growne rich though it may seeme contrary to nature and reason do vvonderfully flourish as appeares by their fortes number of great townes and sumptuous buildings So that the low countries may generally vaâ—nt to be according to the bignesle thereof in number of great strong and vvell peopled Cities and Fortes the excellenrest countrey in the world in vvhich for the space of fortie yeres that the warre continued the brauest soldiers of Europe haue been and yet are trained vp and exercised in the schoole of Mars If any desire to reade a more ample description of these Low-countries let him for Brabant read Adrianus Barlandus for Flanders Iacobus Marchantius for Holland Adrianus Iunius the Hollander borne in Horne or the generall description of the Low-countries written by Lodouico Guicciardin all which may giue him better satisfaction For it sufficeth me to haue written thus much briefely and as it were by the way ¶ A description of the Hague and Court of Holland As also by whom and when the sayd Court was builded and to what end BEsides all the goodlie rich pleasant and walled towns of Holland there are diuers and sundrie Seigniories or townes not walled sumptuously built and so inriched as in beautifull stately building doe not onely equall many Cities but farre excell them being by their Princes and Lords adorned with sundrie priuiledges Among which there is none more excellent beautifull better seated or plesanter than the Hague of the Earles which because it is such was chosen by the Princes and Earles of the countrie for their delightfull aboad there establishing their Priuie Councell and Court of Iustice where all suits pleas and controuersies of Holland and Zeland are debated and decided The Hague in wealth stately buildings pleasant gardens and great number of Nobilitie surpasseth diuers cities of Holland and Zeland there are in it more than 2000 great and goodlie houses and many new are daylie built yea whole streets Among all the great and goodly houses of the Nobilitie in the Hague there is none more stately and magnificent than that which is called the Court of Holland Which rightly may bee termed Royall because it was built in anno 1249 by Earle William second of that name and the fifteenth Earle of Holland Zeland Frizeland c. who for his excellent vertue and valour was by the mutuall consent of the electors chosen king of Romans and afterwards confirmed on the day of all Saints in anno 1246 as appeares by the old Cronicle of Holland in the eighteenth diuision and thirteenth Chapter This Royall Court is after the manner of Castles enuironed with Dikes and hath sundrie gates in which the Princes gards doe watch day and night On the North side of the Court there is a large and goodlie fishpond incompassed with many high trees vnder whose shade it is pleasant walking in sommer to auoid the heate of the sunne and the place where these trees stand is called in the vulgar tongue Viuerberg which is as much to say as the fishponds hill Within this building is a large and spacious hall built as the auncient chronicle of Holland saith of a certaine wood brought from Ireland which will neuer rotte nor beare any spiders or other venimous worme This hall is inuironed with diuers and sundry shoppes well furnished with all manner of books in all languages and with goodly pictures But the most excellent of them are the siluer coate armours trumpets and ensignes which hang there in great number woon from the enemie at the defeat of Turnhout and at the battaile of Flanders which are hung vp in the roofe of the hall for a perpetuall remembrance There is the prince or gouernor of Holland Zeland Westfrize-lands court which is the illustrious and mighty lord Maurice of Nassau prince of Orange c. who hath gouerned three and twenty yeeres with such fortunat successe as we may rightly terme him Pater patriae It is also a place dedicated to law and administration of Iustice where the Councell being moe in number than were the Consentes dei in times past debate all causes examine and iudge them they are I say moe in number for the councell of Consentes were but twelue and these counsellors are foureteene beside their chiefe whom they call president This assemblie of counsellors who were wont to remaine at Grauesand was transported hither by count William aboue mentioned after that hee had receiued the title of king of Romans Beside this assemblie of counsellours which is called the prouinciall councell an other was established in anno 1582 in stead of the great councell of Malines and it is a soueraigne councell of Iustice called the great councell whether all causes which are brought to be decided by appeale or reformation of the sentences of the aboue named prouinciall court and other iudges are sentenced by finall decree without any appeale from thence to any other yet re-examination may be craued and error propounded in such cases the States of the Countrey appoint certaine men beside the aboue named Councell to reuiew the pleas which haue beene iudged and to deliuer their opinions whether there be any error in the said sentence or not and according to their conclusion euerie man must rest satisfied without any contradiction An other Councell is likewise established called the Councell of Brabant which hath power ouer that part Townes Villages and inhabitants of the sayd Countrey of Brabant vnder the gouernment of my Lords the generall States In this Councell all matters are handled by commission commaundement and instruction of the generall States according to the ancient custome of the Chauncerie and Court fiscall of Brabant to the end euerie man may be orderly gouerned by their Lawes and Priuiledges Lastly beside all these there do reside in this Court of Holland my Lords the States generall the States of Holland and West-frizeland the Councell of State the masters of accounts of the Chamber of Accounts of Holland the Councell of warre c. euerie of these hauing their Chamber apart Before we end this description of the Hague it shall not be impertinent briefely to speake of the situation of the Parke which is in length 1500 paces but nothing so much in bredth there growe Oakes Elmes Ash and other Trees on whose boughes great and small melodious Birds doe with their Songs delight and recreat the sences of the hearers there are Deere Hares and Conies It is a place worthie the Muses and where Princes Earles Lords Councellors Aduocats and all sorts of people doe vsually walke to recreat themselues after their toyles I might speake of many other matters but because mine intent is onely to touch them as it were by the way I referre the curious Reader to Lodouico Guicciardine his description made many yeares since which of late hath beene newly printed augmented and inriched with maps The Genealogie of William of Nassau Prince of Orange
valiant Lord he caused the towne to be fortified with large Rampiers and in anno 1534 both in the Castle and round about the towne he caused fiue great bulwarkes to be made which defended one another together with verie deepe dikes During these warres foure rauelins more haue beene made and before euerie gate an halfe moone so as this towne among those of the low or plaine Countrie is held one of the strongest in all the Netherlands In former time after the racing of the aboue mentioned Castle the Lords of Breda opposit thereunto nere to the Market place at this day called the Herons nest began to build a Palace and Castle where Count Henrie of Nassau afterwards suffering part of the old building to stand stil caused a new court and stately Palace to be built moated round about and without that a verie sumptuous edifice with a verie lordlie gallerie supported by pillers of blew stone with a gilded frontispice within the Court are many goodlie Chambers a large and stately Hall builded on Pillars with an artificiall winding staires of blew stone which cunning workemen hold for a master-piece in the Hall there is likewise a Chappell There is a verie goodlie Armorie stored with all sorts of Armour and much ordnance and among others diuers old cast pieces which a king of Hungarie had in time past giuen to the house of Nassau in recompence of their good seruice done to him against the Turke There were in it likewise 52 great canons and small field pieces which the Emperour Ferdinand gaue to the last prince and Lord of Breda which since then haue beene taken away by Duke d'Alua Among the most remarkable matters of Breda as well auntient as moderne these are much to be obserued How that the lord and countrie of Breda in time past a Lord and countrie diuided from the Duchie of Brabant hath beene joyned to the said Duchie in the time of Henrie of Lorraine c. And the Lord Godfrey of Breda who in an' 1212 hauing receiued of the said Duke the moitie of the custome of the Sheld in Fee together with Shakeloo and Ossendrecht did likewise promise to his Lord that himselfe and heires with their castles countrie and people shold faithfully serue the Duke and his heires In this manner the Monday after S. Valenties day the lord Gerard of Rassingem Liedekerk Lens hauing sold the Lordship possessions of the whole countrie of Breda with the appurtenances to Duke Iohn of Brabant the said duke Iohn by consent of his son Godeuart and his eldest daughter Ioan Countesse of Haynault and Holland did againe on the first day of Aprill 1351 sell the said countrie of Breda with the appurtenances to the Lord Iohn of Polanen the yonger Lord of la Lecke to enjoy it as his lawfull inheritance for the summe of 3400 Hallinghen Breda is the chiefest Towne of the Countrie and among other priuiledges and iurisdictions hath an Exchequer or Court fiscall which is common and vndiuided whereunto the towne of Steenberghen and the sixteene Villages of the Countrie of Breda with those of Eyckeren Mercxem Schoten Loehout and Oostmaell make their appeales And beside the sayd Court there is a seat of Iustice belonging to a Sherife before whom vpon the first summons the Burghers and inhabitants are to appeare together with those of Tettering Molongracht Sandberg Vijfhuyse and the Haegh-strate None may appeale from the sentence giuen in either of these Courts to any other Court of justice They haue held this priuiledge in our time For in the daies of the Emperor Charles the 5 the said emperor only in stead of this priuiledge granted to those of Breda the same priuiledge as other chief towns had viz that sentences giuen at Breda might be reformed but not appealed from How and when those of the house of Nassau obtained the lordship of Breda doth hereafter follow The aboue mentioned Lord Iohn of Polanen died in the yeare 1377 left a son named Iohn Lord of Lecke and Breda who left a daughter named Ioan married to Engelbrecht Count of Nassau in an̄ 1414 he died left a son called Iohn Count of Nassau Dietz and Vianden who was Lord of Breda died in the yere 1475 leauing by his wife Marie Countesse of Loon heire to Heinsberg to a 3 part of the Duchie of Iuliers Engelbrecht Iohn brethren who diuided the lands left thē by their parents so as the eldest son Count Engelbrecht had for his part all the lands which were in the Low-countries on this side the Rhyne viz. the countie of Vianden the Lordships of S. Vijts of Dudeldorp and Mijllen with all the lands in Brabant Holland in the country of Liege wherein were comprehended the Countrie and Towne of Breda and Earle Iohn had for his share all the countries and Lordships beyond the Rhyn the countries of Nassau and Dietz and by his wife Catsenelle boguen which was adiudged his in anno 1548. This diuision was made in this condition that the male children should be heires to both of them the better to vphold the house of Nassau from whence they were descended In this maner the town and countrie of Breda was peaceably gouerned by their Lords the Counts of Nassau for the space of 184 yeres flourishing in traffick vntill the 11 of Aprill 1567 when the Prince of Orange was enforced by the Duke of Aluas comming in great sorrow and perplexitie to abandon his subjects of Breda to retire into Germanie and after his departure the reuenues of Breda being seazed on by the duke d'Alua the said country town was brought vnder the wretched gouernement of the Spaniards and afflicted with sundrie garrisons till that in anno 1577 the town of Breda returned againe vnder the gouernement of his lawfull Lord and so continued for the space of 4 yeares and being afterwards taken by the prince of Parma 1581 he kept it til the yere 1590. We will now set downe after what maner by Gods assistance it was freed from the Spanish yoke The prince of Parma al the forces being in the yere 1590 busied in the French wars wherby his vnited Prouinces had some rest my Lords the States laid hold on this occasion and by valorous dexteritie tooke the towne and castle of Breda in manner following Count Philip of Nassau gouernor at that time of Worcum and Louvesteyn had by Prince Maurice his aduice conferred with a certaine Gentleman of Cambray called Charles Herauguieres Captain of a foot companie about an enterprise vpon the castle town of Breda telling him that diuers mariners vassals to the country of Breda and house of Nassau for loue affection to their lord had offered their seruice herein they being accustomed to carie turfe wood into the castle vnder that color fit to make some attempt This was propounded to Herauguieres who hauing well considered all daungers did towards the later end of
his soldiers to another Corps du gard nere to the Castles great plat-forme where sixteene souldiers more made some resistance who were all slaine This done and a signall giuen Count Hohenlo two houres after came to the Castle with his Excellencies vangard but because the vttermost gate of the Castle could not be opened by reason of the yce his suoldiers entred nere to the Sluce by breaking down a pallisado Hohenlo being entred young Lansauecia made an accord with him to go his way himself soldiers with their liues Within a while after Prince Maurice and his souldiers both horse and foot arriued and with him the Earles Philip of Nassau and Solms Sir Fraucis Veer who commanded the English the Admiral Iustinus of Nassau the Lords of Famas Verdoes and other Captaines And as Count Hohenlo had exhorted the Burghers to returne to the obedience of their auncient Lord and Prince Maurice had giuen order to enter the towne at two gates they sent a drumme who craued leaue that some of the Burgomasters might come and parley who in lesse than an houres space made an accord that the Burghers should redeeme themselues from spoile by paying two moneths wages to the souldiers the summe amounting to 97074 florins In this manner their armes being throwne downe Prince Maurice sent the Lord Vander-Noot Captaine of his gard to seaze vpon the State-house and other places The same night that the first alarme was giuen in the Castle the Marquis of Guasto his horse companie and fiue other ensignes of Italians being affrighted did in disorder breake downe a gate and basely fled forth of the towne notwithstanding that the Burghers who feared the spoile of their goods promised them all ayd and assistance if they would tarrie and defend it but in vaine This was a great disgrace to so noble a Nation which the Prince of Parma reuenged by reproaching the Spaniards some of whom he imprisoned and beheaded certaine captaines among others Caesar Guitra Iulio Gratiauo Guastos Lieutenant whose name was Turlantino and the corporall who had so slenderly searcht the boat The towne and castle of Breda were miraculously taken without any great losse of bloud one onely man being lost who by reason of the darkenesse fell into the water and was drowned of the garrison in the castle fortie were slaine For this victorie all the vnited prouinces and townes gaue publique thankes vnto God in their Churches made bonefires and in memorie thereof coyned pieces of gold siluer and copper with this superscription on the one side how that the towne of Breda had beene on the fourth of March 1590 freed from the Spanish bondage by the conduct of Prince Maurice of Nassau and on the other side was the Dike with the turfe boat which carried the souldiers with this circumscription Readie to win or die and then The reward of an inuincible courage Prince Maurice by the consent of my Lords the States gaue the gouernement of the Towne Castle and Countrie of Breda to captaine Herauguieres with ample commaund to Captaine Lambert Charles the office of Serjeant Major and to other particular Captains and soldiers some of the sayd pieces or medâ—ls in pure gold with sums of money with promise of aduauncement according to euerie mans qualitie and merit the shippers were likewise aduanced and well rewarded The towne was forthwith prouided for according to the Lord of Oldenbbarvelts direction with all kind of muniâ—ion and victuals from Holland for a yeare and a halfe and before ten dayes were expired foure hundred horse and twelue ensignes of foot were sent to lie in Garrison in the towne the Burghers were likewise diuided into fiue companies to keepe good watch And in this manner by Gods assistance the towne is till now preserued from the enemie ¶ Count Mansfelt batters and assaults the Fort of Nordam and is brauely beaten thence on the 14 of May 1590. THe Duke of Parma perceiuing that his Excellencie of Nassau had by a cunning surprisall taken the Towne of Breda from him did for auoyding a greater mischiefe before March was expired said Count Charles of Mansfelt with 40000 men towards Breda to hinder their incursions and secure the Countrie who presently seazed on all the places round about it as Oosterhout Tering and other townes wherein he placed souldiers hee likewise tooke Seuenberghen and other towns where he vsed great crueltie At Terheyden which is a village betwixt Seuenberghen and Breda seated on a little riuer called the Mercke he caused a great Fort to be built with a bridge ouer the riuer thereby to keep victuals from Breda and lay there encamped till the worke was ended thinking thereby to oppresse Breda In May following he besiged the fort of Nordam which my lords the States hold nere to Seuenberghen seated nere the water commaunded by Captaine Mathew Helt who was in the Turfe boat at the taking of Breda And the thirteenth and foureteenth of May the sayd Count Mansfelt battered it with seuen canon made 1200 shot vpon it and gaue a furious assault They did likewise at ful Sea bring a great barke before the Fort mand with good musketiers to anoy the defendants they had bridges likewise wheron to martch to the assault They twice assaulted it and were still repulsed with the losse of two Italian Captaines the one named Horacio Fontano of Modena and the other Giouan Francisco Pageno a Neapolitan with diuers others of name and marke Six or seauen hundred of the enemie died there for by often shooting they fired the barke and as many as were in her were burnt whereupon they were enforced to retire to the great commendation of Captaine Mathew Helt who thereby purchased much honour The vnited Prouinces in the meane time had sent a small Armie into the field vnder the conduct of Prince Maurice and Count Hohenlo with which in May they went to a place called Ouer-Betuwe or High-Betuwe encamping right ouer against NimmegueÌ„ where they built a strong Fort on the banke of the Riuer Waell the better to auoy the Towne they did it likewise to diuert Count Mansfelt from Nordam and to draw him forth of Brabant But Mansfelt not thinking himselfe stong enough came nere to Nimmeguen and hauing intelligence that Prince Maurice his forces began to make a Fort on the further side of the Waell nere to the State-house he marched towards them with his canon beating them thence and ouerthrew the worke new begun an afterwards the better to prouide his armie of victuals he went and encamped on the Mase in the Land of Cuyck So as Prince Maurice tarried there all the Summer to finish his Fort in view danger of the canon of Nimmeguen which with the help of Count Mansfelt plaid furiously vpon the towne Notwithstanding all these difficulties the Fort was made defensiue towards the later end of Iulie and was called Knodsenbourg or Maces-bourg in disdaine of those of Nimmeguen called Knodsendrages which
in the time of winter in anno 1593 assembled his forces vnder the conduct of his sonne Charles vpon the frontiers of Fraunce nere to Guyse sending them into Fraunce there to employ them In the meane time my Lords the States of the vnited Prouinces sent Count Philip of Nassau into Luxembourg with foure thousand horse and foot hoping to take some townes there as S. Vit and others which he effected not but caused all the garrisons to be drawne forth of Brabant For so soone as the news of his being there came to Bruxels all the horse and foot both Spaniards and Italians were taken forth of the townes of Liere Malines and other places and were sent in great hast to the Countrie of Luxembourg conducted by Count Barlaymont Count Philip hauing notice thereof retired and in the meane time burnt many villages in the Countrie and likewise leuied great exactions in the countrie of Limbourg bringing many places vnder contribution sacking the town of Hanuijt in Brabant and hauing got much money horse and a great bootie they returned to their Quarter In the meane time the States of the vnited Prouinces resolued to besiege the town of Geertrudenberg a dependant on Holland though seated in Brabant nere the Mase on a riuer called the Douge This towne in ann̄ 1589 was by certaine traitors sold to the Duke of Parma for 15 moneths pay notwithstanding all honest and reasonable offers made vnto them whereupon they were all as traitors to the countrie condemned to be hanged wheresoeuer they should be caught most of whom were executed The sayd States had of a long time on sundrie pretences kept victuals from thence by way of licence and in Februarie did cut off a Conuoy of all necessarie prouisions that was going thither and hauing intelligence that the gouernour was gone forth to meet the Conuoy and that two did striue about the gouernement they thought this occasion might greatly profit them and thereupon gaue commission to Prince Maurice to enuiron and shut in the towne with his Cauallerie which he did all the forces being returned from Luxembourg and the captaines hauing re-enforced their companies and on the nine and twentieth of March he begirt the towne both by land and water at such time when the Spaniards most doubted the siege of Sertoghenbusk or Graue And because this siege is verie memorable and famous we will relate the most remarkable matters for the towne was strong manned with more than a thousand old souldiers and well prouided of all necessaries His Excellencie lying before the towne did at first quarter himselfe on the West-side thereof with the regiments of Count Henrie his younger brother of Count Solms Groenevelt and Balfour Count Hohenlo encamped towards the East in a Village called Raemsdone beyond the riuer Douge towards Oosterhoude with the regiments of the Lords of Brederode Lokres and others euerie regiment presently fortifying his Quarter The Spaniards had a Fort abroad within musket shot of the town vpon the causey of Steelhof which secured the passage to the town Count Hohenlo did presently intrench before it brought the channel of the riuer into those trenches and with great danger of his life tooke the free accesse of the fort to the towne from the enemie and planted the canon in an Island opposit to the conuoy and fort Whereupon the captain and garrison perceiuing themselues to be cut off from the towne yeelded the fort on the sixt of Aprill and for their labours were imprisoned by the Marquesse of Varembon The Fort being woon his Excellencie made two bridges ouer the riuer the one on boats verie strong and broad and the other vpon masts that the two campes might helpe one another which by reason of the marshes lay a good mile from each other On both sides the bridges before the towne he placed ships of war to keepe continuall watch For the riuer was as a dike defending a great part of the camps trenches there being diuers water mils and sluces to keepe the dikes of their trenches continually full of water but by reason of the high tides they were often hindred in their workes On the waters side they enclosed the town with an halfe moone made with boats of warre lying at anker made fast by cables and supported by small boats wherein watch was kept Without the said halfe moone ships of warre went too and fro keeping good gard Within it certaine small boats stood sentinel beneath the towne these tooke a Spaniard swimming that carried letters from Count Mansfelt and others his Excellencie gaue him his life and sent him backe to the enemies to tell them how he was intrenched Without the halfe moone towards the West and East of the towne the boats that brought victuals lay and were shrowded from the enemies canon The campe on the water was a German mile in length euerie campe hauing his boats of ammunition and victuals The mariners had likewise their campe apart and behaued themselues valiantly by carrying wodden canons and emptie boats by night nere to the shore and Key to cause the besieged to bestow their powder in vayne whereof they had great need His Excellencies campe on land was enuironed with high rampiers and deepe ditches without with foure great and strong Bulwarkes on each of which lay two canon Such was Count Hohenlos campe extending it selfe two miles in circuit and fortified with trenches bulwarks strong rauelins and broad dikes Without the campe many stakes were pitched in the ground and in each of them an Iron pike called Turkish ambassadors so nere to one another as a man could hardly put his knee betwixt The chief high waies were fortified with strong forts and rauelins stored with ordnance so as an hundred canons were planted there vpon the waies caltraps were laid and deepe pits made stuft full of powder Being thus intrenched abroad against the enemie they likewise began to fortifie themselues against the townesmen bringing their trenches vnder the Towne-walls they planted their canon and made galleries vnder whose couert they might come to the towns rampiers The besieged beside their rampiers and caualleries had two strong rauelins on the Land-side opposit to which lay the Zelanders and souldiers of Vtrechts batterie which did so oppresse the towne as euerie house almost was shaken especially the Prince of Orange his Palace which was vtterly ruined For making of these great workes and fortifications the States had sent certain hundreds of boats prouided of al necessaries and though the boores wrought in euerie place for pay yet most of these great workes were done by souldiers according to the manner of the auntient Romans not by constraint but for daily hire and those dayes they were not vpon the gard each of them was imployed in what labour he best liked getting tenne or fifteen souls a day by meanes whereof they wrought so hard as they made themselues inuincible against the kings power which came to relieue the towne So great good order
Nordam 119 Medenblick yeeded to his Excellencie 27 Meurs and the Castle there taken 207 Meurs againe taken 293 VVIlliam of Nassau Prince of Orange his genealogie death and funerals 14.15.16 c. Prince Maurice of Nassau receiueth the gouernement of the Netherlands 25. 27 Netherlands described 1 The Netherlands set forth ships towards Noua Zemla and the East Indies 174 The enterprises of the Netherlanders on Spaine and the Canaries 233 The Netherlanders in Luxembourg with an armie 351 The Netherlanders at truce with the Archduke for 1â— yeres 383 The battaile of Niewport woon by his Excelleâ—câ—e 270 Nimmeguen besieged and taken 134 Nordam fort battered and assaulted in vaine by Mansfelt 119 OAtmaersen taken 142 The same taken againe 213 Oldenbourg burnt and sackt 122 Oldenzeel besieged and taken 213 The fort of Opslach woon 128 The prince of Orange 〈◊〉 gâ—â—â—alogie death and funerals 14.15 c. Ostend besieged by the Archduke Albert to his great losse 302 The same fiercely assaulted 7. Ianuar. 1602. 317 The same againe assaulted 13. of April 1603 327 PArma defeated in the Betuwe 129 RHinberg besieged and taken 201 Rhinberg a second time besieged and taken 265 Rosendall taken 122 A Sea fight between the States men of war and the Spanish gallies 353 A Sea fight betweene the king of Spaines armada and the States men of war 372 Generall Senoy his articles presented to the councell of State 45 The gallies of Sluce put to flight by the Admerall of Holland 281 Sluce besieged and yeelded vp 359 Spaine inuaded by the Netherlanders 233 Spinolas gallies fought with by the States men of war 357 Steenberghen taken 122 Steenwijke besieged and taken 137 TErheyden taken 122 Tilemont taken and sackt 110 Turnholt taken 123 Truce for 12. yeares betweene the Archduke of Austria and the States 383 VIctorie got by his Excellencie on Tielsche-Heyde plaine 197 THe towne and castle of Wachtendonck taken 250 Westerloo taken 123 The strong castle of Woud taken 370 YSendike taken 359 ZVtphen besieged and taken 123 FINIS The originall name of the Low Countries Her situation It is diuided into 17. Prouinces and their names Why they aâ—e â—alled 17. Prouinces Her circuit The number of townes and villages How many Towâ—es and Villages there are in euerie Prouince Vnder what countries the Romans comprehended the 17. Prouinces wherefore they were called Belgia How highly the Romans esteemed this Nation and their ancient names The forme of the Countrie and fertillity thereof The originall of some Riuers which runne through the Countrey Holland and Zeland surpasse all other Prouinces in shipping Commendation of the Netherland women Commendation of the Dutch Tongue The Netherlanders louers of Liberty The Princes of the Low Couâ—tries haue done many valiant deedes How the Low Countries haue beene reduced vnder one Lord Margaret daughter to Lewis de Male marieth Philip the Hardie on whom he begat Iohn sans peur He marieth the Eâ—rle of Hollands daughter and begets Phillip le Bon. How Phillip le Bon obtained the possession of the whole Low-countries He that first instituted the order of the golden fleece marrieth Isabell of Portugall by whom he had a sonne called Charles the Warrior who is acknowledged for lord of the Low-countries and makes a purchase He goes about to make the Low-countries a kingdome How and where he dyed His daughter Marie of Valois marrieth Maximillian of Austria by whom she had two children Maximillian goes about to reduce some of the Low-countrie Prouinces vnder the Roman Empire Philip his sonne is acknowledged Prince and marrieth D. Ioan of Spaine How the Prouinces are at this day diuided and who possesse them Countries vnder the Archdukes Brabant Malines Limbourg Valckenbourg and Namur Luxembourg Haynault Artois Flanders Countries vnder the States gouernement Holland Zealand Frizeland Vtrecht Ouer-yssell Gronninguen The vnited prouinces flourish more than any other Conclusion Description of the Hague Her beautie number of houses Description of the Court of Holland By whom and when it was built The princes court A place dedicated to Law and iustice By whom the 〈◊〉 councel was transseâ— to the Hague The Councell of Brabant Description of the Parke at the Hague The Prince of Orange his Titles 〈…〉 Where when he was borne His first wife daughter to Count â—â—ren His second wife daughter to the Elector of Saxonie His third wife daughter to Duke Mompensier His fourth wife daughter to Count Colligni The manner of the Princes death The Prince of Orange slayne by Baltazar Gerard who nanamed himselfe Francis Guyon The Prince of Orange his last words He died on the 10 of Iulie 1584. 〈…〉 The murderers 〈◊〉 confession 〈…〉 in writing Parma by Assonuille encourageth him to this diuelish enterprise Senâ—ence pronounced against Baltazar Gerard the 14 of Iulie The execution and death of Baltazar Gerard A description of the Prince of Orange his funeral 's What moued my Lords the States to make Prince Maurice Gouernour His Excellencie goeâ—h into Flanders His Excellencie takes the towne of Axel The Earle of Leycester goes forth of the Low Countries into England The generall States make Prince Maurice Gouernour Generall Article Answer Artic. Ans. Ans. Ans. Artic. Ans. Artic. Ans. Artic. Ans. Artic. Ans. Artic. Ans. Artic. Ans. Artic. Ans. Disorder in Medenblick The States send Commissioners thither who doe no good Medenblick is besieged It yeelds to his Excellencie through the intercessioÌ„ of some English Lords Senoy goes into England to com plaine to the Queene Parma makes preparations to ayde the Spanyards The Queene of of England prepares a fleet The Spanish fleet set sayle on the 29 of May. The Spanish Armies proiect The fleet abandons D. Pedro Valdez his ship which bad spent her most on the 31 of Iune The 3 of August The 4 of August The 5 of August The sixt of August they came to an anker before Calais The stratagem of the English on the 7 of August to driue the Spaniards from an anker The Galleasse of D. Hago de Moncada vppon the sands before Calice Fight before Graueling on â— the 8. of August The English receiue smal losse Peter Vander Does takes D. Diego Fimentell prisoner carries his ship into Zeland The 8 of August the Spanish fleâ—◠〈◊〉 on fight The English on the 12 of August giue ouer pursuing the Spanish fleet The Spâ—nish fleet in dessaire Montigni attempts to enter the land of Tertholen An officer so named for which we in English can giue no proper name Those of the towne make a sallie vpon the enemie Certaine of the enemies musketiers are defeated The Queene of England makes Morgan gouernor of Berghen The strength of Parmas Campe. Eight of Bacx his horsemen take three captaines prisoners The enemie attempteth to surprise the North Fort. The enemie enâ—eth the Fort but to his small aduantage Grimston the victualler escape The enemie flieth Those of Berghen gâ—ue God thankes for the dissiâ—ation of the Spanish fleet The enemie forsakes the
Frontiers payd nothing towards this contribution for they were very poore and behind hand so as none but these 13 Prouinces and Townes contributed namely Brabant Flaunders Artois Haynault Valenciennes Lille Douay Orchies Holland Zeland Namur Tournay Tournesis Malines and Vtrecht yet we must not thinke that the rest are excluded from conuocations and generall Assemblies The Low Countrey is in circuit 340 Flemmish Leagues or one thousand Italian or English miles There are more than two hundred walled Cities in it and one hundred and fifty Townes which haue the priuiledge and iurisdiction of Cities with aboue 600 Villages but during these long warres they haue been very much lessened and ruined And to giue satisfaction to the curious reader I will here set downe a generall number whereby he may know how many townes and villages there are in euery Prouince Namely in the foure Dutchies Townes Villages Brabant 26. 700. Luxembourg 23. 1169. Limbourg 5. 123. Guelders 24. 300. In the eight Counties Townes Villages Holland 33. 400. Zeland 10. 101. Flanders 35. 1178. Artois 12. 754. Haynault 24. 950. Namur 4. 184. Zutphen   The Marquisat   In the fiue Seigniories Townes Villages Vttrecht 5. 70. Frise. 11. 345. Ouer-Ysell 11. 101. Gronninghe 1. 145. Maliues 1. 9. In old time before the Natiuitie of Christ the Romans and Iulius Caesar comprehended this countrey vnder Gaule Belgik or Belgia a name imposed vpon it by her neighbors because the Inhabitants were hawty and bould people not induring the losse of their libertie or preiudice of their customes and priuiledges So that as Caesar writes they are the strongest and valiantest nation of the Gaules They had in those dayes sundrie names as Germans Batauians Frisons Aduatici Menapians Atrebates Neruins and Morini c. The Germans are at this day called Almans the Batauians are the Hollanders and partly those of Guelders the Frisons those of Frise the Aduatici those of Antuerp the Menapians partly those of Guelders and Cleue the Atrebates those of Arras and places neere adioyning the Neruins those of Tournay the Morini Flemings c. Concerning the scituation of the sayd countries it is for the most part champaine except the Prouinces of Luxembourgh Limbourg Namur and Haynault where the countrey is hilly and part of Brabant Flanders Guelders and Ouer-Ysell is sandie All the Prouinces are generally fruitfull and those which lye to the Southward beare some vines The higher parts of the countrey afford pleasant groues of all sorts of trees the Champayne abounds with all kind of cattell the woods are stored with birds fowle the Sea and riuers are full of fish there are braue and goodlie horses bred in Flanders Holland Zeland Friseland though the ayre be grosse and moist yet in all places the Sea side except it is good and wholesome It is a countrey which for traffique is commodiously seated for all the chiefe countries of Europe in regard of her great Riuers as the Rhyne which descendeth from the mountaines of Swisserland and diuiding it selfe into three branches runneth through Germany some part of the Netherlands emptying it selfe into the German Ocean next the Danubium it is the greatest ryuer of Europe the Meuse runnes from the mountaynes of Burgundy as farre as Langres the Scheld comes from Picardie and Vermandois Besides the Sea doth so fauour them as in two dayes two nights they may saile from home to Norway and in fiue or sixe dayes to Denmarke and from thence to Swethland Westward they may in few houres goe into England and from hence along the coast of Fraunce into Spayne and to the East and West-Indies For this cause the Low Countries especially Holland and Zeland are very rich in shipping wherein the greatest part of their power all their traffique and wealth consists so as it is almost incredible to beleeue that sometimes there are seuen or eight hundred great Ships readie to set sayle into the East besides those which goe towards the West into England France Spayne Italy the Islands and along the coast of Africk and to the East West Indies all of them being well manned and prouided Besides merchants ships there are many hundred other which in the countrie language are termed Buysen Doog-booten and Crabbens with which they goe a fishing for Herring Cod and Salmon When they goe to fish for Herrings there will be sometime seuen or eight hundred of these Buysen or Booten which euery yere make three voyages to Sea so as the wealth which the Inhabitants of this countrey get by Sea is not to be reckoned nor the Mariners numbred which liue thereby for the townes and villages abound in women and children which do nothing but weaue Nets and in great multitudes of people whose occupation is to build ships The Netherlanders are for the most part tall strong faire and cleane timbred Euery Prouince doth a little participat with her neighbours dispositions as those who dwell towards the East doe somewhat resemble the Easterlings those of the South the Almans they in the West the French Their apparell is comely but not so costly as the Germans who therein follow the curiositie and new fashions of their neighbours they are giuen to drink but not so much as the Almans nor so vsually as three or fourscore yeares agoe they are of a setled iudgement and constant in all their affaires seldome wauering either in prosperity or aduersity they are witty and industrious and apt to inuent all maner of arts to comprehend and teach them and therein surpasse all other Nations they are neuer idle but euer in action much addicted to trade of merchandise the which more than other nations they seek through the whole world they are very seruiceable to all men and not so proud and ambitious as other people But they are naturally sparing and louers of gaine which makes them willingly see other countries so as in euery place a man shall find Dutchmen The women are likewise verie seruiceable and giue themselues to all sorts of worke which in other Countries seruants will refuse to doe they likewise trade in merchandise and in al honest maner conuerse with men they detest adultery notwithstanding that they often want their husbands companies this may perhaps seeme strange to diuers Nations They soone learne and speake all maner of Tongues their antient speech is high Dutch vpon the Frontiers of France they speak Wallon a corrupted Language their Speech is rough but very rich and perfect surpassing all other Languages in antiquitie and perfection for it hath more than 2170 words monosillables as Simon Steuin of Bruges witnesseth in his booke called the Rudiments of the art of weighing where he sets them downe thereunto adding a discourse concerning the worthinesse of the Low Dutch Tongue fit to be read of all those that loue the sayd Language which is in a maner the very same that was spoken 1700 yeres agoe in
any man so rash as to dare to say contrarie to the said Treatie That himselfe or souldiers being in the pay of the said countries are tyed by oath to her Maiestie And touching the oath made to the Earle of Leycester he was in no sort sworne vnto as hauing authoritie and Commission from her Maiestie seeing that himselfe vpon the same Commission was bound to sweare vnto the States of the countrey as well as others but it was done vpon the Commission and authoritie giuen besides the Treaty made with her Maiestie by the States to the said Lord Earle as Gouernor generall These two pretences concerning the complot their entire paiment and persuading the souldiers that they were sworne to her Maiestie of England and so by consequent should receiue their full pay from her caused letters to be sent back in the soldiers names of Medenblick answering those of his Excellencie by which they craued to haue some Commissioners sent vnto thē to vnderstand the businesse together with the soldiers intentions Thereupon his Excellencie sent the Lord of Famars General of the Artillery the Lord of Sweuezeel Peter Kyes Burgomaster of Harlem master Adrian Anthonie Burgomaster of Alckmaer who being come thither acquainted the soldiers with his Ex. my Lords the States good meaning exhorting thē to their dutie according to their oth honor bond and requested them to submit themselues to reason and to be ruled by the power of the countrey The soldiers answered them That they would be wholly paid not onely for themselues but for the said Generals whole regiment so that these Commissioners iourny was in vain They wrot afterwards to the soldiers That his Excellencie and the States Commissioners were resolued to make them some reasonable offer and that for the well vnderstanding thereof they should vnder good assurance which was promised them send Commissioners to Hoorne the which was denied so as they did againe demand new Commissioners Whereupon the States wrot backe That they ought to relye on his Excelencie and the States Commissioners and that therefore they were to send theirs at the countries charge Whereunto the souldiers answered That they would send none and that they had alreadie declared their intent demaunding moreouer that his Excellencie would send other Commissioners to them vnto whom they offered safeconduct Which his Excellencie the States Commissioners vnderstanding thought good to set downe some reasonable offers in writing whereby they promised the souldiers to giue them their present pay a moneths wages before hand and promised them moreouer that concerning the rest that was behind they should be paid as much and at the same time as others that serued the countrey and should be as well dealt with as the best They did likewise declare vnto them That it was not in the countries power to doe more and that they ought to rest contented seeing they had been best paid and that they being for the most part borne in the country they ought more to loue their honour and credit than by demanding impossibilities to seeke the ruine of the Prouinces with protestation That if they would not condescend to reason his Excellencie and my Lords the States would hold themselues excused before God and the world of the inconueniences which might ensue thereof And to make them this offer to shew them the equitie of it and to persuade the souldiers to reason his Excellencie and the Commissioners sent Master Nicholas Brunine Coūsellor to his Excellencie and Bartholdus Guillelmi Minister of the word of God in Hoorne to Medenblick who notwithstanding all their labour receiued no other answer of them but that they would be wholly paid And as it was well perceiued by their answer that the aboue mentioned mutinie was made for the reasons heretofore alledged and that their desire was vniust and impossible so as other souldiers which had done better seruice vpon the enemie and had beene without comparison badlier paid and dealt with than they would desire the like which would not be effected with fiftie times an hundred thousand Florins That the said souldiers had likewise vaunted That they knew how to raise their pay vpon the countrey and that they would haue it by force Whereupon the Generall had alreadie proceeded and in effect fortified himselfe against the countrey tyrannizing ouer the villages neere to Medenblicke His Excellencie by the aduice of the States found it necessarie both for the preseruation of the countrey and to bring the Generall and souldiers to some reasonable accord and hinder their bad determination to prouide for the besieging of the same towne and therein to make vse beside the souldiers that were then readie of certaine Burguers and harquebusiers forth of some townes of North Holland as from Alckmaer Hoorne Enckhuysen Edam Monickendam and Purmereynde with certaine boores of the countrey Before the siege the Lord Barbese Counsellor of State to his Excellencie and one of the Commissioners was intreated once more to goe to Medenblick to let the Generall and souldiers know the wrong they did to themselues and to trie if he could reduce them to their dutie who told the Generall both in publike and priuatly That the Councell of State knew that himselfe as Generall could not make vse of his Excellencie of Leycesters Commission and that he did wrong to that of Nassau in not obeying him according to his duetie Likewise that those souldiers who were better dealt with than any other whom they might haue sent against the enemie yet suffered to liue in garrison where victualls were good cheape did much forget themselues by doing things tending to the countries ruine intreating them to vnderstand reason and to desist from their bad and pernitious enterprise with promise that all matters shold be forgotten and themselues verie honourably dealt with All this notwithstanding he could get none other answer either from the Generall or souldiers than that which they had made to the former Commissioners Within a while after the Generall behaued himselfe as an open enemie burning and wasting the countrey at his pleasure in regard whereof no man ought to thinke it a strange matter if his Excellencie and the States make vse of those means which God hath giuen them for furtherance of the good of these countries against the disobedience rebellion and vniust proceedings of those which enterprise against these Prouinces Which they thought fit and necessarie to be published to the world that euery man vnderstanding the condition of the affaires and causes of the said proceedings may rightly iudge thereof and impute the inconueniences which may arise thereupon to those who by their great ingratitude to the house of Nassau haue been authors thereof especially seeing the said familie hath suffered and done so much for the preseruation of these countries with so great expence of meanes and bloud by whom the said Generall from low condition was raised to such high estate and exceeding great wealth who by his ingratitude to
the countrey and inhabitants thereof which had louingly receiued him and inriched him with their meanes had shewen so great obstinacy rebellion therein in continuing one whole yeare vttering proud and swelling speeches to the preiudice of the house of Nassaus Princelie reputation and against the state of these countries which he threatened with ruine and destruction making vse of the souldiers appointed to serue the countrey for defence of his owne person disarming the good citizens of Medenblick whom hee ought to haue defended afflicting them with seruitude and intollerable burthens The which Generall spurred forward by his owne auarice and ambition from one sinne to another shall by Gods assistance be brought to shame and confusion so that all good souldiers which loue Gods word and their countrey will detest the obstinacie rebellion rashnesse and malicious proceedings of the said Generall and for that cause will againe take vpon them the defence of their deere countrey as in former time and we verily hope that the souldiers of Medenblick being well informed That Generall Senoy by his proceedings hath none other intent but onely to shew vnder these two false pretences namely of an oath made to her Maiesty or to the Earle of Leycester in her name and that he would be a meanes to procure them the full paiment of all arrerages his hatred and ill grounded quarels against the countrey and house of Nassau by which from a poore estate he was made rich will not consent to any thing against their countrey and house of Nassau and will not hazard to their owne shame and dishonour of their friends the losse of their honour and reputation nay of their own liues Especially seeing that by quitting Generall Senoys priuat and vniust quarell they may be reconciled to their countrey and his Excellencie of Nassau and preserue their liues goods honour reputation and whatsoeuer be which hath nothing but what he hath gotten by these countries and the house of Nassau doth deceitfully promise them Generall Senoy likewise did on the one and twentieth of Ianuarie 1588 present certaine Articles to the Councell of State in forme following to euerie of which in particular my Lords the States added their answer Articles presented in behalfe of Generall Senoy to the Councell of State by his deputie William Mostaert FOr as much as General Senoy hath done many good trustie and notable seruices since the beginning of these warres vnder the commaund of his late Excellencie the Prince of Orange of happie memorie and likewise since his death to the aduancement of Christian Religion and libertie of the Countrie especially in the parts of North-Holland And that the sayd Generall Senoy for the aboue mentioned causes doth rather merit encreasement of his Commission and authoritie if need should bee than diminution thereof Generall Senoy for his seruice done hath beene as honourably and to his owne profit delt with as any other that hath done seruice to these Countries which is very well knowne to himselfe In vvhich regard it is just and reasonable that his Excellencie Count Maurice should by his Commission suffer the sayd Generall Senoy to vse the title and authoritie of his Excellencies Lieutenant and Gouernour Generall in the parts of North-Holland as my Lord his father had done In as much as my Lords the State of Holland Zeland and Westfrizeland did in anno 1577 make a Decree for the preseruation of the vnion and gouernement of the sayd Countries that there should be but one Gouernour in Holland Zeland and West-frizeland to wit my Lord the Prince of Orange of happie memorie and that all particular gouernements should cease which hath beene alreadie practised for the space of tenne yeares according to the auntient custome and manner of the Countries It is not reasonable that the sayd resolution for any loue to the Generall contrarie to the Laws and vnion of the Countrie should be altered That the sayd Senoy vvill keepe good correspondence with his Excellencie of Nassau concerning all difficulties which may arise and to preuent them in time as need shall be We vnderstand that the Generall ought to be bound to doe more than keepe correspondence with his Excellencie otherwise he must needes be his equall That he will remayne in those parts and take care for the vvell ordering preseruation defence and assurance thereof against the power secret practises and enterprises of the enemie We neuer meant to call the Generall away from those parts To this end he will still keepe the regiment of souldiers which he now hath and bestow them in the Townes and Forts which till now haue beene committed vnto him according as he shall thinke fit for the safe keeping of them and seruice of the Countrie Our meaning hath beene that the sayd Senoy should commaund all the souldiers in the Townes and Forts vnder his commaund in qualitie of Generall And concerning the changing of Garrisons the Generall is to behaue himselfe therein according to his Excellencies commaundements Retayning authoritie to change the Garrisons when and after what manner he shall see to be expedient And if the necessitie of the Countrie require to haue some companies drawn from thence for the Countries seruice that his Excellencie shall write to him thereof as hauing authoritie so to doe that he may leuie and send them according as opportunitie will permit him We meane herein to vse our owne discretion and not to graunt the Generall the prerogatiues belonging to the Gouernour and so by consequent to his Excellencie He will likewise vse all speciall care and diligence for the aduauncement of the reformed Religion ouer all his gouernement prohibiting all Popish false doctrine and will haue a care that no Ministers shall be brought in or suffered contrarie to the order of the reformed Churches or without permission admission of the Congregations from whence they come and will also prouide that the sayd Ministers shall be well and duely payd Because that according the resolution of my Lords the States the disposing of matters heretofore mentioned belongeth to his Excellencie as Gouernour to the States Commissioners to the President and prouinciall Councell and other ordinarie officers of the Countrie His Excellencie giues him to vnderstand that he will himselfe take order therein according to the necessitie of the affaires for the aduauncement of Gods word and good of the Countries He will likewise haue a warie eye on all Schole-masters that none be admitted or receiued but such as are of the reformed Religion who shall teach no other doctrine in their Scholes nor any Bookes contrarie thereunto He will in like manner as much as in him lyes prouide that in all townes Colledges and places of his gouernement good officers Magistrats and Regents be established who stand well affected to the reformed Religion and to the good of the publique affaires and to this end shall hereafter be appointed committed and
of them fled away they were enforced to take the water where they were all drowned And as those which were in the water striued to passe ouer their fellowes who stood vpon the causey on Brabant side shot furiously vpon those of the Island yet they slew but one of our men which was a common soldier of Berchens companie but the enemie lost 200 men When the enemie first offered to passe ouer there were scarce fortie of our men to oppose them but within a while after Captaine Lagro of Tholen came thither with his companie And though those of the Island had fortunatly repelled the enemie yet they thought not themselues free from daunger knowing that he had not idlely made that attempt but that he intended to surprise the Isle of Tholen thereby to molest those of Berghen together with all Zeland assuring themselues that it would not bee long ere he returned againe and perhaps the next night following And because they wanted men to furnish all places they requested those of Berghen to send Adrian Guillaume and George Brissaulx with three hundred men vnder their commaund to them This Adrian Guillaume had in the first wars of Zeland beene Admirall of Ziericzee and was then Lieutenant General to Count Solms ouer al the forces of Zeland Brissaulx was son to Iames Brissaulx a verie good religious man who in former time had bin Burgomaster of Bruges These two were sent from the States of Zeland to Berghen so soone as they vnderstood that the enemie meant to march towards the Towne The nineteenth of September the Drossart returned from Amsterdam where he had bought great store of planks and other necessaries fit for fortification For besides his place of Drossart which next to the Marquis is the highest degree in Berghen the fortifying of the towne and sorts was committed to him His name was Elias Lion sonne to Doctor Albert Lion a verie learned man who for the space of foure and twentie yeares had beene chiefe professor of the ciuile law at Louayne and was at that time Chauncellor of Guelderland and chiefe Counsellor to my Lords the generall States of the vnited Prouinces The night following being the 20 of September the enemie came to Raberch and about noone returned to Wouwe Nothing at that time was done on either side for it rayned all that night and likewise at noone after the enemies departure The Magistrats sent certaine commissioners into Holland and Zeland to my Lords the States to acquaint them with the state of the Towne and to craue aid Cornelius Iohn the Townes sherife went to Zeland and Adrian Guillaume the Secretarie into Holland The two and twentieth of the said moneth by day break there was an alarme the trumpets sounded drums were beaten and the alarme bell was rung For the gouernour had assembled a troope of souldiers to reenforce the morning gard because the enemie was wont to make his attempts about that time when the gard is most drowsie wherewith hee had not acquainted the horsemen who had the gard vpon the market place Some of them going through the streets met with these souldiers and demanded who they were and whether they went but one among them giuing a discourteous aunswer they returned to their officers acquainting them therewith they not knowing the matter and thinking all was not well did presently giue the alarm The gouernor tooke this in bad part and complained to the Captaines of the wrong done vnto him therein seeing his soldiers were assembled by his commaundement The Captaines of the horse answered they were ignorant that it was done by his commaund and that they ought to haue beene made acquainted therewith in regard of the state of the Towne Thereupon proclamation was made that none should dare to ring the alarme bell without expresse charge from the gouernour The next day the souldiers spoiled Generall Fremins baggage He had beene gouernour of Wouwe Castle and about a certaine quarrell that arose betwixt him and a Merchant of the same Castle came into Holland to complaine to my Lords the States to haue him cassierd and likewise to make prouision of all necessaries for keeping of the sayd Fort. The States had giuen him great store of musket and faulconet bullets match and barrels of powder But before the said Fremins returne the Merchant had alreadie driuen all those sorth of the Castle which tooke Fremins part and had secretly made an accord with the enemie Within a while after about the seuenteenth of Ianuarie 1589 he sold the castle to the enemie for 20000 crownes and himselfe retired into Fraunce Vntill then Fremin had carefully kept all these things But as he was readie to depart and had shipt all the souldiers who had an inckling thereof thinking they had found a just cause of excuse because it was against the law of Armes to carrie away such things forth of townes besieged seised on all the munition together with his owne goods and made bootie of it beeing neuerthelesse enforced to restore backe the greatest and best part thereof The next day after the enemie was discouered vpon the highway from Wouwe marching directly towards the towne Our horse and foot made a sallie vpon him but as they approched the Downes of Berghen the enemie turned vpon the right hand and went along the sandie way towards Riselberg and Nortgeest where he incamped And because the water of the channell which some did improperly terme the riuer of Zoom was kept in by the sluces of the womens gate and that of Steenberghen all the fields betwixt Wouwes gate and that of the women were drowned so as none could goe from Wouwes gate to the North quarter Our men returned againe to the towne and fallied sorth at Steenberghen gate with displayed ensignes alluring the enemie to fight who had enclosed himselfe in his campe The morrow after he encamped towards the South extending his camp from S. Gertrudes hill as farre as the vale therein comprehending Burghvliet Zudgeest the Raberg and part of Berghens wood which lies Eastward from the towne The Raberg is so termed because that Rat in the Dutch tongue signifieth a wheele whereon malefactors are broken and executed and vpon that hill execution was commonly done The enemie within a day or two alter his arriuall burnt the gallowes vpon the hil Southward from the towne as yee goe towards Antuerpe S. Gertrude is worshipt by superstitious people because as they say she preserues them from rats and mice In former times she was patronesse of the town and it is said that she was Ladie of the whole countrie of Berghen Her chappell which in time past stood vpon the hill nere to the drowned countrie of Southland gaue it that name The vale is part of the arable grounds which lie betwixt the wood towne and champaine countrie extending it selfe partly towards the West and in part towards Wouwes gate The Southgeest is an high place and Burghvliet was a village where a castle
The Burghers and souldiers men and women young and old went forth of the gates and stroue who should run first into the enemies campe visiting whatsoeuer they found there and with admiration beheld the greatnesse of the campes circuit the workemanship thereof and euerie man got his bootie for the enemie had left behind him shouels picke-axes wagons tunnes muskets harquebuses pikes armour and all sorts of other prouisions The souldiers and poore townesmeen found wood enough to burne all winter for the props boords of their lodging were onely a little burnt on the out side The whole towne greatly rejoyced for this suddaine and vnlookt for departure of the enemie And because it is the duetie of all good Christians to attribute the honor of all benefits to him from whom they receiue them the sixteenth of Nouember publique thankes was giuen vnto God for so great a deliuerance prayers were likewise made for the prosperitie of the Church and Towne That done the magistrats thought good to proclaime from the towne-house that the thirteenth of Nouember should yearely be kept holie-day because the enemie on that day retired At night bonefires were made Nothing could be heard but the report of canons and small shot sounds of drummes trumpets and bels and joyfull acclamations In euerie street and on the Rampiers pitch barrels were burnt and no place was free from fire workes cast vp into the ayre The towne made a great feast whereunto the Lord Willoughbie gouernour Morgan Captaines old magistrats and the chiefe Burghers were inuited In a word nothing was foregotten which was vsuall in feasts and publique triumphs The towne did afterwards bestow on the Captaines great square pieces of gold which the townes armes stampt in them and the names to whom they were giuen with the causes whie This is the true description of the whole siege together with the sallies and other occurrents which happened during that time and lastly the Duke of Parmas retreat from before Berghen-op-Zoom as it was set downe by Iacob Baselis the younger and imprinted in the said towne in Anno 1603. The Towne of Tilemont in Brabant taken and sackt HAuing hitherunto made a perfect description of the siege of Berghen-op-Zoom and how the enemie raised his campe from before it we are now to set downe the valorous actions of certaine souldiers of the Garrison of Berghen done in the yeare 1588. The States Garrisons and those of his Excellencie Prince Maurice of Nassau lying on the frontiers did the same yeare make sundrie incursions into the enemies countrie doing much harme by fetching in contribution defeating conuois and other such like hostile actions Among those exploits which deserue most commendation the surprisall and taking of the towne of Tilemont is to be reckoned Tilemont is scituat in the Duchie of Brabant nere to a small riuer called Geert some 3 leagues distant from Louain and S. Tron It is a great and spacious towne famous in former time for trade of merchandize as yet appeares by sundrie auntient writings A certaine Serjeant of a band with an hundred foot together with nine horse of Bacx his companie which lay in Berghen had made an attempt vpon Borchloon though with bad successe yet being vnwilling to returne without executing some notable exploit they went forward through a great troope of enemies marched directly to the towne of Tilemont wherein were fiue or sixe ensignes of Spaniards Notwithstanding all these forces and that the towne was great and large they found meanes to enter it where they expulsed the Spaniards tooke three ensigns from them and carried away with them as much pillage as they could beare and so left the towne The enemie hauing notice hereof did with foure hundred men attend their returne Our men brauely resoluing not to loose their bootie did by force passe through the middest of them and with their spoile returned safe to Berghen a matter almost incredible and yet verie true which braue and resolute souldiers should neuer forget but still striue to imitate The Garrisons of Heusden and Geertrudenberg did the like with eight hundred men both horse and foot euerie horseman taking vp a footman behind him and in that manner went to Tilbourg nere to Boisleduc where part of the Duke of Parmas forces lay whom they dislodged and slew many of them the rest fled to a Church whom our men durst no longer pursue fearing the Garrisons nere adjoyning and so with their bootie returned home About the same time threescore and tenne souldiers that lay in Zeland went ouer into Flaunders there defeated the conuoy of Courtray strengthened with a troope of twentie horse beside the foot together with thirtie merchants on horsebacke and hauing gooten a rich bootie returned home to their garrisons ¶ A true description of the towne and countrie of Breda in Brabant together with the admirable taking thereof on the 4 of March Anno 1590. BEfore we come to the taking of Breda it shall not be impertinent briefely to set downe the situation thereof Breda next to the foure chiefe cities of Brabant is among others one of the principall hauing the same franchises as the townes of Tilemont Louvain and Niuelle It stands in the land of Kempen eight miles from Antuerpe sixe from Boisleduc or Sertoghenbusk sixe from Berghen-op-Zoom and two from Geertrudenberg in a plaine abounding with corne the fields and medowes beeing inuironed with trees and the countrie wood die there are some woods as Vlpeu the New wood and the wood of Lies through which two small riuers runne which emptie themselues into the Dikes of Haeghdijck and runne vnder a water Mill into the towne One of these two riuers will beare boats beyond Ginneken and towards Hoochstrate it is called the Aa within below Breda the Mercke We find in auntient Registers that the Danes possest and dwelt in a certaine Fort or Castle which by permission of the Lord of the Countrie of Breda they builded in the Crowes wood where Herons doe now breed Henrie Lord of Breda assisted by the Lord of Weesmaell and the Marshall of Brabant vpon some controuersie tooke that castle and wholly raced it in Anno 1124. There are in it diuers goodly houses belonging to Gentlemen a verie beautifull Church on the North side whereof the Counts of Nassau haue built a goodly Chappell wherein is a stately monument of Renatus of Chalon and in a vault vnderneath it the Tombes of the auntient Lords of Breda of Count Engetbrecht Count Henrie and of the aboue mentioned Renatus The towne of Breda is of a reasonable bignesse and beautifull structure yet in former time it hath been much disfigured by fire for in anno 1534 on the 23 of Iulie a thousand houses were burnt downe to the ground And because it was the chiefe abode of those of the house of Nassau they haue beautified it with many goodly buildings as especially Count Henrie of Nassau who was a braue and
towne being taken the commissioners of Coloigne by vertue of their letters of credence would haue had our men to haue left it to them saying it was theirs this could they neuer obtayne of the Spaniards though it had beene promised with oaths But in regard it was woon with so great cost to the vnited Prouinces and that neither his Excellencie nor commissioners of the Councell had any authoritie to graunt their demaunds it was flatly denyed and they were referred to the Generall States The next day after the towne was yeelded which was the one and twentieth of August Count Herman came to Gelder with 2000 foot and eight cornets of horse the fanterie was conducted by D. Alonzo de Luna gouernor of Liere the cauallerie by D. Francisco de Padiglia their intent was to haue put succors into Berck but vpon intelligence that it was yeelded he returned to Arsen neere the Mase which he crost still thinking on the defeat at Turnholt he sent foure hundred men to the towne of Meurs beside the 200 whom he had alreadie sent thither from Maestrecht two dayes before And the better to secure the sayd Garrison hee comaunded Captaine Arnult Boecop Lieutenant to the gouernour to abandon Camillos fort and to retire with his men into Meurs which the sayd Boecop did with such hast on the 15 of August at night as hee left three pieces of ordnance behind in the fort viz. one canon a demie canon and one field piece ¶ The taking of the Towne and Castle of Meurs in Anno 1597. PRince Maurice hauing intelligence that Count Herman and his forces had crost the Mase did on the six and twentieth of August goe to view the town of Meurs with 12 cornets of horse and some tenne thousand foot and returning by Camillos fort he resolued to assault the towne of Meurs and to that end the cauallerie being returned which conuoyed Count Hohenlo and his wife the Countesse of Buren towards Germanie he commaunded the boats to go vp the riuer towards Camillos fort and himselfe with all his forces on the 28 of August marched towards Meurs hauing 60 foot companies and 21 cornets of horse and the same day quartered two camps before the towne one and the greatest before the gates of which one was called the Kerck-port the other Hâ—enport where himselfe lay with 49 ensignes of foot and all the horse the other before the gate of the new town where the lord of Clotting lay with 6 ensignes of his owne regiment 5 ensignes of the regiment of Frizeland vnder the commaund of Generall Duyvenvoord At their arriual were some skirmishes before the church without the gate which the enemie kept till night when as 2 companies of Scots came to releeue the Frizons The next day they intrenched themselues and at night they began the trenches with 15 foot ensigns viz. 5 of the Frizeland regiment 4 English ensignes foure Scotish two of count Solms regiment the Frizons lay before the gate called Steen-port the Scots with count Solms his ensignes before Kerck-port and the English betwixt the two gates The same night Captaine Waddell the Scot was slayne in the trenches His Excellencie had brought twelue canon with him which on the last of the sayd moneth hee caused to bee planted and the next day began the batterie The night following the trenches were brought from the Frizons quarter to the verie brinke of the dike which was narrow and nothing deepe And for that in regard of the raine and foule weather they were not come so forward in other places therefore the canon plaid not on the 2 of September his Excellencie thinking to haue quartered himselfe vpon the verie dike and by fauour of the canon and helpe of bridges to passe ouer the dike to the townes Rampiers But before this could bee effected the Gouernour of Meurs a Spaniard whose name was Andrea de Miranda beyond all expectation wanting powder sent a drumme in the afternoone to Prince Maurice crauing to haue hostages sent in exchange of those whom hee would send to surrender the towne and castle to him His Excellencie sent the Lord of Gistelles thither who was Lieutenant Generall to Count Solms together with Captaine Ingelhauen who conferred with the townes commissioners which were Captaine Muchet and Captaine Boecop Lieutenant to the Gouernor and after long disputation about graunting three dayes respit which the besieged craued to expect some succours they at last concluded to deliuer vp the towne and castle The next day which was the third of September after that the Gouernours wife was come for whom Prince Maurice had sent a trumpet to a place called Lint in the countrie of Couloign with certaine wagons they went their way according to the accord being eight hundred and thirtie men among whom were certayn Spaniards and likewise an Ensigne-bearer of the castle of Antuerpe with their ensignes armes and baggage and a small piece of ordnance belonging to Count Meurs his Excellencie hauing graunted them fortie wagons for which Captaine Boecop was caution Sixe pieces of ordnaunce were found in the castle 4 of batterie one canon of an extraordinarie weight one demie canon and two field pieces Foure great cables made at Couloign were likewise found in the Storehouse of eight thousand weight which were for seruice of the ferrie boats In this manner did his Excellencie in a moneths space win three townes and three Castles from the enemie videlicet Alpen Berck Meurs and Camillos Fort with all the boats vpon the Rhyne and in the sayd places found aboue fiftie and foure canon among which were eleuen for batterie and the rest of different bignesse as hath been sayd The siege and taking of the townes of Groll and Goor on the 28 of September 1597. AFter that Prince Maurice had spent some time in repairing the dikes and rampiers of the town of Meurs and in leuelling the trenches he went thence with his whole armie on the eighth of September he had sixe thousand foot and one thousand fiue hundred horse beside mariners and others that attended the ordnance and a great traine following the armie Hauing in hast made a bridge ouer the Rhyne of one hundred yards in length the armie crossed the riuer the same day and lodged that night betwixt the Lippe and Rhyne The next day crossing ouer the Lippe he marched by Wesell and went to Bruynen in the countrie of Munster From thence on the tenth of September he passed along by Boecholt lodged that night at Alten neere to Brevoot which hee sent to view But vpon intelligence that Count Iohn of Limbourg and Stierum lay in Groll with twelue ensignes of foot and three cornets of horse his Excellencie went thither the next day And on the eleuenth of September hee quartered his campe in a square forme towards the West end of the sayd towne which was fortified with fiue Bulwarks so as it seemed his Excellencie would haue enough to doe yet he made
they had deserued death yet he saued their liues and ransomed them at 3900 florins the officers excepted and on the twelft of October suffered two hundred men to depart thence on promise no to beare armes on this side the Mase for the space of three moneths Two thousand and three hundred florins was demaunded for one hundred twentie three of Broeckbuyse souldiers himselfe excepted who payed one thousand fiue hundred florins for his daughters ransome beside that which he gaue for his ensigne Boetselaer For the ransome of Captaine Gardots officers and souldiers which were seuentie seuen one thousand sixe hundred florins were demaunded The Burghers ransome was forgiuen them at the entreatie of the Lord of Tempell in regard of their losse sustayned by fire and they in recompence gaue his Excellencie three tunne of Rhenish wine and yet the towne I know not by what meanes was all burnt fiue or six houses and certaine Cabins excepted The siege and taking of the Townes of Enschede Oldenzeel and Ootmaersen on the eighteenth one and twentieth and three and twentieth of October 1597. HIs Excellencie hauing in this manner by continuall labour and Gods helpe woon this impregnable towne in nine daies for it was supposed to be stronger than Berck Meurs or Groll and giuen order for repayring the rampiers at the Countries cost he did againe giue some little rest and refreshing to his souldiers in regard of a great and laborious journey he purposed to make towards Enschede Oldenzeel and Ootmaersen which would hardly be effected in foure dayes but by his great speed the armie arriued before Enschede on the 18 of October which was fortified with an earthen rampier and two dikes the one without the other within where the captaines Vasques and Grootvelt sent two men to his Excellencie to view his ordnance after that the towne had been summoned and afterwards treated with him whereupon he licenced them to depart beyond the Mase on condition not to serue the king of Spaine for three moneths next ensuing and granted them a Conuoy to the sayd riuer According to which agreement they departed thence on the 19 of October in the Morning and were in number one hundred and tenne men for a while before some 50 men that had gone forth a boot-haling had beene beaten and taken prisoners by his Excellencies souldiers on the 9 of October The next day his Excellencie brought his armie before Oldenzeel and presently sent two regiments viz. that of Count Solms and that of Count Henrie his brother with certaine horse and foure piece of ordnance to Ootmaersen which they summoned but Captaine Otho de Sande with some 30 of the towne of Oldenzeel that were there refused to yeeld it on the 21 of October the canon was planted before Oldenzeel and after three volleys had been discharged they surrendred the towne vpon the same agreement as those of Enschede and 130 men presently departed thence Two falconets 2 yron pieces 800 weight of powder 200 of match with 112 bullets some other prouisions were found in the town From thence he went to Ootmaersen which he presenâ—ly summoned but the towne being manned with sixe companies viz. Generall Billyes the Drossart Egmonts the gouernour Boymers Herman de Ens Borchgraue and Eylkema they aunswered That if they should on a sodaine yeeld the towne they knew not how to aunswer it Thereupon his Excellencie presently caused trenches and batteries to be made and discharged certaine volleis whilest the platformes were preparing for the batterie which being readie and the Burghers fearing some greater mischiefe certain men came forth of the towne on the 22 of October at night viz. Captaine Borchgraue Egmonts ensigne and the two Burghomasters of the Towne who after some parley compounded with Prince Maurice the same night at eleuen of the clocke according to the agreement of those of Euschede it was likewise concluded that all ecclesiastical persons might at their owne choyce either stay or depart The next day in the Morning the garrison left the towne which consisted of foure hundred men and laid the fault on the Burghers feare and euill will on their owne want of souldiers His Excellencie hauing vanquished these old captaines and soldiers did on the 23 of October make his entrie into the towne together with the Princesse of Orange who for certaine important affaires was come to the campe and count William of Nassau where he found three brasse pieces many of yron and about seuen thousand weight of powder and placed the companies of the Drossart Sallant Iaques de Meurs in garrison there making the said Meurs gouernour and sent Captaine Potters companie to Euschede so as his Excellencie in fiue daies manned three townes with garrison and woon the whole Countrie of Twente The foure and twentieth of October he sent to view the riuer called Dinckele and made a passage ouer it sending the Drossart Sallant with tenne Cornets of horse and sixe foot companies of Frizons to prepare the way toward Lingen and to enuiron the said towne The same day the three young Earles of Benthem together with Count Weda came to his Excellencie at Oldenzeel the like did the Commissioners of the gouernement of Munster His Excellencie likewise sent Captaine Euuoot de Bout with Letters to the officers neere adjoyning crauing their helpe in making a bridge ouer the riuer Amisa He resolued likewise by the aduice of the generall States deputies Councell of State and those of the countrie of Ouer-Yssel to raise the Rampiers of the Townes of Euschede and Otmaersen which within a while after was done ¶ The taking of the towne and castle of Lingen in Anno 1597. PRince Maurice on the six and twentieth of October led his armie from Odenzeel and comming with the vantgard to Northoorn he went to BentheÌ„ Castle with the Princesse of Orange accompanied with Brabantina of Orange who with other Nobilitie was come to take her leaue where they were verie honourably kindly entertained by the earle of Benthem the Countesse Palatine the dowager who remained there from whence the Princesse departed the next day and his Excellencie went neere to Emsbuere where his armie lay which on the 28 of October crossed the riuer Amisa and went before the towne and castle of Lingen Lingen is a frontier towne seated in the farthest part of the low-low-countries it is a Seignorie wherein is a towne castle and 4 villages which the Emperor Charles the fifth vsurped by confiscation in the yeare 1546 together with the Countie of Teckelenbourg and the Seigniorie of Reyden which he took from count Conrade of Teckelenbourg who had an hand in the league of Smalcald making war vpon him and was therefore condemned as a rebell Whereupon the emperour gaue the said countie and Seignorie to Maximilian of Egmond Count of Buren in recompence of his good seruice Afterward the earle was reconciled to the Emperour on this condition that Lingen should remaine to Count Buren
Captaines and other officers which lay in strong walled Townes and Castles So as in these exploits he did not onely win nine Townes and fiue castles manned with strong garrisons but three Counties and three Seignories crossing seuen riuers foure with bridges three without and thereby secured the passages on the Rhyne Countries of Zutphen Ouer-Yssel Twent Drent Frizeland and the Ommelands which is in a manner the fourth part of the seuenteen Prouinces of the Netherlands as they are reckoned at that time when Cardinall Albertus had threescore thousand men in pay and himselfe in person in the field comming from Amiens in Picardie in Nouember before Ostend with which he durst not then meddle ¶ A recitall and description of the siege of Bommell and how it was raised in Anno 1599. AFter the conquest of so many sundrie Townes we are next to speake of the siege of Bommell and of the enemies entrance into the Island called Bommels-weert vnder the conduct of the Admerall of Arragon and for better recitall thereof we will make some briefe description of the towne Bommell is a frontier Towne vpon the confines of Guelderland towards the South and stands vpon the riuer Waell on the North side of the Isle of Bommell it is of a reasonable bignesse and exceeding strong by nature it was first walled by Duke Otho vnder whose gouernement the Countrie of Guelderland and the number of townes in it were much augmented The riuer Waell doth not onely make Bommell commodious for traffike but impregnable on the North side and free from all inuasion The Countrie about it is verie low and not alone vnfit for Mynes but for continuance of any long siege for in winter by reason of great waters and ouerflowing of riuers it inforceth the enemie to leaue the field Beside her naturall strength it hath beene euer well fortified with bulwarkes and Towers and is enuironed with a double rampier and dike as the Reader may perceiue by the Map From the beginning of the Low-Countrie warres till this day each partie hath laboured to become Master of this towne in regard of her situation especially the vnited Prouinces because it serues as a rampier against the incursions and inuasion of their enemies and is a strong and sure key to their confines which they likewise fortunatly obtayned by meanes of those of Gorcum who tooke it in anno 1572 and haue kept it till this present notwithstanding the enemies many attempts and daily diligence of the Spanish commaunders who haue often gone about to become Masters thereof and to take it from them As in Anno 1599 when they brought their whole strength into the Isle of Bommell vnder the conduct of D. Francisco de Mendoza high Admeral of Arragon and besieged the towne with the bulwarks and forts round about it And because this siege of Bommell together with the raising thereof is one of the notablest exploits of warre done in the Low-countries we will briefely set downe the most remarkable matters which were there acted intreating the Reader to take it in good part The Admerall of Arragon hauing assembled all his forces lying on the Empires territories and neutrall countries did on the sixteenth of Aprill take a generall muster of them and on the sixe and twentieth of the said moneth brought them before the impregnable fort of the Island called S'Graven-weert whose garrison was so strong and well prouided of all necessaries as it was to be presumed that the Spaniards would not haue dared to hope for the winning of it especially in view of the States armie which hindered them from enclosing it Their weake attempts likewise and the euent thereof shewed that they aimed at some other place and that this was but a counterfeit siege onely to draw the States armie thither that they might be able on a sodaine to surprize the Towne of Bommell and forts adjacent My Lords the States of the vnited Prouinces hauing intelligence certaine moneths before that the enemie would inuade the Isle of Bommell to be able from thence to make his entrance into Holland had giuen order to fortifie and circle the said town with new bulwarkes and flankers and to inlarge the forts of Voorn and Creueccoeur which by reason of their smalnesse were not able to hold out long these workes were alreadie begun in the towne of Bommell and fort of Voorn but not ended by reason the ground was too soft and the waters too high so that the west-side of the towne lay all open the old wals being beaten downe and the new not yet erected as likewise in Voorn for t where the new worke was scarce defensible and would not haue beene able to withstand the enemies furie These things drew the Spaniards into the Isle of Bommell that they might become Masters thereof ere these places were fortified And to this end they came before the fort of S'Grauen-weert to draw as it fell out the States campe thither By which occasion the Towne of Bommel and forts neere adjoyning were not so well prouided of men as was requisit The Admerall of Arragon lying before S'Grauen-weert and amusing the States campe had sent certaine troopes vnder the conduct of Zapena towards Gennip vpon the Mase vnder colour of a conuoy vnto whom he sent a great part of his armie on May day conducted by La Bourlotte The enemie for execution of his enterprise had prouided certaine boats vpon the Mase in which they meant to fall downe towards the Isle of Voorn and on the 3 day of May in the Morning they all embarked themselues and came to the sayd Island But Prince Maurice according to his vsuall care and diligence had aduertised the Garrison of their intent commaunding them to arme and stand vpon their gard who by this meanes preuented the enemies purpose and kept him from making any attempt Whereupon hee was enforced to goe backe with his boats to a place called Litt where he remained that day and the next The fourth of may at night they did with canon shot inforce the man of warre which the States kept vpon the Mase to gard the riuer and to stop the enemies passage to retire thence and to fall downe the streame and caused certaine boats to be brought by land towards Keffell whether they sent their owne fanterie which was imbarked by night and passed on betwixt Rossen and Herwaerde And the fifth of May before day breake they entred the Isle of Bommell where they fortified themselues on both sides the water This sodaine arriuall of theirs did so affright those of Bommell as diuers Burghers fled confusedly forth of the Towne carrying away with them what they could conueniently And to speake truely had the enemie presently after his arriuall in the Island shewed himselfe before the Towne he would haue mightily endaungered it the walls lying open and the Burghers being terrified But by his negligence and staying for the Admerall who was hourely expected with his whole armie he lost
subiects of what qualitie or condition soeuer without exception of place or persons III. Each of them shal continue seised of and sâ—all effectually enioy those countries townes places territories and lordships which he now holdeth and possesseth without any molestation whatsoeuer during the said truce in which is to bee comprehended the boroughs villages hamlets and champaine countrie which depend thereon IIII. The subiects of the said Lords King Archdukes and States shall in friendlie sort haue good correspondence with one an other during the said Truce without resenting forepassed iniuries They may likewise frequent and reside in the countries and dominions of each other there in all safetie vse trafficke and commerce both by land sea and fresh riuers This neuerthelesse the said Lord King vnderstands to bee restrained and limited to the Realmes countries territories and lordships which he possesseth in Europe other seas and places whither the subiects of hiâ—â—eighbor Kings and Princes doe trade vpon sufferance And for those places townes ports and hauens which hee possesseth forth of the abouesaid limits the said Lords States and their subiects shall not trade thither without expresse permission of the said Catholike king Yet if it seeme good vnto them they may trade in the countries of all other Princes Potentates and common wealths which will permit them so to doe namely forth of the said limits without any let molestation or impediment from the said Lord King or his officers and subiects 5 V. And because a longer timâ—s required for giuing warning vnto those that are abroad at sea with forces to desist from all hostile actions it is concluded that the truce shall not beginne till within a yeare next ensuing Alwaies prouided that if aduertisement of the said truce may bee giuen sooner that then hostilitie shall cease from that time forward but if after the said terme of an whole yeare any hostile actions shall be vsed the losse and harme shall be restored without delay VI. The subiects of the said Lords King Archdukes and States trading into one an others countries shall not bee tied to pay greater duties and impositions than their owne subiects and those of friends and allies which are least charged VII And the subiects of the said Lords States shall likewise haue the same assurance and libertie in the dominions of the said Lords King and Archdukes as hath beene graunted to the King of great Britaines subiects by the last treatie of peace and secret articles made with the constable of Castille VIII Neither shall merchants masters of ships pilots mariners their ships wares and goods belonging vnto them bee seased vpon and staied by vertue of any generall or particular mandate or for any otâ—er cause whatsoeuer nor yet vnder colour to make vse of them for the preseruation and defence of the countrie yet it is not meant that goods seased vpon by ordinarie way of Iustice in regard of debts bonds and contracts of theirs on whom the said seasure hath beene made and wherein it hath been proceeded according to right and reason shal be herein comprehended Ix. And as for the trade and commerce of the low countries and taxes and impositions which shall be raised vpon merchandise if it bee afterwards found that any excesse is vsed therein vpon first suit made thereupon by either partie commissioners shall bee appointed to order and moderate the matter and though the businesse cannot bee agreed vpon yet shall not the truce therefore bee broken X. If any sentences or judgements haue beene giuen betwixt persons of sundrie sides either for ciuile or criminall causes they shall not be executed vpon the parties condemned nor on their goods so long as the said truce lasteth XI Letters of marque and reprisall shall not be granted during the said time vnlesse vpon just cause and in cases which are permitted by the imperiall lawes and constitutions and according to the order by them established XII None may arriue enter nor continue in the Ports Hauens and Roades of each others Countrie with any number of ships and souldiers which may giue cause of suspition to him vnto whom the said Ports Hauens and Roads doe belong vnlesse they be cast in by tempest or inforced to doe it vpon necessitie and for auoyding daunger at Sea XIII Those whose goods haue beene seazed and confiscate by reason of the warre or their heires shall enjoy the same goods during the truce and of their owne priuat authoritie shall take possession of them by vertue of this present treatie without being inforced to haue recourse to justice notwithstanding all incorporations fiscal engagements gifts treaties agreements and transacts or whatsoeuer renouncing hath beene made in the said transacts to exclude part of the said goods from those vnto whom they are to belong on condition neuerthelesse not to dispose of nor diminish them during the said time vnlesse they be permitted so to doe by the said Lords Archdukes or States XIIII This likewise shall take place to the profit and aduantage of the heires of the late Prince of Orange concerning their right to the Salt pits in the Countie of Burgondie which shal be restored vnto them together with the woods thereon depending And concerning the suit of Castelbelin commenced in the life time of the late Lord Prince of Orange in the Court of Malines against the Catholike Kings Atturney generall the said Lords Archdukes doe sincerely promise therein to doe them justice within a yeare without any delay according to right and equitie XV. If the publike treasurie hath sold any part of goods confiscate those to whom they are to belong by vertue of this present treatie shall tie themselues to be satisfied with the interest of the price and to be payed it euerie yeare during the truce by those that possesse the said goods otherwise it shall be lawfull for them to resort to the land or inheritance that is sold. XVI But of the said Sales haue beene made by order of law for good and lawfull debts of theirs vnto whom the said goods did belong before the confiscation it shall be lawfull for them or their heires vpon cause to redeeme them in paying the price within a yere accounting from the day of this present treatie after which time they shall be no more receiued and the said repurchase being made by them they may dispose thereof as they shall thinke good without further permission XVII Yet is not this repurchase to be in force for houses seated in townes and sold vpon this occasion in regard of the great discommoditie and notable losse which the purchasers should sustaine by reason of change and reparations which may be made in the said houses the examination whereof would be too long and difficult XVIII As for reparations and improuements bestowed vpon other goods that are sold whose repurchase is permitted if they bee sued for the ordinarie Iudges shall therein doe justice vpon knowledge of the cause the inheritance remaining engaged for the summe
Iulius Caesars time sauing that euery Prouince hath borrowed the sound and accent of her neighbours a speech further extended and spoken in moe places than any other euen from Calais in France as farre as Norway Swethen Liuonia and further It is a Countrey where strangers are better vsed than in any other they are a Christian people louers of pietie Libertie as all their Histories and moderne wars testifie for since the ouerthrow of the Roman Empire they haue freed themselues from all bondage and inuasion and haue inuaded and mastered other Nations as the realm of France with the Salicks and Franconians their neighbors c. The Countrie being diuided into Prouinces they haue acknowledged some Soueraigne Lords but on certaine conditions still keeping them from growing great for feare of being subiugated by them and therefore they especially loued them when they were young these Prouinces liuing thus peaceably vnder their Lords and vniting themselues together in time of need haue oftentimes purchased renowne by valiant actions as well against the Romans as other nations namely against the Turks and Sarafens as appeares by their exploits vnder the conduct of Godfrey of Bouillon and other Kings of Ierusalem as also vnder Baldwin Earle of Flaunders who woon the Empire of Constantinople with many other enterprises mentioned in their Cronicles and Histories In a word they are a people of whom the famous Historian Cornelius Tacitus writes thus the Gaules fought for their libertie the Germans for bootie but the Battauians for glorie and honour In this regard the Roman Emperors chose them to guard their own persons esteeming them the valliantest and loyallest people of the world and some of them as the Battauians and Frisons haue been declared friends and companions of the Romans Notwithstanding that all these Low Countries haue in time past beene sundrie Prouinces and Soueraignties vnder seuerall Princes yet at last they haue beene reduced vnder foure Dukes of Burgundi afterwards vnder the Archdukes of Austria and finally vnder one lord absolute the Emperour Charles the fist and his sonne Philip King of Spayne It shall not be amisse briefely to set down how when after what maner they became subiect to these last Princes and let this continue in eternall memorie that the Spanyards haue attainted the gouernment of these Low countries not to rule them as their owne subiects according to their Lawes but as a free Nation by their owne Lawes and priuiledges Lewis de Male by his father Earle of Flanders Neuers Retel Salines Antuerp and Malines and by his mother Earle of Burgondie and Artois had a daughter named Margaret by Margaret his wife daughter to Iohn the third Duke of Brabant this ladie in the yere 1369 in Gant maried Philip of Valois surnamed the Hardie Duke of Burgondie the yongest sonne to Iohn the French King from these two descended Iohn sans peur Earle of Flanders Burgondie Artois c. This Iohn of Valois did in the yere 1415 marrie the ladie Margaret daughter to the Earle of Haynault Holland Zeland and Friseland and was treacherously slayne at Montereau in Fraunce anÌ„ 1419 the nineteenth of September being eight and fortie yeares old and in the fifteenth yeare of his raigne he died as some say by the Dolphins command His onely sonne Phillip le Bon succeeded him being three and twentie yeares old and was Duke of Burgondie Earle of Flanders Artois Burgondie Palatin Marquesse of the sacred Empire lord of Salines and Malines He did moreouer in the yere 1429 by the death of Earle Dideric of Namur succeed him in the same Earledome which he first bought and by the death of Phillip Duke of Brabant who died without heires he did in the yeare 1430 obtaine the Dutchies of Lorraine Brabant and Limbourg and by the death of Iacoba countesse of Holland c. his neece he got in the yeare 1436 the Earledomes of Haynault Holland Zeland and Friseland In the yere 1443 his Aunt gaue him the Duchie of Luxembourgh first as protector thereof and afterwards as absolute lord He was the first of the house of Burgondie that instituted the order of the Golden fleece at Bruges in Flaunders when he maried Isabell of Portugall in the yeare 1450 He died at Bruges anÌ„ 1467 in the 72 yeare of his age and 48 of his raigne He left his onely sonne Charles of Valois surnamed the Warrior heire to all these countries who succeeded his father in the 34 yeare of his age for an annuall pention and the sum of 92000 crownes of gold he bought the duchie of Guelderland county of Zutphen of Arnold Earle of Egmond who dying did by his last will and Testament confirme the said sale making Duke Charles his heire disinheriting his own sonne Adolfe because he had rebelled against him This Duke tooke possession of Guelderland in anÌ„ 1473 He sought to make the Low-countries a kingdome and to that end promised to marrie his onely daughter to the Emperour Frederic the thirds son and he would haue called it the kingdome of Burgondie because in former time Burgondie had been a kingdome but in regard euerie Prouince was Soueraigne and had her priuiledges lawes and reueneues apart differing in weights and measures and had neuer graunted their Princes any other but limited power this motion was reiected This braue warrior was slaine before Nancy anno 1477 the fist day of Ianuarie betrayed by an Italian Earle called Campobasso that serued him by the instigation of Lewis the eleuenth French king the Swisses Lorraiâ—s after that he had woon three battailes Three dayes after his death he was found naked in a marish which was frosen as Philip of Comines writes in his Historie he was foure and fortie yeares old and left one onely daughter and heire behind him called Marie of Valois of the age of eighteene yeares who in anno 1477 on the eighteenth of August married Maximillian of Austria who recouered from the French king whatsoeuer he had taken from his wife he reestablished the order of the golden fleece which in those dayes was very contemptible this he did in anno 1478. They had two children betwixt them a sonne named Philip and a daughter called Margaret Marie of Burgondie the third yeare after she was married fell from her horse and of that fall dyed Maximillian for a time gouerned those countries in the behalfe of his sonne Philip but not verie faithfully for he went about to allienat and diuide the Prouinces of Brabant Holland Zeland and Friseland from the Low-countries to giue them to his father the Emperour Frederic and did many matters to the preiudice of those countries which to rehearse would be too long In the yeare 1492 his sonne Philip was acknowledged Prince of the whole Low-countries and confirmed as hereditarie lord thereof In an 1496 in the Citie of Lier in Brabant he married D. Ioane of Spayne so as the Low-countries
secretly in the night depart from the sort of Ter-Neuse towards the towne of Axel in Flanders a mile and halfe distant from Hulst and foure miles from Gaunt It is a small towne and not altogether encompassed with walls which by passing secretly oner a wall they tooke without any great slaughter there were foure companies of souldiers in it Within a few dayes after they tooke all the forts round about it and for the safer keeping of the sayd towne they broke downe the causies so as the whole towne was enuironed with water The taking of Axel did somewhat trouble them of Flanders and Brabant fearing some greater mischiefe would ensue so as they forthwith wrot to the Prince of Parma lying before Nuys entreating him to come from thence to ayd them sending him vvord That it vvas more honourable and necessarie to preserue their own countrey than to besiege and vvin an Imperiall citie forth of the jurisdiction and limits of the Low Countries The Prince notwithstanding would not quit the siege but sent la Motte Gouernour of Graueling to besiege and recouer the sayd towne of Axel but his labour was lost the towne being as hath beene said all enuironed with water The Earle of Leycester leaues the Low Countries and goes into England Maurice of Nassau is made Gouernour Generall AFter that Robert Dudley Earle of Leycester in the later end of the yere 1587 was gone into England leauing the Netherlands in great troubles and dissention and that Sir William Stanley had on the nine and twentieth of Ianuarie deliuered vp the towne of Deuenter to Taxis and Rowland Yorke the fort of Zutphen the generall States were much perplexed fearing that the English which lay in other townes and forts would doe the like following the example of the French in Brabant in the Duke of Anjous time did in an assembly at the Hague on the sixt of Februarie establish and declare by prouiso by vertue and according to the Soueraigntie belonging vnto them Prince Maurice besides his Admiraltie in generall and place of Gouernour of Holland Zeland and Frizeland Gouernour generall in the sayd Earle of Leycesters absence with charge and instruction of the preheminences rights and priuiledges for the profit and conseruation of the countries townes and inhabitants to maintaine and defend the exercise of the reformed Religion to administer justice by aduice of the Counsellors and Presidents with authoritie to change Magistrats to chuse Burgomasters and Sherifes according to the auncient custome in a word to doe whatsoeuer a Gouernour Generall might doe and all this by prouiso c. joyning with him because of his youth Count Hohenlo as his Lieutenant Hitherto we haue briefely set downe how and when his Excellencie attained the gouernment of these Prouinces wee will now come to the description of the victories which it hath pleased God to grant him The towne of Medenblicke is enforced to submit it selfe to his Excellencie and to my Lords the States ALthough the Earle of Leycester had resigned and deposed himselfe from the gouernement of these vnited Prouinces according to an Act granted at London on the 17 of December 1587 to my Lords the generall States yet they likewise caused it to bee published and proclaimed in forme following The Estates generall of the vnited Prouinces of the Low Countries to all those to whom these presents shall come greeting As it hath pleased her Maiestie of England to conferre with the Commissioners and Embassadors of the said Prouinces and in the end to make a certaine Treatie bearing date the tenth of August 1585 Whereby on either side it was concluded That during the warre against the enemies of the said countries as strangers malecontents and their adherents her Maiestie will at her owne cost entertaine beside the garrisons of the townes and forts promised to her Maiestie for assurance of repaiment of such summes of money as she shall disburse to releeue and succour the sayd Prouinces and maintaine them in the true christian religion their franchises priuiledges laws the number of six thousand foot and one thousand horse conducted by a Gouernour Generall being a Lord of name and qualitie and of the reformed Religion together with other good Captaines on condition that the sayd Prouinces generally and euerie of them in particular shall be bound and obliged to repay vnto her Maiestie the sayd summes by a certaine limited time after the warre and for assurance of the said perfect and entire paiment the townes forts of Briell Flessingue the castle of Rammekens should be consigned to her sayd Maiestie the which by her or her successors the said payment once made should without any difficultie or claime to them be restored to the aboue mentioned States and Prouinces without deliuering them to the King of Spain or other enemies of the said countries or to any other Prince or Lord but should in the meane time be kept for her Maiesties assurance and profit of the States of the said countries The which Gouernour with two other men of note sent from her Maiestie and being her subiects should haue place in the Councell of State of the vnited Prouinces together with it to manage the affaires concerning the common defence vnion of the said countries According to this Treatie the foresayd towns forts being consigned to her Maiestie it hath pleased her to send hither with Commission of Gouernor Generall of her troupes the illustrious and mightie Lord Robert Earle of Leycester Baron of Denbigh c. And we haue besides thought good to require accept and make him Gouernour and Captaine Generall ouer all the vnited Prouinces townes and associated members thereof which place his aboue named Excellency hauing accepted with reseruation of his homage and fealtie due vnto her Maiestie all Gouernours of Prouinces townes and members thereof likewise all Officers Iustices and Souldiers were by oath bound vnto his Excellencie as Gouernour and Captaine Generall of the Low Countries both in generall and particular But as it hath pleased her Maiestie to call home his said Excellencie to imploy him for other seruices in her owne kingdome so as vpon this occasion he being no longer able to gouerne these countries or accomplish the tenor of his Commission according as the present necessitie of these countries doe require hath discharged and vnburthened himselfe of the said office of Gouernour and Captaine Generall of these vnited Prouinces and from the Commission which we gaue him and deliuered it vp againe to vs as appeares by an Act signed and sealed with his owne hand made in the citie of London and dated the seuenteenth of December 1587. That it hath likewise pleased her Maiestie by Commission dated the foure and twentieth of the said month to appoint Peregrin Lord Willoughbie c. Gouernor Generall of her troupes in these countries And considering that in the present state and necessitie of these countries they cannot but be greatly endangered wanting a Gouernour Generall
citizens of London in their liueries stood on both sides the street as she passed along Her maiestie and Lords gaue thankes vnto God and were present at a publike Sermon made in the Church-yard tending onely to thansgiuing and so with great acclamations of people that besought God to graunt her a long and prosperous life to his honour and ruyne of her enemies shee returned in the same manner as she came In this manner did this magnificent great and mightie Armada termed the inuincible and such an one as in many hundred of yeares the like had not beene seene vpon the Ocean vanish into aire to their great confusion which sent it forth in anÌ„ 1588. Whereupon the Queene of England was congratulated by all Princes her friends and neighbours and many millions of verses composed in her honour The Prince of Parma in 1588 besiegeth Berghen-op-Zoom And rayseth his siege and departeth the same yeare BErghen-op-Zoom is a Towne in the Duchie of Brabant the first and chiefest of the 17 Prouinces in the Low-countries In time past it was but a Seignorie but in anno 1533 the Emperour Charles the fist honoured it with the title of Marquisat It is the first Towne which yee leaue vpon the left hand as yee goe from Roomerswaell and Tholen which are townes of Zeland towards Antuerpe It hath beene a Merchant Towne not onely in our predecessors dayes but there are yet some liuing that haue so knowne it in their time whether Spanyards Frenchmen Almans English and Scots came to traffique It is seated in the middest of the mightie Nertherland Prouinces viz. of Brabant Flaunders Holland and Zeland It iâ— not the least part of the first for it is within sixe houres journey of Antuerpe the chiefe Merchant Citie of the Prouince The three other are opposit to it viz. Flaunders towards the South Holland towards the North and Zeland towards the West It hath also a verie good Hauen which diuides the South Countrie from that of the North for so are both the countries named scituate on each side of the Hauen which lieth but 535 foot from the towne where it turneth towards the West and diuiding it selfe into two armes it openeth it selfe runneth into the towne One of the Armes towards the South serueth certaine water mils and salt pits which now are within the town that towards the North makes the towns Hauen Berghen is in circuit 10175 foot beside the Bulwarks There is a verie high earthen rampier dikes round about it it is likewise in some places fortified with palisadoes in other parts which hedges wals on top of the rampiers there are also diuers new bulwarks made for the towns defeÌ„ce And though it be now miserably dissigured by the breaking downe of many faire and goodlie houses yet it hath at this day aboue 1000 that are inhabited diuers others ruined by war are daily new built to be made haibtable there are faire and large streets in it 3 faire market places the great market fish market and corne market there is likewise a goodlie Church in it The Marquis his court is a great ornament to it The rich Cloyster of Nuns is coÌ„uerted to an Hospital for the hoÌ„spital without the towne together with other buildings were ruined in time of war After that all Brabant Berghen-op-Zoom excepted by the duke of Parmas conduct was reduced vnder the Spanish gouernement the troopes of his Excellencie and my Lords the States made diuers incursions into the countrie especially then when the Duke of Parma had assembled all his forces at Dunkirke there waiting for the Spanish fleet Those of Brabant Flaunders and other prouinces vnder the kings obedience seeing and vnderstanding the defeat of the Spanish Armada and feeling to the quicke the spoyle which the souldiers of Berghen daily made protested against the Duke of Parma and made complaint that all the townes of Brabant obeyed the King Berghen-op-Zoom excepted which was a verie nest of theeties and receptacle of raskals from whence forces were daily sent to surprise poore trauellers and merchants that brought prouision that the same mischiefe did likewise often light vpon their Burghers who were vndone by imprisonment and great ransomes yet this might in some sort be tollerated prouided they might liue securely in their Townes but Beâ—ingh in the Countrie of Liege Viluord and Geldernack in Brabant could witnesse the contrarie hauing beene taken and sackt That by reason of Berghen all the Villages were vnder contribution and those that refused to pay it were burnt their houses ransackt cattell carried away and themselues made prisoners Yet if the Duke of Parma would bring his victorious Campe before Berghen wherewith hee had woon so many Townes the enemies joy conceiued by the retreat of the Spanish fleet vvould bee soone conuerted to sorrow And Berghen once taken a way would then lie open to surprise the Islands of Zeland one after an other at least Berghen and the Isle of Terthole might bee taken both at once These vvere the Barbanders complaints It is not to be doubted but that the Duke of Parma vvas much grieued at the flight of the Spanish fleet and for that he could not swallow England which he had alreadie deuoured in conceipt as appeares by the preparation which he caried with him to Dunkirke seruing rather to be carried away in triumph into England than by force to surprise so mightie a kingdome He was likewise badly beloued in the court of Spaine for not assisting the fleet in necessitie Now that he might in some sort wipe off this staine which blotted his reputation he enterprised to reduce the towne of Berghen vnder his commaund From that time diuers reports thereof were currant not onely in the Low-countries but also in England whereof her Majestie aduertised my Lords the States by letters dated at Greenwich the seuen and twentieth of August 1588. At the beginning of September when there was no more hope of the fleets returne and that the Duke of Parma was come backe from Flaunders into Brabant all men held it for certaine that some attempt would be made vpon Berghen Certaine horsemen of Bacx his companie sent forth for discouerie brought backe with them two prisoners who confidently reported that there was nothing more certaine than that Berghen should be besieged One of the prisoners was a Gentleman and an officer belonging to the ordnance and the other was master of the munition when our men tooke them nere to Eckeren castle and askt them whether they were going they answered that they went to the kings camp that lay before Berghen Being brought to the towne they assured vs that all things were in readinesse to besiege vs that before they were taken the armie was on the march and that they verily thought to haue found it before the town and wondered to find the contrarie they likewise affirmed that there were 36000 men horse and foot in Parmas campe The 9 of the said moneth of August the
horse who vvas Cornet to the Lord Willoughby was slayne vnder him and was presently remounted to reuenge his losse In the skirmish Marcelis Bacx encountred a certaine Albanois whom after hee had thrust through with his sword he tooke by head and shoulders drew him and his horse by force forth of the enemies throng notwithstanding all his resistance and carried him away prisoner After he had done this noble deed his horse fell down dead vnder him for he was shot through on both sides the ordnance on the bulwarke of the Friers Minors and on Steenberghen gate plaid furiously vpon the enemie carrying away both men and horse into the ayre Yet this could not discourage the enemie who was superiour to vs in number and this fight seemed a combat for honour and not for life so doubtfull and vncertaine was the euent thereof which continued till night and darkenesse separated them The Captaines Lieutenants Cornets Quartermasters Corporals and common souldiers had receiued sundrie shot vpon their armour yet verie few of them were hurt the greatest losse was in horse how it went on the enemies side I know not Those which lay towards the South did on the 1 day of October begin to draw their trenches from the Ball as far as the Hospitall Two daies after a certain Spaniard came yeelded himselfe he had slaine 1 of his fellowes for that cause came to our side Being questioned concerning the state of the camp he said that there were 30000 men in it that they had already brought 6 canon with theÌ„ did daily expect 50 more that the enemie determined to make his batterie towards the water mill so confirmed the coÌ„mon report how that 60 pieces of ordnance were comming to the campe This Spaniard was sent to prince Maurice and the States And because the rampier next the water mill was too weake to resist the Canon they fortified it and made it thicker To this end the Magistrat sent the Burgomaster Suydland into Zeland to the States to craue some helpe towards the fortifications because in many places the towne was verie weake and vnprouided of money workemen and other necessaries the enemie daily more and more enuironing it doing his best to win it The second day after the Burgomasters departure the enemie made a Fort there vvhere the Hospitall had stood which was within Harquebuze shot of the towne Then euerie man assured himselfe that the enemie would there likewise make a batterie vpon the high way toward Calmthout great numbers of Carts and wagons were discerned which the horse could hardly draw so as they came but slowly on to the towne-ward The Burghers and souldiers thought them to be the other canons which the Spaniard talked of so as the Burghers began to fortifie betwixt the gate of Wouwe and that of the Nuns that the rampier might be free from the enemies smal shot They likewise brake down the wals of Wouwe gate which were too high that they might do no hurt when the enemie should play vpon them with his canon A way was likewise made athwart the gardens at the foot of the rampiers that the caual lerie might lie safe if the enemie should batter the towne But it was farre from the enemies meaning to make any batterie for those carts and waggons had brought no ordnance but onely boats hauing some other designe as the euent declared The morrow after which was the seuenth of October fiftie two ensignes of foot came on the North side of the campe commaunded by Count Egmont these companies encamped on the lower part of the Northgeest There is a causie on Northland nere to Benmoer called Eesterdike because certaine trees called Eesters had beene planted there This causie looseth it name nere to Dryanneland It beginneth at the nether end of the Northgeest and extends it selfe towards Northlands causie as far as the Sea and diuides first the land from Benmoer and next the countrie of Dryanneland from Northland in that manner making three wayes as farre as the Sea-dike My Lords the States had alreadie of a long time pierced the sayd causie of Dryanneland hoping that the water would enter into it by the Geux Gullet or hole and that entring into Northland nere to Bariebas and so together through the Gullet of Dryannelands causie the water would make a great breach and thereby take all meanes from the enemie to come vpon Northlands causie The enemie was often seene vpon that of Dryanneland making good obseruations of all things Our men presently suspected the truth of the matter how that they intended to make a bridge ouer that Gullet thereby to come vpon Northland causie which done they might then keepe our vessels forth of the hauen Much speech was made of this causie some were of opinion to leuell and make it euen others said it was necessarie to build a fort there where the causies did meet and for the effecting thereof had conference with Count Solms Now because the first wold haue bin too great costly a labor without any profit at all for if the causie had bin leuelled and made plain it would haue stood the enemie in better stead than before and that the second was not without danger because the enemie was so nere that place neither the one nor other was done The next night after the enemie himselfe seazed on that causie placing two great shallops in the Gullet with which he passed ouer his souldiers and within a while after he made a bridge there At the same time likewise hee seazed on the causie of Matteberg whereof we haue heretofore spoken in mentioning the enemies enterprise vpon the Isle of Tholen Vpon that causie he planted his canon and thereby tooke all meanes from those of Tholen of going into Holland In the gullet of Tholen the causie was likewise pierced through in 2 places there they had also built a fort called the Gueux hole Opposit to the gullet of Tholen lay certaine boats of war which the enemies canon enforced to retâ—eat Right ouer against Barlabas lay the Admiral of Zeland with an other man of war So soone as it was day the vice-Admiral George More discharged two or three canons after some shot made these two ships were enforced to retire to Romerswael being shot through in diuers places not without losse of some souldiers and mariners As our boats went forth of the Hauen some towards Holland others to Zeland they were likewise saluted by the enemies canon The first that went forth notwithstanding it receiued certaine shot went forward on her journey the two last returned backe one of which was shot through in which a Burghers wife with her child in her lap was slaine and two other women hurt These fearing the enemie were flying into Holland and Zeland For at the beginning of the siege somewere so terrified as they thought their onely preseruation to consist in getting forth of the towne This feare was not lessened when
that gallant opportunitie His Excellencie in the meane time hauing intelligence of the enemies arriuall in the Isle of Bommell made hast thitherward with his Cauallerie and certaine foot companies where he arriued on the sixth of May and gaue order for all things necessarie in the towne commaunding the Burghers still to abide there who by his comming were so encouraged as they alone thought themselues strong enough to withstand the enemie The seuenth of May the Spaniards forsooke the town of Emmerick and joyned with the Admerall who was then marching towards the Isle of Bommell It was supposed that the Admerall had an intent to haue seazed on Heusden a verie strong Towne and seated within an houres journey of Bommell But his Excellencie like a prouident prince went thither on the 11 of May with tenne foot companies and caused the Isle of Hemert to be fortified and intrenched round about The Admerall perceiuing that Heusden was too well prouided did with all his force assault the Fort of Creuecoeur which by reason of the smalnesse was not able to hold out against him Whereupon the garrison yeelded it vp and departed thence with their ensignes and armes His Excellencie hauing intelligence thaâ— Creuecoeur was yeelded returned speedily to Bommell and caused it to be enuironed with many trenches halfe Moones and such like workes By these fortifications the Towne of Bommel in mans iudgement was made impregnable and as many as saw the height and bredth of those workes were amazed for it is almost incredible to see what they wrought in view of the king of Spaines mightie armie Beside these fortifications a farre off the bulwarkes of the Towne which had bin begun were finished and the walls closed vp the Towne being well furnished with ordnance and other prouision in places of most necessitie The Admeral in the meane time lay with his campe at Creuecoeur where he was busied in making a bridge ouer the Mase and a halfe Moone on Heels side thereby to secure the riuer The 13 of May the enemie made shew as if he would haue returned to Heusden whereupon his Excellencie sent 31 ensignes mo thither But he marched towards Rossem hoping to enter into the Isle of Tiell called Tielche-weert to enclose the Isle of Bommell on all sides but Prince Maurice sent ordnance thither and caused batteries to be made thereby hindering the enemies passage The 14 of May Count Frederick brought the most part of the armie before Bommell hauing first run vp and downe the Countrie and done nothing but warned those of Bommell and Voorn to fortifie themselues and giuen them time to doe it He came and sat downe on the West-side where the Towne had beene most open there beginning his skirmishes hoping to enter it but those within it did brauely repulse him During this skirmish the enemie thought to haue entred the Isle of Rossem but all things being there well ordered his attempt had no good successe Then he began to besiege the towne seating his campe at a place called Oensell aboue the Towne and made his trenches at the causey called Oensen-Dijke that he might lie safe from the Towne shot Prince Maurice perceiuing that the enemie meant to set vpon him with his whole power did likewise breake vp his campe which lay in the Betuwe and brought it to Bommell making all preparations for defence sending for all sorts of munition and making sundrie batteries His whole campe being assembled he diuided it verie skilfully and fortified all necessarie places He manned Bommel with eight ensignes belonging to the Lord Peter de Dorp eight ensignes of the Lord Vander-Noot foure ensignes of Suesse and the Lord de la Noiie with seuen French companies and himselfe with his youngest brother Count William and Count Lodwick retired thence He quartered the English at Haesten the Gards at Tuyll the residue of the French at Wardenbourg at Opinen the rest of the Frizons at Hessell Count Ernestus with the Almans the Scots with Edmonds regiment at Voorn and all the horse in the Isle of Tyell and so from thence as farre as Gorcum to keepe continuall watch along the Riuer The Admerall Duuenvoord likewise went vp the Riuer Waell with fifteene men of warre which lay from Opinen as farre as beneath Haeften On the sixteenth of May all things being thus ordered by the States armie the Admeral of Arragon came at last to his campe so as al the power on both sides was assembled nere to Bommel The Spaniards were in number 26000 foot and 4000 horse the States forces consisted of 16000 foot and three thousand horse most of them old souldiers and had a long time bin trayned vp in war and purchased great experience The same night that the Admeral came to his campe he made a furious assault vpon the townes furthest fortifications towards the gate called Oensche port which were scarce finished but he was brauely beaten backe with great losse of his men and among others La Motte was taken prisoner who died at Bommell of his hurt together with Alfonso D'Aualos who was grieuously wounded yet within a while after recouered his health Prince Maurice caused the causey called Oenschen-Dijke to be vndermined that he might blow vp the enemie if he returned to assaile the fortifications This was his last assault vpon Bommell for afterward he kept himselfe verie quiet standing rather on defence than offence His Excellencie on the contrarie was not satisfied in defending the towne of Bommell but did likewise with all his might assaile the enemie shooting on euerie side into his campe and visiting him often in his trenches The workes and fortifications did daily encrease round about Bommell and a bridge of boats was likewise made ouer the Waell before the Towne fiue pace in bredth and foure hundred and fiftie in length There were ten great boats and eight and twentie lesser ones a verie great Ferrie-boat seruing for an opening to the bridge when need was By his Excellencies commaund all mariners that were in the States fleet came into the towne of Bommell to ayd the souldiers to make a furious assault vpon the enemie who was aduertised thereof by two French-men that fled from our side whereupon the mariners were sent backe to their ships The 18 of May Count Lodwick with 8 cornets of horse was sent on Brabants side to surprise the enemies gards but returned without any effect On the one and twentieth at night our souldiers being for the most part English and French did fiercely assaile the enemie in his trenches and slew aboue six hundred men and would peraduenture haue troubled the whole armie had not a quarrell arose betwixt the two Nations whereupon they returned to the Towne bringing Captaine Aldeno prisoner with them with some other souldiers And on their side lost two Captaines and some others who for the most paâ—t were slayne by themselues The enemie at that time was verie busie in his fortifications making platformes and sundrie batteries from
meanes perceiuing his enterprise to be frustrate returned towards the Mase In the meane time a rumor was spred abroad in Holland of Bourlottes enterprise so as his Excellencie went in person to Gorcum and sent for forces thither fearing some inuasion because the Riuer there was so frozen as from Dort foure field peeces mounted on their carriages were drawne ouer the Riuer to Papendrecht and vnderstanding that Bourlotte was gon back he went no farther but thereupon commanded Count Lodwicks Conuoy to passe on towards Wachtendonck which was done on the twentieth of Februarie with seuenteene cornets of horse and eight foot Companies which lay in Garison at Wachtendonck with one hundred wagons loden with all manner of munition and other necessaries and ariuing the same night at Bebber they marched 〈◊〉 the 25 of Februarie to Niekerck and the 26 of the same they 〈◊〉 all the wagons into the towne and after dinner themsâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 turned back and came to Marienboom and so euerie man â—â—â—â—ned to his Garrison hauing well and sufficiently victualled 〈◊〉 town which was a very fit place from whence to make incursions into the Countrie round about Coloign and Aix betwixt the Rhin and Mase and into other parts ¶ The fort of Saint Andrew is yeelded vp to the States in Anno 1600. AFter that his Excellencie and my Lords the States had receiued intelligence that the Archdukes souldiers in sundrie places mutinied through want of pay and among others also those of Saint Andrews fort vnto each of whom at a muster on the 15 of Februarie the Archduke somewhat to satisfie them gaue a Doller cloth worth a moneths pay and two pound of bread a day which did in no sort content them who demaunded their whole pay for 30 moneths and proceeded so far in their mutinie as they threw one of their Captaines from the bridge into the water shot one of their Sergeants and enforced the other Captaines to keepe their houses as prisoners yet afterwards they sent them to Sertoghenbusk to see if they could procure them any content from thence Those of the Garrison were Walons and Almans who fell at variance among themselues which of the two nations should chuse an Electo or Protector to gouerne and defend them in all difficulties which might arise and ended their strife by casting lots which fell on the Walons who elected on of their countrimen Those of Creuecoeur on the 17 of Februarie did the like Hereupon the States of the vnited prouinces his Excellencie resolued not to lose this occasion but commanded 80 foot companies to be in a readinesse before Dort on the 19 20 of March with whom he went vp the Mase towards Creuecoeur fort The report was that his Excellencie would goe into Flanders but he went that night to Hemert and on the 21 of March to Creuecoeur And though it were a verie cold season yet he beseeged the said fort making trenches and preparation to plant his ordnance Those of Saint Andrews fort suspecting some attempt would be made on Creuecoeur did the very same day send two Companies thither consisting of one hundred and thirtie men But those of Creuecoeur thought it neither profitable nor possible to keepe the place and fearing to be contemned and casseered in regard of their mutinie and dispairing euer to receiue their pay they yeelded on composition vpon the 24 of March viz that those which came from Saint Andrews Fort might againe returne thither and an hundred men of the other two Ensignes that were in Creuecoeur entred into the Sates pay They were souldiers vnder the Regiment of Count Christopher of Emden The same day being the 24 of March 500 Burguignons of Varrabons Regiment went forth of Helmont and Eindhouen towards Sertoghenbusk meaning to enter into Creuecoeur but vnderstanding that the fort was yeelded vp and that his Excellencies Cauallerie lay in the Countrey round about they craued entrance into Sertoghenbusk but the Burghers iealous of their owne libertie would not permit it whereupon they were beaten by the horsemen of Berghen their Sergeant major and two other Captains taken prisoners with other officers many souldiers 290 of them were slaine the rest of the prisoners were ransomed and set at libertie vpon their Captaines words who promised to answere for them And within fiue dayes after two Cornets of horse one of which was Grobbendoncks Cornet were defeated as they caried a Conuoy towards Antwerp by the Garrison of Berghen The Admeral of Arragon had enlarged the fort of Creuecoeur with three great Bulwarkes and his Excellencie remained there on the 25 of March to hasten the fortifications and to prouide against the enemies assaults and incursions The six and twentieth of March his Excellencie went to Dalem to the same place where the Admerall his Campe had lodged there to fortifie himselfe and thereby to intrench Saint Andrews great fort where the Garison through want of pay were still in a mutinie Before his ariuall there he caused the fluces at a place called great Lit to be opened thereby to drowne the Champaine Countrey of Brabant towards Osse Geffen Merland and as far as Sertoghenbusk So soone as he had brought his Campe to Alem he sent Colonell Gystells with twelue foot Companies to Littoyen and opened the sluce there the better to ouerflow the Countrey He planted 12 peece of ordnance at Maren vpon the frontiers of Brabant opposite to Saint Andrewes fort with which he daiely battered it He repaired the fort at Keffell made by the Spaniards which was wholly ruinate He likewise fortified the Church of Maren round about the higher Countrey of Alem a place called Saint Annes-berg and the Church of Empel to the end that the enemie the Countrie being wholy drowned should haue no meanes to releeue Saint Andrewes fort vnlesse along the causey or from Sertoghenbusk by the way of Empell or from Graue by Littoyen Lit Keffell and Maren where on all sides he should be constrained to enforce the trenches and fortifications By this meanes Saint Andrewes fort was altogether shut vp and inuironed with water which with great labour and trauaile they were enforced to keepe out with their counterscarpes it was so high at the beginning of Aprill as none could goe in nor out of the fort but by boat The besiegers lay in their forts vpoÌ„ the causey in boats The waters being high they could not at first entrench themselues but at last they began to fall The fort was battered on euerie side especially from Maren and that so fiercely as they were enforced to vncouer their houses and manie were beaten downe our men likewise went about to take the mill from them thereby to reduce them to all want and extremity The beseeged did brauely defend themselues shot much yet did no great harme to vs who were too far off well fortified the bullets which they shot weighed fortie and 45 pound weight His Excellencie sommoned them many times but they
would not harken to it notwithstanding they saw the whole Countrie from whence they might hope for any releefe to be ouerflowed like a sea and yet they wanted many necessaries as money the sinewes of warre clothes and other things but espetially wood to brew and bake with they likewise wanted medicines and drugs for sick and hurt men they had corne enough but wanted beere hauing no meanes to brew They were moe than 2000 mutinous souldiers and had no Commaunders and Captains but their Electo and necessarie officers Those of Sertoghenbusk were very carefull for them and did their best to releeue them making signes by fire and ordnance shot sending them messengers who promised them much yet the effect proued nothing On the twelueth of Aprill at night they attempted to send certaine flat bottomed boates ouer the drowned Country which came behind Maren where they were discouered and driuen thence in the boates were certaine commanders with some prouisions and money The Archdukes forces begun likewise to be assembled neere to Diest from whence they came to a place called Os vnder the conduct of Don Lewis de Valasco hoping to relieue the fort but finding the aboue named Villages vpon the Causey to be strongly fortified the whole Country drowned and no meanes to passe they returned back againe His Excellencie the better to put the beseeged in dispaire caused the Castle of Batenbourg seated betwixt Lit and the towne of Graue in the Countrie of Maâ—e-en-Waell to be taken because from thence releefe might be brought to the fort there were in it fiue and twentie men who by his Canon he enforced to yeeld Towards the end of Aprill as the waters of the Mase and Waell began to fall his Excellencie brought his ordnance on euery side â—eere to the fort and in a short space made his approaches euen to the dikes of the counterscarpe by reason that the water was wholly fallen There was likewise a bridge made from Alem to the causey of Rossem 360 paces in length in a word his Excellencie at last came so neere their counterscarpes as it was impossible they should be releuied whereupon the beseeged were enforced to crie out to the pioners telling them that they desired to capitulate diuers Wallons were persuaded by their Priests to hold out to the last man assuring them to win Heauen thereby but manie Almans being among them who on that promise were vnwilling to hazard their liues they sent two men from the fort to the Campe and his Excellencie likewise for his part sent two viz. the Lord Vander Aa Captaine of his gard and the Lord Iohn of Huchtenbroeck Colonell of the regiment of Vtrecht These men made a conclusion that the beseeged in lieu of the arerages of their whole pay due vnto them for many moneths should receiue the sum of 125000 florins The states of the vnited Prouinces thought it more profitable for themselues to giue the said sum than to continue their armie any longer before the fort or to hazard their mâ—n in the assaults After long consultation notwithstanding that the beseeged pretended moe arerages than the sum of 125000 florins amounted to yet they were content to deliuer vp the fort on condition that the said sum might be distributed among them Heereupon they condescended to keepe the fort for my Lords the States vntill the said sum were payed and swore to his Excellencies Commissioners in forme following We sweare that so long as we shall remaine in Saint Andrewes fort we will keepe it for the vse of my Lords the States of the vnited Prouinces and for his Excellencie till we haue receiued the money which he hath promised vs and will obey our Captaines and Officers which shall be appointed ouer vs renouncing the oath which we haue made to the King of Spaine or Archduke And these ensuing articles were graunted to them First that all sick and hurt men shall be caried to the next villages to be healed and shall haue their share of the said sum 2 Some gratuitie and recompence shall be giuen out of the said summe to their widowes that are dead according to the discretion of the officers 3 All souldiers who in former time haue serued the States quitted their partie shall be pardoned and payed their part out of the said sum 4 All such as hauing receiued their part are desirous to returne home into their Countries shall haue their passeports But those that will againe serue the Archduke shall receiue no one pennie of the said summe 5 All such as will serue the Lords States of the vnited Prouinces shall be as kindly delt with as any others 6 As many as came from Creuecoeur shall likewise receiue their share out of the said summe 7 Whatsoeuer they haue done or committed in former time shall not be imputed to them The Confirmation of this article was presently seen before their departure for the 19 of May a French souldier being denied entrance into the fort began to reuile the Garison calling them traytors and sellers of the fort who was forth with apprehended condemned to die and sent by his Excellencie into the fort to be shot to death but the Garison pardoned him 8 The souldiers by his Excellencies consent shall chuse eight Wallon Captaines out of the regiments of Achicourt and the Marquis together with three Almans 9 All Commissaries both for war and victualls all Prouosts Brewers Bakers Millers and others that are desirous to depart shall haue safe conduct passeport and conuoy 10 The Priest with the ornaments of the Church and other baggage shall likewise depart with passeport and conuoy 11 All Sergeants and Corporalls that will serue his Excellencie shall haue like vsage as the former 12 Such souldiers as will come forth of the fort and serue the States shall take the oath of Allegeance like vnto other souldiers that serue them and hauing passed a muster shall receiue a moneths pay before hand All these conditions were concluded on the sixt of May and performed on the eighth and ninth of the same foure great Canon as many demy three Culuerins and other peeces of ordnance to the number of eighteene eight barrells of pouder fortie thousand yron bullets sixtie or seuentie load of wheat with other armes and prouision were found in the fort These mutineers made vp a strong Regiment of eleuen Ensignes and were euerie where named the new Gueux they were all in a manner old souldiers and chose their owne Captains they were all ragged and poorly clad but so soone as they were distributed into good townes they all new clothed themselues and the most of them in sutes of buffe Count Henry Frederick of Nassau his Excellencies youngest brother was made their Colonel the Lord of Marquett his Lieutenant with expresse commandement not to reuile or taxe them for they excused their reuolt saying that the Archduke had not vsed them like souldiers but left them in a new fort in face
of Nassau his Quarter but not so fierce an one as that of the day before and was presently repulsed with losse of Commanders and souldiers The 14 and 15 wee were busied in making three small forts there where our batterie was to be made thereby to assure the Canon and in the meane time the ordnance that was landed was againe sent to the ships My Lords the States perceiuing their presence at Ostend and in those parts to be to no great purpose made all things readie for their departure the next day and to this end the Aduocate Barnenelt went to his Excellencies Campe after dinner to confer with him once more returning the same night to Ostend The sixteenth of Iuly in the morning the Admerall of Nassau came to Ostend from his Excellencie propounding new difficulties to the States for continuance of the seege whereon hauing consulted they wrot back to his Excellencie that they wholy referd it to his owne discretion to proceed therein as he should find it most profitable for the Countries seruice and if he did breake vp his Campe to giue carefull directions for the timelie imbarking of the munition ordnance and other necessaries for preuenting of greater mischiefe with this answere they dismissed the Admerall About fiue of the clock in the Euening my Lords the States being embarked in the hauen of Ostend and word brought them that his Excellencie was come thither in person accompanied by my Lord his brother Barneuelt the Lord of Santen and others were set on shore and had some conference with his Excellencie which done they tooke their leaues and returned to the ships His Excellencie had shewed them sundry reasons why he thought it not fit to continue the Armie any longer before Niewport and therefore resolued to depart thence and to lead it before the forts about Ostend and first to assault Isabelles for t and then the rest The States hauing taken their leaue set faile about six or seuen of the clocke the same euening and arriued on the 17 day in the Morning at Middelbourg where they resolued to goe to Berghen-op-Zoom and there gaue audience to the commissioners of the generall States of the Prouinces on the other side assembled at Bruxels viz. the lord Gerart of Horne Earle of Bassingeri Philip of Pentinck lord of Vicht the Drossart or Magistrat of the land of Montfort and Master Henrie de Coâ—t pentioner of the citie of Ypre and to this end sent them passeport writing vnto them to meet at Berghen-op-Zoom on Thursday the 20 of Iulie these letters were sent in post to gouernour Bacx that he might send them away by a Trumpet with commaundement to make readie the Court against their comming and to prepare lodging for both parties The eighteenth and nineteenth of Iulie the States tarried at Middelbourg taking order for whatsoeuer was necessarie for the Common-wealths seruice Letters likewise were brought from Ostend certifying them that his Excellencie had on the 17 of the same moneth begun to breake vp his campe had brought his armie neere to Ostend to besiege the fort of Isabella The 20 of Iulie early in the Morning the generall States departed from Middelbourg to Berghen-op-Zoom where they arriued the same Euening whither the commissioners of the other side likewise came the same night within an houre after their arriuall being in number 23 who supped that night in the companie of the said Lords at the gouernours house The 21 day they deliuered their letters of credence and commission and after dinner an answer was prepared for them At night the commissioners supt with the said Lords whither the gouernour and some of the Magistrats were inuited and hauing receiued their answer in an enclosed letter whereof a coppie was giuen to each of them they departed thence on the 22 day verie early in the Morning The Magistrats of Berghen did that day at dinner feast my Lords the States who in the afternoone embarked themselues and sayled till they came before Saint Annes-land where they came to an ankor tarrying for the Aduocat Barnevelt and the Burgomaster Vander Dussen who were goneto a place called Saint Martins Dike to visit Count Hohenlo who was sicke meaning to returne the next day to the States The three and twentieth day the said lord Barnevelt being returned they weighed ankor and set saile but hauing a contrarie wind the said lords landed in the countrie of Putte and by crossing certaine passages arriued the same night about tenne or eleuen of the clocke at the Hague leauing their baggage with the ensignes and cornets woon at the battaile of Niewport to follow after which were brought the next day in the afternoone to the Hague The said ensignes cornets and some Trumpets were on the eight and twentieth of Iulie hung vp in the great hall of the court for a perpetuall remembrance of so famous and notable a victorie graunted by God to these countries ¶ A true description of the bloudie battaile betwixt Prince Maurice of Nassau and the Archduke Albert of Austria woon neere Niewport in Flanders the 2 of Iulie Anno 1600. THe Archduke vpon intelligence that his Excellencie lay before Niewport did speedily march with his armie towards the Downes the verie same way that his Excellencie had gone intending to passe on directly to Niewport His Excellencie vsing all meanes possible to hinder his comming and to win time did on the 2 of Iulie by day break send his cousen count Ernest of Nassau forth of the armie with 2 foot regiments Scots Zelanders 4 cornets of horse vnto whom the States according to his Excellencies direction added certaine companies of the garrison of Ostend to stop the enemies passage ouer the bridges lying vpon a water on the high way towards the Downes neere to Alberts fort But the enemie before their arriuall had alreadie taken the bridge passed ouer his chief force our men being too few to hinder his passage to the Downes and our regiments being engaged by the enemie too weake to make resistance against their whole armie yet after a braue fight like valiant souldiers they were at last put to rout the whole losse falling on the Scots who lost all their Captaines and commaunders and 800 of themselues were slaine vpon the place among whom were eleuen Captaines many Lieutenants and other officers vpon this victorie the Archduke wrot to Bruges that he had defeated Prince Maurice his vantgard and so engaged the rest of his Armie as he could not escape whereupon Bells were the same day rung at Bruges and afterwards in other townes as though they had already wonne all but to their great losse they soone perceiued the contrarie This ouerthrow did greatly perplex the States and others that were in Ostend considering the great danger the Common-wealth might haue sustained if any mishap had befallen our Campe which lay on both sides the Hauen diuided one from an other And because in such extremities when human helpe seemeth
thence to the Bulwarke on the East-side which he began to vndermine in three seuerall places The dayes following he likewise woon with the time the rest of the intrenchments which were without the towne partly by force and Mynes and partly because the enemie quitted them And on the two and twentieth of Iulie his Excellencie came altogether before the Towne hauing beene kept from it by his workes without The next day he sent his Trumpet to Rhynberk who receiued this aunswer That they thanked his Excellencie for his offers but that they could not as then intend to yeeld seeing the Towne had beene besieged but one day whereupon his Excellencie the day following summoned the Towne the second time because all his Mynes were readie to play There the Townesman began to hearken vnto it crauing that they might first send some speedie messengers to Guelders to request ayd which was denyed them Whereupon at last after some treatie with the Trumpet on the one and thirtieth of Iulie they sent Captaine Botberg and Francisco Nello the Italian to the Campe about sixe of the clocke in the Euening who graunted to yeeld vp the Towne to his Excellencie on these conditions following FIrst his Excellencie is well pleased that the Gouernor of Rhynberck all the souldiers both horse and foot and all those which haue serued in the ships of warre with their Captaines and officers without exception shall freely depart with displayed ensignes armes kindled match bullets in their mouthes and drumme beating their wiues familie stuffe wagons horse and other things thereunto belonging without examining any one for matters done and namely the person of Iohn Peters-Thas Captaine of a Ship who certaine yeares before yeelded both himselfe and ship to the enemie 2 The gouernour shall carrie away with him two field-pieces such as his Excellencie shall thinke fit with two barrels of powder and fiftie bullets 3 His Excellencie shall lend them two hundred horse to carie the sicke wounded men and baggage to Guelders and shall giue a safe-conduct for the souldiers and their baggage to Maestricht and if any of those that be hurt are vnwilling as yet to depart they may remaine in the towne till they be healed and may afterwards goe their way with the gouernours Passeport 4 That the Lord Evert de Ens his wife and children with their writings stuffe and goods may freely depart as also the Councellor Westendorp Nicholas de Houe the receiuers of the reuenew and contributions with their writings and stuffe as hath beene said and namely Goswijn de Manen the customer his officers who may depart either by land or water vnto whom his Excellencie will giue a passeport as likewise to all Commissaries and officers belonging to the king of Spaine or the Archduke without any refusall who are not to be detained for any cause or pretence whatsoeuer 5 That the Gouernour shall satisfie the Magistrate and Burghers for all such debts that he oweth since the siege with the goods belonging to his Highnesse arising of booties taken and Merchandise confiscat and found vpon the riuer Rhyne contrarie to the Placard 6 That the Gouernour shall send for all those whose cattaile haue been taken from them during the siege and giue them letters of assignation to procure satisfaction from their Highnesses because it was done in their seruice 7 That the prisoners expences by reason of contributions shall be presently payed according to the treatie made with the Admerall of Arragon and confirmed by his highnesse 8 That the receiuer Iohn le Bruni may freely depart with his writings and stuffe in giuing a coppie of the moneyes remayning behind hand of the reuenewes of the Countie of Zutphen and Countrie of Ouer-Yssel 9 That all horse taken on both sides during the siege shal be redeemed euerie one at the rate of twentie liures 10 That all victuallers and Merchants following the Campe belonging to the king together with his Highnesse souldiers may remaine in the towne till such time as they haue sold their wares and afterwards depart with the gouernours passeport 11 That all Burghers who are willing to leaue the Towne and dwell elsewhere may sell their goods and horses within the space of â—ixe moneths 12 That all religious persons men and women may freely and safely depart 13 That prisoners on both sides shall be released According to this treatie the gouernour D. Hieronimo went his way on the first of August in the Morning with sixteene ensignes amongst whom were sixe companies of Almans thirtie horse eightie sailers accompanied with two hundred and nine wagons full of stuffe and hurt men leauing the towne verie ruinous and more than one thousand two hundred of his souldiers deâ—d there fiftie barrels of powder and victuals for two moneths The States of the vnited Prouinces and Prince Maurice did after this manner win the towne resoluing to keepe it both for the serâ—â—ce of the Countrie and for their neighbours and allies of â—â—e sacred Empire vnto whom it importeth much to haue the Riuer free that no foreine armies may crosse it a towne deseruing to be kept at the Empires common cost so as they determined to fortifie it caused a great fort to be made in the Island standing in the riuer before the towne for finishing whereof a bargaine was made with certaine men for a round summe of money the gouernement of the towne was giuen to Colonell Gystâ—lls The Nobilitie the States of the Countrie of Ouer-Yssel perceiuing that their Countrie and the riuer Rhyne was free causâ—d a placard to be published on the eight and twentieth of Iulie forbidding to pay any contribution to the enemie appointing good gard to be kept in euerie village and parish on great penalties as to the officers on forfeiture of 25 crowns and the Boore one crown as often as they should be found faultie therein They were likewise commanded to be readie with their armies so soon as the alarme bell should ring prohibiting on paine of life that no man should harbour any of the enemies souldiers and he that could take any of the enemies souldiers dead or aliue in the Countrie should receiue fiue and twentie florins of the Countries money If any Merchant trauailing by the way should happen to be taken or hurt by the enemie those of the Countrie or place where it was done shall be bound to pay his ransome and satisfie his losses and it shall not be lawfull for any man to hold any correspondence with the enemie with many other points necessarie for the countries preseruation ¶ His Excellencie takes the towne of Meurs on the 16 of August Anno 1601. BEcause the towne of Meurs was garded but by certaine souldiers called Hanevederen which lay there in garrison seruing the Duke of Cleues for whom they kept it Prince Maurice pretending claime to that Earledome as giuen vnto him by the Countesse of Walbourg did on the sixt of August send Captaine Cloet and Colonel Edmonds thither
printed that the Countries might seriously looke to what they were to doe To the high illustrious honorable noble learned wise and discreet Lords good freinds and neighbours the Prelats Princes Earls Lords Gentlemen and Cities of Brabant Flaunders Artois Hainalt Valenciennes Lisle Douay Orchies Namur Tournay Tournesis and Malines representing the bodie of the Netherlands vnder the Spanish or Archdukes gouernment To all of them in generall and to euery of them in particular MY Lords wee doubt not but that your Excellencies do still remember the louing remonstrances and exhortations which we haue often made vnto you wherein we intreated you maturely to consider and well weigh the determination and end of the Spaniards and their adherents enemies to the State lawes priuiledges goods and persons of the Netherlands viz. their originall and rooted determination which is so base and hurtfull as it wholy tends to the entire ruine of the Inhabitants of these Countries We know very well notwithstanding that the said determination is likewise among you held indubitable that some of your Excellencies haue beene drawne thereunto partly by your owne good natures and partly by persuasions that matters might bee redressed and amended by meanes of the Archdukes and presence of their Highnesses But because we are well assured of the Spaniards and their adherents continuance in their determination for ruine of the Netherlands and subiecting them for euer to the Spanish yoake that they might beare rule ouer the consciences bodies lawes and goods of the inhabitants thereof and that the Archduke can no way helpe it this is the reason why wee cannot bee of your opinion And not to precipitate your Excellencies nor our selues into a certaine continuall and irreparable ruine we haue found out this to be the best remedie still to continue with a constant courage in the laudable resolution taken from the beginning by the chiefe persons and members of the whole Netherlands of all estates and conditions and beeing assured of the aide and assistance of God and that of Kings Princes and Republiks with whom wee are in league as also on the equitie of our cause wee doe patiently expect good successe especially by your Excellencies directions and discreet gouernment and will voluntarily vndergoe all difficulties daungers and expences requisite for maintenance of so holie commendable honourable and necessarie resolution Nor can the base and deceitfull conueyance of the low Countries made to their Highnesses euer moue vs to any alteration we hauing in that regard after the said conueyance seriously by letters and word of mouth conferring with your commissioners requested and exhorted your Excellencies to bee carefull on your side for the managing and gouernment of affaires of State and war both within and without the Countrie wee are well assured that if it bee duely considered and not with a passionate spirit that none will iudge otherwise but that the said deceitfull conueyance doth vndoubtedly tend to the assured ruine of all the Netherlands and the inhabitants thereof Your Excellencies doe perceiue vnderstand and effectually feele what is past and may easily iudge of that which is still likely to ensue so as wee think it needlesse to writ more amply vnto you of it onely we louingly intreat exhort and earnestly request your Excellencies to remember the laudable reputation purchased by your predecessors certaine hundreds of yeares past which they haue left vnto vs as a rule which is to bee Protectors and defendors of the liberties and lawes of the Netherlands in common and of the members townes and inhabitants thereof in particular and to consider whether the contents of the said idle and vnworthie conueyance and of the treatie which ensued it doth agree with the duetie wherewith your Excellencies are tied to your houses estates posteritie and especially to your Countrie Yf so which wee by no meanes think wee will pray vnto God to enlighten your Excellencies and to giue you a better and cleerer iudgement But if your Excellencies perceiue that the said pretended conueyance made for necessitie and to auoide a greater mischiefe bee deceitfull and dishonorable and as an infamous blot to the Netherlands if likewise yee vnderstand that the Spaniards and their adherents proceedings which haue ensued thereupon and are till now growne from bad to worse both in affaires of state and war as wee know that the most of your Excellencies do are preiudicious and intollerable and so by consequence your Excellencies are not bound and tied to them as repugnant to the common good the lawes and priuiledges of the Netherlands If your Excellencies doe likewise consider that all forcible extremities all prohibitions of trade and commerce all deuises and practises to entangle the Majestie of England and the vnited prouinces doe more and more come to light and are not onely repugnant to this resolution but bring forth cleane contrarie effects That the treacherous attempts on the Townes and Castles of the French king giue great occasion to take speedie reuenge That libels and rimes wherewith they seeke to make the French King and his affaires odious to the common people and call in question the rightfull successions of the Crownes of France and England are but vain propositions only tending to incense their Majesties and that they goe about in vain to raise tumult sedition amongst the people of the Low-countries considering that whilest they are at quiet and liue vnder obedience their condition thanks be to God is an hundred times better and more safe than that of the common people vnder the king of Spaine and Archdukes and that they haue no occasion to distrust their lawfull superiors or their actions but on the contrarie the Spaniards and Archdukes subjects perceiuing that all their affaires doe daily impaire that the authoritie of the States Prelats Princes Lords Gentlemen and townes of the Prouinces both in general and particular are without any respect trodden vnder-foot that they defend themselues onely with strangers in contempt of all good Patriots and that not onely in the chiefe garrisons townes and forts but generally in all matters some few excepted they seeme to proceed formally and in apparence the which without all question they will soone leaue off if they were once absolute Lords so that the Prouinces and people should not be onely without trade wealth and nauigation but euen the third part of the Inhabitants would bee depriued of necessarie meanes to liue the chiefe cities made Doue-coats the Countrie villages ruined and the people eaten and consumed to the verie bones by souldiers who are so badly payed as mutinie in one place is no sooner quieted but two worse than it breakes forth in another so as it is to be feared that in the end all will become desperate In which regard we intreat your Excellencies effectually to embrace the necessarie remedies and so to handle the matter as their Highnesses may be persuaded to depart from the Netherlands and to procure themselues a more quiet and certaine portion
attempt vpon S. Vit the tenth all the troopes came before S. Vit and lodged at Meve-dorpe and the same night approached the Towne Colonel Marquet commaunding the troopes The eleuenth day those of S. Vit began to parley and an accord was made that the souldiers of the garrison both horse and foot should depart thence with their armes and baggage and should sweare not to beare armes for the space of two moneths in the Countrie of Luxembourg this was accomplished and the Burghers compounded for reasonable ransome The twelfth they marched forward and lodged at Iulligh the thirteenth they came before Bastoigne the 14 they still remained there and Captaine Marcelis Bacx was sent to S. Huberts burning the Countrie all along the fifteenth they went from Bastoigne and lodged at Housnegen or Hardengue the 16 at Pedro-dorf neere Dechery where Dommer vile the same night began his approaches and the next day the Burghers compounded for a reasonable ransome from whence certaine horse were sent to demaund contributions as far as Luxembourg being conducted by Captaine Cloet The 18 19 and 20 of Nouember they remayned at Vitterdorf Wolset or Walset and on the one and twentieth marched towards Dopwiell the 22 at Andanach in Iuliers the 23 at Gheldorp there rested the foure twentieth day whither the troopes which had been at S. Vit viz. 50 horse and 200 foot came to them The 25 and 26 they lodged at Korcum the seuen and twentieth at Nedertzier the eight and twentieth and nine and twentieth at Wanlor the thirtieth of Nouember the troopes of Brabant diuided themselues and went to Graue and the rest went to Couborch and the second of December to Nieumeghen Thus in a moneths space they ouerran the whole countrie without any resistance enforcing it to contribute because the Gouernour Count Peter Ernest of Mansfelt had commaunded that no contributions should bee paied whereupon our men burnt diuers houses and villages none beeing found to ransome them The Archduke sent forces to stop their iourney but wanting money they staid by the way consuming and wasting the countrie as enemies Count Lodwick brought away manie prisoners gentlemen and boores and among others the Abbot of S. Haberts they all paied ransome This voiage ended euerie man returned to his winter Garrison ¶ A description of a fight at Sea betwixt seuen of the States men of war and six Spanish Gallies the third and fourth of October Anno 1602. THe States of the vnited Netherland Prouinces did vnder command of the Admerall Opdam send forth certaine warlike vessels to serue the Queene of England foure of them were commaunded to wait for six Gallies which D. Frederico Spinola brought from Spaine to ioyne with the rest that lay at Sluce in Flaunders These were the names of the Gallies vnder Spinola the first the Admerall S. Lewis whose Captaines name was Cardinalin and in her an other Captaine called Castalis d' Avila with a companie of souldiers The second S. Iohn in which Vergas was Vice-Admerall and in her two Captaines with companies of souldiers The third Padilla the Captaines name was Hasso and in her an other Captaine with a companie of Portugal souldiers The fourth la Lucera and the Captaines name Calliado with other companies of Portugal souldiers and Captaines The fift S. Philip and in her D. Rodrigo de Naroys Captaine of a companie The sixt S Iacento and in her Lewis de Camours with an other companie of souldiers so as there were in all nine ensignes videlicet two of Spaniards and seuen of Portugals to the number of nine hundred men beside one thousand and fiue hundred slaues euery Galley caried three brasse peeces and no more And notwithstanding that the Hollanders were aduertified of the comming of these Gallies yet the Lord of Opdam was vpon necessity constrained to goe for victuals into Holland leauing the vice-Admerall Iohn Adrian Cant for General in his ship called the moone accompaned with Gerbrant Iansz Saell of Horne in a ship of 4 hundred run called Bansome together with Captaine Henry Hartman in the Lionesse of Rotterdam and Gerbant Iansz in the hope of Enchuysen These were appointed by the Queene to goe towards the West parts but were staied to meete with these Gallies one of the Queenes ships called the Hope vnder the commaund of Sir Robert Mansell with her Pinnace called the Aduantage vnder Captaine Ionas were likewise commaunded to waite for these Gallies These concluded that the vice-Admerall Cant and Captaine Gerbrant Adriansz Sael should lie at anchor in the downes where an other of the Queenes ships lay called the Answere vnder Captaine Breadgate Sir Robert Mansell and his Pinnace lay at Sea betwixt Douer and Calaice and not far from them the other two Hollanders Lying thus in wait Sir Robert Mansell on the third of October about noone descried the Gallies and they him but the ayre being misty they sought to creepe along the coast of England or if the worst should come to passe perceiuing that the two Hollanders lay neere them they entended to boord and take them for the prisoners confessed afterward that they did not respect two or three men of war Yet it seemed that they were afraid of the Queenes ships for they turned backe hoping in the night to passe on along the coast of Dunkirke or Niewport Sir Robert perceiuing this sent his Pinnace towards Calaice and the coast of Flaunders to warne the Hollanders to stand vpon their gard and to stop the Gallies passage Hee likewise did his best skill to keep them in sight the like did the two Hollanders who were neerer betwixt him and the Gallies and thus they gaue them chase till sun set Then did the Gallies set saile againe so as the two Hollanders were behinde them Sir Robert Mansell obseruing their course and assured that they would fall into the hands of the other two Hollanders and the Queenes ships which lay in the downes hee shaped his course towards the coasts of France that hee might get before them ere they should recouer Flaunders still bending his course towards the Sands called Goeyingen to meet with them there The Queens ship and the two Hollanders Cant and Sael hauing discried the Gallies made vp towards them and fiercely began to shoot but the weather being calme the gallies out-stript the ships but within a while after a strong gale blew from the North-East and then the Hollanders with full saile gaue them chace two or three houres long The gallies were come so neere Douer rockes as diuers Turkish slaues found meanes to breake their chaines and leaping into the Sea escaped by swimming and so freed themselues from their bondage Sir Robert Mansel being neere to Goeyingen espied a gallie making away a pace and comming within musket shot of her he discharged thirtie piece of ordnance vpon it whose Masts he brake in pieces and heard a lamentable crie in her This done he saw the other fiue gallies comming vp towards him on whom
North land causie and prepares to be gone A skirmish with the enemie The Duke of Parma raiseth his siege from before Berghen Willoughbie pursues the enemie The Lord Willoughbie honoureth the Captaines with the order of knighthood The townesmen giue thankes to God for their deliuerance The situation of the towne of Tilemont By whom how and after what manner Tilemont was surprised The garrisons of Heâ—sden and Geertrudenberg beat â—â— enemie were to Tilbourg Certain souldiers of Zeland defeat a country in Flaunders The Lord Gerard of Rassingem â—old the Lordship of Breda to the Duke of Brabant in anno 1326. The Lord of Polanen buyes Breda in anno 13â—1 on the first of Aprill A piece of coine so called The Priuiledges of the â—ountrie of Breda Engelbrecht Count of Nassau marrie◠〈◊〉 heirâ— bâ—â—anâ—n 〈…〉 Breda 〈◊〉 141◠〈◊〉 of the lands of 〈◊〉 house of Nassau An attempt propounded vpon Breda The enterprise is resolued A generous act of Math Helt The souldiers imitating the Troyans drew in their owne ruine After what maner they assailed the Castle The Castle is taken His Excellencie entreth the Castle The town yeelds to his Excellencie The Duke of Parma sends Count Mansfelt against Breda Count Mansfelt makes a Fort at Terheyden Count Mansfelt doth in vavâ—â— bâ—â—â—â— and assault the Fort of Nordam Why the Foâ— termed Knoâ—senbourg The Castle of Turnholt taken on the second of Aprill Westerloo taken in May. The Fort of Zutphen taken on the 24. of May by counterfeit Boores. Count Philip of Ouersteyn slaine before Zutphen A variant act of Captaine Metkerks ensigne A single combat betwixt the Lord of Ryhoue and an Albanese before Deuenter Those of Deuenter craue parley The bodie of Rowland Yorke is hung upon the gallowes His Excellencie departs from Deuenter He takes Delfzyll Skonse the 12. of Julie The Fort of Opslach woon The Fort of Imitill woon Parma makes preparations to encounter Prince Maurice Parma besiegeth Knodsenbourg on the 13 of Julie The sort of Auwarder â—â—jâ—l taken the last of May. Contentâ—â— beâ—â—â—t tâ—ose of Groeniâ—gâ—â—n The great 〈…〉 Those of Graninguen capitulate The strait of Nassau found out to the North-Eastward in anno 1595. People of the Eastern Indies throwne in former time by tempest vpon the coast of Germanie Perpetual night in Noua Zemla all winter till the 27 of Ianuarie The Hollanders trade to the Indies and to Iana in anno 1â—96 The Hollanders returne home the 11 of August 1597. The Rhyne and other riuers ouerflow the bankes in Februarie and March The Queene of England sets forth a fleet vnder the conduct of the Lord Admirall and Earle of Essex The vnited prouinces send 24. ships of warre to serue the Queen of England vnder the conduct of the Lord of Warmont The English fleet comes before Caâ—es on 30 of Iune The English fleet letteth slip of faire occasion to haue taken the ships loden for the Indies The Spanish fleet runneth on ground The earle of Essex landeth his men and the Hollanders take the castle of Puntall The Earle of Essex winneth Cales on the second of Iulie Two millions of Gold offered for the ransome of the fleet but too late The Spaniards burne their rich fleet The Citizens of Cales ranjome themselues for one hundred twentie thousand ducats The towne of Cales is sackt The Admeral of Holland offereth the English at Cales victuals for a month and with his fleet to stay with them Cales is abandoned and burnt on the 15 of Iulie The English doe againe loose the oportunitie of meeting with the IndiaÌ„ fleet notwithstandding that the Hollanders offered their seruice The Queene of Englands letter to the Lord of Duvenuord than king him for his good seruice The manner of the enemies march Count Varax slaine A Roman called Septimius Fabius was found wounded and halfe dead among the dead bodies and yet by carefull looking to recouered his life The States resolue to set forth an armie His Excellencie takes Alpen on the 8 of August The towne of Berck is battered with 35. pieces of ordnance on the 19 of August Berck yeeldeth vpon the 21 of August A mutinie in the towne of Gâ—lder on the 22 of August Tâ—â—se of Coloign demaund the towne of Rhynberck Camillos Fort is abandoned 〈…〉 Groll is yeelded upon the 2â— of September The great and famous grandson of Groll de paris theaâ—e on the 28. of September Brevoort seated in a moorish place is assaulted on the 8. of October Those of Brevoort are put to ransome Enschede yeeldeth on the 18. of October Oldenzeel besieged Oâ—denzeel is battered and yeeldeth on the 21 of October A description of the towne of Lingen Count Frederick of Berguen yeeldeth vp Lingen on the 12 of Nomember * A piece of ordnance so called I hardly in this beeleue my Authour The expence of his Excellencies campe at Bommell A description of the Groyne Description of the Canaries Those of Allagona forsake the town which is taken by the Admerall Vander Does Generall Vander-Does dyeth in the fleet Supplies sent to Creuecoeur are defeated Those of Sertoghenbusk seeke to releeue Saint Andrewes fort Saint Andrews fort capitulateth and agrees with Prince Maurice on the sixt of May. The greatest part of the garrison of saint Andrewes fort serue Prince Maurice The excuse of the Garrison of Saint Andrews fort An vnfit comparrison betwixt those of S. Andrewes fort the garrison of Gertrudenberg The cause why the armie went into Flanders Count Solmes is before Niewport They fight for three houres space vncertain of victorie The enemie is put to rout Articles in regard whereof those of Rhynberck yeelded on the 30. of Iulie His Excellâ—ncie takes the towne of Meurs and fortifies it Venice in time past the staple for merchandâ—se broâ—ght from the Eastern Iudies From thence the trade is remoued to Lisbone The Portugals by force seeke to keepe the Hollanders from comming to the East Indies Fâ—r what cause the Portugals rieged forth a fleet in the Indies Captaine Sylua slaâ—ne The pirâ—te Cunall and his Castle are taken The Hollanders resolue to assaile the fleet and to relieue Bantam A particular rehersall of the strength of the Portugal fleet Sir Frauncis Vere entreth Ostend on the 15. of Iuly Thâ—se of â—â—ten◠〈…〉 by 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 dâ—â— Nâ—â—t Description of â—â—â—waâ—ke called Sâ—andâ—â—ll Many men and much prouision are sent to Ostend The Lord Chastillon Colonell Huchtâ—nbroâ—ck and others slain in Ostend The Garrison of Ostend changed The States letters for contributions
THE TRIVMPHS OF NASSAV OR A DESCRIPTION AND REpresentation of all the Victories both by Land and Sea granted by God to the noble high and mightie Lords the Estates generall of the vnited Netherland Prouinces VNDER THE CONDVCT and command of his Excellencie Prince MAVRICE of NASSAV Translated out of French by W. SHVTE Gent. LONDON Printed by Adam Islip Anno Dom. 1613. TO THE TRVLY NOBLE and iustly honoured Lords WILLIAM Earle of Pembroke and PHILIP Earle of Montgomerie RIght Hono. That which slender iudgements call greatnesse because themselues cannot compasse it is not so but a bumbast of titles and other shreds of fortune wherwith the least mynds are often stuft out But a mind well grown then best shewes it owne hight when it stands downe and puts off the slippers of fortune Heauen resist that this should euer befall your Lordships because your vertues put them on and they sit cleane on you Yet when I sought first of what size I might make my respect my imagination stript you of all honour till I found your worths so well set and limbd that I could not make your estimation too great I shall bee much bound to your noble apprehension if out of all this circumlocution it extract this meaning That not your fortunes but vertues begat my loue so happily you will tollerat the troublesomnesse of it for the parents sake Yet I hope it wil not be altogether a fruitlesse trouble for you to admit these plaine relations as a Parenthesis in your more serious considerations I held them belonging in some sort to your Lordships many of these actions being performed by your noble vnckles whose honours you are to inherit though without need And though much hereof bee beyond your time yet is it not beyond your knowledge for hee whose vnderstanding is not elder than himselfe loseth the noblest inheritance of his auncestors and sticks in the worst kind of minoritie You haue a most exact commentarie of your owne vpon this work the all sufficient and most vnderstanding viscount Liste your noble vnckle who hath scarce bin euer absent in any seruice where honour hath bin present among them Thus humbly dedicating my selfe and best labors to your gracious protection I wish all honour and happinesse euer to attend you Vnchangeably remaining your Lordships humbly deuoted W. SHVTE To the Reader HIs errors and blots who transcribes the actions of an Age past-by out of sight are almost indiscernable at least incorrigible Antiquitie of whom and posteritie to whom he speakes lye at his mercie the same of the one and faith of the other often suffering miserably vnder him But he that speakes to the face of a Time present must either speake truely or make roome in his patience to receiue the lie and vndergoe a shamefull detection Of this second kind is mine Author who tells thee little but what perhaps thou hast alreadie heard from the mouth of the canon or if the crampe of feare benumb'd not thy spirits hadst an hand in So that thou mayest securely hearken to him since thy knowledge will not be so vnkind as looke on and see thy beleefe abused Let not any mans ignorance persuade thee that it is superfluous to read ouer this Copie hauing the originall in thy memorie thou must lay it neerer to thee than thy memorie in thine vnderstanding Againe not to endure the rehersall of thine owne actions is an argument of their deformitie else thou wouldst asmuch delight to looke in this booke as a faire woman in her glasse or on her picture This I can safely promise That if thy judgement can reach them among these leaues thou mayest find much fruit worth the tasting In the noble and prosperous familie of Nassau thou mayest obserue That a vertuous sonne makes an immortall father in despite of treacherie and death In the whole course of the warre how that deluge of bloud wherewith her enemies hoped to haue drowned the Netherlands did like the inundation of Nile but fatten and inrich them By the basseling and coudgelling that proud Armada that vnlesse the Lord of Hosts be the Godfather the name of inuincible is improper and ridiculous to any humane armie By the Hollanders marine expeditions that vertue like the heauenlie Spheares must neuer stand still and that whiles shee goes not forward she becommeth retrograde In the English who brake the ice of Nauigation to them and had the wind of same of them in that art idlenesse striking the sailes of their industrie are fallen much to Leeward in reputation perhaps in sufficiencie In the late treatie of peace that they who beat the furnace for Innocents are oftentimes so ouer-reacht by their owne flames that they are faine to quench them in their derided tâ—ares In all that art and discipline are more potent than multitude but a iust cause than both Those escapes either of mine owne or the printers which thou shalt meet with all furnish thee with good occasion to requite my paines taken for thee by fauourably correcting them Farewell W. SHVTE A RELATION OF ALL THE VICTORIES BOTH BY SEA AND LAND ATchieued for the States of the vnited Prouinces vnder the conduct and gouernement of Prince MAVRICE of Nassau ¶ A true and briefe description of the Netherland Prouinces THE Low-countries are so named because their situation is low in comparison of high Germanie There are diuers Riuers in them as the Rhyne Meuse Scheld Waell and many others which springing forth of the high mountaines runne through the Countrie and emptie themselues into the great Northerne Ocean where the said Countries are situated The Countie of Embden and the Riuer Amisa the Countries of Benthem Westphalia Cleues and Iuliers the Bishopricks of Cologne and Treues and the countries of Lorayne and France are their limits The Low Countrey is commonly diuided into seuenteene Prouinces viz. into foure Duchies Brabant Limbourg Luxembourg and Guelders eight Counties Holland Zeland Flanders Artois Haynault Namur Zutphen and the Marquisat of the sacred Empire And into fiue Seignories viz. Malines Vtrecht frise Ouer-Ysell and Gronninghe They are termed seuenteene Prouinces by reason of the seuenteene seuerall titles giuen to their Princes we can giue no other sound reason for it At any generall Assemblie al the Prouinces are not called or summoned nor haue voyâ—â—s or doe orderly contribute to generall impositions for the Marquisat of the sacred Empire of Antuerpe is not reckoned among the Prouinces the Duchie of Limbourgh with Valckenbourgh and Dalem belong to Brabant Tournay and Tournesis with Lille Douay and Orchies are not vsually numbred among the seuenteene Prouinces yet both of them contribute each of them as a Prouince The like doe Valenciennes and Drent This Low Countrey about the yeare 1550 in the time of the Emperour Charles the fist did graunt his demaund in a summe of 300000 Florins to be payd monethly which was called Nouentale or Nouenaire We find that Limbourgh Luxembourgh Guelders and Gronninghe being