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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	city_n	great_a	village_n	1,731	5	9.2720	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85750	A treatise of the antiquity of the commonwealth of the Battavers, which is now the Hollanders first written in Latin by Hugo Grotius, advocat fiscall of Holland, Zealand, and Westfriesland, &c. And afterwards translated into the Netherlandish Dutch, and perused by the author himselfe. And now again translated out of both the Latin and Dutch, into English, by Tho. Woods, Gent.; De antiquitate Reipublicae Batavicae. English.	Grotius, Hugo, 1583-1645.; Woods, Thomas.; Cross, Thomas, fl. 1632-1682, engraver.	1649 (1649)	Wing G2127; Thomason E1303_2; ESTC R202252	40,326	171

who hereby got the surname of the Friese because that he governed the Hollanders who at that time were yet called the Freises Ada the daughter of Dederick the seventh because that she married the Earle of Loen against the States will was deposed from the Principality and in her place succeeded William the brother of Dederick the sixth Florence the fourth being yet but young his Unckle Florence was ordained Protector after whose death because that Alidt his Aunt administred in the Protectorship not according to the counsell of the States but after her owne will the Government was committed unto Otto Earle of Gelder who was the neerest though very farre of kindred unto the young Earle Afterwards the Principality being void by the death of Florence the fourth the Common-wealth was governed by the Nobles and the Cities untill that Iohn the son of Florence who travelling abroad returned out of England whose Wardship was concredited unto Iohn Earle of Avennes Afterwards the Lady Margaret because it seemed that she was not fit for government was deposed and in her place they accepted her sonne Duke William for their Earl who afterwards being mad the charge of the Common-wealth was committed unto Duke Albrecht his Brother as Steward providing that he should govern the Common-wealth by the Counsell of the Barons Lords Knights and Squires which are degrees of the Nobility and of good Townes This Albrechts sonne Duke William perceiving that he should dye without leaving any Heire-male after him assembled a Convocation of all the Nobles and of the Cities and there intreated and obtained that the succession of the Earledome might be granted unto his Daughter the Lady Iacobey but in regard that this Iacobey abused her selfe by marrying without the consent of the States she was reputed unworthy of the Government so that in her life time shee must endure to see the Government of Holland transported unto Duke Philip of Bourgondy This Philip his sonnes daughter the Lady Mary was married unto Maximilian Archduke of Austria which Maximilian after his wives death desiring to keep the agreement in his hands and administring in the same not as being administrator and Protector of his sonne Philip the second of that name nor yet according to the good liking of the States but after a kingly manner then the States of Holland and of the adjoyning Provinces valiantly resisted the same The same States of the Netherlandish Provinces appointed the Protectors unto the Emperour Charls the fifth of that name when he was but young and came first to the Principality The same Charles the Emperour having in an Assembly of the generall States resigned his Principality recommended very earnestly his Son Philip unto the fidelity of the said States All these are tokens that the Princely Authority like as it had the originall beginning from the States that even so it returned againe unto them as often as there was no Prince to succeed Moreover we shall not finde any Act or Condition of any of the old Earls of any importance but that it was Authorized and ratified by the consent of the Barrons and Nobles who sealed and gave vertue unto the same for these were the Ancientest Councell of the Earls like as it was also in former times of the Germane Kings Now concerning the Cities their number and with the number their worthinesse is from time to time augmented for even of old time each City had their own Councell of Senators one of those Senators dying the place was supplied by another of the ablest and wealthiest of the Burgesses And in some places that same Councell ordaineth the principall Magistrates which are called the Burgh-Masters And in some other places they present the names of the same Burgh-Masters and also of the Jurats which sit to doe Justice unto the Prince for the electing of them yet in such a manner that they have the nomination of as many more as are chosen which the Prince may not exceed the which is no little assurance of their Liberty It appeareth also by very many examples that not only the great Cities as now in these latter times hath happened but even the little ones also doe take their turns at the Convocations and Assemblies of the States Philip of Leyden before named making often mention of the Nobles and the Governours of the Cities calleth them the great ones of their native Countrey saying that their care was the Prince neglecting the same to see that the Common-wealth should suffer no wrong I finde also that in the dayes of William the Fourth who was the last of the House of Henault about two hundred and thirty years ago That at Dordrecht there was an exceeding great Convocation of the three Nations of Holland Zealand and Henault where the Deputies of the Cities being very many were Assembled about the Toles And this Assembly was called the High Councell Moreover no Imposions nor Contributions were imposed without the consent of the States as appeareth by all those reckonings which are found in the Courts whereof the consent thereunto of the same was alwayes openly published And from hence it proceedeth that even of old and from all times the afore-said Contributions and Impositions were called nothing else but the Intreaties the which name is often found in Philip of Leyden in regard that they as hath been shewed already were granted at the intreaties of the Princes The same being also a sufficient demonstration how the Principality must strike saile unto the Authority of the States Yea even in Philip himselfe who was the last Earle and maintaining Warres in France those nine years Impositions were not consented unto by the States no otherwayes but by the prescription of certain Laws and amongst others this That the money should be at the disposition of such persons that should be appointed thereunto by the States Like as it is manifest that the States have held and maintained that Priviledge that they may assemble at their own pleasures even in the very latest times that were before the Warres From all that which hitherto hath been spoken appeareth that the Earles of Holland have differed almost nothing at all from the old Kings but that they only used a name which was not so eminent nor yet so suspitious for the Liberty as the Kingly Title was Moreover that the same Earles were elected according to the succession of blood as the same is used by many free Nations but yet neverthelesse the Authority was not given unto them without exception in regard that there were Lawes appointed thereunto and were confirmed by Oath That herewithall the Authority of the Earls was not so extenuated but that the power of the States was such and that in divers matters and especially concerning the Coyne which is the sinnews and strength of a Common-Weath And that may wee truly say of the Earles which in former times was said of the Germane Kings that they had Authority but it was by entreaty or permission If in

wherefore that these old Customs were so strictly maintained by these People as well in particular as also in publick matters which tend more to an outward shew then to any powerfull effect of Government I could easily perswade my selfe that even of old time they have had such Lawes concerning the Government as the Custome of succeeding times hath declared Yet must wee make enquiry in whom was this highest power or Soveraignty besides in the Kings and Generals I finde that by the Germans excepting the Clergy that there was two sorts of States amongst them viz. the Princes and the Comonalty now when I speak of Princes I do not understand nor mean those that each of them had their Authority over a whole Nation like as that name is commonly used for such Princes were the Kings and the Generals themselves whereof we have already spoken But they were such as that each of them took care for one part of the Nation which parts being great were called Quarters and being little were called Villages of which Caesar thus speaketh They have no common Magistrate but the Princes of the Countreys and of the Quarters doe minister Justice unto them which are under them and doe decide the Controversies Tacitus saith that those Princes doe minister Justice both in the Quarters and in the Villages Tacitus also sheweth unto us that those Princes were usually chosen where he saith In that Convocation were also the Princes chosen But they went so to work that ever after they had regard unto those that were nobly born and of the choycest of the Nobility or rather the meritorious deeds of their Predecessors being applyed even to their young Youths did afford them that worthinesse to bee Princes From whence I believe is come that those Jurisdictions both of Quarters and Villages having long continued in the Houses of the Nobility are at last become hereditary By reason whereof those Princes by the worthinesse of their Offices their ensuing Posterity afterwards were those which were called Barrons and Nobles yet the Government was not so much in their persons that the Common People were held as Slaves like as the Walloons were in the time of Caesar But unto each Prince as Tacitus testifieth were adjoyned a hundred men which were chosen out of the Comonalty to be as their Companions serving for Counsell and Estimation Those were the Princes that Caesar reporteth who together with the Officers divided the Lands into Portions and Pastures So then were those same Regions governed partly by those which were chosen out of the Common People and partly by those Princes of each Common-Wealth And they in this manner governed each of them their Quarters having being altogether the Soveraignty of the whole Common-wealth and that by a form of Convocation Tacitus saith that of all the small matters the Princes did consult upon but the great Affairs were dispatched by the Princes in generall yet in such a manner that whatsoever was decreed by the generall Princes the Comonalty was acquainted withall He saith that the Convocations of the Germans was of two sorts whereof the one was little in the which the daily Affairs which often hapned were decided and this Convocation consisted only of the Princes And the other was greater in whom was the power of deciding even of the most highest and weightiest Affairs and this consisted of both the States For whereas Tacitus saith in generall that same is not so to be understood as if every one should come thither like as it usually hapned upon the Assemblies of the Romans in such manner that every man should leave his house and home for such could not conveniently be amongst so great a popularity especially like as the Battavers were among whom Pliny reckoneth up seven Nations as the Battavers which were properly so called the Kennemers the little Freises the Friesiabonds the little Cauches the Tusians and the Marsacians Now these altogether were called the Convocation it self whereunto some persons were sent from each Region and State Tacitus expoundeth that same where hee speaking of the Semnomes saith that all the people of one discent assembled together at appointed times by those that were deputed thereunto in a wood the which was sanctified by the old Devotion and Prophecies of their Ancestors And of the Germanes in generall hee saith thus that they assembled upon certaine days unlesse that accidentally any thing happened which required haste and was some extraordinary matter And there after he saith thus This abuse proceeded of their liberty that they did not assemble altogether nor yet when as they were commanded or warned but oftentimes they let passe two or three dayes before they did assemble so that then the Soveraignty was in the persons of this Assembly of both the Estates whereupon he saith thus Before this Assembly was any man to be accused and challenged upon life and death Againe hee saith In this same Assembly the Princes were elected and also those hundred men which were chosen out of the Commons and adjoyned as companions unto them The Kings themselves and the Generals were heard in this Assembly as is before said more with Authority to counsell then with any power to command And although this was common unto all the Germanes and not appertaining unto the Battavers as being not able to attaine thereunto Yet the History of Civilis approveth that the Battavers had this manner of Government to the end that the wars might orderly be decreed against the oppression of the Romanes for that end saith he hee assembled together the Princes of the Nations and the ablest of the common people Wherein appeareth then that the Battavers used the government of Nobles and yet in such sort that there was a Principality annexed thereunto which was either continually under the name of a King or temporally under the name of a Generall That also the Nobles were of two sorts that is of the Princes the which were called the first and the greatest and those that were elected out of the Common people these two being conjoyntly in the Assembly had the Soveraignty of the publike matters but in regard that this same Assembly did seldome meet the matters were commonly dispatched by the Kings according to the advice of the Princes That also the Government of each quarter was in such manner in each of these Princes which had their owne Jurisdiction as in those Magistrates which were chosen out of the second State the which in such a wonderfull musicall consort doth expresse that Government which Plato so much commendeth in which the Nobles together with the mutuall agreement of the Common People had the Soveraignty Yet this must be added hereunto That in one matter the Battavers doe seeme to differ from other Germans as namely That the Germans dwelt all in open Villages and had no fenced Cities nor walled Towns On the contrary part it is apparent that the Battavers as soon as they had Possessed the Iland made fenced Cities to

mention of the Battavian Kings in like manner also it is that the Antient Writers of the French and German Histories about this time do nominate certain Kings of the Freises which have held hard War against the Francks and amongst others the name of Radbond is very famous whose head is to be seen in the Castle at Medenblick after the Kings you shall finde certain Generals expressed by their names these were they which were called Potentates It is somewhat strange that which wee read in Procopius That in the great Sea about the mouths of the Ryne that there should be an Iland called Britton lying opposite against Great Brittain That the same Iland was inhabited by three Nations whose names were the Britons English and Frieses from whence yearly many people went to inhabite the unhabited Countreys of the Francks And that for this occasion the Francks although they had no other Interest in that Iland the which also was governed by their own Kings yet neverthelesse they endeavoured that it should be said and be believed that it was subject under them And hereupon the King of the Francks sending an Embassador unto Constantinople unto the Emperour Iustinianus did therewithall send some of the People of the fore-said Iland that by that meanes he might have a pretence of Authority over that Iland That this Britton was Battavia or else a part of Battavia bordering upon the Sea may with some approbation of the truth be spoken because there is no other Iland in the Sea that hath the mouthes of the Ryne in it And moreover and above it appeareth that upon the Sea shore of Battavia upon the middle mouth of the Ryne there stood a House called Britton whereof yet even in these dayes the remaining Foundations are yet seen and it is no marvell then that either the House took this name from the Iland or else the Iland took its name from the house In the like manner as with us here in Holland the name of the River hath of old been called the Flie then after the House standing therupon got the same name so that even now the whole Iland is called Flieland which if this bee true then was there yet two other Nations which inhabited that Iland besides those that were born in the Iland which we have said before were called Frieses viz. the English which were an old Germane people and the Britons which peradventure were inforced by the violence of the Picks and men of Norway to leave their native Countrey and to seek them a place of a more strong refuge and retreat It is therefore without all doubt that the English and Saxons possessed the Sea Coasts which were the nearest unto the Battavers and that they divers times sayled from thence into Brittaine which is now called England It is also manifest that Willebord an English man came hither out of England and preached the truth of the Christian Religion unto our fore-fathers in the same language that was then spoken in England It is also credible that the Britons betook themselves for their refuge as well unto the moorish parts of our Countrey as unto the Sea Coast of France which is now called little Brittaine But that the Francks striving for the Reputation of their Kingdome doe affirme that it should have extended so farre who indeed had no Command over this Iland or at least not below Utrecht the which some doe affirm to be the period of the Kingdome of the Francks then called Austrasians which doe very well approve the Liberty of the Sea-bordering Battavers from whence it is credible that they were multiplyed from time to time by the encrease of new Nations And that they having made peace with the Francks for fear of the People of Norway and uniting themselves by a fast and sure league have continued their old manner of Goverment as well under their Kings as under their Generals even to the time of their Earles whereunto wee now proceed The fifth Chapter In what estate the Common-wealth of the Battavers was in in the dayes of the Earls I Will passe by what others have reported of the institution of this Earldome who therein have followed the Authority of a certaine report but lately risen up the same being founded upon certain writings which doth sufficiently confute it selfe And will only speak of that which concerns my purpose and as I think is the truth that with no small reasons It is thus then That before the time of Dederick who was counted the first of the Earls of Holland there were in Holland many Princes that had their Authority not over the whole Nation but each of them over some one part thereof As those had whereof Tacitus and Caesar doe make mention of These Princes were called by the names of Graven or Grafiones which we in English call Praetors and now the Dutch Graven that is Earls which is often found in the Germane Lawes which to speak properly is nothing else but Judges from whence we call those that are the Officers and Controlers of the Causies and of those Bancks that doe check the Rivers and the Sea we call them Dykegraven that is Causie-Judges or Causie Earls And with good reason were those Princes so called because that their Principall Office was as is aforesaid to administer the Law Now wherefore that these Earles or Judges in former ignorant times by those that spoke Latine were called Comites or Companions I can finde no great reason for it unlesse peradventure because that they together among themselves were all alike of one estimation respect and worthiness And from hence it is that those Regions which in old time were called Pagi that is great Burroughes or Villages got the name of Counties or Earldomes And such an Earldome Walcheren which is an Iland in Zealand hath bin And likewise such have been Maesland Kennemerland and Texell being all Regions in Holland each of them hath been Earldoms of themselves the which both History and antient Writings testifie Such also were the fore-fathers of the Seigneors of Wassenar who were called Burghgraven that is Castle or Burrough-Earls who were the Judges of that Castle or Burrough as it is very credible in which place is now the old City then called Lugdunum Battavorum now called Leyden which was then destroyed by the People of Norway and also of some part of the Countrey thereabouts which Seigneors being the Survayers of the Dams Sluces of the River Ryne there hath anciently been paid unto them certain Tolls the which is continued yet to their posterity At the same time were there certain Cities or Townes in this Land as Schaffnaburgensis an old Writer nameth Flaording and Rynsburch to be very strong Towns in Freisland whereunto may bee added Froonley in former times the chiefe City of the Northren Quarter Dordrecht and Haerlem are of no little Antiquity The Principall Seigneors aforenamed and the Magistrates of the Towns seeing that they were daily incombred

they sought to make the Liberty of the Netherlands very hatefull And on the contrary to demonstrate how that the Cities in Italy and the Countreys of America and the West-Indies in such and such manner were kept in subjection with their Garrisons and that there was an absolute obedience without any limitation At what time as the warres in France ending and King Philip being requested in behalfe of the States that hee would draw the Garrisons of the Spaniards out of the Countrey which reasonable request of theirs hee took very hainously and in ill part and being returned againe into Spaine from that time for the most part after never permitted the publike affaires of Holland nor of the Netherlands to be governed by the Lords that were the Inhabitants and borne in the Countrey whereof according to old custome the principall and permanent Councel of the State of this Land did ever consist but by the resolutions which were concluded in Spaine leaving heere the Cardinall Granvell to bee the executioner of the Spanish Precepts The matters concerning Religion were brought to that passe that although it had bin a matter of great offence to have beleeved any otherwise then the Pope of Rome should thinke convenient yet neverthelesse a good Prince should not have atempted to have punished the same in regard of the great multitudes of those that might be accused therewithall from whose consciences that Religion of what sort soever it might be would never by no feare have been extinguished or qualified For this occasion the principall Lords and also the chiefest Cities and Provinces made their Declaration that neither their traffique nor yet the common tranquillity of the Land could bee maintained unlesse those corrisive Commissions concerning the Religion were lenified and mitigated the which was so farre contrary to his minde that King Philip should follow their counsell therein that hee contrary thereunto ordained that such a search and inquisition should be made even to the very secret motions and cogitations of the heart and that after a very new strange and unusuall manner of proceeding the like whereof was never heard before in such manner as if it had been against those Jews or Mahumetists which shelter secretly in some parts of Christendome and is practised in Spaine To this end and purpose were there here and there new Bishoprickes erected and distributed with great contradicting and in despite of the States without whose consent in former time the Clergy-men might not bee augmented considering now that all this without all doubt tended to the great confusion of the publike affaires and first of all those Lords that were in the Councell of State and afterwards a great number of noble personages assembling to this end and purpose under whom also was the Lord of Brederode descended of the Family of the Princes of Holland who did both counsel and entreat that they should proceed unto that remedy the which in former times was very often used in matters of lesse moment viz. to a Convocation of the Generall States although King Philip before his departure and at his departure had excessively commanded to hinder the same that there might be no Convocation of the Generall States from hence there arose an uprore not by any common consent but by the enterprise of some certaine particular persons of the poorest and common people about the taking away of the Images out of the Churches in regard that it was a high trespasse and sinne to make supplication and intercession unto them And after that this uprore was pacified by the authority of the principall Lords it pleased the King of Spaine and the Spaniards under the pretext of this one inconsiderate particular contrary to all right and reason to charge the whole Nation generally with the offence of Rebellion whereupon the Duke of Alba was sent with a very rigorous Commission to take possession of the absolute Soveraignty being naturally a very rigorous man as all Germany can testifie he very openly published that both the States Cities and People of the Netherlands and every person in particular had forfeited all their priviledges and that from hence forward they were to expect no other Lawes but what it pleased the King to command whereof he himselfe was a sufficient testimony that the Lawes were abolished he being a stranger and none of the Princes blood and yet neverthelesse against all right and custome was sent to possesse the generall Government The judgement of matters was also withdrawne from the lawfull and ordinary Colledges and by the erection of a new Judgement Seat or Bench where the matter of Lesae Majestatis or the abusing of His Highnesse should be decided by the Spaniards and by their adherents such as made themselves slaves unto the Spaniards having gotten under their power not only the lives but also the goods of all the inhabitants whereof not onely many thousands of the common people were executed but also the very Earles themselves of Egmond and Horne being condemned by false accusations were forced to present their necks to the violent stroak of the Hangman William Earle of Nassaw Prince of Orange being one of the chiefest Lords of the Netherlands with divers others were banished of wch persons Egmond had his Earldome in Holland and the Prince of Orange was Governour of Holland The Marquesse of Berghen and the Lord of Montignie who had carried the Requests and Remonstrations of the people and of the States into Spaine were both made away the one being openly executed and the other according to common report poysoned Thereafter according to the custome of all those that will bee Dominators the Cities were planted with Spanish Garrisons or else Cittadels and Castles built therein Moreover and above to the end that this Nation which before to this present time had been a free people might the more openly publish their slavery by maintaining and providing for themselves food and rayment they were inforced at that time by the terrible threatnings of their Deputy to bring up the twentieth penny at the sale of every house or parcell of Land and every tenth penny of all Moveables which their Princes themselves in former times were accustomed to Then the Fidelitie and the Liberty of those people were long contending with each other but in regard it was not possible to endure any longer the oppression of their Lawes and they setting at nought of the States and the Governement which had continued so many hundred yeeres and that the Libertie of their posteritie could not longer bee maintained then the States of Holland unto whom appertained the protection as well both of the Lawes as also of the generall and their owne particular Rights in the yeere 1572. upon the 19. of Iuly in the Assembly at Dordrecht consisting of certaine Nobles and of the Deputies of the greatest part of the Cities according to the example of their Fore fathers who tooke up Armes against the Romanes when as they pressed to bee