twenty fiue of our souldiers This fight lasted from ten in the euening vntill fiue a clocke in the morning The enemie lost in this fight one Count fiue Captaines diuers Lieutenants and Ensigne-bearers besides eight hundred souldiers The same day there was a cessation of armes for the space of an houre agreed of to burie the dead on both sides In the meane time the Enemie working very strong contrary to the agreement we discharged our Ordnance vpon them and slue many and the Enemie doing the like the dead were for certaine daies left vnburied We perceiued about the same time that the Enemie was verie sorie in regard of the misfortune happened vnto him and would seeke meanes to reuenge himselfe In those daies came certaine Switsers besides other souldiers into the citie Likewise the Italians which lay nere vnto the Quarter of the Lord of Lockeren began to shoot diuers of our men with long Harquebuses through the heads vsing this deuise they tied greene grasse about their owne heads that they might not be perceiued when they looked ouer the Rampeirs to shoot for they seemed only like some greene earth cast into the aire But afterwards we perceiuing their deuise discharged our shot vpon the grasse aforesaid striking downe the same many times with the head and whole body The twentieth being Saint Laurence day after the Vespers were sung the enemie came againe about ten a clocke at one side of the halfe moone and would by force leape ouer the Ramparts the Swissers which were lately arriued perceiuing the same began to curse and sweare daring them to come ouer they in the meane time thrust fiercely at them with their pikes but the Swissers slashed them againe brauely in peeces with their curtle-axes This fight increasing the whole quarter rose in armes and discharged certaine thousands of Musket shot vpon the enemies and flung granades likewise and other fire workes amongst them in such manner that the enemie lost againe aboue 500. men and we had 20. slaine and about 50. hurt The one and twentieth came six Companies into the City and the enemie shooting very cruelly we answered them with the like It was the same day resolued in the citie to build a halfe moone vpon the hauen betwixt the North Sconse and the citie The two and twentieth three and twentieth and foure and twentieth were two English Ensignes slaine with Musket shot the one being hit by a Fryer who was very skilfull in discharging of the long Harquebuse The same day there went two troupes of horse hence towards Breda 60. more got leaue to goe by land thither and went in the night forth from the Bosh gate riding behinde Burgvliet and arriued the next day at Breda with 18. prisoners almost all our workes without the city were perfected at the same time but yet euery day we laboured hard vpon the trauerses or trauers lines and offcuttings and such like The six and twentieth and seuen and twentieth there came seuen companies into the Citie with Collonell Morgan the Landgraue Philips of Hessen and the Yonker William of Nassaw so that the Garrison was at the same time ten thousand strong it seemed that at the same instant the enemie would attempt something on the waters side but we within prepared our selues to resist him In those daies there rose an Alarum in the city for that a Corporall with 10. or 12. souldiers fell about noone vpon the approaching enemies sallying forth out of the Quarter of the Lord of Lockeren after they had slaine some few they returned all safely backe bringing away diuers Muskets and shouels Collonell Morgan in those daies with a Frenchman being Captaine of the Trunckes surueyed all the workes and mines those Truncks were almost all made in two or three daies The nine and twentieth the Enemie made a worke of bauins opposite vnto the Coninsbergh and the furthermost halfe moone neere vnto the new horne-worke aboue the Crabbe sconse Whereupon we shot fiercely and cast granades and fireworkes vpon the Enemies killing aboue an hundred of them and burning the greater part of their bauins before our retreat The Enemie being desirous to reuenge this spite Don Inigo de Brosgado gaue an onset vpon a little halfe moone lying at the quarter of Monsieur Famaes Quarter without the line Our souldiers beat them off sundry times very valiantly with musket shot and granades hereupon the Enemie caused his horse to driue them on againe so that with much adoe they intrenched themselues at last behinde the said little halfe moone Our souldiers kept the Enemies backe with granades and burning of straw vntill their fellowes had pillaged the dead The Enemies lost here 500. men besides those which were hurt Don Ioan de Portugals Corps being slaine among the rest was afterwards ransommed for 500. Gilders which is 50. li. Sterling On our side were killed the Lieutenant of the Lord of Lockeren Captaine Hans Vande Bosh besides twentie souldiers Moreouer there were forty hurt The last of August and the first of September the Enemy would approach with rowling Trenches about the Coninsbergh but hee was beaten backe The 2. of September there happened a Skirmish in the out-workes and wee droue the Enemies with our Canon and Granades out of some of their formost workes taking afterwards with vs the Instruments which they left behind them with other such commodities The Enemy lost there many on our side there were 20. slaine and 12. or 14. hurt The same Euening the Enemie made Boone-fires in regard of the Victory which hee pretended that Don Cordua had gotten against Count Mansfield and the Duke of Brunswicke passing through Brabant and discharged his Ordnance in the meane time the Spanish retreated a little from their worke on the Northside and our Forces getting notice thereof went presently thither and pulled it downe carrying the boards and other materialls into their Garrison The 3. wee had newes from Breda of Count Mansfields arriuall there in the euening was all our Cannon as well within as without the City discharged to welcome Count Mansfield the Enemy answered vs with 8. or 10. Shot The same night our Garison inuaded againe the Enemies Workes on the North side and pulled a great part of the same downe to the ground and tooke almost all the Bavins away without any resistance or opposition of the Enemies The 4. the Enemy assaulted our halfe moone on the North-side foure times in one night but our Garison driuing them backe assaulted them afterwards in their owne Campe and tooke aboundance of Pikes from the Enemies and burnt great store of their Bavins brought thither to fortifie withall we saw 30. of the Spanish Campe lying dead vpon the ground besides others which lay here and there dispersed wee had two slaine and three or foure hurt The 5. and 6. there happened certaine strange Accidents which are rehearsed at the latter end of this Booke The 7. we blew vp one of our Mines on the North side perceiuing that
in the North-west Quarter the Garison got likewise 50. paces from them The 29. we assaulted againe the enemies rowling or dry trenches and slue some of them so that they trebled their Watches to preuent more mischiefe We blew vp a Mine in the afternoone and after set vpon the Enemy but lost 9. or 10. among them a French Ensigne We slue a Captaine of the Enemies and a great number of soldiers and tooke diuers prisoners The 30. day before sixe a clocke in the morning there were threescore of the Enemies fledde vnto our Citie being for the most part Italians The same day our Burgomaster receiued a Letter from Breda sent by his brother the Contents were this That Count Henry of Nassaw towards the euening would come with his Horse to Rossendale to logde there and that the Prince of Orange was following him with sixe and twenty thousand Foote and eyght thousand Horse being all fully resolued to adventure their liues and bloods for the honour of God the welfare of these Lands in generall and our rescuing THe 1. of October wee perceiued that the Enemy had remoued almost all his Cannon which were planted on the North side wee thought hee would haue welcomed the Prince of Orange therewith but yet they were not so courteous The same day there came diuers of the Enemies Souldiers running vnto vs saying that all the Baggage and Ordnance was remoued except onely some fewe Field-Peeces or Colverings The same time there arriued many Troopes of Horse in the South Quarter of the Enemies little thinking to come to the remouing of the Siege In the meane time they shot fiercely with their Musquets and gaue vs certaine false Alarums thinking to draw our Forces of both Quarters vpon their Mynes But wee suspecting that they would depart with a stinke or a smell would not come to them but saluted them with our Cannon and Musquet shot They blew vp afterwards their Mynes which were ready although they could not annoy vs any way with them The 2. day there came an hundred and fiue and twenty of the Enemies to vs telling vs that Spinola was breaking vp Wee in the meane time played with our Ordnance vpon them About noone they fired Spinolaes Quarter and planted themselues in Battle-aray as if they had beene afraid that wee would take the prize or booty from them marching partly in the afternoone and partly in the night following to their South Quarter which likewise was almost all sired They stood all night in order of battle and sent the baggage away towards Antwerpe the Foote followed the same the Horse keeping in the meane time the Arriere-gard But our Ordnance spared neyther Gun-powder no Lead but gaue them their Farewell as well as they had before giuen them their wellcome Our Souldiers visiting Spinolaes Campe in the meane time found there Armes enough for fiue and twenty hundred men and diuers Instruments materials and waggons besides their vnburyed dead bodies and great store of sicke and hurt men complaining and lamenting against their owne Commanders We brought them into the Citie for charities sake and cured them as fitting The Enemy departing hence with dishonor had lost since the Siege 11000. men which were slaine besides those which were runne away hither and thither there being in this one Citie full two thousand of them Wee haue lost in this Siege sixe hundred braue men besides those which are wounded whereof there are a great number God bee praysed for our Deliuery and the Prince and the Souldiers commended for their good endeuours There haue beene discharged since the first ariuall of the Enemy 200000 Cannon shot both within and without the Citie The Copies of two Letters written from Antwerpe the first by a good Protestant dated the 24. of September and the other by a Romish Catholike dated before the 13. of September DEarely beloued Brother in the Lord it is now long agoe since I receiued any Letters from you It is true that I vnderstood by a Messenger that you were well before the siege hoping now the like For asmuch as concerneth vs we are in health God be praised Furthermore we heare here daily of nothing else but heauy newes First in regard of the great store of wounded and hurt men which are daily brought hither with twenty thirty yea sometime forty Waggons at a time lamenting and complayning pittifully they dye also many times desperately vpon the Waggons cursing the houre of their birth Secondly because wee heare daily such ill newes of Bergen vp Zome for it is here reported that the Spanish forces are gotten into your Walles and sweepe the streets cleere with their Ordnance in such manner that none dare walke the same by day light They say here likewise that the Towne is vndermined vnto the Steeple of the Church too that the enemies deferre onely the blowing vp vntill such time as they shall be sure that the Church is full of Hereticks relating moreouer that no Shippes can any more goe forth or come into your Hauen so that the Citie is not able to hold out aboue eight or tenne dayes adding thereunto that the best Ordnance besides the Horse and all what was of any value was sent thence already and that whatsoeuer is left within it is like to fall into their hands very shortly and here are many which lay great wagers vpon the surrendring vp of the said City Therefore I pray you to send me word by word of mouth or by writing as you shall thinke it most conuenient how all stands Vale Antwerpe the 24. of Septem Anno 1622. The second Letter COsen I haue written to you in former times that Holland was in great danger and I hope that you perceiue now that I informed you of the truth and therefore will resolue to come ouer vnto vs if you please I shall send you a Pasport to preuent all suspicion of your absolute departure For it will not be long ere Holland will fall into vtter confusion and miserie I doubt how you can escape in such a case though you be a Catholique for our Iesuites say that the greatest part of the Hollandish Catholiques are poysoned by the potions of the Heretickes making this comparison that an Iron which hath once taken the ayre of the Load-stone participates presently of the same nature in such manner that it cannot be taken away or driuen out by fire Wherefore I am afraid that you will speed no better then the Catholiques haue done which were in Prague or Heydelberg or those sometimes did when this City was sackt where the Souldiers answered them which desired to be spared for their Romish religions sake that there was no mercy to be found at their hands but if they were Catholiques it should be the better for their soules Can you looke now for any thing else then a surprisal and generall ouerthrow seeing the Emperour and all Kings are on our side You haue relyed and trusted vpon a bulrush therefore
horse and prisoners and brought them into the city so that they were in some trading In these daies there came to vs many bauins baskets boards beames and other such like prouision The foure and twentieth there was brought to vs good store of gunpowder lead matches granades fire bals and other munition We shot the same day fiercely with our Muskets seeing the Spanish forces began to approach In the euening about ten a clocke the enemie discharged eight cannon shot againe so that certaine women which were not vsed to the roaring of the Ordnance grew very heauy and prepared themselues to die but they were laught at At the same time also some few left the city for feare From the fiue and twentieth vntill the eight and twentieth there was done nothing of any moment but onely that our workes were fortified and strengthned daily the trees without the citie were cut downe the citizens lending their hatchets to the said purpose and conueied thither There sallied now and then a few at a time forth and returned with prisoners and horses The enemie also hauing gotten more forces began on the North side to approach creeping and crinckling on like a snake The fiue and twentieth they threatned vs that they would beat vs quite away being S. Iames his day for the honor of that Saint but we vnderstood by their owne souldiers our prisoners that the same day one of our Cannon shot slue 100. of the enemies The eight and twentieth and nine and twentieth the Enemie beganne about foure a clocke in the morning to play with his Ordnance vpon the city but he did little hurt but we mighitly endammaged his new battery with our shot and spoiled one of his peeces August The first of August 80. of our horse sallied forth behinde the high ground taking their way and leauing the trenches of the enemies they not contenting themselues by giuing an Alarum vnto the Camp slue likewise diuers and brought sundrie prisoners and horse into the Citie many being incited by their good successe sued daily for leaue to sally forth but they were delayed till better opportunitie The second day our Ordnance shot cruelly vpon the Spanish Campe thereupon about two a clocke in the night our Garrison with fortie Musketiers sallied forth to make the Enemies to rise out of their sleepe and slue aboue an hundred of them Whereupon there arose likewise an Alarum in their Campe and our Garrison continued the skirmish with them vntill the afternoone the next day at which time they returned victoriously to the Citie The third fourth fift and sixt there was nothing done but working vpon the fortifications and shooting and the old Maior of the Citie on the sixt day lost both his legs by a Cannon-shot and died vpon it The seuenth and eight day there came diuers of the Enemies souldiers running to our Citie being very neere two hundred The ninth day some of our souldiers both horse and foot sallied forth behinde Burghuliet and slue there diuers of the enemies beside them which they hurt returning home and although they were not ouer-loaden with bootie they yet gaue God thankes for that they escaped without the losse of any man which happens but seldome The tenth being vpon Saint Laurence day there was an Alarum giuen in the North Quarter but it was not knowne at the same time within the Citie there came at the same instant a strong conuoy into the Enemies Campe with all kinde of warlike prouision this night they laboured hard on both sides at their fortifications The Enemie gaue a token in the North that hee would giue vs an assault wherefore we would not weaken any Quarter to make it destitute of necessary defence in case of necessitie The tenth and eleuenth we sallied forth vpon the Enemie and skirmished with him the Captaine Fryers Lieutenant behaued himselfe in the said skirmish as valiantly as euer any souldier did in our time and offered vp his soule with such a garland of Laurell for the Country likewise Mounsieur de Preau Cornet of Mounsieur de Mee jealous of his honour went with him to the heauenly ioyes leauing the rest in this vnhappie and miserable world From the eleuenth vntill the fourteenth the Enemie shewed himselfe very ciuill and peaceable but in the meane time our Cannon did not cease The fifteenth there was made a halfe-moone neere vnto the corner of Beckaff The sixteenth came the Enemie in the night about ten of the clocke stealing vnto one of our Sentinels Perdu hee discharging his Musket made an Alarum and retired to the little halfe-moone neere vnto the Horne-worke of of Beckaff being closely followed by the enemies vpon his arriuall the Pitch was presently set ouer the fire and they paid them home as you shall heare Captaine Cary Captaine Ralfe Dexter and all other Captaines vnder the command of the valiant Colonell Hinderson ranged themselues presently in battell-array to resist the Spanish forces with their valour the Colonell aforesaid sent likewise some to the little halfe-moone before mentioned to aide them within it The Enemie being very furious would not let passe twelue a clocke for the day before was the Assumption of our Lady hoping perhaps thereby to haue the better successe We being yet hardly in order the Enemie came without making any noise close vnto vs but as soone as he perceiued our bullets hee cried loude out with a generall crie fuera viliaco The besieged cried likewise Take the Roague kill kill so that the skirmish grew very hotte but the Enemies perceiuing that they could doe no good with their furie retired quietly by the side of the halfe-moone and afterwards set presently vpon the Garrison againe crying as they did before but they were likewise beaten backe and although they assaulted the said halfe-moone eight times and got twice vpon it yet were they continually repulsed at euery assault the Enemie had fresh men but the English and the Scots withstood them without being once so much as relieued a great while vntill they called for aide and were presently thereupon seconded by the Low-Country-men whereupon they shot together so fiercely vpon the Enemies that they gaue ouer the halfe-moone after they had lost many hundreths vpon the place and intrenched themselues behinde the same worke Whiles this fight lasted there were shot three thousand Cannon shot namely from the Bosh gate the Horne-worke and the Contrescarpe at the Wow-gate amongst the Enemies and did for the most part light vpon the Enemies because their matches were seene In the said fight was the valiant and generous Collonell Hinderson shot with a musket in the vpper part of his thigh standing at the same time vpon the Rampeir being brauely at push of Pike with the enemie and being fallen from the same in his heauy armour he was carried to the Hage where he died Captaine Carie and the Enginer Captaine Ralph Dexter went likewise the same way after they had valiantly fought besides one hundred
the Enemie had likewise one there which also burst as well as ours wee repair'd our Worke presently againe and lost nothing by it Our Garison went the same euening betwixt ten and eleuen a clocke towards the Enemies Trenches and made them to retire close to their Batteries We tooke there aboundance of Bauins for the space of two howers together and destroyed his Gabion-baskets with sundry other workes The 8. day in the afternoone Don Cordua arriued in Spinola's Campe being accompanied with 56. or 57. Companies and certaine Ordnance to strengthen the Siedge We heard this day that the Eâ—…my was raysing a Fort at Saint-Vliedt a place lying betwixt Lillo and this City The 9. wee burnt on the North side great store of the Enemies Bauins which hee had brought thither to aduance his approaches The 10. our Garison sallied forth againe on the North side and tooke away all the Bagges of the Enemies by day light which they had prepared to fill vp our ditches withall and to assault our Workes afterwards they are filled with stones and so bigge that a man hath much adoe to carry one of them The eleuenth and 12. our Souldiers continued both in the North and South side of this City to endamage the Enemies by their sallies the Workes which hee made in the night we spoyled in the day beating him out of his Trenches with the death of many of his Souldiers burning some of his Bauins and taking away the rest euen in our owne quarters In the same dayes and the eight next following there came 20. 30. or 40. of the Enemies dayly running vnto vs for want of pay as they told vs. The 13. and 14. the Enemy shot very furiously vpon the City and did much hurt to diuers Houses and Steeples but God be praised few persons were hurt This night hee approached with a Line from the Wood towards the great Horne-worke lying South-west from the City but wee stayed him presently with a Counter-line The 14. our Soldiers beat the Enemies out of their Trench on the South-side and slew all that they could meet withall and finding there two Barrels of Beere dranke them both quite vp and so hauing gotten some booty of Apparell and Armes they returned backe againe into our workes The 15 in the night the English and Scots vnder the Command of Collonel Morgan assaulted the Enemies quarters and hauing driuen them away they tarried there till morning and eat vp all their prouâ—…t and cast downe 50. Roddes of the Enemies Line which hee had newly begunne but the next night the enemies wrought on the same againe resoluing to finish it fully But it is a very memorable thing to tel an English Grey-hound which followed his Maister when hee sallyed forth senting and snuffling about in the Enemies quarter found there a Bagge of poysoned Bullets which are against the Law of Armes and brought the same vnto his Maister And I getting some of them of the Sergeant Mayor of the English sent them to my friends for a raritie The same day about 100. of our Horse of Berghen rode forth from Breda and tooke seuen or eight Horse of the Enemies neere Huysberghen about a League and a halfe from hence lying South-east from this City and afterwards they sent sundry Troopes close to the Raybergh and brought 75. Horse into Breda The 16. the Enemy blew a Mine vp on the North d e whereby two of ours were kild and foure or fiue hurt but wee set presently vpon the Enemies and caused them to retire The 17. there were sent hither backe againe from Breda 60. of our Horse which lay within this City before The Enemy at this time threatned vs mightily wherefore there was order giuen that all the Companies should tarry for the space of eight daies without the Citty whereas they in former time returned vsually the fourth day into the Towne About the same time wee got many Horses of the Enemies but seeing wee wanted pasture for them there were many times good Horses sold for the value of 1. 2. 3. or 4. shilling sterling money yea the English bartered them away sometimes for a little Tobacco The same day wee laboured on both sides night and day without ceasing and principally vnder and about the forsaken halfe moone lying in the South part of the City vpon the corner of the great horne-worke neere vnto the Wood both wee and the Enemies hauing vndermined the very same piece but our Mine was eight foot deeper then theirs About the euening wee blew vp a counterfeited or false Myne which wee had made vpon purpose not farre from the other the Enemy thereupon thinking and vnderstanding likewise by the Runagates that our Mine was blowne vp without hauing taken any effect they thought to make vse of theirs and to draw our men thither by inticements but the Foxe had inuited the Crane as the Prouerbe saith Collonel Morgan hauing sent a little before 200. Musquettiers into a Ditch with charge to make an Alarum into the very Trenches and Workes of the Enemies which by them was so brauely performed that they droue the Enemies close to the Rayebergh and into their owne Quarter where they were strongly seconded Then began our Musquettiers softly to retire and forsooke the ground which they had gotten only in policy to leade the Enemies another manner of dance then the Spanish Pauin They followed our men hard and came in great numbers into the compasse of the aforesaid forsaken halfe-moone and further too where they were saluted by our bright and well-oyled Musquets and afterwards blowne vp into the ayre both by ours and likewise by their own Mynes too when they little suspected any such matter as is aforesaid They made a pittifull noyse and a lamentable cry and our Garison setting vpon them kild many which were sunke into the sand by the blowing vp of the Mynes some sunke therein vp to their middle some vnto their brests and some vnto their shoulders knocking them downe with their pieces in such manner that wee gat our purpose of them Wee might likewise haue blowne vp the Enemies battery neere vnto the aforesaid halfe-moone and endamaged him mightily thereby seeing wee had a Myne vnder the same if our Commanders generally had consented thereunto the Enemies had 11. Pieces planted vpon the said battery and annoyed vs mightily The 18. they were labouring hard on both sides at their Trenches Mynes Lines and Trauerses and had some small Skirmishes with vs wherein sundry were hurt so that the linnen which some Patriots or wel-willers of the Countrey had sent thither was well imployed in the dressing of the wounds there were likewise made 1500. Cushions for the breast and aboundance of head pillowes for the sicke or hurt Souldiers The 19. wee perceiuing that the Enemies would blow vp one of their Mynes in the Quarter of the Collonel Fama and the Lord of Loqueren neere vnto the forsaken halfe moone wee went all out of our Myne which was hard by