exactly informed himself of the condition that Hulst and the Country thereabouts was in and being resolved to besiege the Town he feigned as is usually do ne in such cases to besiege another that he might divert the Enemies Forces in sundry parts and so make them the weaker Count Maurice was chiefly jealous of Breda wherefore the Cardinal seemed as if he would sit down before it and to colour it the better he made Monsieur Ronye pass over the Scheld with 7000 Foot and 1500 Horse and to bend thitherward nor was this done to no purpose There was little less then 5000 souldiers in Hulst all almost Foot and the best that the united Provinces had Upon this concevied danger of Breda Count Maurice made almost half the Garrison that was in Hulst pass suddenly into that Town and into other Towns in Brabant which might be subject to the like suspition Of which the Cardinal being advertised he delayed no longer discovering his true design but mustering his Army he marched in the beginning of July to enter into the Country of Wasse and to straiten Hulst by all such waies as might make him hope for good success in that enterprise The chief care of the two abovesaid principal Forts of Austria and Fuentes and of the other lesser ones were given to Signior Bissa who had been formerly Commissary General of the Horse and who divers times had carried himself very gallantly against the Garrison of Hulst The Cardinal therefore gave orders to him and to the Camp-master Barlotta that they should do their utmost to enter the Island and to possess themselves there of such a place as they might keep footing in To this purpose 2000 Foot part Walloons part Germans were chosen out who were led on by their own Colonel Tesselinghen and to these were added 300 Spaniards and 200 Italians These were mustered in Fort Fuentes and Signior Bissa the mean while with great diligence made some Barks be rowed over the drowned Country at a low ebb The Superficies of that Earth though the water was gon off remained still very soft and miery wherefore it was very hard getting over it Yet those difficulties were overcome and the barks were at last brought to the Channel upon the banks whereof stood as hath been said the Enemies two greatest Forts Morual and Rape and the little Rape between them Under the same silence and obscurity of the night the souldiers began to move and Barlotta led the Van with his Walloons Spaniards and Italians When he was come to the Channel after having suffered very much in his passing over that miery peece of ground he arrived at the banke over against the little Rape intending to storm it The march arrival and assault was so sudden and unlooked for as those within were much perplext And though the Enemies neerest great Fort when they discovered the Kings men failed not to annoy them with its Artillery yet did they but little harm thereby since it was by night so as the assault growing still hotter Barlotta at last took the little Fort and began to fix his foot in the Island where he fell to fortifie The mean while Tessilinghen came in with his Germans and he fortifying himself also as much as the narrowness of the bank and the anoyance from the Enemies Forts would permit him to do he endeavoured the more to secure the entrance into the Island The Count of Solme was Governor of Hulst and he had with him a Garrison of little less then 3000 souldiers and had all such provisions as were requisite for the defence of any how important a place soever He then seeing himself assaulted in manner as hath been said failed not upon break of day to sally out against the Kings men to chace them from the little Fort which they had taken and from the bank where they were fortifying themselves The Germans had not yet sufficiently fenced themselves wherefore turning upon them with a great Squadron he easily disordered them which was much occasioned by Tesselinghen's being suddenly slain whilst he valliantly withstood the fury of the Enemy But Barlotta coming suddenly in with more men after a fierce bickering wherein many of each sides were slain the Enemy retired into the Town and the Kings men kept themselves in the places they had possest with more security then before At the news of this the Cardinal would approach himself in person and took up his quarters in a Village called St. Nicholas From whence sending Ronye suddenly back he ordered that he together with all the rest of the Commanders and the whole Army should presently enter the Island and that they should beleaguer the Town on all sides where it was possible so to do Ronye being entred the Island with his men all the rest of the Kings Camp passed over thither but not without some slowness and trouble by reason of the myre and the narrowness of the space which they had won Ronye began then to distribute his quarters and his chief end being to keep off succour and particularly such as might be had neerest hadn from Zealand by the Channel which was turned towards Honte he used all possible diligence to that purpose The Fort Maurice vvas built on that side for the service of the Enemy so as neither then nor during the whole siege could they keep off succour on that side and especially by little boats which passing through the Channel by night received very little harm The Walloon Brigadoes of Count Bucquoy of Grison and Cochella were quartered thereabouts as also Augustine Messia's Spanish Brigado which in his absence was commanded by his Sergeant Major â—ietro Ponze Nearer the Town lay Alphonso di Mendosa with his Spanish Brigado the Signiors Frisen and Lyches with their Walloon Brigadoes and Count Bilia with his German Regiment the Spanish Camp-masters Velasco and Zuniga were quartered in the highest part of the Island and near the them Marquess Trevico an Italian with his Brigado of the same Nation and further off in other parts where the more firm ground afforded commodity of joyning with the more muddy Count Sols was quartered with a new German Regiment which he had raised as also Count Bossu and il Signor Barbenson with two other Walloon Brigadoes Not any Horse was brought into the Island because they could be of no use there Thus did Ronye divide the quarters each of which began afterwards to open their Trenches But this mean while the Kings Camp began to be in great want of victuals There was no entrance to be had into the Island save onely by way of the little Fort which Barlotta had taken vvhich lying in the middle betvveen the tvvo greater of Morual and Rape and in a narrovv space it vvas very hard to get thither and very dangerous to keep there vvherefore Ronye resolved in the first place to possess himself of all that vvhole bank upon vvhich the tvvo aforesaid greater Forts stood and then to use all
and divers others who were thereabouts But the other occasioned much more bitter dread and likewise much greater prejudice Those Gunners and Mariners were not well entred into the Boat when the fire arriving at its due time made the Mine play and suddenly devoured not only those who were within the Boat but most of those who were upon the Boats of the Bridg and upon the Steccadoes It is not to be imagined much less to be exprest what horrible effects this raging fire made The Air was for a good space darkned with a thick cloud the Earth shook for many miles about the River broke forth out of her bed and with great violence threw her waves beyond the banks The bodies of men that were blown up by the fire were so torn as no shape thereof could be found and the tempest and hail of great stones and other lesser materials of offence scattering abroad further off so many of the Camp were slain or wounded as nothing was to be seen all thereabouts but a sad and dismall spectacle of people either slain or maimed or ill acconciated Above 500 of the Kings men were slain by this misfortune and a great many others of them were maimed or wounded But that which made the loss the more fatal was the death of the Marquis of Rubais who while in order to his office he viewed all parts and went from one place to another was unfortunately kill'd A death generally bewail'd by the whole Camp but with a particular tenderness by Fernese who had a singular affection and esteem for him Jasper Robles a Spaniard perisht by the same misfortune who was Lord of Bigli and a Souldier likewise of great experience and valour as may oft-times have been seen in the successes of this History Divers other Officers of inferior quality were likewise lost and there was not any Nation who did not share in the misfortune The confusion and astonishment being ceased which so strange an accident had occasioned in the Kings Camp it was found that the prejudice which the Bridg had received was not so great but that it might be repaired The greatest harm that was done was on that part of the Steccado where the Fire-boat had disgorged its fire and the Flote likewise there was greatly disordered But a great danger yet remained lest the assault of the Enemies ships which were in readiness for that purpose on Lillo's side might succeed the fury of the fire Wherefore Fernese using all diligence for the defence of the Bridg was come thither himself in person and made the Forts on all sides stand prepared with their Artillery But whatsoever the matter was none of the Enemies ships were seen to move It was thought that the Tide hindred them and that expecting the Wind to overcome it that failing they could not second the Antwerpians The danger being thus past which was then most feared Fernese had leasure to restore the Bridg to its former posture It was notwithstanding thought best to take the Flote quite away which lay towards the besieged to the end that if any more of their Fire-boats should fall down they might the better pass through those of the Bridge to which purpose an useful invention was found out as also in the other Flote which was on the other side The Antwerpians began to be very much troubled that their Fire-boats had no better success and even the stoutest amongst them began to lose their courage But Aldegonda and those that adhered most unto him endeavouring to keep their hopes alive strove to make them believe that the next Fire-boats would be more successfull then were the former That the great Ship being now likewise finished would be in effect as it was in name The Wars End That certainly the Royalists would never be able to make such resistance as was needfull to keep the double forenamed Forces from beating down the Counterdike and that when the passage should be once open the City would be wholly freed from the Siege Of these trials which were to be made for the benefit of the Antwerpians that of the great Ship was the first This immense moveable Castle began to appear upon the Scheld about the beginning of May with mighty expectation on both sides on the Antwerpians out of their hopes of reaping advantage thereby on the Royalists out of the curiosity of seeing such a Fabrick and to see what the effects thereof would be The Ship drew near one of the lesser Forts which the Royalists had on Brabant side and began to play furiously upon it There were above a thousand Souldiers in the Ship who accompanied the fury of the Cannon with the hail of Musket-shot They then landed to annoy the Fort nearer hand But the effect was not answerable to the design for the Fort received no great harm from the battery nor they who were within the Fort from the Souldiers that were landed nay the ship was so torn and shattered as they had much adoe to mend her and to make her serviceable again This experiment coming to so little good they fell to the other of breaking down the Counterdike and the business was thus carried The ships of the Hollanders and Zealanders were to fall from Lillo and enter into the drowned Country in that part by those Cuts which were made in the chief bank of the River The Antwerpians were to doe the like on the other side towards the City and to that purpose they had likewise fitting Cuts in the same bank Between these two drowned parts of the Country did the Counterdike run but it was very hard to assault it on both sides at once because the Tide could not equally serve both the one and the other in their uniform motion wherefore such a middle season was to be taken as that the conjuncture might not be lost This was the design of the Enemy nor was it any news to Fernese who had long before expected it There were four of the Kings Forts which guarded the Counterdike The one that of Crosse where the Counterdike joyned with the greatest Dike which Mandragone had the charge of About the middle in some distance one from another stood that of the Palata then that De la Motta commonly called S. George his Fort and at the end where the ground began a little to rise was the strong House of Cowstein wherein Count Mansfield did usually keep To boot with these Forts a row of great Stakes were pitcht at equal distance on both sides the bank which rose up above the water where the ground was therewithall drowned that the Enemies ships might find more difficulty in accosting These situations we have here again repeated the more to awaken the memory and to give the clearer intelligence of the Counterdike where the Besieged's chiefest hopes lay and where the Royalists had finally the victory Fernese gave order that all the Guards should be every where reinforced And to increase emulation amongst the Souldiers as
suspition and much more the like of the Kings Commissioners to overcome the difficulties which arose The Treaty of Peace being thus vanisht all sides fell eagerly again to the reassuming of war The Commendador having miscarried in his design upon Leyden made all the Kings men that were at the Siege tarry in Holland It was clearly seen that his intentions were totally to subdue that Province and to set himself with all his might against the other of Zealand that he might get that opportunity of reception which was necessary for the ships of Spain towards which the Sea of Zealand opens and affords the best Havens that are to be desired in all the maritime coast of the Low-Countries Egidius di Barlemonte Lord of Hierges was Governour of Holland a man of known zeal to the Kings service and of approved skill in military profession The Commendador commanded him to gather together as many of the Kings men as were in that Province and to execute those Orders he should receive The first was to take the Town of Buren from the Rebels Hierges prepared therefore for this design And that he might the sooner succeed therein he seemed as if he marched elswhere and afterwards bent suddenly thitherward The Town belonged to Orange and he possest it in right of his first wifes portion who was daughter and heir to Maximilian Agemont Count of Buren This place lies very opportunely to molest Brabant and Ghelderland and to this end Orange had furnisht it with men who making incursions into all those Confines hindred much provision which was brought from those two Provinces to the Kings Camp in Holland For what remains the Town is seated upon a mean River built about with an ancient Wall and without any Bulwark it hath an ancient Castle the greatest strength which they within had was a large and deep Ditch Hierges coming thither unexpectedly threatned the Townsmen with all severe hostility if they did not immediately surrender the Town He had with him about 6000 Foot and 400 Horse all choise men and long trained up in discipline They within seemed little to fear the threats from without but their actions did not correspond For Hierges having made a great Battery and in despight of them thrown a bridge over the Ditch did with his men assault the Town so furiously as the Defendants thinking rather how to save themselves then how to fight retreated into the Castle where neither did they make any greater resistance Hierges encouraged by his first success redoubled his former threats whereupon the Defendants courage failing them they quickly articled to surrender contenting themselves basely with the bare safeguard of their lives and came forth without either Arms or Colours The Castle and Town were both of them sackt and Hierges presently went from thence having first secured the Town He from this Angle re-entred the Province and receiving a new recruit of Germans and Walloons besieged the Town of Oudwater A place considerable in it self and much more for the way it made for the taking of others of greater importance The Isel runs on the one side and it is incompassed every where else with a great Ditch and the ground all about it is so low and spongie as there is no coming to the Town but upon Banks nor any getting in but by Channels This kind of situation made the Siege more difficult for the place was of it self weak and had no strong works The Kings Army lay chiefly upon the banks and their greatest battery was placed upon one of the greatest of them which for want of earth was inlarged by a great mass of old Nets with flax and hemp with which the Country thereabouts doth infinitely abound and with the same materials they provided to pass over the Ditch Those of the Town seemed very resolute to defend themselves and making necessity yield to industry they likewise instead of Rampiers had fortified their wals where it was most needful with such like materials as the besiegers had made use of The Townsmen had received a recruit of a good many Dutch and English and Orange promised them to send another succour speedily Here began the oppugning and the defence which continued not long Those within having at first made some resistance against the batteries the Kings men return'd with such fury again to the assault as mixing themselves with the defendants in the breach they entred together with them into the Town and putting all to fire and sword they in a short time did quite destroy it and laid it desolate nor did Hierges any wayes hinder his Souldiers heat He went immediately from this Siege to another and sate down before Sconoven a little Town but considerable and not above a league from Oudwater These two Towns are situated much alike Schonoven stands upon the Lech and is surrounded on every side with mire and water it hath a large Ditch about it and some Companies of Dutch and French were entred thereinto But the Townsmen desirous rather to return to the Kings obedience then to remain under that of the Rebels instead of incouraging discouraged those that were come from without Orange therefore laboured to send a good succour thither by the river it being then a very high tide Which danger Hierges being willing to prevent he crossed the river over where he thought the greatest danger lay with a bridg of great boats and munited them on the same side with pieces of masts so fastned together as they might be an obstacle to the enemies ships if they should set upon the bridg on that side This being done he placed his Battery on the highest part and began to play upon the Town The Townsmen murmured against the Garison fearing their Town would fare like Oudwater which Orange being advertised of he resolved to send three ships laden with men Artillery and other provisions to relieve and succour the besieged They were led on by the Master of the French Guard who was mightily favoured by the flowing tide The Kings men discovering the designe ran from all parts to the banks to frustrate the effect Here began a fierce bickering for the guns playing from all sides and each side endeavouring to overcome the other many fell on both parts and the victory was a good while doubtfull But Fortune seemed at last as if she would make the successes equal The enemies ships broke the bridg and the Master of the Guard passed over it with his ship fighting still couragiously but the other two were lost and the bridg suddenly made up again so the Town was more narrowly besieged then before Here Hierges renewed his Batteries and threw down above three hundred yards of wall whereat those within being stil more terrified and the garison fearing more the Townsmen threats then those of the Kings men a Parly was soon had and the Town was surrendred with good conditions to the Inhabitants and with safety of persons and goods to the souldiers Oudwater and
defend themselves and to draw all the Country thereabouts into contribution for their maintenance till they should receive full satisfaction for their pay The Town St. Paul was pitcht upon for a very fitting place to this purpose Going therefore unexpectedly thither and not meeting with almost any resistance they fixed there At the first hearing of this riot Count Charls was minded to reduce them by force But doubting afterwards that when the rest of the Nations being come nearer them should more narrowly consider the Spaniards design they would rather imitate then impede it he thought it better to shun so great a hazard Which served to defer but not to evade the danger as shall be said in its proper place These were the successes of the King of Spain's Forces upon that Frontier of France And now to proceed with the peculiar affairs of Flanders The United Flemish failed not to make use of this occasion which made so much for their advantage The Duke of Parma being dead and finding the King more eager then ever in his designs upon France they used all the means they could to be early in the field with a potent Army Wherefore the winter being over and Count Charls being gone with so great a part of the Army into Picardy Count Maurice deferred not moving but discovered his design of entring with his Forces into Brabant He desired particularly to secure Breda better as a place which belonged properly to his Family and which had so luckily fallen into his hands by surprisal as you have heard And being of opinion that the too neer neighbourhood of St. Getrinberg did threaten continual danger thereunto he therefore advised that by all means that Town might be likewise recovered and so that first acquisition be the better ascertained by the advantages which this second would bring with it which would certainly be very great by the importancie of such a place This opinion of Count Maurice was very much approved by the Councel of War of the Confederate Provinces The business being therfore resolved upon by the publike authority of the whole Union he forthwith applied himself to make such provisions as were requisite for such a design He used all means he could to keep the Royalists from being aware of it Marching several wayes he seemed as if his intentions were to turn now upon Groninghen towards Friesland now upon Sluce or Dunkirk in Flanders and now upon Balduke or Graves in Brabant The Royalists therefore ran from all parts to defend these places Wherefore their Forces being the weaker by being divided St. Getrinberg could not consequently be so provided as was fitting to sustain the siege which was afterwards laid unto it At last Maurice discovering his true design threw himself suddenly into Brabant and began to fall to work with very great Forces both by land and water St. Getrinberg lies towards that out-skirt of Brabant which is subject to Holland The seat thereof is very strong it hath the Mause on the one side with its name turned into Merwe and of such a breadth as being there ready to fall into the Ocean the Channel thereof seems rather a Sea then a River There falls also into Merwe on another side another little River of but a short course called Donge and it terminates the course neer the walls of that Town yet is the bed thereof also so broad and so deep as it is capable of any whatsoever Vessel The other places thereabouts are likewise so lowly situated as men walk more upon the top of the banks then upon the plain ground The manual fortification is answerable to this of situation wherefore by reason of these prerogatives this place is held to be of greatest concernment not only in Brabant or Holland but even in any other Province of Flanders Maurice being then incamped with the said Forces before St. Getrinberg he begirt the Town on the land-side with divers well comparted Quarters and he added thereunto a good number of Boats by water to block it the better up on that side also and to end his work the sooner In every Quarter he began a Fort-Royal intending to joyn them together with other smaller Forts and to make Trenches and Ditches from all these on all sides so as the whole outward Line should be perfectly inclosed and munited In the inward Line also the like care was had of flanking and fortifying it where it was the most needfull the better to curb the besieged And because all these Works required extraordinary diligence and labour Count Maurice had with him in his Army above 3000 Pioners who were only to be imployed in digging Ditches in raising Trenches making Forts and in doing whatsoever else the Siege required of manual work This was the first Siege which was undertaken by Prince Maurice in a more exact form then all others till this time and in the success whereof he propounded greatest difficulty unto himself He therefore desired very much to effect it that by the taking of such a place the fame which he had already won in military affairs might be increased The aforesaid Works were then begun and pursued with incredible diligence And the Souldiers often vying with the Pioners in their labour and one Commander with another and Maurice himself with them all they had soon raised the outward Fortifications in such sort as they had small cause to fear any harm that the Kings men could doe them And Maurice had all the commodity he could desire fully to perfect both the outward and the inward Line And truly till then there had hardly been seen any such works The Forts were raised very high with earth the Trenches and Ditches were every where answerable Many great Palisadoes were added for the greater security in divers places and every Fort was well furnished with Artillery So as the place was invironed with almost as noble Fortifications as any it self had And yet the more to take from the Kings men all hopes of succouring it Maurice made the land be overflown in divers parts to make the difficulty the greater in endeavouring it Thus was the Siege ordered In the Town which was besieged there were about 600 Burgonians and 400 Walloons good men but not enough for the present occasion nor the condition of the siege Monsieur de Messiers commanded the Garrison of the Town in stead of Signor di Vatervid who was Governor of the place and who upon some occasions of his own was then in Spain To boot with the want of Souldiers the City was not sufficiently provided of victuals nor of warlike ammunition to make such defence as was needfull When the Enemies Camp appeared Messiers gave a present account to Mansfield of what condition the Town was in and prest him very much for speedy succour Nor did he forbear providing the mean while to make such preparation for resistance as became a valiant and faithfull Commander to doe He made the Townsmen labour together with the
that Port and that of Selle another great Ravelin stood out likewise called La Nue and so high was the ditch every where thereabouts as it appeared more difficult being dry then if it had had water in it But in all other parts thereabouts the earth was so soft and myery and so troublesome for the making of Trenches as Fuentes no less out of necessity then choice resolved to accoast the City on that higher and steeper side and to storm it there The works being then begun with great fervency great and sodain advancement was made therein through the incessant labour of so many Pyoners though it cost much labour by reason of the quality of the earth which most commonly was too hard and sometimes stony They wrought upon two Trenches the one just over against the wall which ran along from the Port di Malle towards the Bulwark Robert so was the abovesaid Orillion called and the other towards the same Port di Malle which the Townsmen by reason of the siege had then block'd up with earth Fuentes had given the care of all these works to the Campmaster Augustin Missia who with the Spaniards did most tend that which was the chiefest and which led towards the Bulwark Robert The Campmaster Barlotta with his VValloons apply'd himself to the other which led towards the Port di Malle and great diligence being had in the making of both these Trenches they were within a few days brought even to the edg of the ditch This mean while those within the Town ceased not continually to molest these works both nearer hand and at a further distance neerer hand by frequent sallies and at a further distance by their Canon from off their walls So as many actions had and did daily happen sometimes between foot and foot sometimes between horse and horse and often between both horse and foot Baligni was one of the Marishals of France and his wife was in Cambray A woman so highly spirited as she would not yield unto her husband in sustaining the difficulties of the siege She her self made the round She reviewed the sentinels incouraged the souldiers took care for what they wanted and behaving her self valiantly in all other Military exercise she appeared to be of so warlike a spirit as almost nothing of womanish was seen in her The husband and the wife striving thus who should most incourage their men to resistance they indeavoured to retard the enemies proceedings as much as they could But these did every day advance more and more and had already begun to fall into the ditch and to place their batteries on two sides the one being of 14 great piece of Canon against that part of the wall towards which the Campmaster Messia's works tended and the other of to such like Canon against the Port di Malle towards which the Campmaster Barlotto did address his works Nine pieces were placed in a battery apart against the Bulwark Robert And above 30 others here and there to play where it was most behovefull and so much the better impede the Defence They fought this mean while in the Ditch and the dryer the Ditch was the greater was the Contest But those within seeing themselves daily to be more and more straitned Baligni began to be afraid and to press very much for speedy succour which was no less desired by the French The King of France had just now reconciled himself to the Apostolick See and as Pope Clement the eighth could not have shown more zeal in endeavouring the preservation of that Kingdom in the unity of the Church nor more wisdom in guiding that business throughout so did not the King omit doing any thing which might make the reverence and honour most appear which he desired upon such an occasion to render to the Holy See His affairs in France were hereby mightily advantaged and no relicks of the League now remaining it was daily expected when the agreement already begun between the King and Duke Du Mayne should be perfected The King was therefore much grieved that amidst so much felicity he must be in danger to lose Cambrey unless it were speedily relieved Wherefore he resolved to go thither in person with powerful Forces but not being then in posture to do it so suddenly he resolved to send one of the prime Captains of France thither for the present very speedily by whose authority and valour the siege might in the interim be the better sustained To this purpose he chose Monsieur de Vich who was esteemed the best of all France particularly for what concern'd a siege Du Vich visited the Duke of Nevers first at St. Quintain And taking from thence 500 choice Dragoons he marched about the midst of September upon the coming on of night towards the Enemies Trenches and winding about on the left hand towards the gates Cantimper and Selle he came before them intending to enter by one of them into Cambray As he advanced the Spanish Scouts gave the alarm And Landriano advanced suddenly with some Troops of Horse and 300 Foot to obviat him Landriano knew not by which of the two gates Du Vich intended to enter wherefore placing himself between them both he hoping to keep him from entring at either of them Du Vich fained as if he would enter by the gate of Selle and drew Landriano with all his men thitherward but turning suddenly towards the other of Cantimper and making all his Dragoons light on foot that their sorrowful horses might serve for prey to Landriano's souldiers who already followed him and so to entertain them the longer he came to the City without the loss of so much as one man He was welcomed thither with great applause and soon confirmed the opinion both of the King that had sent him and of the others that received him He suddenly reviewed the Line and endeavoured divers wales to advantage it on that side where the Enemies Trenches and the Batteries which they were preparing did most threaten it He first raised a great half moon between the Bulwark Robert and the gate Malle thinking that that Curtain was not sufficiently Flank'd Upon the Rampire between the gate Malle and the other gate Selle he raised a great Platform the more to anoy the Enemies works and he furnished it with good store of Artillery he disposed of many other peeces by way of Counterbattery to the fourteen which were placed without to play upon the Curtain between the Bulwark Robert and the gate Malle He placed some likewise against those nine which were to play upon the Bulwark Robert in a Battery apart He raised divers other advantagious works in the ditch and from the first day that he entred into Cambray those within the Town were so encouraged as they ceased not afterwards to make continual sallies It was now towards the end of September and the Artillery on the outside were so prepared for Battery as they were ready to fall to execution
when Du Vich prevented them with his from within and began to showre down a horrible tempest upon the Enemy These continued to play a whole day and a half uncessantly and had such effect as they dismounted nine peeces of Canon of the Spaniards Camp and slew many Canoneers and many other souldiers Those within the Town by their accommodation of working within the dry ditch had underminded the nine peeces which were to play upon the Bulwark Robert so to blow them up and cause some impediment to the Enemy And though the effect was not altogether answerable to the design yet did the mine so much indamage them as four of those Canons were buryed in the ground and the rest were made unuseful for the present and for a good while after This so lively and so well wieghed resistance caused great confusion in the Spanish Camp Some of the Commanders propounded to Fuentes that the Assault might be removed from the higher to the lower side Nor were there those wanting who seeing further into the difficulties of storming so large a Town and which was so well defended advised to raise the so close siege and to beleaguer it at a further distance by the way of Forts These thought it impossible but that the cold and rainy weather would come in before the siege should be ended and that likewise the King of France would appear in succour of the City with great Forces in either of which cases they must of necessity doe that with shame which they might now doe out of choice with leaving at least such Forts as might keep those of Cambray from making such excursions as they formerly were wont to the great annoyance of all the parts thereabouts As for altering the place of assault Fuentes did no wayes incline thereunto For he considered that that would be to begin the siege anew that peradventure the difficulties would not prove less elswhere and that the mean while all the labour which they had imployed in making Trenches and raising Forts would be lost But he was much more against raising the fiege How could he excuse such an act to the King of Spain to the Walloon Provinces in Flanders and to his own Honour Nor yet could he approve of a siege at a further distance by the way of Forts For if the Duke of Alanson had formerly freed Cambray from those that the Duke of Parma had planted about it certainly the King of France might much more easily doe the like now to these Wherefore no ways yielding to the difficulty of the undertaking he resolved to continue the siege in the same place The Commanders in chief in all governments use always to keep somwhat to themselves of secret and of weight And thus did Fuentes at this time One of the chiefest motives which had made him fall upon that siege was the secret intelligence which chiefly by the Archbishops means he held in Cambray He had received much encouragement from his Complices within the City for his incamping before it and for his continuing the siege which had been so well begun Hoping therefore no less in these secret machinations of intelligence then in his other openly put in execution he appear'd more firm then ever in his former resolution And he did this the rather by reason of his new recruit of Forces of which a strength of 700 choise Horse was very considerable which the Mutiniers of Tillemone prepared to send to serve him in that enterprise but upon certain conditions whereby those Mutiniers were more ascertained of their pay They returned then again to work upon their Batteries the two Campmasters Messia and Barlotta being very diligent therein A great Rampier of Earth was raised to shelter Messia's greater Battery from Du Vich's new Platform and some pieces of Artillery were placed upon a Rise without towards the Gate Selle which did command that Platform which Pieces did not only serve to weaken that defence but also to clear all that wall which ran between the Gate Selle and the Flank Nua as also to beat down the houses within the City Another way to issue out was also opened in the Ditch over against the Bulwark Robert that they might have more Avenues and come the easilier to the Assault which was intended to be made on that side To these divers other Works were added to hasten the business as much as might be and all parts where succour was most apprehended were chiefly reinforced with souldiers This was the condition of the siege in the beginning of October when Fuentes thought he might now come to Battery and then fall suddenly to assault All the Batteries began to thunder tempestuously on the Enemies wall at day-break which they did with such uniformity as they seemed not to be severall but one sole Battery Barlotta's ten Peeces plaid against the Gate Malle Messia's fourteen against the Wall which ran from thence to the Bulwark Robert and Messia's other nine against the Orillioun of the same Bulwark to discover and take away that Defence which might more hinder the Assault which was intended to be made in that place then any other Nor did the rest of the Artillery which were placed elswhere cease playing at the same time especially those that were on that higher part without from whence the houses of the City were beaten down Alike was the Tempest which plaid from the batter'd Walls upon the Batteries So as by so great and horrible a Thunder the Fields shook without and the City within The use of Eyes was lost and almost the use of Ears Smoak clouded the Day and the horror was the greater for that it was obscured by Horror Whilst the great Batteries plaid thus from one part the Spanish Camp was in Arms in all other parts Fuentes being very carefull that at the same time the outward Line of the Siege should be well guarded to which purpose he had assigned particular stations and Forces to the Duke d'Umale to the Campmaster Generall Rony to the Prince of Avelino and to divers other Commanders And to the end that when sufficient breach should be made by the Batteries the Assault should immediately ensue on Messia's and on Barlotta's side Fuentes gave likewise such Orders as were most requisite for them both He gave Messia especial charge that when the Assault should be given he should by all means hinder the Town from being plunder'd and from suffering any other kind of disorder The Batteries continued the space of eight hours and had made such ruine as the Spaniards began to prepare for the Assault when it appeared that the machinations within the City had wrought more upon the Citizens minds then those without whereby the City-walls were so cruelly batter'd Those who were for Fuentes and especially the Ecclesiasticks who depended upon the Archbishop taking this occasion had sundry ways endeavoured to incite the People against Baligny and against the French And just at this time Baligny and his wife
his endeavours to vvin Morual vvhich lay nearest the Tovvn and from vvhence the Kings Camp received most prejudice To effect vvhich the tvvo Camp masters Velasco and Barlotta after midnight and vvhen the tide vas at the lovvest began to move vvith some of their Spaniards and Walloons The Enemy had fortified themselves upon that bank vvith divers earth vvorks and hoped also to be better defended by the Artillery from the Tovvn and Forts Yet did the Royalists make so fierce an assault as after a bitter bickering the Enemy vvas forced to retire from the bank and the Royalists remained in full possession thereof But this business cost them much blood and in it divers of the best Spanish and Walloon Commanders and other Officers vvere slain Then Ronye began to batter the Fort Morual vvhich lay nearest the Tovvn and the Kings men being already lodged betvveen the Tovvn and the Fort so as the one could not succour the other the defendants vvould not vvait an assault but resolved to surrender the Fort vvhich vvas accepted of upon condition that the defendants vvho vvere almost 800 in number should not re-enter into Hulst but should retreat vvith their Arms and Baggage to the Holland Fleet vvhich vvas then about Lillo in the Scheld The taking of this Fort together vvith the command of the bank gave free passage for the bringing of victuals great store of vvhich vvas quickly brought into the Island and their very sore sufferings for many daies for vvant of victuals vvas remedied After this the Cardinal came himself in person to vievv the quarters trenches and all the other vvorks And then returning to his former quarter at St. Nicholas it was resolved in the Councel of vvar that all diligence should be used in advancing the Trenches upon vvhich in that higher part Velasco's and Zunigo's Spaniards and Trevico's Italians vvhich vvere quartered near them vvrought These Trenches vvere dravvn out against three Ravelins by vvhich the Tovvn vvas defended on that side Those Ravelins stood loose from the principal vvall and though they vvere made onely of earth yet they served for a good defence because they had a good ditch vvithout and there vvas a high Platform on that side vvithin the Tovvn vvhich did much disturb the oppugners insomuch as many persons of account were slain from thence and the prejudice grew daily greater Yet since it was thought the works could not be better advanced from any other part the Cardinal resolved they should be chiefly prosecuted there But a sore mischance rendred that resolution soon fatal Rony went oft thither to give such orders as were requisite and being one day under the Campmaster Velasco's Tent which lay open to the Canon from the Town an unfortunate shot came which took off his head A loss which was highly rescented in the Kings Camp Monsieur de Rony was born in Champania where that Province looks nearest Lorain And because in all the French revolts he always adhered to the Princes of the House of Lorain he was usually taken to be a Lorainer He was come of a noble family and was called Christian of Lavigny The Princes of the League had not a more zealous Officer nor a more worthy Commander then he in all their affairs both of State and War He executed the chiefest part under the Duke Du Mayn in those two so famous succours of Paris and Roan and may be said to have executed the second under the Duke of Parma Then putting himself wholly into the King of Spain's service valour was ever seen to vye in him with loyalty and loyalty with valour He was master of all the most practised Tongues and all they of so many and so different Nations took him for their Countryman so greatly was he beloved and esteemed by every particular Souldier He was equally good at Command and Execution though his being very corpulent made the latter somewhat troublesom to him But for the former there was never any who gave out more cleer Orders more speedy nor more resolute The Cardinal exprest more sorrow for this loss then any one To witness the which he made his Corps be carried to Brussels where by his direction his obsequies were solemnly celebrated in the chiefest Church The Cardinal declared the Count de Varras General of the Artillery to be Camp-master Generall in Rony's place He was brother to the Marquis of Barambone and of himself a person of great experience and much cry'd up in Arms. He had used much diligence and industry particularly in this Siege in conveying many Peeces of Artillery into the Island notwithstanding the difficulties sometimes of the high Tide sometimes of the low and miery situations And having already placed many of them against those Ravelins towards which the Trenches of the Spaniards and Italians pointed those Ravelins were furiously plaid upon and likewise their Defences with other Peeces They this mean while labour'd their falling into the Ditch which succeeding and then falling to fill it wherein they were much opposed by the Enemy the Spaniard at last and at the same time almost the Italians marched to go to the assault The Spaniards endeavoured to get upon a side of the Ravelin which was beaten down but meeting with stiff resistance there the Campmaster Velasco made the other side be assaulted By which the Assailants entring whilst they within were busied in making the first defence the second unexpected assault proved so lucky as the Enemy were forced to retreat from the Ravelin and to get into the Town The Italians had not so good success in their assault yet they lodged themselves under the very foot of the Ravelin and after three dayes making a Mine play and then returning with great courage to the assault they likewise possest themselves of that the Enemies Flank The two Ravelins being won Count Varras planted ten Peeces of Canon between them to play therewithall upon the opposite Wall and many other Peeces of Canon in places which were thought most fit to discurtain it on the sides and to take from it its defences The wall was likewise made of Earth and therefore the Batteries could not much ruine it and the Earth yielding they found that to make themselves masters of it they must use Pickaxes and Mines but they could not come to this kind of work till they had fill'd up the Ditch To effect the which all possible diligence being used and the Spaniards vying with the Italians who should most advance the Works they endeavoured to put an end to the Siege as soon as might be But still they met with many difficulties so often did the besieged sally out such bold opposition did they make on all parts and so fierce were the contentions every where A continual shower of shot powred down from their Artillery and the tempest of fire which was thrown by reason of the abundance thereof proved almost greater The which was done in several sorts particularly by Granadoes which shot off
be but in a very weak condition he advertised the Archduke thereof The preservation or loss of such a place was indeed of too great a consequence nor was there any way to convince the pertinacie of the Inhabitants then for the Archduke to come himself in person to Balduke He therefore went presently from Brussels and taking some other Forces with him came to the same place where Frederick was and where he had fortified himself From hence the Archduke the better to acquaint himself with the Citizens went ofttimes into the City and out again At last feigning an occasion that upon necessity a great strength of Walloon Foot were only to pass through the Town to oppose the Enemy in a certain place after that he and the Souldiers were come in he sent for the chief Magistrate and spake thus unto him That for as much as that City had upon all occasions ever shewed it self faithfull to the antient Church and to her natural Princes so much the more ought it to be endeavoured to be preserved under the obedience of them both That the Rebels did daily attempt either by private surprisals or open hostility to make themselves masters of it And this out of no other end but to suppress their Liberty and Religion and in lieu thereof to introduce Tyranny and Heresie and to punish such a people which had alwayes so much detested their perfidiousness That it was clearly seen the Forces of the City were not able of themselves alone to obviate so important a danger That Cities were oppugned and defended by people that were inured to hardness amongst Arms in the field and not by such as were bred up in ease and idleness at their own homes That therefore it was necessary that the City should be perswaded to receive such a Garrison as might be able to defend them That be himself did very heartily beg thus much of them which he chiefly did for the good of the Town Yet because the preservation of such a place did so much import both Him the Infanta and the King of Spain he did declare that as they should share of the service so would they at all times answerably acknowledge their obligation to the City for it The Magistrate was much moved at these words and they were also accompanied with Arms wherefore the City either not willing or not able to gainsay the Archdukes desires seemed willing to condescend fully to his desires So he left 3000 Foot therein part Walloons part Germans and secured it by such men as were requisite and furnishing it likewise with victuals ammunition and with whatsoever was fitting upon that occurrencie he returned again to Brussels leaving Frederick to oppose Maurice Divers actions had this mean while past between the one party and the other in one of which which proved very bloody the Neapolitan Campmaster the Marquis di Bella whilst he fought valiantly was slain and upon another occasion a certain Canon-shot made from the Catholick Camp killed Monsieur de Temple the Enemies Campmaster Generall and one highly esteemed of amongst them The Archduke being gone Maurice was not long in retreating for he knew he could doe no good upon Balduke after it was so well secured And because it was now about the end of October and the weather began to grow cold he therefore brought back his Souldiers to their Winter-quarters giving Graves to the Mutiniers instead of Hostrat and the Catholick Army was likewise quartered in several places Now to return to the business of Ostend The Town continued to be succour'd more then ever so as in respect thereof as for many other advantages which it enjoyed the Works proceeded on so slowly without as the hopes of bringing the Siege to a happy end did daily rather decrease then increase Yet Rivas was very diligent in discharging his duty The besieged had three little Forts without the Counterscarf towards the Land by the name of Pouldrouns as you heard before Rivas watching his occasion unexpectedly assaulted them and was so fortunate therein as they were all taken at the same time that they were assaulted Then furnishing them all with Artillery he turned them upon the Fortifications which sheltred the Town on that side The Pouldrons leaned towards S. Albertos quarters in which the aforesaid Platform was daily raised higher The Plain thereabouts was all sandy so as there was no conveniencie of raising Trenches of Earth Rivas therefore made one of Gabiouns lined with Earth and drew it along from the Pouldrouns to where the Platform was made thrusting out a Flank towards the Town for the better defence thereof Nor was it long ere the Platform was fully finished and many great Canons were placed upon the top of it by Rivas who likewise munited it below against the Town as made most for the security thereof Some progress was likewise daily made on Bredene's side in the advancing the great Dike Bucquoy had the chief charge thereof and it was called by his name And he used all possible diligence to infest the Town and the entrance of the Channel on that side But there appeared no less vigilancie in the besieged their courage abounded according as the Town did abound with all sorts of provisions There was hardly any one day in which they did not sally out nor did the besiegers doe any thing which cost not much labour and blood The Platform was made chiefly of Bavins and other wood and the great Dike was composed of the like materials Two furious Batteries were therefore level'd from the Town with artificial Fire-balls against these two Works to set them on fire and indammage them by that means Nor did they fail in their design For by long Battery they at last took fire and were thereby so torn rnd spoiled as it cost much time and the death of many men to remake them In these and other actions which then insued Durango and Zavaglios two Spanish Campmasters were slain together with divers Captains and Officers of that and of other Nations Nor was the Enemies loss less either in number or quality Pompein Tergone a famous Enginier was at this time come from Italy to Flanders drawn thither by the fame of this siege He had a very ready wit which made him apt for Inventions in his Calling but having never till then past from the Theory to the Practical part in Military affairs it was soon seen that many of his Imaginations did not upon trial prove such as in appearance they promised to be He began to build a Castle of wood upon Boats fastned together The Castle was round high and large proportionably On the top thereof it was capable of six great Peeces of Artillery on one side and on the other side there was place enough for those Souldiers who were to attend them Tergone intended to bring this Machin into the mouth of the Channel and to firm it there where succour was brought into Ostend hoping hereby to keep the Town
great Dike did daily advance yet it was known that such a work would prove too long and too uncertain The hope of keeping out succor growing then every day less and less Spinola bent all his endeavours to take the Town by force We told you before that all vessels were hindred from coming into the lesser Channel on St. Alberto's side which fals there into the sea by a Fort. Yet the Channel it self was of great advantage to the Enemy on that side for it served for a great ditch to their Counterscarfe which was strong of it self and yet made stronger by many Flanks by which it was defended Before the Catholicks could come to assault the Counterscarf they must first pass over the Channel which was so hard to doe with safety or shelter in any place thereof as it was evidently seen that many of them must perish being so exposed to be injured by the Enemy The oppugnation was led on on four sides from St. Alberto's quarter The Germans wrought nearer the Sea then followed the Spaniards after them the Italians and on the outmost side more towards Land the Walloons and Burgonians Great was the fervencie of all these Nations and such a contention there was amongst them in striving which of them should most advance the works as the Souldiers emulation seemed rather a contest between Enemies then between Rivals The Channel was narrower and more shallow where the Burgonians and Walloons wrought They were therefore the first that past over it and afterwards the other Nations did the like To pass over it a great quantity of the aforesaid materials were thrown into every part thereof where the aforesaid Nations wrought Those materials were reduced to Dikes or Banks upon which the Souldiers advanced towards the Town But very many of them were slain and wounded For the Defendants with their hail of Musket-shot and tempest of greater Artillery charged with little bullets and murdering shot in great quantity and ofttime with artificial fire made the Catholicks work on all those sides very bloody The Souldiers that they might go the best sheltred that they could invented many Fences some consisted of Gabions fill'd with earth well joyned and fastned together others of long Bavins which stood upright and stood so thick as they were muket-proof and others in several forms made of the aforesaid materials Targone invented likewise a great Cart from which a Bridge made of Cloth and Cords might unexpectedly be thrown over the Channel and so the Enemies Defences might the easelier be assaulted The Cart stood upon four very high wheels and upon the forepart thereof rose up as it were the Mast of a ship which served chiefly to let down and to take up the Bridge But the whole bulk proved to be of so cumbersom a greatness and so hard to be managed that before it was undertaken it was known it could work no effect The aforesaid Fences were wrought where the Artillery from the Town could not reach and at the flowing of the Sea they were brought upon the Flotes to the places where they were made use of Great was the mortality likewise of those that wrought here the Enemy making usually such havock of them with their Muskets Artillery and Sallies as ofttimes hardly one of them could be saved But mony still got new men and ofttimes the Souldiers themselves wrought Nor was Spinola wanting in being in all places at all times and in exposing himself as well as any of the rest to all labour and danger encouraging some rewarding others and behaving himself so as his imitating without any manner of respect unto himself the most hazardous works of others made the rest the more ready to imitate his When each Nation had past the Channel each of them began with like emulation to force the Ravelins and Half moons which sheltred the Counterscarf And the Walloons and Burgonians by reason of their quarter were the first that did it But with much effusion of blood even of the Noblest amongst them for amongst the rest Catris a Walloon Campmaster was lost a valiant and greatly experienced Souldier and whom Spinola highly esteemed both for his deeds and councel With the like progress and no less loss of blood did the other Nations advance So as the Enemies at last lost all the Fortifications which they had without their principal Line about which a great Ditch ran but not so hard to pass as was the Channel which fenced the Counterscarf The easier doing of it made the Catholicks hope better in the effecting thereof Wherefore full of fresh courage they prepared to continue their labours more heartily then ever that they might the sooner end the siege But the winter being already come on did much hinder their Works and the Sea did then more destroy them by her Tempests The Enemy did likewise make very fierce opposition they set up Batteries within against the Batteries without to Mines opposed Countermines they repaired themselves on all sides and as fast as one Rampire was lost they set up another So as the Catholicks were to advance by inchmeal and yet they did so advance as by the Spring they were got well forward into the Ditch These already progressions of Marquess Spinola together with his still daily proceedings made the united Provinces shrewdly afraid that they should at the last lose Ostend It was therefore consulted amongst their chief Commanders how the Town might be best preserved Which might be done by two waies either by some important diversion or by raising the siege by main force The second affair brought with it such difficulties as the first was imbraced Wherefore they resolved to besiege Sluct A Town which likewise stood upon the Sea and of so great consequence as did rather exceed then come short of those of Ostend Having then made a very plentiful provision of vessels to carry their souldiers from Flushing to the neighbouring Country where Sluce was seated Count Maurice about the end of April in the new year 1604 moved with fifteen thousand Foot and two thousand five hundred Horse to compass the said design We acquainted you with the discription of the situation of this place and of the Territories thereof when it was besieged and taken by the Duke of Parma so as we shall need to touch but briefly upon it here Sluce lies more within land then does Ostend but so neer the Sea as it enjoyes the conveniences thereof no less then doth the other all the Country thereabouts is so full of Channels Shores and standing waters as it is hardly commerceable at any time of the year unless it be by banks or barks From the lesser Channels a greater doth proceed upon the shore whereof the Town stands and which falling into the Sea makes a very fit Harbor for all sorts of shipping Upon divers sides of the same Channel stood sundry Forts the better to command it and one in particular called St. Anno stood neerer the Town then