he lived in great State with the Spanish Governor of the Netherlands at Brussels and was imploy'd by that King to conduct into the Netherlands his Bride and Spouse that was to be the Infanta Isabella to whom K. Philip had given in Dowry the Soveraignty of the 17 Provinces This was a very astonishing Policy to all the Netherlands that the Son of a Prince who was so abhorr'd by the Spaniards should be chosen for this honourable Imployment and caused such a Jealousie in the States of the United Provinces towards him the King of Spain having likewise restored to him all his Estate in the Spanish Low-Countries and the French Comte that they would not allow him to make any Visit much less to reside in any of their Provinces though he was very desirous so to do And though his younger Brother Prince Maurice out of his generous temper surrendred up all the great Estate that belonged to Philip his older Brother as Breda and other places yet to prevent his being suspected by the States General he declined seeing him in Person rendring his Respects to him constantly by Persons deputed thereunto He married Eleonora Burbon Sister to the Prince of Conde and by marching with a Princess of the Blood he was reinstated in his Principality of Orange and died without Children at Brussels in 1618. leaving his Inheritance and Title to his Brother Maurice of Nassaw Prince of Orange Successor to his Father both in Conduct Courage and Success who being but 17 years old at the Death of his Father was yet called to the Government and was no ways discouraged at the great Successes of Alexander Famese Duke of Parma who in a very short time had reduced several Cities and Towns to the Crown of Spain Nor with the insolence of the Earl of Leicester who at the desire of the State General was sent by Q. Elizabeth to be their Governor though by his insupportable Pride and Ambition he more endamaged the Low Countries than the Succours he brought relieved them so that for 4 years together that Commonwealth laboured under dreadful Convulsions occassion'd by the Intrigues of the Earl of Leicester and the Policies of the Spaniards till at length by the fortunate and total destruction of the Nick-named Invincible Spanish Armada designed to have devoured all England the Prince of Parma lost all his reputation at once Prince Maurice about the same time obliging him to his everlasting shame to rise and run away from the Siege of Bergen 〈◊〉 Zoom And for Twenty Years after even till the time of the Truce Fortune was so favourable to the Prince that Victory seemed to attend him insomuch that he recovered near 40 Cities and many more Fortresses and in three pitched Battels defeated the Forces of the K. of Spain besides the Victories his Admirals obtained at Sea upon the Coasts of Flanders and Spain The Stratagem by which he surprized Breda was very remarkable For the Garrison of that Town being Italians and greedy of Fuel in that cold Country they very readily assisted the Boatman to draw his Bark of Turffs over the Ice within the Castle Walls under which the Prince had laid several armed Soldiers who suddenly starting up surprized and soon seiz'd the Guards taking Possession of the Castle with the loss only of one Man though it were an Action of such Danger and Importance Soon after the Town of Gertrudenburg was surrendred to the Prince in View of the Spanish Army consisting of 30000 Men commanded by Count Mansfield an experienced General who could not force the Prince out of his Trenches though he daily provoked him so that Prince Maurice having sent a Trumpeter to the Count he askt him How his Master being a young and fiery Prince could contain himself within his Trenches after such fair Provocations The Trumpeter replied That the Prince of Nassaw was a Young Prince but as old and experienced a General as his Excellency The next Year the Prince took Groning the Capital City of that province also Rhineburg Meurs and Grave and gained great Reputation by the defence of Ostend for the Spaniards having made themselves Masters of it after a Siege of three Years with the loss of Sixty thousand Men and the expence of above a Hundred Millions of Treasure they were possessed of nothing but a heap of Ruins more like a Burying place than a City And the Prince soon after gained Sluce a place of far greater Importance And at the Battle of Newport he had so great Success against far more numerous Forces than his own That the Archduke Albert with several other Persons of Quality were wounded All the Spaniards Cannon with above 100 Cornets and Ensigns falling into the Victor's hands with the slaughter of 6000 of the Enemy upon the place the Prince having before the Fight sent away all the Ships that Transported his Men into Flanders telling them That now there was no way to escape but they must either march over the Bellies of their Enemies or else drink Salt Water After several other successes against the Prince of Parma and other Spanish Generals whereby he raised up the sinking Republick of the United Netherlands he died in 1625. He was never Married and left his Titles and large Possessions to his younger Brother Henry Frederick of Nassaw Prince of Orange Who was third Son to the renowned W. P. of Orange He was born in 1584. and was an excellent General not in the least degenerating from the Courage and Gallantry of that Heroick Family being every way equal in Fame to his Brother Prince Maurice taking the famous Cities of Odousel and Groll in despite of the Spanish General who with a numerous Army was not able to relieve it Nor was he less successful at Sea his Vice Admiral Hein taking a Fleet of the Spaniards near Cuba in the West Indies valued at above twenty Millions After this he took Bois le Duc which had withstood all the attempts of his Brother Maurice and would not be drawn away till he had reduced it though Count Henry of Bergnes the Spanish General made an Incursion into the Province of Utrecht to divert him And afterward happily surprised the City of Wessel where the Magazine of Provisions and all the great Artillery of the Spanish Army were laid up About this time Count John of Nassaw his Kinsman upon some discontent revolting to the Spaniards was defeated by one of the Princes Captains near the Rhyne in the open Field with half his number of men himself being carried Prisoner to Wessel from whence he could not be redeemed without the payment of 18000 Rix Dollars To revenge which dishonour Count John when at liberty endeavoured with a strong Navy of Ships to seize the Town of Williamstadt but was totally defeated by the Hollanders and 4000 Prisoners taken and the rest either kill'd or drowned He himself and the Prince of Brabancon hardly escaping The States General to testifie their gratitude to Henry Prince of Orange
the Villages about his Quarters at Pieton On the Confederates side the Slain Wounded and Deserters amounted to about 6500 in all It was said that a Letter was intercepted from the Prince of Conde to the French King giving him an account That upon a General review of his Army he found himself but in an ill condition having lost the flower of his Infantry and the best part of his Horse and therefore did not think himself strong enough to venture a second Battel Having likewise lost a great number of Officers and Persons of Quality and several Standards among which was one called the White Standard of France which was afterward hung up with great solemnity in the Church of the Carmelites at Brussels richly imbroidered with Gold and Silver with a Sun in the middle passing through the Zodiack with this Haughty Motto Nilobstabit Eunti Nothing can stop his Course But the principal honour of this Victory ought next under God to be ascribed to his Highness the Prince of Orange of whom General Souches gives the following account in a Letter to the States General I have endeavoured to discharge my Duty in attending his Highness the Prince of Orange during the Bloody and Famous Battle between the Confederate Army and that of the Christian King the happy Issue of which has proved so much to the Glory of the Prince of Orange who shewed upon that occasion the prudence of an Aged Captain the Courage of a Caesar and the Undaunted Bravery of a Marius all which my Lords I speak without flattery as being contrary to my Nature And as the Friends so the Enemies of his Highness agreed to give him equal Glory for this Adventure the Prince of Conde himself declaring That he had done in all things like an old Captain but only in venturing himself too much like a Young man Though this old General had done the same in this days action charging into the thickest Troops like a Young Cavaleer The next day after the fight his Highness marched with his whole Army near Mons and took up his head Quarters at St. Gilaine till they had recovered their disorders in the late battel and then began to think of further action At length it was concluded to beseige Oudenard to draw the Prince of Conde out of his cautious marches to relieve it The Confederates made their approches to the Town and were already Masters of the Counterscarp when Conde decamped from Beumont with his whole Army of Forty thousand men either to relieve or give the Confederates Battel His Highness advised that they should immediately fall upon the enemy weary and tired with a long March but General Souches prevented the execution of this magnanimous resolution for instead of ranging his men in Battalia he crost the River in so much haste that he left some Pieces of Cannon behind him and thereby left a way open for the Prince of Conde to enter the Town with part of his Army who thinking he had done enough in relieving it avoided coming to a Battle So that his Highness finding no more good to be done resolved to march back to Grave where his presence would be more necessary leaving Count Waldeck the command of the Army in his Absence The Seige of this place had been undertaken sometime before by General Rabenhaupt the Garrison consisted of 4000 Foot and 900 Horse of which the Marques of Chamilly a valiant and expert Captain was Governour wherein were 450 pieces of Cannon of which 100 were mounted upon the Bulwarks besides a vast quantity of Powder Corn Granadoes and all manner of Warlike Ammunition for the French had made a Magazine there of all that they had brought away from their deserted Conquests Rabenhaupt sate down before it with about twenty Regiments of Foot and some Horse and was after reinforced by the Troops of the Prince of Courland and the Elector of Brandenbourg who Summoned the City on every side assaulting it with much violence but was as vigorously defended by those within though they were reduced to drink water His Highness arrived there Oct. 9. with 60 Cornets of Horse whose presence revived the Courage of the Besiegers Yet the French held out till the twenty fifth when Chamilly finding such large breaches made in the Fortifications much widened by the fortunate blowing up of a Mine which almost destroyed a Covert way so that it was impossible for him to hold out against the general Storm designed the next day he surrendred the Town upon Honourable Articles The following Winter was spent in preparing for an early Campagne the next year 1675 in the beginning whereof the Hollanders made grateful acknowledgements to His Highness the Prince of Orange for his signal conduct and Services in redeeming them from the Calamities which they had suffered under a Cruel Forreign Enemy offering him the Title of Duke of Guelderland but to convince the World of the sincerity of his intentions and how little ambitious he was to agggrandize himself by the War His Highness refused those Honours but being at the same time offered the command of Governour Hereditary of the same Province he readily accepted it and in the management thereof discovered his excellent prudence in Civil as well as Military Affairs But whilst His Highness was intent to oppose the designs of the French for the ruin of his Countrey he was visited with the Small Pox which struck a great damp to the proggress of Affairs and was the more lamented as having proved satal to his Family in the Persons of his Father Mother and his Uncle the D. of Glocester but it pleased God that by the care and skill of an able Physitian and certain peculiar Remedies sent him by the Duke of Brandenburg his Highness recovered and within 20 days was abroad again and hastned to the General Rendesvouze of his Army at Rosendael in order to the relief of Limburg then besieged by the Marquess of Rochefort the King of France with an Army under the Prince of Conde posting himself advantagiously for covering the Siege But such was the slowness of the Germans and the weakness and disorder of the Spanish Troops that the Besieged having little hopes of relief and unable to oppose the great numbers of the French Troops surrendred sooner than was expected After which having wasted a great part of the adjoining Countrey the King returned to Paris being prevented from doing farther mischief by the diligence of his Highness and the D. de Villa Hermosa Soon after the great General Tureine being kill'd by a Cannon Bullet in Alsatia the Prince of Conde was sent thither as General and the Count de Montmorency was left to command the French Army who though a Captain no less wary than his Predecessor yet his Highness kept him so upon his guard that he could not disturb the Siege of Treves which after the fatal overthrow of Monsieur Crequi fell into the hands of the Imperialists So that Montmorency was unwilling
worst he sent an order to Waterford to prepare Ships for carrying him off June 31 King William resolving to force the Enemy to Fight or Retreat marched by break of day from his Camp at Ardee toward Drogheda and found the Irish Army encamped along the River Boyne above the Town and according to his usual Conduct with undaunted Resolution he passed the River notwithstanding the utmost Opposition of the Enemy and fell upon them with such fury that in a few hours their whole Army were utterly routed and dispersed about 3000 being killed and divers Prisoners of Note taken most of the Enemies Baggage as Chariots Tents Arms Cannon Ammunition and Provisions and some Money falling into the Hands of our Soldiers the late King James who had stood at a distance to see the fight perceiving the defeat of his Forces fled with all speed toward Dublin with a very few Attendants and having staid there one Night filling the place with Fear and Confusion upon an Alarm that King William was on his way thither accompanied with the Duke of Berwick the Marquis of Powis and some others he left the City and hastened to Waterford where a Ship lay ready for him having neither slept nor eat till he got out to Sea and stood away for France Upon this the Protestants at Dublin who were imprisoned had their Liberty and a few days after the King arrived there to the unspeakable Joy of the People The loss of the English in obtaining this great Victory was not considerable only Duke Schoniberg and Doctor Walker were both slain after this Waterford Wexford and several other places were reduced and upon a Proclamation of Pardon many of the Irish laid down their Arms and returned to their former Places of abode This Glorious success was somewhat clouded nearer home for the French King to favour his design in Ireland had now set forth the greatest Fleet that ever sailed on the Ocean out of France and stood toward our Coast as if they designed to fight our Navy under the Earl of Torrington who June 24 Sailed from St. Hellens toward them they were seen the Night before off of Fresh-water gate in the Isle of Wight but the Wind taking them short the Admiral came to an Anchor off Dunnose five Leagues off the French so that a battle was soon expected which the Enemy did not seem to decline the English Seamen were also full of Courage and desirous to ingage but the French being much stronger both for number and bigness of Ships consisting in 82 Men of War besides Fire Ships and Tenders it was not thought fit to fight in the open Sea so that the Earl of Torrington avoided it till he was came to Bevesire off Beachy which was favourable for his purpose and there he received the Queens Orders not to delay ingaging if the Wind and Weather would permit which was the Reason that we went to seek the Enemy who expected us in Order of Battle and about nine in the Morning the Ingagement began the Dutch that had the Vanguard fought bravely and both sides fired desperately three hours till the French not liking their entertainment bore away with all speed but about one a Clock there happened a Calm which not only prevented the Hollander pursuit but put them into a little disorder the French not being able to get away were constrained to begin the Fight again which lasted till five in the Evening with extraordinary fury as for the English some few fought well but the Admirals unexpected standing away prevented them from seconding the Dutch so that the rest stood Lookers on while the main Body of the French fell into the Rear of the Dutch who having fought from Morning till Night and defended themselves so long against a prodigious number of the Enemy that assailed them on every side they were so much battered that hardly three were capable of making any defence which constrained them to make their way through the French Fleet to the Coast of England The Hollanders lost two Admirals and a Captain and some of their Ships that could not be got off were burnt the English lost two Sea and two Marine Captains Admiral Evertson declared that all the Dutch Officers and Seamen had done their Duties and had ours ingaged Heartily no doubt the French had gone home in a worse Condition than the Spaniards did in 1588. After the Fight the French Fleet sailed Westward and sent their Boats Ashore at Tingmouth a small Village of Fisher Mens Cotts which they set on Fire with two or three small Vessels in the Harbour and stealing a few Sheep after having lain some time on our Coast to little purpose they returned to Brest At the time the French lay off the Coasts of Kent one Godfrey Cross an Innkeeper in that County was seen to go aboard one of their Boats which carried him to the Fleet whereupon at his return he was seized and Treasonable Letters being found about him he was committed Prisoner and soon after tryed for High Treason at the Kings Bench Bar Westminster and being Convict was Hanged and Quartered for the same and care was taken by Her Majesty in whom the Regency resided during the Kings absence to put the Militia of the Counties into such a posture as to defeat any evil designs of the Enemies to the Government and the Militia of London consisting in about ten thousand men made a gallant appearance before her Majesty at Hyde Park and declared their Chearful Resolution to defend their Majesties and the Government against all its Opponents and the whole Militia of England computed to be about one hundred and fifty thousand Horse and Foot shâ—wed he same forwardness Upon Complaint against the Earl of Torrington for the Miscarriage of the Fleet he was committed by the Council to the Tower after the French had quitted our Câ—â—sts and were gone into Harbour the Militia were discharged and all diligence wâ—s uâ—s ed to repair and equip the Fleet to Sea About this time wâ—â—h 〈◊〉 News of the great Success of the English against the French in the West Indies having beaten them out of St. Christophers and many other considerable places and taken great Bâ—â—tieâ— of Cattel Corn and other Stores and Provisions and that we had reduced the Fort in the Island of Statie and two of our Privaters falling in with twelve French Merchant men bound for St. Maloes under the Convoy of a Frigate of 12. Guns took four of them forcing the rest ashoar about Cherbourg where they were all shipwrackt except the Frigat and most of the men drowned The Rebels in Scotland promising themselves great advantages from the French being on our Coasts and being deceived by false reports 1500 of them got together in the County of Murray under Bucan and Cannon threatning the People to burn and destroy their Houses and Goods if they did not join with them but Sir Thomas Levingstone advancing by speedy Marches came upon them so
Limerick which was also invested the latter end of August upon which Lieutenant General Sarsfield who was retired to the Mountains with 4000 Horse and Dragoons resolved to return to that City but was met by General Ginkle and a Party of the English who so vigorously charged them that they instantly fled and were pursued to the very Gates of the Town above 600 Irish being slain and 70 Officers taken Prisoners The Besieged seeing themselves shut up within the Walls of one single Town which was now almost battered down about their Ears hopeless of Succour and reduced to the last extremities Oct. 13. Surrendred up Limerick upon Articles whereby all Ireland was wholly reduced to their Majesties Obedience In Flanders Sept. 19. there happened an Ingagement between the French and Confederate Armies in the absence of the King of England who finding he could not oblige the Enemy to a Battle departed to Brussels and from thence to Loo in order to his return for England leaving the Command of the Army to Prince Waldeck who decamping from Leuse to retire to Cambron the Enemy having notice thereof detached about 30. Squadrons who marched all Night and by the favour of a thick mist unexpectedly fell upon 15. Squadrons of the Confederates Rereguard the conflict was very Sharp and though Inferiour in number yet the Allies made a vigorous Defence till several other Regiments came up to their relief which caused the Enemy to retreat The French lost near 700 men with many Officers and the Confederates about the same number after which both Armies went into Winter Quarters The English and Holland Fleets under the command of Admiral Russel had in vain sought to ingage the French this summer at Sea and having lain some time on the Coast of Ireland to prevent the French from sending Forces thither came now into Harbour after a very tempestuous Season and the Holland Fleet separated and safely arrived in their several Ports and the French Fleet returned to Brest His Majesty being returned to England Oct. 19. and the Parliament sitting the King declared himself to them who thereupon unanimously resolved to raise such supplies as should inable him to continue the War with France and in March following His Majesty arrived again in Holland and from thence went to Loe where several Princes met him to concert the Affairs of the next Campaign He having an Army of 30000 English in Flanders this Summer March 26. 1692. The Elector of Bavaria who was made Governour of the Spanish Netherlands during Life arrived at Brussels being received there with much Joy and Solemnity His Majesty having designed to make a Descent upon France this Summer the News so alarm'd the French King that he resolved to land some Forces in England and King James in the Head of them some Jacobites and Discontented People here having given him Assurance of joining with him upon his Landing to which end the French King supplied Ships Troops and Lovis d'ores so that nothing was wanting but to cross the Seas and a Squadron of sixteen Ships and two Bombing Vessels were sitting at Toulon under Count d'Estree to convoy the Transport Ships thither under the Protection of the French Fleet commanded by Vice Admiral Tourvile in the Channel to prevent the joining of the Dutch and English Fleets and to fight all that should oppose their Passage but Providence ordered the Winds and Recks to fight D' Estree he losing two of his largest Ships near Centa on the Coast of Africa and the rest miserably shattered went to Portugal to refit so that instead of being at Brest the beginning of April he did not arrive there till the beginning of July and came a minute too late as he said to join Torville The Q. of England upon notice of the imbarking of so many men gave out all necessary Orders for securing the Coasts and several Horses were seized whose owners designed to have join'd the Enemy upon their Descent which was intended to be about Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight K James with his Irish Forces were come to Cherbourg upon the Ceast of Normandy and Monsieur Torville had great Confidence in the Courage of his French Marriners upon King James assurance that the English would not fight but be Spectators only The English and Dutch Fleets being happily joined without any Obstruction from the Enemy Admiral Russel set sail from St. Hellens and May 19. get sight of the French Fleet near Cape Barfleur Admiral Torville having the Wind hastned up to the English but the Wind slackning the French Vanguard of 15. great men of War could not come up to the English till Eleven next Morning five of the fifteen did their Duty but the other ten kept out of Cannon shot the Dutch were not able to come up the Wind being in their Teeth the fight lasted between them that could ingage about three hours and then the French made all the Sail they could to get away and the Dutch bad much ado to turn their Ships to follow them by Reason of the Calm during which the two main Bodies of the Fleet laâ—oured to the utmost to come up with the Enemy and being happily got up with them ingaged resolutely for four hours and then Torville as his Vanguard had done before retreated with all speed and by the favour of a Mist got out of sight in the Afternoon the English Blew Squadron which could not come up for the Calm fell upon the Blew French Squadron where the most obstinate fight was maintained till the Night and Mists gave opportunity to the Enemy to hasten toward their own Coasts The next day being clear Admiral Russel discovered them two Leagues off but could not come up by Reason of a sudden Mist about eleven at Night the French weighed Anchor by Moon light and the Confederates pursued them who to save themselves ventured among the Rocks of Jersey and Guernsey May 21. The Admiral discovering several men of War upon a Bank near Cape Barfleur detacht Vice Admiral De la Val with eight or nine Vessels and three Fireships to set fire to them which the next day was happily effected the Royal Sun that magnificent Ship commanded by Admiral Torville which was the wonder of the World both for the exquisiteness of her carving and the beauty of her Shape being 20 Years in Building by the most skilful Shipwrights in Europe carrying 110 Guns the Admirable of 102 and the Strong of 80 Guns with two less Frigates and three Transport Ships were all sacrificed to the Flames and the next day 12 more were burnt in a Bay behind the Isle of Aldernay and this without the loss of one English or Dutch Ship the rest of the French Fleet fled to Brest St. Maloes and Other Ports to secure themselves King James was upon a Hill and through a Perspective Glass saw the fight and upon the first firing of the English he declared that it was only a Signal for them to