them the Oath which he had made to his Father never to bear Arms against the Emperour unlesse he forced him in his Law or Religion and made war upon him and asked them whether in this conjuncture it were lawfull for him to break it without any wrong done him by the said Emperour or any dammage at all brought upon him by his Souldiers They all held the Negative and with this sentence he went to the King at Francfurt and so handsomly represented his reasons to him that he obtained what he asked Whilest Gustave was in doubt whether he should go down the Rheyn where all was full of fear and trembling to seaze upon Colein he receaved newes that Tilly had beaten Horne in Bambergh defeated foure thousand of his men took twenty Pieces of Canon a multitude of Coulers Horne beaten by Til'y and made a shew to attack Nuremberge This was the last favour Fortune did this Darling of hers whom she abandoned to court another Whereupon he instantly marched wich all diligence and Tilly not knowing what to doe was constrained to retyre speedily by a strong accident which was that his powder took fire did a great deal of hurt amonst the Baggage-Waggons and drew this complaint out of the mouth of this old Souldier Let us retyre said hee For it is high time since fortune turns her back to us Indeed he had reason for she was preparing him a bed of honour Who repasses the Danub upon which he was quickly to repose He was followed by the King who entred Nurembergh in Triumph and that illustrious Senate presented him with a Goulden Globe as a Symbol of the Monarchie which they prognosticated for him But he foresaw not the misfortune which he was to suffer that Summer For being accompanyed by King Frederick who came from the Haghe in the middle of Winter to see his Countrey and his Deliverer and after compelments falling to treat of businesse the conditions displeased him and changed the love which the Princes bore him into diffidence which was so much the greater by how much the lesse they durst shew it Oh! the inconstance of things in this world Oh I how subject is all to change Is refulsed He took Donawerdt and passed the River Look in despight of poor Tillyes resistance who though crazed with age left not yet to encourage his Souldiers His death till he was mortally wounded and then they retyred a gallop though with an orderly retreat enough to Ingolstadt where this famous Captain dyed of his wounds His elogies He was by birth a Walloon and a Gentleman He had alwayes been happy til the last year when he tryed the effects of the inconstancie of fortune He was one of the most Valliant and Prosperous Warryers that ever bore Arms. He dyed on a bed of honour for the defence of the Church and his Prince Honours to Gustave at Auxburgh Rain and Newburgh were yeelded to King Gustave and the Citizens of Auxburgh opened their gates singing his praises and exhibiting all the honours and testimonies of amitie that could be given to any mortall man Yea I know there were some who wore his Medall with as much love and reverence as the Roman-Catholicks doe their Relicks or Agnus Dei They took the oath of Fidelity to him as to their lawful Lord and consented to the destroying down of the faire Gardens about the Town to begin the fortifications This done he turned towards Swaveland where the Lutherans who make the biggest party in that Province The exploits of the Swedes in Sware rendered themselves to him and received Garrisons from him nor was there scarce any but Lindow a Town situated upon the Lesk which remained constant Italy was allarmed by the report of so great prosperitie and Feria the Governour of Milan made an Army to defend the entry Some trembled and others who desired change of State and Money rejoyced But the mischief went no further the Italians had but the feare for their punishment was able enough to fall upon them without expecting it from the hand of strangers The Siege of of Ingolstadt Ratisbone taken by the Bavarians The King having brought so many faire Towns in Swaveland under his Laws whilest the Saxons afflicted Bohemia and Papenheim domineered in Brunswick returned to the Siege of Ingolstadt a fatal Town to the Protestants full of spight to hear that the Elector of Bavaria had craftily seized upon Ratisbone an Imperial Town which he fortifyed as being wholly his own and upon which depended the ruine of that which he went to besiege in vaine The Letters which had been written by the Inhabitants of the said town being intercepted gave the Bavarians opportunity to enter at a Gate which was opened them as thinking them to be Swedes The traitours went to pot the town was saved from pilladge and the Inhabitants condemned to a forfeit of Money and to work about the fortifications They had forgotten gotten their Oath to the Emperour and the Empire and novelty and the triumph of the Swedish Armies had dazled the eyes of the Protestants who like Israel sung their deliverance Ingolstadt in the mean while saw the principal forces of the Protestants before her Walls and if she yeilded farewel Bavaria But the King found work here and this was the first town which taught this great Conquerour that he was to have bounds to his Victories besides that he was very likely to loose his life by a Cannon Bullet The Elector feeling himselfe so roughly attacked by an enemy whom he had never offended unlesse Princes take the occasion to hurt for an offence sent the French Resident Monsieur de Sainct Estienne to the King to remonstrate to him that in regard he was so deeply ingaged in the Allyance with the King of France he could not be assailed by him A notable observation without making himselfe his enemy The Resident spake confidently with him and endeavoured to divert him some other way but the King interrupted him and said I know your Masters intentions better then you do and for the rest I pardon your French liberty for you are not sent to me in the quality of an Embassadour But the President followed his instructions and Monsieur de Carnasse his in such sort as that these two being both Officers of the same Master fell to difference and were very like also to come to blowes This was not the first prank of activity which the Cardinal played in Germany though it were well observed by the Elector and would have been taken for couzenage in another Age but in this for politick craft Howsoever he made his profit of it stood fast with the Emperour and so neately and dexterously retorted the ball upon the French that the Cardinal himselfe was faine to avow that the Duke of Bavaria was the most cautious and subtile Prince in Germany When we have to do with Cheaters we must take heed of all things and
Church of Rome and taken up their Quarters apart to be very different from that of the Primitive Christians amongst the Pagans and Gentiles those remaining in the Predicament of Passion onely and these adding also that of Action True it is that ambition and desire of novelty both in the one and other State have been the efficient causes of these great changes If they who have cried out with a loud voice for the reformation of manners had been heard as well as they who have called in doubt many Maximes of Faith we should really now live in the Golden and not in the Iron Age. They assault the Images Zisca tames Bohemia The first warr they made was upon the Images the Prelates the Cloisters and the Magistrates who opposed their unbridled licentiousnesse A Truce was made and no sooner made then broken Zisca that famous Head of the Faction made himself Master of Bohemia and commanded all the Churches dedicated to the Saints to be battered down alleadging for his reason that they must be consecrated onely to God He defeated all the Armies that oppugned his Designes like a Torrent which carries away and destroyes all whiles Fate made him loose that one eye which was left him He marched into Austria and quite blinde as he was left not nevertheless to crush his Enemies and arrived time enough to chastize the Citizens of Prague who were revolted from him because of the demolition of the Churches and Imaâ—es In fine Fortune by an occult mystery of the great God averted the Prelates from their duty and humbled the Emperour so far as to bring him upon his knees before this blind man yea and constrained him moreover to offer him the Government of the Kingdom and the Militia But that Eternall power having served himself sufficiently of this scourge drew him out of the world by a contagious sicknesse though even at his death His death he signified his martiall humour and the passion he yee had to further mischief for he commanded that after his decease a Drum should be made of his skin saying that his enemies would fly at the very sound thereof Let Divines discourse upon these mysterious chances where they will finde work enough to entertaine themselves The Hussits continued the warr under the orders of a certain person called Procope at the very report of whom whole armies were suddainely terrified yea fourty thousand men being entered into Bohemia and having taken some towns through a certain panick or phantastical fright threw down their arms and betook themselves to their heels Zisca's skin works miracles to save their infamous an I cowardly lives even before the Bohemians appeared Perhaps Zisca's skin wrought all these miracles and would have merited a Temple if he had not demolished those which were dedicated to the Saints It is therefore no wonder if in this last Age there have hapned such strange changes proceeding from causes so little foreseen or wholy contemptible in regard that a handfull of men at that time rendered themselves Masters of a Kingdome and beat the forces of the Emperour as often as they durst encounter them besides that their meer reputation put their enemies to flight as much as their arms Athists open your eyes confess these changes proceed from an infinite power The Turks a barbarous and despicable people have subdued a great part of Asia and destroyed the empire of Greece Tamberlaine from a shepherd Tamberlaine being become a souldier was the instrument whereof God served himself to abate the pride of that great Emperour Bajazet These are revolutions the reasons whereof are not discovered to man It is lawfull to seek the causes of them by probable conjectures but not to pronounce a definitive sentence or conclusion upon them I was willing to relate a part of this History because I find therein a great similitude or resemblance with that of our Age as well in order to Causes and effects though not successes for a proof of this instability of the things of this world CHAP. II. The Bohemians arme and why All the Princes interest themselves in this Warr. Ferdinand chosen Emperour NOtwithstanding the licence granted to the Bohemians by the Fathers of the Councell of Basill to receive their Communion under two Forms or Species there ceased not still to be Factions amongst them against the authority of the Pope and favour to such as oppugned it Now because the greatest Rivers draw their Origin for the most part from some small abstruse and unknown springs just so this deplorable war of Bohemia which being once kindled and diffused in that Kingdome grew to skatter and sly up and down like wilde fire throughout all Europ and is not extinguished even yet began at first from so contemptible a spark as might have been quenched by one single tear had it but chanced to fall right upon it But it must needs draw deluges of blood and general destruction of Christendom Where Sins are great Repentance must be proportionable And why In the year 1616 the Hussits layd the foundations of a Church at Brunaw The Abbor who was Lord of the Place opposed them and complained to the Emperour Mathias who commanded the Magistrates to appear before him and to suspend the building till the Cause were decided but in vain for the Church went on and was finished without answer as if it had suffised that it pleased them who loved novelty to build it Whilest this passed Mathias finding himself without issue by the consent of the House of Austria adopted his Cousin Ferdinand and Crowned him King of Bohemia with the general applause of the Bohemians Which done it was shewed to the abovesaid Hussits that the States onely had power and authority to build Churches and so they were all condemned and such as presumed to resist imprisoned and their Church demolished And this was the first motive of this war and this the leaven which hidden for two years together under the Past of ambition of the chief of that Kingdom made it rise and sharpen so much as that there was nothing expected but onely the hour to put it in the oven The Lutherans Jubily The year following the Lutherans by way of a generall thanks giving to God for having already preserved their Religion the space of an hundred yeares made a Iubily as they also did some Leagues amongst themselves at Heilbron against the Roman Catholicks which proved advantageous to the Bohernians as seeming as it were to give them the Signe or Watch-word to which all their humours were disposed and prepared for in regard that after so many Books composed and so many Disputes held there could be no Accord made in matter of Religion there seemed a necessity to try the strength of their Arms All tends to Warre and come from words to blowes The demolition of the aforesaid Church was of hard digestion to the Hussits and so it caused murmurations Monopolies or private
George besieged it in August and carried it in September following but General Bannier caused the Governour to be beheaded for not having done his duty Galasso marched out of Pomerania and passed the Elbe Glitznigh the General of Brandenburgh stormed Gariz and he of Saxonie the Fort of Varnemont neer Rostock where he lost his life Now who would believe that the Swedes being forsaken in apparence by all the States of Germany droven back to the Baltick sea beaten in many Encounters despoiled of the Isle of Vsedon and many other with considerable losse should ever have been able to rise any more But General Hatsfelds sicknesse made them take courage though General Bredaw defeated them and made them start back again into theit Islands And yet all this was not able to hinder them from afflicting Germany yet more and that with more confusion then it had been before The feaver required yet greater blood-lettings which made this Body once so puissant and formidable grow faint and languish Let us accompany them to the banck of the Danub and to the Gates of Ratisbone Bannier having received from Sweden a supply of eight thousand men and ruined Gartz passed the Elbe in the Dutchy of Luneburgh which might have been hindred by the Princes of that House had they not taken newtrality and confirmed the good opinion of them at Venice But he marched into Misnia where he found great facility every where and very little aversion any where so strong was the zeal of Religion even yet amongst those people It was to much purpose to prohibit the Germans from taking part with the Swedes under paine of being declared Traytours to their Countrey The Sweeds againe in Misnia in Bohemia and Silesia for the hatred they carried to the Catholicks their inclination to the Swedes and the desire to plunder made them slight the ruin of the Empire but it was chiefly in Saxony 1639 that they declared their sence concerning the Peace of Prague Bannier went into Bohemia Torstenzon into Lusatia and Stalhans into Silesia and God knows into what condition they put that Country where they found more friends then the Imperialists did in Pomerania He defeated General Marizim neer Chemniz and incamped before Prague where he also defeated General Hoskirck Beats the Impeâ—alists All the world was amazed at this progress which was against all apparence and all expectation and which cost so much blood so much desolation and so many inflagrations throughout all Saxonie and even to the very Gates of Prague Fortune had again turned her back upon the Imperalists who changed their Commander For the Archduke Leopold was declared Generalissimo or Chief-General and Piccolomini his Lieutenant Many encounters hapned in which the Swedes had almost still the better and Fortune accompanied them even to the last according to the assurance which was given Bannier by a certain Peasant who was become his Prophet He marched into Thuringe 1640 to joyn with the Weymarians Hassians French and Luneburghians who returned to his Party The Imperalists incamped themselves neer Salfeldt and the Swedes over against them so that there was no other separation between them then that of the little River Sale from whence as the French writers affirm The famous Salick Law derives its name and Origen The businesse passed on both sides with some small Skermishes and with looking upon one another In sine the Swedes departed and took their way towards Brunswick and the Imperalists theirs towards Hassia where they carryed themselves no better then the others had done in Bohemia But the Duke of Weymar ruins the Lawrel winns the Rheyn therefore let as retire that way CHAP. VIII The Duke of Weymar repasses the Rheyn and besieges Rhinfeldt John de Werdr beaten and taken prisosoner The Duke of Rohans death Duke Benrards many Victories he takes Brisack his death SInce we have carried on the progresse of the Swedes to the year 1640. Let us go see what the French and Weymarians do for their part Indeed after General Gallasso departed the Burgundians were alwayes much afflicted and their constance wraher brought misfortune upon them The Burgundians ill treated then diverted it from them They refused to admit of Garrisons from him and the Lorrianers were not able to defend them The Waymarians in Alsatia beaten so that they were beaten neer Besanton and that Victory opened that way for the Weymarians again into Germany who with certain Barks which they sound passed the Rheyn made many Forts and a Bridge to keep the River at their devotion John de Werdt having notice of it omitted not to come and charge them and made them turne their backs so that he quickly got possession of the said Forts and Bridge delivered his Masters this second time from the fear which was given them by the Duke of Weymar in those parts and then sent his Troops into Winter quarters However the Duke of Weymar were much astonished at his losse yet did not he loose his courage For it is in the crosses of Fortune that great men shew vertue and testify that they are never able to despaire of good successe He repassed the Rheyn Repasse the Rheyn 1638. and besiege took Lanfenburgh and besieged Rheynfelt in the moneth of March 1638. Iohn de Werdt knowing the importance of this place marched with all speed attacked the Enemy raised the Siege beat some Foor and took two Field-pieces But this Victory having cast the Imperilites into a kind of dull security and the said Duke having gotten to himself the Duke of Rohan with five Regiments he came and charged them so happily that he routed them Iohn de Wedrt defeated and taken prisoner is sent to Paris and took Iohn de Werdt and the Duke of Savelly who afterwards made his escape prisoners besides Enkefort Sperrenter and many other Officers together with sixty Standards and Coulours This was a great blow for it brake open all the bars of the Rheyn and Iohn de Werdt with Enkefort was sent to Paris to witnesse it and was lodged at Bois de Vincennes where all the world flocked to see so renowned a Souldier in such fort as had he been an Emperour A daâ—â—â—ageable loss to the Hause of Austria there could not have been more crowding This defeat was the cause of great trouble to the House of Austria as the losse of Alsatia and the taking of Brisack but upon the other side it brought no lesse joy to France especially to such as were tyed to the interests of that great Cardiual the main mover of this low world The Duke of Roham death the Duke of Rohan being grown old under the burthen and toyle of Arms dyed of his wounds He was newly come back from the Valieline where he had archived new Lawrel which he besprinkled with blood in this last battail Rhinfeldt yeelded Rotued followed Friburgh made a shew of defence but the Governour quickly flinched Duke Barnard marched to Brisack the
prevented by the aforesaid Prince who made his Army march at one of the clock after mid-night and pitched his Camp near the said Weymarians in such sort as that Melo coming some hours too late durst not meddle with them and avowed that he had to do with one of the cunningest Captains in the world But whilest these things passed Baron John de Werdt returned out of France and shewed that he had not forgotten his Trade by the discontinuance thereof for in less then two months there were above two thousand horses sold at Colein which he had taken from the enemy Let us now pass into Catalunia and see the condition of the affaires of that Country commanded by Monsieur de la Motte Houdancour who so often beat the Castilians took so many Towns and succoured so many more that he deserved and had the Marshalls staffe The King and Cardinal went thither The great progresse of the Frénch in Catalunia and the French took Salces Perpinlan and all the County of Roussillion which had been formerly engaged to the Crown of France but was restored by Charles the eighth Monsieur le Grand had such an advantagious possession of the Kings favour at that time that the great Cardinal was alarmed by it and found himself ready to be cast out of the Saddell For he let the King know how necessary a Peace would be for his kingdom which was impoverished and exhausted by so many Taxes and Warres and had already disposed him to listen to an Accommodation with the King of Spain But he warped a Web into which he so involved himself that he was not afterwards able to put it off For they who recommended Peace were held for malefactors and worthy of death Monsieur le Grand beheaded and the Duke of Bouillon saved by whom Wherefore he was sent to Lyons with Monsieur de Thoii where they were both beheaded and the Duke of Bouillon had run the same Fortune had he not been saved by the high and sharp intercession of the Prince of Orange and the consideration of the Town of Sedan For the said Prince had newly preserved the Weymarian Army and rendred France a most remarkable service whereby he could not merit less then the safety of an innocent mans life The execution of the two young Lords aforesaid augmented the hatred which all the world bore this ambitious Cardinal yea and the King himself expressed some coldnesse to him The great Cardinals death which together with so many other inconveniences encreased his sickness and the fourth of December 1642 sent him to the other world since he had troubled this enough already Never did any man ascend to such an immense greatness and maintain himself so well in it His life was very like that of Seianus but their deaths were different this being naturall and that violent Don Alvarez de Luna rose very high but his fall was so heavy that it brake his neck Cardinal Wolsey disposed absolutely enough of his Master but his credit never passed the Sea but by sits and yet was he degraded before his death and in houtly expectation of the Hangman He was born at Paris of a noble extraction was well learned A brief relation of his life and took the Orders of Priesthood at Rome It is said that Pope Paul the fifth looking him once in the face told him That he would one day be the greatest cheat upon earth The Queen-Mother finding him a man of great wit procured him the Bishoprick of Luzon where he wrote a Book of controversie upon which she recommended him to the King her Son and afterwards to the Pope who sent him the Cardinals Cap and the taking of Rochel gave him so great an influence upon his Masters Mind that he left him almost the totall direction of his Kingdom He got himself shut of the Queen and all who favoured her cut off the Marshall of Marillacs head and destroyed all such as gave him any jealousie He never pardoned such as he had offended He was a most accomplished Politician beloved by the most zealous Protestants and hated by the most zealous Catholicks He made it his task to ruine the House of Lorrain by beginning with that of Guise as also that of Austria by labouring to conquer the Low-Countries so that he could not faile to be beloved by all such as hated the Church of Rome He is accused of having embroyled England to the end that for interest of State it might not hinder his seazing upon Flanders For an English Embassadour imputes to him the destruction of his King by most unjust and maligne practices and of setting all Europe by the eares in generall But he cannot be deprived of the praise of having done the Kingdom of France superlative services though it were with the huge oppression of the poor people A Polish Waywodt of great age and experience desired to outlive the said Cardinall to see what end he would have As he had done many people a great deale of hurt so was he alwayes in perpetuall apprehension and fear nor was there eyer Tyrant who lived in greater disquiet then he A great Volume might be made of the observations of his life which being wholly miserable was sustained but by a blast of ambition In fine whilest he was thinking to triumph over Europe his infirmities and troubles redoubled upon him till they made his soule go out of his wretched Body His death was lamented by few and such as had either feared him or fled from his persecution returned into France not to put on mourning but to give God thanks and repossesse themselves of their Charges and Estates CHAP. XIV The death of Lewis the Just The ' Battel of Rocroy The Battel of Dudling The Swedes enter into Holstein THe same Play was still acted under different names For they who had so much longed for great Gustaves death for the establishment of the Emperours Affaires were all amazed to see his Generalls accompanied by the same prosperity as if they had been destinated to consummate the begun-work Upon the other side many Princes and Townes openly favoured them in such such sort as the Emperours affaires weakened so fast to mens sight that they began to despaire of his redresse And so it was held for certain that that Great Cardinals death would cause a huge alteration in France and give the Spaniards the prize but it happened quite otherwise for the French defeated all their forces before Rocroy Let us therefore confesse that it is the Almighty who governes all changes destroyes subverts and augments States both when and how he pleases and that for the bringing of this Great All to an end he permits the Destruction to be Universall and the Confusion Generall Lewis the Just being arrived at his good City of Paris quite altered with the toyle and trouble of his long journey and extremely sad and melancholy began by little and little to lose his health and
no more he had sent Count William of Nassaw to put all in quiet that so that which he had yet to propose for the Countries service might not be hindred by such as were ill affected Let us returne to the Hague The Prince having made himself sure of the aforesaid Lords sent for the Pensioner Gatz and acquainted him with his having secured them and told him that he had sent sixty companies of Horse and Foor to Amsterdam under Count Williams conduct whom he believed to be infallibly already The States separated themselves in the Town which being reported by him to the Assembly of the States they forthwith retired and the Deputies of Amsterdam having taken a cow ple of Waggons went by the way of Harlem and arrived at Amsterdam The gard invirons the Court at eight of the clock in the evening and about eleven the Princes Gard with five companies more invested the Court. There were so great changes that they made some murmour and others blame the Peace with the Spaniards and cast in fine all the Hollanders into such astonishment that they knew not how to free themselves from it The Peasants fly The Country people about Amsterdam fled and no body knew either what to hope or feare The rich were silent and the dreggs of the People spake What State can be sure of being free from War since Holland being in the middle of the Water sees her self precipitated into these disquiets in full peace God who governsall knows why since nothing is done without his providence The reasons why those Lords are detained they are carried to Louvestein The Prince gave the six other Provinces to understand upon what grounds he had seazed upon the aforementioned Lords whom he sent with a good Gard to Louvestein the last of July and having received notice of what had passed he transported himself on Sunday to Amsterveen a Village neer Amsterdam In the mean while Souldiers flocked thither from all parts and it looked as if they would besiege the Town in good earnest which being perceived by the Inhabitants they opened the Sluces and made a shew of breaking the Damms The Slucer open in case they were put to greater extremity so that by little and little the Country began to be covered with water when the Inhabitants of Harlem observing the Prince was come to lodge with some companies neer the banck between their Town and Amsterdam took a fright and resolved at the same time to dispatch their Deputies towards him who returned with answer that they should be quiet and that he had nothing at all to say to their Town But they of Amsterdam seeing his resolution forgot nothing which concerned their liberty In fine the third of August the accommodation was made with articles of advanrage enough to the Prince who withdrew his forces The peace is made and the forces withdraw and thereby rendred Peace to all Holland and indeed had this Siege lasted yet some dayes longer it would have caused an irreparable dammage which was grown already by the interruption of commerce to be of some millions to the besieged The Siege knows before We must not omit to take notice here of a very remarkable things which is that some Marchants some weeks before this Siege received advertizements from London Dantzick and Genna that Amsterdam was besieged by Prince William The States in this conjuncture determined to draw the difference to the Haghe The Libels run and malicious Pens lest not to vomit up their venim against them of Amsterdam for a certain Libel ran up and down of articles ordered with them of the Parliament of England In brief ill tongues were as busy as ill Penus and the Prince himself was not spared Thus passed this first attack which was but precursory to a pernicious war whereof weshal make mention in fit place Albeit it seemed that the poison was taken off and all pacified distrust increased daily Distrust and they of Amsterdam had alway es an eye upon the Country The Prince sent the reasons of his proceedings to the Assembly of the States in writing but the Paper was sent back without being opened and the Prisoner's released without any other condition then that of being thenceforth deprived of Publick Employments The Prince goes to the Assembly of the Stares of Guelders He went to the Assembly of the Dutchy of Guelders where having by his prudence scattered some disorders between the Nobility and the Towns Returns is the Haghe he returned to the Haghe in some indisposition of health the twenty nineth of October was let blood the thirtieth the day following the small pocks appeared upon him and the sixth His death against the opinion of all the Physitians his sicknesse being augmented he departed out of this world in the four and twentieth year of his age leaving behinde him a young widow with childe who being afterwards delivered of a young Prince delivered the House of Nassaw and such as were well affected to it from part of the grief which was caused by his death The vecital of his life He was a Prince of a great wit which he testified in the Conference he had with the Deputies of Amsterdam as also in many other occasions He was handsome of body and given to such vices as are ordinary companions to youth Above all he was infatigable on horse-back and sooner tired his horses then himselfe He was already his Crafts-master in war to which he much inclined and promised to follow the steps of his Ancestours He knew well how to make himselfe both feared and obeyed Let us now see the miserable end of the brave Earle of Montrosse CHAP. VII The deplorable death of the magnanimous Earle of Montrosse The War of the Polanders against the Cossacks Brave Montrosses praise VErtue was never so universally oppressed as in this miserable Age Witnesse Montrosse a Souldior of merit and illustrious extracton who had rendred his Master so considerable services in the Kingdom of Scotland that his enemies effectively feared him and after he had laid down Anns by his said Masters commandment he did him yet such other services by Embassyes as made him admired for the dexterity of his wit During the Treaty of the commissioners with Charles Sinart his young Master at Breda he went into Scotland contracted some Forces to such as he carried with him from abroad and entred the Kingdom upon hope of the good successe of the said Treaty Is beater But his Troops were defeated he escaped by swimming and lay hid some dayes amongst the Reeds In fine after he had been forced by hunger His mistry which drives the Wolfe out of the Wood to eat his gloves and the very flesh of his Arm he was discovered by a Peasant taken prisoner brought before the Parliament at Edenburgh and accused of entring into the Kingdom against the order of his bannishment and other crimes
in adversity onely that we are apt to remember him and such as were not content to live in such delicious idlenesse betook themselves to the warre either in Germany or the Low-Countries King Chales will have a Conformity of the Chu ches of Scotland with that of England King Charles made Proclamation for a Conformity as well in Ceremony as otherwife of the Churches in Scotland with these of England The Puritans opposed iâ— a tumult was raised against the Bishops and principall parsons of quality and a new Allyance or Covenant amongst the Puritans The King warned them to renounce it â—ut they on the other side persisted published scandalous Writings made a League abrogated the Episcopall Authority fortified some places and constrained him to leave his rest and take arms The Scots arms The Scots having gotten possession of the Castle of Edinburgh entred in to England took Newcâ—stle and Durham The King called a Parhament which being for the most part composed of Puritans he found them inclined to favour the Scots Whereupon he marched with an Army towards the Botders where he slighted the advice of one of the chief of his Kingdom who told him that if he would be a King and were not weary of raigning he must hazard a Battell But he preferring a pernicious peace before a necessary warre made an accommodation and at the same time called a Parliament which forth with assembled and the Scots after having finished a fine Master-piece of businesse whereof they felt excessive inconveniences after wards returned home The Deputy of Ireland prisoner his death The King gave this Parliament all full and absolure power provided that in any wife it touched not his Preroâ—ative nor such as were near it an individuall point by verâ—ue of a Law made in Henry the seventh's time But the first thing they did was to imprison the Lord Deputy of Ireland who could not be saved by the Kings requests nor his own defence but that he must needs be sacrificed to the hatred of the ignorant people who expressed their brutality by demanding his death and their folly by being moved to compassion at his firm and immutable constance to the last The Prince of Orange in England The Prince of Orange having demanded the eldest Princesse for his Son and obtained her he sent him thither to espouse her where he heard the said Deputies arguments and saw him brought upon the Scaffold and after his departure the Queen conducted her Daughter to the Haghe where she was received with very great honours but found the States more inclined to Neutrality then to meddle with that intestine warre For the King finding his Authority sensibly checked was already retyred to York where he set up his Standard sent for the Knights of the Garter and having neither Ships nor money sought some support in the affections of his subjects but too late for the forces whereof he had dif-invested himselfe were in the Parliaments hands however he was succoured by the greatest part of the Nobility The Malignants and Round-heads who and Gentry upon whom was imposed the name of Malignants as that of Round-heads was upon the Parliament souldiers The Queen having received some money upon her Jewels and drawne a good summe from the Prince of Orange repasted into England War between the King and Parliament but was cast back by a most horrible tompest upon the Coast of Holland though yet some weeks after she arrived in safety with all the Munitions which she had been able to purchase and afterwards retired into France leaving her husband in this storm wherein he was swallowed up S r. Thomas Wentworth c. Lord Debuty of Ireland sould by P. Stent In sine understanding that the English had called in the Scots by vertue of the Covenant concluded and confirmed by Oath on both Parcies wherein they swore the destruction of the Bishops he dispatched Prince Robert against them The Royâ—lists beaten by the Scots who joyned his forces though not his opinion with the Earl of Newcastle for he would needs venter a Battail which he lost and the said Earl fled into Germany and all the Kings felicity with him During these interludes the Earl of Montroffe did wonders for the King in Scotland for with a very small Army he gained a Battail came off with advantage in many encounters and repayred in fine the Kings affaires there Montrosse for the King in Scotland whilest they impayred in England for having lost another victory to Fairfax he was compelled to retyre to Oxford where he was besieged Whereupon his Son went into France and himself fled disguised to the Scotch Army The King flies to the Scotch Army and is sold who received him at first with great honour and complement though afterwards they delivered him up to the Parliament Army for a summe of mony He was made passe amongst the people for a Papist and a Tyrant and that he had a design to annull all the Priviledges of England c. Ah ungratefull People Ah Scotch Captains You who have the renown of being Souldiers how could you consent to such a basenesse Had avarice more power over your soules then respect vertue and duty For though you had an opinion that the King were a Papist is it lawfull for subjects to act against the Annointed of the Lord that which they would not have done to themselves As soon as the news of the Deputies imprisonment arrived in Ireland The revolt in Ireland the Irish took Arms to free themselves from the Captivity of the English as they called it but with so much barbarity and cruelty that they rendred themselves detestable thereby especially to such as knew how they had been treated by the English But what will not people undertake which from a long time are grown brutish and savage when they crush the head of their Governours with their own Chaines The Collections which were made in Holland for the succour of the Reformates in that Country The Collections in Holland for what begat as well the admiration of the Charity of that Nation towards their Brethren as doubt also on the other side whether such large summes ever arrived there The King being near London found himself reduced to the extremity of granting them of the Parliament whatsoever they asked and not being able to suffer some inconveniences which were cast upon him he made his escape to the Isle of Wight where he was treated like a prisoner But in fine being led back again to London and the Vpper House being abolished The King is executed the 30. of January 1649. he was accused by the Army and brought before a High Court of Justice where he was tryed condemned to be beheaded and executed the thirtieth of January 1649. There have happened enormous accidents in this Age but none which hath so much astonished the world as this strange proceeding Such as are curious have made a shift
to pick out some kind of similitude of his death to that of the Saviour of the world but for my part I will be silent Since that time the English have fought prosperously against the Irish and Scots But let us now end the war and the difference between the King of Spain and the States Generall and see the success of the Armes of France CHAP. XIX The continuance of the Exploits in Flanders The Battail of Lentz THE Prince of Orange made his last Field in the year 1647. when he passed into Flanders and received a supply of six thousand French conducted by Marshall Gramment who did nothing but plunder and gave proof of their courage and irregular Discipline to the souldiers of this Common-wealth He took a Fort before Antwerp which he presently after lost again He found so much repugnance in the States against the Siege of this Town that he changed his design Hemy Prince of Orange sick His death 1648. and marched towards Venlo but after the loss of many men there he retyred to the Haghe where he fell sick and died in the moneth of March 1648. and was interred at Delft by Prince William his Father This generous Prince gave so many testimonies of his valour in so many perilous Sieges that he made himself admired by all the world Armentiers and Landrecies taken 1647. The Arch-Duke Leopold being arrived in the quality of Governour of the Low-Countries besieged Armentiers the thirteenth of May which the French had fortified and made a Magazine there which he gained the twenty sixth of the same monoth But Gassion being intrenched with eight thousand men near Esterre hindred him from any further attempt upon Artoise and chiefly Arras upon which he seemed to have cast his eye Wherefore he went and invested Landrecies and brought it under obedience in less then three weeks The French take La Baneè Diemude end Tortoza But Gassion recompenced the first loss by the taking of La Baneè which he effected by an Assault only without a siege as Rantzow also did Diemude In such sort as Piccolomini was forced to lay a formall Siege to it and tear it our of the hands of Monsieur Palvaw the Governour Rantzow had an enterprise upon Ostend which being discovered was hurtfull to the Enterprisers Nor had that of Beck upon Courtrack any better success and La Baneè remained as a Curb to Lile But the Arms of France had better luck in Catalunia where the Marshall of Schoonbergh recompenced the loss which the Count of Harcoart made in raising the Siege of Lerida in doing the like for the Spaniards before Flix and by easily taking Tortoza From whence the name of Hibernia to Ireland a Town situated at the mouth of the River Ebro called by the Romans Iberus But Terragona was a stumbling-block for them as well as Casal had been to the Spaniards The next years Field must do miracles and shew the Hollanders that without them they were able to beat the Spaniards out of Flanders Indeed the Army was very great and the General had both luck and courage enough to undertake impossible things The French take Ypers and the Spaniniards Courtrack 1648. The fair and strong Town of Ypers was attacked and taken in twelve dayes and Courtrack retaken by the Spaniards in five Indeed the want of Victuals was so great that if Ypers had held out four days more the Army had been in danger of suffering much The forces of both Parties met near Lentz a Town though small yet famous for brave Gassions death Gassion killed who was killed by a musket bullet in the Approaches to the Town The Sraniards were about seven thousand and the French much sewer The Foot did their duty well enough The Battail of Lentz and especially the Lorraines but the Horse according to their custom sled and would not hearken to General Becks exhortations who was taken and died rather of vexation then of his wounds In sine the Spaniards lost the Battail and had almost lost the Imperiall Prince too had he not been succoured by the Prince of Ligne The victory of the French who remained in pawn for him For want of Foot the French were fain to be content with the Town of Fuernes which was afterwards retaken by the Spaniards to guard Dunkerk It was conceived that this victory would have been a means to ingrandish the French Monarchy but it was likely on the other side to make it stumble and indeed it gave it such a shogg that it hath not been able to recover it self wholly hitherto For this great Body being strong and nimble is fallen into a feaver which makes it frantick It is like a Watch the principall wheels whereof being broken keeps no true course or measure But let us go and finish the war of the United Provinces since the news thereof is already come for if we should stay to note all things we should never have an end CHAP. XX The Peace made betwixt the King of Spain and the Confederated States The remarkable Siege of Brin Torstenson quits the Generalate THe last Field having produced no remarkable effect at all was taken by many as the shooting off of a Musket without a bullet rather to content the Allyes then to advance upon the enemy rather to drive away the time then to make use of advantages and rather to tyre the French then to come to share stakes with them Indeed the Hollanders had a fine game of it for the enemy not being able almost to stoop was fain to avow that all their defences being taken away in Flanders they had nothing more left to oppose against them then the Walls of Amwerp Gaunt and Bridges for Guelders was half conquered Brabant open and Flanders almost quite subjugated so that there remained but one and the last Bowt to come to the sharing of stakes In the mean while the Embassadours which last arrived were the first dispatched for they found so much inclination in them of Spain that the Proposition for a Truce being changed into that of a Peace all their demands were granted them In such sort as more then a twelve moneths time was spent in attending and uniting the two Parties howbeit they had brought them so far already that whatsoever the French had gotten by conquest of the Spaniards and other enemies was to remain as their own for perpetuity and they had confirmed it amongst them by a sure and fast League in order to which Monsieur de Seruient had taken great pains at the Haghe yea he indevoured under this pretext to draw the States to a continuation of the war The Peate made between the Spaniards and the Hollanders and the utter expulsion of the Spaniards out of the Low-Countries and therefore it was no marvaile if Prince William leaned that way with him For this young Eagle being newly received as Governour and Captain Generall desired to accomplish what his Predecessors