so agitated with winds as are the common people with passions They are blind in their consultations and more blind in their resolutions and with incredible fickleness on a sudden turn their love into hatred and their hatred into love We told you before that the Prince of Orange was come to settle himself in Hollana not only as in a Province whereof he had formerly been Governour and wherein he was still acknowledged to be so but as in the chief seat of his designs And therefore he ceased not by all possible art to foment the troubles which were already begun there Under him Captain Wibald Ripert was Governor of Harlem born in Friesland and who depended upon Orange more by the subordination of his sense then of his office This man assembling the multitúde together whilst they were hottest in concluding with the Spaniards with a loud voice spake thus unto them Shall private Fraud be now thus falsly cloaked by publike Zeal Shall the Tyranny exercised by the Duke of Alva be thus adhered unto under pretence of Obedience due unto the King And to shun the peril of a Siege as is speciously pretended shall we with greater danger receive Spaniards into this City which if we doe who shall secure us of their truth or rather why should not we by their usual customes assure our selves of their persidiousness The streets of Malines Zutfen and Naerden run yet with blood their houses smoke yet with fire and the groans occasioned by a thousand other hostile acts of theirs in those places without regard either to articles agreed upon or promises sworn unto are yet every where heard Why should not we of Harlem rather doe as they of Amsterdam have done the Inhabitants whereof would not admit of a Spanish Garrison but will maintain their Loyalty to the King by their own proper Militia It is best for us to doe so likewise and so thinks the Prince of Orange who is Governour of this Province and so well affected to this City The Prince of Orange who after having run such grievous dangers and suffered so much hardness for the common service of his Country is at last come to fix himself here amongst us to make our cause more his then his own and by which he desires the King may be obtyed rather then by any other but by the mildness of our own Laws and not by the violence of Strangers For if then the Spaniards will try their power by a Siege and we shall endeavour to withstand them and doe it more by the wals of our breasts then of our City our cause will doubtlesly be so just as we shall not doubt of the success But come what will come how much better will it be to die once in defence of our Liberty then a thousand times every day in undergoing the miseries of an intolerable slavery When Ripert had thus spoken Lancelot Brederode stept forward one of the most honorable men of the Province and best esteemed of in that City and seconded Ripert with equal efficacie In kindling fedition the forwardness of a few is sufficient against the lukewarmness of many And thus it then fell out Some others who were openly of Orange his faction followed these two Chieftains and changing the resolution which was already almost agreed on it was concluded that instead of a Spanish Garison some Companies of a German Regiment who by order from the Rebels in Holland were raised by Colonel Muller should be received into the City Hereticks were not wanting within the walls who growing bold upon such an occasion flew suddenly to some Churches and turn'd them to their own use Nor did the rage of the seditious stop here They would have those to be imprisoned who were gone to treat with the Spaniards and not long after they cruelly put them to death whereat Orange was not displeased for that the Harlemists being thereby the deeper dipt in Guilt they despair the more of pardon from the King At the hearing of so unexpected an alteration Frederick of Tolledo was highly incenst and his father more highly who had heard news thereof at Brussels They made no long delay Frederick moved at the same instant with the Kings Army towards Harlem and with great resolution prepared to besiege it Harlem lies in a large plain devided every where into lovely medows the ground in Holland being usually fitter for pasture then for seed On the one side it hath a wood nigh at hand which is but very little and serves rather for pleasure then for firing On another side the River Sparen runs within the Walls which washing the walls on the outside with another branch that presently joyns with the former makes that part of the City an Island Towards the South this River communicates with a great Lake called Harlem Meer and towards the West with a large Gulf called Tie which entring into other greater Gulfs fals not into but is rather inclosed by the Ocean The City is provided of a good Ditch and good Walls not flanked according to the modern fashion but with great Towers after the antient wont The circuit thereof is great it is very well peopled and to the number of the Inhabitants as well in private as in publick doth the condition of the Edifices answer Near this City almost at equal distance within half a days journey lie two of the chiefest Towns of Holland Amsterdam on the East and on the South Leyden The later conspired with the others in the insurrection and Orange was himself then in it to the end that he might be nearer to assist the Harlemists both with advice and forces Amsterdam on the contrary was wholly as hath been said for the King as was likewise the contiguous Province of Utricht and from that side therefore was the Spanish Camp to be furnished with all things necessary for the siege Frederick endeavoured therefore first to secure the Passes on that side One of which was of greater importance then the rest and lay nearer Harlem between two little Villages betwixt which runs the river Sparen and which by reason of the neighbourhood thereof are called the one Sparendam the other Sparenwoude In this place there was a Fort built by the Rebels of Holland which being lost and again re-taken was better munited by them then before Frederick purposed to possess himself of this Fort but as much as he desired to gain it as much did the Harlemists strive to keep it from being lost It was now about the beginning of December and the cold falling out more early and more bitter that year then usually the waters were in all parts very hard frozen This made much for the Spaniards in assaulting the Fort for the water in the ditch being frozen over and the earth hardened by the cold which before was soft and spongy they might therefore the easilyer draw near it Frederick sought first notwithstanding to inform himself better of the Forts condition and of the enemies
thrown in this But Don John thinking it not fitting to pawn more of the Countries revenues to the Queen then what was already pawned and knowing that this was one of Orange his plots he would not suffer the Vicount to move any thing in it The States complained much hereof and began from hence to suspect that Don John would be unwilling to see the Germans depart This suspition increased very much afterwards upon another occasion The Colonels and Officers of that Nation were by orders from the States come to Malines to audit up the monies which were due unto them And their pretensions reaching very high the business met with great difficulties To overcome the which the States sent the Duke of Ariscot to Malines and to that purpose Don John went thither himself in person But all was in vain which afforded new occasion of suspition that Don John was gone to Malines rather to nourish then to remove the difficulties which arose in that business and that his design was to keep the Germans from departing to the end that by their forces he might retain that Authority amongst the Flemish which otherwise he could not get But the wiser sort thought that this difficulty was rather fomented by Orange his Faction that they might lay the fault upon Don John And to the end that the Germans not going away there might be some colour of raising new troubles The truth is that when Don John returned to Brussels jealousies grew so fast on his part as he could no longer dissemble as before He was received by the people of that City with manifest signs of aversion Heez despised him insufferably he found by divers things that there was treachery plotted against his person And that which troubled him most was to see how strait correspondencie the States kept with Orange and that he was as it were the Arbitrator of whatsoever they did Don John's suspition of treachery against his person was afterwards confirmed in him by very good Authors the one was the Duke of Ariscot who seemed to know that there was a conspiracie either to kill him or to imprison him And the other was the Vicount of Gaunt who parting in great haste from that City came to Brussels and acquainted Don John with the eminent danger he was in Yet Don John seemed not to trust these reports doubting lest there might be some cunning mixt amongst them to make him fall upon some desperate resolution by which the accusations laid unto his charge might be the better justified But his occasions of fear still increasing he at last resolved to send the Secretary Escovedo into Spain and for a pretence told the States that he would doe his utmost endeavour to get the King of Spain to send some good store of money wherewith the sooner to satisfie the German souldiers But his true intention in sending him was to advertise the King at full in what condition the affairs of Flanders stood and to let him know what evident necessity he Don John had suddenly to secure his own person Escovedo being gone Don John came to the knowledge how that the Prince of Orange his faction did in several places tamper with the chief German Commanders to draw them over to his side He then delayed no longer he called the Counts of Mansfield and Barlemont in whom he knew he might boldly confide into private Councel and acquainted them with what straits he was in Mansfield was Governour of the Dukedom of Lucemburg and for his great fidelity to the King did afterwards as shall be said divers times govern the Low-Countries and continued his particular government of that Province till he dyed a very old man of above fourscore and ten years old Barlemont who together with his Sons was likewise very faithful to the King had the government of the County of Namures which Province together with the other lay nearest to Lorain and consequently nearest Italy The Mause runs through the midst of the City of Namures and into this River doth another River fall called Sambra which joyns with it in the seat of the same City The passage over both these Rivers is always free by two Stone-bridges which makes the place both more commodious and more beautiful The ground in one side of the City lies high upon the top whereof there stands an antient Castle but naturally strong enough Barlemont opinion was therefore that Don John should take some pretence to go to Namures and should make that City and Castle sure for his own safety for from thence he might at any time pass freely into Lucemburg and there such Forces might easily be received from Italy which of necessity were again to be recalled into Flanders But above all things he was of opinion That all diligence was to be used to win the Germans and break the practice which the contrary party held with them And doubtlesly this was an important point For to boot with the condition of the Souldiers many of the chief Towns might be said to be in their hands they being therein quartered Mansfield leaned likewise to the same opinion But being a grave man and one that did naturally rather imbrace wary then hazardous councels he would willingly have tarried till Escovedo might have been arrived in Spain and have more clearly discovered the Kings mind for then Don John might with more safety effect his He said It was not to be doubted but that the possessing himself of the Castle of Namures would be like a generall Alarm which would make the Flemish flie to their Arms in all places And what else could Orange his faction desire how would they rejoyce to see that Don John should be the first that should use violence and how hard would it be to be justified To boot that Justification would peradventure be more needfull in Spain then in Flanders That Principality had miseries mixt with its happiness one of the greatest whereof was That conspiracies were not credited till compassed That then it was better to wait for answer from Escovedo and in the mean time to be very vigilant in the shunning of all danger That God doth protect good causes as it was assuredly to believe he would doe in this which might be said to be more his then the Kings These reasons of Manssilds bore such force with them as Don John did for a few days suspend the resolution which he was advised unto by Barlemont But knowing that preparations to troubles increased every day more and more in Holland and the dangers against his person still more and more in Brussels he would no longer expect the perfecting thereof and therefore resolved to go to Namures as soon as he could Being thus resolved the greatest difficulty was to find a pretence for his going thither For the City of Namures was not so near Brussels as that under a pretence of hunting or any other colour it could handsomly be done These two Towns are distant almost two days
therefore resolved not to suffer him to tarry long in Friesland When he had certain information that the enemy did not stir he entred into Groninghen and having refresht his men he led them out of the City and drew near the enemies Camp The Duke gessed just as it fell out To wit that Lodovick when he should be faced with â—o powerfull an Army when he should see himself in danger to want victuals and that he should not be able to retreat when he would better weighing his designes he would prevent these difficulties and without more adoe resolve upon retreat Lodovick at last resolved to do so and that he might do it without loss of men or reputation he effected it thus that very day towards the evening he sent away his baggage before after it his foot and left the horse for the last having taken order for breaking down the bridges which were over the river to the end that the Spaniards might not follow him The Duke had foreseen this and to be the more sure he gave order that Robles the camp-master with 400 Walloons should possess himself of a certain house conveniently seated to discover the enemies goings the retreat was then apparently seen the Duke made no delay he forthwith sent forth 400 Spaniards of the Neopolitan Brigado to assault the great trench which was formerly spoken of which was so wel perform'd as they drove away those that defended it who suddenly firing the bridges repast over the river The night now drew on and the enemy was already so far advanced and in so good order as the Dukes men could do them no great harm Yet some Spaniards and Walloons waded over the river where it was shallowest but they met with such hindrances by the squadrons of the enemies horse and by the narrowness and badness of the ways as they could make no further progress But few of the enemies were slain in this action yet were they much discouraged and confused therwith seeing themselvs so boldly set upon After this rather flight then retreat Lodovick continued his march backward towards East Friesland intending for as much as was conceiv'd to stay notwithstanding on this side the river of Embs in some good situation and as near Embden as possibly he could that by the nearness of the river and the City he might come the better by victuals and come what would come secure his last retreat By which means he stil thought he might compass his intention either of keeping the Duke of Alva busied or to keep with his former hopes in Friesland if the Duke should in some other parts oppose his brother He thought he might likewise believe that the Duke would not touch upon Germany nor hazard the want of victuals or suffering of other incommodities in a Countrey which appeared openly averse unto him And howsoever he thought he should be able so wel to fortifie himself as the Duke should not so easily dislodg him the second time as he had done the first To boot with the river which fenced him on the one side the Country was almost altogether impassable since it hardly allowed conveniency to be marcht upon and that upon the banks and muchless to fight And moreover the river swelling much more then ordinarily at a high tide the Country might easily be overflown by means of certain sluces which cutting the banks of the same river in divers places are usually opened or shut by the Inhabitants according as the sea swels or lessens This was Lodovicks designe So he pursued to march after his first retreat and did advance so far that very night and some days after as at last he quarter'd in a great village on this side the Embs call'd Geminghen He might first have staid in another call'd Rheeden and have had the passage over the Embs more coÌ„modiously there also by reason of a bridg which was nigh at hand but it was known that he would stay on this side the river and yet as near as he could to the City of Embden for the reasons which have been already spoken of On the other side the Duke continued his purposes which were to follow Lodovick to the Embs and to endeavour by all means possible to send him back routed and defeated into Germany that so he might be the freer afterwards to turn back upon Orange He therefore made his Army march leaving almost all the new raised horse in Groninghen because they could not be serviceable in those parts He lodged the first night in a Village called Sclotenem and not hearing any news of the enemy nor of good conveniency for victuals for all that Country was against him he was inforced to stay two days in that place He doubted that Lodovick might be tarryed in Rheeden that he might enjoy the oportunity of that near bridg which secured unto the passage over the River Knowing afterwards that he was past further on the Duke liked the business much better and staid his Camp in Rheeden securing that pass for himself Here he at last had certain advertisement that the Enemy were lodged in Geminghen From Rheeden to Geminghen at some 8 miles distance there runs a continued bank which serves as a curb to the River whereby the better to tame the swelling thereof occasioned by the sea The Duke was to make his men march upon this Bank if he would defeat the Enemy Divers Channels ran into the River which had houses and bridges upon them for the use and service of the Country people who in the summer time which now it was had some abidings not so low nor not so muddy as in the Country Lodovicks Quarters were thus fortified He had the Town of Geminghen upon his back on his left side the River and on his right the open fields fortified with Trenches where the situation would allow it On the Front the Bank it self somewhat distant from the River gave the entrance which without was cut in two by two Ravelins and better guarded within by two peeces of Artillery In this so strong place he either did not expect or did not fear the Duke Who desirous to try all wayes to fight and defeat him resolved to goe to him He sent some Horse before under his natural son Fernando who had the charge of the Horse and made the houses and bridges still as he marched be taken to secure his retreat upon all occasions From hence he advanced Sancio d' Avila with 50 Horse and 500 Harquebusiers all of them Spaniards and sent the two Camp-masters Romero and Londonio after him with each of them 600 Spanish Foot part Harquebusiers part Musquetiers and with two Companies of Lances commanded by Cesar d' Avalos and Curtio Martinengo The rest of the Army marcht in this order The Spaniards were the Van the High-Dutch followed next and the Walloons brought up the Reer inclosed by some Troops of Horse the Files were very strait for they could not march well but upon the
and Monsieur de Lumay and some other Flemish of good quality together with many German Commanders of great consideration The Army was well enough furnisht with Artillery and ammunition for war but had not so much mony nor victuals as was needfull This being understood the Duke of Alva resolved to make his Rendezvous at Mastrick the most commodious place upon the Mause that he might oppose Orange where it should be most convenient There were come unto the Duke from Spain at this time 400000 Crowns and 2000 Spanish Foot which being all of them new Souldiers he placed in the Garrisons and drew out from thence the old ones His eldest son Frederick came likewise then to Flanders to whom he gave the command of all the Foot The Rendezvous being appointed the Kings Army was found to consist of 16000 choise Foot to wit 6000 Spaniards the rest all Germans and Walloons and of 6000 Horse some whereof were Spanish some Italian some Germans some Burgonians and some Walloons and those Train-Bands of Flanders which were commanded by Carlo Philippode Croy Marquis of Haure The Duke removed the Camp afterwards from Mastrick to Haren a great Village not far from thence and seated likewise upon the Mause And here he made a Bridg of Boats that he might have free passage overfit at all hours and receive victuals the better from all those parts This place was almost in the midst between Liege and Ruremonde upon which two Cities Orange his designe was likeliest to be Ruremonde is in Ghelderland as hath been said It stands upon a little River called Ruer just where it fals into the Mause 'T is rather a place of great circuit then much people but the situation thereof is of importance by reason of both those Rivers Liege lies upon the same River a little higher The Mause hath not a City upon it of larger circuit nor better peopled 'T is divided by the River but joyned together again by divers Bridges The Bishop governs the Inhabitants there as well in temporal as in spiritual affairs being also Prince thereof though the City enjoy such ample priviledges as the form of Government therein partakes more of a Common-wealth then of a Principality 'T is one of the most Catholick Cities of all the North fullest of Ecclesiastical goods and most devoted to the Apostolical See Orange desired to try Liege first he wrote to the Magistracy omitting to write to Gerardo Grosbech who was then Bishop of the City and a personage of great worth thinking that he adhered too much to the Kings and the Catholick cause But the same mind and zeal appeared to be in the Magistracy for they determinately answered That the City would not receive in any foreign soldiers and that they had men enough of their own to defend themselves against any violence that should be offered them This practising of Orange with the Ligeois and his marching with his Army towards that City made the Duke resolve likewise to draw near it with his But Orange his designe upon Liege proving vain he without trying Ruremond turned suddenly elsewhere with intention to pass the Mause where he might best foard over it The river happened to be very low that year for the climat of Flanders which even in Summer is very rainy and moyst was of some late months more drie then usual Having found the most commodious foard and making use of the night season Orange in great silence past his Army over the river just against Stocchem in the State of Liege Which when the Duke heard he forthwith went thither also and drew near Orange with his Army Their designes were notwithstanding very different Orange would have fought at the very first for finding himself much streigthned in mony and victuals and with men who he was rather to obey then command he thought he could not long maintain his Army And nothing being done as yet in Flanders in favour to him he knew that if he should not have some favourable success by way of battel the Countrie would hardly rise having so powerfull an Army as was that of the Duke of Alva's within its bowels The Duke out of the very same reasons shun'd giving or battel He saw that Orange in losing a battel could lose nothing but his Army whereas he together with the loss of his Army should hazard the loss of all Flanders Resolving therefore rather to coast along by his enemy then to fight him and to vex him so with sufferings as at last he should disband of himself he only kept near him And because it was already evidently seen that Orange his intention was to enter into Brabant the Duke provided the places of greatest danger with all things needfull which were Tilemon Lovayne and Brussels and had an eye also to all other parts where there was any cause of suspition The two Camps being thus quartered Orange moved towards Tongueren a great Town in the State of Liege intending to possess himself of it and there to get victuals for his men But the Duke did so secure it as Orange durst never assault it Getringberg a very good Town in the same Countrie was more easily perswaded to let him have victuals and to receive his soldiers into the Town Which it soon repented by reason of the insolencies which they committed particularly against the Churches and sacred things Departing suddenly from thence for that it was not tenable He quartered upon the confines of Brabant hoping that when his Colours should be seen so nigh at hand the malecontents within the Countrie would likewise display theirs But the Duke flanking still upon him and streightning him now on one side now on another did not afford him one minutes rest Chiapino Vitelli had the particular care of the quarters which he was very diligent in taking and muniting To which purpose he had a great many pyoneers in the Army and upon occasion he would make the very soldiers work within the Trenches In these the Camps approachings one unto the other in their quartering and disquartering and particularly upon occasion of forrage there happened almost continually some skirmishes between the soldiers of the two Armies Nor was there any considerable advantage got on either side for many days But at last one action proved very bloudie Brabant is watered by many small rivolets which fall almost all of them into the Demer which inlarged by their accessions doth at last disgorge it self into the Scheld Amongst other the Geet runs into it Orange being advanced into Brabant he could not pass this river so speedily and with such caution before that a good part of his Reer ere it could re-joyn with the rest was in danger to be assailed upon great advantage by the Dukes soldiers who did not lose that oportunity The Camp-Masters Romero Bracamonte and Bigli advancing with their Spaniards and Walloons gave violently upon the enemy who seeing the danger had tumultuously fortified themselves in a Village upon the
2000 foot and 600 horse to hinder them The Spaniards had 800 horse but came without any foot at all Both parties met in the Village of Visenack not far from Lovain The Spaniards whose chief Commander was Vargas endeavoured first to pass friendly by which they signified by a Trumpet to the contrary party Who being more in number returned a negative answer and forced the Spaniards to open their way with their swords They were all choice men where as the others horse consisted most of the old Companies of Flanders and usually but little exercised and amongst their foot there were many new souldiers but then raised by the Councels Authority The Spaniards seeing a necessity of fighting supplyed their want of foot by putting a Company of Burgonian horse on foot and took the best advantage they could of place whereby they might receive the less offence from the adverse foot Here they came to blows The Flemish charged violently at first but the Spaniards knew so well both how to evade them and how to stand them as turning furiously upon the Flemish they easily broak them and cut almost all their foot in peeces The horse suffered but little harm for not intending to fight they soon ran all away Those Burgonians who were on foot behaved themselves gallantly with whom John Baptista del Monte leaving his Company of Lanciers and fighting on foot gave great testimony of his courage and stoutness in that action Amongst the other Captains of Lanciers George Basti Barnerdine Mendosa and Peter Tassis fought likewise very valiantly particularly Basti upon occasion of charging the enemy in the most dangerous flank and in the first heat of the combate Rafael Barberino was dangerously hurt The Pass being won Vargas went to treat with the mutiners in Alst where he met Sancio d'Avila and the Camp-masters Romero and Toledo All these indeavoured very much to get those other to joyn with the rest who followed the same Colours They represented unto them in what danger the Castle of Antwerp and Gaunt were and the Town of Mastrick by reason of the intelligence that the States held there And they concluded that their men if they would joyn together might hope to overcome but being divided they were sure to be all lost But all this was in vain for the mutiners appearing more deaf in their minds then in their ears with a greater sense of rage then reason remained firm in their resolution of not quitting Alst till they were fully paid So Vargas and the rest returned to from whence they came It was not long ere Vargas with whom the Toledan was joyned met with a new occasion of fighting They were not gon far from Alst when they heard the German Garison together with the Townsmen in Mastrick were ready to rise in favour of the States That City as we said in the beginning is divided by the Mause the greatest part thereof lies towards Brabant and on the other shore towards the Country of Liege doth the lesser part stand called by the name of Vich There were here some few Spaniards and some few others in a gate placed between two great Towers on the other greater side of the City which was therefore chiefly in the Germans custody Montesdock a Spaniard was Governour of the Town who when he found the contrivings of the garison with the Townsmen he end eavoured by sundry ways to remedy it but the issue was he himself was imprisoned They then took up arms to drive out the Spaniards and to put the City absolutely into the hands of the Flemish This news was suddenly brought to Vargas and he in great haste ran to assist his companions He forthwith assembled together many of the nearest Spanish foot and passing over the Mause gave such succour as was needfull to the part called Vich And this happened so opportunely as that the enemy were driven from the bridg which joyns the two parts of the Town together and pursued into the Town with great slaughter The others had the like success also at the fighting of the aforementioned gate for the Spaniards that were within having still manfully defended it at last let those in that were without who secured the City which in revenge was afterwards sackt by both parties The States indeavoured this mean while by all means possible to have the two Castles of Antwerp and Gaunt in their possession They had already said siege to the latter and begirt it with many men which were commanded by John Croy Count of Rouls subordinate to the Duke of Ariscot who was Governour of the Province The Emperour Charls the fift made the Castle to be built in that year 1540. upon the occasion of the rising of those of Gaunt so to curb their contumacy the more for the future It consists of four Bastions which look on one side upon the City on the other side towards the fields The Governour of the Castle was at this time ill provided of all things and had not above 200 men to defend it It was commanded by a Lieutenant of Mandragone's in lieu of him who notwithstanding all his wants prepared manfully to defend it Count Rouls raised a platform on the side which was nearest the City and began to open his Yrenches on the same side to fall as soon as he might into the ditch He placed some peeces of Artillery upon the platform which commanded the Castle and did so streighten it on all sides as those within could receive no relief from those without At the same time a great many of the States men were gone likewise to Antwerp to besiege that Castle the foot which consisted all of old Walloons and new raised men were accompanied by a good body of horse and the States did not omit any other sort of provisions which were requisite suddenly to come by their desires in both places The Citadel of Antwerp lies upon the banks of the Scheld upon the South side of the City It is a Pentagon composed of five Royal Bastions Of all modern fortifications it hath been esteemed so famous as it hath served for a pattern to almost as many Citadels as have been built in any Country since Some of her flanks lies towards the City and the rest lean towards the Champian Respect being had as in all other Castles to be able on one side to command the City and on the other to receive necessary succours upon all occasions from without There lies a good space of ground between the Castle and the City The Flemish resolved to streighten the siege on this side which they began to do with two Cavalliers of a great hight upon which they places some peeces of great Artillery From hence they began to play upon them within and imployed a great number of men in making their Trenches The Canon shot which played upon both the Castles were heard in Alst at the hearing whereof the mutiners began to rescent themselves and to be inraged
shall be the greatest Rubays was much moved at these words He thought himself too much obliged by the confidence which the Prince seemed to put in him and he desired to signalize himself as much as he could in the Kings service He considered moreover that the service of the Walloon Countries was sufficiently joyned to his good since if they would not admit the company of foreigners who were their friends they ran hazard of being inslaved by their ennemies who were likewise foreigners or under the like of their own Flemish Hereticks or that of their Chief tain Orange whose chief end was to abase the Nobility and by the favour of the multitude to build up a Tyrranny to himself Wherefore wholly inflamed both with devotion to the King and affection to the Prince Rubays answered him in resolute terms that he would do all that lay in him to effect the Prince his desire Rubays being won it was not hard for Fernese to draw the rest to be of the same mind who were the chiefest either amongst the Nobles Ecclesiasticks or Commonalty So as the business was suddenly so well carried on by all sides as the Walloon Provinces instead of hindring it resolved to facilitate it as much as they could and not only to give way for the return of the Foreign Militia but by a particular person of their own to desire it of the King The Flemish Rebels were by this time come to the proclaiming of their new Prince To which purpose a General Assembly being called in the Hague the first by a long writing in Print Declared That the King of Spain had forfeited his Soveraignty over those Provinces and strictly commanded that no further obedience should be given him And the reasons which they alleadged for this were Because he went about to oppress the people in their consciences and by open force to violate their priviledges Then the Assembly being fully informed of all that their Deputies had resolved in France with the Duke of Alanson they publickly gave out that he was now their Prince and resolved to receive him and acknowledge him as such a one with all greatest solemnity And being still fuller of hopes by reason of those advantages which Alanson bad so luckily atchieved by the relieving of Cambray and taking of Cambresis they did verily believe that be would very speedily send the people that he had promised and would come quickly himself to take possession of his new States They notwithstanding did much sollicite him to hasten them both But he said that he must needs first goe into England to speak with the Queen and that the Queen her self did much desire he should doe so And indeed it was true For she did desire to engage him still more and more in the revolts of Flanders for the aforesaid reasons And she carried the business on with such cunning as she fed him with hopes that she would marry him Which hopes were notwithstanding judged to be but vain by reason of the inequality of their ages he being very young and she already inclining to old age Moreover every one knew that when she was of a fitter age for marriage she being of a masculine spirit and very desirous to govern had always refused to take any for a Companion into her bed for that she would have no Companion in her Princely government But howsoever the Duke was not displeased with this deceit for he turn'd it to his advantage with the Flemish by making his expectation the greater amongst them and by giving the greater creto his Forces Which proved notwithstanding so weak as he could not as then send any considerable strength to the Rebels Wherefore Fernese having this advantage and encouraged the more by the speedy return which the foreign Forces were to make he resolved to besiege Tournay wherein the obedient Provinces joyned fully with him The City of Tournay together with the Country of Tournesis hath a particular Government of its own which was then administred by the Prince of Espenoy who adhered to the Flemish Union It lies upon the Gallican side of the Province of Flanders wherefore the Walloons desired very much to take it so to reunite that tract of ground which joyns upon their Country to its allegiance to the King The Prince of Espenoy was not at this time in Tournay but his wife Maria de la Laigne was there A woman of great spirit and who performed in this Siege as shall be shewn whatsoever could be expected from her husband Tournay may be numbred amongst the noblest Cities of Flanders as well for its antient foundation as for being amply furnished both with people trafick and edifices It is every where surrounded with fruitfull and pleasant fields and through the midst of it under divers bridges runs the Scheld a River which begins there to ennoble it self not being well navigable before Whilst this City was under the English in the time of Henry the 8. they built a good Castle there esteemed strong in that Age but not to be compared to the latter Royal Fortifications It is only flanked with Towers after the old fashion and the antient walls of the City have the same imperfection yet these are in some parts helped by Ravelins raised after the modern fashion On the lower side the Scheld joyns to the Ditch which on the upper side is wholly dry In lieu of the Prince of Espenoy il Signor d'Etrael his Lieutenant governed the City at this time but he had but a small Garrison in the Town for Espenoy being busie with the Prince of Orange about some other imployment had carried away with him many Souldiers who formerly belonged to that Garrison But the Inhabitants who were for the most part Hereticks supplied the defect of the Garrison who were therefore so bitter against the Kings party as they could not appear more alienate from the one nor more affectionate to the other They had unarm'd the Catholicks as not confiding in them and in all other demonstrations shewed themselves ready to stand upon their defence On the other side Fernese was not ignorant how weak they were within and how small hopes they had to be relieved from without Wherefore without any longer delay he marched with his Army and about the begining of October drew near to Tournay and began to order his Quarters His Camp was not then very great but he hoped to have it speedily ingrost by some Germans which by his directions were raising in those parts near Flanders And the Abbot of St. Wedasto being sent from the Walloons into Spain to sollicite the King to send some new Forces again as soon as might be into Flanders from Spain and Italy Fernese was in great expectation of having shortly one of the most flourishing Armies that was ever seen in those Provinces Having then ordered his affairs and secured his quarters the Officers of the Army consulted on which side they ought to make their batteries The opinion
secure the passage the better some other Forts were added to the former chief ones of S. Mary and S. Philip. But the proof did not answer the design for notwithstanding any shot that could be made from the Royal Forts the Enemies ships had ever the better of the business For this so great difficulty this remedy was thought on They made a great Cut in the bank of Scheld on Flanders side near to the Village Burcht which lay higher then where the Bridge was made and by means of that Cut they drowned all the neighbouring Country even to Callo where by another opening of the bank the water past again into the River a little above the Bridge and so the necessary preparations for the fabrick were at last brought with more safety The adverse ships ceased not notwithstanding to molest that situation likewise but to make the greater obstacle they raised a Fort on one side of the Cut to the which the Kings men opposed another on the other side but with little advantage for it did not sufficiently bridle the Enemies Fort so as their ships keeping still thereabouts were always prejudicial to the Prince his Barks The Bridge went therefore but very slowly on the which did as much glad the Antwerpians as it did trouble the Prince Great numbers of Boats appeared daily from Holland and Zealand with victuals and all other sort of provisions to furnish the City and to put it in a posture of standing out stoutly The great Fort of Lillo was already munited answerable to occasion and Monsieur de Teligni son to Monsieur de la Nue was put in to defend it one whose valour shewed him to be descended from his Father Wherefore the Enemy full of hopes thought that Fernese would never be able to finish the Bridge and if he should not thereby block up the Scheld the Siege would in all other considerations signifie nothing But no binderance can be so great which industry will not at last either overcome or make more easie The abovesaid remedy of the Cut not proving sufficient to convey materials by water answerable to the work the Prince bethought himself of another expedient which furnisht afterwards all things sufficient for the building of the bridg By the gap or Cut which was made in the bank at Burcht all the tract of Country from that Town to Callo was drowned as we have said From the utmost inundation within land the Prince purposed to make a deep and large Ditch and to lead it away from that part of Flanders to a certain Town called Stechen where the Ditch was to fall into a River which passeth by Gaunt by which all things which were necessary for the building of the Bridge might be brought by water from that City An egregious work of great praise to him that first proposed it but of greater glory to him who undertook it as did the Prince with very much resolution though many other were affrighted at the immense expence of monies time and labour for the Ditch was to be full 15 miles long The Ditch was afterwards commonly called Parma either for that it was first motioned by the Prince himself or that the Kings Camp did willingly shew their approbation thereof by giving it that name And not without reason for it may truly be said that this Ditch made the bridg and that the Bridg did afterwards fully compleat the Siege On that side towards Flanders was Fernese's own Quarters in a Village called Buren which lay very opportunely for the giving out of all requisite Orders for all that was done thereabouts and especially for the making of the new Channel To sollicite the making whereof the Prince himself did almost continually intervene in his own person nor was he wanting in doing the like in all the rest of the proceedings He encouraged others by his own example sometimes he himself would put his hands unto the work he oft-times transformed himself from a General to a private Souldier and set aside all rest and delight that the burthen of so great and difficult an undertaking might be the better sustained by his own labour and disquiet This was the condition of the Siege on Flanders side On the opposite side towards Brabant was the Lieutenant of the Army Count Peter Ernestus Mansfield quartered in the Village of Strabuch a little within land and Mandragone was quartered near Lillo almost upon the river and had intrencht himself there against that adverse Fort to keep the Enemy in on that side who did what they could to advantage themselves there and their design would have been to overflow the inland Country as well to incommodiate the Royalists as to make use thereof themselves for bringing succours the more easily to Antwerp But this their last design was conterdicted by a Counterdike which came to joyn with the principal Dike of the River from the Village Cowstein For it was seen that without either the breaking or gaining thereof they could by no means compass their ends A Dike in Flemish is a Bank in English and a Counterdike a Counterbank if I may so call it which is drawn out against another bank From the Village of Cowstein there was a lesser Dike thrust out for the space of a league which went to joyn with the greater Dike of the River which was commonly called the Counterdike of Cowstein This lesser Dike was made that it might be gone upon particularly in the winter all that part which lies very low being then full of water and mire It was not above ten or twelve handfuls broad nor higher then was requisite for the necessary service of the Country people This Counterdike was guarded by the Royalists chiefly to hinder the excursions which the Enemy might make from the Fort of Lillo and out of no other fear of danger on that part But when the Enemy letting in the water of the river had drowned the Country thereabouts Mandragone suspected the truth which was that they would either make some Cut or gap in the Counterdike or endeavour to make themselves wholly masters of it so to have that passage free to bring in succours into Antwerp And at the first they did make a Cut but the Royalists running quickly to where the danger lay did soon remedy it driving the Enemy from thence and stopping the gap as well as for the present they could And indeed if the Enemy had either sooner or with more forces endeavoured to cut the gap the Royalists could never have brought their Siege to a good end But all those of Holland Zealand and Antwerp were so verily perswaded that the River could never be blockt up by a Bridg as they neglected the taking of the Counterdike and even the victualling of the â—ity more then it became them to have done whilst yet the passage by Scheld was but weakly secured by the Royal Forts Fernese finding what danger the siege might inour on that part gave order to Mansfield to
less severe in maintaining the power of command The King was more ready in resolving and the Duke more circumspect in ripening his resolutions The King loved battels it being the custom of France so to do the Duke a wel-wisher to industrious advantages according to the manner of waging war in Flanders but in the diversity of action they were notwithstanding so conformable in reputation and in the glory of souldiery as few will be found amongst either the modern or ancient Commanders more famous at one and the same time who in such a difference have continually so much resembled one another The Duke of Mayne had very much prest the Duke of Parma at their meeting that if Fernese could not go then himself in person to relieve Paris he would at least furnish him Du Maine with some men to recruit his Forces in France whereby he might indeavour that succour the which Fernese easily granted and to that purpose gave him a Brigado of Spanish Foot under the Camp-master Antonio di Zunica and another of Italians under Camillo Capizucchi and moreover 500 Horse But Du Maine could never compass his design wherefore the Duke of Parma hastning his departure went from Brussels in the beginning of August The Army which he carried with him consisted of 14000 Foot made up of Spaniards Italians Germans and Walloons and 2800 Hose which were of two sorts the one of the Flemish usual Train-bands and the other of the abovesaid Nations The Prince of Semay commanded the former and Marquess de Renty the others for that Marquess Vasto was not then in Flanders and the Lieut. General of the Horse being likewise wanting George Basti supplyed his place who was Commissary General of the Horse and a gallant souldier With the Duke were the Princes of Ascoly and of Castelvetrano the Counts of Aremberg and Barlemonte with divers other Flemish Lords and Count Charles Mansfield General of the Artilery not being to be dispenst withal in Flanders the Duke had assigned that command over to Monsieur de la Motte one whom he greatly esteemed and who for many famous military acts had won the same opinion of all men Amongst the Camp-masters Peter Cajetan Nephew to the Legat was particularly in very great esteem and Alonso d' Ideaques as well in consideration of himself as for the reputation that John his father was in in the Court of Spain who hath been spoken of before The Duke of Parma being come with this Army to the Frontiers of Flanders towards Picardy he called all the Commanders together and gravely advertised them whether he was going He told them That the Kings Forces were now entring into a Country which did naturally hate the name of Spaniard That those of the League had now invoked the Kings Forces and desired his protection meerly out of necessity of Interest That therefore they were to be reputed of the like nature that is to say soon jealous and therefore apt to change That then out of all considerations as well Civil as Military they were to proceed so in the leading on and in the ordering of this Army as not to hazard any action nor put any in execution without great maturity He desired that if Military Government were ever well observed under him in Flanders it might be now exactly observed in France that therefore he straitly commanded every Captain to be all of them very diligent in the performance of their duties That they should not permit the souldier to do any the least imaginable prejudice unto the Country people That they should always march in as good order as if they had the enemy before them That they should be very accurate in fortifying their quarters That to afford the better commodity for all things necessary he would make short marches That he would be moving by the sun-rising and be in his lodging before it should set Munite the Camp continually well bring it into as little a compass as he could have diligent Gards kept on all sides and especially in safely conveying the victuals which were to serve for the great necessity of Paris For what remained that they should all follow him couragiously That he hoped that France would now prove a Theatre still more and more to confirm the honour due to the King of Spain 's Forces in Flanders that he would not be wanting on his behalf but that he would expose himself to all labour and shew himself no less equal to every one of them in incountring dangers then he was superior to them all in point of command Fernese prest very much the observance of these things and to move others the more by his example after he once began to march he was almost every hour every where and more by night then by day he alwaies marched with his Army in good order which he divided into three parts The Marquess of Renty had charge of the first the Duke himself took the charge of the second and Monsieur de la Motte guided the third after whom followed twenty peeces of Canon In this manner and with short marches the Duke came on the 23d of August to Maux a City not above ten leagues from Paris Here did the Duke du Mayn's Army joyn with him which was about 10000 Foot and 1500 Horse the souldiers of both the Camps were selected men and under well disciplin'd Ensignes Paris was this mean while reduced to the very utmost of necessity after that so numerous a people had suffered what possibly was to be undergon in point of Famine their necessity grew at last so great as they must either dye or throw open the gates to the King of Navar. The Duke of Parma was much troubled at this news for he would by no means be precipitate in his councels and yet found the necessity of hastening the succour He therefore incouraged the Paresians and put them in great hopes that he would in a very short time free them from that siege The Legate incouraged them to sufferance and the Spanish Officers but chiefly the Duke of Nemours who was Governor of Paris and brother by the Mothers side to the Duke du Mayne Wheresore the people overcoming their misery with new constancy did with unexpressible anxiety number the hours in expectation of being succour'd When the Duke of Parma marching from Meos with both the Armies joyned in one came towards Paris The King of Navar was then in his hight of hopes that that City would every day fall into his hands The Seene runs through it and two other rivers accompany the Seene neer Paris the one is the Marne two leagues before the Seene come to the City walls and the other the Oyse a little lower on the contrary side These rivers are the nurses which continually give milk to this vast City to boot with the wonderful abundance of its own Territories The King had possest himself of all the Avenues as well by the rivers as by the land Upon the
the Prince bring off the Rear who imbarking that remainder past them all safely over And the like insued to the other Souldiers who were in the Fort and to the Artillery which defended it Yet the King causing some of his Cannon be brought to a certain place which did most command the River endeavoured to sink those Boats wherein the residue of the Dukes men were and some of those Boats which were come from Holland came likewise up and endeavoured to hinder the passage But all was in vain For finally the Prince landed himself and all the rest of his men safe on the other shore and presently set all the Barks on fire to bereave the Enemy of making use of them in passing over the River also The King of Navar was still mightily incenst to see that Victory escape him which he made so sure of He was minded to pass over the Pont d'Ark to encounter the Enemy again or at least to infest them as much as he could in the Rear But the compass being great which he was to make and the Foot not being able to follow the Horse so fast which of themselves alone were not able to reduce the Enemy into straits he did not any thing more against them When the Army of the League was past over the River the Dukes of Parma and Mayn suspected lest the King of Navar might fall upon the aforesaid resolution of passing over the Pont d'Ark They therefore went far from the River and quartered in a Village called Newburgh more within land From hence Du Mayn went with some Forces to Rohan the better to secure the affairs of that City by his own presence whilst the King of Navar kept still thereabouts with so great a strength And Fernese pursued his Retreat marching still in very great order till being come into the Country of Brye contiguous to Champania he thought he might with more commodiousness and safety make less haste out of France Being come to the Confines he left certain Foot and Horse under the Command of Monsieur Rony to be disposed of in the Leagues service as the Duke Du Mayn should appoint him And from thence entring Flanders he went again to the Spaw being thereunto invited by the hot weather which already began But with small hopes of getting any good by it for his infirmity which since his wound grew every day greater He was much afflicted at this his bodily weakness being thereby deprived of following the most necessary military actions which he had formerly indefatigably undergone in his own person But he was chiefly vexed to see how much evil the diversions of France had occasioned to the affairs of Flanders and that the King of Spain did still persist more then ever in his desire of succouring the League and that to that purpose he was again to pass into France as soon as he could At his arrival in Flanders he found a mutiny of the Italians on foot and that Count Maurice had straightly besieged Stenwick a place of importance towards Friesland on the other side of the Rhine Maurice did lustily begirt it on all sides and having first fortified himself without to keep the Kings men from bringing relief he omitted no diligence in making inward advancements He plaid upon the Town furiously from divers parts with his Artillery And though the besieged were not wanting in making resistance by frequent Sallies and by all other stout resistance yet it was known the Town could not long hold out without some succour The siege was at this pass when the Duke of Parma arrived in Flanders He had left a good many men in France and the remainder were so lessened and so out of order by reason of so many sufferings as they were not in any condition of undergoing new ones The Duke endeavoured notwithstanding that all means should be used to relieve the Town And Verdugo did likewise labour in it with his wonted diligence and industry But his assistance was so weak and came so late as the besieged not being able to hold out any longer were at last inforced to yield Maurice won much honour by the getting of this place and it was a great advantage to the Confederate Provinces in those parts Nor did they stop here Count Maurice turned presently upon the Fort of Cowreden which was in the Kings possession and guarded a pass of great moment thereabouts and did so narrowly besiege it as those within wanting many necessaries for defence and withall having no hopes of succour they were at last forced to quit the place Much afflicted at these losses the Duke of Parma came to Brussels about the midst of October at his arrival in Flanders the Prince his son departed from those Countries to return for Italy And the Duke being grown so very weak as he thought he could not continue his Military labours in that Government he very much prest the King for leave to quit it But the King thought not good to condescend thereunto hoping that the Duke might yet again pass once more into France and knowing of what importance his very presence would be there On the other side the King knew in what a languishing condition of health the Duke was he knew how he was affected with the Dropsie which was become now incurable and that it was likely some time or other to prove his death Wherefore the King thought it necessary to send some personage of worth and esteem into Flanders who might more attentively observe the Dukes condition and might likewise have such Commissions about him from the King as should be thought fittest to be put in execution as well in consideration of the Dukes great want of health as also in case the Duke should die To this purpose he sent away John Pachecco Marquis of Ceralva who died before he got out of Spain wherefore he was fain to send another in his place which was Pietro Henrichuz di Azevedo Count of Fuentes This mean while the King being earnestly requested by those of the League in France had commanded the Duke of Parma that he should prepare to go again into that Kingdom with as great a strength as his occasions in Flanders would permit him In performance whereof the Duke gave out present orders for the raising of new men as he had formerly done And going from Brussels went to Arras that he might be as soon as might be on the nearest Confines of France and give the greater incouragement to the business Here through the strength and vertue of his mind he continued as much as possibly he could to govern the weakness and languor of his body He was indefatigable in his negotiations and more by night then by day And as if he scorn'd to yield to nature which made him now unable for any exercise he would sometimes appear on horseback and did strive to deceive himself by going on foot Thus did he persevere to do for some time And in the interim Count
side they resolved to assail them though they had small hopes or none of doing any good For making the Trenches he surveyed on several sides they found them to be so strong as the enemy had no reason to fear any thing And to this was added the inundation almost on all sides with which it was first to be contended before they could come to try the Trenches Mansfield passed notwithstanding from Steeloune with all his Army divided into squadrons and halted in sight of the Quarter where Maurice himself was lodged where a certain point of a chief Dike stood out which was fortified by a great Trench which Mansfield would endeavour to take from the enemy as he by assault did but not without much adoe by reason of the opposition of the water and of those that did defend it but he soon lost it again and therewithall all hopes of effecting the succour on that side Upon these occasions some skirmishes happened between the two Camps and Mansfield staying but a little while there went to the Village of Waestech towards which Count Hollack was quartered The Kings Army was not well got thither when it was unexpectedly set upon in the reer by 800 of the enemies horse who were come to this purpose a little before out of Breda and who put their quarters into some confusion but suddenly re-ordering themselves and opposing the enemy they beat them back and with some slaughter put to flight They then with all diligence endeavoured the succour on this side to facilitate the which Mansfield sent for some further provisions and particularly for some Artillery from Antwerp But the difficulties appeared alike here also All this while Count Maurice slack'd not his proceedings against the Town on the inside One battery play'd continually after another and oft-times they thundred all together And the enemy falling out of their Trenches were already lodged in the Ditch which being very large and deep Maurice had formerly caused the water to be drained from thence and drawn into lower situations Wherefore the besieged found themselves not only weakened in their defences but in danger to lose them Nor was it long ere they lost a Ravelin against which Maurice had made a great battery and accompanied it with a fierce assault yet did the defendants make valiant resistance and Gesan their Commander in chief dyed in so doing But the Town not being able to hold out longer of it self and no succour appearing from abroad they treated of surrendring which upon good conditions was done about the latter end of June Count Maurice being entred into Getrinberg and made all fitting provisions for the City he distributed his men into the adjacent parts that he might observe the Royalists designs and oppose them the best he might This mean while the abovesaid Recruit which Mansfield expected was come from Antwerp Wherefore desirous to try whether he could make any acquisition which might at least in some part make amends for so great a loss he resolved to turn upon the Fort of Crevecoeur This Fort is situated upon the mouth of a River called Demel which taking its rise in Brabant and having past through the City of Balduke or the Busse falls about a league from thence into the Mause The Country thereabouts was infested from this Fort and particularly Balduke was thereby indammaged great was the advantage moreover which the Enemy received from it by the further command of the River Mansfield advancing with his Army made some of his men draw nearer the Fort intending to possess himself of some convenient seat These men had much adoe to pass forward for they found the fields overflown and the Fort so well defended on all sides as Mansfield despairing of ever getting it drew quickly off from it again He then disposed of his Army as he thought best And because the Enemy did already openly threaten Friesland and in particular the City of Groninghen he therefore sent new men to Verdugo to sustein the Kings affairs in those parts as well as for the present they might be Verdugo commanded the Kings Forces thereabouts who was not wanting in using all his accustomed diligence as well in doing what might be for the service of his party as also in impeding the Enemy from advantaging themselves The two Counts Hermano and Frederick de Berg did every day signalize themselves more and more with him in the Kings service And Verdugo making use of them chiefly was in continual action on one side or other But to say truth he was so inferior in Forces as the Adverse party prevailed for the most part in all that was undertaken But the successes on neither side were of such consequence as that by making a distinct relation of them here that of the greater and more important events ought to be retarded One of the greatest and most prejudicial which hapned on the Kings behalf at this time was the Mutiny of the Italians Walloons who were with Count Charls for the service of the League in France A good number of the Spaniards which were with the Count in those parts had mutinied as you have heard before And because there was some discourse had of giving some Payes to the rest of the Spaniards who kept under the obedience of their Commanders the like respect not appearing to be had to the other Souldiers who had kept in the like obedience therefore the Italians and Walloons resolved to mutiny as they easily did afterwards They made up a body between them of 1500 Foot and 700 Horse and possessing themselves unexpectedly of the Village of Pont in Henault upon the borders of France they diligently fortified themselves there and providing for their necessities by excursions they resolved not to return to their former obedience till they were fully satisfied for their pay Count Charls his Forces were so lessened by these Mutinies as they could be of no longer service neither for the affairs of France nor yet of Flanders Thus ended this year and the next of 1594 began In this interim Archduke Ernestus brother to the Emperor Radolphus was come from Germany to be Governour of Flanders The King had very much desired that a Prince so near allied to him both in blood and affection would take upon him the care of those Countries and the Emperor joyning with the King in the same desire the Archduke was easily perswaded to please them both Parting then from Vienna about the beginning of the year he came to Flanders and was received in Brussels with all demonstrations of joy and honour by the obedient Provinces At his arrival he found the affairs of the League in France very much declining For the King of Navar having at last declared himself to be a Catholick and having setled his Cause well in this point wherein he stood in most need it was not hard for him afterwards to advantage it in all others Wherefore being received without any expence of blood into Paris
together with a great number of common souldiers In fine the success of this Assault was such as a more fierce bloody and longer doubtfull fight had not till that time been heard of neither in the Wars of France nor Flanders Fuentes having taken Chatelet and Dorlan and gotten the aforesaid victory in the field he had the greater desire to incamp before Cambray and he hoped the more to win it at last He first rested his Army for some days and in the mean while sollicited those aids which diversly and plentifully was preparing for him in Henault Artois and in the other neighbouring Countries and by the Bishop of Cambray The aids consisted in monies souldiers victuals ammunition Artillery together with a great number of Pyoners to serve for the mannual work of the fiege But in the Interim he being willing to gain as much time as he could parted from Dorlan and with those men which he had incamped about the midst of August before Cambray His Camp consisted not then of above 7000 foot and 1500 horse VVherefore the Duke of Nevers who was then in Peroune resolved to try whether he could bring any relief into the Town or no before his Army should be increased He to this purpose sent his eldest son the Duke of Retel who was not then above 15 years old accompanied with 500 horse By sending such a pawn Nevers desired to assure the besieged the more that he himself would soon come to succour them with other forces The young Duke met with a brisk opposition wherein Carlo Colonna with his Cavalry did particularly signalize himself But the French prevailed and having lost some of their men entred most of them into the City Fuentes his Army did this mean while daily increase in a short time his Camp conâ—sted of 12000 foot and 3â—00 horse he had moreover above 80 pieces of Artillery great aboundance of Ammunition and victuals and 40â—0 Pyoners At his first incamping Fuentes had rather designed where he would take up his quarters about the Town then taken them up deviding them the most advantagiously that the several situations would suffer him to do But now abounding in all things that was necessary to fortifie them he applyed himself suddenly to bring them to intire perfection Cambray is seated as hath several times been said upon that edg of Frontier made by the two Provinces of Henault and Artois on Flanders side towards France opposite to Picardy It hath under its command abroad only the little Castle of Cambresis with a very narrow precinct of ground but the Prerogatives of the City make good the smallness of the Territories It enjoys a free Government under the spiritual and temporal dominion of its Archbishop It is indowed with very large Priviledges full of noble Churches whereof the Cathedral is such as hath not its like in any of the chief neighbouring Cities It is sufficiently provided also of other Edifices either for use or ornament yet are not the Inhabitants answerable in numbers to the houses Many of which being Ecclesiasticks foreign Commerce and Merchandizing doe rather languish then abound there Neither doth the Scheld though it run through the City afford Commodity for it for that River takes its head but from a little above that City and hath therefore there so slender a Channel as it is hardly Navigable in those parts The City is about a league in compass and is invironed with an antient wall flank'd for the most part after the ancient manner but with many Bulwarks also after the modern way of Fortification It hath a ditch which is very broad and deep on the one side whereinto for a great part the Scheld runs but the rest thereof by reason of the hight of its situation is dry but so much the deeper On the highest side which is on the East stands a Citadel with four royal Bulwarks having a great half Moon between two of them which are next the fields and divers other defences for the better custody of the ditch The ground descending from hence towards the South side and still more and more as it inclines towards the VVest stands the Port Neufe and then that of St Sepulcher afterwards another called Cantimpre and more towards the South that of Selle And lastly more higher towards the Citadel there is another Gate called Malle Between these Gates is the compass of the City divided It had for the defence thereof about 2500 foot and 600 horse besides 500 foot which were reserved for the Citadel Amongst the foot some Companies of Swissers were comprehended and some others of the confining VValloons which served Baligni The rest were French all of them well trained up in wars The City and Citadel did abound in Victuals Ammunition Artillery and with whatsoever was requisite for the maintaining of a long and hard siege Now to turn to the adverse party Fuentes had taken up his quarters chiefly over against the Gates that he might block up the most frequented avenues and that he might the better keep out succour On that side which lay nearest France from whence relief was most to be feared and which was on the South side he raised a great Fort near the Village Nierny and gave the custody thereof to the Prince of Simay He raised another Fort towards the west called Premy taking its name from a near neighbouring Village and gave the charge thereof to Count Bilio Colonel of a German Regiment Then turning towards the North he added another Fort which was called St. Olao the name of a Church not far from it and he committed the defence thereof to the Baron Ausi On the fourth side towards the East did Fuentes his self quarter by reason of the near accommodation of the Village Evendunre and here he raised the greatest Fort for on that side which was the most eminent and where the ditch was dry he intended to open his Trenches and to make his batteries These were the chief quarters and the defence was to be secured by the abovesaid Forts From one Fort to another did certain little Forts or rather Redouts run with double Trenches because the inward might serve to refrain sallies and the outward to keep out succour To each Fort and Redout he assigned such men as were requisite together with all things necessary for the well maintaining of them And the horse were likewise distributed in places most-needfull to scoure the Country and to be ready to disturb relief The siege being thus setled they began to work their Trenches against the wall But as that highest or most eminent place which hath been spoken of was most commodious for the opening of them so was the wall on that side the City hardest to be forced A half Bulwark was thrust out from the Citadel with a great Orillioune which with the well covered fences within did serve for a curtain to a long line of wall which ran between that Bulwark and the Port di Malle Between
Siege the King forbore not listening to a secret intelligence by which the City-might be fraudulently delivered up unto him There was a Covent of Augustine Friars in Amiens which did almost joyn upon one of the Gates of the City Many Citizens came usually to this Covent where they plotted a secret practise to put the City into the Kings hands by privately taking in some Souldiers from without by night who should possess themselves of certain Bridges under which the River ran as it went out of the City But Portacarrero discovering the business he made those whom he suspected sure and putting some of the Ringleaders to death he ordered that all the Votaries should go out of Amiens and afterwards by degrees drove out most of the Citizens Portacarrero being freed from those dangers which threatned him within minded with greater security the advancing of the outward works which consisted chiefly in defending the Ditch the most that might be And therefore he fortified the Chemine Couverte in sundry sorts other new Defences were added even within the Ditch it self and Mines were wrought under the Chemine Couverte which might be made to play when the Enemy should approach Moreover for its better defence it was invironed with great and sharp stakes hanging outwards with some little distance between them which might keep the Enemy from suddenly assailing it and the Defendants might have the advantage of being thereby sheltred All such Fortifications as it was capable of were added in particular to the great Ravelin of Montrecurt And all this while the Defendants cooled not in making their frequent Sallies but making them every time more forceable then other there seldom past a night that they did not issue out to disturb the Works in which the Countrymen there abou ts supplying the place of Pioners it is not to be believed what a slaughter was made of those miserable people during the siege The field-side towards France was less fortified and consequently worse guarded as being the most secure The besieged issued forth on that side to provide necessary Forrage for their Horses but with good Convoyes of Horse and Foot they were many times fortunate herein but falling at last into a great Ambush of 600 horse of the Enemy they were routed and in their retreat lost many of their Foot and Horse and particularly a great number of the meaner sort of people who were imployed in getting together the Forrage This misfortune did not abate but rather increase the besiegeds courage in continuing their sallies Portacarrero would therefore make out one which should be so strong and so well ordered as it might make large amends for the loss lately suffered Which he disposed thus He sent out two Spanish Captains Diego Durango and Francisco del l' Arco with their two Foot-Companies and to them added two Troops of Horse commanded by Jovanni Gusman and Martin Aguilas both of them Spaniards after these came the Marquis di Montenegro with 300 Horse more And the order which was given them was that they should at one and the same time assault the Trenches which were a working on the two nearest sides and afterwards to make into the quarters from whence the Works proceeded It was about the end of July when the weather is hottest and men aptest to sleep about Noon-day At this time it was resolved the Sally should be made Nor were the besieged deceived For finding a great many of those that labour'd in the Trenches wearied with their working by night and taking their rest as also the others that guarded them they meeting with little resistance made great slaughter amongst them then assaulting the nearest quarter of the English they slue many of them before they could well put themselves in a defensive posture and assaulting another quarter with the like violence where the Swissers were lodged they likewise slue and wounded many of them But the Camp flying to their Arms new succour coming in from all parts the fray did so increase as it could neither be more obstinate nor more bloody The Marshal Biroun did first appear who thrusting in where the business was hottest gave miraculous proof of his courage Nor did the King himself do less who transported by his too warlike genius and too much despising danger would likewise be himself where the greatest peril was Till such time as the besieged being forced to give back the fray ended In which the besieged lost above 20 of their men amongst which John Gusman who was in the flower of his age of a very noble family and of very great expectation There were some 600 of the contrary party slain as it was said amongst which divers Captains and other inferior Officers Those without were still very much indamaged by the Artillery which were placed within upon the walls and still so much the more by how much the trenches drew nearer the ditch Wherefore Monsieur S. Luke planted two Batteries the one of ten Peeces of Cannon against the Ravelin of Montecourt and the other of twelve Peeces against the neighbouring defences He raised also against the same parts a great Platform furnisht with other Peeces and munited it with a strong Redout to keep it from the so impetuous sallies made by those within Neither did these Batteries fail in their expected service for they soon greatly indammaged one Ravelin they threw down the Parapets of the contiguous wall and batterd down the highest Defences so as none but the lowest defended the Ditch This mean while the Trenches did daily approach nearer the Counterscarf the Works never ceasing over which Marshal Biroun had a particular care But though he the King being present had the principal care of the Siege yet the King forbore not to have it most in his thoughts who continually viewed all the Works being indefatigable in his labour both by day and night abounding at once both in a Princely and Warlike spirit but notwithstanding of so affable a nature and so long accustomed to be amongst Souldiers as laying down for the most part his Regal Majesty it seemed as if he desired rather to be a Fellow-souldier then a King amongst them All degrees of Souldiery strove therefore who should most willingly follow and serve him and the King did infinitely desire out of Military glory to bring this Siege to his wisht for end that it might be known he knew equally how to be a gallant Commander as well in the most difficult besieging of Towns as in the greatest Field-conflicts These extra ordinary diligences which were used about the aforesaid Works made that those within had every day less field-room to make out sallies wherefore they resolved to make one sally more which being perhaps to be the last might prove for as much as in them lay the most prejudicial to the Enemy Portacarrero assembling therefore together little less then 1000 select Foot with their Commanders gave order that about noon-day they should with all possible secrecy
to the lower by her breadth In these respects their friendships adherents and allyances were very great in those parts Moreover divers of the best Families of Flanders derived from Germany and amongst others that of the Prince of Orange who afterwards married with the house of Saxony as hath been said The heretick Princes held therefore their streightest corespondencies with him and to him did discover their most intimate sence of the affairs of Flanders because it was most conformable with his own Orange being afterwards gon to them by reason of the Duke of Alva's being come into Flanders he still indeavoured to increase in them a resolution not to tollerate that oppression which he in the most horrid manner he could invent affirmed to be already introduced by the Spaniards amongst the Flemish Affirming that this cause was common to both the Germanies he mingled the Interest of Religion together with that of State and by the strength and vivacity of wit made dangers a far off seem very near at hand He chiefly propounded a meeting between those Princes who were most to dread the Spanish forces in Flanders the Queen of England assisted him herein by her authority and the Hugonots of France by their practices So as the resolution was soon put on and divers Hans Towns joyned therein likewise by sending their Deputies thither particularly those which are situated upon the Rhine in which by reason of their neighbourhood with Flanders the aforesaid power of the Spanish forces was most dreaded Of the Princes the Count Palatine of Rhine was most remarkable his State lay nearest to Flanders he had the best forces and being past on from Luthers heresie to that of Calvin he held greater corespondency with the hereticks of France and with the Queen of England The rest were the Duke of Wittenberg the Landgrave of Hesse the Marquis of Bada the Marquis of Durlack and some neighbouring Counts besides those of Nassaw The King of Denmark and the house of Saxony sent likewise their particular Deputies to the Diet. Business doth still proceed slowly which is to be agitated by many either they differ in their ends or agree not in the means or for the most part are lost through confusion But their progress is more slow then ordinarily in Germany where negotiations are not had without much prolixity more by writing then by word of mouth and where more time is spent in banqueting then in business The Diet proceeded on then but slowly and by reason of the variety of opinions many difficulties were met with in the things proposed Whereupon the Prince of Orange being all on fire himself and that he might set others on fire likewise spake one day thus It is not assuredly any waies to be doubted most Noble Princes and worthy Deputies but that we now treat upon a common cause The one and the other Germany are sufficiently united in situation tongue name traffick life and in all things else And who knows not that in former times they both made but one body their people do chiefly affect liberty And though in Flanders the Prince be heriditory whereas in Germany he is elective yet almost the same preeminence is due by them to their States as is here attributed to your Dyets But how oft and with how much labour and danger hath it behoved the one and the other Nation to oppose themselves to the avaritiousness of their Princes I will leave the pursuit of ancient affairs that I may come to the more modern and those of Germany that I may descend to the present affairs of Flanders When the Emperour Charls the fifth was dead every one knows the King his son's chiefest desire was to leave those parts and settle himself in Spain Being there wholly transformed into the sence and Customs of that people he grew desirous to govern Flanders after the same manner and Empire as Spain was governed And what more imperious Minister of State could he leave behind him with the Dutchess of Parma then the Cardinal Granville Did I say Minister of State nay rather supream Governor since whilst he was there the Dutchess bore only the name of Regent the whole power lay in him base Burgundian The first Author of Flanders's mischiefs and who deserves chiefly to be punished since the fault was chiefly his The Government of the Ecclesiastical and Temporal affairs was suddenly altered in divers sorts by absolute Authority but chiefly by new Edicts still more grievous to the conscience and by introducing the Inquisition The secretest Oracles are come from the Councel of Spain and are executed by secret consultations in Flanders If the Nobility have complained their complaints have proved vain to Petition is counted treachery to seem troubled rebellion and the casual headdy giddiness of the common people a premeditated insurrection of the whole Country In fine nothing but to have a pretence to use force against Flanders was expected in Spain And what more light pretence could be taken then to go about to suppress those tumults which were seen to cease almost assoon as begun When so suddenly hereupon the Flemish are insolently declared in Spain to be rebels to God and to the King and a foreign Army marches to cause Flanders to be treated hereafter not as a successive Nation but as a Conquered Countrey And who could be better chosen to execute such violences then the Duke of Alva the most haughty minded man of all Spain Flanders greatest enemy and who knows better then any other how to extinguish all remainders of religion and in lieu thereof to use all sorts of Tyranny And just so it fell out He hath begun to raise Citadels in the chiefest Cities he hath placed Garisons every where the places of execution run down with bloud in all Towns no more home-Laws are heard of but forein ones The Country is almost unpeopled by exilement imprisonment and running away And nothing but gastly looks complaints misery desparation and calamity is seen every where In this deplorable estate is Flanders at the present How much more happie then is Germany which enjoys her former libertie and which abhorring all forein force knows no other Empire then her own I partake of this felicity for from hence I derive my bloud and my first stem remains still here Nay I am more hated in Spain then any other of the Flemish by reason of my German spirit I am held to be the contriver of Conspiracies the head of sedition the pestilence of those Countries Their greatest anger thunders against me and the severest punishments are already fallen upon me Thus they seek to turn my glory to infamy And what greater glory can there be then to maintain the liberty of a mans Country and to die rather then be inslaved I then most high Princes and Noble Deputies who am both a German and a Fleming after having laid before you the miseries of the Lower Germany whose tears and supplications I bring hither with me
moved to execute the aid designe and they hoped for better success for that they had some intelligence in the City This was soon foreseen and speedily prevented by the Duke of Alva He dispacht away the Camp-Master Londonio forthwith thitherward with some Spanish some German and some Walloon Colours and sent Sancio d'Avila likewise thither with 30 horse and in the first place secured Mastrick that being the chief pass towards Germany That City is cut through not in the midst but on one side by the Mause the lesser part thereof makes as it were an angle which is called by the name of Vich This part belongs to the Principality of Liege but the chief body of the Town is under the Low-Countries The City is united by a stone-bridg and the Ligeois contented with the Civil Government of what belongs to them leave both the lesser and greater division under the Military custody of the King of Spain The revolters drew near Ruremond and endeavoured to possess themselves of one gate but they failed in their designe for they reaped no good by the Intelligence they had within but found things in a better posture of defence then they expected They therefore presently withdrew into the State of Liege fearing to have the Spaniards on their back if they should tarry in the Kings Territories This mean while Londonio and Avila were on their march and understanding that they were retreated Londonio was not minded to pursue them into Liege saying Will not this be to offend and irritate our neighbours our own Countrie is too full of jealousie Let us make a bridg to them that fly to see the enemy run away is to have sufficiently overcome But Avila was for pursuing them replying Our neighbours will be so far from being hereat offended as they ought rather to thank us for it Do not we know that these wicked ones have entred the Country of Liege by force the Ligeois will then repute our forces for their own and must confess that we have done this to free them not to invade their Countrie This opinion prevailed and the Spaniards advancing heard that Lumay and Villiers were retired with their men towards Dalem a little Town bordering upon the Country of Liege environed with a wall and a ditch but otherwise not strong They did not think that the Spaniard would have touched upon that State but when they knew they marched towards them they got underneath the walls of Dalem and assisted by a ravelin on one side and by the carriage carts on the other they prepared to defend themselves When the Spaniards were come up they sent some of their men forthwith to the other side of the Town and with the rest gave so strong an assault to the enemy on the front as they wholly routed them They slew many of them took many of them and amongst the rest Villiers was taken prisoner So the designe of the Flemish who had quit their Countrie proved vain on that side Not long after they indeavoured to possess themselves of the Town of Graves which was first possest by the Prince of Orange and which being seated upon the Mause on the utmost confines of Brabant would have been very fit for their purpose But they were not well got in by means of some intelligence which they had when they resolved to be gon again hearing that the Dukes men marched towards them Nor had they better success in a conspiracy of theirs which as was commonly divulged was not long before discovered against the Dukes person He oft-times used to pass by the Forrest Soigny near Brussels upon occasion of frequenting a Monastery which was thereabouts called Groendal Some of the Nobility had resolved to set upon him with some men in that wood and to kill him and so suddenly to run to Brussels and to raise the people there But were it either that the report was false for the conspiracy was not much believed or that the designe could not be executed the business soon vanisht no certainty of it being ever known Count Lodovick was this mean while fallen into Friesland with an intire Army consisting as 't was said of 10000 foot and 3000 horse and Orange did prepare at the same time to pass into the Low Countries on another side with a much greater strength Lodovick being entred Friesland he began to fortifie the Town of Delfeziel situated towards the mouth of the river Embs. This river divides East Friesland which belongs to the Upper Germany from West Friesland which appertains to the Lower As it grows nearer the sea it so inlargeth it self as by the mouth thereof it makes a gulf Here is the City of Embden seated one of the most considerable Towns of all the Maretine part by reason of the frequency of people and oportunity of Commerce which is much helped by the Haven thereof being held one of the most commodious of all the North. The Flemish Friesland if I may so call it makes two Provinces that which joyns upon Germany is called Groninghen from the City of the same name a City very well populated and suspitiously seated being the chiefest Key of those Confines 'T is seated very low as is its sister Province which retains the name of Friesland In Winter the fields stand full of water and there is no coming to their habitations but upon the banks in Summer the land lies dry and yields great store of pasturage You would say that in those parts the sea is interchangably turned into land and the land to sea By reason of the low situation and great humidity there is no Woods in the Country nor almost any sort of Trees which may serve for firing But where nature is therein wanting the Inhabitants make it good by their industry they make use of Turfs cut out of the Earth and dryed in the Sun in stead of Wood. These are the Woods of Friesland and the Inhabitants usual fire In divers other parts of Flanders they suffer likewise the same wants and with the same industry provide against it Lodovick intended to make himself Master of the City of Groninghen and there were some within the Town who fed him with hopes of so doing He therefore encamped thereabouts and fortified himself where he thought best especially where he might receive new supplies from Germany But the Duke of Alva had not been wanting this mean while in taking such order as was needfull to withstand this Army Count Aremberg was Governour of that Friesland which belong'd to the King of Spain he was one of the chiefest Lords of Flanders of great esteem in the Militia and who a little before was sent by the Duke into France with a good strength of horse to the aid of King Charls against the hereticks of that Kingdom The affairs of France being afterwards setled and Aremberg being returned to Flandets the Duke sent him suddenly into Friesland He had under him a Regiment of High Dutch and Count Mega
the Duke to proceed and who fed him with hopes of good success They proposed to begin with that which was likelyest to succeed to wit with that of the hundreth penny That this more easie entrance being made the Provinces would be the easilyer induced afterwards to give way to the harder Impositions of the tenth and twentieth penny That some of the Provinces should be first dealt withall herein as were thought were most inclinable to the Proposition That the example of one would conduce much to the rest And where example would not serve let Authority at last supply the place But the greater part of the Councel were of a contrary opinion and the President Vighlio appeared more openly against it then al the rest a State Mininister who was esteemed of incorrupted Loyalty to the King and of experienced wisdom in the affairs of Flanders He shewed how that too great difficulties would be met with even in the exaction of the hundreth penny alleadging the example of what had insued some years before upon the desire of the like subsidie He shewed how much the times were since then impaired how averse the Countrie did now appear to ordinary Contributions and how the minds of all men were agitated for what had happened That howsoever he did not think this kind of Imposition altogether infeisable since it would not be very grievous and but for once But as for the other upon goods moveable and unmoveable he thought that Imposition altogether uneffectable those oppositions not being to be overcome which would assuredly be made by whole Flanders as well for being grievances never before experienced and laid on for an unlimited time as that also without all peradventure the overthrow of all Traffick and Commerce would thereupon insue For said he will not all the concourse of foreign Merchants cease when they see they cannot freely buy and sell Merchandise according as they had wont What is it that doth not often turn from one to another species when it hath left its former homely and simple nature who will not abhor so oft a repeated grievance the price of other Merchandise increasing the like will certainly insue in what concerns victuals How will the poorer sort of people be therewithall grieved and how much will the very ablest be displeased there will be no remedy found for so great an evill but for no foreigners to Traffick in these Provinces and immediately to take away those of our own who are of the same profession Thus the Countrie will be impoverisht both in men and monies By which how much will the King himself suffer so as instead of receiving unwonted Impositions such as are usual will peradventure not be had hereafter Nor can it be doubted but that the contradictory example which will be seen in almost all the whole Countrie will be of greater prevalence then the ascent and that uncertain which may perchance be found in some one Province Our neighbour-Nations will likewise much complain of this noveltie with which ours hath express Covenants of free Trade But the mischief will at last fall wholly upon us and in the first place upon the King For in fine Princes are rich according as their Subjects are so And look what of commodity is got from them in time of peace much more is reaped in time of war In my opinion then that advantage ought to be past by which brings with it a greater evil And all means ought rather to be indeavoured whereby to appease mens minds then to afford them new occasions of exasperation Otherwise I foresee and I wish I may prove a false Prophet that the losses which we shall receive at home will prove much greater then the victories which we have lately obtained abroad advantagious These reasons alleadged by Vighlio were undoubtedly of great wheight But they did not though divert the Duke of Alva from his indeavours who being accustomed to overcome Military difficulties thought he might much more easily do the like in Civil affairs So as continuing in his former fervency he ceased not to interpose sometimes prayers sometime power and very oft threats to arrive at the end which he had proposed unto himself He particularly indeavoured to compass those means in every Province which might the easilyer dispose them to allow of the aforesaid Impositions The Walloon Provinces were the most Catholick and of least Traffick It was so handled as these assented presently to the hundred penny and by their example though not without much difficulty the rest were induced to do the like The Duke to make himself appear the more gracious at the same time to the people caused severe justice to be executed upon one John Speell a Fleming who had had a great share in all the most odious criminal affairs This man was therefore very much abhor'd by all the Country not only for what he had done but for the manner of doing it with all sort of cruelty and corruption When he was condemned to die the Duke would have him hung up in the publick market-place at Brussels And two others whom he had used most in his negotiations were banished To this Actof Justice the Duke added a much greater of Clemency He had lying by him a general pardon from the Pope and another from the King which bore with them abolition for the misdeeds committed in Flanders against the Ecclesiastical and Regal Authority of both which he had liberty to make use accordingly as he being upon the place should think fit The Popes dispensation was to this purpose obtained in Spain and the King had likewise sent his but in each of them such high defaults were excepted wherein Divine and Humane Majesty were most offended and the King reserved unto himself the free power to make good or abrogate those priviledges which had served for a pretence to the late risings The Duke going to Antwerp which by reason of Traffick was a City then very much frequented by forreigners he made a stately Throne be erected in the chief Piazza upon the top of which was placed a Chair of State whereon he himself being sate and invironed round about with great pomp he made both these pardons be proclaimed All the people ran to hear this and the news thereof was suddenly divulged throughout all the Provinces And the Duke at the same time indeavoured to reconcile himself unto them by reducing the soldiers to a lesser number by ordering their quarters better and by putting divers things in better order for the better satisfaction of the people But in fine it proved too true that let a man do well or ill all actions are abhor'd which proceed from a hatefull Government And just so it fell out then The Flemish seemed little satisfied with all that the Duke had done nay many of them gave a sinister interpretation to both the Indulgencies as if there were too much scope left by the so many exceptions both to punish past faults and cause
difficulty in being received But being got into the town and greater mislikes arising amongst the Citizens they came from words to blows nor did the quarrel end till the Town by military licentiousness was sackt This success drew after it very bad consequences For every Town in Holland seemed to share in this sacking of Roterdam and the example shewn therein by one Town to another extended it self suddenly from one Province to another The affairs were notwithstanding for that time appeased there by Count Bossu Lumay growing bold by this prosperity and growing stronger by new men who came in unto him went to get further footing thereabouts especially in some other place upon the Mause But divers of the Kings souldiers being assembled together hindred all his further attempts at that time Orange prepared this mean while to march with his Forces from Germany He was to this purpose in a Town of his called Dilimburgh near the Rhine and endeavoured again to make all that side of the Country joyn with him And seeing that fortune began already to smile on him in Flanders by this success of the Bril he thought it good to allure men yet more by writing He and his brother Lodovick did therefore publish a Manifesto the tenor of which was to this purpose They shewed how much they were obliged by Nature and Honour not to suffer their Country to be opprest They said that the King being abused could not remedy those things which were concealed from him They added to the past miseries by greatly exagerating the present calling the Duke of Alva's introduced grievances Tyrannies and things till then unheard of in Flanders They endeavoured by specious titles even of doing service to the King to make the Country incline to them and particularly to secure the Catholicks in matter of Religion And in fine they strove to be so zealous of the publike good as others should not fear that any of their own private ambition were hidden underneath it The Duke of Alva seeing these beginnings delayed not to take new men into pay He gave order for the speedy raising of 6000 Walloon Foot under 3 Camp-masters to wit the Messieurs of Capres Bevoir and Liques and he gave out other Commissions to the same effect He was chiefly jealous of Zealand by reason of the particular correspondencies which Orange held there who was formerly Master of many places there of importance The Ilands of that Province are full of Havens but Flushing is the chiefest This Town stands further into the Sea then any other on that side which looks towards Spain and commands the mouth of the Channel where it is seated The Duke sought to secure himself of this Haven which opens and shuts the chief ingress into that Country by a Citadel which he caused to be built there but which was not yet made defensible Neer Flushing stands the Ramechins a little Castle but well fortified And more inward Ramua an open Town but which hath one of the best Havens of all the North. Between Flushing and Ramua a little within land stands Middleburgh the greatest and chiefest City for traffick in all Zealand as hath been said and which therefore makes its own Iland called Walcheren the noblest of all those Ilands The City holds communication with the Sea by a large Channel cut out by hand and receives all commodities from thence The Duke of Alva having these jealousies of Zealand he in the first place endeavoured to secure Flushing and suddenly dispatched thitherward Captain Osorio d' Angulo with three companies of Spanish Foot Nor did the Duke conceive amiss The marching of these people being heard of at Flushing the Townsmen resolved not to receive them into the Town and boldly did as they resolved The Souldiers being come neer the Town the people within took up Arms ran to the gates and shut them up Exclaiming that they came to raise by force the new Impositions and moreover to sack Flushing as they had done Rotterdam Nor were they content to keep out the Kings Souldiers but imprisoning Captain Pacieco a Spaniard who had the care of ordering the new Citadel and after having treated him abusively in divers sorts they cut off his head and hung it up for a publike spectacle in the market-place This opposition accompanied with such sad circumstances forced Osorio to quit the Island and to retreat as he did to some place of safety expecting new Orders from the Duke who was extremely troubled at this success But it cannot be said how glad Orange was of this and how much his Fautors rejoyced every where They all of them applied themselves with all diligence to send men into Flushing and in a few dayes many High-Dutch and French came and were there received and the Queen sent some Souldiers privatly thither from England Jerolomo Lorâ— of Seras born at Breda came thither afterwards who was made Governour of the Town by Orange and he gathering together 3000 Souldiers did better establish the Insurrection of that Town The Tumultuaries expecting from hence better progress they without any gainsaying took Ramua and Vere a considerable place not far from thence and all other places of lesser importance So as of the whole Iland of Walcherin only Middleburg and the small Castle of Ramechins remained to the King Wherefore the Tumultuaries desiring to be masters of the whole Iland and hoping to be so they resolved to besiege Middleburgh and sate down before it with those men which they had whose numbers increased daily The Duke hearing of this so great revolt feared very much that Middleburgh would also be lost He knew that there were but few of the Kings Souldiers within it and that many of the Citizens were but ill enough inclin'd Wherefore he suddenly sent the Signeur de Beavoir thither with 400 old Walloon Foot for the new Souldiers of his Regiment were not as yet raised Beavoir was received into the City And because to boot with the small number of Souldiers the City was but ill munited and victuall'd the Duke gave order to send speedily a powerful succour thither he commanded that many ships should be made ready in Antwerp and that the greatest strength of Spaniards and Walloons that could be had should be mustered and that the Rendezvous should be at Berghen ap Zoom Berghen is but a few leagues distant from Antwerp the River of Zoom runs by it which not far off fals into the Scheld So as it is a place of importance in it self and was then the fittest from whence to send that succour To encourage the enterprise the Duke sent his son Frederick to Berghen and with him Signior Norchermes and here all things were preparing which were needfull for the above-mentioned enterprise But news coming every day of greater danger if Middleburgh were not suddenly secured therefore it was requisite to send away an indifferent aid since there was not time allowed for a plenary succour Sancio d' Avila was chosen
like and peradventure greater might insue upon the same Frontier where he greatly apprehended not only the open practises of the Hugonots but even the secret ones which by order or connivance of the King of France the very Catholicks might nourish in those parts He therefore with all speed sent such men as were needfull to chase the French forthwith from out that Town and to prevent the danger of the coming in of others to assist the former Alonzo de Lumbrales marched thitherward immediately with 150 Spanish horse and was followed the next day by Garzia de Gualdes with above one hundred more of the same Nation These Horse were brought without any difficulty into the Citadel and time was afforded this mean while for John de Mendosa General of the Light-horse to come with both more Horse and Foot he brought with him also some Companies of Walloons taken newly into pay So as being entred with all these men into the Citadel and charging vigorously upon the French who could not in so short a time be succoured from without nor sufficiently fortified within they were first soon disordered and afterwards put to flight Many of them were slain and but few of them would have escaped if the Kings men would in that heat have pursued them But they were no less angry with the Townsmen suspecting that they had favoured the French So as leaving these and falling on the others they began to sack many houses and shed much blood not much distinguishing between such as were guilty and such as were in no fault at all The Duke had not well recovered Valentiennes when he heard that upon the same Frontier by means of some other Hugonots who had taken Lodovick of Nassaw for their Leader Mons was lost And the mischiefs were already grown so general on all sides in Flanders as it was impossible to withstand their course any longer just as the waters of an overswoln Torrent bearing down first the lesser obstacles and afterwards the greater doe at last in sundry places overflow the neighbouring fields and in sundry sorts make strange havock The Walloon Provinces as hath been often said lie towards France Henault is one of the chiefest of them and Mons is the chiefest Town therein a noble City for situation Inhabitants and buildings And because it stood not upon the very edge of the Confines but lay somewhat more inward therefore was it neither very well fortified nor yet carefully guarded though it were of it self strongly situated and well provided with ditches and strong antient walls Lodovick drawing secretly neer to that Frontier with a few French Hugonots he was let in on the 25. of May and thus surprised the Town Some other French were first entred Mons under pretence of merchandise with certain Fat 's full of Arms and had private intelligence with divers of the Townsmen So as the agreement being had they made themselves masters of one of the Gates and killing him who kept the keyes of it and driving away the rest of the Corps de Gard they let in Lodovick who to that end had marched hard all that night with an hundred Horse When he was entred the City he began to run into every place and endeavoured by seditious speeches to make the people adhere to him hoping for more succour But no French appearing from without nor the Townsmen rising any way within he forewent almost assoon the hopes of making himself master of the City as he had assumed them and resolved to quit it Nay he began already to fear lest the people being almost all of them Catholicks should rather turn against him and either drive him out or to his greater danger take him prisoner But Fortune which had favoured him the first time did so the second He was not well gone out of the Town when he met with 200 other French horse with foot en croupe which came to succour him being led on by Monsieur Genlis himself who was the chiefest plotter of all the Hugonots upon that Frontier So as reassuming courage and assuring himself that the gate by which he was newly come out was yet open he again entred the City And having in the first place possest himself of all the Market places and chiefest streets he summoned all the best of the Town into the Town-house and endeavoured to justifie his action honesting it with words full of zeal towards the Country and of devotion towards the King but of detestation against the Dake of Alvas Government and the Spaniards actions He afterwards gave all assurance that the City should receive no outrage nor be in any sort damnified and the better to secure himself and his men he seised upon all the Arms and Warlike Ammunition he could any where find Then he began with all diligence to take order for such things as were requisit for the defence of the City considering that the Duke of Alva would without any delay bend all the Kings Forces against him Genlis went himself in person to sollicite the Hugonots in France and to be himself their Conductor And Lodovick was not wanting in hastning his brother the Prince of Orange to come in unto his succour from the side of Germany and by so great an acquisition the better to confirm those hopes which he conceived they had reason to build upon of making yet greater in a short time THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO BOOK VI. The Contents The Duke of Alva was mightily incenst at the loss of Mons. Other Insurrections in Holland follow Orange prepares to enter Flanders the second time The Duke of Alva makes a great levy of men to hinder him Consultations touching the marching of the Kings Forces Resolution is taken to besiege Mons. Genlis and other Hugonots of France endeavour to bring in relief They are met with by the Kings Forces fought and routed Orange enters Flanders with a great Army by Ghelderland He takes and sacks Ruremonde He secures himself of Malines and staies his Camp in the Province of Hennault He is so opposed by the Duke of Alva as he cannot relieve Mons. He often endeavours therefore but in vain to draw the Duke to battel Great confusion in the Prince of Orange his Army whereupon the Duke takes occasion to make a Camisado by night wherein he succeeds well and makes great slaughter Orange retreats and passeth into Holland Sundry troubles in that Province and in the others beyond the Rhine The Duke of Alva enters Mons. The Town of Goes is besieged by the Tumultuaries and with memorable courage succoured by the Kings men The Catholick Army in Brabant Sacks Malines Recovers divers places in Ghelderland Takes and sacks Zutfen and doth almost wholly destroy Naerden THe Duke of Alva was the more troubled for the loss of Mons in that he did no ways suspect the losing of it He considered it was not only the prime City in all the Province of Hennault but
A moneths space past over therefore before the Kings men did any thing of consideration concerning the siege In which interim the Harlemites received a succour of 800 French and Walloon Foot who had been at the defence of Mons led on by Signior di Serras together with good store of ammunition and victuals The enemy grew so proud upon this success as becomeing rather insolent then audacious they appeared openly upon the walls jeering and scoffing at the Spaniards And joyning impiety to their insolence they caused themselves to be seen in usual places as it were in Procession with Priests and Friars habits upon them with Mitres and other Church-accoutrments contending who could best express their hatred to the Spanish Nation or their derision to the Church and Catholick religion And this their heretical frensie grew to that height as exposing in that wicked Scene the sacred Images and chiefly such as were most frequented in the Churches they made them a mark to be shot at and finally cut them all to peeces with their swords This mean while the Kings men when they had made necessary provisions desirous to redeem the time they had lost they betook themselves with all fervencie to the siege intending notwithstanding to pursue it not with immature assaults but with well ordered patience Whereupon opening their Trenches they diligently pursued them The Battery followed which they made not in the former place but placed it against the Curtain which ran between the Gate de la Croce and that of Sil which lay nearest the Camp on the right hand They made a great breach therein and yet those within did so well repair it as they without thought it not yet fit to fall to an assault And because the Curtain was too well fenced by the aforesaid Ravelin therefore 't was thought absolutely necessary to bereave the Defendants of so great an advantage Leaving then the Battery for a while they came in a short time to the entrance of the Ditch here their whole endeavour was against the Ravelin For going the longest way about but yet the most secure they would advance by degrees with the pick-axe spade and mines and thus drive the enemy from thence At last they made themselves masters of it but with no less expence of blood then of time such valour did they within shew and plaid so often their parts rather of Assaulters then Assaulted The Harlemists lost not their courage though they had lost their Ravelin But their diligence increasing answerable to their danger they ran suddenly from every place women as well as men to fortifie the gate de la Croce which the Ravelin being lost lay altogether open They did the like to the Curtain which was already battered and which ran as hath been said toward the gate Sill. And fearing lest the Kings men should play likewise upon the other Curtain on the left hand which joyned with the next gate called S. Johns gate they fell industrionsly to repair that side also not omitting any labour either in making of Ditches Traverses Countermines and other Inventions which are usually found out by the most industrious Defendant against the most cunning Opposers But they without lay at too much disadvantage in comparison of those that were within The Kings men by reason of the Enemies continual excursions came hardly by their victuals Great store of men were required to conduct them the remainder were not able to maintain the siege well And together with other hardships being mightily tormented by the cold their numbers lessened every day by sickness death and running away The Harlemists on the contrary did abound in warlike men they were easily succoured with men and victuals their houses saved them from the injuries of the weather and the ice was not of greater use to the Kings Camp for ordering the Country then it was to them by affording them means to bring all necessaries into the City It is not to be said how dexterous the Hollanders are upon the ice Their Country as we have often said is full of standing waters which are usually frozen over every year though they be not so excessive there as in other less humid and watry Countries The waters doe therefore then loss their nature and the use of Boats being changed into the like of Chariots those Fields of ice as if they were so much firm land are travel'd on by men and horses Their Chariots are usually little and drawn but by one horse they are not born upon wheels but upon little joysts or rafters according to those sledges which are used in Lombardy Their men are likewise very ingenious in going a great pace and yet very safe upon the ice They harness the whole length of their feet with sleek and narrow irons bowing a little outward in the part before they govern themselves upon these and upon these wings if I may so call them they rather flie then walk their course being then so fast as it can hardly be followed by the eye Nor is the use hereof less practised by women then by men nay in contentions which have somtimes hapned herein between both sexes the women have often had the better The women there find no trouble at all in running upon the ice but at the same time when they go fastest do some one or other of their womanly works By means then of these Chariots or Sledges the Harlemists received whatsoever they needed they came in troops upon that great neighbouring Lake call'd Harlem-meer All that side is call'd by that name which looks most upon the City whereinto the River Sparen enters on that side And because the same Lake comes almost as neer Leyden on another part it is there called Leyden-meer This communication between Leyden and Harlem by means of this Lake furnished the besieged with all things necessary who with frequent excursions received in their succours and oft times made the Kings men repent the going about to hinder them Nor did Orange forbear to bring in such aids into the City as he could by the usual land-way But to secure the succours the better from those parts he made a Fort be erected almost half way between Leyden and Harlem whither bringing the provisions he conveyed them the easilier from thence to the besieged But the Kings men though upon such disadvantagious terms ceased not to pursue what they had begun They pursued to batter the broken walls and to endeavour the undermining them hoping thereby to make the breach more commodious and consequently the assault more easie On the contrary the Defendants were not less vigilant in using all possible means to obviate all the Enemies endeavours and make them invalid To Mines without they opposed Mines within meeting thus with them spoiling them and springing them They repaired the walls where they were amiss So as they no wayes feared the threats of being assaulted from without This mean while December ended and the new year of 1573. began which
60 Forts built round about it whereby almost all possibility of relieving it was taken away The Leydenists this mean while were not wanting on their parts in preparing for defence And judging that the Reyalists intended rather to take the Town by Famine then by the sword they thought it not convenient to receive many foregin Souldiers into the City as well the longer to preserve their victuais as for that they hoped they had men enough of their own to maintain and defend it There hapned therefore but few skirmishes on either side though those within fallied out sometimes to keep the Kings men as far off the City as they might and especially on those sides where they found greater disturbance or danger by the Assailants approach who amongst the rest had raised one Fort which they called Lamsfort and which was nearest Leyden The Ley denists sound themselves much incommodiated by this Fort for it troubled divers of their pasture grounds wherein they fed much Cattel and put the City into other great straits Provoked therefore by anger and inforced by necessity they fallied out one day against those that kept it and assaulted it with such resolution as it was long doubtful which side had the better But at last the Royalists prevailed and the Fort continued still in their possession which they fortified better then before that they might not any more fear the loss thereof nor those within hope to get it The Leydenists cooled not notwithstanding in their making resistance But fearing by reason of the Royalists still nearer approach unto the City that they would hasten the end of the Siege also by an Assault they omitted not to provide for all things necessary upon such an occasion They wrought upon the walls night and day the women wrought as well as the men every one lessened their own victuals to furnish the publike longer therewithall And they encouraged each other on all sides to maintain the defence concluding that it was better to suffer any how hard conditions soever and even death it self then to undergoe such punishments as they had not long before seen inflicted upon the Harlemists John Douza a famous Latine Poet in those dayes very nobly born and of other high deserts had the chief government of the affairs of the City He failed not in acting his part well he still encouraged the Leydenists and fed them with hopes that the other Cities would speedily joyn with them and relieve them In confirmation of this sometimes Letters sometimes Messages came from without and some News was cunningly raised within the Town it self Though it were very true that Orange and the rest of the Rebels in that Province labour'd nothing more then how to keep a place of such consequence still at their devotion 'T was now the month of August and the Leydenists began already to suffer want of victuals Therefore the States of the Country met to treat of so weighty a business and to find out some way whereby the City might be relieved And this affair began to be mightily canvest The Deputies differ'd in their opinions Some thought that the Town might be easeliest got into by making a gallant assault by Land others held it might better be relieved by some River or Channel but the greatest part concluded that there was small hopes of doing it either one way or other the Kings men having so strongly fortified themselves every where Lewis Boisot Admiral of Holland chanced to be at this meeting A man very expert in maritime affairs of a manlike spirit and good at execution and one who was very well esteemed of over all the Province He whilst they were hottest in the variety of their opinions stept forth to propound his and began to speak thus I wish that our own misfortunes did not too deplorably teach us how perverse the fury of the Sea proves sometimes to our Countries Who sees not how we are daily inforst to oppose our industry to the threats thereof Nor hath our mountainous banks been sufficient so to curb the tempest of her waves but that some time sâ—e hath swallowed up whole Islands on some sides and caused miserable and unbeard of ruines in other parts Wee are now to seeke for remedy in this our present necessitie from these evills which doe so often afflict us Let Nature worke the some effect to day for our good which she useth upon so many other occasions to doe for our hurt And by those weapons wherewith she makes war against us let us by her example make war upon our enemies Every one knows that at the two Equinoxials of the year the Ocean swels extraordinary high upon our Coasts and by the season of the year we are shortly to expect the effects thereof My Councel shall therefore be that we may immediately at the high tides begin to let the waters loose into the neighbouring grounds of Leyden greater tides will hereafter follow And thus turning the siege upon the Besiegers we may hope to destroy our enemies within their own works and at the same time to free the City from all danger It may be thought impossible to relieve it by land or by the ordinary way of channels and rivers whereas by the way which I have prescribed we may believe that our enterprise will be smiled on by success It will be in our power to let in the Inundation where we please We shall see the enemy strangely astonished and confused between the shame of abandoning the siege and the horror of continuing it But being forced at last to fly we shall see our own weapons and those of nature conspire together in slaughtering them on all sides and shall see that punishment justly transfer'd on them which they with open violence prepared for the innocent The Country which shall be drowned will doubtlesly be some what indamaged thereby but who would not bear with such an inconvenience whereby their Country shall receive so great a benefit On the contrary whose hair will not stand on end to think that after the loss of Harlem and of Leyden all the whole Province will shortly remain at the cruel will of the Spaniards we must sometimes be wicked to be good How oft do we cut off some one member for the welfare and safeguard of the rest of the body yet this evil will not prove finally so great but that it will in time be paid with great usury Some worldly actions prove so memorable as they strike envy dumb and add new tongues to fame This of ours will certainly be such and will be every where highly celebrated I who so boldly give the advice do as confidently pronounce the augury and hope that the event will crown both of them with fortunate success At the hearing of so strange a proposition the Deputies were much confused whether they should accept of it or reject it But it is oft times seen that need passing into necessity necessity passeth luckily into desparation And
both with anger and shame John de Navarese was their head under the title of Elect who had always used his best indeavours though still in vain to make them joyn with the other souldiers He did not let slip this occasion but calling the multitude into the Piazza said thus unto them And what shall we expect more you hear the sound of the shot that are made against the Castles of Gaunt and Antwerp Shall we suffer these that are really rebels to God and the King boast that thy have though falsely laid the imputation of rebels upon us shall we suffer them to bereave us of two such important strengths and which keep their perfidious necks under so just a yoke will it not be in their power afterwards to punish us and shall not we then receive correction instead of inflicting it What will our pertinaciousness of not joyning with the rest serve us for then So instead of getting our pay in monies we shall be paid shamefully with bloud But we have yet time enough to revenge us if we can but know our own strength and manfully make use of our hands I am then of opinion that without any delay we depart from hence and that we hasten to relieve the Castle of Antwerp which is of greater importance then that of Gaunt And that when we shall have secured that Fort we may with the same fervor suddenly assault the City I doe not any wayes doubt the Succour and I hope for all good success in the Assault We know that the Besiegers are almost all of them Townsmen who astonished at our arrival and much more at our assault will immediately run to their houses and to their Magazine of Merchandise Here we shall quench our just thirsts with their blood and our no less just longing after their wealth Antwerp alone will put us into possession of all the Northern wealth and by the Plunder of one City we shall enjoy the spoils of many Provinces But this is an opinion my Companions which would be sooner put in execution then given the worth thereof consists in expedition For if we shall put off time and that the Castle be the mean time well begirt what will it avail us then to have taken such a resolution when meeting with insuperable difficulties we shall not be able to effect it The Elect would have said more when the Mutiniers violently interrupted him and with a loud voice as if it had proceeded but from one mouth began to cry out To Arms To Arms And running from all parts rather to snatch them then to take them up they resolved to march immediately towards the Citadel of Antwerp There were not many houres of day-light left and 't was upon the 3. of November 1576. Having then taken up their Arms and each of them commanding rather then obeying they hastily left Alst intending to enter the Citadel the next morning and then suddenly to assault the City They could not notwithstanding get thither till after noon because they were longer in passing the Scheld then they had thought which while they were passing over Vargas and Romero came luckily to the same place with 400 Horse and some Foot and being joyned together they quickly entred the Castle by the Relief-gate Sancio d' Avila would have had those that had come from abroad to have taken some refreshment before they should have fallen upon the Enemies Trenches but all of them shewing the eagerness of their minds by their eyes cry'd out We must immediately goe out and either dye or sup this night in Antwerp The number of those that came from without and those that were in the Castle came to somewhat more then 3000 Foot and 500 Horse They made not any long delay The Foot being put in order they went out of the Citadel and were divided into two parts the one under the Camp-master Romero the boldest and most fortunate at execution that peradventure came ever out of the Spanish Nation and the other to doe that honour to the Mutiniers under Navarese The Souldiers of both parts being of Companions become Rivals marched with such violence against the Enemies Trenches and assaulted them with such resolution as the Flemish began at the very first to be troubled and to shew manifest signs of fear and of running away The failing of courage in the one increased the like in the other so as redoubling their force they quickly put the Enemy in such disorder and confusion as not being able longer to make good their Trenches they were forced to retreat and forsake them The Antwerpians who were come to defend them fled immediately away never looking back but the Walloons and Germans sometimes facing about retreated less shamefully This mean while the Spanish Foot pursued them more hotly by the two chief wayes which lead from the Citadel to the City and being followed by the Horse and beating down whatsoever withstood them they came to the Piazza where the Town-House stands which was very sumptuously built and to which the whole North might very well give then the precedencie and honour of Merchandise This Piazza was built about with many noble structures Here the Antwerpians made a stand and some Dutch and Walloons joyning with them endeavoured with new Forces to make head but being again broken and routed a good many of them got into the Town-House and into the Houses about the Piazza and striking the Spaniards who were below with much advantage from the windows above they forced them to finish their victory by fire since it would either be too hard or require too much time to doe it by the sword Thus on a sudden was a fire kindled which in a short time devoured the goodliest part of so gallant a City All the Piazza's streets and nooks fell into their absolute power who confounding Imprisonments with Death had not hands enough to doe both Many Flemish of good quality did notwithstanding save themselves and amongst others the Marquis of Haure brother to the Duke of Ariscot saved himself and fled over the Scheld as did also Campigni the Governour of the Town The Baron Erbestein had not the like good fortune for the Boat wherein he was with his Arms on overturned in the water so as he was drowned Infinite others sought to shun the Enemies rage by the same way but either not finding Boats so ready at hand or not being able to get so many thereinto they were made a miserable prey either to the water or to the sword Others in a blind madness threw themselves over the walls and perished in the City-ditches Others more advisedly hiding themselves in the secretest places of their houses trusted Fortune with their safety And many in a generous despair rather seeking out danger then shunning it chose sooner to die then to out-live so sore a misfortune both private and publike Count Egmont the Lord of Capres and Goygni and divers others considerable persons together with almost all the
chief Citizens and Merchants were taken prisoners The number of the dead was said to be about 7000. the most of them Townsmen not above 200 of the Spaniards were slain and one of these was the Mutiniers Elect John de Navarese As soon as they had glutted themselves with blood the Spaniards fell presently to plunder the City Antwerp by the concourse of Poreigners did at this time wonderfully flourish in Merchandise the City abounded in riches and in all those happy accommodations as were to be wished for in so luxurious a juncture of time Amongst other Foreigners great were the number of the English and Easterlings which are those of the Hans Towns upon the Baltick Sea These two Nations had two Houses in Antwerp of such a largeness and capacity as they rather seemed to be Plantations then Ware-houses Luxury the constant companion of Riches made the Merchants not only live handsomly but with a great deal of sumptuousness many of which abandoning all parcimony lived like so many Kings they had got together great store of Jewels Pearls Gold and Silver and their houses were full of all other sort of merchandise How great the gain was which the Spaniards got in these Indus of one City may sooner be conjectured then said The Plunder lasted three dayes And notwithstanding so great Riches not being able to satisfie the insatiable Souldier the houses were heard to sound with outcryes and the streets were full of people that ran away by reason of the violences committed by the Souldiers against the Inhabitants to make them confess where their most pretious things were hid and to make them produce them Thus they proceedrd from Avarice to Cruelty and from Cruelty again to Rapine and thus they continued till weary rather then satisfied and matter to plunder wanting rather then will to plunder they reduced themselves to the obedience of their Commanders Thus did Antwerps misery end the Town remaining so afflicted as if that decay of Commerce had been then Prognosticated which fell out unto her in the insuing years by reason of the Warre and other calamities At the news of this whole Flanders was incredibly astonished The meeting of the States General was already appointed and to this purpose the Deputies of almost all the Provinces were in Gaunt Whereupon the desire of driving out the foreigners exceedingly increasing the Flemish did again bend all their endeavours to re-possess themselves of the Citadel of that City Which at last they did without any great difficulty There were but very few people within it and there was scarcety of all things else as we have formerly said so as the siege was not rendred famous by any important action But that which the Flemish did chiefly aim at was to make a general union of all the Provinces and that the Government being establisht in men of their own Country all forein government might be excluded To this purpose the Deputies of Holland and Zealand met with the other Deputies Nor was it hard for the Prince of Orange who was the chief leader and layer of all these practises in this present crisis of time to agree the diversity of Interests which were between these two Provinces infected with Heresie and the others which kept yet Catholick and to make them afterwards joyne in one opinion The former Treaty of Breda was reassumed and the Propositions which were then made by the Rebels were almost all of them assented unto By a joynt resolution taken in Gaunt many Articles of agreement were established between the one and the other Provinces and peace and union was agreed upon by them all save that of Lucemburg To which the Kings authority was also fully made use of by the Councel of State These were the chief things agreed upon That there should be peace friendship and confederacy for the time to come between the Catholick Provinces on the one part and Holland and Zealand together with the Prince of Orange on the other part and that all past injuries and offences should for ever be forgotten by all their Inhabitants That from that time forward their people should return to joyn the liberty of the former commerce and their respective correspondency That all the Provinces should with a joynt consent drive all the Spaniaras and their adherents immediately out of the Country and take such course as should be needfull to that purpose That the Provinces being freed from this oppression they should all immediately meet in a general Assembly as was done the last time in the days of the Emperour Charls the fist and that then such resolutions should be taken as should be thought best for the re-ordering of the Government and for the reducing of it to its primary true and natural form That in the mean time the so many Laws come forth with so much rigour by the Duke of Alva for the punishment of heresie and tumults should be suspended but that no other religion save the Roman Catholick should be used in the Roman Catholick Provinces and as for the other two of Holland and Zealand they should expect what the States General would determine in that point That concerning the restitution of Cities Places strong holds Ammunition and Arms which was to be made unto the King that should likewise be done which should be resolved on by them That all prisoners particularly Count Bossu should be set at liberty without any maner of ransome That all goods should be likewise restored to their former possessors respect being had to many irreparable impossibilities which the war had produced These were briefly the contents of the chiefest Articles which were agreed upon between the one and the other Provinces many others being by us omitted which related to matter of Justice and touching the restitution of goods so to shun the tediousness of relating every little matter and not to detain you with superfluous prohxities This peace and union being concluded in manner aforesaid the Provinces would begin to put them in execution upon those few Spaniards which were in the Castle of Gaunt the which was surrendred at the same time that the peace was agreed upon and therefore they conducted those Spaniards to the Frontiers of France and so sent them out of the Country and prepared with very great resolution to drive out all the rest also as soon as possibly they could by force THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO BOOK X. The Contents Don John of Austria comes to the Government of Flanders Much diffidence ariseth amongst the Flemish touching his person He endeavours as much as he can to remove them and Orange labours to nourish them An agreement is at last made between Don John and the States But the Prince of Orange with the two Provinces of Holland and Zealand oppose it Don John is received into the Government He useth all means again to bring all the Provinces to be of one minâ—â— but fails therein Hence suspitions
depended absolutely upon his arbitrement to approve of this agreement Don John was this mean while gone from the Town of Mark to Lovain to see the Spaniards depart and that the Citadels should be put into the Flemish hands that then he might make his solemn entrance into Brussels and begin his Government A great many of the Nobility came presently to Lovain to visit him who received them with all the civility the Country could expect and with such dignity as became his person He from thence sent Doctor Leonino into Holland to acquaint the Prince of Orange and the State of Holland and Zealand with the agreement made between him and the other Provinces and to use all means to draw those two Provinces and Orange to be of the same mind But this brought forth nothing else but the greater discovery of the obstinacy of those parts and of Orange his industry in fomenting them therein Don John had this mean while made the Citadel of Antwerp be delivered up to the Duke of Ariscot And all the other Castles which were in the Spaniards hands were delivered up to the Flemish Whereupon all the foreign souldiers being assembled together at Mastrick except the Germans who for want of their pay had little longer time allowed them for their departure betook themselves to leave the Low-Countries and so they did according to the agreement It is not to be exprest what joy and what demonstrations thereof this caused throughout all Flanders In all Cities Towns and in the meanest Villages all the people ran to hear the news and then to tell it as if this were the greatest happiness which they could have expected or desired Sancio d' Avila the then Governour of the Citadel Antwerp would not be present at the delivery up of the Citadel of into the hands of Ariscot but left it to be done by his Lieutenant publickly shewing by the freedom of his demeanor and words that he would have no part in an action which he thought to be very prejudicial to his King and not answerable to so many other acts which his Nation had so gloriously performed in Flanders Nay 't is said that in his taking leave of Don John he with the like freedome of speech said unto him Your Highness makes us go out of Flanders but remember that I tell you you will quickly be forced to call us back again And so it fell out as in its place shall be told A Garison of Walloons was put into the Castle of Antwerp and the States were as diligent as they could be in gathering together the monies wherewith to send away the Germans also wherein they found much difficulty by reason of the great expences the Country had already been at as also in those of sending away the Spaniards Don John came at last from Lovain to Brussels where he made his publick entry on May-day which was done with such solemnity as well by reason of the so many Nobility and other inferior people as for the acclamations of joy which his first receiving was accompanied withall as there is hardly the memory of any the like at the reception of any absolute Prince of Flanders much less at that of a bare Governour But it was not long ere this scene of joy was changed into others full of sorrow and horrour as we shall by degrees make known unto you When Don John had taken upon him the administration of the Government he soon found his part was rather to obey then to command No Order could issue forth from him which was not to be subordained by the Councel of State who unwilling to quit the Government which till then they had provisionally exercised sought in an indirect way to keep it still by the prerogative of Authority They alleadged sometimes the common priviledges of their whole Country sometimes the particular priviledges of this or that Province and sometimes by one pretence sometimes by another they endeavoured still to increase their own Authority and to lessen Don Johns Government as much as they could and Orange was sure not to be wanting upon all occasions He had for his Architecture of sedition Philip Marnice Lord of Aldigonda and the Lord Hees particular Governor of Brussels was likewise a great follower of his The first was more wary the other more zealous and therefore both of them of a better mixture to do evil These two in Brussels and divers others in other parts who depended upon Orange did continually disperse seditious speeches to incite the Flemish to novelties more then ever They gave out that Jerolimo Rhodes Sancio d' Avila and other Spanish Commanders who were gone into Spain after their departure from Flanders had been very gratiously received by the King and by his Court with promises of new and greater imployments Was not this said they a manifest declaration of the Kings wherein he gave sentence in favour of the Spaniards against the Flemish in the last troubles which the Country had suffered Was it not an accusing of the Councel of State of infidelity did not the Kings intention touching the affairs of Flanders appear plainly in this and what could he fancy else to himself but to expect that the Flemish should be disarmed to the end that he might again the easilyer oppress them That the example of past things did prognosticate future successes That so in the Dutchess of Parma 's time the Country did trust and about the end of her Government did expect much better treatment when loe the Duke of Alva came at unawares armed and brought with him that cruel and miserable slavery which they had till this day experienced That in fine Don John was a Spaniard that he brought conceal'd Councel from Spain and that he had John Escouedo for his chief Councellor one of that Nation and to whose secrecy the King had trusted the most misterious secrets of the affairs of Flanders That then unless the Flemish would again perish miserably they were not in any ways to lay down their present Authority That the Councel of State should preserve their prerogative That the States General should keep their superintendency but above all things that the Provinces should not suffer themselves to be lul'd asleep by too much quiet for the Spaniards would be sure quickly to make use thereof That the King could at once both raise and bring in an Army in which case what would the tediousness of their meetings avail the Flemish to muster together their Forces and what good would the yet more slower hopes doe of being assisted by Foreigners Thus they endeavoured to corrupt the minds of the Flemish and to imprint such affections in them as might alienate them from Don John and still more from the Spaniards and make them fall again into yet greater troubles Fraud reigns in the South and Candor in the North. But this so candid proceeding degenerates too easily into credulity so as it is no wonder if any wary weaver
conveniencie to use either monies or force with the Germans they forbare not using either of them as occasion did best serve So as in a short time they sent them out of all the abovesaid places And in Berghen ap Zome where Colonel Fuchero was quartered and in Breda where Fromsberg was in garrison their Forces proved so perfidious as that they put both the Towns into the States hands They then fell to demolish the Castles That of Antwerp was first slighted but only on that side which lay towards the City the rest was left in its former strength The people ran with great joy to this business striving who should outdoe one another in the pulling down thereof and expressing such rage against those insensible Platforms and Walls as they could not have shewed greater against the Authors of them By example of the Antwerpians those of Gaunt did the like to their Castle and so were all the rest dismantled except the Castle of Cambray which the States durst not meddle with for that it was in a City which was subject to the Empire and to Archiepiscopal jurisdiction Yet they wrought so as they got Signor d' Insy to be put into it and to keep it for their service causing Signor di Lich to be put out of it who kept it formerly under the Kings protection Don John was now all alone in Namures the Duke of Ariscot and almost all the rest of the Nobility which had waited upon him thither being under several pretences gone so as no persons of any quality remained with him save Barlemonte and his sons and Mansfield in the contiguous Province of Lucemburg He was not failing in representing to the life his dangers and his necessities to the Court of Spain and notwithstanding kept still fair with the States telling them that he had desired the King to send another Governour into Flanders who might be more acceptable to the Country He offered to withdraw himself into the Province of Lucemburg and there to expect the Kings orders and propounded that the States in this interim might not come to any act of hostility nor make any innovation But they suspecting that Don John's end was to make them foreslow their preparations and so allow more time to the King to make his did not any whit cool in their former resolutions They therefore signified unto Don John that in the frist place he should cause the City and Castle of Namures to be put into their hands together with the other â—owns which he had taken in that Province Which he absolutely refused to do unless such provision were first had as was requisite for his dignity and safety Thus were the minds on all sides daily more and more exasperated The States General gave present order that Orange should come himself in person to Brussels and to this purpose they sent four of their Deputies to him There was nothing which he did more desire then this Wherefore he came quickly to Breda a Town of his own and which he had then recovered after having been many years deprived of it From thence he went to Antwerp and so to Brussels It is not to be said with what concourse of people and with what Jubilee he was received in both those Citys The multitude being impatient to see him within their Walls went to meet him whole miles off in the fields and following him with great acclamations of joy called him the Father the Protecter and the Upholder of the Belgick Liberty Nor were the demonstrations of gladness less in all the more civil orders in such sort as his entry and receiving looked much more like the absolute Lord of the two abovesaid Provinces then of the Vassal of a Prince who had just and soveraign power over him and them Hardly was he well setled in Brussels when to witness the great respect they bore him he was by the general Orders created Governour of Brabant an honour altogether unaccustomed For the General Governour residing usually in that Province there needs no other particular Government 'T is true that nothing is more pernitious in States then faction but from this evil this good doth sometimes arise That whilst the one beats down the other the lawfull Prince may the more easily subdue them both Orange his Faction was grounded upon the favour of the people and of the new Sects as may sufficiently be comprehended by what hath been already said Wherefore when 't was seen that his Authority grew to that hight not only in Holland and in Zealand but even elsewhere and that his designe was every day seen of lessening the Kings Authority as also that of the Church high disdain arose in the chief Nobles of Brabant of the Province of Flanders and of the Walloon Provinces and from this disdain did a practice proceed of framing another Faction which might at least counterpoise this The Duke of Ariscot as we have told you before had a particular emulation to the Prince of Orange and many in Flanders being of opinion that after the death of Rechesens the King would have sent some of the Emperours brothers to be Governour of Flanders and especially the Archduke Mathias Ariscot had therefore from that very time endeavoured more then any other to insinuate himself into the favour of that Prince Mathias was not then above 22 years old his fortune was not answerable to his birth for he had many brothers wherefore his house was rather opprest by them then upheld He was therefore very desirous of this imployment in Flanders thinking he could not find another like it in all Germany Ariscot making himself head of this faction and judging that nothing could make more for the advantage thereof then to have a Governour chosen by their Authority he sent an express Messenger Privately away to Vienna and alleadging all the reasons which might most perswade him thereunto he endeavoured to make him take upon him the Government of Flanders In this proposal it was questionable whether the arrogancy of the propounder was greater or the easiness of the accepter thereof And to say truth there could not well any more rash action been undertaken then for the abovesaid Nobles to appoint a Governour over Flanders of their own Authority And on the other side the Archduke appeared too easie in accepting the offer not weighing as he ought to have done how the King to whom he was so nearly ally'd would be thereat offended and upon whose Supreme and lawfull Authority that election did of right depend But Mathias being perswaded that the King would approve of it and that in effect he could not wish more then to have an Austrian Prince of Germany at the Helm of Government in Flanders by reason of the conformity of the two Nations especially a Prince who was invited thereunto by the chief Nobility of the Countrey he did not any longer dispute the businesse Mathias past on to this purpose to Antwerp where he was solemnly received and
should receive a full pardon from the King That the Citizens should return to the true obedience of the Church and King That those who would not live after the Catholick profession might enjoy their goods any where out of the Country That the souldiers should be suffered to march out with theirs Arms bagage and Colours flying That the City should pay 20000 pound to keep from being sackt And that the Princess of Espenoy might be suffered to go freely whether she pleased with all her wealth goods substance and family Thus was Tornay yielded and the Princess at her coming forth was received with such applause in the Kings Camp as it might be judged she came forth not as Conquered but as Conqueress The news this mean while continued that the Duke of Alanson would be quickly in Flanders and that without returning to France he would come directly from England and land in Zealand The Archduke Mathias had till this time kept in the Low-Countries and agita ted with many hopes could never fix upon any From the beginning he could not be Governour there by the Kings approbation He had enjoy'd nothing but likelyhoods in the Rebels Government and nothing but the Title in the management of the Militia yet he thought he merited by suffering Wherefore discovering the Rebels resolution of changing Prince he flattered himself mainly upon that occasion with new and ardent hopes He omitted not to make those things be suggested which might make most for his advantage and particularly his Austrian bloud of Germany which for so many years and with such satisfaction to the people had Governed Flanders But being but little listned unto and less considered and afterwards excluded out of all he was fain to be content and to return to his friends and former condition in Germany VVhen therefore it was noised that Alanson was in England and that he would be speedily in Flanders Mathias tarryed no longer but going by Cullen past over the Rhine and returned to his usual abode in the Emperours Court This year ended with his departure and with the Signior d' Altapenna's indeavour to surprise Bergen ap Zome which Town he was very near surprising for he and his men had already won one Gate and were begun to get more inward when the Garison betaking themselves to their Arms and the people flocking from all parts the Royalists were forced to go out many of them being slain and many wounded In the beginning of the year 1582. certain news was brought to Flanders at last that the Duke of Alanson was departed from England with intention of landing in Zealand After having been entertained many days with much feasting and honourable treatment he went from London and within three days came to Flushing The Queen made him be attended with a great Fleet of her ships which were commanded by Charls Howard Lord Admiral of England and would have him waited upon by divers of the chiefest Lords of her Kingdom amongst which was the Earl of Lester who was then in great Authority and favour with her When Alanson was come to Flushing he was received by Orange Espenoy and a great many other personages of quality who were come thither to that purpose They brought him from thence to Midleburg where staying a few days he came to Antwerp attended by above 50 Flemish ships gloriously trimed he landed upon the banks of Scheld near the Citadel and was met with an incredible applause and concourse of people After the wonted ceremonies of interchangeable oaths he entred on horseback into the City which was every where set out with triumphant Arches and other publick demonstrations of joy for his arrival Alanson being thus brought into his new Principality it was not long ere he began to know that hardly was the appearances or shadow thereof left unto him On the other side the Flemish began quickly to comprehend that he had brought with him nothing but the outside of vain hopes and of spetious titles He could not obtain any Forces of consequence from the King his brother and from the Queen of England such and so many only as by his means the Dominion of those Countries might rather be taken from the King of Spain then enjoyed by himself Wherefore the heat of that first welcome quickly cooled and the Inhabitants of Antwerp began to take some distaste at the Duke in point of Religion The Hereticks were already so prevalent there as but very little share of exercise remained for the Catholicks who had recourse unto the Duke to remedy the oppression which they received On the contrary the others endeavoured by all means to continue their advantages and though some satisfaction was at last given to the Catholicks yet were not they therewithall quieted nor did the Hereticks on their sides seem to be satisfied But an untoward accident which happened not long after had likely to have given him an â—ll favoured welcome and to have indangered his life Which was this A young Spaniard of mean birth in Biscay having resolved to kill Orange and taking bothtime and place fitting for his purpose in Orange his own hous discharg'd a musket in his face and wounded him so as at the first he was thought to be dead The noise being heard many hasted thither and astonished at the spectacle without further adoe slew the offender The news of this flew suddenly from the house to the Piazza and from the Piazza to every least corner of the City Nor is it to be said what a commotion it caused amongst the people Every one ran with anxiety from one place to another to know the truth thereof and lamenting one another and as if not only the Father of the Country but even the Father of every particular Family had been slain they bewailed the privat and publick misfortune which they thought had befaln them In this agitation it was whispered that the French had been the authors of this misdeed that they might rid their hands of Orange and thereby make the Duke of Alansons Authority the more free The baser sort of people turning their commisseration into fury ran headlong to Alansons house intending to kill all the French that they should find there and peradventure not to spare his own person In this interim the first fear was seised in Orange his house for the wound being searched was found not to be mortal the bullet had only past through both his cheeks beaten out some of his teeth and occasioned the loss of much bloud which for a while hindred his speech But when he knew it was a Spaniard who had shot him and heard what danger the French were in and even Alanson himself he writ some Tickets with him own hand and sent abroad divers in his own name who cleared the business and freed the multitude of their suspitions When all tumults were ceased they fell to search into the fact that they might make the juster resentment The most common opinion was
the one and the other Fort so strong was the ruling Tide and so bootless would it have been at least by night to have shot at the ships which should have been sent to bring succour to the City 'T was therefore concluded as necessary that the Scheld must be block'd up by a bridg and that this being to be done in some fitting place between the City and the Fort they were not to lose any time in getting the latter but that howsoever it was much better to bend all their forces against the former It was therefore thought that it would suffice so to begirt the Fort on the land side as that the enemy might be kept from making excursions that way Mandragone took the particular care of this who still kept his quarters thereabouts during the whole time of the siege as you shall upon all occasions hear They came then to consult about the bridg And in taking the business more seriously into consideration so great difficulties began to appear first in what concerned the making of it and then much greater touching the keeping of it when it should be made as many openly opposed it shewing that it could never be successfully done These said That an immence quantity of wood was to be had for such a Fabrick and that when means should be found where to have it there would be no means found how to have it brought That this was not to be done by land and that there was little or no hopes of doing it by water since the enemy did fully command all the River about the banks of Antwerp and that between those banks all the materials were to be brought which were to make the bridg That it was impossible ever to find rafters of such a length as might suffice to block up the deepest part of the River as well for the natural depth thereof as for the excrescency which the usual tides added thereunto So as in this only respect all thought thereof would be but in vain Nor would the difficulties be less if they should go about to make a bridge of boats That the Kings Army wanted all materials for these also and that these were likewise to be brought through the enemies ships and under the walls of Antwerp before they could come to the place where the bridge was to be built But when the River should be block'd up either by the one or the other way what hopes would there be to keep it it was to be presupposed so difficult a siege would be of long durance in which time why should it not be feared that the full and impetuous tides should not bear down the bridge or that this might not be done by the enemies ships by annoying it hourly on all sides or finally the river being so often frozen over in the winter why should not the ice when it is broken and carried down by the violence of the tide in danger the ruining of the bridg But on the contrary those that were for the making and maintaining of the Fabrick reply'd That as for the first Objection of finding and of fetching materials there was no doubt at all to be made of it That the Kings Army was every where Master of the field That Terramond was already taken and that in all likelyhood Gaunt would be presently surrendred By these successes the Scheld would be free for the Kings occasions even almost to the walls of Antwerp Wherefore by the vicinity of so large a Country and of such Cities it would be no hard matter to get timber enough and by such means as necessity would instruct to carry it where it should be requisite That in the mean time to make the way more passable they might raise divers Forts on both sides of the River and thereby either keep the enemies ships from troubling them or at least make their hindrance the less That they might place their Summers in the parts nearest the banks and where the River was shallowest and in the middle where it was deepest their boats which were neither to be so many nor of such a condition but that they might be easily found So the ice which the winter should occasion in the river the force whereof would certainly be greatest in the middle where the tide runs strongest might pass through the void places between the boats and no ways prejudice those parts which should be filled up with the rafters and summers of wood That then the Bridge being thus varied and defended and such things done in the advantage thereof as daily experience would teach why should it not be built and maintained And thus they might happily end their Siege which otherwise could never be either begun or ended The necessity of blocking up the River was so apparent totally to cut off all succours as the Prince of Parma not listening to any thing that made against it resolved immediately to have the Bridge made and to divide it into rafters and Boats in form abovesaid And as for the place where to build it it was thought fittest to be almost just over against two Villages upon the two sides of the River the one called Ordam on Brabant side the other Callo on the other side of Flanders Here the Channel was somwhat narrower and seemed to bend alittle so as the Enemies Barks could not invest the Bridge on that side in a direct course This place was some two leagues distant from the City and it was judged fittest likewise for other works which were to be done particularly for those Forts which were to be made on both sides The Bridge being thus designed the Prince betook himself with all ardencie to the putting of it into execution He forthwith raised a Fort-royal on each side the river and called that which was on Callo side S. Mary and the other S. Philip. These two chief Forts being raised and well furnisht with Artillery they began to build the Bridge though but slowly at the first there not being yet such preparation had of things necessary for the building of it especially of rafters as was requisite for the work Great diligence was therefore made every where thereabouts in gathering together what greatest quantities all places either champian or chiltren could afford The taking of Terremonde made much for this and afterwards the taking of Gaunt which hapned at this time For all manner of commodities were to be had in this so great City and so full of all things first to begin and afterwards to finish the building of the Bridge The Scheld passeth through that City as doe also some other Rivers which cut through it in divers places The Scheld continues its course from hence to Terremonde which was very convenient for the conveying of rafters and all other necessaries for the aforesaid work But as they came near the banks of Antwerp the Enemies ships did so oppose the passage as many of the Kings Barks were often endangered and often sunk Therefore to
and divers others who were thereabouts But the other occasioned much more bitter dread and likewise much greater prejudice Those Gunners and Mariners were not well entred into the Boat when the fire arriving at its due time made the Mine play and suddenly devoured not only those who were within the Boat but most of those who were upon the Boats of the Bridg and upon the Steccadoes It is not to be imagined much less to be exprest what horrible effects this raging fire made The Air was for a good space darkned with a thick cloud the Earth shook for many miles about the River broke forth out of her bed and with great violence threw her waves beyond the banks The bodies of men that were blown up by the fire were so torn as no shape thereof could be found and the tempest and hail of great stones and other lesser materials of offence scattering abroad further off so many of the Camp were slain or wounded as nothing was to be seen all thereabouts but a sad and dismall spectacle of people either slain or maimed or ill acconciated Above 500 of the Kings men were slain by this misfortune and a great many others of them were maimed or wounded But that which made the loss the more fatal was the death of the Marquis of Rubais who while in order to his office he viewed all parts and went from one place to another was unfortunately kill'd A death generally bewail'd by the whole Camp but with a particular tenderness by Fernese who had a singular affection and esteem for him Jasper Robles a Spaniard perisht by the same misfortune who was Lord of Bigli and a Souldier likewise of great experience and valour as may oft-times have been seen in the successes of this History Divers other Officers of inferior quality were likewise lost and there was not any Nation who did not share in the misfortune The confusion and astonishment being ceased which so strange an accident had occasioned in the Kings Camp it was found that the prejudice which the Bridg had received was not so great but that it might be repaired The greatest harm that was done was on that part of the Steccado where the Fire-boat had disgorged its fire and the Flote likewise there was greatly disordered But a great danger yet remained lest the assault of the Enemies ships which were in readiness for that purpose on Lillo's side might succeed the fury of the fire Wherefore Fernese using all diligence for the defence of the Bridg was come thither himself in person and made the Forts on all sides stand prepared with their Artillery But whatsoever the matter was none of the Enemies ships were seen to move It was thought that the Tide hindred them and that expecting the Wind to overcome it that failing they could not second the Antwerpians The danger being thus past which was then most feared Fernese had leasure to restore the Bridg to its former posture It was notwithstanding thought best to take the Flote quite away which lay towards the besieged to the end that if any more of their Fire-boats should fall down they might the better pass through those of the Bridge to which purpose an useful invention was found out as also in the other Flote which was on the other side The Antwerpians began to be very much troubled that their Fire-boats had no better success and even the stoutest amongst them began to lose their courage But Aldegonda and those that adhered most unto him endeavouring to keep their hopes alive strove to make them believe that the next Fire-boats would be more successfull then were the former That the great Ship being now likewise finished would be in effect as it was in name The Wars End That certainly the Royalists would never be able to make such resistance as was needfull to keep the double forenamed Forces from beating down the Counterdike and that when the passage should be once open the City would be wholly freed from the Siege Of these trials which were to be made for the benefit of the Antwerpians that of the great Ship was the first This immense moveable Castle began to appear upon the Scheld about the beginning of May with mighty expectation on both sides on the Antwerpians out of their hopes of reaping advantage thereby on the Royalists out of the curiosity of seeing such a Fabrick and to see what the effects thereof would be The Ship drew near one of the lesser Forts which the Royalists had on Brabant side and began to play furiously upon it There were above a thousand Souldiers in the Ship who accompanied the fury of the Cannon with the hail of Musket-shot They then landed to annoy the Fort nearer hand But the effect was not answerable to the design for the Fort received no great harm from the battery nor they who were within the Fort from the Souldiers that were landed nay the ship was so torn and shattered as they had much adoe to mend her and to make her serviceable again This experiment coming to so little good they fell to the other of breaking down the Counterdike and the business was thus carried The ships of the Hollanders and Zealanders were to fall from Lillo and enter into the drowned Country in that part by those Cuts which were made in the chief bank of the River The Antwerpians were to doe the like on the other side towards the City and to that purpose they had likewise fitting Cuts in the same bank Between these two drowned parts of the Country did the Counterdike run but it was very hard to assault it on both sides at once because the Tide could not equally serve both the one and the other in their uniform motion wherefore such a middle season was to be taken as that the conjuncture might not be lost This was the design of the Enemy nor was it any news to Fernese who had long before expected it There were four of the Kings Forts which guarded the Counterdike The one that of Crosse where the Counterdike joyned with the greatest Dike which Mandragone had the charge of About the middle in some distance one from another stood that of the Palata then that De la Motta commonly called S. George his Fort and at the end where the ground began a little to rise was the strong House of Cowstein wherein Count Mansfield did usually keep To boot with these Forts a row of great Stakes were pitcht at equal distance on both sides the bank which rose up above the water where the ground was therewithall drowned that the Enemies ships might find more difficulty in accosting These situations we have here again repeated the more to awaken the memory and to give the clearer intelligence of the Counterdike where the Besieged's chiefest hopes lay and where the Royalists had finally the victory Fernese gave order that all the Guards should be every where reinforced And to increase emulation amongst the Souldiers as
by exposing their own to danger The Souldiers suddenly reassumed their courage but that which did most inhearten them was to observe that the Tide began to ebb which would soon inforce the Enemies shipe to retreat But as this consideration incited the Royalists to doe their utmost so had it the like effect upon the Enemies They thought the Victory already so sure their own as Hollack and Aldegonda were gone to carry the news thereof to Antwerp which occasioned an incredible joy in those Citizens The fight was then renewed more hot then ever upon the Counterdike and particularly near the Fort of the Palata and each side had their hopes and fears for a while But it was clearly seen that the Enemies courage ebb'd with the Tide and the courage of the Royalists did as much increase In fine the Enemy could no longer hold out for many of their ships being already on the ground on both sides the Dike they saw there was no more hopes left for them All the rest was blood and slaughter being void of all succour they were hewed in pieces every where nor did the Royalist thirst more after victory before then they did now after cruelty Above 2500 of the Enemy were slain and many of them men of quality Of the Kings side little less then a thousand most of which were Spaniards and Italians though the Dutch and Walloons did sufficiently act their parts Some 30 of their ships fell into the Royalists hands and but few of the Enemies were taken prisoners for all but those that were slain got easily away by water The fight being ended Fernese gave forthwith order for filling up the Cuts which the Enemy had made in the Counterdike he better secured the Forts he reinforced the Guards and did so provide for all things on that side as the Enemy was either not to make any more assaults or if they did they were to hope for no good thereby But the Antwerpians falling from so high hopes into so deep despair knew not what to doe nor how to evade their threatning misfortune They could hope for no assistance from France The Queen of England by the aforesaid artifices held them on in hopes Their confederate Flemish could doe no more then they had done To boot with Gaunts being long before fallen into Fernest's hands as hath been said Brussels Malines and Niminghen the chiefest City in all Ghelderland were likewise surrendred unto him wherefore as the Flemish Union was brought very low by so many losses the Kings party was as much advantaged by so many acquisitions Antwerp began long before this to suffer much in scarcity of victuals which increasing every day they began to think daily more and more upon the horror of Famine and upon the inevitable necessity of yielding to that enemy The Antwerpians kept as yet some Towns about the walls of the City and kept gartisons in them that they might likewise enjoy some part of the open fields wherefore all their hope lay now in getting maintenance by the means of that neighbouring Territory expecting what might afterwards fall out to their advantage But Fernese soon foresaw this their design nor did he lose the benefit of the opportunity Rubais being slain he had given the chief command of the Horse to the Marquis of Vasto who scouring the Country every where suffered not the Enemy to breath and had already laid waste all that Territory of those Country people And the Enemy opposing the Marquis one day with some of their Horse they were by him routed and defeated Wherefore Fernese presenting his Cannon before some of the forenamed Towns which were the best munited he quickly reduced all the rest And so the Antwerpians were shut up within the precinct of their own walls They began then allso far to despair as there was no talk amongst them but of their necessity of surrendring and the mind of the most was to begin a Parley so to get the best Conditions that they could Hollack and Aldegonda were still obstinate and those that did most pertinacioufly adhere unto them and by sophisticated Letters endeavoured to make the people believe that the Earl of Leicester was already parted from England being sent by the Queen with a powerfull Army to relieve Antwerp that he was every day expected to enter Zealand and that so many Foreign forces being added to those of their own Confederates they might very well hope to see that City quickly free from fiege This cheat might prevail for a while but the deeds speaking a contrary language and famine together with other extremities which usually are suffered by those who are besieged every day increasing the people would be no longer deluded They were first seen to gather together in small companies and then in more open assemblies which at last brake out into open tumults They chafed at the obstinacie of a few saying that for their own private passions they would make the City run hazard of suffering its late misfortune and misery Those who were better accommodated and who had most to lose either by plunder fire or other miseries which Cities are accustomed to suffer when either taken by force or surrendred upon discretion began to be of the same mind On the other side Fernese was not backward in inviting the Antwerpians to surrender and not by standing out to make their conditions the worse Thus the Magistracie resolved at last to send some to the Army to treat of surrendring the City They were fairly received by the Prince and so the Treaty began on both sides wherein at first was found a great deal of intricacie and difficulty and therefore many dayes were spent in adjusting them till such time as Aldegonda coming forth himself with some others of the best of the City the Articles of Surrender were concluded of about the midst of August which made up a just year since the first begining of the siege The Articles in effect were these that follow That the City of Antwerp should return under the obedience of the King of Spair as formerly That the Prince of Parma in the Kings name did pardon and forgive the Inhabiants thereof all faults committed in the late revolutions as well in taking up of Arms as in what soever else they had done against the King and his Royal crown That to maintain Traffick in that City as much as might be it might be lawfull for any body whosoever to live there for four years next ensuing without any particular tye in matter of conscience and religion provided no scandalous act were committe against the Catholick religion which was solely to be profest and exercised for the future in that City That the aforesaid four years being ended those who would not profess the Catholick religion might freely depart from thence and carry all their goods away with them without any manner of hinderance That the City should by the least grievous way that might be find means how to repair the
Churches which were ruined either before or upon the occasion of this siege That the City should be fuly restored to her antient priviledges and to all her former liberty and prerogatives of Traffick That in the mean while she was to pay 40000 pounds sterling to help to relieve the Army for the so much pains and expence which it had been at in that siege That the Antwerpians should give way to the receiving into the City and longing of 2000 foot and 200 horse in Garison till it should be seen what resolution should be taken in Holland Zealand and the other confederate Provinces of turning to the Kings obedience which if they should do the Prince promised to free the City of all Garisons and not to remake the Citadel as it was before That prisoners on all sides should be set at liberty except Monsieur de Tiligni concerning whose person the Prince was of necessity to receive some particular Orders from Spain and that the Signor de Aldegonda should promise not to bear Arms against the King of Spain for the space of one year These were the chiefest Articles of the surrender to which many others were added touching the restitution of Goods the restoring of Traffick and Merchandizing to the City and divers other petty interests which respected the accommodation and satisfaction of the Inhabitants This agreement being made the Prince for his greater applause in having made such an atchievement received the Order of the Golden Fleece which the King had sent him a little before The Ceremony was performed in the Fort St Philip accompanied with all the greatest Military celebration of joy and Jubilee and 't was done by Count Mansfield one of the antientest of that Order in all Flanders The Prince entred afterwards solemnly into Antwerp not only as a Conqueror but in Triumph he appeared in stately Arms on horseback many horse and foot in arms went before him and many in the like sort followed him Long files of armed foot were on each side And a little before him was all the flowre of the Nobility on horseback whereof there were very many then in the Army Thus he entred by the Cesarian Gate where he was received by the Magistrate by the heads of all the Orders of the City and by an infinite number of common people He found many Arches many Statues many Colums erected in divers parts with whatsoever else of glory could be shewn upon the like occasion by the conquered to such a Conqueror He then returned all due thanks to God in the chiefest Church and being still accompanied with both Military and City-like acclamations he lighted at the Castle and staid awhile in Antwerp to put in order such things in the City as stood in most need thereof THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Second Part. BOOK IV. The Contents The Cities of Gaunt Brussels Malines and Niminghen return to the Kings obedience The Confederate Provinces are hereupon in so great straits as they offer the Queen of England the Soveraignty of their Provinces that they may the more freely enjoy her protection The Queen accepts not of the offer but takes upon her their defence much more then formerly In lieu whereof she hath some of their Towns deposited in her hands The Earl of Lester arrives in Holland sent by her as Supreme Head of the Confederate Provinces The Prince of Parma resolves to march into the field He besiegeth Graves and takes it He continuing his victories takes Venlo Nuys passes the Rhine and succours Zutfen Lester looking on Distastes between Lester and the United Provinces The Duke of Parma continues his acquisitions takes Sluce a place of mighty importance During the heat of War an endeavour is moved between the King of Spain and Queen of England to accommodate in some sort the affairs of Flanders but the endeavour is thought but artificiall on both sides The King this mean while considers whether he ought to make open War upon the Queen or no. Consultations had hereupon in Spain The King at last resolves to set upon England with most powerfull forces Preparations made hereupon in Flanders and in Spain Preparations made by the Queen The Spanish Fleet begins to move and with an unhappy beginning is detained many days by a great tempest it comes to the English Channel The English Fleet hasts to incounter it The Spanish ships begin to suffer prejudice Fire-boats like those of the siege of Antwerp The Spanish Fleet is afraid of them and grows into great confusion At the same time the sea grows rough and makes the disorder the greater Some of the Spanish ships are lost and the rest at last are forced to return for Spain A horrible tempest ariseth which occasions the loss of many of their ships as they return and their whole Fleet is parted torn and shattered by the fury of the sea THese were at this time the advantages of the Kings Forces We told you before that ere Antwerp was taken Gaunt Brussels and Malines were reduced And not to interrupt the siege of Antwerp we forbore as then to acquaint you with what befell them if at least they may be called sieges For they were taken by only stopping up their Passes and keeping the Cities from victuals on all sides We will now briefly relate the several successes together with what insued in other parts during the siege of Antwerp After that the City of Bruges was faln into Fernese's hands Gaunt began to suffer great scarcities especially of victuals The Confederate Provinces held two places of very great importance on that Maritine Coast of Flanders to wit Sluce and Ostend And because relief might be sent from thence to Gaunt Fernese after the getting of Bruges endeavoured to possess himself of all the Passes thereabouts so as there could no communication be had between Gaunt and those two places and the success was answerable to the designe Those of Gaunt not being able to receive any help from abroad fell suddenly into great necessities yet they continued still to be contumacious And persisting in their opiniatracy against the Church and King they seemed as if they would rather undergoe any thing then submit themselves again to the Kings obedience and to the Catholick Religion On the other side Fernese though already busied about Antwerp ceased not to use all diligence to reduce those of Gaunt to the utmost necessity of Famin. Wherefore scouring the Country round about with his horse and destroying all every where he kept those Inhabitants from receiving any help or security from without their own walls There were not wanting many in the City who were well minded towards the Church and King Famine increasing then every day more and more those that were better inclined took occasion to lessen the obstinacy of the most contumatious which Fernese had formerly indeavoured to moderate by many gratious offers And so finally to keep from falling into greater mischiefs the
then before and at last the defendants were forced to yield Fernese allotted all that side to the Spaniards to accost the Town on that part and planted a good number of Canon against the walls On the land side he placed the Italians with a like battery in other places he likewise set those of other Nations against the Town in so much as the besieged were soon brought into great straites One battery play'd after another and sometimes they plaid all together The wall towards the river was very well desended by a great Tower◠but the Spaniard did assault it so fiercely as at last they lodged themselves there Whereby the Town was still more infested on that side and was still in more danger to be taken Nor had the Italians reduced them to lesser straits on their side Wherefore the besieged failing in their courage and the Governour of the Town being sorely wounded they began to think of surrendring The Army was much incensed against this Town for they found that the Townsmen were inclined to receive in the enemy besides many of the Inhabitants were hereticks and were still openly disposed to favour that aforesaid Apostate Bishop Truxes Whilst then there was a cessation of Arms by agreement and that they were upon Treaty of Surrender and that they were weighing the Conditions The Spaniards and Italians despising all good Military 〈◊〉 assaulted the Town with blind fury on two sides at once The enemy astonished hereat endeavoured as much as they could to desend themselves but had no good success For the Royalists being thereat more incensed after they had over come all obstacles entred the Town in a hostile manner and in excess of anger which soon turned into down right fury they put all they met with to the sword Nor did bloud satisfie their cruelty Neglecting the avarice of plunder they fell to fire the Town which they did in so many places as the Town which was almost wholly built of wood was suddenly all on a fire One house served to fire another and the division of streets no whit availing the flames flew from one side to the other and in a rapid motion spread themselves over the whole Country And that the Town might be the sooner and the more miserably destroyed the wind conspired with the fire whereby it was in very few hours wholly reduced to ashes With much adoe two Churches were saved whereinto many sacred virgins together with other women of the Town had recourse for shelter And the Marquiss of Vasto did in particular shew himself generously pious in saving them all from the fury of the souldier he being greatly respected by the Army no less in consideration of his bloud then of his valour and imployment Before the Duke of Parma for so we shall call him hereafter his father Duke Octavius being now dead went from about Nuys the Bishop of Vercelles who was the Popes Nuntio in the City of Cullen came unto him and in the name of Pope Sextus Quintus presented him with the Trunchion and Helmet which the Popes do use to bestow as a token of their esteem and affection to such Princes as deserve well of the Church The Ceremony was solemnly performed in the Camp and the Elector of Cullen and Duke of Cleves would be present at it for he was likewise come at that time to visit Fernese And at the same time the Marquis of Vasto received the Order of the Golden Fleece Which the King had sent unto him a little before and Fernese's self put it about his neck The enterprise of Nuys having received this Tragical end the Camp past to before Reinburgh which Town depends likewise upon the Bishoprick of Cullen and lies lower upon the Rhine It was then in the enemies possession and the Archbishop and Fernese did both of them desire to see it reduced under the Catholick power The enemy had fortified it very well and had likewise munited a certain Island which stands before the Town Lester thinking it too great a shame that Fernese after having made so many acquisitions even as it were before his eyes should likewise make this reinforced his Army as much as he could resolving either to relieve the Town or to make some diversion by besieging some of the Kings Towns He was on the other side of the Rhine in the Province of Overisel so called for that the river Ysel runs through it On the right hand thereof stands Zutfen one of the Towns of greatest importance in all those parts Lester bethought himself to take this place and in order thereunto he would first take Deosburg a little Town upon the same river but which might help him in his chief designe There were 300 Walloon foot in Deosburg who assisted by the situation of the place might make it good a long while but as soon as the enemy had opened their Trenches on their side and ordered their Batteries the defendants offered to parley and put the Town into Lesters hands From hence he went with his whole Camp to Zutfen the City had a great Fort made of earth on the side opposite to the River and two lesser ones which did so much the more defend it Lester incamped himself on both sides the river and having made a bridg of boats the better to joyn his Camp together he endeavoured first to take the Fort hoping that the taking thereof would facilitate the taking of the Town John Baptista di Tassis of whom you have heard before was Governor of the Town Who forthwith advertised Fernese what danger the City was in of being taken unless it were very speedily relieved for they had not provisions answerable to the circuit of the place Fernese had already made some progress against Reinburg and had taken the Island yet fearing he should not take the Town time enough to succour the other he left the Island well munited and resolved to tarry no longer before Reinburg but to go speedily to the relief of Zutfen Wherefore in great haste making a bridge of boats over the Rhine at Burick and raising a Fort at each end thereof he went with all his Army to the other side and marched towards the enemy As he was upon his march he was advertised that there were 2000 Rutters on that confine of Germany who were raised by the Count de Meurs to assist the enemy He therefore chose out 1500 horse and put one of the Spanish foot behind each of them commanding them that with all speed they should march thitherward And he himself followed with more men to back them The Rutters expected not such an incounter and therefore marched not in any good order nor any waies provided to fight wherefore meeting at unawares with the Kings men they were soon routed and defeated The Duke continued his march from hence and came so neer Zutfen as he prepared to send in succour to this purpose he put all his Camp into battel array and made the Marquess
endeavour to compose the differences between those Provinces and Leicester and free the Flemish from those jealousies which they seemed chiefly to be fallen into by reason of him This mean while the sharpness of the winter was over wherefore the Duke of Parma resolved to take to the field again He much desired to cleanse the Province of Flanders so throughly as that the Enemy might be masters of no place there They had still therein as hath been said Ostend and Sluce The Duke therefore resolved first to besiege the latter that he might afterwards doe the like to the other according as he should find opportunity His Camp was at this time very much lessened for many of his Souldiers were lost in the so many expeditions of the last year and many were imployed in guarding the Towns that were newly taken He thought notwithstanding that he might besiege Sluce with but a moderate number of Souldiers that Town standing as it were in the midst of Marish places and having but little dry ground about it where it was requisite to take the Passes and to defend them He therefore resolving upon this try'd first to deceive the Enemy by feigning another enterprise He sent Il Signor d'Altapenna together with Marquis Vasto into the utmost Confines of Brabant and gave them so many Horie and Foot as he thought necessary for that purpose They went their wayes and with several appearances infused fear into the Enemies in those parts in so much as Count Maurice and Count Hollack came suddenly thither Having made this diversion Fernese turn'd presently upon Sluce and towards the end of May incamped before it Sluce does not lie altogether upon the Sea-side as doth Ostend but a little more within land yet there runs a Channel on the right hand of it whereinto the Sea enters and is large enough to receive any whatsoever Vessel on the other sides thereof some other lesser Channels joyn with this greater so as there is but little manageable earth unless it be of one side only which is towards the part called Bruges because it lies nearest to that City An Island of about two leagues about lies almost over against Sluce between the bigger Channel and some others on that part which fall all of them into the Sea and it is called Cassante Sluce might be relieved by Sea from Flushing particularly by this Island and by Land from Ostend which lies upon the same Sea coast towards the West about some five leagues from Sluce Flushing lying much upon the same distance towards the East The Enemy had a Fort midway between Ostend and Sluce which was very commodious for bringing succour to the besieged on that side which was called the Fort Blanchemberg When the Duke was incamped about the Sluce he forthwith went about to take the Fort. The Enemy had not provided very well for it as well for that they were busied about other things of greater necessity as for that they did not expect the Kings Forces at that time thereabouts This Fort being set upon by the Kings men made not much resistance yet those within it would wait till the Cannon was brought which when they were presented they made no further defence The Fort being left well guarded the Duke returned presently to his already begun enterprise He had not much above 8000 Foot with him and but a very few Horse for there was no need of any more in that so low and watery situation Many of his Souldiers were gone to the diversion which was to be made by Altapenna and the Marquis Vasto The Quarters being taken and fortified the first thing the Duke did was to plant a Fort upon the Island of Cassante in a certain bending of the greater Channel which washeth Sluce By it succour might be brought from Sluce And because the Fort was not able to hinder the bringing of it there were some great Barks placed in the midst of the Channel fastned one to another and well furnisht with Mariners Souldiers and Artillery whereby the passage of the Boats with which the Enemy might endeavour to relieve the Town was so much the more disturbed The Duke the better to defend the Boats made some Works over against them on each side of the River The Channel was not notwithstanding above three quarters of a mile over and as for the rest no relief could be brought by them Yet to be the surer on that side the Duke sent some Horse and Foot into the Island of Cassante to watch over all the proceedings of the Enemy on that side which was nearest Flushing He then bent towards the taking of the Town He could not accost it as hath been said save only on the side towards Bruges and the ground was there likewise very soft Min heer Groneveld was Governour of Sluce a valiant Souldier as he very well proved himself to be in this defence He had with him 2000 good Souldiers part of which were sent unto him by the Governour of Flushing at the first appearing of the Kings men No sooner then did the Kings men begin to approach but that the Defendants issued out in accustomed sallies to oppose them The Fort of Bruges was well fortified with good Flanks and the besieged had likewise raised a Fort without the Gate to keep the Kings men the further from the Ditch Fernese knew that this Fort was by all means to be won which he resolutely went about It was oft-times assaulted and as oft stoutly defended but at last the Enemy were glad to quit it Hereby the Royalists had the better conveniencie to make their approaches The Marquis of Renty had the chief care of the Trenches who was one of the chief Lords of Flanders and of most credit for valour and fidelity By him the Works were with great vigilancie led on but being too fervent and forward therein he was ill wounded and was inforced to withdraw from thence Monsieur de la Motte succeeded in his place a man of quality likewise and of like valour and fidelity But he proved no more fortunate for as he was with equal fervencie surveying the Works he received so dangerous a wound in one of his Arms as to save his life it was cut off In the defence of the Trenches John d' Aquila a Spanish Camp-master together with many Captains and Souldiers of inferior condition were so sorely hurt as the Royalists could not pay dearer for their endeavours on that side And yet they suffered very much on another side To come to the Trenches the Kings men were of necessity to pass over a Bridg which lay so open to the wall of the Town as those within might with great safety to themselves shoot at them The Royalists placed a great Cloth before it so to make the Enemy shoot at less certainty But notwithstanding this the damage was very great which they received and continued so to be till the Royalists had advanced further and so bereft the
worth in military affairs was highly esteemed throughout the whole Kingdom and of whom the King did alwaies make use in all his most important and most difficult enterprises In maintenance of his opinion he spoke thus 'T is now most glorious Prince somewhat above a year since your Majesty was with your Army about Paris every one knows that the end of that siege was onely to inforce that City to surrender by Famine since so great a circuit of walls and so thick a forrest of houses and inhabitants were not otherwise to be forced There were no quarters therefore fortified about it no trenches were opened no batteries raised no assaults made When afterwards the Army of the League drew neer it was thought fitting that your Army should encounter it and endeavour by all means to engage it in battel since there was no other way to hinder the relief then by a field fight I together with the rest of the Commanders was of that opinion which was likewise approved of by your self who do no less excel others in counsel then in command Let us now consider this present siege In this the end of begirting Roan consists much more in using opugnancy then means of Famine It makes much for us doubtlesly that we are masters of the River on the upper side by means of Pont d' Arke and on the nether side by the Town of Cawdebeck so to keep Roan from victuals but the hopes of winning lyes chiefly in our arms and swords And how far are we already advanced with our trenches with our batteries with our works in the ditch and with assaults I am therefore of opinion that upon this occasion we ought to shun giving battel and that we ought with all industry to fortifie our quarters and use all vigilancy in defending them so as the Leagues Army may not be able to force them succour being hindred from without it is not to be doubted but for what within our flege will advance fortunately against the walls We have already made such progress as the City is in great terror the Inhabitants whereof being accustomed to Traffick and not acquainted with the Military profession will not run the hazard of exposing themselves to ruine plunder and other dreadfull calamities which often accompany the taking of places by storm and violence Doubtlesly Monsieur de Villiers doth sufficiently discharge his part in making defence But when he shall want victuals when his souldiery shall lessen and when he shall despair of succour how can be then hold longer out As for us the river furnisheth us with plenty of victuals we doe so abound in gallant horse as we shall keep a good part of the neighbouring parts at our devotion We expect new succours by sea from Holland we receive fresh aid daily by land from the Provinces hereabouts Wherefore since the advantages doe every day increase on our side by way of siege why should we not with all fervor and constancy prosecute it These neighbouring wars of France and Flanders have begot a common saying that sieges are there learn'd here battels Let it be once seen that Erance can do both the one and the other And that though it use to prevail by the force of field-fights yet it can use patience in bringing oppugnations when it shall be requisite to their right end It cannot be denyed but that the Duke of Parma won much praise the last year by taking Lagne whilst our Army looked on But how much greater will your Majesties glory be if you shall take Roan in the face of his Army Roan which is the second City of the Kingdom and which will quickly give you entrance into the first For it is not to be doubted but that the Duke of Parma being recalled by his own necessities into Flanders Paris will soon be reduced to your Majesties obedience and that by the example thereof all the rest of the Kingdom will strive to do the like But the Vicecount of Turein not long before made Duke of Bullion by the right of his wife who was one of the chief Commanders in war amongst the Hugonots of that Country and who through his valour and by his knowing how to make use thereof by a particular vivacity of wit became afterwards likewise one of the most esteem'd Marishals of France was of another opinion and spake thus I must confess unconquerable Prince I know not wherein the so great difference lies between the siege that was before Paris and this which is now before Roan as that the resolutions which were then taken should be now shun'd It was thought then that your Majesties Army was not sufficient at one and the same time both to maintain the siege before Paris and to fight the Army of the League but that either the one or the other of these resolutions must be pitched upon At last the latter prevailed over the former and therefere we marched with all our Forces against the enemy to give them battel in the field and by that means to keep Patis from being relieved 'T is true there were no quarters taken nor fortified in that siege nor was there any sort of oppugning made But notwithstanding I shall never be of opinion that to hinder the present relief we should rather shut our selves up within our own quarters then march with our Army into the field as we did then Roan is of such a bigness and doth consequently require that our Fortifications about it be of such a compass as we cannot bring them to such perfection as to be able to keep within them and to defend them Wherefore shall we expect to be doubly assaulted within them at one and the same time Onceby the Leagues Army without and again within by the Garison of the City What will our danger be when we shall be thus invironed by so great Forces on all sides The Duke of Alva some years agoe at the siege of Mons waited for the Prince of Orange within his Trenches the Prince came drew near was beaten back and the Town was afterwards surrendred But what Orange did then assault high and well munited Rampires defended by ancient and experienced souldiers against Tumultuaries And Count Lodovick brother to Orange had a very weak Garison within the Town and a people as contrary to him as well might be Let us pass from this President of Flanders to another of Italy which may be much better applyed to our present case The memory thereof is sad and will ever be so to France I speak of the unfortunate fiege of Pavia King Francis as it is well known suffered himself upon that occasion to be reduced to between the Spanish Army without and the German Garison within who were all of them men trained up in Arms and being set upon on both sides at once those mis fortunes and calamities befell him which are sufficiently known to all men The Army of the League comes now and is furnished with particular choice
be freed of the Taxes which are imposed upon us we shall fight no longer for the interests of others but for what concerns our selves And in fine all the good and all the bad will be our own which in defence of the common liberty we shall hereafter find This discourse wrought so upon the minds even of those that were most affectionate to the King as they knew not how to gainsay it The no appearance of succour was particularly of great force Nor is it to be believed how much indignation it wrought not only in Groninghen and the parts thereabouts but in all other places which were under the Kings obedience to see that his own affairs in Flanders were by him almost wholly abandoned to sustain those of France which did daily decline The chief of the Magistracy and of the Communalty went therefore to Count Maurice to agree with him touching the surrender of the City And being very graciously received the Agreement was made and these were the most essential Conditions thereof That the City of Groninghen together with the neighbouring Country which makes up that Province should for the future be under the obedience of the States-Generall representing the Body of the Confederate Provinces That it should oblige it self to the Union of this Body by being a particular member thereof for the time to come and that it should submit it self to those Lawes wherein the other Provinces were joyned for the defence of their common Cause That the City of Groninghen and all the aforesaid Country should enjoy their antient priviledges and all their former immunities That that City and Province should by the authority of the States Generall receive Count William of Nassaw for their Governour and that for the present five or six Foot-Companies should be permitted to come into the City to prevent all occasion of Tumults which might happen there That there should be Liberty of Conscience for matter of Religion in that City and Country but that that which was called the Reformed Religion should be exercised there publikely and no other That the City and Province should concur in contributing such taxes as did correspond with their abilities for the maintenance of the Souldiery and for other necessary expences concerning the common Cause That it should be free for any man to transport himself and goods into whatsoever place he would provided it were not in the Enemies country That the Government of the City should depend as formerly upon the Magistracie and that the Magistrate should be changed according to custom taking an oath to be true and faithfull to the States Generall as the other Cities under the Union had done These were the chief Articles of Agreement which were made with those of Gronin hen And as for the Foreign souldiers which were entred into the City they were permitted by Count Maurice to march forth honourably with their Arms and Baggage but upon promise not to serve the King of Spain for three moneths space on that side the Rhine The City was surrendred about the end of July and Count Maurice made his entrance into Groninghen afterwards with all military pomp and solemnity And leaving Count William there for the better ordering of all things in that City and Province he within a few dayes removed his Army from those parts and went himself unto the Hague Where it cannot be expressed with what applause and honour he was received by the States General for having so much increased the advantages of the Union on that side the Rhine by an acquisition of such consequence Whilst affairs went thus in Flanders the Forces which were on the aforesaid Frontiers of France were not idle The Duke du Main was Governour of Burgony the Duke of Guise Governour of Champania and the Duke d' Umale Governour of Picardy all of them being of the house of Lorain and upon whose personages the League did principally depend some discord was already faln out in their former Union and finally the Duke of Guise would be kept no longer from moving some Treaty of agreement with the King since he had imbraced the Catholick Religion and after his so many atchievements which had made him now be almost generally acknowledged for King of France Neither was the Duke du Main much averse from coming to a Composition with him But he endeavoured to negotiate with his sword in hand that he might thereby get the better conditions Only the Duke d'Umale were it either that he was more firm in his former adhering to the League or that he was a back friend to the King for some private respect of his own was resolved to come to no accommodation with him but rather in case the League should wholly cease to go into Flanders and put himself wholly into the King of Spains hands To this end he favoured the Flemish Forces more then ever in his Government of Picardy But such partiality was of no great availment For the Kings reconciliation with the Apostolick See being then mainly negotiated in Rome the League declined daily in so much as even almost whole Picardy was already come over to the King To get the full possession whereof the King was a little before entred into that Province with a potent Army and had laid siege to Laon. The City of Laon being very strong both by situation and Manual Fortification the Duke du Main did much indeavour the not losing of it To boot that the Count of Sommariva du Main's eldest son being within the Town and one that defended it who though he were but very young then was notwithstanding of great expectation the Father did the more desire to see his son free together with the Town To this purpose du Main was gon himself to use what diligence might be with the Archduke And returning with new and very strict Orders to Mansfield that he should use all the means he might for the preservation of the Town they joyned both their Forces together which were notwithstanding so weak as they exceeded not 8000 foot and 700 horse The Rendezvouz being made at la Fera which is within four leagues of Laon they marched from thence about the end of June with a resolution of relieving the besieged There was a choice Garison in Laon of 1200 foot and 30 horse nor were the Inhabitants less willing to make defence then were the Garison The King had about 12000 choice foot and 4000 horse which were the very flowre of his Army And having already taken and fortified his quarters he was very diligent in advancing his Trenches and other usual Works The besieged shewed all manlike resolution to resist which they witnessed by frequent sallies to the which they were the more encouraged by the expectation of relief so near at hand In the Colleagues Camp which still held the exterior Title of the League though it were almost wholly composed of Flemish Forces the Duke du Main commanded in chief the Archduke having
thereof together with the Prerogative of calling himself Prince of Cambray Baligni being thus become Lord of that City he began to be diligent in fortifying it and muniting it with Bulwarks Arms Ammunition and Victuals He foresaw the Tempest which was likely to fall upon him from the King of Spains Forces in Flanders if ever any occasion thereof should be offered And doubtlesly as that was the greatest advantage which France had reaped in those parts during the troubles of Flanders so could not the King of Spain benefit himself better upon that Confine then by reducing Cambray to its former condition In former times the City of Cambray had been as it were a strong Bulwark to the whole Walloons Country against the French assaults on that side And the Emperour Charls the fifth the better to secure himself thereof had by the Archbishops good will who was Lord both spiritual and temporal of that City built a strong Castle there which was better furnished and fortified afterwards by Baligni He kept the two neighbouring Provinces of Hennault and Artois in great subjection grieving them with quartering indamaging them with inroads putting them to pay contributions and using other great violences against them such as if greater could not have been used by a declared enemy at least not by a bad neighbour They therefore greatly desired to see that Town return under the King of Spains devotion And had offered all possible assistance to Count Fuentes to make him the willinglier resolve upon that enterprise But in the mature agitating thereof in the Councel of War there was some opposition found and there was great ambiguity in Votes Monsieur de la Motte General of the Artillery and a man of long experience and known valour was particularly against the Enterprise He said That the Kings forces were not as then strong enough to be thought proportionable for such a siege That the City of Cambray was of a very large circuit and very well munited with flanks and ditches on all sides That the City was secured by a very strong Citadel and that it was to be believed that neither the Citadel nor City would want either men ammunition or victuals requisite to make resistance That on the contrary the Kings Forces being well considered it would clearly appear that they were not sufficient so to begirt such a Town as that as it ought to be That if it were not well surrounded with Trenches it could not be kept from being relieved and say it should be perfectly incompassed was it not to be believed that all means possible would be used by France to force those Trenches That lesser Interests gave way to more urgent necessities That there could be none of greater consideration for France then to keep Spain from making so important an acquisition That therefore it was necessarily to be supposed that the King of France laying aside all other affairs would bend all his Forces to keep the City of Cambray in Baligni 's command which was as much to say as in his own That the agreement between him and Du Main was still in hand which the King would endeavour the more that the concord might be made in such a conjuncture of time Neither would the United Provinces lose that oportunity but seeing the Spanish Arms in Flanders more languishing now then ever they would certainly apply themselves to some important siege which they might as easily effect as designe These were the Objections made by Monsieur de la Motte against the Enterprise But the new Camp-master-General Ronye was very stiff for it shewing himself the more to be a Spaniard in his opinion lest he might be thought to be too luke-warm as being a Frenchman He said That the Provinces of Hennault and Artois had made large promises of assistance toward the effecting of the Enterprise And that it was to be hoped all the rest of the Walloons Country would concur thereunto That therefore the Kings Forces might be so increased by such and so opportune helps as they might be sufficient to make such a siege and manage it as it ought to be That the City of Cambray seemed very much to hate Baligni and that he was acknowledged by the people thereof rather as a Tyrant then a Prince Wherefore by reason of the iealousies within he would be the less able to withstand the forces without That it was doubtlesly to be believed the French would not omit doing of any thing which might keep the Town from being lost But that the King was already so deeply ingaged in Burgony and was so prest upon on one side by the Duke du Main and on the other by the Constable of Castile as he would hardly free himself of that trouble That the King being held in play so far off there was small fear to be had of his Captains that were nearer hand And what a madness would it be thought in the Duke du Main if when he might better his condition the more amidst Arms he should so slightly forgoe them That if in the mean time the United Provinces should make any opposition they might be met with forces sufficient to suppress them That all men were usually set upon in their highest designes by hopes and fears That in this hope was to have the upper hand And why should they not hope to find a friend of Fortune since their Cause was so just For what remained that the recovery of Cambray was of so great consequence as all the expences the King of Spain had been at in the present occurrences of France might be thought well imployed if only thereby Flanders might be again possest of such a Bulwark as this in that so suspitious corner Fuentes inclined to this opinion being naturally full of high thoughts and desirous to innoble his Government by some extraordinary success He therefore acquainted the Provinces of Hennault and Artois with this his resolution moving them the more to assist him He easily drew over likewise the Cities of Torney and Lillo with the Countries which lie more inward upon the Walloons to be of the same mind But the Archbishop himself seemed more desirous of this Enterprise then all others VVho also offered some monies towards the effecting of it hoping by the King of Spains power and protection to return to his City and enjoy his former Government thereof VVhilst these aids were preparing and that divers other necessary provisions were made to the same purpose Count Fuentes resolved to enter Picardy with those men which he had already gathered together so parted from Brussels about the beginning of June Being come upon the Frontier his first design was to get Chatelet a strong place and so near Cambray that unless he could bereave the enemy of it it might much hinder the intended enterprise He treated likewise at the same time with the Town of Han to get it into his hands it being a place seated advantagiously likewise thereabouts Monsieur
and their souldiers shewed themselves ready to do what upon such an occasion might be desired of them They came to within sight of the Gate vvhich lies tovvards Dorlan and vvhich is called Montrecurt about the break of day there vvith great silence they possessed themselves of a certain Aâ—â—ey vvichin less then a mile of the City they took likevvise another place yet neerer the City where was a little Hermitage from thence those that were clad like Peasants advanced towards the Gate with their Cart and Sacks full of Apples and such other things as have been spoken of This mean while the Citizens opened the Gate and surveying the Country about with their wonted negligence They stayed in the Court de Gard under the same Gate but the souldiers were so few in number and so unfit for such an office as the Gate could not be more weakly nor more negligently kept It was now Lent and Sermons being usually made in France early in the morning almost all the people were then at Church Francisco d' Arco had the command of those that were clad like Peasants and who were to make the surprise he who as you have heard Portacarrero sent to Brussels to negotiate the business with the Cardinal Baptista Dognano a Milonoise was another chiefly imploy'd and Captain la Croy with particular diligence attended upon the Cart who was a Burgonian The rest were almost all Walloons who by reason of the neighbourhood of Frontier were better known both in the language and fashion of the Peasants of Picardy But were all of them Souldiers of tryed fidelity and valour As they drew neer the gate these mingled themselves with other Country people who entred the Town at the same time either to buy or to sell commodities Wherefore entring more easily with them into the Ravelin which covers the Gate they stayed under the Arch thereof and one of them letting the Sack fall which was upon his shoulders the nuts and things that were in scattered upon the ground those of the Guard ran in and mocking either the simplicity or poverty of the Peasants began to scramble for what was on the ground the Cart came in this interim which being made to stay by him who guided it at the first entrance into the Gate the horses were presently fastned lest frighted at the noise which was to ensue they might run away elsewhere with the Cart. Francisco d' Arco was to give notice to Portacarrero of the Carts being entred by the shooting off of a Pistol which he failed not to do for carrying two under his counterfeit habit he discharged one of them in the brest of one of those that kept the Gate Which when he had done his assotiates did the like and seising upon some Halberts which belonged to the same Corps de Gard they so behaved themselves as they slew or deadly wounded all those few French who had the custody either of the gate or of the ravelin For the better security of the Gate it had two Perculleses which over-hung it they were guarded by a sentinel who let them both down the first was easily kept from falling to the ground by the Cart but the second broke it all in peeces and almost quite shutting up the passage brought the Assailants into great straits when the other who were hid in the Hermitage came in with all speed who securing themselves first of the Raveling without and suddenly taking away all hinderances within made themselves Masters of all the avenues to the Gate The noise was already grown so great as many of the neerest Inhabitants taking up arms and hastning thither began boldly to oppose the assailants who increasing still in number and in courage easily overcame all opposition insomuch as having won the first Avenues to the City and fully secured the Gate as also the contiguous walls they afforded time for the rest of the Foot and Horse to come up and fortunately to perfect the premediated design Nothing is so prejuditial or doth more endanger surprises then giving way to fall suddenly and tumultuously to plunder for in such a case the Townsmen within may either take up arms or the Enemy may come in from without so as the Assailants may be easily supprest by reason of their being disperst and disordered amidst rapine and other military licentiousness For this cause Portacarrero commanded under penalty of the severest punishment that none of his men should dare to fall to plunder the City till the market places chief streets and all the Gates were fully taken and well guarded which being by him performed in great order and the souldiers in much obedience they fell to plunder of which they found such and so great store as few the like was met withal in all the vvars of France and of Flanders Count St. Paul Governour of Picardy vvas in Amiens at the time of the surprisal but he vvas got out as the Assailants first entred providing in great haste for his ovvn safety and leaving his vvife there vvho vvas presently set at liberty by Portacarrero and used with all respect and honour The plunder lasted one whole day and nothing else of cruelty was used nor of dissolute licentiousness There were not above 100 of the Inhabitants slain and three or four of the assailants and some few others were hurt At the news of the surprise and plunder many other souldiers of the neighbouring Spanish Garisons came flying in to partake of the plunder and who afterwards helped very much for the defence of Amiens for Portacarrero would not permit them to go out again Yet for greater security he disarmed the Citizens and with great vigilancy ordering all things every where as best befitted the safety of the City he together with the rest of the Commanders and all the souldiers prepared with all courage to sustain that hard and dangerous siege which he foresaw would soon befall them by the King of France This mean while the King had speedy advertisement both of the surprise so boldly undertaken and of the happy success thereof It is impossible to relate how much he was afflicted at this his mischance and how much he was inwardly tormented in his mind particularly in the point of Honour He seemed to be much offended with himself Had he so quelled the Rebelloin of France and so supprest the League maintained by the Spaniards to the end that breaking into war with them their sole Forces should triumph over his How many victories had Fuentes got the year before sometimes by sieges sometimes by open field-fight and how many other great acquisitions had the Cardinal Archduke lately made was not that of Calis sufficient by open siege but that the other of Amiens must issue by surprise What two other Towns could the Spaniards have desired whereby they might receive more advantage in the affairs of France both by sea and land The way was short and free between the Gates of Amiens and Paris Nor did
the United Provinces they seemed to desire nothing more then the peace and tranquility of those Countries affirming that for their part they would never be wanting in contributing their best endeavours thereunto Having thus declared their Commissions first to the Archdukes the Ambassadors went afterwards into Holland and there did the like to the Deputies representing the States Generall of the United Provinces Touching the novelties happened in the Neutral Countries the Deputies answered with all obsequiousness towards the Emperor and Empire and complained bitterly of the Spaniards As for Schinks Sconce they endeavoured to justifie the success thereof with divers reasons And the Ambassadors giving assured hopes that if the United Provinces would restore Emrich they would make the Archdukes restore Reinberg the Deputies promised that that Town should be restored as it soon after was In the point of the Treaty of Agreement the Ambassadors found great reluctancie in the Deputies who said That the United Provinces would never confide in the Spaniards that therefore they would not enter into any Treaty with them and that the Archdukes by the form of their new Principality did wholly depend upon the King of Spain Notwithstanding all these difficulties the Ambassadors did so work it as at last the United Provinces gave way that their Deputies should meet with those of the obedient Provinces to make if it were possible some good agreement between both sides and the Convention was agreed upon to be at Berghen-ap-Zome a Town belonging to the United Provinces and but a short dayes journey from Antwerp Thus was this Conference occasioned by the means of these Ambassadors though no good came thereof it being broken almost as soon as begun as shall be related in its proper place About the same time almost another Negotiation was put in hand to bring the affairs to some good correspondencie between the King of Spain and the Archdukes on the one side and the Queen of England on the other Cardinal Andrea had laid some ground-works hereof whilst he had yet the Government of Flanders Nor did the Queen shew herself averse thereunto When the Archdukes were come to Brussels they took occasion to continue the friendly offices begun by the Cardinal and the Queen did the like with them Wherefore these demonstrations proceeding from both sides by letters and particular personages it was believed that the Treaty might hold on and that they might come to some good agreement Not long after the Town of Boloign in France which lies upon the English Channel was chosen for this end Where about the beginning of May Baltazar de Ziniga who was Ambassador for the Spanish King in the Court of Flanders and Fernando Cariglio came in behalf of the King of Spain and with them the President Richardotto and the Audienciarie Verrechin on the Archdukes part And on the behalf of the Queen of England Sir Henry Nevil who was her Ambassador at that time with the King of France Sir John Herbert and Sir Thomas Edmonds But all these being met in Boloign such difficulties arose in point of precedencie between the Spanish and the English Agents as it was not possible to reconcile them wherefore they came not to any agreement at all but departing almost as soon as they were met the Negotiation was put off to a better conjuncture of time Count Maurice was by this time ready to march into the field It was thought he would go against the peculiar Province of Flanders for he imbarqued his men in the maritime Gulfs which were nearest that Province and therefore it was judged that his principal designs tended thitherward Nor was it ill imagined For about the midst of June he landed all his Army about the Fort Sasso which consisted as it was commonly said of 15000 Foot and 2500 Horse Divers Rivers run through Gaunt which is the chiefest City of the Province of Flanders one of them streams out in a large Channel which falls into the nearest maritime Gulf to that City and which afterwards joyns with the rest which doe incompass the Islands of Zealand Here stands the Fort called Sasso of Gaunt as not being above five leagues from that City This Fort was very carefully guarded by a Spanish Garrison especially for the securing of some Sluces by which the water of the aforesaid Channel might either be raised or let down and drown all the fields thereabouts Neer this Fort upon the brink of the same Gulf two lesser Forts were placed Maurice assaulted these and easily taking them it was thought he would have assaulted the great Fort of Sasso but he fearing he should be entertained there longer then he could be dispenced withal by his other greater designs he went from thence and marched with all his Army towards Bruges and past almost by the Gates thereof It was thought that having many in that City who sided with him he hoped that upon occasion of his being so near the Town they might occasion some tumult which might happen for his advantage But failing of his expectation he pursued his march with evident signs that he would lay siege to Newport a Town near the Sea and not far from Ostend At the same time as he march by land those many ships waited on him by sea which served to land his Army in the Province of Flanders When he was entred into Ostend he publickly declared his resolution of besieging Newport The Archdukes had divers Forts to withstand the excursions which were made by the souldiers of Ostend and in particular three called St. Albertus Snaescherch and Bredene and there was another between Ostend and Bruges upon the pass of a river in a place called Audemberg Maurice turn'd first upon these Forts which were but weakly garrisoned and munited and meeting but with little resistance possessed himself speedily of them all He thought that the Catholick Camp would not adventure to relieve Newport unless they had first recovered those Forts and that if they should not recover them all the sooner he might the mean while take the Town which was neither very great nor very strong nor sufficiently provided of men nor of other things requisite to make defence With this design and these hopes he drew near to Newport and being still followed by his Maritime Train by means whereof his Army might continually be largely furnished with whatsoever he wanted he began to straighten the Town both by sea and land Newport doth not stand fully upon the sea-shore but very neer it on the one part thereof there runs a little River which though it be but of a mean Channel yet where it fals into the sea makes a considerable haven and especially at high tydes Upon the first news of Count Maurice his being moved and of his Armies being landed in the Province of Flanders the Arch Dukes went presently from Brussels to Gaunt the better by their presence to secure both that City and the other Towns of that Province Where mustering as many
rest ready to doe the like unless he would reconduct them to Germany Alanson's French forces were likewise much lessend and the Commanders authority on either side did but little avail to retain the Souldiers in their due obedience when once they failed of their Pay Insomuch as both of them were inforced to return almost at the same time Alanson to France and Casimir to Germany leaving it questionable whether of them had with greater hopes undertaken the expedition or ended it with less good The Foreign Aids being thus vanisht the Flemish Forces were likewise suddenly dispersed into sundry parts Fernese dallied then no longer but thinking that it was now time to pass from the defensive to the offensive part resolved immediately to take the Field and to endeavour such success to the Kings Forces as might most strengthen his Cause The Enemy had no more Forces to withstand the Royalists in the Field wherefore Fernese was forced to betake himself to some of their chief Towns by the gaining whereof greater advantages might derive unto the King Consideration being had hereupon in the Councel of War they pitched upon one of two important Sieges either that of Antwerp or that of Mastrick But there was great opposition in the Councel concerning which of these they should resolve upon To perswade to the first it was said That the Acquisition of Antwerp was much to be preferr'd before that of Mastrick That Antwerp lay in the heart of the best Provinces of Flanders and for its so many Prerogatives was esteemed the nown paramount of all the Country that by it the Scheld was commanded in particular so noble a River and so seated as having its Ebbs and Floods it may seem to partake more of the Sea then of a River That from thence a man may soon be in the heart of Holland and Zealand in which two Provinces Rebellion was first radicated and they were the first which ought to be reduced to their obedience That Antwerp and the Scheld had abundantly furnisht Forces which had so often been imployed by water against those Provinces That Zealand was the chief Sea-Port of Flanders which was by all means to be opened for the receiving of such Aids as were to come by Sea from Spain And that though the siege of Antwerp was likely to cost more time more mony and more blood yet all these were to be esteemed but light losses in respect of making so important and so desireable an acquisition But it was said on the contrary That first of all they were to secure the Pass of Germany That from thence the Flemish Army had alwayes received their greatest aids And by what pass but by that which by her Bridge over the Mause the City of Mastrick doth so advantagiously open and shut How oft had that place been made a Rendezvouz not only to receive Aid from Friends but to repulse the Enemy That in the siege of Antwerp it would prove a very hard business to master the Scheld by any whatsoever Bridge by reason of her breadth and depth and by the force which the ebbing and flowing of the Sea would adde thereunto And yet that was the first thing that was to be done to cut off the relief which would be hourly brought to the besieged by that way That on the contrary in the higher parts towards Mastrick the Mause was neither very large nor very deep nor held she any commerce with the Sea so as that River might be shut up above and beneath whereby all succour by water might be cut off from the City and doubtless the Camp would hinder all relief by land That when this Siege should be ended there would be much greater hopes of happily effecting the other And that finally the present conjuncture of affairs did require that the easiest enterprise should be first undertaken and the Army so imployed within as first to secure the Aids which might be received from abroad This opinion at last prevailed and was willingly imbraced by the Prince of Parma He saw that really the Army was not sufficiently furnisht with Arms and provisions to besiege Antwerp wherefore he bent himself wholly against Mastrick resolving to doe his utmost to make himself Master thereof This mean while the year 1579. was begun When the sharpest part of winter being over the Prince began to assemble his Army and about the end of March marched to effect his premeditated design The Kings Army consisted of about 15000 Foot and 4000 Horse all of them men trained up in war and much more considerable for their quality then for their number When the Flemish Rebels had discovered the Prince his resolution they failed not to provide with all diligence for that City being as resolute to use all means for the defence thereof as the others were for the taking it Monsieur de la Nue was then in Flanders with the title of Lieutenant under Orange He was one of the chief Heads of the Hugonot Faction in France But that Kingdom being at this time in some sort of quiet he was come into the Army of the Confederate Flemish and had with great esteem the aforesaid place conferr'd upon him and moreover was made Governour of Mastrick Wherefore he very much laboured the preservation of that place which he thought would chiefly consist in procuring succour from without He therefore thought it not best to keep within the Town believing he might be more serviceable abroad But he did so order it as such Commanders were placed there as questionless would make stout and manful resistance These were Suarzemburg di Herle a Dutch-man and Sebastian Tapine a French-man both of them advised and resolute Souldiers and who were to expect their fortunes only from the hazards of war They had with them about 500 Foot part Flemish part French part English and to them were added a great number of Country-people who were to be imployed in such manual works as should at any time be requisite for defence of the Town to which the Townsmen seemed very well disposed The Kings Army was this mean while drawn near Mastrick and when the Prince of Parma had distributed the Quarters they begon to fortifie them in such order and with such advantages as are used in the best regulated and straitest sieges We have formerly in this our History described the Situation of this City but rather in general then in particular wherefore that you may the better understand what is now treated on it is requisite that we give you here more particular and more distinct knowledg thereof The City of Mastrick lies on both â—â—des of the Mause but not in an equal proportion it is larger on the left side of the River and not so large on the right side The one by reason of the largeness of its circuit retains the name of the City and the other being of lesser compass is called Vich The former looks towards Brabant the other towards the State of
Liege Yet both these sides are joyned together by so large and noble a Bridg as it is not well discerned whether it be of greater beauty or of greater advantage to the City The whole compass thereof is about four English miles But though much of it be inhabited a great part of it is void ground especially towards the Walls which are notwithstanding well provided with platforms and may have all requisite commodity to make inward retreats or to withstand outward assaults According to the situation so are the flanks some of them being built more after the modern fashion and some of them being of the more ancient form Round about the Walls runs a deep ditch The earth about it is every where manyable so as Trenches may easily be made or any thing else which the necessity of oppugning requires yet it is not peopled answerable to the circumference of the walls The people in general partake more of the warlike then of the weak Though there be many Ecclesiasticks there by reason of the great revenues which they enjoy in that City The Government thereof in point of Justice is equally divided between the King as Duke of Brabant and the Bishop of Liege as he is a Temporal Prince who extends his Jurisdiction to within Mastrick But for what concerns the custody of the City and Garrisons the power lies wholly in the King it being seen upon all occasions that the Empire of Arms admits not of a companion and that two several Forces cannot continue so long together but that at last the weakest will be inforced to submit it self to the more powerfull Now to pass to the description of the siege The Quarters being given out by the Prince of Parma the souldiers fell to fortifie them especially towards the field-side to hinder the sending of aid into the City The Prince encamped himself against the greatest incompassed precinct and on that side were the other Commanders likewise quartered who held the first places in the Army The Lord Hierges in particular was quartered there who was General of the Artillery with a mighty Train of great Canon for on that side were the Trenches to be opened the Walls to be plai'd upon and such assaults to be given as were requisite for the taking of the City Christopher Mandragone was placed against the Burrow of Vich and in a short space all the outward Fortifications towards the fields side were brought to so good a pass as the Royalists had little reason to fear that the besieged could be succoured on that side At the same time the Mause was likewise shut up both above and beneath with two Bridges of Boats in such sort as no relief could be brought to Mastrick by water neither And this served for a double use the better to unite the Army upon both the banks Here did the Royalists begin to advance their Trenches the besieged had no great store of men for their defence wherefore they could not hazard many in making out fallies yet did they not forbear to make some even from the beginning and that with such courage as they more then once retarded the Royalists from continuing their works nor were they less diligent in disturbing them with their Artillery The Trenches of the Camp opened on two sides which were thought the fittest to fall into the ditch and batter the Wall The one was towards the gate called Tongres and the other over against a Curtain which runs between two Ports called Hoctor and the Cross. When the Trenches were advanced the Lord Hierges placed two Batteries on each side by which he annoyed the enemy The Royalists were by this time come to the Ditches mouth and the souldiers working as well as the pioneers they endeavoured to get thereinto as soon as they could that they might afterwards fill it up and be the better able by their assaults to second the breaches which were to be made by the batteries From the Fort Tongres there was a good Ravelin thrust out and upon the top of the Platform a great Cavallier The Kings men received most disturbance on this side from both these Works Wherefore to be eased of this impediment it was necessary to play upon those two places with some peeces of greater Canon which was done and those peeces plaid so furiously as the Royalists might safely continue their working and finally fall into the ditch Here as the besieged's danger did increase so did their courage As fast as the Royalists strove to lodg themselves there the others laboured to keep them out The labours of the night equalled those of the day they flock'd to every place strove who should soonest incounter danger and it was hard to discern whether the foreign souldiers or those of the Town or the Country people who were come to defend the City were more willing to work Yet the Royalists did so far prevail both with their working in the ditch and with the breaches which their batteries had made in the walls as they thought they might now fall to assault This resolution being taken the Prince of Parma appointed out so many souldiers as were requisite to do it And he chuse them out of every several Nation of those that were in the Army desirous that each of them should equally partake both in the honour and danger of the imployment In all new Governments the report goes be it good or bad according to the tenor of the first successes but especially in the administration of war it is not to be said how much fortunate beginnings make for the progress of good success This was the first enterprise which since his Government the Prince of Parma undertook wherefore to make the rest which were to insue the more successfull he very much desired he might be fortunate in this He therefore incouraged his souldiers with lively exhortations to the assault nor seemed they any whit less ready on their parts to fall on The batteries had already made great breaches in the walls and especially upon one side and the Kings men were already so far advanced in the ditch as it was thought high time to come to this resolution on that side They did what could be desired against the enemies but they on the contrary made such resistance as all the assailants endeavours proving vain they were at last forced to retire with the loss of much bloud This first assault shewed that the breaches in the walls were not yet such as they ought to be and therefore the batteries were with much violence renewed on all sides The works in the ditch were still increased and to these were added mines the sooner to beat down such repairs as the enemiestill renewed They then prepared for a second assault and it was resolved to make it on both sides of the batteries at one and the same time that the besieged being devided in making their defence might be the more disabled to do it When they came to it the Royalists
doth correspond therewithall or no. You the only brother of the King you the Dolphine of France you who are likely every hour to succeed to the greatest Monarchy of Europe in what posture I beseech you are you now here in Flanders You the Ruler of these Countries You the Duke of Brabant Earl of Flanders Holland and Zealand and Lord of these Confederate Provinces 'T is true these are your Titles these are your appearing greatnesses but set these vain shadows aside tell me I pray you what do you enjoy here which makes you not rather subject to obey then to Command You cannot say a word but Orange must first put it into your mouth you can frame no designe whatsoever which must not first be assented to by the Soveraignty of the States General nay by the particular States not only of every Province but of every City and meanest Town therein And where are the monies they premised you where are their paid men where so many other conditions so ill made good by them 'T is Orange then that is rather the true Prince And he will have the people to be their own Soveraigns to allure them still more with the bait of Liberty that he himself may hereafter the more easily invade it and reduce it to final slavery And truly what honour is not given to him even before your face whether doth not his opinion reach and the authority of his name And will your Highness sit down still by such a scorn will you forget your self your Royal bloud and your glorious Nation how much better will it become you to accompany your right with force of Arms there is no ruling without Forces Nor was the bare consent of the people ever sufficient to make a Princes Government of secure as it ought to be The people alter hourly and who hath had better tryal hereof then your self hardly was the Ceremonies of your first reception over when out of a slight suspition of the common people you and all yours ran bazard of your lives Little less then 6000 choice foot and 1000 choice horse are brought hither for your service to boot with a great number of other French horse and foot who are here in service under the Union of the Confederates The former are disposed of in divers of the chiefest Towns of Flanders Wherefore then do not you resolve to make your self Master of all those places at once but chiefly why do you not make this City of Antwerp your own when you shall have made your self Master of these places as you may easily do how can you doubt but that all France will be suddenly up in arms and that the whole Kingdom will come in to your assistance and that the King your brother will endeavour by all means to procure so fair an acquisition to his Crown an acquisition of Countries which your Royal bloud hath in former times in a good part governed and enjoy'd you will then be Prince of Flanders indeed Then must Orange and the rest receive Laws from you and not you from them And your new Empire being thus grounded upon force you may afterwards as you shall please use that other way of intreaties It is not rashly nor unadvisedly that I give you this Councel It is the common opinion of all the best Commanders of your Forces We all strive who shall contribute most to your greatness and raise up your honour as much as it is now abased here I who am the first to advise you hereunto will be one of the first who shall help to bring it to pass and shall account it my greatest glory either to live to see this done or to die in the endeavouring of it At the hearing of this Discourse Alanson was much more confused then perswaded On the one side the difficulties appeared to be very great which this advice brought with it which he could not sufficiently discern And on the other side he desired it might be effected but was not so resolute as he ought to have been to go about it After awhiles wavering within himself he as was his custom left himself to be disposed of as the rest should please Wherefore his answer was That Ferraches and the rest of the Commanders should do what they thought best for his safety and advantage They were not long about it The resolution was That upon a certain prefixt day which was appointed to be the 17 day of January all the Dukes souldiers should take an occasion to mutiny in the several places where they were quartered and should drive the Flemish Garisons out of them The greatest difficulty lay in the making of themselves Masters of Antwerp They could not do it by open force the City being so great and populous And if they should go about to surprise it they might likewise meet with many impediments yet necessity pleaded for the latter but because neither could it be done by surprisal unless at the same time that force should be begun to be used within the City another sufficient force might be without it was resolved that a good strength of the Dukes horse and foot should be brought at the time appointed into some Villages near the Walls of the City as if it were by the way of passage The new year 1â—83 was then begun and the colds were exceeding sharp The States therefore hoped by means of the Ice which makes the low fields of Friesland more passable then any other time of the year to do somewhat for their advantage in those parts Wherefore they desired the Duke to go with some good forces into Ghelderland to increase their other forces on the other side the Rhine and to this end they had made certain sums of mony be payed unto him Nothing could have faln out more fortunately for the French then this So as about the midst of Jenuary all their men save such as were to stay in their Garisons in the Province of Flanders to make themselves Masters of those Towns as was resolved upon were in the Villages about Antwerp this mean while there were many French with the Duke in Antwerp and particularly the chief of the Nobility as well for the honour which they rendred unto his person as for some other feigned occasions which the Duke had purposely caused arise at that conjuncture of time Yet few were acquainted with the designe which was thus ordered On the 17 day the people which were lodged about the Town were to be stirring early in the morning as if they were to march towards Friesland The Duke was to go out by St James his gate which was the nearest as if he were to make the same journy when he should be gone out those that remained behind were suddenly to possess themselves of that gate Another gate near unto it called Cesars gate was suddenly to be possest also The Curtain which runs between these two gates being easily won the Artillery which were upon it were to be
turned upon the Town for the greater terror of the Inhabitants the souldiers that were without should suddenly enter the City and joyn with those that were within the Town And for a token to know themselves the better by the Dukes souldiers should cry The Town is taken may the Mass prosper and particular order was taken that above all things the French should not be suffered to plunder the City lest the souldiers might through avarice be diverted and so the Inhabitants be the more incensed to rise up against them In all surprises secrecy is of mighty importance to have them succeed well they must be done before they be declared But it is often times found that many orders cannot be executed because they are not understood And those being confused the whole designe must needs suddenly vanish The business coming to the birth the Duke according to the agreement went on horseback from his house and with many others in his company rid towards St James his gate so to get out of the City When he was gotten out those that staid behind seemed to fall together by the ears and laying their hands upon their swords turned upon them that kept the gates and killing some and driving away the rest they were easily masters of the Gate The people flocking together at the noise hereof were much confused at such a novelty The Antwerpians were not at this time free of suspition seeing so many French men amongst them yet could they not fear such a thing as this They were in some posture of taking up arms upon any occasion of tumult that might arise The French this mean while possest themselves easily likewise of the Caesarean gate and of the abovesaid Curtain Hereupon the novelty appeared the greater on their side and the commotion much greater on the behalf of the Inhabitants and chiefly when the French began to run up and down the streets and in a loud and hostile manner to pronounce these words The Town is taken may the Mass prosper At the same time 15 Foot-Companies and 10 Troops of Horse entred the Town and the Switzers being further off then the rest were the longer in coming In this interim their happened an accident which much disordered the Frenchmens business S. James's Gate had a Percullis to shut out all entrance when need should require upon a sudden Were it either that the French had not thought upon it or that they had neglected it there was none of them that took care of it Which the Antwerpians failed not to make use of for they threw down the Percullis and so inhibited all entrance at that gate The French-men were entred by this gate and by this gate were the Switzers also to enter The Inhabitants were this mean while still in greater commotion and had better armed themselvs they were at this time very numerous and by the so long experience of war and their own so many sufferings well verst in Arms. The French-men at first had the better But having had the first slaughter of the people believing that they should not afterward meet with any considerable resistance and that their fellows that were without would share with them rather in the prey then in the peril neglecting or peradventure not having received the Orders from those few that were within they fell immediately to plunder The people then incensed with anger and fury joyned their Forces together and behaved themselves valiantly against the French The love of their Country Children Parents substances and of themselves added to their strength but when 't was known that no more of the Dukes men could come in by S James's gate the Antwerpians were so encouraged and the French discouraged as the faces of affairs began wholly to alter The Antwerpians without any further delay recovered the Caesarean gate and then setting upon those that guarded the aforesaid Curtain or Line drove them easily away and threw many of them down from off the wall deceiving those that were without who thought it to be an effect of the surprise This being done the French that were within the Town could not much longer resist the Townsmen they were every where encompast by them Of the Citizens those that were not armed joyn'd with those that were armed and even the women with the men to make at first the better defence and afterwards to take the better revenge So as the French-men having no whither to fly unto in the City and not receiving any succour from without for any thing that the Duke and the other Commanders that were gone forth with him could doe they were all at last either wounded slain or taken prisoners About 1500 were slain and of those some of the best both for birth and valour Those that were wounded and taken prisoners were almost as many and these were also likely to have perished had not Orange by his authority interposed and saved them Of the Townsmen not many more then â—00 were slain but a great many more hurt Orange had some occasions which kept him from waiting upon Alanson out of the Town as otherwise he had in honour been bound to doe And because he lay in the Castle which stands a pretty distance from the most frequented part of the City he could not come in so soon as was needful besides he thought it at first to be but some squabble between the looser sort of the People and the Souldiers Notwithstanding there were some who suspected his carriage in this business as if he had had a hand in the surprisal But how was it possible to believe that changing his principles he should destroy his first ends and serve in stead of commanding And therefore it was rather to be believed that when he understood the truth he thought it better to quiet the minds on all sides and not to break off the Agreement which after so long so many and so doubtfull endeavours had been made with Alanson Thus ended the intended surprisal of Antwerp The common opinion was that the Duke of Mompensier and the Marshal Bironne were averse to this design and that judging it not feasible as partaking more of rashness then of stoutness they had oftentimes endeavoured to disswade the Duke from it but still in vain for that the rest who were the authors of it and who were more in favour with him had made him too fond of it The surprisals of Dunkirk Dixmund Terremond and of some other less considerable places succeeded better In the other Towns of greater consequence were it either that the French were too inferior in numbers to the Flemish or that Fortune was more favourable to the latter then to the former they took no effect at all The Duke much confused and not knowing what to doe went from the walls of Antwerp to Terramonde and from thence by letters messages and particularly by Orange his interposition he began to use all means to return again to his former good intelligence and agreement