before him certaine Articles drawne by some aduersarie of his out of his bookes asking him if hee would maintaine those articles which were reproued and condemned by the holy church and therupon they gaue sentence that he was an hereticke and damned the which the world sees to be against all right and reason To say that those were condemned by other counsels before is nothing to the purpose For if it be so as they say it will bee the more easie to ouerthrow them now for that the Auncients haue neuer condemned any doctrine but that which they held contrarie to the word of God the which they haue alledged to that effect I say to confute errors and heresies so as now the way shall be traced and they shall need onely to quote the same Scriptures to confute these for that the word of God remaineth eternally and the Scripture hath now as much force and vertue
Segobia sick of an ague This matter being brought before his counsel was by them much long debated many of them taking it in the worst sence but at the last they all generally agreed that the Netherlands had great need of his Maiesties presence therin and for that cause began to consult vpon the best way for his trauell and voyage thither and that in the meane time the Regents letters should be answered in such manner that the king should seeme to say nothing touching the Regents dealing with the confederated gentlemen and the sectaries nor once speake thereof that he might not thereby make any shew to like or dislike thereof least it should be occasion of new vprore or suspition And touching the assembly of the States generall that might not by any meanes be tollerated as it had beene oftentimes before determined without burthening the kings conscience Lastly That the Regent should be once againe put in mind to entertain and pay the dutch princes and pentionaries to the king and that his commaundements might be fully kept and obserued According to this resolution in the moneth of October the king writ two sorts of letters the one to be shewed to the counsell and the lords and the other to be kept secret in the first he wrote That for that the Queene his wife was then brought in bed of her first child being a daughter borne vpon S Clares day and for that cause named Isabella Clara Eugenia he was as then going from Segobia to Madril to make preparation for his voyage into the Netherlands and that he was not persuaded that the troubles in the Netherlands could be pacified by assembling of the generall States especially in his absence with other such like doubts He wrote likewise vnto the Emperour Maximilian much complaining of the troubles in the Netherlands Whereunto the Emperour as a wise experienced and politicke prince returned him an answere in the moneth of September satisfying him in euery point of his letter particularly desiring to hold and maintaine all loue and friendship with him as brethren are bound to doe one vnto the other amongst other things saying and by many reasons and arguments proouing that hee after due ripe and good deliberation and aduice taken considering the ground and depth of the same found it to be a matter of exceeding great consequence weight and trouble principally because the matter of the Catholicke Religion was become so hatefull and odious vnto many of the Germane princes allies and of affinitie with the noblemen and gentlemen of the Netherlands which might easily bee procured and induced to mount vpon their horses and to aid them whereby the Netherlands should not only endure and suffer great hurt hinderance charges and burthens but also no small doubt might be made how the same would be well holden and kept and therfore he said he thoght it the best meanes and wherein least danger consisted to end and pacifie the controuersie if it were possible by good and peaceable meanes and not by force and rigor Which to effect his Maiesty offered so the king would be content to be a mediator betweene him and his subiects with many such reasons more He wrote likewise to that end vnto the Regent the duchesse of Parma and therewiâ—…h sent her certain letters to be giuen to the lords of the Netherlands as to the prince of Orange the earle of Egmont the earle of Horne the earle of Mansfield others but referred the deliuering of them to the discretion of the Regent and the kings pleasure which the king did after forbid her to deliuer vnto them About this time many of the noblemen in the Netherlands wrot their seuerall letters vnto the king as the earls of Egmont Mansfield Meghen and Arenbergh the baron of Barlamont Noircarmes and Rassinghem the Burghgraue of Gaunt the Vniuersitie of Louen and diuers others euery man according to his affairs shewing in generall and particular what had passed especially in euery one of their seuerall gouernments Whereunto the king made them answer in most friendly wise thanking them for their good seruice in his behalfe and willing them to continue in the same commending them seuerally for their particular seruice with many and good speeches and wrot a very friendly letter vnto the president Vigilius with his owne hand thanking him for his great paines and good endeuor done in his seruice and desiring him not respecting his age feeblenesse and indisposition of body to continue therein till his comming thither And for that about this time the prince of Orange the earle of Egmont made complaint vnto the king and certaine lords in Spaine that were their friends that some complained of them behind their backs and had a bad and sinister conceit and opinion of them against all truth as time and oportunitie should well declare with such like speeches they were answered by the third hand of certaine counsellors of Spaine that the best meanes for them to cease all bad speechâ—…s and conceits was to shew and proue the contrary by their actions conforming themselues in all things to the good will of his Maiesty which was alwaies cleare allowable answerable and from the which there was no bad consequence to be feared for that the â—…ightest and truest point of the duty of a vassale or subiect is that knowing the resolute intent and purpose of his prince to endeuour himselfe by all means to effect fulfill and execute the same with all celeritie and promptnesse although hee had some particular feeling to the contrarie for that a particular member as all vassals are vnto their lords ought not to thinke or esteeme himselfe wiser than his soueraigne prince to whom onely belonged the gouernment and generall commaund and not to the particular vassale They wrote them likewise that in Spaine the common opinion was That if they namely the prince of Orange and the earle of Egmont or any of them both would haue behaued themselues stoutly and couragiously the troubles in the Netherlands had not proceeded to such an issue which notwithstanding if from thence forward they would doe their endeauours to doe good and vpright seruice for the State without dissimulation as dutie bound them they might thereby reforme all causes or at the least maintain them in esse vntill the comming of the king into the Netherlands with diuers such instructions The Gouernesse by her manifest demonstrations of mildnesse and by so many goodly assurances which she promised did not onely labour to retaine the people and marchants from retyring out of the countrey but also the nobilitie who notwithstanding any assurance shee could giue them were not without distrust but aboue al hauing disappointed the league and compromise of the gentlemen which made her hardie and yet dissembling shee studied to entertaine by all kinds of fauour and courtesie the prince of Orange with the earles of Egmont Horne and Hochstraten The king hauing sent her word that she
the first instituter and soueraign of the order of the golden Fleece Where he sets downe in what cases a knight cannot be depriued of his order and why hee may leaue it without forfeiting And that the head and soueraigne onely of the said order together with the knights ioyntly and no others can take knowledge of the crimes wherewith any of their fellow knights are charged The said earle of Hoochstraten as borne in the countrey of Brabant did also produce fiue articles drawne out of the antient priuiledges called the Ioyous entrie of the Prince to the Duchie of Brabant concluded in old time by a perpetuall contract betwixt the duke and the three estates of the said country and solemnly sworne by them for an inuiolable law First that wee shall be to them that is to all our vassals and subiects of our countrey of Brabant hereafter specified good and vpright iusticers and loyall lords and not suffer any force or violence whatsoeuer to bee done vnto them nor intreat them nor suffer them to bee intreated otherwise than by lawfull sentences and proceedings yea we shal inioyne that all our prelats hospitals barons noblâ—…s and the good subiects of our townes and liberties as well within the countrey of Brabant as beyond the Meuse shal proceed in all things to obtain sentence and iustice according to the law of those places where it doth appertaine and that the judges in our said countries shall be bound to determine of causes without any delay that shall grow through their fault or negligence onely the judges may prorogue the day of pleading once and no more Item that we shall neuer bind our selues as duke of Brabant and Limbourg for causes touching the iurisdiction and seigniories of the said countries to make warre with any one or to make or cause to be made against any one reprisals or seizures but with the aduice will and consent of our townes and countrie of Brabant and that we shall not suffer any other causes nor shall not seale any whereby our countries limits and towns nor any of the said countries or their rights liberties and priuiledges may be violated or diminished or our countries and subiects damnified in any sort By the which seuen the chancellor and the counsellors of the counsel of Brabant or others presently added vnto them or that by succession of time it shall please vs to adde vnto them we our gouernor or gouernesse general shal make knowne and determine all causes of the said countries concerning iustice and all that shal depend thereon be it by prouision ordinarie iustice statutes proclamations edicts ordinances commandements or otherwise that is by the aduice of our gouernor and counsell of Brabant aboue mentioned without any hinderance or molestation that may be done vnto the inhabitants or that they shall bee subiect vnto the ordinances of any other but of vs our gouernor or gouernesse generall Item Whosoeuer shall be taken in our said countries of Brabant and beyond the Meuse we shall not our selues lead nor suffer them to be led prisoners out of our said countries Item That hereafter the officers by themselues or by their sergeant shall not in our townes liberties and villages of our countrey of Brabant draw any one out of his house nor take him there or make any search for any cause whatsoeuer no further than the customes priuiledges and vse of the place where it shall happen or shall bee needfull and also that shall bee lawfull will allow except our townes of Louvaine Antuerpe and Boisleduke where their ample priuiledges and customes are to be obserued The said earle of Hoochstraten did also produce an extract of three articles drawne out of the Ioyous entrie of king Philip in the yeare 1549. Hauing heard read seene and vnderstood all the Ioious entry of our lord and father with the letters of adiunctions and additions thereof together with other adiunctions letters and concessions of our great grandfather touching the last article thereof with the alterations and moderations thereof and what is added thereunto according to the contents of the act and all faithfully translated into the Spanish tongue desiring according to the loue which our lord and father bare to all the countrey of Brabant and to the inhabitants vassals and good subiects thereof to entertaine and obserue their rights priuiledges and liberties customes vses and also prescriptions in respect of the many great and faithfull seruices and fauours done to the duke and duchesse of Brabant our predecessors and many others to our lord and father the emperour as good subiects are bound to do vnto their naturall lord and as wee trust they will hereafter do to vs We haue in this our reception and inuestiture vnto the seigniory of the said countrey giuen and granted in the towne of Louvaine with the priuitie and consent of our said lord and father and of our certaine knowledge and meere motion doe giue grant and consent vnto the priuiledges articles cautions and assurances of law which follow Item We confirme and ratifie to all our prelats hospitals cloysters barons knights townes and liberties and to all other our good subiects of our countrey of Brabant and beyond the Meuse all their rights liberties priuiledges charters customes vses and prescriptions as well those which haue beene giuen granted and sealed vnto them by our predecessours dukes and duchesses as also those which they haue enioyed kept and prescribed Yea that which was granted to the three estates by duke Philip our great grandfather at the time of his entrie In like sort two other letters of our said great grandfather the one in the yeare 1451 the 20 of Septemb. and the other in the yere 1457 the 18 of Nouemb. And moreouer the two additions of our lord father the emperor the one giuen at Gand the 12 of April 1515 and the other at Brussels the 26 of the same moneth yere Promising them all in generall and euerie one in particular for vs our heires and successors to obserue and keepe them inuiolably foreueâ—… without breaking them in any sort whatsoeuer Item We do promise them for vs our heirs and successors that we shall not alledge nor pretend noâ—… cause to be alledged that we are not bound to entertaine the said liberties rights priuiledges charters customs vses prescriptions the which we haue heretofore confirmed and ratified vnder colour that we haue not giuen and granted them or promised them by some especiall article The which we will shall be no let molestation or preiudice vnto them And for that we wil and desire that all the points articles gifts and promises confirmations and ratifications aboue mentioned may remaine firme and stable without any breach wee haue faithfully promised and haue sworne vpon the holy Euangile personally for vs our heirs and successors to hold them to all in generall that is to the prelats monasteries hospitals barons knights townes and liberties
obtained that which hee so much desired which is the restitution of his goods and honour with the departure of the Spaniards whereon hee did ground his taking of armes that it is more then time to settle the countrie in peace and to banish all suspition on his behalfe imploying himselfe sincerely in so good a worke And if hee bee not satisfied with all this but doth demand some other thing let him speake plainely what hee pretends more for his safetie to the end that full contentment may bee giuen him For the effecting whereof it is verie requisite that the perpetuall Edict of the treatie made by the generall Estates with his highnesse and proclaimed at Brussells the seauenteenth of February and successiuely in other townes and Prouinces in confirmation of the sayd pacification of Gant may bee also proclaymed in Holland Zeeland and other associat places whereas hetherto it hath not beene published In like sort seeing a peace is made and proclaimed it is necessary that generally all acts should cease which tend to hostilitie and may giue any occasion of distrust as the entertayning of souldiars the fortification of townes and places practises and allyances leagues and confederations euen with strangers casting of new Ordinance the which ought to remaine in the same Estate vntill the resolution of the generall Estates And for that and other things specefied in the pacification to giue order for the full accomplishment of a desired peace and the publike tranquillitie it is fit to aduise speedelie when the sayd generall Estates shall assemble All which points the sayd Commissioners for his Highnesse require the Prince of Orange and the Deputies of Holland and Zeeland to carry them vnto the Estates of Holland and Zeeland as they will doe vnto his Highnesse and to the other Estates the points and articles which shal be giuen them by the sayd Prince and deputies Hoping there shal be a fauorable answere giuen reciprocally of either side and that all things in the meane time shall remaine in peace and tranquility The answere of the Prince of Orange and the Deputies of the Estates of Holland and Zeeland to the sayd Proposition MY Lords vpon the Proposition which it hath pleased you to make on his Highnesse behalfe that to take away all iealousie and distrust which seemed to hinder the sinceritie of the peace wee should propound assurances which wee thinke conuenient for the effecting thereof The Prince of Orange and the deputies of the Estates of Holland and Zeeland haue made answere that it were a superfluous thing to demande new assurances seeing that the conditions promised by the pacification were not yet accomplished and that to take away distrust there was no better meanes then to beginne by the fulfilling of the points and articles of the pacification of Gant the which wee beeing readie for our parts to accomplish if any remayning desiryng that you would doe the like on your behalfe and that moreouer it hath pleased you my maisters to require vs to put in writing the points and articles which wee pretend are not yet fulfilled To satisfie your desire therein the Prince of Orange and the deputies of the Estatâ—…s of Holland and Zeeland haue thought good to exhibit these articles following First that the aduice and answere which the Prince of Orange and the Estates of Holland and Zeeland haue giuen by writing to all the generall Estates of the Netherlands by the hands of Mounsier de Villerual dated the nineteenth day of February in the yeare of our Lord 1577. containes many Articles by which it appeeres that the pacification made at Marche in Famine was not conformable to all the Articles of the pacification of Gant for which cause the sayd Prince Estates haue not allowed of the said pacification but vpon expresse condition that the generall estates should for their parts passe an act obligatory in due forme signed by them and the Gouernors of Prouinces commanders and colonels conformable to that which is more particularly specified in the said aduice and answer Where-vpon they haue by an act giuen and dated the first of March declared their intention to haue alwaies beene to maintaine effectually the pacification made at Gand and to seeke to redresse all that they should finde done or attempted to the contrary or against the preuiledges rights liberties and customes of the Netherlands as well in generall as in particular and they promised to cause the like resolution to be signed by the Gouernors of Prouinces commanders and collonels as being bound to gouerne them-selues accordingly which promise and condition hath not beene effected nor accomplished for the Germains are not yet gone out of the country which is contrary to the said pacification of Gand. Item the goods haue not beene neither are yet restored to the Prince of Orange as well in these parts as in Bourgongne and Luxembourg Neither is the Earle of Buren his sonne deliuered which doth not onely impugne the said pacification but also the preuiledges and liberties of the country and the conditions of the said aduice and answer Item the Prince hath not his gouernment yet restored vnto him as hee had it by commission from his Maiesty seeing that neither the country and towne of Vtrecht nor the townes of Tholen Heusden and others are not yet vnited to their ancient gouernments as they were in former times where in my Lords of the councell of State haue shewed them-selues partiall writing letters to them of Vtrecht by the which they haue kept them from submitting them-selues vnder their ancient Gouernor according to the said pacification and the preuiledges of Vtrecht although that they of Vtrecht haue often required that they might submit them-selues Moreouer in steed of augmenting and maintaining the priuileges of the country as had beene specefied not onely in the said pacification but also in the conditions of the said aduice and answer giuen vnto the generall estates we see them now deminished yea broken and violated in diuers sorts for my Lords the States haue by their Instruction giuen to certaine deputies sent vnto Don Iohn lately sence the said aduice and answer where it had beene expresly mentioned subiected the assembly of the States as wel general as particular vnto the good pleasure of Don Iohn the which should remaine free according to the ancient rights preuiledges and liberties of the Countrie in those Prouinces and places that haue preuiledges Item those of the religion are not admitted in any places and townes of other prouinces to remaine there according to the pacification of Gand as may bee verified by many examples if they will take informations And yet not-with-standing all this and that the promises and obligations contained in the said pacification of Gand and sence in that which the estates haue promised to the Prince to the estates of Holland and Zeeland be not accomplished yet they haue receiued the said Don Iohn for Gouernor and Captaine generall without the aduise
their letters the last of the moneth But all these conferences writings answers and replies of either side brought forth no fruite Don Iohn refusing to be tied to the pacification of Gant which he had sworne and the King approuing his actions and meaning to maintaine him in his gouernment And so Don Iohn made all the preparation hee could for warre and hauing ordred all things in Luxembourg hee came to March in Famine from thence to Hoye in the country of Liege fiue Leagues aboue Namur from whence he went vnto his castell of Namur Being at Luxemburg succors came to him from all parts as to the Rendezuous whether arriued Alexander Farneze Prince of Parina sonne to Duke Octauio and to Marguerite bastard to the Emperor Charles the fift in former time Gouernesse of the Netherlands bringing with him the Spaniards and Italiens of Lombardie whether also was come before Charles Earle of Mansfeld with his French troupes the Germains and Bourguignons were there also so as in a short time Don Iohn gathered together an army of sixteene thousand foote and about two thousand horse Italiens Spaniards French Germaines heigh Bourguignons and Lorrains seeing him-selfe thus fortefied hee published in print the causes and reasons which moued him to take armes against the States which were to maintayne in the Netherlands generally the Catholike and Romish Relligion and the obedience of the King of Spaine inserting many goodly promises to the Prouinces townes nobles Borroughes villages and men of warre that would bee of his party The States made an answer also in print vnto this declaration of Don Iohn At the same time Pope Gregory the thirteene sent a Bull from Rome of the 8. of Ianuary by the which he gaue remission of all sinnes for euer and life eternall vnto all those that after they had beene confest and receiued the Sacrament should goe to warre in the seruice of Don Iohn against the Prince of Orange and them of Holland and Zeeland and al others whom he termed Heretiks But these soldiars would haue bin better pleased with his duckets then with his pardons Wee haue saide before how that the Prince of Orange had often refused the Lieutenancy of the Arch-duke Mathias and that it had bred a iealousie among the Nobility the which appeared by the effects for the next day after that the Prince had taken the oth for this charge all the Noblemen that were in the campe began to abandon the army one after an other being then at Templours in the Countrie of Namur The Lord of Lumay Earle of Marche who had a great spleene against the Prince by reason of his imprisonment for his insolencies committed against Priests was the first that went away leauing his regiment there The Earle of Lalain generall of the Armie who expected to haue the place of Lieutenant followed him then the Vicont of Gant afterwards Marquis of Rouban would goe to see his wife at Beuvrage neere vnto Valenciennes the Earles of Bossu and Egmont and other Noblemen came to Brussels to the marriage of the Lord of Bersselle with the Marquesse of Berghen daughter to the Lord of Merode Valentin de Pardieu Seignior of La Motte Gouernor of Grauelinghe and at that time Maister of the Ordinance fained an excuse to runne to Brussels To conclude euery man left the campe one after another the which wandred vp and downe from place to place First they brought it from about Namur to Gemblours from thence to Templours then to Saint Martins and backe againe to Gemblours to bring it into Brabant At that time there were no other Commanders in the whole Armie but the Siegnior of Goignies Marshall of the Campe the Baron of Montigni Brother to the Earle of Lalain afterwards Marquis of Renty at that time young and vnexperienced in those affaires the Seigniors of Bailloeul and Heure bretheren old Knights And to prooue that this iealousie was the cause of their abandoning the Armie I can truely say for that I did obserue it beeing then a follower to the Vicont of Gant that after the Prince of Orange had taken the oth as Lieutenant generall to the Arch-duke and that the newes thereof was come vnto the Campe they held but once any councell of warre beginning the next day to slippe away and to disbande one after one which was the cause of the route of the sayd Armie As they tooke occasion to drawe it from Saint Martins and Templours to Gemblours Don Iohn the better to discouer it and to see it marche presented himselfe with his troope vpon a little hill that he might view it at his pleasure hauing no thought nor intent to fight with them But seeing their disorder and that the fore-ward was aduanced aboue a league before the reere-ward marching not in an enemies countrey but as it were to take a re-view or muster Hee was aduised to charge them giuing furiously vpon the battaile whose horse-men brake the foote of their reere-ward so as of the battaile and the reere-ward there was a quick dispatch most of the fore-ward sauing themselues in the towne of Gemblours The greatest losse fell vpon the regiment of Collonell Balfour a Scottishman who was hurt there and yet saued himselfe and so did the Lord of Montigny after that he had done as much as possible might bee the Siegnior of Goignies was taken prisoner and from that time fell to serue the Spaniard Those old Knights of Bailloeul and Heure who in all things dealt plainly hauing saued them-selues in Gemblours were soone after made prisoners by the taking of the Towne Don Iohn pursuing the course of his victorie the countrey wauering as if all had beene lost seized vpon the Towne of Louvain the Magistrates going forth to meete him presented him the Keyes then of Arschot Tillemont Diest Lewe and the little Towne of Sichem where hee intreated the Officers and Magistrates inhumainly This defeate made him swell with pride from thence hee sent Cont Charles of Mansfieldt before Bovuines whereas the Seignior of Estourmel commanded who hauing endured some Canon shotte seeing no shew of succours and the Towne beeing vnfit to bee held hee yeelded it by composition And although the losse was not so great in this defeate of Gemblours as the Spaniards bragged the States hauing gathered their men together with all the speed that might bee yet it did drawe away and coole the courage of many of their partie and those that in their hearts were affected and bore good will to the Spaniards began to shew them-selues openly and to retire to Don Iohn The Duke of Aniou being aduertised of this defeat sent the Seignior of Fougeres a Gentleman of his Chamber and one of his Secretaries to the States to condole with them and to offer to ayde them both with his person and meanes which being accepted by them he sent the Earle of Rochepot the Seignior Despruneaux in ambassage to Antwerp with whom the Earle of Lalain
and other Church-men pretending that they had broken the last accord in suffring Monkes to preach in their Churchs whereas none but their Curats and Viccars should haue beene admitted And in truth a Monke preaching sediciously in Saint Michaels Church was the cause of the first muti◅e The like happened in march at Denremond and Oudenard so as those Townes sell into a greater Labirinth of troubles then before The States armie being as wee haue saide broken and dispersed of it selfe and Duke Casimiers troupes feeding vpon the poore countrymen all the winter about Tillemont and Arschot attending their pay The Prince of Parma marched into that quarter with his army and began to treat with them to make them retire so as in the end they had a pasport to depart out of the Netherlands within fifteene daies robbing spoyling and carrying away all they could lay hand on in the villages where they past hauing no entry giuen them into any towne Duke Casimire being at Flessinghes at his returne from England hearing of the retreat of his troupes followed them with all speed taking no leaue of the Archduke nor of the States being then assembled at Antwerp who hearing of the departure of his army they sent after them intreating the collonels that they might retaine still in their pay two or three thousand men horse and foote but being already vpon the way they would not returne the regiment of Lazarus Muller did also retire The Germains that were in Deuenter after that they had made as great resistance as they could vnder the gouernment of the Seignior of Hauercourt a Bourguignon and had held it from the end of Iuly to the twentith of Nouember making many skirmishes so as of 1200. men which they had they were reduced to fiue hundred after that the. Towne had beene battred three daies togither by the earle of Rheneberg Gouernor of Freezland seeing the assault readie to be giuen they yeelded vpon composition to haue their liues and goodes saued The first of December the Earle of Swaertzenbourgh of whome wee haue made mention before being Ambassador from the Emperor presented him-selfe againe vnto the States by aduise of the Emperor and of some Princes Electors vppon the last propositions and treatie of Peace demanding an answer thereof with the which for the desire he had to pacifie the warres and to settle the Netherlands in peace he transported him-selfe to the Prince of Parma but they could not agree so as it proued fruitlesse The one and twentith of the Moneth Maximillian of Henin Earle of Bossu generall of the Sates Armie Lord Steward to the Arch-duke Mathias Councellor of State being taken with a burning feuer died in Antwerp who was much lamented both of the Nobilitie soldiers and common people The fiue and twentith day the Duke of Aniou defender of the libertie of the Netherlands as he tearmed him-selfe gaue the States to vnderstād by Monsieur Domartin the causes which moued him to returne into France to leaue those countries Among other points he alledged the instāce which the king his brother made by reason of some tumults which had hapned in France and that in the Netherlāds they had giuen the people to vnderstand that his Presence did hurt the general Peace that was in hand that hee sought to seaze vpon the townes of the said countrie wherein he would disproue them in deliuering vp all thinges after his departure into the States hands He also made an offer that where-soeuer he were he would remaine alwaies well affected vnto them In the end taking his leaue of them he wisht them to remember the great charges he had bene at to succor thē leauing Monsieur D'Espruneaux for his Ambassador Leeger with the States The States being amazed at this sodaine and vnexpected departure they sent the Seignior of Fromont and Doctor Gilles Martini Secretarie of the towne of Antwerp to let him vnderstand how much they were greeued beseeching him so to accomodate his affaires as he might remaine in the Netherlands and acknowledging the benefits and fauors they had receiued from him they offred all seruice with a promise of full contentment and satisfaction fit for his greatnesse After his departure a good part of his troopes retired to the Malecontents of Menin especially of his footmen In Ianuarie 1579. Salentin Earle of Isenbrug Arch-bishop and Prince Elector of Cologne leauing his ecclesiasticall dignitie married with the daughter of the Earle of Arembergh The Chapter and the Diocesse could not at the first agree vppon the election of a new Prince yet in the end Trucses was chosen but being also married and seeking to reforme his Diocesse and to retaine the dignitie with his wife there followed great warres the Chapter hauing dispossest him At the last Ernest the victorious Prince of Bauaria hauing chased away Trucses and dispersed his troopes was acckowledged Arch-bishoppe of Cologne Bishoppe of Liege of Frissinghe Hilessem other Bishopprickes and great Benifices and the Popes Legat in the lower Germany The first of March the Prince of Parma caused his armie to aduance before Antwerp trusting it may be vpon some intelligences which he presumed to haue presenting him-selfe in the quarter of Deurne and Burgerhout suburbes of the towne The Burgers hauing drawne the chaines of their streetes set their rounds of euery side appointed euery man his quarter and shewed themselues very resolute and vnited to defend the towne saluting the Spaniards with their great ordinance who were in skirmish with certaine companies of English and Scottish in the trenches of those suburbes and of Berchem whome they charged vntil night but in the end they were forced to retier by the towne canon after they had lost aboue 500. men and 200. of the States The Spaniards retired presently towards Louvaine after that they had burnt some houses and milles of the Iurisdiction of Antwerp The Captaines and chiefe officers of the States side that were either flaine or hurt were brought into the towne the dead were buried and the rest were gratified by the Magistrates for their valour and good seruice those of Antwerp complaining of the bad paiment the States made vnto the soldiers considering the great summes of money which they had furnished to that end for their parts Wherevpon not long after the English companies suing for their pay from the generall Estates beeing assembled at Antwerp seeing they delaid them too much some forty of them attending the comming forth of the States from the Councell about noone day seazed vpon the Abbot of S. Michael a rich Abbay in the sayd towne carrying him in the midst of them through the towne vnto the hauen where they imbarkt him in a ship among their men threatning him that if they were not payd by his meanes to cast him into the water But the Prince of Orange and the Collonels of Antwerp did pacifie them and vppon promise that they should bee speeddily paid
giuen them but they may retire if they please and retaine that which they brought with them And that all they that are at this present in the sayd Conuents or that hereafter would enter shall remaine free in their Religion profession and habits vpon condition that in all other things they shal be obedient to their Generalls And if it should happen which Almightie GOD forbid that there should bee anie question or diuision made betwixt the sayd Prouinces wherein they could not agree that the same so farre as it concernes one Prouince in particular shall be ended and determined by the other prouinces or by those among them which they should name But if it concernes all the Prouinces in generall it shall bee determined by the gouernors and lieutenatns of the Prouinces as it is said in the ninth Article who should be bound to doe iustice vnto the parties or to reconcile them together within one month or within a shorter space if the case so requires after instance made vnto him by one of the parties And that which by the other Prouinces or their deputies or by the Gouernors or lieutenant shall bee decreed and set downe it shall bee followed and accomplished cutting of all other remedies at law either by appeale releefe reuision nullity or any other pretensions whatsoeuer That the said Prouinces townes and members thereof shall bee carefull not to offer any occasion of warre or quarrell to any of their neighbours Princes noblemen countries townes or common weales for the preuenting whereof the said vnited Prouinces shall be bound to doe good and speedy iustice as well to forreners and strangers as to their owne subiects and Cittizens And if any one among them should faile therein the rest of their confederats shal seeke by all conuenient meanes to haue it done that al abuses that might hinder them or stay the course of iustice may be corrected and reformed according vnto right and equity and the ancient preuiledges and customes thereof None of the Prouinces townes or members may impose any imposition mony for conuoy nor any other like charge to the preiudice of the rest without the generall consent of all nor surcharge any of his confederats more then himselfe or his inhabitants That for the prouiding for all occurrents and difficulties that may happen the said confederats shall be bound vpon somons made vnto them by such as haue authority to appeere presently in the towne of Vtrecht at the day appointed to vnderstand that which by the letters of rescription shall bee declared if the cause requires not secresie to determine thereon or by a generall consent or plurality of voyces to resolue and decree although that some appeere not in which cause they that appeere may in the meane time proceed to the resolution and determination of that which they shall find conuenient and profitable for the publicke good of these vnited prouinces And that which hath beene so decreed shall bee accomplished by them that appered not if the matter bee not of too great importance and may well be delaid In which case they shall write vnto them that haue bin absent to come at a certaine day limited or else to loose the effect of their voyces for that time And when it is done it shall remaine firme and inuiolable although that some of the said Prouinces haue beene absent yet such as shall haue no means to appeere it shall be lawfull for them to send to them to send their opinions in writing the which shall bee regarded in the collection of all the voyces And to this end all and euery one of the said confederats shall be bound to write vnto them that haue the authority to assemble the said vnited prouinces of all things that may occurre or that shall seeme vnto them to tend vnto the good or euill of the said Prouinces and confederats that they may there-vpon call them together And if there shall bee any obscurity or ambiguitie whereby there may grow any dispute or question the interpretation thereof shall bee long vnto the said confederats who by a generall consent may explaine them and decree according vnto reason And if they agree not therevpon they shall haue recourse vnto the Gouernors and Lieutenants of Prouinces as is said before As also if it should bee thought necessary to augment or diminish any thing in the articles of this vnion confederation and alliance in any of their points it shall be done by the common consent of all the confederats and not otherwise All which points and articles and euery one of them in particular the said vnited Prouinces haue promised and doe promise by these presents to accomplish and entertaine and to cause to be accomplished and entertained without any opposition or contradiction directly in any sort And if any thing shall be done or attempted contrary to the tenor thereof they doe presently declare it voyd and of none effect Binding there-vnto their perâ—…ons and of all the inhabitants respectiuely of the said Prouinces townes and members withall their goods The which in case of contrauention may bee in all places and before all Iudges and iurisdictions where they shal be found seized on and arrested for the accomplishing of these presents and that which depends thereon renouncing to that end all exceptions graces preuiledges releefes and generally all other benifits of law which contrarie to these presents may any way aide and serue them And especially in the law which sayth that a generall reconciliation is of no force if a speciall doth not proceed And for the greater corroboration all gouernors and Lieutenants of the sayd Prouinces which are there at this present or that may bee hereafter togither with all Magistrates and chiefe Officers of these Prouinces townes or members shal be bound to sweare and take an oth to keepe and cause to bee kept all the points and articles and euerie one of them in particular of this vnion and confederation As also all bodies and companies of Burgeses shall take the same oth in euery of the sayd townes and places of the sayd vnion Herevpon letters shall bee sent out in forme by the Gouernors Lieutenants members and townes of Prouinces beeing specially required therevnto This present vnion was made and signed in the sayd towne of Vtrecht the 23 of Ianuary 1579. The fourth of February following this vnion was signed by them of Gant the third day of May by the Prince of Orange in Antwerp the eleauenth of Iune by George of Lalain Earle of Rhenebergh Gouernor of Friseland Oueryssel Groninghen and the Ommelands After followed they of Antwerp Bruges Breda and manie others All this was done whilest that they of Arthois Henault Lille Douay and Orchies labored their disunion and practised their priuate reconciliation with the Prince of Parma beeing then camped before Mastricht excusing themselues to the other confederates that they could not suffer any alteration in the Romish Religion but for the rest
Nyenvenoort hauing made a contract with the Estates to leuie souldiers at his owne costs and charges the which he should entertaine by contribution enforced vpon the enemie the Estates wrot vnto him to helpe to relieue Steenwicke who to that end came with six companies of his owne and six Friseland companies vnder the conduct of Adrian Meningh lieutenant colonel to Merode to Blockziel with waggons and victuals being in all fifteene hundred men which the earle of Renenbergh vnderstanding hee went secretly away in the night time At his departure from the cloyster he left the wounded dead men and his prisoners and great store of victuals behind him hauing besieged the cloister three daies and burned the village of Griethorn After that there grew a great mutinie amongst his souldiers which within certaine daies was pacified with some money each souldier hauing receiued 21 styuers The last of Ianuarie Sir Iohn Norris came to Oldermarckt a myle from Steenwicke with all his troupes for which cause the earle of Renenbergh made diuers other sconces and left his lodging in Steenwicker Woldt they of the towne for that their gates were battered and annoyed with sconces resolued at the last to make a new gate betweene the wall and Ostergate on the North side which they called Cornputs gate because hee had alwaies giuen them counsell to make it there that they might receiue their victuals therein from Sir Iohn Norris The fourth of Februarie three Wood-cockes others say Partridges came flying into the market place of Steenwicke and were there taken by the souldiers and eaten Which being told to captaine Cornput he said presently God sent the vnbelieuing Israelites such kind of meat and he for certaine will relieue this towne but for that there are three so it shall not happen vntill three weekes be ended because we will not beleeue him This prophecie of Cornput which the common bourgers made more question of than the rest was taken in euill part as if that he would prescribe so long a time for their deliuerance which hee seemed to haue spoken onely to lessen the great longing and desire that the bourgers had thereunto neuerthelesse it appeareth that God spake by his mouth although he knew it not himselfe for it was true for that euen the same day three weekes after the towne was sufficiently victualled by Sir Iohn Norris The same day Sir Iohn Norris the earle of Nassau Merode Nienort Michiel Caulier Iselstein Hegeman and Stuper with sixe and fortie companies of footmen being about three thousand fiue hundred men strong and six cornets of horse went to Steenwicker Woldt and encamped himselfe in the East end in a conuenient place called Heddinbergh where there stood many small trees which serued for trenching or sconces but in the North end where it was open he made a defence of wagons they of the towne might discouer his ensignes and know them being but 2400 paces from thence and nothing betweene them but plaine fields medowes heaths and marishes in the middle wherof there stood a new sconce made there by Renenberghs souldiers vpon the 31 of Ianuarie To resist them the earle of Renenberghs souldiers put themselues in order of battaile and at the last after they had stood so vntill the next day after noone they went with their ordnance to assaile Sir Iohn Norris campe behind not thinking to find the Wagon sconce gaue a furious assault where captaine Hendrike Suater their leader was slaine they of the towne in the meane time issuing out into the enemies campe did them great hurt and got good store of bootie The sixt or seuenth of February there was a search made in euery house within the town to know what prouision of victuals they had and they found corne and other victuals sufficient to serue them two moneths as well amongst the rich as the poore who thought they should not haue bin so narrowly searched as the rich men each man being allowed 6 pound of bread a weeke for which cause captaine Cornput shewed the forestallers therof in what danger they had brought both the countrey and the towne for that the souldiers fearing want of victuals were like to haue fallen into a mutinie and bin discouraged and thereby made the enemie to thinke that they were in great necessity and gaue them more courage as also that the Estates through their impatient writing for reliefe had bin almost compelled to aduenture a battail which as it appeared would haue fallen out badly for them but notwithstanding al this they of the towne were still very impatient and wrot importunately for reliefe Euerie day they skirmished and the earle of Renenbergh stil made more sconces between Sir Iohn Norris campe and the towne which they first began vnder the defence of certain wagons laden with dung which they placed there by night and so made their trenches behind them All the heapes of turfe the earle of Renenbergh caused to be burnt that the way might be discouered yet for all their great light they could not intercept one letter or messenger that came out of the towne the which was verie strange At the last captaine Cornput caused certaine bullets to be made of two pound weight apeece thereby to preuent the danger of their messengers which bullets were shot into Sir Iohn Norris campe These bullets had two holes the one to thrust in the letter the other to put in the fire worke for that by the smoke thereof they might the better be found Vpon the fourteenth of Februarie Sir Iohn Norris sent them of the towne word that they should make three bridges ouer the riuer of Aa and he would giue the aduenture to releeue them appointing his men to place wagons along on both sides and so to conuey the victuals into the towne wherein captaine Cornput vsed great diligence to cause certaine sconces to bee made without the towne and it seemed as though hee would haue had sconces made cleane through from the towne to Sir Iohn Norris campe but all he desired was not done notwithstanding they within made sconces without the towne in the West part with great toyle hewing the hard frozen earth with hatchets and pickaxes made a bridge ouer the Aa and so lay in the field without the towne but after signes giuen on both sides touching the beginning of the enterprise Sir Iohn Norris in seeking to effect it found great difficultie which was that the wagons could not passe ouer the hard knobs of â—…osen earth which lay in the marshes neither could they effect it without great noyse and therefore for that time he staied but they of the towne finished their worke and hindered the enemy from making their sconces against them taking his dung wagons from him they kept the field night and day The seuenteenth of Februarie the great frost began to thaw which did much comfort them of the towne who were in good hope they should not now haue so much
defend and preserue you And for that which concerneth the said Estates and wherein they find themselues taxed by the said proscription they are resolued with the first opportunitie to iustifie themselues Giuen in Delft c. This answer being printed in diuers tongues was sent to all the princes of Europe to iustifie himselfe of the accusations laid vpon him in the said proscription and to shew who had bin the first motiue and the cause of the troubles in the Netherlands This yeare died Frederick Schencke of Tautenbergh bishop of Vtrecht beeing president of the chamber at Spiers who in the yeare 1559 succeeded Iordan van Egmont in the said bishopricke and was the 61 bishop of Vtrecht Which bishops had gouerned that countrey 884 yeares from anno 696 till anno 1580. This Frederick was a man of great learning as doth appeare by his writings The eight and twentieth of December died Gerard of Grosbeke cardinall bishop and prince of Liege who contrarie to the disposition of the Liegeois had openly defended the Spanish faction Some thought he died of griefe for that the countrey would not yeeld to the contribution which he demaunded The Estates would haue had some prince aduanced who had beene better affected to their partie and aboue all the archduke Mathias who was then in the Netherlands whereunto they recommended him but the partisans of Spaine carried it by voyces for Ernest sonne to the duke of Bauaria bishop of Fresingen who had before laboured to haue the bishopricke and electorship of Cologne the which hee had together with the Postulat of Munster with other great dignities So as we may truely say That the said Ernest is at this day one of the greatest prelats in Christendome In Nouember past colonell Balfour generall of the Scots that were vnder the States seruice being in garrison at Bruges in Flanders went forth with a troupe of horse and set vpon in the village of Wassenare in Franc of Bruges certaine light horsemen of the prince of Parmaes the which hee defeated but succours comming Balfour who had but threescore horse after that hee had fought valiantly was defeated and slaine but not without great slaughter of the Spaniards His bodie was carried to Bruges and honourably interred Hee was much lamented for the good seruices which hee had done in Flanders neither died hee poore His wife was brought in bed soone after in the same towne In the beginning of May the deputies of the prouinces of the Netherlands that were sent into Fraunce to the duke of Aniou returned backe againe hauing made choyce of him for their soueraigne Lord although some articles of the contract were not fully agreed vpon as that the king for his brothers sake shold make war against the king of Spain which the Estates did much desire with some others But the duke found many in France that did crosse his proceedings therein beeing of the Spanish faction for which cause about this time he made a declaration and putting it in print he sent it to all the courts of parliament of France shewing his firme and constant resolution touching the defence and freeing of the Netherlands from troubles shewing how honorable it was and what profit it might bring to the kingdom and crowne of Fraunce About this time there was an enterprise discouered in Brussels by a miller which carried letters who being put to the racke and tortured accused the seigniour of Haussy and his wife of certaine practises for the which they were committed to close prison with the lady of Waerdenburch sister to the said ladie and others who were soone after released except the said lord of Haussy who continued for a time in prison with doctour Cornet But afterwards by the meanes of the seigniour of Timpel gouernour of the towne who married the said ladie of Waerdenburch the seignior of Haussy was set at libertie and went for a time into France And not long after there was an vprore begun and made by meanes of a preaching monke that had been banished out of Gant called Anthony Ruyskenueldt who seruing there in a certaine parish by meanes of his preaching he drew diuers adherents vnto him who laboured to frustrat and disannull the good resolution which the Estates had taken for their protection and defence some of them hauing before consented to the enterprise made by the earle of Egmont and of others as of doctor Ioos Butkens Andreas Anderlech the lord and lady of Haussie and Iohn Cob an English man who not long before had bin hanged and quartered in the said towne For which cause the magistrat of Brussels sought diuers secret means to get that monk out of the towne but all in vaine at the last he being more and more suspected it was resolued that he should by some means or other be forced to depart which comming to his knowledge he and his adherents caused a great number of people to assemble together before the gouernors house which seditiously cried out That they being Catholikes neither could nor would endure that their peacher should be driuen out of the towne saying That they would sooner suffer themselues to bee cut in peeces with many such words more but for that time they were pacified with faire words but in the afternoone the magistrat being come thither they began another great outcry amongst them and in great rage they began to plucke vp the stones in the street and made a great vprore with their weapons and the stones the Amptman hauing a hatchet throwne at his head but the garrison and the well affected bourgers arming themselues the vprore ceased And after that further information being taken therein it was found that diuers seditious enterprises had bin practised inuented in the cloisters vnder pretence of going to masse as also at the like assemblies of the said seditious preacher Anth. Ruyskenueldt for which cause by full consent of the townes men and members of the same they caused the said Ruyskenueldt and some of his adherents to depart out of the town determining further to shut vp the cloisters and the churches that no more such violences should bee vsed by such tumults as also that by authoritie of the magistrats all the images in euery place of the towne should bee broken downe and that the best part of them should bee sold with most aduantage towards the charges of the towne and the reliefe of the poore Whereupon a proclamation beeing made shewing the abuses and dangerous practises of the Papists within the towne it was decreed by the Amptman and magistrats of the saide towne for the peace vnion and securitie of the said towne not to permit nor allow of the exercise of the Romish religion in any church or chappell of the same and that therfore it should wholly be suspended forbidden vntill that other order should be taken in the causes concerning the said town the country and that therin they should follow the necessitie of the time as
had caused the pioners to fill vp the ditches and began to vndermine the wall so as he forced them within to parle but Dekema refusing to accept of the conditions his souldiers compelled him thereunto and deliuered him and eighteene Friselanders more prisoners to Sonoy the rest were suffered freely to depart This castle had the wall next vnto the towne throwne downe againe and presently thereupon Sonoy caused the town to be fortified This towne of Staueren is very auncient and in times past was a lordship very rich and mightie a great towne of marchandise and the chiefe in all those Northerne parts with a very good and a spacious hauen but now filled vp with sand it had great commaund euen as farre Nimmeghen as it appeareth by an authenticke writing grauen ouer the gate of the castle of Nimmeghen whereas yet is to be seene in old letters this inscription Hucusque ius Stauriae that is Thus farre stretcheth the iurisdiction of the towne of Staueren and in another place Hic finitur regnum Stauriae that is Here endeth the dominion of Staueren Staueren in times past was so mighty as in Anno 1345 with the aid of the Frisons vpon the 26 of September they ouercame William earle of Henault with all his army in Holland hard by S. Odolf his cloyster where the said earle with many of his men were slain so that long after there were diuers dead mens bones it being two hundred yeres since found vnburied in that place for which cause in Anno 1545 Mary queene of Hungarie the emperour Charles sister and Regent in the Netherlands caused all the dead bones thereabouts to be gathered vp and sent to Staueren where they were buried In May the earle of Renenberghs souldiers came out of great Auwart downe to the Reediep and thought to make a sconce vpon the water to exclude the lord of Nyenuenoort from the sea but he being aduertised therof went to encounter them hauing laid an ambush he charged defeated them slew and took a great number of them caried away some of their ensignes After that the lord of Nyenuenoort hauing receiued 2 moneths pay for his soldiers of the Estates of Friseland vpō condition that he should in the Estates name besiege great Auwart he for that cause went besieged it with diuers companies of souldiers brought ordnance before it to batter the fort but the earle of Renenbergh being aduertised thereof gathered together all his forces from Myddelstum other places the which they did rase abandon and so passing ouer the Reediep hauing a new supply of 300 horse he marched towards Auwart which Nyenuenoort perceiuing he was in mind to haue left the siege but the most part of his captains were of a contrary opinion wherein they committed a great error for that placing the pesants of Friseland among their squadrons of souldiers they for want of experience as soone as the earle of Renenbergh came to charge presently without any blows giuen leaped ouer the ditches with their long staues ran away which put the rest into rout euery one seeking to saue himself the earle of Renenberghs forces following them who took Haspelinus Berenbroeks ensignes captaine Stuper and Vischer being taken prisoners but not many slaine Many of them fled into the sconce of Auwerderziel where the earle of Renenbergh gaue two furious charges but he was forced to leaue it with great losse of his men but comming thither againe with the canon and hauing battered it and made a breach after three assaults they forced it killing all they found in it where among the rest Schelto Iarges a wise and a valiant captaine was slaine The Friselanders presently after assembled the dispersed souldiers againe so that Nynuenoort being made strong with more souldiers went to his fort of Winsum but the earl of Renenbergh comming before it with all his power the fort being not yet finished nor able to endure the canon he was constrained by his own men to parle with the earle so as it was agreed that he should depart freely with bag and baggage and leaue all his other forts Nyenuenoort being thus ouerthrowne the earle of Renenbergh was master all ouer the Ommelands as far as Doccum In the meane time the Estates to aid the lord of Nyenuenoort although too late appointed Sir Iohn Norris to be generall ouer certaine forces and with him eight companies of Sonoy his regiment with some others who being made stronger with the remainders of the broken companies sought opportunitie to giue the earle of Renenbergh battaile and as captaine Schul with certaine souldiers had taken Monikerziel fort he tooke that from them and forced the earle of Renenberghs troupes to goe out of the village in Gripskerke in battaile Colonel Sonoy led the foreward and began the charge coldly by many skirmishes vntill the rest came on and charged in grosse wherupon the Renenberghers fled and were pursued till they came to Groning with the losse of certaine ensignes and seuen hundred of their men besides many which were taken prisoners and small losse to the victors they tooke great store of their armes which they that fled were forced to cast away and yet Sir Iohn Norris had no horsemen with him but onely his owne cornet whereby many of the Renenberghers saued their liues most by means of the ditches there was also foure peeces of ordnance taken from them and all their prouision The 23 of Iuly died George of Lalain baron of Ville earl of Renenbergh brother to the earle of Hoochstraten for griefe and sorrow of this defeat although his sicknesse was not without some suspition of poyson during his sicknes he did often grieue and lament that he had quit the Estates party whereby he had drawne himselfe into such a laberynth crying out often O Groning Groning whereunto hast thou brought me cursing the day that he had euer seene it The last 8 daies before his death he exclaimed also vpon his sister Cornille of Lalain forbidding hir to come in his sight seeing that she had seduced him and was the cause of his perdition This earle of Renenbergh was sonne to the lord of Escornets gouernor of Guelderland for the emperor who had to wife the daughter of the earle of Renenbergh afterwards by the succession of his cousin became earle of Hoochstraten as also the said George of Lalain succeeded after the death of Cont Herman his vncle by the mothers side chanon of Cologne to the said earldome of Renenbergh His elder brother earle of Hoochstraten was called Anthony of Lalain a wise and valiant nobleman who in the yere 1567 retired himselfe with the prince of Orange out of the Netherlāds was also banished by the duke of Alua as we haue formerly shewed He died of a shot in the foot in the first voiage which the prince made with his army into these countries leauing some children among others his eldest was also
weake resolutions they would fall the yeare following into greater inconuenience than before The which would happen said he for that not any one of them in particular did thinke that this warre did concerne his life goods wife children and posteritie seeking rather their priuat profit than the publike and withall euerie man refused to furnish money according as he is taxed without the which neither he nor any man liuing can make warrè Not that he demanded the mannaging of the money which they knew hee neuer had nor euer desired wherewith some calumnious persons whose knowledge is better would taxe him but he had thought it good to admonish them hereof that they might discerne and prouide for that which was common to them all seeing it hath beene hitherto obserued the which they could not preuent that not only euery prouince but euery towne hath his counsell of warre his troups and his treasure apart True it was they had appointed a generall and head counsell but without authoritie or power for where there is neither authoritie respect nor obedience how is it possible to settle any good order in militarie discipline in the reuenues treasure iustice or policie and in all other things concerning an estate Being impossible that such a counsell can haue any authoritie or respect when as they cannot dispose of a penie as neither he nor that high counsell neuer yet could To conclude said hee behold the fault and the inconuenience which had hitherto detained them and wherein they continued the which as he had formerly prophesied vnto them would be the cause of their ruine if God by his mercie did not preuent it He therefore intreated them to consider well of that point and to call them that vnderstood it to the end the blame might not be laid vpon him But if they would take a good course and foresee it in time they shold find by the effects as he is bound that he would not spare any thing that is in his power Wherein they should striue the more seeing that his gouernment extends but to the end of Ianuarie and that for the present there was no other to gouerne but himselfe and to order all things with all conuenient speed This speech of the prince although it were truly and sincerely deliuered yet wrought it small effect some prouinces being of opinion the warre should be referred to the prince and the counsell of State others said that they must stay their resolution vntil the comming of the duke of Aniou For the hastening whereof the seignior of S. Aldegonde and doctor Iunius bourgmaster of Antuerpe were sent into England The princes of Orange and Espinoy with the other chiefe noblemen of the countrey going to attend him at Middlebourg in Zeeland there to receiue him In the meane time the townes of Doccum Sloten Staueren with the Nyeuwe-zyel in the countrey of Friseland being fortified for the Estates the seigniour of Merode gouernour of that quarter thought it good to giue order for the seuen Forrests and to hold them better assured Whereupon hee commaunded monsieur Nienwenoort a knight to fortifie the Borough of Oldenborne and to lodge there with six companies of foot Colonell Verdugo gouernour of Groningue for the king of Spaine went therefore the 24 of Ianuarie thinking to dislodge him but seeing himselfe so roughly entertained by the sallies of them of the garrison hearing of the preparation which the Estates made to succour it he retired not without losse for the knight Nienwenoort fell vpon his rereward the which he defeated his men carrying away a great spoyle and many prisoners Some time after the places of Brouckhorst and Keppel yeelded to the Spaniard Colonell Norris who was then in Friseland besieged them but hee preuailed nothing The duke of Aniou as we haue said gone the first of Nouember into England beeing accompanied by the prince Daulphin sonne to the duke of Montpenser the earles of Laual son to the lord d' Andelot S. Aignan and Chasteauroux the seigniours d' Espruneaux Feruaques Bacqueuille Cheualier Breton Theligny and others whither also came the seignior of Inchy gouernor of Cambray He was entertained with great pompe and state by the Queen where hauing spent three moneths in great pleasure and delight hee departed from London the first of Februarie being accompanied by the Queene who conducted him towards Douer And the eight day following after leaue taken and that the Queene had recommended the affaires of the Netherlands vnto him counselling him to gouerne them mildly and aduising him aboue al to win the hearts of the people and of the nobilitie and to vse their counsel assuring him that in so doing his estate would haue a good foundation and be durable In the end he imbarked in the Queens ships which attended him being accompanied in his voiage by the earle of Leicester the lord Charles Howard admirall of England and the baron of Honsdon all three Knights of the Garter and of her Maiesties counsell To whom she gaue charge to say vnto the prince of Orange and other noblemen and the Estates of the Netherlands That the seruice they should do vnto the said Duke shee would hold it and repute it as done vnto her owne person There were also many other English noblemen in his companie as the lord Willoughby Sheffeld Windsore and many knights as Sir Philip Sidney Shurley Parrat Drury and the sonnes of the lord Howard with diuers other knights and gentlemen of account with a goodly traine of seruants richly appointed with the which the Duke arriued at Flessingue the tenth of Februarie whereas the princes of Orange and Espinoy and the chiefe nobilitie with the deputies of the Estates went to receiue him after that they had long attended his comming The said princes and noblemen put twice to sea in a small boat to goe and salute him but they could not get aboord his ship nor come neere it so as hee tooke his long boat to go to land whereas the prince of Orange imbracing his thigh said That hee held himselfe verie happie to see that desired day when as he might offer vnto him his most humble seruice all his meanes his person and his life hoping that he should be the only cause that the Netherlands after so long sufferance should in the end be freed Whereupon the Duke hauing imbraced him the prince of Espinoy and the other chiefe noblemen answered in few words and very modestly Thanking them verie heartily for the honor they did him I did obserue at his landing being then present an houshold seruant to the prince of Orange that the duke going out of the boat to step on land tript a little with the right foot and might haue fallen into the water if he had not beene held Some discoursed afterwards of this small mishap and tooke it for an ill presage Being entred into the towne of Flessingue when he could not in a maner see any thing for the
whom the contributions are to bee gathered might not be ouer much burthened That the garrisons might bee payd which the Commanders ouer them complained of fearing mutinies and reuolts in regard that the fourth part of the contribution gathered in Holland would suffise to pay their frontier garrisons and the halfe of the contribution of Zeeland for the garrisons of Zeeland and that therfore the three parts of the Hollanders contribution and the other halfe of the Zeland contribution would serue for the rest of the garrisons That no pioners nor laborers Wagons should bee forcibly taken out of the country villages contrary to the ordinances That according to their priuileges no man should be summoned to answere to the law out of the Netherlands That the authority of Magistrats which was much diminished and decaied namely of Vtrecht might be vpholden and restored againe That Vtrecht might not be seperated from Holland but be againe reduced vnder the gouernment of Prince Maurice That the proclamation dated the fourteenth of August concerning traficke and nauigation and the letters of the fiue and twenty of August forbidding the carrying forth of any kind of wares or marchandises tending to the ruine and ouerthrowe of the Netherlands might be called in againe and free liberty permitted vnto all men That the mony belonging to the admiralty should not bee distributed nor vsed to any other end then to the same for which it is appointed That new or strange manner of collection of contributions might no more be vsed and that no more question might be made against the administration of spirituall goods That concerning the contributions of Holland Zeeland and Friseland not touching matters of policie neither yet in the administration thereof there should bee no audience nor good credit giuen vnto any person what soeuer that had beene any dealer in the treasory of Brabant Flanders or other the enemies countries not hauing any knowledge or vnderstanding of the state of these Prouinces and that his Excelency in all causes concerning the contribution policie or such like affaires would vse the aduise and Councell of the sayd Prouinces Vnto these demandes and complaintes the Earle of Leicester made many excuses and diuerse faire promises that all should bee amended but that as now hee had some occasion to goe into England in regard that some matter of importance and great waight was then to bee handled in the high Court of Parliament in England The states sought all the meanes they could to stay him from going but it was in vaine and so the reformation was deferred tell his returne againe wherevpon they desired him to leaue some good order for the gouernment of the Netherlands during his absence for which cause vpon the three and twenty daie of Nouember hee made an act whereby hee committed the gouernment thereof to the Councell of Estate with this clause that all should bee done by aduise of the generall States authorising them with full powre to consult and dispose of all causes whatsoeuer with as full authoritie as if hee himselfe were personaly present not onelie for Marshall causes but also for policie according to their good discretions for the preseruation and welfare of the Netherlands common peace and quietnesse of the State and the resistance of the enemie with this prouiso that all dispatches and commissions should bee made and vnder written In his name with his expresse commaundement and authoritie by his Cousin Prince Maurice Earle of Nassaw and one of the Councell of the Noble Estate beeing there for the Queenes most excelent Maiestie or in their absence by two other of the sayd Councell of Estate and that the sayd Councell of Estate should deale in all other causes according to their ordinarie instructions without deminishing any of his authoritie and that the garrisons of townes and fortes should bee placed altered and changed according to their aduise and counsell but in his name and that the commissions and authorities of the same as also the passes and lodging of the souldiers in the champian countrie should in like sort be made in his name and no man to deale or meddle there-with notwithstanding any commission or commandement to the contrary and that the warre by Sea and the moneys appointed to that end should rest in the disposition of the Admirall and the counsell of the Admiraltie And further for the ordering of the warre the sayd counsell of estate should appoint a sufficient and experienced man that should sit and consult with them in the said counsell commanding all gouerners Coronels and Captaines of horse and foote both by sea and land and all Magistrates what-soeuer c. to bee obedient vnto the sayd counsell of estate as if he were personally present and that during his absence or till that it should bee otherwise appointed by the generall estates promising vpon his princely word to allow maintaine and ratifie and cause to be allowed maintained and ratified all and whatsoeuer the said counsell of estate in his absence should decree and ordaine Dated the 24. of Nouember 1586. subscribed Robert Leicester and vnder by order from his excellencie Signed Gilpin The same day the Earle of Leicester made an other act of restraint or recalling of the counsell of estates authoritie aforesaid the effect whereof was as followeth That although his Excellencie had committed the gouernment of the country vnto the counsell of estate with full power and authoritie both by water and by land commanding they should be obayed in all things as his owne person as by his act appeared yet his Excellencies intent and meaning was that neuerthelesse during his absence hee would reserue certaine causes to his owne will and disposition and therefore decreed by this other act that the aforesayd councell of estate notwithstanding the aforesayd commission and generall absolute and free power vnto them committed and granted should not alter nor change any thing touching the gouernment and command of places by his excellencie already giuen and bestowed nor touching the keeping of any Castles or Fortes as also that they should not meddle with the chiefe officers of armies as generalls of horse and foote nor their Lieutenants nor with any other principall officers vnlesse it were with the knowledge and consent first had from his Excellencie and when any one should chance to dye they should not put any other in his place but with prouiso They should not discharge any prisoners nor yet take any assurances They should not dispose of confiscations and spirituall goods without his knowledge or pre-consent And further that they should put to their helping hands that the order concerning the English companies may be obserued As also touching the carrying of victuals out of the Prouinces especially of that which groweth within the same that they should haue a speciall care regard that it were done as much as might be to the profit of the Netherlands and so he could bee well contented therewith and
officers before to view the commodiousnesse of the ground before Berghen which hee meant to besiege as well for the planting of his ordinance as for the quartering of his men One of these officers who was a commissarie of the ordinance called Pedro de Luco and an other named Thomas Swegoe who professed himselfe to bee an Italian were taken prisoners by certaine soldiars of the garrison of Berghen who were at that time sent out as Scoutes which prisoners being thus surprized were committed to the safe keeping of maister Read-head who was then appointed by the Lord Willoughby to be deputie Prouost of the towne of Berghen These prisoners had not continued many dayes in his custodie before that William Grimeston hauing had some conference with Swegoe found cause to suspect him to be an Englishman borne and there-vpon deuised with Read-head how to discouer him who hauing good oportunitie to discourse with them for that they were in his custodie hee told Swegoe that hee was much discontented with his entertainment and vsage on that side wishing that he were with the Kings forces vnder the command of Sir William Stanley vnder whom hee had serued in Ireland Where-vpon Swegoe wisht Read-head to bee merry and of good comfort saying that hee was an English man and borne in Seething lane in London that his Mother was one of the Queenes women and that hee had a sister which attended on the Lady Lomley protesting that it was a happy time for Read-head that euer hee was taken prisoner and if hee would be aduised by him hee would be the meanes both to aduance him to great wealth and to make him liue in great reputation where-vpon Read-head did willingly yeeld to performe any thing that hee would direct him in Then did Swegoe acquaint the foresaid comissarie of the ordinance with all this conference which had past betwixt him and Read-head where-vpon the comissary told him that if he could deliuer any port of the towne or any of the sconses or any peece of ground of aduantage he would assure him he should bee so bountifully entertained by the King as hee should neuer want whilest hee liued to whom Read-head made answer that hee had no command neither within the towne nor sconses but hee had a friend who hee knew was as greatly discontented as him-selfe whome hee would acquaint there-with not doubting but to effect their desire The same day Read-head did conferre with William Grimeston who had then the command of Captaine Thomas Baskeruile his company lying in the North Sconse and told him that hee had discouered the foresayd Swegoe to bee an English man and that if he would secretly ioyne with him hee doubted not but they should giue the enemie a great ouerthrow doe good seruice to the country and purchase great credit and aduancement to themselues where-vnto Grimeston did very willingly assent who presently went and aduertised the Lord Willoughby their generall of all that had past who seemed to be very glad thereof willing the sayd Grimeston to proceed in this practise and to promise to deliuer vp the North sconse vnto the Duke of Parma and for a discharge of Grimestons dealing in this action the Lord Willoughby gaue him a warrant vnder his owne hand Then did Read-head bring Grimeston to the Comissarie of the ordinance and to Swegoe who told them in what manner Read-head had broken with him and that hee was willing to doe the King seruice but hee would haue some assurance how he should bee entertained for that hee was not able to liue in his owne country and had many friends of worth all which he must forgoe and therefore he would be assured of some certaintie where-vpon the Comissarie of the Ordinance and Swegoe did assure Grimeston of the Duke of Parmas honorable dealing with him if he did performe that seruice and deliuer vp the North sconse wherewith he seeming to rest satisfied the comissarie of the ordinance and Swegoe did write three letters one to the Duke of Parma an other to sir William Stanley and the third to Owen of all their practise and proceedings which letters they could not deuise to send without discouery where-vpon Read-head told them that rather then the seruice should be any way hindered or protacted hee himselfe would aduenture to carry the letters whereof hauing giuen copies to the Lord Willoughby hee past with them accordingly in the night time through Grimestons sconse to the enemies campe where at his comming the Sentinell gaue an alarum and some fiue or sixe shotte were discharged at the sayd Read-head but in the end hee was receiued by a Sargeant and some two shotte carrying him presently to the Marquis of Renty who after many questions sent him with a Captaine and some twenty soldiers vnto the Duke vnto whom he deliuered his letters which when hee had read hee sent for his councell and for Sir William Stanley who examined the sayd Read-head of diuerse matters as well of the strength of the garrison within the towne as how they were furnished with munition and victualls with sundry other questions concerning himselfe and the seruice he had in hand how he came out of the towne without descouery and how hee could returne againe with many others all which were answered to their contents Then the Duke of Parma desired to know when hee should haue the sconce deliuered vnto him wherevnto Readhead made answere that hee could not tell for that it was in Maister Grimeston to performe who had the commande thereof And if it pleased his highnesse to send some one with him whome hee might trust he would bring him to conferre with Maister Grimeston by whome hee should vnderstand his full and certaine resolution wherewith the Prince was well pleased and sayd that hee would send one with him to talke with Maister Grimeston protesting to deale honorably with them and to performe whatsoeuer his men had promised with an increase wherevnto Readhead made answere that for his owne particular hee did vereliebeleeue it because hee heard him speake it but to satisfie Maister Grimeston and to incourage him the better to effect the seruice hee desired him to haue it vnder his hand wherevnto hee did willingly consent And at that instant Readhead brought away certaine Articles signed by the Duke the which hee deliuered to Grimeston and with him the Duke of Parma sent one Alford a Yorkeshire man and a guide to speake with Grimeston and the chiefest reason was to know when hee should haue the sconce deliuered Wherevpon Grimeston willed Alford to tell the Duke that hee could not appoint any certaine time for that hee was suspected for his Religion and had many eies to ouer-looke him But when hee had made all matters cleere and readie to bee performed hee would come ouer to the Duke beseeching him in the meanetime to haue patience and not to thinke the time long for that it should bee effectually performed On the sixt of October beeing
the fifteenth of August they had audience in the counsell of warre before the said cont Vander Lippe Otto Van Starchedel lieutenant of Cassel for the landtgraue of Hessen Isaack Craft for them of Brandebourg Christopher Conincx Merck for the duke of Brunswic doctor Amandus Rutterscheir chancelor of the said armie At which audience of Bruninck and Vander Meulen there were propounded foure points the first was The restitution of Grauenweerd the second was The reparation and restitution of dammages which the Estates men had done vpon the territories of the empire the third Libertie of commerce and cassation of licences and the fourth was Caution that hereafter there should bee no more oppressions nor incursions made by their souldiers To all which points there was an ample and pertinent answer made by the Estates deputies Three of them were but faintly maintained by the Generall and his assistants yea it seemed they were reasonable well satisfied with the allegations of the said deputies But the reparation of damages and oppressions was disputed with great vehemency for the Estates commissioners did lay before them did aggrauat the great damage and losses which the Estates of their vnited prouinces had receiued from the enemy by the land of the empire who not onelie vsed it for a passage but to ease his country where he commanded and to entertaine his armie there for many monethes making it his rendez vous and the seat of war wherfore the Estates could do no lesse than to seeke the enemy where he was That if by any such occasion their men had at any time exceeded that they were sorie for it and had done what they could to redresse it causing restitution to be made punishing the offenders but that which the Spaniard had done was with a purposed intent The imperiall deputies maintained That if the Spaniard did ill in seazing vpō the land of the empire yet the Estates shold not do the like but they should haue attended their enemy in their own limits Wherunto answer was made That the lands held by the enemie was not the empires so long as they held them and that it was against reason to bind them to hold that place as neuter which made war against them that it was not for the Estates to dispute by what title or with what authoritie the enemie had vsurped the said places but it did belong vnto the said imperiall deputies who hauing taken order for the dislodging of the enemie the Estates would let all their neighbours see by the effects what difference there is betwixt their neighbourhood and the Spaniards But the deputies of the Estates did coniecture that vnder colour of these restitutions and reparations of damages the German did hope to draw some money from the Estates but there was no mention made there of any restitution of places held of the empire and vsurped by the emperor Charles 5 nor of the towne of Emden neither yet of the countesse of Moeurs which as yet seemed serued but for matter of cauillation wherof mention is so often made in the letters written by the said imperiall deputies to the vnited Estates The Estates had a day or two before the arriuall of their deputies at the imperiall campe deliuered vp vnto the Germans the fort of Tolhus the towne of Seuenter and some other forts there abouts as afterward the Spaniards to shew some willingnes of their parts abandoned but it may be being forced thereunto knowing the preparations that were made for the towne of Genep The Deputies of the Estates hearing that the German army was leuied but for three monethes the which being expired might perchance be continued three moneths longer they did represent vnto the earle of Hohenloo for the duke of Brunswic to the earle of Solins for the landtgraue of Hessen and to the baron of Creange for the marques of Ausbach the difficulties which would grow by this continuation the small likelihood there was for them to win any honour and to assure the credit and the Estates of their princes without the coniunction directly or indirectly of the German armie with prince Maurice whereby they should haue meanes to ruine the enemie and to settle Germanie at quiet but there was need of a speedie resolution for that all hope of good successe consisted in celeritie and that not making this coniunction in time to purpose they might loose both their charge and paines making them soon subiect to reproches slanders wherfore they shold do wel not to loose any time but to send speedily vnto their princes to aduertise them of the true estate of the affairs and of their danger in case they suffered themselues to be abused by any treatie with the enemie The said generall and imperial commissioners did importune the commanders of the Spanish armie with cōplaints no lesse than they had done the vnited Estates vpon the same points of reparation of damages restitution of places held by them libertie of commerce vpon the Rhine and caution for the preuenting of such oppressions hereafter Whereunto the Spaniards made diuers euasions In the mean time the general approched his army neere vnto Rees Doctor Yenburch was sent by the Spaniards vnto the general and the imperial commissioners on the 16 of August at his arriuall he talked to euerie man of the reparation of damages and the charge he had to deliuer vp Rees but the next day he denied all saying That hee had no such commission intreating them that they would giue him three dayes time to aduertise his masters euery man knowing that the Spaniard sought nothing but to win time so as they were discontented with this kind of proceeding yet after they had disputed much against him and threatned him with the coniunction of the Estates armie with that of the princes circles of the empire in the end they granted him these three daies for there was no shew that they would begin to force the towne of Rees hauing no preparation but what the Estates had lent them and sent them besides the iealousies and distrusts which were in the said camp were the cause that they imputed those things to practises and malice which haply proceeded from the ignorance and want of experience of the generall being accused of some as if from the beginning he had had a bad intent that in leading the armie vp and downe here and there hee had caused them to spend two moneths and aduanced nothing and that he had a meaning to dissolue the armie and make the companies disband and that him selfe had solicited the emperor to be imployed in a treatie of peace Others spake wel of him that he had a good mind and that they did what they would with him but they complained of his insufficiencie which was the only cause of these disorders the which after the retreat of the army were better known In the mean time all agreed That there were some dangerous people
condemned to die and then deliuered by the princes commaundement to them of the fort to be shot to death or to doe with him as they pleased who notwithstanding pardoned him and sent him backe After that the souldiers of the fort had receiued their pay being all gone foorth they were presently imbarked and sent by water into garrison into diuers townes in the said prouinces Behold how this fort which was held impregnable was easily gotten by the Estates and not only the place artillerie munition prouision of warre and victuals which was more in value than 125000 florins but also a great troupe of as braue men as the king of Spaine had of a long time in his armie all choyce men and old experienced souldiers whereof they made good proofe at the battaile of Nieuport as you shall presently heare And although the negligence or want of meanes of the archduke although this place did so much import him as the Spaniards called it the Key whereby to enter into Holland and the other vnited prouinces wheron depended a great part of his honor hauing lost so many men and spent so much money before he could bring it to such perfection as when it was deliuered to the Estates If it were not through want of meanes nor by the archdukes negligence but of his commaunders in the war captaines commissaries or treasorers I know not how they could answer it nor discharge themselues before him and yet it hath not been heard that any one hath bin called in question for it for what could such valiant men haue done more hauing 20 months pay due vnto them being half buried aliue in the earth like mouls enuironed round about with water without any auoidance halfe naked all tattered starued with cold and smoakt vp like red herrings hauing suffered infinitly during the season of a tedious winter and vnto their yeelding seeing themselues in the goodliest season of the whole yeare abandoned of all succors hauing so long attended them in vaine notwithstanding their great indeuors What could they haue done but in the end to fall into dispaire or to do that which otherwise they would neuer haue done For* my part I cannot blame them and much lesse accuse them it belongs vnto them that are interessed but if they will weigh this fact in the iust ballance of militarie discipline and the rules of war it may be they will excuse them They found in this fort 96 barrels of powder certaine thousands of bullets 18 peeces of ordnance and other sorts of arms and munition in great number with a great quantitie of wheat rye corne to brew with and other victuals and prouisions They of Groningue and the countrey thereabouts were this yere discontented for that being behind hand with their contribution for the space of 3 yeres and taking no order for the paiment thereof being at the least 400000 gulderns the Estates of the other prouinces were forced against their wils to vse some forcible execution a bad and vnfit president especially in the time of their ciuill wars giuing the charge therof vnto monsieur Temple with 800 foot and 200 horse who with some other companies of Friseland vpon the sixteenth of March entred into Groningue partly against the bourgers wils who the next day forbad the bourgers to watch and in the end dealt verie seuerely with them and yet William earle of Nassau laboured what hee could to haue them mildly intreated whereof some particular persons were the cause But to preuent all further inconueniences in the end there was a citadell built the Estates pretending that both the towne and the territories of Groningue were in great daunger by reason of their great weekely markets whereas there was so great a concourse of people as the enemie might easily by that meanes attempt something against it so as they were forced to keepe a continuall garrison there of twentie or twentie fiue companies For which cause they resolued not without great dislike and murmuring of many men to build vp a castle the which after long disputation and much contrarietie was begun the next summer at the North end of the towne which the surueyors and workemen said would not cost aboue 70000 gulderns which made them yeeld thereunto the more willingly but in the end they found the charge to be aboue 400000 guldernes the which was more than the arrerages of their contribution amounted vnto so as the surueyors and masters of the worke had small thankes for their labor Gaspar van Eusum was made gouernor therof with 6 or 800 men They of Zeeland complained that they were not able to leuie the generall contribution which they were rated to pay for the further maintenance of the warres both by sea and land laying open all their meanes both contributions and other vnto them of Holland desiring they might be discharged of so great a taxe or else to haue some aid of men and money with other necessaries for their defence the warrelying most vpon them They of Holland and Vtrecht seemed to be well content and promised to pay their rate as they had done the yeare before aduising them to prouide for the defence of the countrey with all the means and speed they could They of Gueldres and Ouerissell seemed also to complaine yet all in generall thought it fit to take the aduantage of the time whilest their enemies souldiers were in mutinie and to make better resistance against the gallies at sea whereupon they resolued to deuise al the means they could to raise money to make a good offensiue war the next yeare Prince Henry yongest sonne to William prince of Orange hauing beene with his mother in France and now returned againe into the Netherlands the general Estates thought it good to acquaint him with the affaires of the countrey where hee was borne and to that end although he were but seuenteene yeares old they made him one of their counsell of Estate that he might see and heare what was done concerning the affaires of the countrey so as vpon the 17 of March was his first sitting The archduke Albertus and the Infanta being installed in most of the prouinces vnder their obedience they now found themselues much perplexed for money so as the Spaniards Italians and other nations fell generally into mutinie and spoiled all the countrey forcing the peasants to pay them contribution so as they feared a greater tumult if it were not speedily preuented for which cause the generall Estates vnder their command were assembled wheras vpon the eight and twentieth of Aprill beeing at Brussels the archdukes both by mouth and writing made these propositions vnto them by the president Richardot and d' Assonville My lords it is not vnknowne to euerie one of you how much you haue longed after this assembly in regard of the great zeale you beare vnto the aduancement of your countries cause which you thinke is too much neglected the like desire
who had made the shot and beeing desirous to enter into capitulation the prince would neither see them nor heare them vntill they had first deliuered him who had slaine his trumpet In the end they presented an Italian and then the composition of this strong fort was made vpon these conditions 1 First That the besieged should goe out of the fort with their armes and as much baggage as they could carrie their matches out and their drummes silent 2 That they should leaue the ordnance and all the munition of warre 3 That for the space of 4 moneths they should not carrie any armes in Flanders against the prince nor the vnited Estates 4 That they should furnish them with shipping to carrie away their sicke and hurt men vnto the hauen of Sas which ships they should bee bound to send safely backe againe for the which they should leaue two captains in hostage vntill their returne According to which accord they left the fort on the 10 day of May at fiue of the clocke in the after-noone beeing 600 Wallons and Italians The next day the prince went with a thousand foot and seuen cornets of horse before a little ruined towne intrencht with barricadoes called Ardenbourg lying betwixt Gant and Sluce the which is another passage ioyning to a land which is drowned by the sea in the which there was a regiment of Germanes and some troups of horse to stop the passage but they had as little courage and resolution as the rest flying into the marishes behind and abandoning withall a good strong castle into the which there were two thousand men put in garrison the which holds Sluce besieged on that side Thus the prince entred the second time into Flanders sending his horsemen to scoure the countrey euen vnto the ports of Bruges Gant and Courtray from whence they brought good booties so as the Flemings found themselues more opprest now than euer all the burthen of the war being through their own fault fallen vpon themselues When as the vnited prouinces had resolued vpon the enterprise of Flanders hauing contracted with those of the Squadron of mutiners who not long before were come out of Westphalia where they had committed many outrages and insolencies vpon the poore people cleane contrarie to their contract made with the vnited prouinces whereupon the countrey bordering thereabouts had held an assembly at Essens but to small purpose they procured them to make an incursion with them into Brabant and Henault the prince hauing lent them certaine troups of horse as wee haue sayd led by the drossart of Zeeland who had three demie canons with him meaning thereby to diuert the warres in Flanders These were appointed to goe by the countrey of Liege into Brabant along by the causey thereby to diuert the archdukes forces and to keepe them from going strongly into Flanders the Squadron promising to spoyle all the villages in Brabant and to force them to contribution whereof they themselues should haue the one halfe and the Estates the other towards the maintenance of their warres This being thus concluded the Estates troups on the nineteenth of Aprill went into the countrey of Kessel and vpon the Meuse and vpon 21 day the mutinous Squadron issued out of Graue and marched towards the land of Cuyck and so ioyned with the drossart of Zeeland from whence they marched in seuerall troupes towards Mastricht Stochem Tongres and Thienen and yet before they parted out of the Graue the archduke had offered them vnder hand three fourth parts of their pay in readie money and that they shold quit the fourth part in regard of the spoyles which they had made and the contributions which they had exacted from their neighbours and other countries the which three parts they should receiue presently after the account and reckoning should be made And that they should deliuer vp the castles of Hoochstraten and Carpen and the ordnance of Erkelens and that in the meane time they should hold Hoochstraten and Carpen for their securities Whereunto the mutiners made answer That they would haue their full pay that was due vnto them and for their securities Mastricht Venloo or Ruiemonde and for hostages for the accomplishing thereof they demanded the earle of Fontenay Stephano d' Ihanna and Dom Alphonso d' Aualos which done they would restore Hoochstraten and Carpen with the ordnance of Erkelens The archduke was moued to yeeld vnto their demands for that there were some inconueniences doubted in Flanders and besides there were 800 Spaniards more at Gemblours readie to mutine and to ioyne with them of Graue Notwithstanding this proposition the mutiners marched forward with the Estates horsemen thereby to make the archduke the more willing to yeeld vnto their pay and on the 28 of Aprill in the night they came before Thienen where the generall Estates would gladly haue had them to assault the towne in a weake place but they followed their owne humors causing a petard to be set vnto a port of the suburbes the which they forced and spoyled but in the meane time they within the towne went to armes cont Frederic being newly come into the towne had put all things in good order so as they were forced to retire with the losse of 30 men and many hurt yet they made certaine shot with their great ordnance against the towne but to no purpose where one of their peeces burst And so parting from thence they went to Hanuyt where they entred on the nine and twentieth day and there rested certaine dayes but they would not haue the villages forced to pay any contribution but that which was behind and yet they had promised the contrarie vnto the vnited Estates that they might thereby giue no further cause of offence expecting some composition to be made for them so as the Estates horsemen could not doe otherwise vnlesse they would haue quarelled with the sayd mutiners for the which they had no commission During their abode at Hanuyt on the last of Aprill Herman earle Vanden Berghe hauing obtained a pasport entred into the towne of Graue to make some other offer vnto them and so to stay them from making any further inuasion but he returned the same day which they that were abroad vnderstanding from that time forward they so carried themselues as they would not commit any more insolencies but sought delayes to win time for being mooued by captaine du Bois and the drossart of Zeeland to march into Henault and to doe some exployt there they answered That it was impossible for them to effect any thing with expedition in respect of the ordnance with other such excuses and yet they durst not discouer their pretence which was not to make any offensiue warre but they persuaded the commaunders to goe from Hanuyt to Hoy vpon the Meuse and to leaue their ordnance there and so to march foreward hoping by that meanes to draw them into the borders of Liege for certaine dayes and to keepe
condition that for sixe daies space they should haue free libertie to carry what-soeuer they would out of the Towne and whether soeuer they pleased them-selues and that the soldiers should not carry Armes of sixe moneths against the King of Spaine nor the Arch-dukes In which towne he left Cont Herman vanden Berghe for Gouernor with 14. Companies of foote and 2. Cornets of horse Spinola hauing taken Oldenzeel he sent his armie vnto Linghen belonging by inheritance to Prince Maurice which as then was but ill fortefied and weakely furnished of a garrison the which hee resolued to beseege with all the speed hee could but the scituation of the place gaue him some cause to doubt for that hee found hee should hardly gette from thence vnlesse hee made his passage with his sword and wonne a victory with his honour in regard that hee should bee followed and inclosed round about but at the last hee thought it expedient in all haste to sette vppon the Towne and to make tryall thereof wherein as hee him-selfe writte hee found an old Gouernor who seemed to haue forgotten his occupation and certaine young Captaines who as then had not well learned it who scarce daring to looke ouer the walles least they should bee shotte were more busied to make their walles higher thereby to defend them-selues against the Ordinance then to keepe their enemie out of their ditches the which they neglected and although the towne were well flanckt in euery place yet they suffered them to come to their ditches before their Ordinance was orderly plac'd and to cutte off the water filling the ditches with faggots hurdles and plancks and so to passe ouer them to the point of a Bulwarke before they had discouered it who beeing once lodged there they within knew not what to doe wanting both men and knowledge to defend them-selues so as beeing in feare and supposing the danger to bee greater then it was within few daies after vppon the eighteenth of August they concluded to send out a Drumme to parle with the enemie before that Spinola had made a full breach or that hee thought it time to summon them to yeeld For which cause hee granted them the best conditions that might bee to gette the garrison out of the towne as soone as hee could knowing that Prince Maurice was marching towards him and so as they of Oldenzeel had done they yeelded the towne vnto him vppon these conditions That Collonell Martin Cobben Gouernor of the Towne and Castle should yeeld it vp vppon condition that the soldiers should depart with their Coullors flying and ful armes and might carry away what goods they could in sixe daies and the Burgers in eight except the Artillery munition of warre and other prouision Where-vpon Collonel Cobben went forth with eight Companies and presented himselfe before Prince Maurice who reproched him bitterly for his base cowardise causing him to bee put in prison with some of his Captaines and chiefe Officers of the said Towne the which were sent prisoners to the Hage to iustefie them-selues before the Generall Estates where they had Cousins ynow to free them from any great punishment Spinola there-vppon beeing as it were halfe drunke with that sodaine victory knew not well what to do but for certaine daies lay there and attempted not any thing hauing the way open to haue done some other exployts giuing his enemie leysure to fortefie him-selfe and to prouide for all the places lying thereabouts While both the armies lay in Friseland the Arch-duke finding him-selfe to bee strong of men which yet remained in Brabant he resolued to enterprize something against Berghen vp-Zoome giuing the charge thereof vnto Mounsier Herricourt de la Biche Gouernor of Hulst and Iohn Terrail a French man who made profession to be very expert in making of Petards and forcing of townes therewith for the effecting of this disseigne there were aboue foure thousand footemen and three companies of horsemen gathered togither at Beueren in the land of Waes vpon Blockers dike giuing forth that they had an enterprise to doe In Cadsant hauing all thinges prepared to that purpose vppon the one and twentith of August it being a great procession as then in Antwerp they kept the gates shutte and about euening made out with certaine horsemen causing the footemen to bee sent out of Flanders at Callo and so in the morning before day gotte before Berghen vp-Zoome passing along by the drowned land called then Northland through the Hauen of the Towne when it was a low water and presently entred into the fortification lying without called Beckaff with a thousand men the Sentinels giuing the alarme shotte twice at them but the Guard in that place beeing not strong ynough to resist so great forces left it retyring them-selues behinde the Houwers-dike vnder the Palisadoes of the water-milles and defending them-selues vnder the wings of the towne The enemie hauing gotten that place they deuided them-selues into two parts the one part breaking downe the Palisadoes before the Sconce which was made for the defence of Saint Iohns gate they tooke it who thinking that as then they were within the Towne cryed Ville gaigne courage viue la messe with such like wordes but the Townes-men with the soldiers valiantly defended them-selues both with their shotte and other short weapons and when their pouder fayled them they fell to it with stones whereby the Spaniards were forced to giue backe and to flye away before the water begun to flow The other part of the Spaniards went along vppon the banke of the Hauen beneath to the foote of the sayd outward worke where in short time they caused two strong gates which were without the water-gate to bee forced with their Petards by the which they entred with their troopes to go to the water-gate to the which after they had throwne downe certaine Palisadoes or defences of wood they made fast a Petard but it fayled and there the maister of those workes and many others were slaine with stones and vppon the gate the Lieutenant of Captaine Barnard Pluchart was shot whereof hee dyed and diuers others but the Petard fayling they fighting long but to no end at all the water beginning to flow they were forced to retire The Gouernor Sir Paul Bax shewed him-selfe in euery place where need required from the beginning to the ending incouraging the soldiers and townes-men to doe their best and giuing order for all thinges necessary notwithstanding by all likelihood without Gods prouidence the Towne was in great danger for that but halfe of the garrison were then in guard nor once suspecting any such enterprize their enemie approaching with Petards and strange Instruments of warre where-with in short time they brake downe both Palisadoes and gates by the which they might presently passe with whole troops and had almost put their enterprise in execution before the soldiers and Burgers could get to the gates the towne was so great
with more ease where-vnto the long detraction of Prince Maurice did much helpe for that it was the tenth of September before hee battered the sconce at Lippe and beeing put backe from thence with a light skirmish hee went into his quarter againe but attempting the same againe vppon the twelfth of September hee put ouer and there insconced him-selfe and on the thirteenth of September brought the most part of his forces ouer the Riuer of Lippe and assayled Spinolaes sconce vpon the mouth of Lippe the which presently after they saw a peece of Ordinance yeelded vp from whence there went two hundred and seauenty men The sconce was made with sixe points but not fully finished and although all Prince Maurices men were very willing to charge the enemie neuerthelesse Prince Maurice by reason that hee was not there intrenched and without victuals and for that Spinola lay well insconced as also that the wayes to come to him were well couered and very close and for that Spinolas Campe was fortified by foure Regiments brought thether by Fredericke Earle of Bergh the which had bene taken vp about Liege hee put all his willing men into his quarter againe leauing some in the sconce which hee had taken the which hee caused to bee fortefied and made a bridge ouer the Lippe From that time a doubt began to rise that Prince Maurice could not releeue the towne for that the waies were to much couered and Spinolas campe lay well insconced the which was the more probable for that vppon the sixeteenth of September about euening Prince Maurice sent all his horsemen out of his Campe with Cont Henricke to put eleuen companies more into Meurs besides the sixe companies that were in it which Cont Henricke that night happely performed Many men discoursed strangely of Prince Maurices resolution for that hee releeued not Reinbergh but therein as many men iudged consisted many difficulties because it was not well to bee releeued but with a battaile which is vncertaine against an enemie which had aduantages and was stronger then hee and winning a battayle hee could gette no more but the releeuing of the towne and losing the battayle hee should put the countrie in danger On the other side if they sought by approches to gette neere to the enemie hee should indanger his armie and giue the enemie occasion by night on the Riuer to go downe and enter into the Betenwe and so bring his proceedings to a worse Estate whereas hee thought hee did well to keepe the heart of the Countrie from inuasion and yet held his armie whole ready vpon and good occasion to hazard further and so 〈◊〉 Spinola strike of the tippes of his hornes which might well be repaired and could not infect the bodie within nor bring it to the vttermost extremitie In the meane time theâ—… within the towne made many sallies and amongst the rest vppon the seauenteenth of September at which time they sent out three horsemen with letters from the Gouernor the which past cleane through Spinolas campe the letters cerâ—…efying Prince Maurice that the enemie approched very neere vnto them on the luyt 〈◊〉 side so as they could hardly hold out sixe daies longer The thirteenth of September they wrotte againe that the enemie had taken all their fortifications from them without the Luyt gate and that they had gotten to the ditches of the towne and had wonne the defences without the Castle gate and that they were also gotten to the Bulwarke of the towne so as hee saw not how to saue all the boates shippe-bridges and shippes that were there and that their powder would sodainly fayle them but notwithstanding all this vpon the foure and twentith day of September they made a sallie and tooke a halfe Moone againe from the enemie which they before had lost where they tooke certaine prisoners where-vpon Spinola sent a Trumpet to the towne for which cause they ceased their shooting which otherwise neuer left off day nor night which made all the places round about to suspect that they were in parle but it was but a short prolongation of time But Prince Maurice notwithstanding all these aduertisements resolued not to releeue the towne holding it impossible and so lay still thinking it best for him to keepe his armie in safety and not to consume it by ouer-venturing vppon the enemie in seeking meanes to releeue the towne and to no end Vppon the sixe and twentith day of September the Deputies of the generall Estates came into the Campe to know Prince Maurices minde and resolution or else to moue him to vndertake the releefe of the towne where-vnto they vsed a long perswasion but hee would not bee brought there-vnto esteeming it both impossible and vnnecessary where of one of his chiefe reasons was that that the Towne was not to bee releeued but along by the East side of the Rhyne and by bringing the armie neere which could not bee done by any sodaine enterprize but by approaches by which meanes Prince Maurice feared that Spinola would leaue Reinbergh and on the one side keepe his armie still in alarme and on the other side seeke to doe some exployt in the Betouwe whether Prince Maurice should bee forced to go to ayd it and in such a case his armie beeing mixed with the enemies could not well gette from them without confusion besides hee sayd that to bee alwayes readie and to haue meanes to ayd those places that were of most importance hee thought it best to keepe his Armye free and whole which reasons by those which had experience in warres were well allowed of and thought to bee of great importance for that men must alwaies haue a care to keep woundes from their hearts Therefore seeing that they could not releeue the towne diuers of them propounded a question whether by leauing it off they might not attempt something else of consequence many beeing of opinion that Prince Maurice had committed an error for that hee had not beseeged Grol when hee saw hee could not helpe Reinbergh but that was not so much vrged some reasons leading to the contrary at last they resolued to enterprize something against Venlo to see in the meane time if they could gette it to which end it was agreed that Cont Henricke with twelue hundred horse and sixe thousand footemen should attempt it and that the same night it should bee attempted Prince Maurice with the rest of the armie should lie in the way that leadeth from Reinbergh to Venlo to preuent them that vpon the alarum giuen at Venlo would aduenture to go thither from the enemies campe To this end Cont Henricke and Cont Earnest with their troopes vppon the last of September departed out of their campe to Grawenweert from thence to turne againe to Venlo and vpon the first of October in the night to take their enterprize in hand Prince Maurice also went from the campe the same night to the aforesaid way but there hapned a great
withall that Mâ—…rquis Spinola in regard that hee fauored the cause held himselfe verie much beholding vnto him for which consideration hee had sent him an obligation vnder his hand whereby hee promised that if a truce were concluded for aboue nine yeares or a generall peace to giue him fiftie thousand crownes whereof hee should receiue fifteene thousand crownes in readie money to bee paide in Amsterdam to the handes of any one that hee should nominate or appoint recommending himselfe and the sayd affaires to his good discretion And for his owne particular hee sayd that seeing it had pleased the Archdukes and the Marquis to honour him so much as to thinke him fit to bee imploied therein and for that the matter had proceeded so farre that hee for his part and in his owne behalfe would giue some particular testymonie of his loue towardes the said Artesens and to that end would bestowe vpon his wife a Ring of Gold with a Diamont therein protesting and assuring him of the scincerity vprightnesse and worthinesse of the sayd Archduke and the Marquis as also of his owne the which notwithstanding was otherwise censured by many Wherevnto Artesens made answere that hee most humbly thanked the said Archdukes for their great fauour shewed him and especially for the restitution of his house and patrimoniall lands in regard that at the reduction of the towne of Brussels vnder the King of Spaines obedience hee had great wrong offered vnto him in this point for that hee was debarred the benefite of the contract which was graunted vnto all the Burgers of the towne whereby they were inabled for to enioye their landes and goods notwithstanding that hee at the same time was imploied about some seruice that then was to bee done for the Estates for the assembling of the Generall Estates and that touching their further bountie hee sayd that hee had done no more in that action then hee was bound vnto in loue and duetie with other such like excuses and therefore hee besought the sayd Archdukes and the Marquis that it would please them to hold him excused if hee did not accept their bountifull presents which seemed rather to bee giuen to corrupt him then as a recompence for any seruice done by him and that therefore hee neitheir could nor might accept them nor yet the Ring which hee offred to giue him for his wife giuing the Frier great thankes for his courtesie therein and offering all seruice for his part which hee could or might doe for them and him alwaies excepting any thing whatsoeuer that might tend to the breach of his oth and blemish of his reputation c. Wherevnto the Frier replied that the presents aforesayd could not bee any waies held to bee done in manner of corruption considering the sincere and vpright intents of the sayd Archdukes Marquis Spinola and himselfe who affected nothing more then sincerely and without any fraude to bring the warres vnto an end with many other good wordes to perswade him to bee a furtherer vnto the same c. Wherevpon at last hee accepted of the restitution of his house and lands together with the obligation making much difficultie to receiue the Ring with the Diamont for his wife but beeing much vrged and intreated therevnto hee tooke it with promise to giue the best direction therein that hee could his oth and credit alwaies preserued and therewith they departed The same day Artesens made report vnto Prince Maurice and to the Estates of all that had past betwixt them offering to deliuer them the obligation and the Diamont but Prince Maurice would not receiue them neuerthelesse hee aduised them to take some course for the receit of the money and withall that the matter should bee kept verie close and secret But Artesens did often solicite the Prince and the Estates to bee discharged thereof the which they still refused to take into their custodie telling him that hee had no cause to doubt any danger seeing that hee had not done any thing but by speciall commission wherein hee had discharged himselfe by discouering the offers that were made him as in duetie hee was bound and that order was to bee taken about the receiuing of the money wishing that they might get all the enemies treasure into their handes by such meanes esteeming the Diamond to bee well worth sixe thousand Gilders at last it was resolued vpon that the matter should bee imparted to the generall assemblie of all the Estates This businesse passing ouer for certaine daies together without any further resolution from the foureteenth to the twelfth day of May there was an other letter sent from the Frier Iohn Nayen vnto the sayd Artesens whereby hee wondred verie much that hee heard not from him nor had any assignement to whome the fifteene thousand crownes should bee payde Artesens hauing receiued this letter went vnto the Estates againe to acquaint them therewith but for that Prince Maurice had the second time refused to receiue the obligation and the Ring beeing still of opinion if they thought good to keepe the matter secret that it was best for them to receiue the money it was resolued amongst them to make both the generall Estates acquainted therewith and the ambasadors of France and England by which meanes the matter was divulged vnto the common people wherevpon Artesens vnderstanding that hee was charged and taxed to haue beene corrupted by the enemie he desired the generall Estates that hee might be discharged of the obligation and the Ring of Gold and vpon his request so made vnto them they tooke order that the treasuror generall should keepe the said obligation and the Ring with the Diamond which was taken out of the gold and valued till further order should bee taken therein and that the said Artesens should haue an act made in his behalfe and for his iustification the which was published accordingly bearing date the seauenth daie of Iulie in the yeare of our Lord and Sauiour 1607. Notwithstanding all this Artesens fell into great suspition and it was giuen out that hee had beene corrupted by the enemy for the which cause and to free himselfe from all imputation and blame hee caused an appologie to bee printed in his name whereby hee excused himselfe vnto all the common people and therevnto hee ioyned a coppie of the act aforesayd made by the generall Estates in his behalfe his apologie bearing date the twentie daie of Iulie in the yeare of our Lord and Sauiour 1607. When as Mounsieur Vereycken came last vnto the Hage with the act of agreation Mounsieur Barnâ—…uelt Councellor for Holland let him vnderstand what presents had beene giuen by Iohn Nayen the Frier as is before mentioned which were deliuered to Mounsieur Vereycken by the Estates who willed him to take them with him againe and restore them vnto those that sent them desiring the Archdukes that if they ment to proceede sincerelie in the treatie of peace and sought nothing els that
they would offer no more such presents vnto any of their subiects of what Estate or qualitie soeuer they were saying that the generall Estates and the Counsell of Estate of the vnited Prouinces did consist of so many seuerall persons as they could hardly bee corrupted by presents or promises and that if any of them were but once suspected they would double their number c. Wherevpon Vereycken excused the Arch-dukes and layd the blame thereof vpon the Friar Iohn Nayen saying that it proceeded from himselfe and that their highnesses were not acquainted therewith imputing it vnto the couetousnesse of the spirituallty who iudge of other mens humors by their owne with such like words In the month of September the Netherland shippes of warre which had lyen vpon the coast of Spaine according to the contract came all home with their prises and so the contract for truce at sea was on both sides agreed and concluded and Prince Doria was appointed by the King of Spaine to keepe the straights of Gibraltare In this month the gouernor of Graue called Mounsieur Silendsky was taken prisoner as he past along by the Meuse to goe to Vorne relying to much vpon the truce the which notwithstanding could not helpe him hee was brought prisoner to Boisleduc where hee hath continued long for that they demaund to great a ransome The three and twenty day of September colonell Warnart du Bois president of the counsell of warre a valiant souldier ryding with his wife to the Faire at â—…heldermaetsen and hauing there made good cheere in the euening beeing not farre â—…rom Est by Tielerweert was set vpon by certaine of the enemies as hee was in his Wagon and for that hee would not yeeld himselfe prisoner they shot him into the bodie and tooke his sonne prisoner a thing much to bee lamented that such an old experienced captaine who had past so many daungers would bee so carelesse of his owne safetie and come to so vnfortunate an end The Spaniards and other mutinous souldiers in Diest for that they were not paid did much harme in Brabant and other places and sent a protestation into Brabant that if they were not satisfied within certaine daies they would set the gates of Diest open to entertaine all such souldiers as were vnpaide and so make a generall mutenie which they had bound themselues vnto the Archduke not to doe within Herentales they were most horse-men whereof a great part mutined in the month of October but they were kept from any attempt by certaine Irish souldiers which did serue vnder the Gouernor there for the which some were punished The rest of the souldiers that were vnpaide committed great insolencies on the Countrie murthering and spoyling the poore people most of the Spaniards and Italians lying and feeding vpon the costs and charges of the country pesants About the last daie of August as I sayd before the Archduke got an assignation for sixe hundred thousand Dukets a month for which cause the Arckdukes counsell sought to gette the whole summe to be paide at one time offering as it is reported to cut off the interest thereof after eight in the hundred and in Nouember they tooke Councell how to satisfie them of Diest The Archdukes also intreated the Estates of their Prouinces to yeeld to the paiement of seauen hundred thousand gilders towards the discharging of the mutinous souldiers which at the first they refused but in the end they were content to paie a moitie thereof being three hundred thousand gilders wherewith they of Diest were satisfied About this time it was reported that the Archduke Alberus made great meanes to bee made King of Romaines by the aide and procurement of the Electors the Archbishoppes of Cologne and Liege with whom hee had manie conferences sent to him by messengers and in the month of October tâ—…e Archdukes went to Bins to hunt and take their pleasures but it seemeth that beeing there they had some certaine conference about the matter aforesayd with the Electors of Ments and Trier also but it is said that the King of Spaine is much against him and seeketh by all the meanes hee can to preferre his brother the Archeduke Ferdinand of Stâ—…ria therevnto The foureteene day of October the Estates of the vnited Prouinces receiued a letter from the Marquisse Spinola certifying them that the agrecation from Spaine was come desiring passe-port for Fryer Iohn Nayen and for Monsieur Verreyken to come into Holland to deliuer the same which passe-port being sent vppon the foure and twentie of October they arriued at the Hage and vppon the fiue and twentith day had audience of the generall Estates where they presented the newe ratification or agreeation made by the King of Spaine dated in Madrill the eighteene of September written in Paper and in the Spanish tongue signed Io el Rey sealed with a seale like vnto a Proclamation and vnderneath signed Andreas de Prada containing an insertion of the Declaration made by the Archdukes in Spanish also ill fauouredly written and vnder that was written as followeth That where-as in the aforesaid Treatie the Archdukes had promised vnto the Estates to deliuer them their letters of ratification and agreation like vnto theirs with all generall and perticuler renunciations and obligations hee therefore vpon due deliberation and aduise of his owne certaine knowledge and absolute kinglie power and authoritie for the effecting of the sayd promise and for the assurance of the principall treatie of peace or long truce had made vnto the sayd Estates and by these presents did make the like declaration which the Archdukes had formerly made as much as in him laye and that hee declared himselfe to bee content that in his name and in his behalfe the said Estates should bee treated withall in qualitie and as holding them at this present for free Countries Prouinces and Estates to whom hee pretended no title at all and therevpon hee accepted allowed and confirmed all and euery point conteined in the aforesaid Declaration made by the sayd Archdukes promising by the faith and worde of a King to cause the same to bee obserued and kept effectually in euery point as if the same had at the first beene made and decreed by his Princely will and authority without any contradiction promising reparation satisfaction of any thing done therein to the contrary and that all things needfull shall bee faithfully performed and done binding him-selfe there-vnto by his Princely worde with-all perticuler and generall renunciations and obligations requisite there-vnto and that presently after the conclusion of the sayd peace or long truce hee would send all necessarie aprobation for the securitie thereof in the best manner and forme that may bee that in the end the Estates may haue full satisfaction in all things which they request But with-all hee declared that if the cheefe treatie of peace or of long truce there to bee treated of and handled should not take
and disorder in the countrey as also from all the practises of Iesuites and others that seeke not the peace and quietnesse but rather the disturbance of the countrey which bookes were the better to be borne withall for that in so great and vncertaine an alteration of an estate as is now likely to happen in these countries they proceeded from such men as are well willers to their countrey and which take no pleasure in warres but with all their hearts wish and desire peace so it may bee honourable godly and well assured for them yet could perceiue nothing else but that vnder the shadow thereof some secret practises might bee wrought tending to the ouerthrow and subuersion of these countries the which otherwise in a publike gouernment such as is vsed in the Netherlands is not well nor easily to be hindered whereof the reader by the books themselues shall haue better tast and information which for that they are not pertinent vnto the hystorie I thought good to omit and referre the reader vnto the books themselues which are extant By meanes of fryer Iohn Nayens departure for Spaine many men began to find that the treatie of peace was likely to continue long for that they were to stay fortie dayes for his returne backe againe and were the more easily mooued to beleeue it for that during his absence little or rather nothing at all was done by the rest of the deputies that thereby they might not discouer themselues for that they were vncertaine whether their princes would accept and allow of those articles and againe that they were to haue a more ample commission to treat of so many articles as the Estates had propounded and deliuered vnto them and that therefore they would so manage their businesse either by themselues or by others as that frier Iohn Nayen should be returned backe againe before they would proceed any further in the treatie and it fell out well to the purpose for them that in the beginning of Aprill the Estates for the most part repaired to their own prouinces and the Estates of Holland also for a time so as thereby it rather seemed to be delayed off by the absence of the Estates themselues than by the deputies for Spaine for that they alwaies gaue forth that they were readie to proceed in the treatie although that in long time they had not once sought to enter into any conference or meeting Meane time there came a flying newes out of Brabant that vpon good Friday there was a dispatch brought thither out of Spaine the contents thereof beeing That the king of Spaine would not graunt nor allow these countries any traffique at all into the Indies nor to any places thereof and that the Estates subiects were presently to desist and leaue off the same and secondly That the king would haue his deputies insist and vrge free exercise of religion and grant of churches for the papists those of the Romish religion that were in the vnited prouinces and that openly and in all places or otherwise that they should leaue off and breake vp the said treatie Which newes made many men that were in good hope of the treatie of peace to be much disquieted in mind perceiuing that the proceedings and consequences thereof were so dangerous as without the hazarding of the whole state of the countrie they could not graunt that point vnto those of the Romish religion at the request and motion of the enemies of the countrie but it could not bee vnderstood long after whether this answer out of Spaine were of such effect or not yet they found that marquesse Spinola and the rest of the deputies were not much pleased when they had receiued the said answer or were aduertised thereof Many embassadours of forraine princes as those of Munster Cleue and Cologne when they perceiued the long proceedings of the treatie tooke their leaues and departed from the Hage the like did many earles and other noble men as the earle of Benthen the earle of Hohenloo cousin to that earle of Hohenloo which had done so great seruice to the Estates in formertimes and others We haue shewed before that frier Iohn Nayen was gonne into Spaine and that hee was to returne againe within fourtie daies after who not comming at the day appointed gaue many men cause of great suspition and the rather for that it was giuen out by some of the king of Spaines ministers and seruants that the king was not resolued to leaue his soueraigntie but to hold it still and to further the Catholike religion and how that in Fraunce the Spaniards boasted what great aduantage and profit they had gotten by the treatie of peace late made reporting the same to be much more than they expected with such like words the frier comming not againe and Don Pedro de Toledo embassadour for the king of Spaine beeing come into Fraunce not onely to make certaine propositions of mariage but also to intreat of this peace The Estates of the vnited prouinces attended the returne of president Ianin embassador for the French king in the Netherlands who till the comming of the said Don Pedro de Toledo was staied by the king in Fraunce but the said king hauing giuen audience to Dom Pedro de Toledo he presently sent president Ianin backe againe into Holland with letters of credit who vpon the seauenth of August arriuing in the Hage the next day had audience of the generall Estates where he shewed them what great affection the king his master bare vnto the preseruation and maintenance of their estate as well in peace as warres and how that Dom Pedro de Toledo in the name of the king of Spaine his master had made complaint vnto the French king touching the aid and assistance which the said king gaue vnto the vnited prouinces contrarie to the treatie of peace made at Veruins and what disliking the said king of Spaine had therof offering all kindnesse and friendship in the king his masters name vnto the French king for the preseruation of their particular estates if he would leaue off to assist and abandon the said vnited prouinces whereunto he said that the king his master made answer that he could by no meanes leaue them and that his alliance with them was not contrarie to the said treatie of peace made at Veruins alledging that the king of Spaine for his part had done much against the said treatie or at least permitted it to be done by his ministers which he declared vnto them at large saying also that the king aduised them to make a peace if it might be concluded vpon reasonable conditions and that to the same end they should with all speed mooue the deputies for the king of Spaine and the archdukes to proceed to a conclusion thereof and that they should not stay any longer for the returne of frier Iohn Nayen for that there was no apparance nor likelihood that they should get any further or other
cause to feare their enemies horsemen The 18 of Februarie Sir Iohn Norris began to make a trench of a thousand paces without his camp along by the old Aa which was done with great labour toile for want of pioners and necessarie prouision This trench was battered and assailed by the earle of Renenberghes souldiers but to no end The twentieth of February a bourger and foure souldiers about noone time went out of the towne and past betweene the enemies centinels and the trenches yet were not hurt although they were shot at and pursued from all places round about them whereby Sir Iohn Norris souldiers were shewed the way how they should releeue the towne and vpon the one and twentieth of Februarie Sir Iohn Norris by the same way sent certaine souldiers with those fiue persons laden with an hundred and fiftie cheeses three hundred and fifty loaues of bread with powder and match bound together who hauing thrown it or laid it all vpon the bridge went presently backe againe for the preuenting whereof the earle of Renenberghes men came thither but it was too late The diligence and resolution of these fiue men was rewarded by the captaines with certaine peeces of gold The next night Sir Iohn Norris made another trench of two hundred seuentie two paces long which drew somewhat neerer the towne whereby his trenches and the towne trenches were but eight hundred ninetie six paces one from the other the earle of Renenberghes sconceslying betweene them distant from the towne seuen hundred seuentie six paces the enemie seeking to draw their ordnance through certaine places of the Aa where it might stand better and do more seruice but it sunke so as they could hardly get it out againe And the same night they made another defence of dung wagons ouer against the new bridge thinking to make a new sconce which they of the towne sought by all the meanes they could to hinder them from effecting it They of the towne going on with their trenches vpon the two and twentieth of Februarie there happened a skirmish on all sides for that Sir Iohn Norris began to skirmish in diuers places prouoking the enemie to issue forth whereupon they placed themselues in order of battaile In the meane time they within the towne passing ouer the new bridge carried away all the enemies dung wagons into the towne wherewith the skirmish grew hot on all sides the ordnance thundering on both parts They of the towne also fell vpon the enemie in diuers places and yet were many times driuen backe by the enemies horsemen but by means of their trenches they alwayes got safely and with aduantage in againe in regard that it thawed so fast that the horsmen could not passe alouer the way This continued for a while with great furie whereby it seemed they would fall to a generall battaile The enemies began to bee wearie and to bee hungry which began about noone time and so they drew backward especially the footmen who after their old maner in a thousand diuers names cryed out for money so that the horsemen could make no longer resistance but withdrew themselues after the losse of many of them Three howers after noone when they had scarce rested themselues they of the towne perceiuing Sir Iohn Norris souldiers to issue out of their trenches came out with diuers hurdles and drawing them along the bridge laid them vpon the morish slipperie way being neerer to Sir Iohn Norris trenches than the towne whereby men might perceiue the diligence of those that were in extremitie and such as were willing to helpe themselues Which done diuers of Sir Iohn Norris horsemen and a great number of peasants horses came foreward all laden with corne meale and powder wherewith they went vnto the bridge and casting it downe vpon straw that lay there ran to fetch more Many footmen also brought bread and cheeses While this was doing the sconces that lay in the way were assailed by captaine Cornput and certaine souldiers in the which they threw great store of straw and burning pitched ropes shooting brauely into them with two companies of souldiers that fought like Lyons but they of the next sconces shot lustily at them yet the townes-men gaue it not ouer hauing gotten the ordnance wherewith they shot at the bridge which they began to draw towards the towne but the earle of Renenberghes horsemen being sent thither forced them to retire againe into the towne hauing slaine and wounded many men within the said sconces whereof the next day they found seuenteene dead In the meane time it began to be darke and euery man withdrew himselfe The earle of Renenbergh being moued at this furious assayling of his sconces and for that it began to thaw verie fast finding his men also vnwilling to lie any longer and the town twice victualed before his face he determined to raise his siege causing his ordnance and other prouision to be secretly gathered together in the night time abandoning all his sconces hee assembled his men in West-Wicke which neither they within the town nor Sir Iohn Norris did once discouer by reason of the darke night hauing also no thought of his retreat and so vpon the three and twentieth of Februarie hee left the towne of Steenwicke and went to a place called Onnen marching in order of battaile all that day In the morning Sir Iohn Norris comming to the towne went after him but yet found it not conuenient to charge him They within the towne entred into the enemies forsaken campe where they found many beasts flesh wine and beere and the foure and twentieth of Februarie all the victuals that Sir Iohn Norris had brought with him was carried into the towne And by that meanes the towne was deliuered from the siege vpon the last day of the three weekes as captaine Cornput had foretold it after they had beene besieged foure moneths and then was all the hidden corne and other victuals brought forth the bourgers complaining of their great impatience and yet the money they laid out was repaied them againe by the Estates and meanes made vnto places round about in charitie to releeue them and besides that they were acquited of all burthens with the generalitie But they enioyed their goods not long for the which they were in so great feare and care for that the most part of them within one yeare after died of the plague which happened in the towne by reason of the stinke of bloud and of the dead bodies that lay vnburied in diuers place and the goods that they left fell afterwards into the hands of their enemies So that this distrust in God without cause was not left vnpunished as it had beene shewed them out of the holy Scriptures The souldiers that had so long defended Steenwicke thought they should haue had some reward giuen by the Estates but captaine Cornput and Olthof after long attendance could hardly get their pay yet the other two companies of Dutch men vnder