the middest from one corner to another a Tower all flanked with great broad stone to resist the flowing of the Rhyne vppon whose banke it was seated some fortie of these stones were digged vp in the yeare 1552. the which were foure foote long and three broad There was also peeces of bricke found a foote square on the which were these letters X. G. I. which seemes to signifie Ex Germania inferiori Moreouer an other stone broken at both the ends in which there did yet remaine these imperfect wordes euer Pius An. max. Trib. Pot. XIII ntonin Pius ec Milit. Leg. I. me Euidiorum There wore also Peeces of siluer with this inscription L. Septimius Seuerus Pertinax Aug. Imp. Besides there was an other stone all eaten with the waues of the sea and windes representing victory with wings and on the left hand an Eagle with these letters Imp. Caes Ant. ne Aug. Coh M. To. Ru. Pe. There were other stones one with a shippe such as the Saxons vsed in those times an other with a mans face hauing a beard and long hayre an other hauing the figure of Hercules with his mace Besides an other long stone brokeÌ„ at one end wheras these wordes were comprehended Brittanic Germanic Pius Faelix Augustus Pont. Max. Trib. Pot. XVIII IIII. P. P. Imp. III. Aram. a Diuo Claudio et postea a diuo Seuero Patre suo restitutam In the same yeare 1520. there was a Key found which they did suppose was that of the Arcenall There were also found many figures vessels pottes lampes and other square stones where there was grauen X. Ger. Inf. There haue bene also found peeces of gold siluer and Copper of Iulius Caesar and others In the yeare one thousand fiue hundred sixtie two the foundations of this Arcenall were descouered aboue twenty daies together from whence the people there-about drewe many thousands of stones It hath beene descouered againe of late yeares but the sand of the sea hath buried much Zeeland with the Islands Townes and Bourroughes NO man can denie but the Danes and Normans haue ouerrunne these Islands as well as Holland and other farther Regions who as it is the custome of conquerers to impose new names to places which they haue conquered especially the names of countries and townes from whence they are come some thinke haue giuen this name of Zeelandt of one of their chiefe Islands so called in the which is the royall towne of Coppenhagen But admit it were not so and let vs drawe their beginning from the signification of the worde it selfe Zee signifying the sea and Landt countrie which is a countrie of the sea as in truth it is There is no neede then to make anie further search for the Etimologie but wee will content our selues with it The countie of Zeelande which hath now more power and authoritie then it euer had is for the most part comprehended in seauen principall Islands the which are Walchren where Middlebourg stands Schoven and there is Ziricxee Zuytbeuelandt where Ter Goes is Tertolen where there is the towne of Tolen Noortbeuelandt recouered from the Sea within these ten yeares Duyuelandt and Wolfersdick there are other small ones whereof we make no mention Those of Walchren and Schouen lye most open to the sea on the West part on which side they be naturally defended with these sandie hils which they call Downes and where there are not any they haue made good and high bankes strengthned with thicke turffes and wads of straw which binde them firmely together the which they call dikes True it is that the ordinary charge to repaire and entertaine them is very great and the time and toyle they imploy greater But they obserue a good order with such proportion as such as haue the propriety of the land adioyning beare the charge for the entertaining of these dikes euery one according to his portion All the country of Zealand is fatte and fertile for all kind of Tillage but especially for faire white wheat and of a grain to die red which is a rich commodity and distributed through all Europe There is also a certen kinde of turffe for fyring which they call Dary the which they are forbidden to cutte neere vnto the dikes for that it is their foundation and defeÌ„ce Ther are none but the poorer sort that vse it for that it yeelds a stinking smoake There is generally as pleasant and fat pastures for cattel as in Holland But the better to know the whole country we must begin to describe the Ilands and the particular townes of euery of them Walachrie IS in the country language called Walchren the most famous and most rich of all the Ilands of Zeland not for the greatnesse for it hath not tenne leagues circuit but for the strength and safetie of the Seat and the quallitie of the soyle the infinite number of people that inhabit it their great comerce and the greaâ— riches which the Sea bringes vnto them by their nauigations This Iland hath foure walled townes Middelbourg which is the Metropolitaine of all Zealand where the Court remaines Flissing La Vere Teruere or Camp Vere which are all one and Arnemuyden Doubourg is the most ancient town of Zealand but now it is but a Bourg beeing couered with the sandes of the sea where it is situated yet it retaines still the municipall priuiledge of a towne we will then begin with Middelbourg Middelbourg SOme attribute the beginning of this towne to one Metellus a Romaine Captaine who first built the Bourg that is to say the Castle the which is in the middest of the towne whereas now the prisons are Of which Mettellus by this Castle it hath bin called Metelli Burgam and so Middelbourg in Ducth But let vs leaue this definition and say that it hath taken his name of these two wordes Middel which signifies the middest and Bourg a Castell as much to say as a Caâ—â—le in the middest as beeing situated before the Sea had gotten so much on that side in the very center of the Iland It stands in 50. degrees ¾ of Latitude It is but a quarter of a league from Arnemuyden vnto which it was wont to haue a narrow and crooked hauen which went vnto their salt pits But within these fiftie yeares they of Middelbourg haue made a new straight hauen from their port of Dam vnto the Sea the which is good and deepe able at a full sea to carry shippes of 4. or 500. tunnes Within these twelue yeares they haue augmented their Towne more then halfe round about wherin they haue done preiudice without any recompence to them that had gardens and possessions in the Suburbs yet all this great increase serues for no other vse but for houses of pleasure and gardens for Marchants although there were place to haue built aboue 3000. good houses for the coÌ„moditie whereof they might make many chanels to passe froÌ„ the one to the other but God knowes when al this voide place shall
the Archduke Philippe his Sonne in law beeing dead cardinall Adrian was chosen for a time to be Gouernor and Viceroy of Spaine in the name of Prince Charles who was soone after Emperour In the end on the sixth day of Ianuary in the yeare of our Lord 1522. hee was chosen Pope the newes whereof being carried him into Spaine hee made no shew of ioye beeing anoynted hee would not change his name as others did hee liued but twentie monethes and some daies after in continuall trouble of minde and griefe Amongst all his Epitaphes this agrees best with him Hadrianus sextus hic situs est qui nihil sibi infelicius in vita duxit quam quod imperaret Heere lies Adrian the sixth who thought nothing had happened vnto him more vnfortunate in all his life then that hee had commanded Hee caused a goodly house to bee built in Vtrecht the place of his birth which they call at this day the lodging of Pope Adrian In this cittie resides a Prouinciall councell to the which all the appeales of the towne country and Siegniory of Vtrecht do resort In which councell there is a president and nine councellors a receiuer of the Prouince Registers and other Officers This Siegneury was greater in the time of King Dagobert who ioyned the temporalty to the spiritualty giuing it to Saint Willebrord who was an English man borne and the first bishop to whome succeeded Boniface in whose times this cittie was in great reputation hauing the title and dignitie of Archbishop but Boniface hauing beene martired by the Frisons this preheminence and authority was with the consent of the chapter then much afflicted by the Danes and Normans confersed to the bishops of Cologne who haue euer since retayned this dignity notwithstanding Pepin and Charlemayne Kings of France restored this cittie who not onely established the Episcopall dignitie but to the end the bishoppe might defend himselfe from his aduersary hee did so augment his iurisdiction as his Siegneury did extend it selfe in a manner ouer all the country of the Battauians And although the Frisons Danes and Nortmans did spoyle and burne it often yet they did soone recouer their former estate and gather new forces To confirme that which wee haue sayd it shall not bee from the purpose to insert here some Latin verses though ill pollished sauoring of the harshnesse of the stile in those daies the which were written in two great tables of wood hung vpon two pillers before the Quier of the sayd cathedrall church written in great Letters halfe worne out by continuance of time those of the right side were Circumquaque fluens Hollandia gurgite Rheni cingitur Oceano fluminibusque maris In qua cum muris vrbs Antonina nouellis tempore Neronis aedificata fuit Hanc deuastauit fera Slauica gens et ibidem castrum Wiltorum conditur inde novum Turribus excelsis quod adhuc plebs Abroditorum funditur euertens dirruit vsque Solum Hinc Traiectense castrum cum maentbus altis conditur a Francis Christicolis sed idem Vulgus Danorum confregit humo tenùs omnes cum clero ciues insimul ense necans Denique Baldricus Praesul noua maenia struxit quae modo subsistunt auxiliante Deo Sic Hollandensi terrae veraciter omni Traiectum constat vrbs capitalis adhuc The famous Rhine through Hollands bosome glides and with the sea enguirts it on all sides Here Vtrecht stands first built as authors say in Neroes time and called Antonia These walles the Slauons raz'd vpon repaire of which the name of Wiltenburch it bare Then came the Abrodites a nation wood and leuell'd it euen with the place it stood In place whereof the christian Frankeners came and built a fort cal'd Vtrecht but the same Was by the Danes made a rude heape of stones and they that held it slanghtered all at ones stand yet But bishop Baldrick since repaired it and rais'd those walls which God bee thankt And thus remaines it Vtrecht still of all the land of Holland first and principall On the second piller on the left hand hung these verses Tempore Francorum Dagoberti regis in isto presenti fundo conditus ecce decens Primitus Ecclaesia Sancti Thomae prope castrum Traiectum quam gens Frisica fregit atrox Sed prior Antistes Dominus c. This church which men S. Thomas-his do call vpon this plot was founded first of all When Dagobert rul'd France nere to the towne of Vtrecht the fierce Frisons raz'd it downe But the first prelat Lord. c. The rest of these verses were so worne as it was not possible to read them WYCK-TER-DVYRSTED IT appeeres by the ancient Histories that this towne of Wyck-ter-Duyrsted hath in ancient time beene a great and spatious towne in the which they write were 32. parish churches It was before this towne that the Rhine was dambde vp and forced some 8â—0 yeares since to leaue his right course and to cast it selfe into the Lecke as we haue shewed before But they set not downe the cause why they cut it off in this place and made it take the course it now holds The which happened for that when as the winde was at the Norwest and blew hard the riuer of Rhine being driuen backe and not able to passe out by his gulfe at Catwyck into the British sea was forced to disperce it selfe ouer all the conntries of Holland Vtrecht and the Betuve which is of the Dutchy of Geldres The which happened often whereby they sustained great losses wherfore the Estates of these 3. Prouinces assembling together they consulted how they might preueÌ„t it in the end resolued to turne the Rhine from his right course which was to the Norwest and to giue it an other which shold fall crokedly into the sea as it doth at this present for the effecting wherof they dambd it vp drawing it by little little into the Lecke which is nere vnto it making high bancks of either side so as in succession of time it is become a good nauigable riuer falling into the Meuse beneath Dordrecht and so enters into the Ocean sea before Bryele This towne of Wyck is verie ancient Whereon Cornelius Tacitus a Knight and Romaine Historiographer makes honorable mention calling it Batauodurum It was ruined by the Danes and Normans but afterwards built againe yet nothing so bigge as at the first notwithstanding it hath alwaies beene as it is at this present for the commoditie of the situation a good and a ritch towne hauing a verie strong castle whereas the Princes Bishoppes of Vtrecht did for a long time keepe their court when as they would lie in the lower diocese as they did at the castle of Vollenhof Gheelmuyden in Oueryssel a league from Campen when as they kept in the higher Diocese This town had in former times a priuat Lord who was also Siegnior of Abcoude But the bishops of Vtrecht would neuer be quiet vntill they had gotten it this
the high diocese But sence that the Emperor Charles the fifth obtained from the bishop the temporality of both dioceses the higher and the lower hee made two Prouinces one of Vtrecht and the other of Ouerysel the which are numbred among the 17. Prouinces and now vnder the vnion of the Generall estates of the confederate Prouinces who by armes haue shak't of the Spanish yoake and haue purchased their liberty which they enioy at this day This country is so called for that it lies beyond the riue of Yssel this Duch word Ouer signifying beyond and in Latin Trans so as it was called Transissalana On the north side it hath Friseland and a part of the country of Groning on the South the Conty of Zutphen to East the country of West-phalia and vpon the West the Zuyderzee It is watred by many riuers the Yssel Vidre Regge Dan-noire and Wahal besids the chanels which are kept in by the Sluce A good and fertill soyle and fat pastures where they doe yearely feed many fatte cattell There is abundance of good butter and cheese and all other sorts of victuall The whole Prouince is diuided into three great Baylywicks that is of Salandt of the old Saliens of Tuent so called of the ancient Tubantins and of Vollenhouen which is in the midest of the other two whereof the one bends to the North and the other to the South The quarter of Salandt comprehends vnder it many good townes among the which are these three Imperiall Hans townes Deuenter Campen and Swolle the lesser are Hasselt Couoerden Genemuiden Ommen Hardenbourg Wilson and Graff-horst That of Tuent hath the townes of Oldenzeel Otmarson Enschede Ghoor Diyepenham Delden Rissen and Almeloo The quarter of Vollenhouen hath a towne of that name with a Castle which was wont to be the Bishop of Vtrechts Pallace when they came into the high diocese then the towne of Stâ—enwicke to which the Cuyndert did belong which was wont to be famous for the strength of the Castle the which was ruined in these last warres Among the fortefied townes besides the three Imperiall Hans townes of Deuenter Campen and Swolle are those of Hasselt vpon Vidre to distinguish it from Hasselt a good towne in the country of Liege Oldenzeel Steenwick Otmarsom and Enscheede There are also a great number of castles and aboue 120. Borroughs and villages The souerainty of this Prouince before the troubles in the Netherlands did belong vnto Phillip the second King of Spaine who succeded the Emperor Charles the fift his father who had the interest confirmed by the Pope from Henry of Bauaria Bishoppe of Vtrecht vpon certaine conditions the cheefe whereof was that hee should maintaine their priuiledges for want whereof and to free them from the oppression of the Spaniards they haue as all the other vnited Prouinces freed them-selues and recouered their liberty whereof the people as well as the Frisons are wonderfully desirous and impatient to beare the yoake The sayd Prouince hath neuer acknowledged but two members in their gouernment that is the Nobility of the which are chosen the particular gouernors and high officers and they three Imperiall townes Deuenter Campen and Swoll and no others By the voices suffrages of which two members all difficulties in the Estate are decided And whatsoeuer hath bin decreed by them according to the constitutions of the country shall remaine firme and stable And as the nobility in precedence yeeld not to any no more do the towns but in their order and degree whereof Deuenter is the first then Campen and last Swoll euery one of which townes iudge by decree as well in ciuill as criminal causes and either of them hath priuiledge to coine money Let this suffice for a breefe description of the Estate of the country of Oueryssell Let vs now come to a particular description of the townes DEVENTER THE first of the three Imperiall Hans townes is seated vppon the right banke of the riuer of Yssell three leagues from Zutphen and foure from Swoll It was a goodly great town and of great traffick before the last troubles But the two sieges which they haue beene forced to endure with in these thirty yeares by the vnited Estates hath much decayed it The first time in the yeare 1578. when it was yeelded to the Earle of Reneberg Lieutenant for the said Estates and the country since the earle of Lecester gouernor for the Queene of England Protectresse of the vnited Prouinces gaue the Gouermnent thereof to Sir William Stanley an English Collonel who sold it to the Spaniard So as it remained subiect to the Spanish insolencies from the yeare 1587 vnto the yeare 1591. when as Prince Maurice went to beseege it with the said Estates in the which Cont Harman Vanden Bergh Cousin german to the Prince commanded whome hee forced to yeelde by composition after a great battery the ruines whereof will not be easily repaired in many yeares especially towards the kaye But whereas the cannon could not anoy them it is well built with faire high houses the streets broad and cleane with a faire market place in the midest whereof is the house of the sworne companies whereas a gard is kept day and night before the great Collegiall Church is the towne-house which they call Raed huys that is to say the councell house whereas the Bourguemasters and Senators doe assemble dayly to doe iustice to euery man The Magistrats there shew them-selues modestly graue and the Burgers ciuill among whome there are rich Marchants by the trafficke which they haue of all sorts of Marchandise as of marchandise as well by Land into Westphalia and other places of Germany as by the riuer of Yssel which on one side mounts vp the Rhin vnto Cologne and descends downe before Campen to the Zuyderzee vnto Amsterdam Horne Enchuysen and other Towns of Holland and Friseland Since it was last yeelded it is wunderfully fortified with rampars and good Bullwarkes besides that it hath alwaies had a double wal of Bricke round about it In ould time when a matters succeeded not well in the diocese of Vtrecht the Bishops retired themselues to Deuenter as we reade of Bishop Baldric who to fly the fury of the Normans and Danes which ruined the towne of Vtrecht retired with all his clergy to this towne then the Danes being chased away he returned and repared the Cathedrall Church which they had made a stable for their horses In this towne doth vsually reside the Drossart or great Bayliffe for the quarter of Salandt whereof this is the chiefe towne and in the which there is great store of gentlemen CAMPEN THis is the second of three Hans townes in the Prouince of Ouerysell although it be not like to all the rest on the other side of the riuer of yssel but on Gelders side it is a faire great towne of more length then breadth the which after that it had beene yeelded vnto the Earle of Reneberg in the name
THE LOW COVNTRY COMMON WEALth Contayninge An exact description of the Eight vnited Prouinces Now Made free Translated out of french ED. GRIMESTON Printed by G. Eld. 1609 TO THE WORTHIE Knight Sir Peter Manwood Sir AFter the Edition of the Netherland Historie I was intreated to peruse and translate this discourse being a description of the vnited Prouinces written by Iohn Francis Petit one of the cheefe Authors of that Historie who as he himselfe doth auerre hath made a particular suruay of all the Prouinces townes and forts which are now vnder the gouernment of the Confederate Estates And finding it likely to giue some contentment to the Reader and necessarie as well for his better vnderstanding of the Historie as for his knowledge of the strength and state of those Prouinces which haue maintained so long and difficult a warre against so potent a Monarke I haue spent such houres as I could well spare from my more necessarie imployments since my comming into France in the traduction thereof that it might bee printed as an Appendix to the History The which I cannot recommend to any Gentleman better deseruing of mee then your selse vnto whom I am much bound for many kind fauors and respects Accept it good Sir though not worthy of your view yet as a testymonie of his loue and thankefullnesse who will alwaies remaine Yours deuoted to doe you seruice Edward Grimeston Orleans Aprill 10. stilo nouo 1609. A table contayning all the names of Citties Townes Castles Burgs and Villages in these eight vnited Prouinces with the Townes and Forts out of the said Prouinces and yet included in their vnion and first of Geldres The Dutchy of Geldres in particular fol. 1 ARnham folio 6 Nymeghen 9 Ruremond 13 Venloo 14 Gelders 15 Stralen 16 Wachtendonck 17 Erchelens ibid. Echt. 18 Montfort ibid. Harderwick ibid. Elburg 19 Hattem ibid. Wageningen 20 Tyell ibid. Bommel 21 Saint Andrewes Fort. 23 Culembourge 25 Battenbourg ibid. Buren 26 The Earldomes of Holland and Westfreesland fol. 36 DOrdrecht 46 Harlem 52 Delf 60 Leyden folio 67 Amsterdam 73 Goude 78 Enchuysen 87 Horne 89 Alckmar 94 Medenblick 100 Edam 101 Munikendamme 103 Purmerende ibid. Muden 105 Naerden 106 Gorrichom 107 Worchom 109 Heusdin 111 Leerdam ibid. Henclom ibid. Aspren 112 Oudewater ibid. Rotterdam 113 Schiedam 115 Bryell 117 Schoonhouen 118 Iselstein 119 Woerden ibid. Viane 120 Ghâ—ertruydenberg 121 Hage 122 Vlaerdinghe 128 Seuenberghe ibid. Goere 129 Beuerwick ibid. Nieuport 131 Scage ibid. Nobility of Holland from 136. to 157 Discription of the Brittish Fort called L' Huis te Brittaine 157 Zealand with the Islands Townes Burroughs 159 VVAlachry or Walchren 161 Middlebourgh ibid. Vere or Camp-vere 165 Flâ—singhe 168 Arnemuyden 171 Dombourgh 174 West-cappelle ibid. Soetlandt 175 Rammeken ibid. Schowen 176 Ziriczee 177 Browershauen 178 Zuit-beuelandt 179 Rommerswall 180 Goes 181 Tolen the Island and towne 182 Saint Martins Dike 183 Noort-beuelandt ibid. Wolfers-dicke 184 The County of Zutphen in particular 189 DOes-burgh 192 Doetecum 193 Bronckhorst ibid. Lochem 194 Groll ibid. Sherenbergh 196 Bredefort ibid. Keppel 197 Bourg ibid. The Prouince and Signiory of Vtrecht in particular 198 VTrecht 199 Wickter-duyrsteede 206 Amersfort 208 Rhenen 209 Montfort 210 The state of Vtrecht in general 211 Freesland in generall 219 LEwarden 236 Dockum 242 Franiker 244 Bolsewaert 245 Staueren 247 Harlinghen 250 Sneck ibid. Sloten ibid. Ilst ibid. Worcum 252 Hindelopen ibid. The seauen Forests 253 Oueryssell in generall 254 DEuenter 259 Campen 260 Swoll 263 Steenwick 265 Hassel ibid. Oldenzeel 266 Otmarse ibid. Enschcede 267 Vollenhouen ibid. Geelmuyden 268 Meppell ibid. Hardenbergh 269 Coevoorden ibid. Rissen 270 Diepenhem ibid. Ghoer 271 Delden ibid. Almeloo ibid. Wilsen ibid. Graff-horst 272 Gronninghen and the Ommelandts in generall 273 DAm 287 Delfziell ibid. Townes and Forts out of the vnited Prouinces and yet comprised in their vnion 289 In the Dutchy of Brabant BErghen vpon Soom 289 Breda 290 Steenberghen 293 William-Stadt ibid. Cluyndert 294 Lilloo ibid. Ter-Heyden 295 Townes and Fortresses that the States hold in Flanders 296 SLuce ibid. Ardenbourgh 298 Ysendike ibid. Lyefkens-hoeck 299 Ter-neuse 300 Axell ibid. Fortresses held by the States beyond the Rhine 301 BOrentangâ— ibid. Bellinger-wolder-ziell 302 FINIS The Belgick Common-weale Or A particular description of the eight vnited Prouinces of the Netherlands The Duchie of Gelders THere is great contradiction of opinions betwixt both ancient and moderne writers touching the first beginning of the Geldrois the which they can hardly reconcile neither will I vnder-take the charge Marlian saith that in Iulius Caesars time the contrie which is now called Gelders was inhabited by the Menapiens Others hold that it was the aboad of the Sicambrians where-vnto I will yeeld and that vnder that name the Cleuois were comprehended through whose country as well as through Gelders the riuer of Rhine doth runne the which doth cast one of his branches betwixt the Duchies of Gelders and Cleues being called Wahal at the diuision of the Iland of Sgrauen-Weerdt where that mighty fort was first built by Collonell Martin Schenck and at this day in great esteeme For which Iland there hath bin long debate betwixt the Dukes of Gelders and Cleues the which is not yet decided was begun betwixt the Emperor Charles the fift and William duke of Cleues father to this last Duke The Battauians or Hollanders did also hold a part of that which is now called Gelders There is no doubt but in Caesars time the Sicambrians did inhabit on eitherside of the Rhine in the countries of Cleues and Geldres as Wezel on the one side with Burich Cleef and others of the other side are of the Duchy of Cleues And of Geldres Nymegen lies of the one side and Arnham on the other so as we may rightly say that the riuers of Rhine and Wahal do run through these two Prouinces for the Sicambrians hauing often bin defeated by the Romains Augustus who succeeded Caesar as Strabo Suctonius others do write to be the better assured of them and to keepe them in awe transported a good number of them with other people on this side the Rhine and there planted them I will not deny that the Menapians did not first inhabit all that country which lies along the riuer of Rhine to whom the Sicambrians did afterwards succeed who enioyed a great continent of ground on the one side as far as the Vbiens and on the other vnto the ocean sea The which Marlian confirmes by these words The Sicambrians planted wheras the two great riuers of Rhine and Meuse do meet and ioyne extend themselues vnto the ocean sea And in another place he saith The Sicambrians are people wholy Germains inhabiting beyond the riuer of Rhine nere vnto the Vbiens and Eburones which are the people of Cologne Liege So as wee cannot say that those which at this day are called Geldrois had the name of Sicambrians onely but that vnder that name were
also comprehended they of Cleues Monts Marck Iulliers all neighbors to the Rhine and on the other side a part of the riuer of Meuse which passing by the country of the Eburones and the moderne Geldrois comes ioynes with the riuer of Wahal which is a branche of the Rhine nere vnto Louestein and then retayning the sole name of Meuse washing the townes of Dordrecht Rotterdam Schiedam Vlaerdingen and the Brill it falls into the British sea and so into the great Ocean The which Sydonius Appolinaris an excelent Poet in his time doth witnesse by these verses Sic Ripa duplicis tumore fracta Detonsus Vahalim bibat Sycamber So when the double swelling breakes the brinke Wahal shal be the shorne Sicambrians drinke But no man can directly say when or how these Menapians Sicambrians were diuided in these Prouinces thus distinguished by which distinction they haue lost their ancient name This Prouince is at this day called Geldres and the others Cleues Iuilliers Monts Marck Lieg yea Westphalia the Etimology of which name of Geldres seems ridiculous vnto me as it is set downe in the chronicle of Holland I would rather hold with them which maintaine that the whole countrie hath taken his name of Gelduba a towne in old time seated vpon the Rhine wherof Tacitus makes honorable mention but at this day there remaines no memory thereof Munster holds it for most certaine that the first Lords of this country who long after carried no higher title then of Aduocates then of Earles and in the end of Dukes were two brethreÌ„ issued from the French Wyncard and Lâ—â—old du Pont who built a Castell called Pont-Gelder which castle hath long retained that name of Pont and is now ioyned to the towne of Geldre which hath giuen the name to the whole Prouince hauing at this day towards the North the countrie of Frisland to the Norwest the Zuyderzee vpon the South the riuer of Meuse ioynes vpon it and diuides it from the Duchie of Brabant to the South-east is the Duchie of Iuilllers Towards the East is a part of the riuer of Rhine and the duchie of Cleues the which diuides it into two very vnequall parts to the West is Holland and the siegneurie of Vtrecht This Prouince is plaine and of a goodly scituation hauing few mountaines but maine heaths great store of woods which are both pleasant and profitable among the which is that of Echterwald All their soile or ground for tillage is very fertile in corne and the pasture fat for cattle especially that which lies vpon the bankes of the riuer of Rhine Wahal Issel and Meuse Lewis Guichardin and other writers of our time confound the Earldome of Zutphen with the Duchie of Geldres as we will shew in the particular description and not confound it with that of Gelders The Duchie of Gelders and the Countie of Zutphen containe the townes of Arnhem Zutphen Nymegen and Ruremond which are the foure chiefe of the whole country making the foure quarters of these two Prouinces are scituated as we will shew vpon foure diuerse riuers and are subiect to foure seuerall Bishops Then are the townes of Venlo vpon the Meuse Geldres Stralen Wachkendonck and Erkelens in the champian country Then there is Hatten vpon the Issell Elbruch and Harderwyck vpon the Zuyderzee Wageningen vpon the Rhine Tyel and Bomel vpon the Wahal There are many townes which in ancient time were walled in but through diuerse accidents and disasters they are now wholy or in part spoiled in theâ—e last warres some haue bin vtterly ruined yet as touching that little which remaines they doe still enioy their ancient priuiledges of townes as Keppel Burch Ghendt Batenburch Montfort Eche with others whereof we will make mention comming to their quarter with the which there are aboue three hundred villages hauing steeples the rights of parishes The Estates of this Duchie consists vpon three chiefe members of the Barons whom they call Vry Heren of the Nobles whom they call Redderschap and of the foure foresaid chiefe townes which Estates so farre as they are fallen from the Princes of Austria hold their Colledge in the towne of Arnham whereas in like manner the Chancerie and the Chamber of accoumpts remaines as well for the Duchie as the county of Zutphen Wherefore although it may displease Nymegen as the last member added to the Duchy of Gelders wee will begin with Arnham as the chiefe towne and describe all the other townes in particular according to their dignities Arnham THis towne was in old time called Arnacum it is a good towne and somewhat spacious seated vpon the right banke of the riuer of Rhine halfe a league from the which is Fossa Drusiana which is now called Issel Dort whereas Drusus to keepe his soldiers from idlenesse caused them to begin to dig a channell which drawing the water out of the Rhine it fell into a little riuer called Issell neere vnto Dousbourg in the countie of Zutphen the which hee did build and called it by his owne name that he might haue a shorter passage by water to go and make warre against the Frisons which channell or little riuer did so increase in a short time as at this day it is growne very great is called Issel passing before the townes of Dousbourg Bronchorst Zutphen Deuenter and Campen where it falls into the Zuyder sea This towne of Arnham is the chiefe of the Estate and siegneury of the Veluwe which is one of the foure quarters of the Duchie of Gelders vnder which towne are the townes of Hattem Harderwyck Elbruch Wageningen all walled with many villages burrowes and castels with their iurisdictions and particular officers subiect to the iustice of the Drossart or Lieutenant generall of that quarter compassed in by the Zuyderzee the Rhine and the riuer of Issel for which cause fish abounds there and is very good cheape besides there is great store of woods vnder-woods and bushes full of game for the pleasure of hunting Neere vnto the said towne of Arnham is an other member of the duchy called Velwe Zoom the which extends neer vnto Zutphin on the one side and on the other it reacheth neere to Wageningen in all which soile there are nothing but meades and very pleasant and fertile pastures which quarter hath a particular officer which is the Iudge of Arnham with foure assistants and as for the Veluwe the Drossart hath ten assistants or councellors whereas hee keepe his courts of pleas But touching the spiritualtie the towne of Arnham with the whole iurisdiction before the troubles was subiect to the Bishoprick of Vtrecht In this towne the Dukes of Geldres did in former times make their residence and there they were intombed in the great Church before the market place from whence they go vnto the Port which leads vnto the riuer of Rhine The Chancery the councel of Gelders were established there by the Emperor Charles the fift in
the yeare 1543. when as hee conquered it from William Duke of Cleues who maintained himself to be true and lawfull heire to Charles of Egmont last Duke of Gelders which councell did serue as well for the Duchy of Gelders as the County of Zutphen ioyntly consisting of a Chancellor and ten councellors that is foure of the Nobility of the foure quarters aboue mentioned and sixe Lawiers or others the which administer Iustice with great authority hauing an Attorney generall a Register and other Officers from whose sentence there is no appeale In which towne the Chamber of accounts was also placed by Philip the second King of Spaine and Duke of Geldres succeeding the Emperor Charles his Father in the yeare 1559. whereas all the Officers of Geldres and Zutphen as well of Iustice as of the treasure must yeeld an account of their charges and offices This towne within these thirty yeares is wonderfully changed as well in fortifications and Boulwarks as otherwise it hath beene often threatned and attempted to be surprized by the Spanish faction but it was fruit-lesse the which might seeme strange considering the easie accesse they had when as they held the townes of Deuenter and Zutphen Nymegen IT is a free towne and a fee of the Empire of ancient foundation Of the which we read that Magus King of Gaule the Sonne of Dis had beene the first founder who called it Maga by his owne name And that afterwards Batto King of the Catthes as we will shew more amply in the description of Holland comming into that quarter pleasing himselfe in the scituation and in the remarkable antiquity caused it to be repaired and did both amplefie and fortefie it with new walls wherevpon it was called Nouiomagum the which in the country speech answeres to Nyenmegen vnlesse that in fauoring the little town of Megen seated vpon the riuer of Meuse prefering it in antiquity we will maintaine that Nymegen hath beene built since vpon the riuer of Wahal by the same Magus or his successor the which I leaue doubtfull Hessel Sonne to Batto fauored this towne of Nymeghen for that he was borne there and did so inlarge it as the lower part of the towne is called Hessel-marckt vnto this day Among all the singularities and antiquities of this towne the castle is yet standing vpon the toppe of a little hill and ouer lookes the towne the which some affirme was built and re-edefied by Iulius Caesar to discouer the Country there-aboutes and to commaund it Neither is there any place in all that quarter to be found which yeelds so goodly a prospect of the country riuers townes and villages as this Fort doth the which vnto this day they call Des Wallicks Hoff which is as much to say as the Gaules Court the which is a probable argument that Magus or some other of the Gaules haue built it They haue found in this towne about it within few yeares memories of the Romans antiquity as medals and goodly stones of sumptuous buildings and sepulchers with inscriptions and Epitaphes of some Captaines famous men There are also many ruines of the Romaines time along the riuer of Wahal where as some thinke they planted their campe and placed their garrisons so as the passage which is neere vnto the towne is at this day called in the country language Roomsche Vort which signifieth a Romaine Fort. So as they haue found great stones in the wall of the chiefe Port which they call Hessell-Port whereas these words are grauen Hâ—c pes Romani Imperii Here is the foote of the Romaine Empire And on the other side Hic finis regni Stauriae Here is the end of the command of Staurius whereof we will speake here-after in the description of Frisland There was also found in St. Stephens church-yard a great stone on the which these verses were grauen Anno milleno postquam salus est data saeclo Centeno iuncto quinguageno quoque quinto Caesar in orbe situs Fredericus pacis amicus Lapsum confractum vetus in nihil ante redactum Arte nitore pari reparauit opus Neomagi Iulius in primo tamen extitit eius origo Impar pacifico reparateri Frederico Twelue hundred years wanting but forty fiue After Saluation did appeare to men Frederick then peacefull Emperor did reuiue The Pristine fame of ruin'd Nymegen Iulius did build it long before as then His first foundations stood but farre vnlike To the repaires of peacefull Frederick This was when as the Emperor Frederick caused the old ruines to be repaired Vnder this towne are comprehended as making one quarter of the Dutchie of Gelders the townes of Bomel and Tyel which are walled in and Ghendt which lyes open but yet it enioyes the priuiledges of a towne The iurisdictions are first that of the Bourgraue that is to say the Vicont of Nymegen of the officers of the said two townes and of Bomelweerd then that of the higher and lower Betuwe and afterwards they that lye betwixt the riuers of Wahal and Meuse In the yeare 1248. this towne came vnder the subiection of the Princes of Gelders by the meanes which follow Otto Earle of Gelders did lend vnto William King of the Romanes Earle of Holland Zeeland c. the summe of 21000. markes of pure siluer vpon condition that if within a certaine time limited hee did not pay the sayd summe hee should inioy the sayd Towne with the iurisdiction as his owne proper inheritance The which the Emperor Rodolphus did continue since did augment the conditions for the Earles aduantage And withall the said money was not satisfied whether it were through the negligence of the Princes of the Empire or that they had not meanes to pay it wherby the Vicontie and Seigneury of Nymeghen hath remained incorporated vpon certain conditions to the Duchy of Gelders retaining the iurisdiction soueraignty and prerogatiue to coyne money as an Imperiall Towne In the yeare 1589. Collonell Martin Schencke of Nydeck made an vnfortunate enterprize vppon the towne who retyring vnto his boate beeing ouerladen it sunke and he was drownd Since the vnited Estates hauing built a mighty fort called Knotsenbourg on the other banke of the Riuer of Wahal opposite vnto the Towne the which did hinder their nauigation and much anoy them with their Canon the townse-men did presse the Duke of Parma to free them from this Fort and to beseege it But Prince Maurice comming thether out of Frieseland and hauing defeated some of the Dukes men hee was forced to raize his seege and to retyre with his Army into Brabant he him-selfe going to the Spaw The Prince seeing him retyred made haste to beseege the sayd towne which he soone forced to yeeld vnto the vnited Estates In the yeare 1592. vnder whose obedience it hath euer since continued Ruermond IT is a reasonable good towne seated vpon the Riuer of Meuze ioyning to the mouth of that of Ruoer For Mondt in the duch tongue signifies mouth or
good Schoole there It hath not much tasted of the miseries of these last warres sometime it hath maintained a small garrison of horse and foote without any great charge vnto them Elburgh IT lyes vppon the Zuyderzee like vnto Harderwick from the which it is distant two good leagues and as much from the Towne of Campen in Oueryssell It is a little town of smal trafficke but yet good cheap to liue in and hath during these warres followed the same party that Harderwick did Hattem WAs in ancient time a good towne though none of the greatest seated vppon the left banke of the riuer of Yssell There is a goodly strong Castle which hath tasted of the miseries of these last warres for the Drossart or Lieutenant of the Country thinking to deliuer it into the Spaniards handes being discouered they thought to make it good in this Castle wheras the Estates beseeged them and the Castle was so battered and torne with the canon wherof the marks are yet to bee seene as they were forced and carryed prisoners to Arnham whereas they lost their heads Wagheninghen IS a small ancient strong towne and is the very same which Cornelius Tacitus called Vada as to speake the truth it ma◠properly be so called being in a manner compassed in of all sides with moores and bogs which makes it in-accessible on those parts it lies not far from the riuer of Rhyne beeing of an equall distance from the townes of Arnham and Nymeghen and foure leagues from Culenbourg Tyel THis Towne is the chiefe place of the Iurisdiction or Bayliwick which they call Tyelerweerd the which was wont to be a Peninsula But since these last warres Derick-vick Seignior of Soulen Bailiffe of the town and iurisdiction hath caused a chanell to be cutte through the Countrie to sayle from the riuer of Meuze into the Wahal vppon the right banke wherof the said towne is built ◠by which meanes the said Tyelweerd is now made an Iland for that there is no entrance into it but by water or through the towne It is strong by nature and by art through the dilligence of the said Amptman or Bailyffe who since the last troubles hath made sharp wars against the Spaniards by the meanes of that garrison In the yeare 1528. holding the party of Charles Duke of Gelders their Prince the Burguignons beseeged it in the Emperors name but it was so well defended as they were forced to raise their seege to the great honour of the Inhabitants and the few soldiers that were within it Bommel IT is a faire strong place the cheefe towne of all the Territory of Bommell-weerd which the Rhyne and Meuze doe compasse in making it an Iland the which they say was called by Caesar Insula Batauorum if it extend no farther the which wee may say is now the higher and lower Betuwe on the other banke of the riuer of Ryne as farre as Tyel and beyond to Haerwerden where at this present is the mighty fort of Saint Andrew whereof wee will presently make mention whereas the Wahal and the Meuze kissing as the passe ioyne together at Louestein at the end of the said Bomels-weerd in one body the which soone after from Gorrichom takes the name of Meruve vntill that hauing past Dordrecht it resumes his name of Meuze and beneath Bryell runnes into the Brittish Seas In this Iland there are many fayre Villages and Castles among others Rossem whereas Martin van Rossem Seign ior of Puydroyen was borne a famous Captaine in his time hauing beene Marshall of the field to the Duke Charles of Gelders and William of Cleues who in the yeare of our Lord 1534. did terrifie the Towne of Antwerp and thinking to doe the like to them of Lovuain was forced to retyre In the yeare of our Lord 1598. Arch-Duke Albert of Austria beeing gone into Spaine to fetch his spouse the Infanta Isabella daughter to King Philip the second and sister to King Philip the third now raigning left during his absence Cardinal Andrew of Austria to gouerne the Netherlands which were giuen in marriage to the sayd Isabella and Don Francisco de Mendoza Admirall of Arragon for generall of his armie the which hee sent vnto the frontiers of Germanie to make warre against the vnited Estates that way where hauing done what hee listed and taken from the Estates by seege the townes of Rhynberch and Deutecom and then the Fort of Creuecaeur hee past to the said Iland of Bommell with an intent to beseege the towne the which by reason of their workes at the fortification lay halfe open The which Prince Maurice vnderstanding he posted thether with all speed and assured it with his presence and forces causing a trench to bee cast without the towne from one side of the riuer vnto the other whereas hee lodged the greatest part of his Army where-vppon the Admirall seeing there was no way to force them hee retired farther into the Iland busiyng him-selfe about the building of Saint Andrewes Fort so as the towne of Bommel was freed In this towne was borne that learned man Elbert Leoninus Doctor of the Lawes who dyed in the yeare 1601. being Chancellor of Gelders and deputy for the general Estates of the vnited Prouinces being aboue 80. years old he was sōtimes Tutor to the Prince of Orange which now liueth S. Andrew THis Fort was so named by Andrew of Austria Cardinal of Constance being Gouernor of the Netherlands as wee haue said in the absence of the Arch-duke Albert. It is the mightiest fort that hath bin made in al the Netherlands for the building whereof the Admirall of Arragon disfurnished the whole Iland of trees It is comprehended in fiue Bulwarks after the forme of the Cittadel of Antwerp wherof three are vppon the bankes of Meuze and Wahal and the two others towards Haerwerden either of them hauing a caualier or plat-forme to defend it with broad and deepe ditches without the which is a counterscarpe the which hath also a ditch round about it and small forts to warrant it especially wheras these two riuers imbrace one an other towards Tyler-weerd whereas the Fort of Nassau is set opposite to that of Saint Andrew in a corner which is also made an Island by art beeing called Voorne and is held by the Estates which two Forts did daily salute one an other with their Ordinance The Admirall hauing fynished this Fort thinking thereby to keepe the riuers of Wahal and Meuse and the whole Island in subiection left a garrison of 1500. men in it with store of artillerie and munition and then retired with his army to refresh it in Brabant But Prince Maurice did not dissolue his armie but kept it togither all the winter as well in the towne of Bommel as in the trenches and ships which he had lying by The spring time beeing come hauing recouered the Fort of Creuecaeur he went to beseege that of Saint Andrew the which through want of victualls was
yeelded vnto him with all the artillery and munition the souldiers being about 1100. and some 400. out of Creuecaeur remained in the Princes seruice who afterwards at the battaile of Nieuport shewed themselues both valiant and faithfull And so this Fort of Saint Andrew hath vnto this day remained vnder the obedience of the vnited Estates Culembourg ALthough this towne be a fee of Gueldres yet there is a question made whether it bee of that territory It is scituaed vpon the left banke of the riuer of Lecke a league from Buren two leagues from Vianen on the same side of the riuer It hath a goodly castle whereas the Lord doth ordinarily reside and a large iurisdiction wherevpon King Philippe the second erected it to an Earldome whereof Florent of Palant was the first Earle besides many other great possessions which hee enioyed whereof his sonne is now Lord and Earle Battenbourg ALthough this towne at this present ruined and the castle bee within the limmits of the Duchy of Geldres seated vpon the banke of the riuer of Meuse whereby the Barron of that place makes a great reuenew of the toule and custome which is paied by all the ships that passe that way yet the said signeury is merely held of the Empire as William of Bronchurst did take it vppe of Maximilliam the Emperour His Sonne succeeded him and dying without heires Maximillian of Bronckhurst his cousin Germaine did inherit and is now Lord of it This place is of very great antiquity The Chronicles of Holland affirme that it was the first Castle which Prince Battus of whome Batauia or Holland tooke his name did build vppon the Meuze in the Countie of Sicambrians which now is Gelders Buren THis Towne is neither a fee nor of the territory of Gelders but a little country of it selfe which holdes of the Empire carrying the title of an Earle with great Iurisdiction a large territory and many Villages and yet shut vp in the lymits of the Duchy of Gelders This place is seated neere vnto the riuer of Lingen vppon a little Brooke which in old time was called the ditch for muscles a league from Tyl it is not very bigge but hath a very strong Castle ioyning vnto it where there is an ordinary garrison for the vnited Estates That valiant and famous Prince Maximilian of Egmont was Earle of this place who for his great seruices done vnto the Emperor Charles the fift whereof diuers histories make mention left his memory immortail to posterity Dying at Brussels in the yeare one thousand four hundred nine to whom succeeded his only daughter the sole heire by her mother of the house of Lannoy Who was the first wife of William of Nassau Prince of Orange by whom she left a son and a daughter that is Philip William of Nassau now Prince of Orange Earle of Buren Seignior of Lannoy c. And the Lady Mary of Nassau widdow to Cont Philip of Hohenlo This may suffice for the description of the Townes and cheefe Forts comprehended in the Estate of the Dutchy of Gelders The people of this Prouince are valiant and warlike from whence they were wont to draw a good part of them at Armes and Archers of the bandes of Ordinance of the Low-countries These were the last among the Belgick Gaules that submitted them-selues to the yoake of the Romane Empire the first when this Monarchy began to decline that freed them-selues from their subiection Afterwards they were made subiect to the French yet imbracing the occasion when it it was offered they did shake of this yoak and began to be gouerned by priuat Lords of the country it selfe the which hapned in the time of the Emperour Chalres the bald King of France Which Lords were simply called Tutors ot Aduocats of the country The which according o their vertues and merits were chosen created by the people the first of which was Wrinchard as we haue shewed before to whome succeeded his sonne Gerlach in the yeare 910. so as there were seauen Lords or Feofes successiuely issued from this familie the last whereof was also called Winchard who left but one daughter called Aleyd or Alix maryed to Otto Earle of Nassau who was the first which carryed the title of the Earle of Gelders giuen him by the Emperor Henry the third in the yeare 1079. But the sayd Aleyd beeing dead hee marryed with the daughter of Gerlach Earle of Zutphen who was slaine in a battaile giuen betwixt Conrard Bishop of Vtrecht and Thiery the sixt Earle of Holland Where-vppon as wee haue sayd the Earldome of Zutphen was also vnited vnto the Duchy of Gelders Otto left these Earles after him Gerrard Henry Gerrard Otto the second surnamed the stump-foot It was he which did purchase the Seigneury of Nymeghen as wee haue sayd before which hee did wall in with diuers others which were but Burroughs as Ruremond Arnhem Harderwicke Bommel and Wageninghen all in the Prouince of Gelders and aboue it Goch in the country of Cleues to the which he gaue goodly priuiledges as to great Citties To this Otto succeeded his sonne Renald and to him a sonne of his owne name who obtained in the yeare 1329. the dignity and title of Duke of the Emperour Lewis of Bauaria in an imperiall Dyet held at Francfort As in like manner the Countie of Iuilliers was by him erected into a Dutchy After this Reginold the second Geldres was gouerned by Arnold Edward his two sons but not without great contentions Both of them dying Arnold left two daughters of diuers beddes Ioane and Isabell who continued the diuision which had beene betwixt their Father and Vncle but Isabell dying without children Ioane remained sole and peaceable Dutchesse to whom succeeded William her sonne who was the fourth duke of Geldres but dying without heires Reynold his brother the fourth Duke of Iuilliers succeeded him and was the fift Duke of Geldres who dying without issue male the succession went to his only daughter married to Arnold of Egmond issued from a daughter of the first Duke of Geldres by which meanes the sayd Arnold came vnto the principality whose Sonne called Adolphe who is numbred for the seauenth Duke repyning that his Father liued so long by the perswasion of his own Mother caused him to bee seazed on in a night and to bee put in prison in the castle of Buren where hee detained him many yeares Pope Paul the second and the Emperour Frederick the third not able to suffer so great an impiety gaue authority to Charles the Warlicke Duke of Bourgongne to free this miserable Father by force of armes out of the hands and tyranie of his sonne The which Adolph vnderstanding and seeing that the Pope and Emperor did imbrace the cause and that he was not able to resist Duke Charles his forces he drew his father out of prison and hauing obtayned a pasport from the Duke he came vnto him with his father to Dourlans in Picardy
Cornelius Tacitus attributing much to their industry and dexterity in the disposing of an armie and also in obeying their Commaunders to take or put of the combat as it should be thought fit of great courage firme and hard bodies wel lymmed of a fierce and menacing aspect fearefull for the horrible length of their beardes and hayre which fashion and countenance hee saith was not lawfull for them to leaue off or change although they had brought victory from their enemies Some say that Batto issued from the royall bloud of the Cattes was moued to change his naturall abode to a new one not for the desire hee had to finde a better or more fertile country or in regard of too great a multitude of people which are the two maine occasions that nations remoue their ancient habitations but that his step-mother laid diuers ambushes for him and fearing to bee poysoned beeing at oddes with her his father consenting thereto or at least not opposing it By reason whereof what with the splendor of his heroicall vertues his gratious and amiable carryage and his condition truly royall hee drew vnto him a good part of the Nobility and a great number of the people who beeing out of hope of better times followed him willingly and by the councell of the King of Tongres his good father hee addrest him-selfe to the confines of Belgiae there to inhabit and hauing past the Rhyne not farre from the riuers of VVahal and of Meuze hee happily built the Castle of Battengbourgh vppon the riuer of Meuze which hauing past at the parting of the Rhyne where the VVahal retyres and takes his course apart hee inioyed all the whole circuit euen to the Ocean Sea parting the land amongst the Nobles and common people so that of his name it was called Battauia which signifies nothing else but the heritage of Batto as if one should say Batous Haue for Haue in the old Dutch and yet at this present signifies heritage So that then this Prouince hath taken his name and that lawfully from a Prince the son of a King al which is witnessed by diuers authors amongst whom the most worthy of beleefe is Cornelius Tacitus a Romaine Knight a rare writer of the Story of Augustus and Commissary for Gaule Belgique who makes mention of Claudius Ciuilis descended from Batto issued from a royal branch of the Batauians or Hollanders Here you may see that Plyny not without great reason called this Isle the most noble Isle of Batto The which name of Batto hath heretofore spread it selfe very far amongst the Allemans and Dalmatians and Dion a Romaine Historiographer makes mention of two Battoes the first Batto duke of Bruces which is a part of Pannonia which I now hold to be the country of Prussia confining Poland Hungary the other Batto Desidiate who stirred vp the Dalmatians beeing too much exacted vpon by impositions to take armes against the Romanes to whom hee gaue many affronts The same Dion reports in his 55. 56. booke a memorable answere that the said Battus gaue Tyberius Caesar who demaunding of him why he had stirred vp the people to so long and bloody a war Answered that the RomaÌ„es theÌ„-selues were cause in that they had sent them wolues for their gardiens not dogs sheapheards But as it commonly happens amongst these barbarous natioÌ„s through the weaknes or ignoraÌ„ce of the men of those times wee haue nothing left vs whereby wee may know who were the kinsmen or successors to this Batto of Holland so that we know not any thing for certaine of their customes or manner of liuing but that Tacitus hath toucht at theÌ„ as if it were in passing by and that breefly Some say that this Batto re-edefied the Castle of Nymeghen and compast the town with wals that he being dead his son Hesus augmented it by adding therto that quarter which is called Heselbergh or the hil of Hesus The which town the Kings that succeeded after him caused to be the metropolitaine of Batauia or Holland and their seege royal Al which Gerard of Nymeghen recites affirming that he had drawn them from the commentaries of Princes Strabo the Geographer makes mention of one Peremire king of the Batauians who had a daughter called Rhamis married to the son of Siquier Duke of the Cherusques who afterwards was led in triumph to Rome by Germanicus Caesar I haue not known any man that hath writ how great the limits were or how far the inheritance of Batto extended some haue made it too little in taking away a great part from it wherefore I wil assigne him his confines to a haire as it were to remaine firme and stable for euer Batauia then which I cal the antient took heretofore his beginning from the separation of the Rhyne at the castle of Lober was inclos'd on one side with that which we properly call the Rhyne which had wont to fal neer unto Catwick into the Brittish Ocean which gulph is now choakt vp as wee will shew hereafter and the Wahal from whence falling again into the Merwe and from thence into that which we cal the Meuze passing by Bryel renders him self into the same Sea In which coÌ„passe and circuit of the Rhyne ther are a great number of Townes and to beginne aboue first Huessen Tyell Buiren Wickterduirsted Vtrecht Viane Culembourg Aspeney Henâ—lâ—â— Leerdan Iselsteyne Montfort VVoerden Oudewater Gorcum Wandrichom Schoonhouen Dordrecht Goud Leyden Delft Rotterdam SchiedaÌ„ and the Bryell I will not meddle with Nieuport right ouer against Schoonhouen and Haesrecht for that by their ruines other townes haue beene augmented If any oppose to the designements of the limits saying that the Betuwe which is a part of the Dutchy of Gelderland is that which properly ought to bee called Batauia I will send him to the iudge and principall defender of the cause Ptolomeus of Alexandria who puts Lugodunum which is Leyden amongst the Batautans where hee sayes expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lugodunum Battauorum which is a Towne distant foure thousand paces from thence What will this controuler say of Caesars measuring of it who reckons it to bee fourscore thousand paces after it parts from the Rhyne before it enters into the Sea between which two riuers hee cannot deny but that the Batauian Isle is inclosed Tacitus him-selfe ends it at the Meuze from whence it descends to the Sea This inheritance of Battus which I willingly cal the old Batauia for that certaine hundreths of years after his death Drusus of two branches or gulphs made three the 3. falling into the middle sea coÌ„monly called Zuyderzee first passing by Campen in the country of Oueryssell amplifying thereby the territory of Batauia the which he did to excercise his army to preuent idlenesse in them beginning at Iseloort which braÌ„ch is called the riuer of Isell it seemes also that he gaue them an other Isle of the Rhyne more large and spatious which we may cal a
as Wine Corne Wood and other commodities that passe by them comming out of Germanie Gelderland Cleues and Iuilliers belonging to this towne of Dordrecht VVell seeing wee haue made mention of this word Staple it followes necessarily for the true vnderstanding of it that we say something both for the name and vse of it The word Estaple is a French word deriued from the lattin word Stabulum so that the word Staple is a market or publicke place in a towne ordained for the bestowing of VVine Corne VVood and other Marchandise that comes frō other countries euery Towne hauing their seuerall priuiledges according to the graunt of the Prince Not without great greefe and vexation to others both Marchants and Marryners that bring them thether As for example The towne of Arras is the Staple for Arthois and Valenciennes for Henault for Wines that are brought out of France by land into the Low-Countries So that the Marchants or Carryers are constrained to bring them thether before any other place and there to bee stayde a certayne time in the Staple to see who will buy in the Market the which beeing done they may carrie them away whether they thinke best The towne of Middlebourgh in Zealand is the Staple for Wines that come from France Spayne Portugal and other Countryes brought thether by Sea But the priuiledges of the town of Dordrecht are more strickt and compelling for they are of fuch force and vertue that what-souer is brought either by the Rhyne or Meuze be it corne wine pitch cole or any other Marchandise passing by them they are compelled vppon paine of forfeyture of all if they bee taken not hauing payed their duty to discharge their boates or barkes in their Hauen and to paie all rights customes impostes and other duties what-soeuer and also to discharge their Marchaundise in Shippes of the towne or of the Cittizens and free Marryners or else to make some agreement with them and so they may passe them in those that belong to the custome or impost And notwithstanding that the priuiledges are at this present diuers and vary one from another according to the nature of the marchandise and condition of the townes to whome such priuileges are graunted yet they haue euer from the first beginning beene called by the name of Estaple The which being sometimes in one towne sometimes in another either for the scituation or some other occation cause a great commodity and benifit to the country both in generall and particuler and a faire reuenew and large profit to the Prince of the same This towne as the first in rancke hath power to coyne both siluer and gold a priueledge denied to any other towne of Holland what-so-euer In this towne the Prince or Earle of Holland is put in possession of this county taking his oth to the states of the country and receiuing their homage and feallty Harlem THe second towne of Holland in rancke and prerogatiue is the towne of Harlem which within this thirty yeares before Amsterdam was made greater was the greatest and fairest of all Holland as well in faire buildings as sweete and good temperature of ayre hauing neither the Sea nor Marishes or Fens to annoy it feared in the middest of a good land fit both for tillage and for pasture enuironed with faire country houses Farmes little woods and many castles and villages and to conclude seated reasonable high and very pleasant It hath one very great Church with a high steeple supported with great columnes or pillars and much longer then any other in the Low-countries There passeth now through it a riuer called Sparre which falls out of a lake of fresh water into the chanell that runnes towards the townes of Amsterdam and Leyden which is called the sea of Harlem which riuer hath bene drawne with great labour and charge from that of Tye by the sluces of Sparendam about halfe a league from thence before the towne on that side towards Leyden there was heretofore a very pleasant wood which during the seege of the Spaniards was cut downe by the Allamaines that were quartred on that side in the village of Hemsted But within a few yeares after the Magistrate of the towne caused it to be replanted so as in a short time it became as pleasant as it was before seruing the inhabitants of the towne for delightfull walkes for the excersise of their spirits and keeping many people of the towne from the Tauernes and such other places in passing their time there There is there likewise made very great store of fine white linnen cloth much desired and sought for from Spaine Italy and other countries and also good wollen cloth which for the dye equalls any other country and is like-wise transported into forraine regions Touching the Etymology or deriuation of the name I may not rely vpon Lewis Guichardine who hath followed the old Dutch chronicle of Holland but rather follow that learned Phisition and Historiographer of Horne Doctor Adrianus Iunius who affirmes that the Harlemois are issued from the bloud of the Kings of Freezland who first built both the their towne and castle in the yeare of the natiuity of our Sauiour Iesus Christ fiue hundred and sixe The castle was seated vpon the chanell that runnes towards Egmont not farre from Heimskirk all built of great and large bricke as yet at this day is to be seene by the ruines and ground worke of the walls The demolishment whereof some attribute to the tyrany of the Lord of the place others to the fury of the people who sought to extirpe and roote out the Nobility This castle alone at this time was not demolished but like a violent thunder they threw downe all to the ground Seeing wee are speaking of this castle I thinke it not amisse although it be set downe in the history of the Netherlands to relate a memorable accident that then hapned as a strange note of true coniugall loue And thus it was The Lord of the place hauing by his exaction and cruelty made him-selfe odious to all his people and he and his wife being beseeged and so prest for want of victualls that he was compelled hauing no other meanes to escape to enter into treaty for the rendering of the towne His wife atrue mirror of piety and loue towards her husband among other articles for the rendring of the towne capitulated that shee might haue as much of her most pretious mooueables as she could carry out at one time the which being graunted shee with the helpe of her chamber-maide carried her husband lockt in a chest out of the castle leauing all her rings and iewells behind her In imitation of the wife of Guelphe Duke of Bauaria who in the like necessity prayed the Emperor Conrad that she and her Ladies might carry out that which they held most deare and pretious the Emperor imagining it was nothing but their rings and iewels shee and all the Ladies after her example tooke her husband on her
to bee much admyred Being well prouided of money he bought a fayre house in the towne and a Castle called Benningen halfe a league out of the towne dwelling sometimes in the one and sometime in the other To augment his loue and reputation with the Cittizens hee matcht some of his children with the principall of the towne endowing them very ritchly still aduancing and teaching in priuate his most damnable heresie confirming those that were absent by letters and bookes which hee caused to bee printed in his Castle of Beningen Hee dyed in the sayd towne of Basil in the yeare of our Lord 1556. for meere greefe that one of his followers was reuolted fearing that by his meanes hee might be discouered and so punished Before his death his disciples that thought him to bee God seeing him draw towards death hee resolutely sayd vnto them bee not amazed I goe to beginne to shew my power Christ my predecessor to shew his power rose again the third day and I to shew my greater glory will rise againe at three yeares O horrible blasphemy The Magistrate beeing throughly informed of his life and doctrine caused his processe to be drawn after his death by a sentence his body was taken out of the ground and iustice done as if he had bin aliue his goods being confiscated his books burnt some of his followers acknowledged abiured their errors and imbracing again the reformed religion were with al courtesie and gentlenesse pardoned and the whole history of it set forth in print both in lattin and dutch to the view of the world In opposition to this wicked monster the town of Delf hath brought forth many excellent person ages among the rest Ioos Salsbout an excellent Poet and Chancellor of Gelderlād Arnoult his son who succeeded his father in the same office of Chancellor and since President of the priuy Counsell at Brussels and from that to be President for the affaires of the Netherlands in Spaine Cornelius Musa Prouost of S. Agatha a man of rare vertue and knowledge a great Diuine an excellent Poet. who was vniustly put to death by the Earle of March about thirty-fiue yeares since Leyden THere hath bin much dispute and great diuersity of opinions about the deriuation of this name of Leyden but I will content my selfe that Ptolemy called it Lugdunum Battauorum Antoninus in his Itinerary or guide for waies to Rome cals it Lugdunum Caput Germanorum the head citty of the Germaines or the first Citty of the Romaine Empire from it beginning his Iourney to Rome concerning the lattin and dutch woord of Leyden I will content my selfe with the antient vse for that many learned lattin Authors haue also called it Leyda bee it as it may yet this is most certayne that it hath beene here-to-fore a towne of great importance for the Romain Praetor that gouerned that quarter kept alwaies his residence and garrison in that towne and the historyes of Holland recount that from the first Earles and long after it was called the chamber of Holland It is seated in a low and euen country full of ditches and chanels beutified with farmes gardens and other delights round about It incloses in it selfe thirty one Isles passing from the one to the other in boates besides nineteene more that haue bridges to passe ouer To conclude there are in this towne 145 bridges an hundreth and foure built of free stone and the rest of wood It is one of the six chiefe townes of Holland and the fourth in preheminence and suffrage It is the cheefe for that quarter of Rind-Land hauing vnder it 49. townes and villages the most part of which bring their commodities thether as butter milke cheese lard foule fruites and other necessaryes to bee sold in the Market abounding in all thinges else that the earth may bring forth and sufficiently stored with fish the Sea being not aboue a league from it and compassed with many fresh waters It is likewise so stored with sundry kinds of fowle that it is incredible but to them that know it This town is fairly seated in a delicate prospectiue euen in the heart of Holland neatly built and fit for the muses to dwel in for which cause the Sates of Holland in the yeare of our Lord 1575 after they were released of their long and dangerous siege erected an vniuersity there furnishing it with professions in all languages giuing them good and sufficient stipends drawing to them the sufficients men in all professions that can be found in Christendome as at this day the Seignior of L'escale Clusius Baudius and others professing Phylosophy Physicke and the lawes They want not also most excellent and learned Diuines hauing within this tenne yeares lost three as rare ones as any were in Christendome to wit the Lord of Saint Aldegond D. Francis Iunius and Trelcatius◠professors in the greeke and lattin tongues and in Diuinity In the middest of this towne there is an old Castle seated vppon a higher mote in the which there is a great large and deepe Well all of stone but now dry there is not a house in this Castle to dwell in but compassed about the more and aboue with some trees and although it bee of no vse yet it is reserued for the antiquity of it Ianus Douza a learned Gentleman and Poet of Leyden hath written of it in these verses Putatur Engistus Brittanno orbe Redux posuisse victor T is held victorious Hengist builded me At his returne from conquered Britanie SInce called Bourg of which came the name of Burgraue which is as much as to say an Earle of a Towne which wee call Viscounts the title remained long in the Noble family of the Lordes of Wassenare who held the Viconty of Leyden and the Iurisdiction of Rhyn-landt with the Dependances both of it and Ter-goud vntill the yeare of our LORD 1251. after the death of Vicont Iames his daughter Christienne beeing vnder the protection of the Earle of Holland who vtterly spoyled it yet the possession thereof was deliuered againe by the Countesse Iaqueline vnto the sayd family of the Wassenares but Philip Duke of Burgondy succeeding in the said County tooke it away againe where-vppon Viscount Iames the sonne of Henry in a full assembly of the Estates contested against the Duke demaunding againe his antient patrimony but his meanes beeing too weake against so puissant a Prince hee was constrayned to cease his title and to content him-selfe with what it pleased the Duke to giue him which was but the bare title of Viscount There are in this Towne three parish Churches in Saint Pancratius there is a company of Chanoins and in Saint Peeters there is a lofe of bread turned to a stone safely kept in a place yrond about for a perpetuall remembrance of the strangenesse of the accident and this it was In the yeare of our Lord 1316. a great famine happening in the towne a poore woman went to her owne sister that
by two brothers borne in this towne whose equals in this art of painting haue not to this houre bin found The 12. of Ianuary 1552. the steeple of this Church was burnt by thunder and lightning of the date whereof D. Adrians Iuuius in his Batauia hath made this distique LVX bIssena fVIt IanI hora vespere nona CVM sacra IohannIS VVLCano CorpVII aedes The tWeLfth of IanVarâ—e SaInt Iohns SpIre At nIne a cLoCk was MVCH Impaird with fire The which mischieuous fire burnt nothing but the said steeple and a part of the church notwithstanding that it was enuiron'd with houses But about an hundreth yeares before in the yeare of our Lord 1438. the 18. of August vpon Saint Lewis his day the towne was wholy burnt except three houses vpon the Hauen the old ruines of them being yet to bee seene At this time the old charters and priuiledges of this towne were burnt wherevpon this distique was made FLetIbVs Id dIaICI qVIa GoVda Cre Mat LVdoWICI Sorrow allowde with sighes proclaimes That Lodowicks Goude is all on flames It is not long since that about halfe a league from the said towne were found diuers peeces of siluer with this circumscription on the one side HLVDOVICVS IMP. and on the other CXRISTIANA RELIGIO which seeme to haue beene coyned in the time of the Emperor Lewis the Debonaire the sonne of the Emperor Charlemaine and the Father of the Emperour Charlâ—s the bauld who after he had setled Christian religion in those parts gaue the Earldome of Holland to Thierry of Aquitaine the first of that name There is mention made in the ancient charters and priuiledges of this towne how Florentius the fift of that name Earle of Holland told a Knight called Nicholas van Cats that this towne had beginning in the yeare 1272. Others and among the rest Doctor Adrianus Iunius 1262. notwithstanding that the said towne hath beene knowne to haue beene long time before whereof many Gentlemen haue taken their names and chiefly among the rest Thiery Vander Goude one of the priuie councell to Earle William King of the Romaines and the priuiledges granted to them of Vtrecht in the yeare 1252. shew the like A quarter of a league out of the towne is yet to be seene the place where the Church stood and is commonly called the old Church-yard where during the Romish superstition they vsed to goe on procession in Rogation weeke and likewise a way called the old Goude But for that this place was too farre from the riuer of Issell the Inhabitants for their more commodity remooued from their former dwellings to the place where the Towne now stands The freedome and iurisdiction of this Towne at the beginning was no more then the compasse of it within the portes and walls with very little land without but was afterward in the yeare of our Lord 1484. much amplified by the Emperour Maximillian the first and the Arch-duke Philip his sonne with at least a league of land in compasse on both sides the riuer of Yssell The gouernment of this towne appertained heretofore to the Earles of Blois Lords of the same and was seated in the center or middest of the sayd Countie Iohn of Beaumont Earle of Blois by his wife was made Lord of it and Schoonhouen with their dependances by his brother William the Good Earle of Holland to augment his reuenews in the yeare 1306 who by the consent of his brother instituted the first payments and rights of customes with the houses and sluces where hee receiued his right hee inlarged and much beautified the Castle of the sayd towne the which long time after was chosen by the Estates of Holland as a place very strong for the keeping of the charters priuiledges and lawes of their Countie which Castle except the Tower where their charters were kept was in the yeare 1577. demolished at which time there were many others throwne downe in the Low-countries Iohn of Beaumont Lord of Blois died in the yeare 1456. leauing one onely sonne likewise named Iohn who being a Knight of the Teutonique or Dutch order went into Prussia against the Infidels and there died leauing two sonnes Iohn and Guy Earles of Bloys and of Soyson Iohn of Chastillon Lord of Goude riche and strong issued by his father from the Earles of Holland and by his mother from the Kings of France married Madam Mathilda Dutchesse of Gelders and Countesse of Zutphen at that time when the houses of Bronchorst and Heeckers assaied to shutte out the sayd Lady from her patrimoniall inheritance To remedie the which the Earle of Blois came into Geldres accompanied by many Lords and Knights and a good troope of souldiers besieging Wagheningen and Groensvoerdt which he tooke and afterwards in the right of the Lady his wife was receiued into Arnhem and acknowledged for Lord and Prince This Lord and Lady as Dukes of Gelders gaue priuiledge to the Citizens of Goude to saile with their Marchandize through-out the Dutchie of Geldres and Earledome of Zutphen freely without eyther taxe or toll This priuiledge was giuen in the towne of Arnham in the yeare of on Lord 1372. Iohn of Chastillion dyed in the yeare 1381. without children leauing all his goods to his brother Guy of Blois who married Mary the daughter of the Earle of Namur by whom hee had one sonne called Lewis Earle of Dunois who dyed young at Beaumont the two and twenty of December 1397. After whose death the right line of Iohn of Blois was extinct so that the Signeuries of Goude and Schoonhouen with their dependances which were called the Baliage of the countie of Blois returned to the country of Holland in the time of Albert of Bauaria notwithstanding Guy of Blois left a bastard called Iohn of Blois Lord of Treslon and Henault who as the historâ— of the Netherlands makes mention had by his wife six sons It is apparent that the townes of Goude Dordrecht Harlem Delft and Leyden with the Knights and nobles of the country represented the Estates of Holland and Westfreezeland long before the towne of Amsterdam was receiued for a member as it appeareth by diuers records and letters of state past vnder the seales of the said fiue townes together with the iniuries that they of Amsterdam haue done to them of Goude vpon the same The said towne of Goude for the good order which they haue alwaies held in discipline and Scholasticall instruction hath brought forth many great learned personages to their eternall fame as Henry and Iohn of Goude whom Trithemius Abbot of Spanheim puts in ranke of the rarest writers William Herman of Goude whom Erasmus Roterodamus in his Epistles calls his delight a most excellent Poet and Historiographer Hermanus Goudanus a great Diuine Iacobus Goudanus a famous Poet Thâ—odorus Gerardi Reinerius Suoy a Phiâ—â—ion and historiographer who haue all written learned workes worthy to be consecrated to posterity But Cornelius Aurelius likewise borne in this towne surpast them all in
excellent Poesie as appeareth by the Lawrel crowne that the Emperor Maximillian the first sent him by his orator Stephanus of Crocouia It was he that first controlled Gerard of Nymegen in his booke that he writt of the true situation of Batauia or Holland betweene the Hornes of the Rhine which the said Gerard of Nymegen would haue attributed to the Betuwe a part of Gelderland wherein the said Aurelius liuely expresses the honor of the Hollanders who in his youth was brought vp by that so much renowned Erasmus of Rotterdam being begotten at Goude but by remooue of dwelling borne and brought vp at Rotterdam There are many other learned famous persons sprung from this towne too long here to rehearse of whom Iustus Lypsius Ianus Gruterus and Dominicus Baudius of Lille in Flanders haue amply written in their workes Notwithstanding that throughout all the townes of the Netherlands many bloody decrees haue beene executed for religion on both parts yet they of this towne haue bin so moderate euen to great Papists their neighbors and in their power that in a hundreth years more there haue bin but three executed vpon those placarts or decrees whereof one was an Anabaptist who being secretly aduertised by the Magistrat that he should retire himselfe yet hee came and rendred himselfe into the hands of the officer whereby it may appeare that they of Goude haue euer detested tyrannie and persecution beleeuing that it belongs onely to God to command the conscience ENCHVYSEN THis towne of Enchuysen hath taken name from the fewnesse of houses it had at the first being by little and little become a great towne as is to be seene at this day this word Enckle huysen signifying little â—r simple houses It is a faire towne and by the naturall situation very strong opposed to the rigor of the sea standing vpon a corner of the land their traffique by sea makes them riche and opulent it is for the most part built of faire masonrie hauing very few houses of wood for feare of fire which they haue once or twice before had experience of for you may read in the Annales of Holland that in the yeare of our Lord 1297. the Lords of Arkell Putten burnt it all and yet within twenty yeares after it was made greater by the halfe for all the salt pitts that were along the sea banke and the marishes behind are now within the walls with many faire gardens fish-ponds There are two passages out to sea and three hauens at one of the which entrances there is a great tower wherevpon is engrauen a Lattin distique made by D' Adrianus Iunius vpon the attempt that Charles the last Duke of Gelders made for the surprize of it that he might get an entrance into Holland it expresses the time of the attempt and is this EnChVsaM InsIdIIs taCitIs sVh noCte sILentI Obâ—Vere adnI Xa est Ge LrICa perfIdIa The trecheroVs GeLDrols soVght by Violent Might T' haVe tane EnchVIsen through the Vayle of n Ight. This town is rich in salt pits the InhabitaÌ„ts fetching grosse salt from Brouage by Rochel or in Spaine and some-times from the salt Ilands where they haue it for nothing and after boile it again and refine it multiplying it with sea-water brought them in boates taking the heate away making it white fit for the table their are as sufficient store of sluces in this town and about it for the passage of sea-water as in France or Spaine but the sharpnesse of the sunne is not of that force to congeale and harden it as in other places heretofore they made great aboundance of salt of the ashes of turues sea-water after the manner of making of salt-peeter at this day which they call Silt-sout whereof they make a great traffick but since that they haue traded to Spaine and France from thence brought in their great shippes what quantity the will this maner of making it is come to nothing it beeing vnpossible that that which they made in diuerse places should be so good as that which is made of the pure sea-water This towne may very fitly be called Neptunes seate for that their ships passe all the seas of the world and haue had the honor to carry and bring backe the Emperor in diuerse of his expeditions and likewise sundry times King Philip his sonne and since â—nne of Austria his wife the daughter of the Emperor Maximillian the second They carry in their armes three herrings argent and two stars or in a field Azure as a fatall and certaine Augure presaging that after the manner of herrings they should cut through all seas and trade to the one and other pole which at this time they doe In this towne dwelt Doctor Paludanus an exquisite Phisition and great gatherer together of strange and rare antiquities to such an Infinite number that they could hardly bee seene peece by peece in three daies the maruelous workes of nature as well proceeding from the land as the sea and the secret workes of God being therein to bee contemplated admired but I vnderstand since a great part of them haue bin sould to the Lantgraue of Hessen HORNE ABout the yeare 1316. in the time of Count William the third of that name called the good Earle of Holland Zeeland Henault and West-freezeland this towne tooke his little beginning in this manner When the towne of Veronne neere Alckmar was destroyed by the Frisons there was a great sluce in the ditch where at this day the market place of the sayd towne stands which was called Roestein by the which the country people entred into the sea with their barkes It happened that three brothers cittizens of Hambourgh came and went thither with shippes laden with beere who caused three high houses of stone to be built there for the Frisons for the Danes came thither ordinarily with oxen kine horses and other marchandise passing the sea with their little ships from the Cimbrique Chersonesus or the country of Holstein so that from time to time by little and little it began to augment in buildings first became a village afterwardes a towne and at last a good city one of these three houses remained entire 220. years after vntill the yeare 1430. The other two beeing ruined were built againe but not with so great stones as this third There is some diuersity of opinion about the etymology of the name of Horne which signifies as well a hunters horne as otherwise some say it is of the hauen of the towne that turnes in forme of a little horne others say that this same place was full of bogges where now the ditches and walls of the towne are and that there grew there certaine plants in great quantity in forme of a horne the which beeing cut either aboue or below one might winde as of a cornet The streete of the said towne that is called the New Dam where the woodmongers and shoomakers dwell and where the turue boats
olde time named Yedam of a current of water which is called Ye vry Yde the which running about the Câ—urch fell by a Sluse which they call Damme into the great chanell of the towne which goes vnto the sea that is to say the Sluse of Yde There is a certaine village in the midest of this water called Middelye The towne is at this present well walled in and ditcht it is famous for the good cheese which is maâ—e there it hath a long hauen to the which there belongs many great and goodly shippes which are built there euery yeare beeing as stately and of as great charge as any in Holland or Zeeland bee it either for warre or Marchandise In the yeare of our Lord 1404. some women of this towne going in barkes to feed their cattell in the neere pastures of Purmermeer they did often see at the ebbing of the water a sea woman playing in the water whereat in the beginning they were afraied but beeing accustomed to see it often they incourraged one an other and with their barkes entred into this water into the which shee was come at a full sea and could not finde the waie out againe these women hauing descouered her made with their boates towardes her and the water beeing not deepe ynough for her to diue vnto the bottome they tooke her by force drewe her into a boate and carried her to Edam where in time shee grew familiar accustoming her selfe to feede of ordynarie meates They of Harlem desired much to haue her to whom shee was sent and liued some fifteene yeares shee neuer spake seeking often to gette againe into the water you may reade this discourse at large in the History of the Netherlands This towne is two leagues equally distant as well by sea as by land from Horne MONICKENDAM THis towne on the South-side lookes towards the I le of Mark which is opposite vnto it the sea therein reasonably still for that it lies vnder the Lee of the sayd Island It is not verie spatious and towardes the Land it is walled and ditcht It takes the name of a Lake neere vnto it called Monicker-meere the which beeing at this daie defended with bankes is made a sea whereas great shippes lie safely beeing couered with that Land The armes of this towne are a Monke clad in blacke holding a mase in his hand whereby wee may conclude that both the Lake and the towne tooke their names from a Monke but why or what hee was it is not knowne This towne was built in the yeare of our Lord and Sauiour 1297. When as the Frisons came thether with a fleete of shippes to goe and succor the Bishoppe of Vtrecht it is but a league from Edam PVRMERENDE THis towne stands in the midest of Moores lying at the end of the Purmer sea where is a Sluce by the which they of the towne sayle towardes Edam Monickendam and other places that border vpon the sayd sea on the other side there is nothing but Lakes which coast the townes of Ryp Graft Wormer euen vnto Alcmar In these three Bouroughes they are ritch men which imploy themselues most at sea as well in fishing for herring as in trade of marchandise At Wormer they make aboundance of good by scuit which they carry to sell in all the townes of Holland Zeeland and Frisland for the prouision of their shippes This towne is verie small it hath beene fortefied during these last warres against the towne of Amsterdam the which in the beginning of the troubles held the Duke of Aluas party but this was allied to the townes of Alcmar Horne Enchuysen Medenblick Edam Monickendam with other places of West-Frisland against whom the Spaniards could not preuaile but lost many men in this watrish countrie the which is rightly called Waterland in the which are the sayd townes of Purmerende the three Boroughes aboue mentioned and many other villages This towne was first built by a priuate person but verie ritch the which came afterwardes with the castle to the Earles of Egmont and ioynes vnto his hauen vpon Alcmar side It is verie cheape lyuing there by reason of the aboundance of flesh and fish MVDEN THe towne of Mâ—den is seated at the mouth of the riuer of Vecte some fortie yeares since it was but a poore paltrie village feeling then the miseries which it had endured by the burning and spoiles of the Duke of Guelders but within two yeares it was repaired Since the last troubles yea within these twelue yeares it hath beene wholy finished and beautified with ramparts goodly bridges and faire houses It hath a strong castle vpon the gulphe whereas the Vecte runnes into the Zuyderzee This castle is famous by the taking of Floris the fift Earle of Holland who hauing forced the wife of a Knight called Gerard van Velsen was by the conspiracâ—e of many noble men of Holland taken being a Hawking and carried into this castle thinking to transport him from thence into England there to end his dayes and to call home Earle Iohn who had married the Kings daughter but they found no opportunitie to effect it besides the commons of the Waterlanders did rise of all sides to succour him the which the conspirators finding meaning to carry him by land into some other countrie they ledde him from thence but as they were egerly poursued Van Velsen being loth to abandon his prisoner whom hee had mounted vpon a paltrie Iade comming to leape oâ—er a ditch as all the country is full of trenches the horse falling ouerthrew the Earle into the ditch Van Velsen seeing that he could no longer keepe him with a furious desire of reuenge gaue him eighteene wounds with his sword whereof hee died vpon the mount of Naerden whether the pesants carried him Van Velsen and the other conspirators saued themselues in the castle of Croenenburg where they were taken and grieuously punished The Lords of Amstel Woerden and some others escaped and wandred long vp and downe The Siegnior of Nyuclt is captaine of this castle of Muyden with a good garrison well prouided of all things NAERDEN ALthough that this towne hath suffered much being first ruined by that warlike Prelate the Bishop of Vtrecht of the house of Arckel who changed the place of situation and did cause them to build it where it now stands being a faire and a strong towne the which we may iustly say is but a shopp of Weauers whereas they make great aboundance of very fine cloath The houses of this towne are very faire being newly built within foure and thirtie yeares For the Duke of Alua meaning to bee reuenged of the Hollanders who were for the most part reuolted by reason of his tyrannie he sent Don Frederick his sonne thether with an armie who approching neere vnto the towne of Naerden the Bourguemaister councell of the towne went forth to meete him and to present him the Keyes of the towne when being entred with his troops the Bourgers
seeking to giue them all the contentment they could deuise the Spaniards contrary to their faith and promise fell vpon them and murthered a great number whom they had caused to retire into a church in colde bloud forced and deflowred the wiues and virgins spoiled the towne and hauing carried away their bootie they set it on fire the which was a good president for the other townes of Holland by the which the townes of Harlem and Alcmar tooke example the first being as cruelly intreated after their yeelding and the other so incouraged to defend themselues as after a siege of sixe weekes and diuerse assaults the Spaniards were forced to retire to their dishonor and losse This towne of Naerden is the chiefe of the Bayliwicke of Goeland which the Bishops of Vtrecht haue often pretended to belong vnto them but since it is annexed to the reuenewes of Holland GORRICHOM THis towne of Gorchum or Gorrichom from a small beginning is growne to the greatnesse and state wherein you see it at this day for it takes his name from poore Fisherman who had their lodgings or cabins along the riuer of Lingen vntill it ioynes with the Meuse and Wahal who by reason of their poâ—uertie were in contempt called Gorrikens whom Iohn of Arckel the seuenth Baron of that race Lord of the countrie of Arckel caused to come and dwell behinde and about his castle where by degrees hee built a good towne the which he walled in about the yeare 1230. And to the end they should retaine their name of Gorrikens hee called this towne Gorrichom as much to say hom or hâ—ym in old time signifying a house or aboade as the dwelling of these Gorrikens There is in this towne a great market of fish fowle and all other prouision needfull for the life of man whereof they make a great trade as well into Brabant as other places which doth much inriche the towne for the Bourgers themselues are both marchants marriners and factors one man alone supplying the place of three from the top of the highest steeple you may see in a cleere day two and twenty walled townes besides bourroughs and villages which are very many being a pleasant sight to behold Neere vnto it is the Champian countrie where as they say Hercules Alemanicus did campe Wherevpon they call all that quarter the country of Hercules the which the common people did afterwards terme Herkel and from that to Arkel when the said towne was obscured by the house of Arkel by reason of the continuall warres which their Lords made against the Earles of Holland Charlesâ—uke â—uke of Bourgongne caused a goodly castle to be built there vpon the riuer nee â— vnto the Port of Doâ—dâ—ect the which since these last troubles hath beene razed and fortified after an other manner so as there remaines nothing but a place for the paiment of the custome it is so fortified with twelue bulwarkes besides halfe moones and counterscarps without it together with that aboundance of water as one would say it were impregnable It is made halfe bigger then it was twenty yeares since the riuer of Linghen runnes through the middest of it being alwayes full of ships it falls into the Meruve and mingles it selfe with the riuers of Wahal and Meuse all which together passe before Dordrecht Rotterdam Delfs-hauen Schiedam and the Briele where it falles into the Brittish sea Maister Ihon Harie Chanoine of the Chapell at the Hage in Holland was borne in this towne hee was so great a louer of piâ—tie vertue and learning as during his life he sought out with great care diligence and cost all bookes in all languages and faculties When he came to reside at the Hage hee brought so great a number of bookes with him as the people thought there were not so many to be found in all Holland wherwith he made a goodly Library the which he did augment with great care euen to his dying day which was in the yeare 1â—32 where of he made the Emperor Charles the firt his heire WORCOM ALthough this towne bee out of the limitâ—s of the Countie of Holland beyond the riuer of Wahal on Brabant side right against the strong castle of Louestein hauing a little lower on the other banke the towne of Gorchom the which in ancient time did belong vnto the Earles of Horne which the King of Spaine did confiscate and since it was quite burnt but the Estates of Holland hauing seazed thereon and fortified it with good rampars bulwarkes and ditches it hath beene new built and is made a faire towne where the Estates doe entertaine an ordinary garrison with a Captaine superintendent Of late yeares the Estates to cut of all controuersie touching the iurisdiction of the sayde Towne agreed with the Lady Walburge Countesse of Moeurs and Nyeuwenaert widdow to Philip of Montmorency the last Earle of Horne who sold them the proprietie of the said Towne with the castle and territorie of Altena not farre from thence beeing in ancient time all drowned but now it is a countrie full of good pastures So these two peeces of Worcom and Altena are anneâ—ed to the reuenewes of the Countie of Holland where-with it is so much augmented There is an other Worcum in Frisland vpon the sea not farre from Hindelopen the which hath the title and priuiledge of a towne although it bee but a Boroughe without any walles but it is great and almost three thousand paces long HEVSDEN IS a reasonable faire towne and well built situated on Brabant side vpon the riuer of Wahall with a goodly castle where the Gouernors do reside the last of which was Floris of Brederode Siegnior of Cloetinge brother to the Lord of Brederode last deceased who left one sonne the only heire of all the house of Brederode The Siegnior of Locren commands there now for the Estates It was long vnder a priuate Lord. They of Brabant pretended it to be of their iurisdiction but Holland hath held it vnto this day It hath a large command LEERDAM THis towne is small yet walled in standing vpon the bankes of the riuer of Lingen it hath beene so often ruined in the old warres as they haue had no great care to repaire it so as it is of small moment it belongs to Philip of Nassaw now Prince of Orange Earle of Buren and hath a castle which is still maintained HENCLOM HEnclom is a towne seated also vpon the riuer of Lingen opposite to Leerdam it is a little towne and very ancient but goes to decaye It hath an olde Castle which they saye was built by Hercules Alemanicus but GOD best knowes how true it is The Lordes of this little towne are descended from Otto the yonger sonne to Iohn the eight Lord of Arkel who gaue him this Siegneurie in his life time ASPEREN IS situated vpon the banke of the same riuer of Lingen which the Inhabitants call Lyeuen that is as much to say as Loue for that the streame runs so gently In
Cromer in his Chronicle of Poland writes that in Cracouia in the yeare 1269. the wife of the Earle Buboslas was deliuered of sixe and thirty children all liuing the which is against all the rules of Phisick and naturall Philosophy yea against the course of nature it selfe yet there is no rule but hath some exception whereas the grace or diuine vengeance interposeth it selfe the which ouer-rules Nature and the force of the Elements VLAERDINGHE ALthough this bee but a Borroughe at this day yet it is put in the first ranke of all the walled townes of Holland the riuer of Meuse vpon whose bankes it stands hauing in a manner eaten it vp with the castle and by great tempests driuen it into the sea Thierry of Wasenare doth maintaine that it ought be called Verdinge by reason of the tolle which doth yet belong vnto the Lords of Wassenare where they did bargaine as well as they could it is two leagues distant as well from Delfe as Rotterdam SEVENBERGHE THis towne is seated vpon the riuer of Mâ—ruve three leagues beneath Gheertruydenberghe and as much from Breda The towne lies open it is small but reasonable good where there was a mighty fort during all the time of the last troubles the which was held by a garrison for the vnited Estates It belongs now to the Earle of Aremberghe who hath liberty from the Estates that paying contribution it shall remaineneuter as it hath done All the aboue named townes although they bee not so great as those of Brabant and Flanders yet they are not much inferior beeing for the most part greater by the halfe stronger and better peopled then they were thirty yeares since so as they which haue not beene there since especially in Amsterdam will not know it Of all these townes there are fiue which should bee held for Bourroughs whereof wee will presently speake some thing that is to say the Hage which deserues well the name of a towne Vlaerdinghe Seuenbergh Muyden and Voorn yet there is an other towne not walled in called GOEREE WHich I finde to bee the last of the townes of Holland it is situated in a little Iland inhabited for the most part by fishermen and makers of nets which is their greatest labour and trafficke it hath as good and as deepe a roade as any is in Holland where as great shippes which go long voiages cast anchor attending their last prouision and a good winde This place hath of late yeares beene spoiled by the garrisons of Woude and Hulst as also Hellevooet-sluys opposite vnto it which is the Sluse of the Iland of Voorn on that side towards the sea whereas Bryle lies on the other side vpon the gulphe of the riuer which they call the old Meuse BEVERWYCK THis word is as much to say as a retreate for Baâ—arians for it seemeth that the Kings of France hauing subdued Holland did diuide the inheritances of the countrie amongst their olde souldiars whether they should retire themselues and inhabit the which they did distribute by nations This Bourg is two leagues from Harlem vpon the riuer of Tye not aboue two thousand paces distant from the sea it is well built and hath goodly farmes about it The Noblest of all Borroughes and Villages ending in Wyck is Calwyck whereof there are two the one vppon the sea and the other farther vppe into the countrie which haue beene built by the Cattes fathers to the Battauians or Hollanders who following their Prince Batto went and seated themselues neere vnto the gulphe whereas the Rhine dischargeth it selfe into the sea which place by reason of the commodity of the situation hath beene heretofore ample spatious and verie fit to receiue shippes and marchandise but diuers times destroyed and ruined by the incursions of Barbarians and Pirats Besides there is Suydwyck neere to Wassenare where there is a Mil vpoÌ„ the South side the which by a breuiation they call Suyck then there is Noortwyck on the North side to the which it seemes that the Normans which came out of Denmarke and Suedland gaue the name whereof that worthy man Ianus Douza was Lord and left it to his children Then haue you Osterwyck which some hold was inhabited by the Vandales or Esterlings vnlesse that â—oppo Lord of Arckel gaue it the name of Esterwyck Then is there Naeldwycke wherof the Lords of the direct line are dead and now it belongs vnto the Earle of Arembergh where there is a Chanonry Martin van Dorp a great diuine and a Poet was borne there After it is Riswyck nere vnto the Hage Stolwyck famous for the good cheese which is made there nere vnto Goude Bleyswyck belonging vnto the Siegnior of Bronckhurst Brerdwyck beeing so called of the Bardes Gaules or of the Lombards a people of Germanie Brandwyck Schalcwyck and Hontwyck whereof it were hard to write the etimologies beginnings NIEVPORT IS on the other bancke of the riuer of Leck right against Schoonhoven It hath beene in former times a good towne but as the condition of humaine things is frayle and transitorie it seemes that the spoyles of Barbarous nations the intestine warres which they haue had in Holland hath brought it to decay yet it is still a good Borrough SCAGE IT is a good Bourg well built like vnto a towne the market place is made of a triangle forme and goes into three streetes where there are little passages from the one to the other It hath the best most frutfull soyle of all Holland both for tillage and pasture the Bourgers are verie rich There is a goodly castle all which belongs vnto the Siegnior of Scagen and Barchom who descends from Duke Albertus of Bauaria Earle of Holland It were an infinite thing to describe the other Bourgs and Villages of the sayd county the which we will omit and speake something of the castles as well of those which haue beene ruined during the factions of the Hoocs Cabillaux as of the rest which are yet standing Among those which are ruined are the castles of Brederode halfe a league from Harlem and of Egmont being 5000. paces from Alcmar It was first ruined long since and afterwards in the last troubles in reuenge that the Earle of Egmont the father left the Noblemen of the Netherlands who had entred into league against the Duke of Alua the which cost him his head and for that the sonnes in steede of reuenging the ignominious death of their father followed the Spaniards party Then is the castle of Teylingen where as the Countesse Iaqueline tooke great delight betwixt Leyden and Harlem ruined also nere vnto the walls but it might be easily repaired On the other side of the town of Schoonhouen is the great and mighty castle of Lysfeldt nere vnto the bankes of the riuer of Leck belonging vnto the Duke of Brunswyck if of late yeares hee had not exchanged it together with the towne of Woerden with Philippe Earle of Hohenlo At Vianen there is also a faire
retaine vnto this day the trade of many great shippes which arriue there daily laiden with diuers sorts of marchandise and from thence is transported into the other Prouinces of the Netherlands except salt comming from Spaine France and other places the which remaines there to bee refined for the which there are many salt-pannes ' built along and vpon the toppe of the Dyke where it is boyled and made white and then they lade it and transport it to other places And although that new Arnemuyden was not walled in vntill the yeare 1572. yet hath it beene held of all forraine nations for a towne of good esteeme by reason of the nauigation and trafficke for which respect the Earles of Holland and Zeeland did in old time establish their towles and customes due vnto the county of Zeeland This towne hath alwaies enioyed the like priuiledges with the towne of Middlebourg as Bourgeses and subiects thereof vntill the yeare 1572. that they followed the Prince of Oranges partie Soone after the Spaniards surprized it spoiled it slue some and the rest fled wandring vp and downe vntill that in the yeare 1574. the towne of Middelbourg being forced to yeeld vnto the Prince of Orange Arnemuyden was also comprehended in the Accord so as the I le of Walchren beeing then freed euery man returned to his house so as by little and little the towne was fortefied as you see it at this day For the reedefying whereof the Prince gaue it goodly priuiledges and freedomes beeing exempt from the subiection of Vasselage being subiect to Middelbourg by vertue of their contract and causing it to bee walled and ditcht hee gaue them the rights and prerogatiues that belong to a good towne gouerned by their owne Magistrats Baylife Bourguemasters Aldermen and other Officers which they of Middelbourg were accustomed to chose but now they dispose of all matters concerning Iustice and gouernment themselues The towne of Arnemuyden had for many yeares a particular Lord carrying the title of Siegnior of Arnemuyden the last was called Gyles of Arnemuyden who in the yeare 1418. was made Knight and married the daughter of Wolphart van Borsselle by whom hee had two daughters the one Mary the other Marguerite of Arnemuyden Mary married with Nichâ—las of Borssele Siegnior of Brigdame Coudekerke Soeteland and Saint Laurence from whom is issued the house of La Vere Marguerite married William of Vriese Siegnior of Oosteinde from whence is descended the house of Trasigny And as the sayd Giles was the last Lord which carried that name his house fell to the distaffe Those of this towne for the loue of him carry his armes in their seales and armories which they vse to beare and they are at this day two Eagles Or in a field Geules armed and encompassed with Azure and in the midst a sand-hill rising out of the waues of the sea DOMBOVRG ALthough this bee but an open place which is dayly more and more couered with sand notwithstanding all remedies by reason that the winde driues the sand of the sea and downes which couers their gardins and pastures yet beeing esteemed the most ancient towne of the Isle of Walchren whereof there are yet to be seene some old ruines of walles it retaines still the ancient priuiledges municipall rights as the best town of the sayd Island WEST CAPPELLE THis place Bourg or village howsoeuer you will call it doth enioy the like priuiledges of other townes for that the ancient West Cappelle which stood in the same place was wont to bee a good towne and had the best port in al the Island of Walchren which about 150. yeares since was carried away by the inundations of the sea so as there remaines nothing but what wee see of the old buildings hauing notwithstanding bin inlarged with new houses within these thirty yeares the which makes it more commendable SOETELAND IS yet at this day a good place so termed as a sweete country and so it is the sweetest soyle and the best seat in all the Island which makes the Marchants of Middelbourg and Flissinghe to walke thether whereas after they haue recreated themselues they returne at night to their houses There are also in this Island many goodly villages as Oost and West Suybourg a quarter of a league one from the other betwixt Flissinghe and Middelbourg At West Suybourg there is a good castle the which with the village doth now belong vnto the heires of Phillippe de Marnix Siegnior of Saint Aldegonde the light of learned men of our age in which castle the Emperour Charles the fift remained vntill the winde prooned faire to imbarke to make his last returne into Spaine but wee may not forget the important castle of RAMMEKEN OTherwise called Zeebourg which about 60. years since the Lady Mary Queene of Hungary sister to the Emperor Charles the 5. gouernesse of the NetherlaÌ„ds caused to be built vpon the Dyke betwixt Middelbourg Flissing seruing as a bulwark for all shippes that are forced for want of a good winde to come and anchor in the Roade This castle is alwaies well manned with a good garrison and with all things necessary for a place of so great importance being as necessary to be entertained and well kept as any other in all the vnited Prouinces By reason whereof the Queene of England desired to haue it with the townes of Flissinghe and Bryele for caution of the money which shee did lend vnto the vnited Estates some twenty yeares since SCHOWEN IN Latin called Schaldia a Flvuio Schaldi of the riuer of Escault in old time a great Island but the tempests and breaches of the sea haue wonderfully dyminished it It hath yet at this day aboue eight leagues in circuit and it was in those daies so nere vnto the Island of North-beuelandt as the Inhabitants did talke together from one banke vnto the other whereas since there hath beene a great distance But within these twelue years that the sayd Island of North-beuelandt hath beene recouered they are neeâ—er This Island is as fertill and plentifull of all things as any other in Zeeland and therefore it holds the second ranke at the Estates of the sayd Prouince in the which the soueraigne Iudges of the East of Zeeland do commonly reside whom they call the Receiuer of Beâ—osterghelt who hath all power of cryminall causes in that quarter the cheefe towne whereof is ZIRICZEE THis towne is held for the first and most ancient of the countie of Zeeland and as some say it is found in the Annales of the Netherlands that it was built in the yeare of our Lord 849. by one called Zyringus whose name it carries in ancient time very famous for the trade of Marchandise wherevnto it was verie commodious by reason of their goodly port which the marchants did vsually frequent But the sands hauing in tract of time stopt vp the hauen it is now lesse frequented within these twelue or fourteene yeares the townesmen haue made a newe
hauen which goes directly vnto the sea the which is faire large and commodious notwithstanding since that Middelbourg grew so famous it cannot recouer the accustomed trafficke touching nauigation yet is it good faire and strong retayning their ancient trade for salt and graine to die withall with the fishing for herring In this towne the Receiuer of Beoosterschelt doth commonly remaine who is as I haue sayd chiefe Iustice for the countie of Zeeland to whom as to him of the Beversterschelt at Middelbourg all commissions are directed comming from the superiors to put them in execution euery one in his iurisdiction In this towne was borne that famous Amandus Ziricxeus a relligious man of the order of Saint Francis who hath written many goodly Poems as may be seene in the Library of Cornelius Gesnerus From thence also came Leuinus Lemnius Doctor of Phisick a man of great knowledge as his workes do witnesse whose sonne called William of the same profession was called to be Phisition to the King of Sueden Peâ—rus Peâ—kius was also borne in this towne a man of rare learning who hath written many printed bookes BROWERSHAVEN IN this Island of Schoueâ— two small leagues from Ziâ—icxee is that great Bourg of Browershauen more inhabited by fishermen then any other and yet there was borne one Petrus carrying the surname of his towne a learned man who writ many bookes in diuinity This towne did some-times belong to Maximilian of Bourgogne Lord of Beueren Admirall of the sea thus hauing fallen vnto him with many other goodly Siegneuries by the Ladie Anne his Grand-mother issued from the Noble house of Borssele which familie hath fayled long since for want of lawfull heires which Maximiliam died also without children in the yeare 1558. whose succession fell to the children of the Earle of Bossu who had married one of the Sisters of the Lord of Beueren and to the children of the Siegnior of Cruminghen who had married the other Sister from whome is issued the Siegnior of Cruminghen who keepes commonly at the Hage in Holland In this Island of Shouven there are many castles and villages belonging to certaine Gentlemen and other priuate persons amongst the which is the village of Bomene seated at one end of it verie famous for the great losse of Spaniards which the great Commander of Castille had entring into the sayd Island the which in the end hee tooke by force and slue all that were in the fort except one man who escaped dangerously but let vs passe to the other Islands ZVYT-BEVELAND THis Island is so called for that before it was rampared with Dykes it trembled for Beuen signifies to tremble and Beuelandt a trembling country as if it had no firme seat and foundation This Island is the greatest of all those of Zeeland and at one time it had twenty leagues circuit but by reason of the tempests and inundations of the sea and the contynuall flowing and ebbing of the riuer of Escault which runnes with a violent streame betwixt Romerswael and Berghen vp Zoom it is halfe consumed In this Island of Zuytâ—euelandt there was in old time three townes of Marke the chiefe whereof was Romerswal then Borssele which stood towards the South but in the yeare of our Lord 1432. the Dykes were broken by the high tides and great tempests and it drowned with the countrie depending thereon which they called the Siegneury of Borssel ROMERSWAL HEld in that time the first ranke among the townes of the sayd Island looking towardes Berghen vp Zoom vpon the East from the which it is not aboue a league distant but the same tempests and inundations wherewith Borssele was swalloed vp diuided this towne from Zuytbeuelandt leauing it a part in a small Island beeing forced to defend it selfe continually with great toyle cost and amazement for feare of the sea and the riuer of Escaut against the which they must fight continually as a cittizen of that towne a man of great knowledge doth wittely shewe by these verses following which hee planted at his doore in the yeare of our Lord 1549 when as Prince Phillippe afterwards the second of that name King of Spaine came thether to receiue the othes of the countie of Zeeland and to take possession thereof as followeth Vidimus assueto priuatum lumine Solem pallida turbato vidimus astra die Vidimus vndantes horrendos aequoris aestus nos miseros Belgas cum obruit Oceanus Vidimus ast postquam te gloria nostra Philipe Caesareaproles semi-deumque decus Cuncta refutamus transacti tristia saecli quod praesens nostrum testificatur opus Sit licet exiguum sit pro ratione voluntas nil facit ad vastum parua catena fretum We haue beheld faire Sol depriu'd of sight pale starres at noone and nooneday like the night We haue beheld the furious waues make way through all the strengths of wretched Belgia But when we but beheld that face of thine great Phillip glorious bud of Caesars line It clear'd our hearts froÌ„ woes our eies froÌ„ showres witnesse this present monument of ours Which be it small our loues must be our pleas small chaines cannot ore-reach the broadest seas GOES WHich is otherwise called Tergoes is the onely places which is left standing on the North-side vpoÌ„ an arme of the Escault called Schenge It is now a good towne beeing since these last troubles much inlarged and fortefied with large rampars and goodly bulwarkes there is reasonable good-trade especially of graine for diars wherewith the countrie abounds There growes also the best wheat of all Zeeland more then they need for their owne vses transporting the surplusage into the other Islands Their hauen is long and straight at the mouth whereof there are two forts one of either side so as nothing can passe without descouery Not farre from this towne is the village of Cloetinghen belonging to the sonne of the deceased Floris of 〈…〉 heire apparent to all that house a little farther off is the village of Barlandt where that learned man Adrianus Barlandus who hath carefully written the chronicles of Brabant and a sommarie of the Earles of Holland Then Cruyningen Zeaetskerke Hynckesandt Capelle Catten-dyke which are all villages and many others In this Island of Zuytbeuelandt there are yet some pleasant groues and busshes fit for hunting for there are many hares found in the Island and great store of wild foule TOLEN IS one of the East Islands of Zeelande belonging to the countrie it is now wholie enuironed with good trenches and some forts betwixt fearing the irruptions of the Spaniards who haue twise or thrise attempted to get footing for there is but one chanell to passe vpon Brabant side It is verie neere the Dyke of Saint Martin for there is but one little chanell which diuides them and therfore some affirme as it is likely that in former times they were two Islands although in effect it be but one in the which are two good little townes both well fortefied with
bulwarkes rampars and counterscarps whereof the first is called by the name of the Island TOLEN THis towne shewes the effect by the name beeing the towle or custome of marchandises due vnto the Prince and now vnto the Estates of the countrie who choose the Officers of Iustice as Bayliffs Sheriffs and others Saint Martins Dyke IS a pretty town some times belonging to Adolph of Bourgogne Siegnior of Beuren the which came afterwards to the house of Buren and now belongs to Philip of Nassau Prince of Orange Earle of Buren by his mother In this territory is the village of Saint Annelandt which is as much to say as a good Bourg belonging also to the sayd Prince Ioyning vnto it is a little Island called Philips Landt these are the foure principall Islands with theâ—r townes Noort-Beuelandt THis Island was drowned as wee haue sayd in the yeare of our Lord 1532. in which inundation there perished the townes of Coortgeen and of Cats the villages of Campen We le Emelisse Haemste and others beeing also the patrimonie of the Prince of Orange which Cont Philippe of Hohenloo his Brother in lawe within these tenne yeares by an agreement made betwixt them hath recouered from the sea and fortefied it rounde about with good bankes so as at this daie it is a good countrie both for tillage and pasture likelie to bee soone built againe with goodly villages as it was wont to bee WOLFERS-DYCK SO called by the name of the Lord Wolphart as much to say as the Dyck of Wolphart it is the least of all these Islands aboue mentioned in the which there are but three villages Wolfers Dyck Sabbinghe and Hogersdyck but there is good pasture for cattel the Inhabitants being most giuen to fishing There are moreouer in Zeeland some other small Islands which are daily recouered from the sea riseing first like bankes of sand so as seeing them thus rise by little and little and to beare grasse they send their sheepe ouer to feede there whereas the shepards haue little lodges and for their cattell they make great barnes or stables where they lie drie in foule weather and there the owners prouide them haye before winter It seemes also that these Islands of Zeeland haue beene recouered from the sea long before Charles Martel Duke of Brabant father to King Pepinne of France wherein the Danes laboured much who in those daies had continual war against the French and great Brittanie for they did choose these sand-hills as a safe retreat for their Incursions vpon the neighbour countries which they made their Rendezvous making it the magasin of their spoiles First they seazed vpon the Isle of Walchren the which they did fortefie as well as they could against the violence of the sea before which enterprise they made many high mounts of earth as are yet to be seene heere and there which remaine vnprofitable some neere vnto townes applied to the vse of Gardens vnto which mountes being any extraordinary tide they did driue their cattel and retyred thether them-selues vntill the waters haue falne and then they returned to their lodgings These Danes or Noortmans hauing thus recouered the country began to Tille it especially after the descent of their great Captaine Duke Rollo who was head of the Norman Nation in France But in the end the Danes being expelled out of great Brittaine they were chased also out of these Ilandes the which in succession of time were peopled and made ciuill And so after many Accidents reuolutions quarrels in these watery parts in the end they were by force made subiect to the Earles of Holland being giuen vnto them long before made a County by the Emperour Lewis the gentle as the Emperor Charles the bald his father had made Holland a County and giuen it to Thierry the first Lord of these two Earldomes But after that the Emperor Henry the third of that name had giuen vnto Baldwin Earle of Flanders this Iland of VValchren and other smal neigbour Ilands there fell great warres betwixt the Flemings and the Hollanders especially that furious battaile in the yeare one thousand two hundred fifty three wheras Floris brother to Cont VVilliam King of Romaines and the Prince of Cleues defeated the Ladie Maguerit Contesse of F landers neere vnto VValchren before the King came in which defeat as histories report there were fifty thousand Flemings slaine as many drowned and almost as many prisoners whom the victors intreated ignominiously stripping theÌ„ naked among the prisoners were the two Commaunders Iohn and Guy of Dompierre sonnes to the Contesse Marguerite with Thybault Earle of Guise Geffrie Earle of Bar and aboue 230. Noble men Knights and men of accoumpt King William being puft vppe with this victory hauing such prisoners would not giue eare to any conditions of peace but such as he propounded to the Contesse which shee would not yeeld vnto But the King beeing slaine two yeares after in Freezeland a peace was made betwixt the Contesse and Floris Brother to the deceased King Vncle and Gardien to his sonne who was Earle of Holland and Zealand named Florens the fift By the which peace it was said that all prisoners should be set at libertie paying great ransomes And that the young Cont Florens shoulde marry Beatrix Neece to the Contesse Marguerite Daughter to Cont Guy her eldest sonne By which Accord and marriage the Flemings did transport and giue in marriage to the said Beatrix all such rights and pretensions as they might haue in the Conties of Zealand and in the Conty of Alost But this was but a counterfet peace and of smal continuance for that Guy of Dompierre being Earle of FlaÌ„ders could not indure that the Earles of Holland should inioy this Iland of Walchren but began to make warre to his great dishonor and preiudice the which could neuer haue any end vntill that all thâ— Seigneuries of Henault Holland Zeland and Frisland fel to the house of Burgonne at one instant in a mâ—nner with the Dutchy of Brabant vnder the good Duke Philip. The Estates of the conty of Zealand which wee haue described consists of the Nobilitie and of the townes of the Ilands of Walchren Schouuen Zuit-Beuelandt Tolen Noort beuelandt newly recouered from the Sea Duyuelandt VVolfersdick and Philâ—ipslandt wherof Prince Maurice is Gouernor Admiral general which Estates hold their general AsseÌ„blie in the town of Middelbourg wheras commonly the colledge of their Deputies do reside who AsseÌ„ble euery day to treat and determine of all occurrents touching the Estate or otherwise in stead of the Court of Zeland in the said town the which was wont to be the Abbay of S. Martin At which Colledge doth first appeare by his Deputy the sayd Prince Maurice in quality of Marquis of La vere the first Gentleman of Zealand speaking for the whole Nobility of Zealand then the Treasoror generall of the country then the Deputies of the townes of Middelbourg Zirczee La-Vere Flissinghe Tergoes Tolen
which are the six principall townes the rest hauing no voyce nor accesse vnto the sayd Estates with their Recorder and Secretary Behold wherin the Estates of Zeland consist In that Court there doth also remaine the Councel or College of the Admiraltie of the saide Contie consisting for the most part of the Deputies of the sayd Estates with an Aduocate â—scall and a Secretarie in which Counsell all Sea-causes are determined The County of Zealand hath drawne vnto it selfe as wee haue said before the chamber of Accoumptes touching the demaines and of all the reuenewes proceeding as well from customes Imposts rents collections and contributions as other dependances of the receits concerning the whole Estate which was wont to be intreated of and decided ioyntly with the Contie of Holland and VVestfreezland for which three there was but one chamber of Accoumptes at the Hage This Chamber of Zealand hath a President Maisters Auditors Registers Vshers and other Officers The said Conty of Zealand hath now a particular coyne established in the Court of Middelbourg which they were not accustomed to haue no more then West-freezeland hauing but one Mynt thirty years since for al three in Dordrecht the capitoll towne of Holland where it remained long and was much priuiledged during the raigne of the Emperor Charles the fift As for their gouernment and religion it is al one with the vnited Prouinces their Confederats Ecclesiastical causes as wel for their discipline as otherwise are referred to their Synodes whereas some Deputies of the Estates do assist All Appellations in ciuill causes be the sentences prouitionall or definitiue of all the Townes Bailywiks and Iurisdictions in the Conty of Zealand Notwithstanding the Estates of this Prouince haue sought to sequester them-selues resort to the Prouincial Councell at the Hage in Holland Except they of Middelbourg who by a special priuiledge haue choyce to appeale to the said Prouinciall Councell or to the great Councell which is also at the Hage like vnto that at Macklyn whereof there is but a reuision before the Councellors deputed out of the vnited Prouinces The sentences of which reuisors are held for holy and inuiolable decrees But criminall sentences are executed without Appeale by euery officer in his Iurisdiction They haue also in Zealand their Dickgraues as in Holland which are Iudges hauing their Iurisdictions apart with certaine assistants or Sheriffes whome they call Geswooren that is to say Iurats to heare determine of all controuersies concerning the entertainment of dikes Sluses large ditches waies fludgates which Dickgraues Iurats are in the Iland of Walchren in manner of a Colledge the which consists of the Marquis of La Vere or his Deputie of the townes and of the Deputies of the best proprietaries in the Iland of Walchren The like is obserued in the other Ilands of the Conty of Zealand euery one according to his priuiledges The Contie of Zutphen THis Conty hath taken his name of the Capitol Towne of the countrie which is Zutphen standing vpon the right banke of the riuer of Issel by the which the riuer of Berckel doth passe which falles into Issell This towne before the first troubles and that the Duke of Alua did exercise his cruelties was rich well traded faire and great with a goodly Bridge to passe towardes the towne of Arnhem in Geldres the which was broken by the Spaniards part of the towne burnt and the Inhabitants miserably intreated which were the first fruites of the Spaniards gouernment Since it hath been twise or thrise taken and re-taken by the one and the other partie hauing continued since the yeare one thousand fiue hundred ninety one vnder the vnited Estates Although that this towne and the Iurisdiction therof be numbred for the third member or quarter of the Dutchy of Geldres it hath yet a long time beene a Conty of it selfe hauing a particular Earle the last whereof was the Earle Gerlache who left no other heires but one Daughter the which was marryed to Otto Earle of Nassau and of Geldres who brought him the said Earldom of Zutphen for her Doury by meanes whereof he augmented his Demaines Since which time the said Towne with the Iurisdiction hath been incorporate to the Dutchy of Geldres subiect to one Chancerie Gouernment Chamber of Accoumptes and making one member at the generall Estates of both Countries which as we haue said before are held in the towne of Arnhem whereas they of the said Towne and Contie haue their Assistants and ordinary Deputies who assist in the Assemblie of the general Estates of the Vnited Prouinces that is to say of euery one of the said quarters and of the Nobility of Geldres who change as the Estates of the Prouince shall thinke it fit The Townes and Iurisdictions of the said Contie are these which follow after the cheefe Towne Doesbourg a league and a halfe from thence Dotecome Bronckhorst Lochom Groll Bredeuoerd Keppel Bourg Sherenbourg which are or haue beene heretofore walled Townes besides many good Villages So as this Conty hath larger limmittes and is richer then that of Namure Wherefore it merites to bee held as it hath alwaies beene and as the Emperour and King Philip haue carryed it in their Titles for one of the seauenteene Prouinces of the Netherlandes And at this present one of the eight vnited and confederate There is in this Contie a generall Officer called Drossart which depends vpon the Chancery of Arnhem Whose Iurisdiction extendes cheefly to the champian country who is bound to bring all Offenders to Arnhem or to the other townes that haue right to take knowledge thereof The townes are gouerned by their Gouernors Councell and other ordinary Officers DOESBOVRG IS an ancient Town which some call Drusiburgum other moderne writers will haue it the same towne which Tacitus names Asciburgum It is seathe at the mouth of Fossa Drusiana or Drusus ditch the which is a chanell which Drusus to keepe his soldiers from idlenesse made them to digge at Isseloort drawing it out of the Rhyne and carrying it into the Riuer of Issell at Doesbourg the which hee made to haue a shorter passage to make warre against the Frisons then if he should haue beene forced to haue gone downe the riuer of Rhyne and so entring into the Brittish sea to haue compassed about all the country of the Battauians and so to haue entred into Frisland by the riuer of Flye It is a good towne and well peopled the which during these wars hath not felt so many alterations as many other townes In the yeare one thousand fiue hundred ninetie eight the Admirall of Arragon Lieutenant of the Arch-duke Albert hauing taken the Towne of Berck vppon the Rhyne and past his armie there he resolued to besiege this towne But Prince Maurice raizing his camp out of the I le of Geldre which they call Gelderscheweert he went and put himselfe into the said towne lodging part of his troopes in a little Iland right against it in the
of France vnto S. Wildeboord the first Bishop and afterwards by the Emperours to his successors all vnder a coullor of pietie which Estate did consist of two Diocesses the one called the lower Diocese where are the capitol Towne of Vtrecht Wick-ter-Duyrsted called Batauodurum Amersfort Rhenen and Montfort with aboue sixtie Boroughs and villages The other was called the high Dioces which contained all the country of Ouerissel where there are fourteene or fifteene townes wherof the three Imperiall and Hans townes are Deuenter Campen and Swolle the which together with the rest now make a Prouince a part which wee will describe hereafter The lower Dioces is good and fertill better manured then the vpper a higher ground and much dryer then Holland which is neere neighbour vnto it to describe which we wil begin with the cheefe towne VTRECHT WAs first as some write it called Antonia or Antonina of one Antony a Romaine Senator who flying Neros tyranie retyred into that quarter and did begin this place Others say that Marc Antony was the founder from whome it tooke the name Some also maintaine that it was so called of Antoninus Pius But be it what it may it is most sure as many affirme and as it may bee gathered by Medalles and other Antiquities that this towne of Vtrecht was for a long time called Antonina whereof there are yet some markes to be seene vpon the Town-house After that the Wiltes had taken and ruined it they built a Fort which they call Wiltenbourg the which was taken by Dagobert sonne to Clotaire King of France who did fortifie it more then before and called it Traiectum for it was a trauers or passage whereas an Impost was paid which in many places in France they call Le droit de Travers the due or right of trauers or passage for all Marchandise that was carryed and recarried on either side and it retaines at this day the name of Traiectum It standes vppon the head of the Rhyne the which past directly there before that they forced it in making a Scluse at Wicter-duyrsted some eight hundred yeares since to cast it selfe into the riuer of Leck passing through which towne it did pierce through Woerden Oudwater and Leyden and did ingulph into the Sea at Catwick yea since it had an other course the waters and chanels which passe by the said townes are at this day called the old Rhyn It is an admirable thing that this towne is so situated that they may go to what towne they please of fiftie which lye round about them in a day the which being shewed visible to Philip the 2. King of Spaine being vppon the place he tooke a wonderful delight And it is most certaine that there were some Noblemen which layed great wagers for the tryal thereof and found it true Moreouer in one of the longest daies in Summer if one parts early in a morning from Vtrecht he may dine at any one of 26. townes where he please return to his own house to supper the Emperor Charles the 5. in the yeare 1542. caused a castle to bee built neere vnto S. Catherins port to keep the town in awe when as by the cession of the Bishop of that place he was put in temporal possession of the said town the dependances the which hee called Vredenbourg that is to say a Castle of peace The Cittie is great mighty wel fortified with ten good Bulwarks flanking one another with their counterscarps and diches al of Masons work and the rampars in like manner some Bulwarks are also of stone the rest only of earth there are goodly buildings furnished with caues vauted sellers There are also goodly churches among the which there are fiue that haue chanoins The first which is the cathedrall church is called Saint Martins the second Saint Sauiour neere vnto it but now pulled downe the 3. Saint Peter the 4. Saint Iohn and the 5. of our Ladies founded by the Emperor Frederic Barberossa hauing bin enioyned therevnto by the Pope to expiate the fault which he had committed in ruining the towne and all the churches and monasteries of Milan But aboue all the cathedrall church is stately hauing a faire high goodly tower transparent in the which the sayd Emperor Charles the 5. did celebrate the order of the golden fleece in the yeare 1546. the old temple was pulled down by the bishop Adelbold for that he held it to bee too little and did reedefie it in the estate we now see it This new temple was consecrated in the yeare 1023. in the presence of the Emperor Henry the 2. by 12. bishops There are also in the same towne two commanders one of the knights of Malta and the other of the order of the Teutons vnder the great Maister of Prussia both hauing churches and very stately lodgings either of them hauing his commander Hee of Malta is called the Bayliff of S. Catherins and the other carries the name of commander or great Prior of the Prouince by reason that he hath vnder him many small commanderies and great possessions in many places of the Netherlands They hold an honorable ranke and doe good to many which are entertained by the bounty of these men as chanoins abbayes and monasteries which are in the sayd towne who although there be no other publicke exercise then of the reformed religion hold their prebends and entertainments the cloysters within precinct of the towne standing as they did except the houses of begging Friars which are applied to other vses Of which abbaies and cloisters there is that of Saint Paul of the order of Saint Benet and two of gentlewomen There were also three of gentlewomen without the town but these last warres haue beene the cause of their ruine fearing to leaue lodgings for their enemies beeing to neere the towne but the Nunnes enioye their entertainement and when any Monke or Nunne dies the Estates of the Prouince put others in their places to ease the poorer sort of the gentrie The cittizens of this cittie are courteous ciuill industrious and ritche amongst whome there are and haue alwaies beene men that are vertuous and of great valour and aboue all Pope Adrian the sixth of that name first of all a Doctor of both lawes whereon hee hath written goodly workes and withall hee was a great Mathematician Hee obtained in the vniuersitie of Lovaine where hee studied long without seeking it diuers degrees of honour and not without profit and so sparing his reuenues hee founded and built a colledge which at this day doth honour his memorie whose fame was so pleasing to all men as hee was chosen to bee Scholemaster to the Emperour Charles the fifth in his Infancie by whose Maiestie hee was sent Ambassador into Spaine to the King Don Fernando of Arragon who for his merittes made him bishoppe of Tortoso Beeing afterwardes recommended to the Pope by the Emperour Maximilian the first hee was made Cardinall The King Don Fernando and
house declyning as wee haue shewed in the chapter of the Nobility of Holland AMERSFORT THis towne was in olde time built at twise for there is a little towne al walled about in the very midest of an other greater the which at this present is verie strong with rampars and bulwarks flanking one an other and large ditches It is three leagues from Vtrecht standing vpon a little riuer which they cal Do. It hath beene often taken and retaken by the Geldrois the last was in the yeare 1543. when as Martin van Rossen Marshall of the Duke of Geldres army tooke it by force but he sodenly yeelded it againe according to the accord made in the towne of Venlo betwixt the Emperor and the sayd Duke To speake the truth it is a faire and a good towne well peopled for a land towne the inhabitants are courteous and of good conuersation among the which there are many learned men and louers of musicke who in certaine daies of the weeke meet togither in honest company to make musicke for the which they haue certaine gardins and faire chambers of the sworne companies as pleasant in sommer as can bee seene in any place whersoeuer and in winter they make choise of some of their houses Maister Iohn Fouck Prouost of our Ladies church in Vtrecht was borne in this towne he was honored with other degrees and Ecclesiastical dignities a learned and vertuous man and therefore he was called by the King into Spaine and there made President of the councell of the Netherlands for the affaires of Flanders In this towne was also borne that great personage Iohn of Oldenbarneuelt Knight Siegnior of Tempel and Groeneuclt first councellor and aduocate for the county of Holland and West-Frisland a man of great Iudgement and experience vpon whom the affaires of Estate do chiefely depend not only for the said coūty but also of the generall Estates of the vnited Prouinces which remaine not at the Hage in Hollād RHENEN SO called for that it is situated vpon the banke of Rhine fiue good leagues from Vtrecht as much from Arnhem in Geldres whereas they doe most commonly dine going or comming from one of these two townes vnto the other which is a great passage towards Deuenter Zutphen Doesbourg and other places as well in Geldres as Cleues or to Cologne or any place where they please in Germany This towne hath towardes Vtrecht a large country the soile whereof is fit to make turfes to burne but not so good and durable neither make they so good a cole as those of Holland And a league frō thence there hath beene within these 60. yeares a village built more for the making of these turfes then for any other reason There remaines yet some forme of a castle in this towne the which is little and of small importance if this great passage were not which makes it to be frequented It consists most of Innes and Tauerns It hath also suffred much during the warres against the Geldrois MONTFORT THis towne hath a particular Lord at this day who writs himself Vicont of Montfort it stands vpon the riuer of Yssel a league in equal distance frō the townes of Woorden Oudewater Iselsteyn The place is little but strong founded by Godfry of Rhenē bishop of Vtrecht to serue as a bar fronter against Holland who did also build against the Geldrois the castle of Horst against the Traiectins the towne of Woerden and against the Frisons Vollenhouen in the contry of Oueryssel the which appeeres sufficiently by his Epitaph Godefride tui Rhenanam prouidus arcem donasti iuris aereque mox proprio Quatuor en patriae largus munimina nostrae Horst Woerd et Monfort construis et Volenhoe Wise Godfrey first with Rhenen did enlarge our state and then at his owne cost and charge He Montfort Venlo Horst and Woerdt did reare the foure chiefe forts that keepe our foes in feare Lambertus Hortensius a learned man who hath composed many good bookes was borne in this twon Of the Estate of Vtrecht in generall THe Bishoprike and Estate of Vtrecht was in former times very great and powerfull the which Charles the Bald King of France did with the temporalty make an Earledome wherevpon there grew great and long warres betwixt the bishops of Vtrecht the Earles of Holland for that the bishops sought to recouer by fauour of the Emperors all their ancient demeins granted vnto them by Dagobert and Charles the Bald And the Earles of Holland seeking to maintaine yea to augment that which had bin newly giuen them were supported by the Kings of France I say that this Estate was in old time so great and their territories so large as Aeneas Siluius otherwise called Pope Pius the 2. doth write as the bishop or prince therof might at need put 40000. armed men of his owne naturall subiects to field And although they had continuall warres against their neighbors wherof they themselues were euer the first motiues as the Hollanders Frisons and Geldrois yet they made head against thē all as well as they could as appeered by Godfrie of Rhenen But in the latter age Charles of Egmond duke of Geldres a proud Prince warlike and fierce made such sharpe warres against the Bishops of Vtrecht as he reduced them to great extremitie especially Henry of Bauaria brother the the Cont Palatin of Rhine from whom hee tooke a great part of his Siegneury as well of the higher as the lower diocese Moreouer the cittizens of Vtrecht were grown so proud by reason of their freedomes and preuiledges and so insolent by reason of their welth as they grew into factions among themselues causing many disorders in their towne and attempting against their bishops they did often reuolt against them if they were not chosen according to their humors they would not accept them but did them a thousand indignities yea killing their Officers taking some prisoners before their faces not without danger to the bishoppes owne person who was forced to escape their fury to fly to his castles of Wyok or Horst The last reuolt and affront which they did vnto their Prince and bishop was vnto the aboue name Henry of Bauaria who had enioyed this dignitie foure yeares beeing incensed against him hauing beene one day abroad in the country and returning home at night they shut the gates against him and would not suffer him to enter into the towne and which was worse soone after they receiued Martin van Rossen Marshall of the campe to the Duke of Geldres into the towne with a garrison of Geldrois who from thence did wonderfully annoy the Hollanders and at one time made an incursion as farre as the Hage the which they spoyled and retired safely with their bootie to Vtrecht Bishop Henry seeing himselfe thus braued by the Geldrois and by his owne subiects resolued to cast himselfe into the armes of the Emperor Charles the fifth and to transport vnto him all that
owne priuate name as well for him-selfe as for his successors lawfully descended from him The which he did easily obtaine And by this meanes the Citties Townes Territorie and Iurisdiction of the Estate and Seigneiury of Vtrecht which had bene gouerned by their proper Princes and Bishops aboue nine hundred yeare came vnder the obedience of the Emperor Charles the fift and after him to his sonne Philip the second King of Spaine Duke of Brabant Earle of Holland c. Of which Estate of Vtrecht being two Diocesses the Emperor made two Estates reducing them into two Prouinces which make the number of seauenteene in the Netherlands that is into the prouince of Vtrecht that of Oueryssel That of Vtrecht making the fourth in ranke of the confederate Belgick Prouinces vnder the generall Estates and that of Oueryssel the fift hauing their voyces and suffrages in that order in their Cessions The Estates of which Prouince of Vtrecht consist at this day as in former times of three members the Clergie of fiue Colledges that haue Chanoins the Nobility and the townes Of which Colledges the Deputies are indifferently chosen to assist daily in their Assemblies with them of the Nobility and townes who haue their Secretaries and other Officers This Seigneury of Vtrecht hath as we haue said a Prouincial Councel from which at this present there is no appellation as had bin heretofore to the Imperial Chamber at Spier at such time as it was meerly a member of the Empire but since that the Emperor Charles the 5. did vnite it to his demaines excluding the said Imperiall Chamber hee made it subiect to the great Councel at Macklyn vntil that the Estates of the said country and of Oueryssel hauing within these thirty yeares recouered their libertie it hath bene discontinued Notwithstanding in case of remission they may haue their recourse vnto the Estates of the Prouince where as the reuision is made by the same Acts In which Prouincial Councel there is a president six Councellors an Attourney general and a Register The Chamber of accoumpt is kept by the colledge of the Estates wheras the Tresorers as well generall as particular are bound to come and yeeld vp their Accoumpt The said Seigneury hath also a particular Mynt as it hath alwaies had the which is also subiect to the general of the Mynte for the vnited Estates The gouernment and Religion is generally maintained as in other Prouinces their confederats There are foure Marshals for the whole Seigneury euery one of which hauing charge in the quarters that are assigned them where they are to command their Archers to apprehend all vagabonds and other offenders which they shall meet in the country The deceased Prince of Orange of famous memory was Gouernor of this Prouince as of Holland and Zealand placed there by King Philip before his last returne towards Spaine after the violent death of the said Prince the vnited Estates did subrogat Prince Maurice of Nassau his sonne Marquis of La Vere and Flissingue making him more ouer their Captain General and Admirall of all the vnited Prouinces as he is at this present FRISLAND NO man can denie but this Frison Nation is very ancient as it appeares by the ancient greeke and latin writers as Strabo Ptolomey Plinie Tacitus and others for it retaines at this day the same seat and the same name which they gaue them and had before them Seeing that in a manner al other Nations of Germany haue either quit their old abodes or else haue receiued new names the which needes no farre fetcht proofes seeing their neerest neighbours do verifie it For the names of Holland Vtrecht Ouerissel Westphalia and others were neuer knowne by any of the aboue named Authors neither was the name of Geldre euer in vse the Inhabitants whereof and of Cleues Iuilliers Monts Berghe were then called Sicambres but eight hundred seauenty eight yeares after the Natiuitie of our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST That which they now call the country of Saxony was not the abode of the ancient Saxons wherof Ptolomey makes mention So as it is hard for moderne writers to iudge by reason of the alteratiō of names if those which be at this present neighbours vnto Frisland bee the same Nations which in ancient time were wont to be or whether they bee now more remote But as for the Frisons there is no dispute nor doubt wherof to giue more firme and solide reasons both of the name and of the Antiquity the Reader shal vnderstand that the succession of their Princes the families the foundation of townes castles and villages may in their regard bee drawne if not farther yet with more certainty then any other Nation of Germany The Danes although they bee very ancient and equal touching their beginning with the Frisons cannot make a true extraction nor giue a reason of the time but since their King Frotho the third during whose raigne our Sauiour IESVS CHRIST was borne The Franconians likewise although they bee very old whatsoeuer they pretend that their freedome was purchased in the seruice of the Romaine Emperours yet are they in doubt of their first beginning issue and denomination so as they cannot decipher their true and continned Chronologie but since Charlemaignes time But the Frisons hauing to this day alwaies kept one name and one dwelling may directly and by a plain computation of times report their gestes from the beginning vnto the ending so hauing taken beginning 313. yeares before CHRIST and since that time foure times made proofe of the change and Estate of their Common weale they may by a cleer computation of yeares shew how long they were vnder princes then vnder dukes after vnder Kings vnto Charlemaigne and since vnder Podestates vntill their Anarchia how long also vnder the Factions vnto the resignation which George Duke of Saxony made vnto the Emperour Charles the fift and how long vnder the house of Austria vntil their Emancepation and liberty which they inioy at this present prouing from the beginning of their Princes the foundation and building of the towne of Staueren which then was the cheefe of al the Realme of Frisland By reason of which Antiquity this town hath had a prerogatiue from the Kinges of Denmarke that in passing the straight of the Sonde their ships haue priuiledge to go first before all others either going or comming out which must attend their turnes but not those of Staueren which must bee presently dispatcht by the Impost gatherers To describe the questions which are betwixt the ancient and moderne Authors to find out the truth from what place Friso and his two bretheren Bruno and Saxo are first descended were in my opinion a tedious and endlesse labour seeing they can determine nothing that is certaine no more then of the Ancestors of these three princes which some maintained to be descended from Ragau sonne to Sem the sonne of Noe But it appeares plainely that they were of the reliques of the Macedonian
succeeded him named VVilliam the first who had Dibauldi Dibauld had VVilliam the second who had Elim hee dyed without heires male and in him fayled the lyne of this Thierry Hauing before his death adopted Beroald beeing but seauen yeares old the son of Richold the second of that name the third King of Frisland so as al these Dukes of West-Frisland successiuely raigned two hundred thirty three yeares fiue and twentie yeares after the death of Elim in the yeare of Christ fiue hundred thirty three Beroald after the death of Richold his father did inherit the Realme of East Frisland Thus were the two Frislands vnited together the which Beroald inioyed sixtie yeares whereof he was afterwards depriued and of his life also by Clotaire the second of that name King of France father to Dagobert Notwithstanding Adgill the second succeeded him and after him Gombauld then Radbod the second whome Charlemaigne vanquished and freed the Frisons from the yoake of Kinges restoring them to their liberty to whome hee gaue goodly priuiledges the which they haue long maintained with the prise of their bloods Since the Frisons were long vnder an Aristocraticall Gouernment sometimes vnder Potestates whom they did chose them-selues and not able to agree vppon the election by reason of dangerous factions the Earles of Holland hauing in succession of time and long warres seazed vpon that part which they now call West-Frisland and Waterlandt the which the Hollanders will haue but the Inhabitants of the country cannot indure it called Northolland On the other side the dukes of Brunswicke the Hans townes of Breme and Hambourg the Earle of Oldenbourg Schowenbourg and Embden haue vsurped much of East Frislād euen vnto the Territory of Groning the which although it be an Estate territory apart is cōprehended notwithstanding vnder the territory of that which hereafter we will simply call Frisland inclosed betwixt the Flye and Ems to distinguish it from East-Frisland held by the Earles of Embden and West-Frisland anexed to the county of Holland That then which we will simply call Frisland and the Inhabitants Frisons as Tolomcy and Tacitus tearme them saying that they are Germaines and people from beyond the Rhine whom Pliny calls Cauches the great and the lesse are Aborigines or originally come from that place who aboue all the people of Germanie retaine their ancient appellation keeping in their ancient and first seat hauing the same language they haue alwaies had True it is that in the chiefe townes they vse the Dutch-tongue but in the champian country they keepe their Frison language which the gentlemen take pleasure to entertaine in regard of the antiquitie Although I bee well acquainted with the high and low Dutch tongue yet I must confesse that in this ancient Frison language I vnderstand nothing Wee haue sayd before that the Frisons did for a time entertaine themselues vnder factions wee must therefore relate succinctly the beginning thereof which was that in the yeare of our redemption 1390. there did rise two factions in the country of Frisland the one Vetcoopers which signifies in their vulgar tongue marchants of grease that is to say marchants of fat oxen which they hold for an honest kinde of marchandise and of Schyeringers which are butchers and sellers of tripes which is a base kinde of trade which factions they say came from East and West Frisland The first spring and beginning thereof was that all these marchants of cattell and the butchers beeing togither at a publick banket according to their custome there was a guest to choose a Prouost a Deane or a King amongst them whose charge should bee to looke that no disorder should bee committed which might trouble the companie There was amongst them of either of these two companies one that exceeded the rest and both equall in wealth in respect and loue towards all the guests Whom both the one and the other partie contended to chose their Deane Prouost or King the one and the other maintayning that this dignity authority at the table was most befitting him that had the honestest trade Wherevpon a question grew among them which of those two marchandise was the honestest the one preferring the marchants of cattell the other the butchers Vpon which dispute their braines being het with wine in the end they fell from words to blowes one against an other party against party euery one with his Allies and Kinsmen meaning to maintaine the one quarrell or the other so as in the end there was a great fight in the which many were either hurt or slaine In reuenge whereof either party holding it selfe wronged they began to make factions and to bandie one against an other so as this canker eating more and more strangers who had no interest nor were any way wronged ingaged themselues vpon hope of bootie of the one or the other partie euerie one wresting what hee could from his Aduersarie without either lawe or iustice so confused were things then and full of disorder but such as they made by the sworde where as the strongest carried it The fruits of these factions were such as they not onely rained amongst priuate persons but amongst whole fam lies villages bourrougs and townes yea among whole Prouinces so as the whole country was ful of thefts and murthers and no man was free from their insolencies In like maner about that time Hollād was afflicted with the factions of Hoecks and Cabillaux that is to say the Hamesons and the Merlus wherof we haue made mentiō heretofore which was that the one party as the Merlus or Coddes bee fishes which prey did threaten to deuower the other and they of the Hamesons did threaten to take the others by the throat which to speake truth were quarrels scarce fit for children And at that time were the factions of Gelphes Gibelins in Italy Of the diuersity of colloured caps in Flanders of those of the starre in France al which were factions raised from the diuill This mischiefe proceeded so farre in Frisland as from the lesse it came to the greater and from Marchants and Bourgers to the Nobility and Clergie The gentlemen ruining the houses castles one of an other and the Abbots and Monks doing al the mischief they could one vnto an other So as to appease these factions and to reconcile the Noblemen the Emperor Maximilian the first sent Otto van Langen to perswade them to choose a Potestat amongst them which should gouerne the country according to their preuiledges vnder the authority of the Empire But their splene was so great as euery one seeking to choose one of their faction the sayd commissioner preuailed nothing but returned as hee came So as the Emperour to force them to an accord tooke occasion to giue the gouernment hereditary of all Frisland and Groning to the house of Saxony to hold it in fee of the Empire For the attayning whereof the Dukes of Saxony hauing spent a great part of their means with
vnto the Port and not farre from it whereas a great number of Shippes may lye safely The rest of the Towne that is inlarged is fortified with good rampars and Bulwarks There are two chanells which comming from the sea to the olde hauen passe through the towne whereof the one goes to Franiker a league from thence from whence at all houres of the day Boates doe go with passengers at an easie rate This towne being thus situated vppon the Sea hath the best hauen and neerest vnto the sea of any other in all Frisland where they are rich Marchants who besides their ordinary trade in the country aduenter much in long voyages for the which they make goodly shippes SNECK IS a good little country Towne seated in a plaine three leagues from Leuwarden and one from Ilst the which hath Deputies also at the Estates of Frisland Heretofore it had goodly Cloysters both within and without the town the which at this day are all ruined and applyed to other vses and their reuenues imployed to the common cause or to some workes of Hospitality Piety or Schooles It is honoured for that it is the place where Doctor Hopperus was borne who hath written many goodly workes with great credit and hath ioyned practise wisdom to his knowledge for which respect he was first of the Priue Counsell for the King of Spaine at Brussels and from thence was called into Spaine to supply the place of Tiseuach President of the Counsell of Estate for the Netherlands SLOTEN A Little towne neere vnto the gulph of the Zuyderzee lying on the South part vppon the sea a league and a halfe from Staueren it hath no other trade then Nauigation and that which depends on the sea ILST STandes vppon the VVest halfe a league from Sneeke and vppon the Nortwest a League from Bolswaert on the South side as farre from Sloten It is an open towne yet hath it municipal lawes it is inuironed with a large ditch which may defend it from the incursions of the enemies or of any other insolent persons It consists of two long rankes of faire houses from the East vnto the West through the which doth passe a chanell the which on either banke is planted with high trees which do beautifie the towne There is but one Parish Church which was wont to be a Couent of Carmelites being ruined in these last troubles but the Temple stands stil It appeares by the Antiquities of Frisland that in the yeare one thousand two hundred sixty three this town was one of the most ancient of the country famous for their Nauigation and trafficke Now it is the Store-house for ship-timber for such vessels as passe from one place vnto an other within the country more then to any other towne in Frisland Albert Duke of Saxony according to the Donation made vnto him by the Emperour Maximillian the first of the Hereditary gouernment of Frisland tooke possession of that towne as the whole Iurisdiction of VVestergoe and moreouer being neere vnto that of the seauen Forests after that hee had raized the siege and freed his son at Franiker hee became in a manner Maister of all Frisland WORCVM TO speake truly is but a good Bourough yet hath it the priuiledges of a Towne ioyning vppon the sea entering into it by a great Scluse which pierceth the banke a League fom Bolswaert from whence I haue gone thether both by water and by land It hath also a Chanell from one end vnto an other which goes vnto the sayd Scluse According to the situation it is a place which hath good meanes to liue in and good cheape It is gouerned by Bourguemaisters and Aldermen but for all matters of Iustice it resorts to the Prouinciall Councell at Leuwaerden HINDELOPEN SO called by reason of the retreate of the wilde beastes at such time as Frisland was halfe Forest which they doe call Hinden in their countrie language and Loopen which is to runne which is as much to say as the course and recourse of Stagges and Hindes it was first a place for hunting then by a little and a little made a Village and the Sea eating vp to it which gaue it a good roade it became a Bourough well knowne at this daie for their Nauigation which is the peoples cheefe practise Hauing described the two principal quarters of Frisland that is Ostergoe and Westergoe with their townes we must now speake of THE SEAVEN FORESTS THis quarter so called by reason of the seauen Forests which were wont to bee there but now turned for the most part into pasture and land for tillage which make the third quarter of Frisland consisting of eight Gretenies or Baylywicks all which together haue seauenty fiue villages among the which there are good Borroughs the which ioyntly haue their Deputies bee they Gryetmen or others at the ordinary Assemblie of the Estates of the said Prouince in the towne of Leuwaerden These names should bee troublesome to the Reader by reason of the strangenesse therof to set downe in writing the appellations of all the Gretenies of the three quarters of Frisland beeing in number 28. the which I cannot terme more properly then Bailywicks their Grietmen Bailiffs There are some Ilandes depending vppon Frisand among the wich Amelandt Schellinck are the chiefe the first belonging to a particular Lord who during the troubles hath held it free and neural paying some contribution vnto the Admiralty of Dunkerke so as the ships of the said Iland might saile freely to al places as also the Dunkerkers might go and refresh them-selues in the sayd Iland there are three good Villages in the said Iland besides Amelandt whereas the Seignior hath his lodging recouered from the sea The Estates of the said country haue also within these thirty yeares a good portion of ground which they call the Bildt which is now wel defended with Dikes and is made the fertilest quarter in al Frisland where they haue appointed a Bayliffe or Receiuer for it is of great proffit and reuenue There are in diuers parts of Frisland turfes some hard and firme others more light which make not so good coale as the first and wheras they haue no turfes the Peasants vse the dung of their cattel with which they cutte reedes very small and mingle it together and then they dry it for the Winter they say that bacon dryed with this fire is more firme then any other This Country yeeldes many good and strong Horses which are transported through all Europe as also great Oxen and very fatte Their Kine are very fertill the which do often bring forth two calues at once the ewes two or three lambs and sometimes foure together where the Sheepe are very bigge of bodie but not so sweete and sauory as those of Berry Arthois Cempenie in Brabant which haue a dry feed and are lesse OVERYSSELL THis Conty of Oueryssell in former times vnder the Principallitie of the Bishops of Vtrecht was then called
of the Estates it was much better fortified then before It hath agoodly bridge vpon the riuer at the end whereof they did then build a good fort to defend it by which bridge they may goe both on horse-backe Wagon and foote to all the townes of Ouerysel Friseland and Groning or else if they will by the chanells which rune through the country Hauing past this bridge going towards Vollenhouen Geelmuyden you enter into a goodly great and spatious pasture full of diches which they cal Maester brouk which yeelds as good butter and cheese as any part in Holland besides that in a short time it fats a great number of goodly Oxen. This pasture hath at the least foure leagues in circuit from the bridge of Campen vnto Geelmuyden along the riuer of Vidre passing before the towne of Hasselt then passing on to Swolle it returnes from thence to Campen which circuit is a halfe dayes iorny It is good cheape lyuing in this towne there is aboundance of fresh water fish and good cheape as Salmon Sturgion Carpes Barbels and Pikes I did once buy three Carpes there either being a foote and a halfe long for sixe Patars a peece the which tide to the barke and swimming in the Zuyderzee I brought a liue to Amsterdam All sorts of victuall are good cheape there especially foules and Ducke and Mallard This towne is full of Gentlemen and learned men the houses are faire and high built and streets very cleane It is much inlarged and beautified within these twelue or thirteene yeares The Magistrates are affable and the people ciuill and courteous whereas those that are fled thether for relligion are kindly entertayned yea they are drawne thether to set vp their trades being very fit for it for that the Marchants and workemen may goe in one night with a good wind to Amsterdam and going from thence at night after the dispach of their busines they may bee the next day againe at their owne houses which is a great commodity This towne hath priuiledge to coyne mony and they carefully entertaine a free schole SWOLLE IS a land towne of a round forme situated vpon a little Brooke running into the riuer of Vidre and from thence by the blacke water into the Zuyderzee It is held to bee strong hauing euer had double walles and double diches since these troubles it hath beene fortified with new rampars and Bulwarks In former times it was wont in time of daunger to bee the retreat of the Gouernor and of the Councell of that country who made his residence at Vollenhouen It is good cheape liuing there but the streets are not so cleane kept as at Campen by reason of the Cattell which they keepe within the towne and the great multitude of Wagons which come thether from all parts for it is of greater trafficke then Campen It hath not bene any way anoyed by siege during these troubles like to Deuenter and Campen being fallen into the Estates power by the preuention of the well affected Burgers who chased away them of the Spanish faction whereby they are become rich It hath two chanels which passe through it vpon the greatest of them stands the Market place which is faire and spatious and ioyning vnto it the great Temple of Saint Michel then a little lower is our Ladies Church In honor of this Town these foure latin verses were made Swolla diu celebris meruit virtutibus arma Quae populum fortem nobilitare solent Inde salutifera vetere pâ—etate fid que In Tripolim recipi faedere digna fuit Swolls vertue whilom got these armes that grace the vndanted troop that won them and their race And for hir faith and Martial brood 't was shee was only held fit guard for Tripoli For that it is the third imperial Hans Town of this Prouince of Oueryssell hauing priuiledge to coine both gold and siluer as the two others wee haue described these three chiefe Townes let vs now come vnto the lesser but strong and wel fortified STEENWYCK IS situated vpon a brooke called Blockerzyel comming out of the country not far from the towne and falls nere vnto Vollenhouen into the Zuyderzee In lesse then twenty years it felt two sieges the one by Charles Earle of Mansfeldt for the Prince of Parma who was forced to retire the towne beeing victualed by Count William Lewis of Nassau Philippe Earle of Hohenloo and Generall Norris Being afterwards surprised by the Spaniards Prince Maurice went to besiege it in the yeare of our Lord 1592. the which hee did so importune both by batterie and myne as notwithstanding the great losse of his men he himselfe being also shot in the cheeke hee forced them to yeeld by composition It is not ten yeares since the Spaniards made an other enterprise but it succeeded not It was much defaced by these two sieges but it now begins to recouer it selfe HASSEL THis town is called Hassel vpon the Vidre to distinguish it from Hassel nere vnto Tongre in the country of Liege it is two leagues from Volenhouen in ancient time a good and ritch towne by reason of the commoditie of the riuer of Vidre which runnes into the Zuyderzee at Gheelmuyden beeing mingled with the two little riuers of Regge and Veecht It is at this day reasonably well fortefied but it hath no such trafficke as it it was accustomed yet it is a prettie towne and well gouerned OLDENZEEL IS the towne which they call in Latin Veteres Salij from whence some will maintaine but without any great ground that the lawe Salike comes It hath also felt the fruits of their last warres hauing beene besieged in the yeare of our Lord 1605. and yeelded to the Marquis Spinola for the Arch-dukes Albertus and Isabella of Austria Dukes of Brabant Earles of Flanders c. It is a reasonable great towne and of good trade where they make great store of fine lynen cloth which they sell in the Netherlands and is sent into Spaine OTMARSVM IS called in Latin Veteres Marsii which are the old Marsians whom Pliny and Titus Liuius doe often mention being seated in the country of the Tubantins which at this present is Tuent a quarter in the Prouice of Oueryssel It is a little towne and of small importance yet hath it thrise tasted the fruites of warre as well by siege as otherwise Beeing vnable to endure a long siege by reason of the weaknesse thereof lying in an open country whereas either partie being Maister of the field might easily cut off their victualls In the yeare 1592. Prince Maurice tooke it in lesse then foure and twenty houres where as the Siegnior of Famas Generall of the artillery for the Estates was slaine a gentleman much lamented by the Prince and of all men of warre of his partie within these three yeares the Marquis Spinola recouered it with as much ease To conclude this towne and Oldenzeel are so weake as they must yeelde to the first enemie that comes with
Iudges kept in awe the iurisdiction maintained the pride of the ritch and mighty restrained and the Edicts belonging to the common-weale concerning their authoritie published For the which the Magistrate or Senate of the towne chuse fiue honorable persons fit for those charges to bee renewed euery yeare if for their sufficiencie and merittes they bee not continued two or three yeares these are called Hoft-mannem they are seldome chosen if they haue beene Bourgue-maisters Senators or of the councell These fiue Hoft-mannem tooke knowledge of all things were it by themselues alone or ioyntly with the Senate Their Court was called their iudiciall chamber their authoritie was great ouer all the champian country which by little and little did extend beyond the riuer of Lanâ—vers and then into Ostergoe and Westergoe two chiefe Cantons of Frisland wheerby there grewe great quarrells betwixt the Groningers and Frisons yea among the Frisons themselues diuided into those two cursed factions of the Schyeringers and Wetcoopers To pacefie the which the Emperor Frederick the 3. sent Otto van Langhen a Chanoine of Ments and his councellor into Frisland but hee returned without any effect by reason of the wilfulnesse of the Schieringers The Emperor Frederick dying soone after Maximilian the first his son succeeded in the Empire who sent the same Otto van Langhen again into Frisland with an ample commission giuing them authority as they had before time to choose a Potestate which is as much to say as a Prouinciall Gouernor and to settle the Frisons in their ancient liberties whereby the Groeningers had beene excluded from the confederation which they had with them of Ostergoe and Westergoe But although the Frisons were well inclined to this Election of a Potestate wherein they proceeded so farre as there was one chosen of the chiefe of their Nobilitie and well qualified yet one of the factions held him for suspect either partie desyring to haue one of his league where-vpon their hatred did so increase as Otto preuayled no more then at the first which made the Emperour Maximilian to giue the gouernment Hereditarie of Frisland and Groningue to Duke Albertus of Saxonie as wee shewed in the description of Frisland Duke Albertus hauing afterwards broken this confederation betwixt them of Groening and Frisland ouer whom hee held himselfe halfe Maister seeking to dispose of all things at his pleasure as well within the towne of Groening as in the Ommelands where hee pretended an absolute superioritie which they beeing vnwilling to yeeld vnto hee went to besiege the towne of Groening the which after a long siege hauing endured many Indignities from Duke Albertus and fearing in the end a badde issue of this warre they did call in and receiue for their Protector Hereditarie Edsard Earle of Embden or rather of East-Frisland Lieutenant at that siege to the Duke but discontented with Collonel Vyt vppon certaine conditions amongst others to build a fort or block-house the which was done The Duke seeing himselfe deceiued by the Earle and disapointed of so goodly a prey ment for the recouery thereof to imploy all his meanes holding the Frisons to bee halfe vanquished The Groeningers seeing the Emperour to imbrace the Dukes quarrell and that there was a proscription sent out by the Empire against Cont Edsard who could hardly free himselfe much lesse protect them rather then to fal vnder the proud gouernment of the Saxons they called in Charles Duke of Geldre a Prince that was stirring high minded to vndertake their protection vpon the same conditions that they had receiued Cont Edsard onely the fort which he had built should be razed the which the Geldrois to augment his Signeuries would not neglect sending the Seignior of Oyen to take possession and thus the towne and state of Groning fell into the hands of the Geldrois which was the cause of great warres betwixt the two Dukes of Saxony and Geldres The Geldrois being put in possession of the towne in the yeare 1518. and of the Ommelandes 1521. as such an actiue spirit cannot containe him-selfe within his bounds hee began soone after to attempt as well vp on the rights of the towne as the preuiledges of the Ommelandes The Groningers hauing discouered his practises with Captaine Meinard van Ham for the King of Denmarke vpon the towne of Dam which is of their iurisdiction the which hee pretended to fortefie to keepe Groening in subiection and then to doe all things at his pleasure They seeing them-selues thus circumuented and knowing the dukes intention grew cold in their affection which they did first beare him turning it to the house of Bourgongne where-vpon hauing resolued with the consent of the Ommelands they did write vnto George Schencke Baron of Tautenburg knight of the order of the Golden-fleece gouernor of Friseland for the Emperor Charles the fift according to the resignation which the Duke of Saxony had made vnto him to which effect the sayd Seignor Schencke hauing receiued commission from the Lady Mary Queene of Hungary sister to the Emperor marched with all the forces hee could thether where he entred in Iune in the yeare 1536. and there receiued their oth of fidelity in the Emperors name as Duke of Brabant Earle of Flanders Holland Zeeland c. Lord of Friseland and Ouerissel but vpon certaine conditions that the members and state of the Seigneury of Groning should hold their priuiledges right and statutes as they had receaued them from their ancestors that the towne should hold their ancient Preture and the foraine that they should build a pallace in the towne for the Emperor fit for a Prince but without any fortification the forts in the country should be razed noe new built if necessity did not require it for the defence of the country and of the towne out of whose reuenues there should be yearely payed vnto the Emperor to his successors 12000. crownes vpoÌ„ which conditioÌ„ Phillip K of Spaine was receiuedin Ianuary 1550. Among all the priuiledges of the said towne they haue one very notable which came from their ancestors with an inviolable contynuation which is That noe King Prince Estate nor common-weale can call any Bourger or Cittizen of that towne into iustice nor cause him to bee cited or adiorned before any court but onely before the Senat or his ordinary iudge more-ouer that noe man might appeale from any sentence that were giuen either in ciuill or cryminall causes neither from the court of Hoffmans or iudiciall chamber in that which concernes their iurisdiction from the which no man of what quality so euer may decline moreouer the towne is Lady and mistrisse of her owne lawes and statutes the which by a soueraigne power they may make and vndoe create and abrogate without the authority of any person The Estates of the Ommelands haue also the like authority in their regard The towne hath had a priuiledge to coyne siluer and copper for these foure hundred years and gold since