The Burghers and souldiers men and women young and old went forth of the gates and stroue who should run first into the enemies campe visiting whatsoeuer they found there and with admiration beheld the greatnesse of the campes circuit the workemanship thereof and euerie man got his bootie for the enemie had left behind him shouels picke-axes wagons tunnes muskets harquebuses pikes armour and all sorts of other prouisions The souldiers and poore townesmeen found wood enough to burne all winter for the props boords of their lodging were onely a little burnt on the out side The whole towne greatly rejoyced for this suddaine and vnlookt for departure of the enemie And because it is the duetie of all good Christians to attribute the honor of all benefits to him from whom they receiue them the sixteenth of Nouember publique thankes was giuen vnto God for so great a deliuerance prayers were likewise made for the prosperitie of the Church and Towne That done the magistrats thought good to proclaime from the towne-house that the thirteenth of Nouember should yearely be kept holie-day because the enemie on that day retired At night bonefires were made Nothing could be heard but the report of canons and small shot sounds of drummes trumpets and bels and joyfull acclamations In euerie street and on the Rampiers pitch barrels were burnt and no place was free from fire workes cast vp into the ayre The towne made a great feast whereunto the Lord Willoughbie gouernour Morgan Captaines old magistrats and the chiefe Burghers were inuited In a word nothing was foregotten which was vsuall in feasts and publique triumphs The towne did afterwards bestow on the Captaines great square pieces of gold which the townes armes stampt in them and the names to whom they were giuen with the causes whie This is the true description of the whole siege together with the sallies and other occurrents which happened during that time and lastly the Duke of Parmas retreat from before Berghen-op-Zoom as it was set downe by Iacob Baselis the younger and imprinted in the said towne in Anno 1603. The Towne of Tilemont in Brabant taken and sackt HAuing hitherunto made a perfect description of the siege of Berghen-op-Zoom and how the enemie raised his campe from before it we are now to set downe the valorous actions of certaine souldiers of the Garrison of Berghen done in the yeare 1588. The States Garrisons and those of his Excellencie Prince Maurice of Nassau lying on the frontiers did the same yeare make sundrie incursions into the enemies countrie doing much harme by fetching in contribution defeating conuois and other such like hostile actions Among those exploits which deserue most commendation the surprisall and taking of the towne of Tilemont is to be reckoned Tilemont is scituat in the Duchie of Brabant nere to a small riuer called Geert some 3 leagues distant from Louain and S. Tron It is a great and spacious towne famous in former time for trade of merchandize as yet appeares by sundrie auntient writings A certaine Serjeant of a band with an hundred foot together with nine horse of Bacx his companie which lay in Berghen had made an attempt vpon Borchloon though with bad successe yet being vnwilling to returne without executing some notable exploit they went forward through a great troope of enemies marched directly to the towne of Tilemont wherein were fiue or sixe ensignes of Spaniards Notwithstanding all these forces and that the towne was great and large they found meanes to enter it where they expulsed the Spaniards tooke three ensigns from them and carried away with them as much pillage as they could beare and so left the towne The enemie hauing notice hereof did with foure hundred men attend their returne Our men brauely resoluing not to loose their bootie did by force passe through the middest of them and with their spoile returned safe to Berghen a matter almost incredible and yet verie true which braue and resolute souldiers should neuer forget but still striue to imitate The Garrisons of Heusden and Geertrudenberg did the like with eight hundred men both horse and foot euerie horseman taking vp a footman behind him and in that manner went to Tilbourg nere to Boisleduc where part of the Duke of Parmas forces lay whom they dislodged and slew many of them the rest fled to a Church whom our men durst no longer pursue fearing the Garrisons nere adjoyning and so with their bootie returned home About the same time threescore and tenne souldiers that lay in Zeland went ouer into Flaunders there defeated the conuoy of Courtray strengthened with a troope of twentie horse beside the foot together with thirtie merchants on horsebacke and hauing gooten a rich bootie returned home to their garrisons ¶ A true description of the towne and countrie of Breda in Brabant together with the admirable taking thereof on the 4 of March Anno 1590. BEfore we come to the taking of Breda it shall not be impertinent briefely to set downe the situation thereof Breda next to the foure chiefe cities of Brabant is among others one of the principall hauing the same franchises as the townes of Tilemont Louvain and Niuelle It stands in the land of Kempen eight miles from Antuerpe sixe from Boisleduc or Sertoghenbusk sixe from Berghen-op-Zoom and two from Geertrudenberg in a plaine abounding with corne the fields and medowes beeing inuironed with trees and the countrie wood die there are some woods as Vlpeu the New wood and the wood of Lies through which two small riuers runne which emptie themselues into the Dikes of Haeghdijck and runne vnder a water Mill into the towne One of these two riuers will beare boats beyond Ginneken and towards Hoochstrate it is called the Aa within below Breda the Mercke We find in auntient Registers that the Danes possest and dwelt in a certaine Fort or Castle which by permission of the Lord of the Countrie of Breda they builded in the Crowes wood where Herons doe now breed Henrie Lord of Breda assisted by the Lord of Weesmaell and the Marshall of Brabant vpon some controuersie tooke that castle and wholly raced it in Anno 1124. There are in it diuers goodly houses belonging to Gentlemen a verie beautifull Church on the North side whereof the Counts of Nassau haue built a goodly Chappell wherein is a stately monument of Renatus of Chalon and in a vault vnderneath it the Tombes of the auntient Lords of Breda of Count Engetbrecht Count Henrie and of the aboue mentioned Renatus The towne of Breda is of a reasonable bignesse and beautifull structure yet in former time it hath been much disfigured by fire for in anno 1534 on the 23 of Iulie a thousand houses were burnt downe to the ground And because it was the chiefe abode of those of the house of Nassau they haue beautified it with many goodly buildings as especially Count Henrie of Nassau who was a braue and
dike to run into the Waell It is reported that fifteene thousand of the enemies diuided themselues into three troopes and cast lots which of the three should first crosse the water hauing many boats for that purpose so as their whole number might easily haue passed ouer at thrice this should haue beene put in practise vpon the foure and twentieth of Iune in the Morning before day breake being Mid-Summer day but it was not effected Those of Midel-weert Varick Heesselt and Opinen stood all night in good order expecting the enemie who stirred not His Excellencie did often send certain horse musketiers and armed pikes to prouoke him but he would not come forth of his hold The Admerall of Arragon sent D. Ambrosio Landriano with most of the horse and the regiment of D. Lewis de Villar to preuent the frequent incursions of those of Litsenhall The first of Iulie the enemie made aboue fiue hundred great shot but did not hurt a man of ours The second of Iulie the Englishmen that lay at Haeften the French that were at Weerdenbourg and Nerines and sixe ensignes of the garrison of the Isle of Hemert called Hemertschen-weert marched vp higher His Excellencie hauing in vayne long expected the enemies comming did on the fourth of Iulie by day breake send three thousand men towards Herwaerden there to make an half moon in the enemies view Herwaerden is seated on a plaine or leuel ground higher than all the trenches in the Isle of Voorn there did our men presently fortifie themselues making an halfe Moon which they fenced with pallizadoes This worke beeing in some sort defensible his Exc. sent more men before at last followed them himselfe Our men laboured verie hard from foure of the clock in the morning till six at night without any let of the enemy but when the halfe moone was almost finished he then shewed himselfe with certaine troups of horse and foot thinking thereby to draw our souldiers into an ambuscado who vpon intelligence that a great troupe of horse lay behind a banke would not go forth The enemy within a while after returned with 2500 Spanyards and Italians who vnder the conduct of Zapena gaue a furious assault to our halfe moone and with them a great number of monks and Clergie men who came with crosses and banners to encourage them but our men did valiantly defend the halfe moone and repulsed the enemie notwithstanding his fierce assault in which many of them had gotten ouer the palizadoes fighting hand to hand with our men and killing one another with push of pike Those of Voorn Varijck and Heesselschen-weert did continually with their canon and small shot play vpon the enemies so as in the end they were to their great disgrace enforced to retire leauing moe then 700 dead men behind them among whom were diuers Captaines and Commanders beside those that were hurt of whom 150 died in Sertoghenbusk This assault continued two houres long and yet there were but 8 of our men slaine and some 20 hurt The enemy had brought two field peeces to batter the halfe moone but did not hurt one man of ours and in his retreat lost 96 men among whom one of the aboue mentioned monks was found being armed with many holy reliques which did him no good he died with his armes full of palizadoes which he had valiantly pluckt vp The same day the enemies with 2 demy canon which were sent them sanke one of our boats neere to Herwaerden but the men were saued some six or seauen excepted that were slaine and hurt The 5 of Iuly la Bourlotte with a troupe of horse 400 musquetiers lay in ambush thinking to draw our Cauallery thither which were vpon the gard before the towne of Bommell But our men mistrusting the matter because the enemy came on with so few gaue back till they were safe from the ambuscado and then fell vpon them putting them to rout and tooke the Baron of Rosne prisoner and an Italian Captaine that presently died of his hurts whose bodie was afterwards redeemed His Excellencie likewise began to fortifie the Island or Widdel-weert called Nat-gat on Herwaerden side and all the Villages round about it with trenches The seuenth of Iulie a second halfe Moone was begun vpon the Litsenham and was conjoyned to the first by wings the better to secure the bridge which was afterward placed betwixt Voorn and Herwaerden They likewise made a new wing at Herwâ—erden towards the enemies bridge extending it abroad round about the village from whence we might easily discerne it so as our men did daily approach nearer it watching for a fit opportunitie to cut it off from him The 8 of Iulie his Excellencie and his whole Court remoued from Bommel and went to Voorn quartering himself at the head of the Island whither his owne gard and those of Count William and Count Hohenlo presently followed him The armie of the States were busied in making two sundrie bridges of boats The first on the third of Iulie vpon the Waell from the Isle of Tiell to the Isle of Voorn The second on the 8 of Iulie from Voorn to Herwaerden on which tenne ensignes of Scots and the Lord of Gistels with twelue other ensignes of his regiment passed ouer the same day towards Herwaerden The enemie being fearefull and jealous of his bridge transported it on the ninth of Iulie to the old place betwixt Heel and Creuecoeur His Excellencie on the 12 of Iulie sent three thousand fiue hundred foot and 1000 horse towards Litsenham to assaile the enemy who not appearing our men returned bringing hack with them 40 horse and foure prisoners The Spanish horsemen so soone as ours were gone from Litsenham shewed themselues on the bank but were soone beaten thence by our canon The same day a French lord sonne to a great man of France was shot into the head before Herwaerden and dyed of his hurt he was much lamented both of his Excellencie and his whole Court The fifâ—eenth day the Bridge was remoued from Herwaerden and placed higher betwixt the Isle of Voorn and Litsenham vpon the Mase ouer which 6000 foot and 1800 horse passed towards Litsenham to raise the enemie who lay dispersed vp and downe at Lit Kessell and Maren The enemie was in those Villages on Litsenham and Herwaerdens side strongly entrenched but on the other side verie slenderly so as our men were to fetch a compasse about to assaile the enemie behind But the French that were in the Vant-gard being impatient of delay and desiring a speedie victorie assailed the enemie in front where he was strongly fortified At the first arriuall of our men the enemie stood before his trenches offering skirmish but was soone beaten in againe and one of his captains taken prisoner and carried away into the Isle of Voorn These thus defeated our men did valiantly assaile the enemies trenches but by reason of the hight of their fortifications and great nuÌ„bers of their men we did
lord Willoughby General of the English came to Berghen and had made Sir William Drury knight gouernor of the towne The next day they mustered had in all 12 ensignes of foot 9 of which lay in the towne the other 3 in the forts besides 4 cornets of horse The Dutch captaines were Paul Marcelis Bacx brethren the English were commaunded by captain Parker captain Pooly who was cornet to my lord Willoughby From Holland they receiued a certaine quantitie of powder The Forts whereof we now spake are vpon the hauen which being too farre off from the townes defence sundrie Forts were made to secure it For the hauens mouth lieth 532 foot from the towne from S. Iames his gate it extends 535 foot towards the North and from thence falleth into the Scheld In this turning stands the first which is called the little Fort because it is lesser than any of the rest The other Fort lieth 3320 foot from the head and is called Valkenbourg by the first Captaines name that kept it from thence ye goe to the North Fort distant from the Houdt-port two thousand nine hundred and sixtie foot In Southland nere to Valkenbourg stands the new Fort diuided onely from Valkenbourg by the Dike and this Fort lies open behind By a conduit they can emptie the water of the Dike into the hauen or keepe it in at their pleasure From the new Fort they haue made a new dike as farre as the towne which is commonly called the new hauen Right ouer against the lesser Fort the sluces of the hauen of Northland were opened to keepe the enemie from accesse to the North for t The Lord Willoughby went into Holland to my Lords the States to take order for al necessarie prouisions for the town But before his departure he conferred with the Magistrat and appointed the towne to be diuided into eight quarters and euerie quarter to be commanded by a sherife to ouersee the Burghers and to looke that they laboured in the fortifying of those parts of the towne that were weakest The Burgomasters for that yeare were Frauncis Manteau and Peter Suidlants the Sherifes were William Frauncis the old Burgomaster Cornelius Iohn Cornelius Denis Marke Martin Adrian Iohn Iohn Clarke and Cornelius of Heusden The receiuers were Marin Nicholas the old Burgomaster Nicholas de Ranst When the sherifs vpon important businesse could not ouersee the workmen then some of the chiefe Burghers of euerie quarter supplied their places Foure dayes after the Lord Willoughbies departure the Burghers began at S. Iames his gate as ye go from the head to the new worke making first a trench vpon the bank or causey which leads from the same gate to the new hauen All along the hedge which is planted from the powder tower to the woodden gate fortifications were likewise made in manner of trenches they did also labor verie diligently in other places On the high way from Wouwe some of the enemies horse were descried wherupon the sentinel on the watch tower rang the alarm bell Sir William Drury the gouernour made a sallie and caused the enemie to retire All the horse troopes in the towne followed the gouernour who with those forces that sailled with him pursued the enemie euen to Wouwe part of the horse and foot made a stand at the entring of the heath of Wouwe and the Downes of Berghen In the meane time the gouernour returned hauing lost one of his horsemen and two horse for he went as farre as the Churchyard of Wouwe where he skirmished with many of the enemies Diuers condemned this his attempt saying that he had greatly endaungered himselfe and the towne by his too greedie desire of fight For the enemie was superiour to him in strength and he had too farre engaged himselfe to returne with safetie to the towne if the enemie should haue assailed him Returning from this sallie he caused the bridge at the Bulwarke of Helstede to be broken down for they that had vndertaken the works had made a bridge ouer the dike to fetch earth from the hill of Varij-Bogaert to make an end of their worke Cornelius Iohn the cities sherife sent messengers from the comminaltie of the towne into Zeland to aduertize my Lords the States that the enemie threatned to besiege the towne of Berghen and to that end lay with his campe at Wouwe and that the towne was badly prouided of necessaries for maintenance of a siege and that therefore the magistrats of Berghen besought them of aid and assistance in their necessitie as their neighbours and confederats that the cause was common for if Berghen should bee lost the Islands of Zeland would bee mightily endaungered The next day which was the 14 a boat came from Zeland loden with plankes and other necessaries And because the States of Holland Zeland those of the town of Dort did during the siege carefully send prouision of all necessaries to the towne In that regard I will truly say that it was wel prouided of corne butter cheese salt herring salt fish hay straw oates powder plankes nayles lead bullets match pike oziertwigs to make gabions c. The Zelanders sent fiue Culuerins of Portugal each of them carrying a bullet of 26 pound weight they were of those which Peter Vander Does Vice-Admirall of Holland found in the Gallion of D. Diego Pimentell which he tooke nere to Blankenberg and brought to Flushing The enemies horse shewing themselues againe on the high way of Wouwe were soone put to flight by our men because their number was not great About the same time diuers fires were seene betwixt Rosendael Calmthout made by such as went from Calmthout towards Steenberghen to assemble all their forces to go and inuade the land of Tertholen as it afterwards appeared For the night before the 17 of September great numbers of the enemie vnder the conduct of the Lord of Montigni went along the bank called Matreben to a place called Eendrecht meaning to surprise the Island All the causey of Tertholen especially where the water is so low as the riuer may be crossed is fortified with a trench and forts well mand with soldiers are made in many needfull places The Count of Solms was gouernour of the Island There where the enemie thought to passe is a large extent of ground where on Tertholens side are 3 forts the one Southward towards Tholen called the Botshoost that in the middest is called Papen-mutse or priests cap because it is square and the third stretching Northward is stiled the new Weer or passage The water being low certaine ensignes attempted to passe ouer to the Fort of Papen-mutse But the water was not so shallow as they imagined and the current was verie strong so that diuers of them were drowned and slaine by our mens shot some of them notwithstanding passed ouer and being protected by the banke made signes to their fellowes to come ouer But all this beeing to no purpose because the rest
of them fled away they were enforced to take the water where they were all drowned And as those which were in the water striued to passe ouer their fellowes who stood vpon the causey on Brabant side shot furiously vpon those of the Island yet they slew but one of our men which was a common soldier of Berchens companie but the enemie lost 200 men When the enemie first offered to passe ouer there were scarce fortie of our men to oppose them but within a while after Captaine Lagro of Tholen came thither with his companie And though those of the Island had fortunatly repelled the enemie yet they thought not themselues free from daunger knowing that he had not idlely made that attempt but that he intended to surprise the Isle of Tholen thereby to molest those of Berghen together with all Zeland assuring themselues that it would not bee long ere he returned againe and perhaps the next night following And because they wanted men to furnish all places they requested those of Berghen to send Adrian Guillaume and George Brissaulx with three hundred men vnder their commaund to them This Adrian Guillaume had in the first wars of Zeland beene Admirall of Ziericzee and was then Lieutenant General to Count Solms ouer al the forces of Zeland Brissaulx was son to Iames Brissaulx a verie good religious man who in former time had bin Burgomaster of Bruges These two were sent from the States of Zeland to Berghen so soone as they vnderstood that the enemie meant to march towards the Towne The nineteenth of September the Drossart returned from Amsterdam where he had bought great store of planks and other necessaries fit for fortification For besides his place of Drossart which next to the Marquis is the highest degree in Berghen the fortifying of the towne and sorts was committed to him His name was Elias Lion sonne to Doctor Albert Lion a verie learned man who for the space of foure and twentie yeares had beene chiefe professor of the ciuile law at Louayne and was at that time Chauncellor of Guelderland and chiefe Counsellor to my Lords the generall States of the vnited Prouinces The night following being the 20 of September the enemie came to Raberch and about noone returned to Wouwe Nothing at that time was done on either side for it rayned all that night and likewise at noone after the enemies departure The Magistrats sent certaine commissioners into Holland and Zeland to my Lords the States to acquaint them with the state of the Towne and to craue aid Cornelius Iohn the Townes sherife went to Zeland and Adrian Guillaume the Secretarie into Holland The two and twentieth of the said moneth by day break there was an alarme the trumpets sounded drums were beaten and the alarme bell was rung For the gouernour had assembled a troope of souldiers to reenforce the morning gard because the enemie was wont to make his attempts about that time when the gard is most drowsie wherewith hee had not acquainted the horsemen who had the gard vpon the market place Some of them going through the streets met with these souldiers and demanded who they were and whether they went but one among them giuing a discourteous aunswer they returned to their officers acquainting them therewith they not knowing the matter and thinking all was not well did presently giue the alarm The gouernor tooke this in bad part and complained to the Captaines of the wrong done vnto him therein seeing his soldiers were assembled by his commaundement The Captaines of the horse answered they were ignorant that it was done by his commaund and that they ought to haue beene made acquainted therewith in regard of the state of the Towne Thereupon proclamation was made that none should dare to ring the alarme bell without expresse charge from the gouernour The next day the souldiers spoiled Generall Fremins baggage He had beene gouernour of Wouwe Castle and about a certaine quarrell that arose betwixt him and a Merchant of the same Castle came into Holland to complaine to my Lords the States to haue him cassierd and likewise to make prouision of all necessaries for keeping of the sayd Fort. The States had giuen him great store of musket and faulconet bullets match and barrels of powder But before the said Fremins returne the Merchant had alreadie driuen all those sorth of the Castle which tooke Fremins part and had secretly made an accord with the enemie Within a while after about the seuenteenth of Ianuarie 1589 he sold the castle to the enemie for 20000 crownes and himselfe retired into Fraunce Vntill then Fremin had carefully kept all these things But as he was readie to depart and had shipt all the souldiers who had an inckling thereof thinking they had found a just cause of excuse because it was against the law of Armes to carrie away such things forth of townes besieged seised on all the munition together with his owne goods and made bootie of it beeing neuerthelesse enforced to restore backe the greatest and best part thereof The next day after the enemie was discouered vpon the highway from Wouwe marching directly towards the towne Our horse and foot made a sallie vpon him but as they approched the Downes of Berghen the enemie turned vpon the right hand and went along the sandie way towards Riselberg and Nortgeest where he incamped And because the water of the channell which some did improperly terme the riuer of Zoom was kept in by the sluces of the womens gate and that of Steenberghen all the fields betwixt Wouwes gate and that of the women were drowned so as none could goe from Wouwes gate to the North quarter Our men returned againe to the towne and fallied sorth at Steenberghen gate with displayed ensignes alluring the enemie to fight who had enclosed himselfe in his campe The morrow after he encamped towards the South extending his camp from S. Gertrudes hill as farre as the vale therein comprehending Burghvliet Zudgeest the Raberg and part of Berghens wood which lies Eastward from the towne The Raberg is so termed because that Rat in the Dutch tongue signifieth a wheele whereon malefactors are broken and executed and vpon that hill execution was commonly done The enemie within a day or two alter his arriuall burnt the gallowes vpon the hil Southward from the towne as yee goe towards Antuerpe S. Gertrude is worshipt by superstitious people because as they say she preserues them from rats and mice In former times she was patronesse of the town and it is said that she was Ladie of the whole countrie of Berghen Her chappell which in time past stood vpon the hill nere to the drowned countrie of Southland gaue it that name The vale is part of the arable grounds which lie betwixt the wood towne and champaine countrie extending it selfe partly towards the West and in part towards Wouwes gate The Southgeest is an high place and Burghvliet was a village where a castle
stood which was burnt by the French as hath been said Those of Tholen had placed thirtie men in the castle of Halteten which tooke it name from the village not that they thought them strong enough to resist the enemie but onely to serue for Sentinels to those of the Island and to giue them notice of the enemies approch The souldiers being threatned by the enemie yeelded vp the castle on safety of their liues and goods The same day two horsemen were slaine with the canon from Reigers-tower one of them was a man of note and was afterwards buried at Antuerpe with 800 torches About the same time we receiued supplies from all parts My Lords the States notwithstanding that the Isle of Tholen was to be prouided for sent vs great numbers of Hollanders and Scots Those of Flushing Briell and Ostend sent vs store of choice souldiers There came likewise fourescore men from Gertrudenbergh conducted by an English captain called Brock these men had forsaken the States pay and serued among the English Besides all this sixe ensignes of foot came to vs from England about the first of Nouember So that the number of soldiers which at the beginning of the siege were in all both horse and foot but one thousand fiue hundred as appeared by the muster rolls did before the enemies departure amount to fiue thousand The Captaines of the horsemen perceiuing the enemie to be encamped thought it necessarie to make some sallie forth vpon him whilest they might doe it telling the gouernor Sir William Drurie that it behoued them now at first to giue the enemie some affront and that it would greatly disgrace them if they should not make some proofe of their valour But others of a contrarie opinion sayd that euerie victorie was vncertaine and that if they should chance to be vanquished by the enemie it would greatly endaunger the Towne and that if themselues should ouercome the enemie might easily beare that losse that they had to doe with a mightie and victorious enemie that it was true that sallies are commonly thought prejudicious to the besieged but it was only in such places where the enemies were few in number and where the besiege might in such sort be shut in by the enemie as he could not easily receiue new supplies but our numbers were great enough and we might daily receiue fresh supplies from the vnited Prouinces by meanes of the commodiousnesse of our hauen Captaine Paule Bacx made answere We likewise are not ignorant quoth he how it behoues vs to deale wisely therein we know verie well that the enemie hath a mightie and victorious campe and many men we likewise haue often made triall what souldiers they are But if it shall not please the gouernour to graunt the demaunds of the Captaines of the horse for my part let this mightie and victorious enemie make his approches and at last for I will vse his owne words come and draw vs by the eares one by one forth of the towne into his campe This speech being not allowed of by many he went his way without any further talke But the gouernour called him backe together with the rest that were there present and said seeing your request tends to the good and preseruation of the Towne I will no longer denie it Then euerie man went and armed himselfe no drum was beaten nor trumpet sounded to call the troopes together but each man gaue notice to his fellow of the sallie and forthwith at the houre appointed they were all readie together A Gentleman of Holland whose name was Vchtenbreck cornet to captaine Paule Bacx was sent forth to draw the enemie into the field betwixt the camp towne he was seconded by 14 or 15 harquebuziers who went altogether towards the campe Nere to the towne dikes there is a low way which stretcheth from Steenberghen gate as far as Helst point and it is ouerlookt by the hill of Varigobart which ends nere to this point and there makes a vallie The Lanciers went this way towards the sayd vallie holding downe their lances keeping them from the enemies sight who was encamped on the Rijsselberg and Northgeest The Harquebuziers of Marcelis Bacx kept themselues close to the Lanciers Captaine Paule Bacx and his brother led the vantgard being followed by the lord Willoughbies cornet captain Parker The enemie hauing descried this small troope comming with Vchtenbroeck sent certaine musketiers to encounter them In the field where Vchtenbroeck and his soldiers lay there were many hedges which diuided one field from another these did the sayd musketiers make good and whilest they skirmished with Vchtenbroeck our men which were behind Varibogart hil perceiued it being verie glad of so faire an occasion rod a full galop vpon the enemie sound their trumpets and with their swords and lances euery man did his best The musketiers were beaten from their shelter and were enforced to quit their armes and to craue that they might be taken prisoners many of them were slaine and many taken for they were so encompassed by our men as they could not escape The enemie taking pitie on his people sent three cornets of horse to rescue them who were soone put to rout by the two brethren Bacx that led the vantgard and enforced to retire to Rijsselberg from whence they saw their musketiers slain and taken prisoners During the fight certain prisoners were sent into the towne among whom was a young gentleman Nephew to that Groesbeke who in former time had beene bishop of Liege surnamed Amsterode and was Lieutenant generall to a Regiment of Almans who had receiued a great wound in the face Our men determined to returne backe to the towne so soone as they should haue executed some notable enterprise vpon the enemie not meaning to tarrie till the whole force of the campe shold fall vpon them being too weak to resist and to speake truely they had woon honour enough and might freely haue returned with their prisoners in triumph which they had done but for captain Parkers couragious resolution who could not be satisfied with the flight of the enemies horse which at their ease beheld the vsage of their owne men so as charging them in a place where they had great aduantage he repulsed them once or twice but as himselfe was likewise constrained to retreat to the hil where the enemie stood to driue them thence where the whole campe was by this time in armes and the enemies cauallerie receyuing both new aid and courage making a fierce charge vpon him he and his troope were in danger either to haue bin oppressed with multitude or to haue been taken prisoners thrice did the enemie lay hold on Parker and thrice did he free himselfe from them and brauely defended himselfe with his sword The brethren Bacx and captaine Poolie perceiuing the daunger wherein captaine Parker was and being spurd forward by a desire of honour galoped into the thickest throng of the enemies making more account
of the preseruation of so braue a souldier than of any gaine bootie or prisoners so that seuentie prisoners who had been taken at the beginning of the fight and were not yet carried into the towne were in all hast slayne yet some escaped The arriuall of our men opened Parker a large way to escape from the enemie whilest they were busied in fight the Lord Willoughby and the Generall Wilford came from Holland who without entring into any house sallied forth with great numbers of foot to reskew the horse who after they had brauely executed their enterprise returned towards the towne in good order being pursued by the enemies who were extreamely grieued that Parker escaped from them Parker had receiued certaine musket shot on his armour but was not hurt because it was of proofe Where the heat of the fight had been great heapes of dead men and horse lay Of our horsemen some foure or fiue were slaine but many were hurt and the losse of horse was great It is reported that two hundred of the enemie were slayne This was done on the fiue twentieth of September after dinner Whilest the horsemen fought with the enemie the masons broke downe a certaine wall of the remainder of the Abbie because the enemie should not make vse of it against the towne Presently after this fight the enemie shortned and tooke in his campe which he had at first much amplified and enlarged forsooke the high Northgeest strongly fortifying and entrenching himselfe both to the South and Northward of the towne to defend himselfe from our sallies for he expected no such dealing and neuer thought that there had bin so great courage and valor in those of the town Towards euening the Drossart Burgomasters sherifs assembled themselues with whom joyned the captaines Vere Scot Baskeruile Salisburie to consult together what was necessarie for the preseruation of the town And euer after they obserued this order that the gouernour and chiefe of the Councell of war did once a day meet at the state house to conferre of matters concerning the present estate of the town which was a matter verie commendable especially in a town besieged For by this means all difficulties were at first easily remoued that did arise at such a time betwixt the souldiers and Burghers when any thing is done by mischaunce on one part or other to the prejudice of either Euer since then the Magistrat to shew his diligence did daily meet twice namely at eight of the clocke in the morning and two of the clocke after noone The lord Willoughby requested the magistrat that the Burghers might arme keep Corps du gard in the streets and the matter was brought so far forward as captaines officers were chosen but by reason diuers excused thēselues through want of armor which the mutinous French had taken from them in former time nothing ensued thereof On the 28 of this moneth Sir Tho Morgan who had bin gouernor of the town returned from England The Queen and my lords the states had sent him to be gouernor in Sir William Druries place The states had a while before sent Lancelot Parisijs commistarie of the musters enjoining him to tel the Councel of war magistrats that it had pleased her Ma. to write vnto them of late as likewise to the lord Willoughby that it was her expresse wil pleasure that Morgan shold be gouernor and to this end they likewise sent her Ma. letters by the said Lancelot And in this respect they wold herein doe nothing contrary to her Ma. command The contents of whose letters was that hauing intelligence how the Duke of Parma had attempted to besiege Berghen-op-Zoom in that regard she thought it fit to giue the gouernement of the town to Sir Thom. Morgan the better to assure it against the enemies power and that her pleasure was to haue him forthwith installed in Druries stead who had lately bin recōmended to her by the states not that she in any sfsort doubted of Druries loyaltie and valour but Morgans long experience in war together with the peoples loue towards him had caused that alteration The cause why the Queene spake thus of the peoples loue towards Morgan and the recommending of him to my lords the states was because my lord Willoughby did not greatly affect Morgan Sir Thom. perceiuing this that he could not build vpon Willoughbies fauor for the gouernement of Berghen that there were diuers that sued for it found means to get the fauor of the magistrats and Burghers by whose means he obtained letters of recommendation to her Ma. both from the states and comminalty of Berghen The Lord Willoughby in the meane time had by sundrie practises established Drurie in the gouernement but because it was done without the States consent they therefore wrote vnto the Queene that no opposition might be made against her highnesse commaund After Morgans arriuall sundrie quarrels arose not onely betwixt the two Gouernours but among the Captaines and souldiers The English held more with Drurie than Morgan the Low-countrie men and Scots tooke Morgans part Willoughby fauoured Drurie against Morgan and therefore he gaue the gouernement of the towne to Morgan but made Drurie captaine of the Forts saying he did so because her Majestie spake onely of the towne and not of the Forts Morgan on the contrarie maintained it to be a verie absurd matter because the towne and forts depended one vpon an other and neuer had different gouernours Count Solms and Generall Villers came opportunely from Zeland whilest the gouernors contested about the gouernement and exhorted them to peace and concord Yet for all that Drurie commaunded the Forts of the Hauen and Morgan the Towne Those of Druries faction were likewise placed in the Forts Drurie came not often into the towne and spake seldome to Morgan but there was still some quarrell or other he did also highly complaine of the Magistrats and my Lords the States who were much displeased with this discord especially because their authoritie and command was directly contemned euery man feared that some inconuenience would ensue The nine and twentieth of this moneth the imposition vpon wine beere was let to ferme which was payed during the siege as in time before The next day Willoughby made an other sallie vpon the North side of the Campe and though he vsed the same order and meanes as at the first sallie yet he did no great matter for the enemie behaued himselfe more wisely and would no more be surprised from behind the hill of Varibogart as at first the footmen kept within the trenches of their Campe or behind the bushes not farre off and did no more assaile our men as before Our footmen stood in battaile vvithin musquet shot of the Towne yet the Cauallery incountred one an other and the fight was sharp on both sides our men gaue a braue charge and the enemie made gallant resistance each did their best Poolies
the people saw the verie captains send away their wiues children and goods Some of those who receiued no pay nor were vnder any command liuing only by bootie in all impious and voluptuous pleasures did in troopes forsake the towne and spared for no cost so they might be gone Toward the euening a boat came from Holland whereat the enemie made sundrie shot yet but one soldier was slaine who stood at the Helme The horsemen made complaint that they wanted hey prouender for their horse but that want was soone supplied from Holland About the same time the souldiers of Geertrudenberg tooke certaine ships laden with Delfts beere cheese butter herring and oyle which they brought into our hauen These boats were licenced by my Lords the States to goe to Antuerpe and Breda The merchants were imprisoned at Geertrudenberg and the souldiers hung vp their passeport vpon the gallowes Our men would haue imitated them and tooke certaine boats but my Lords the States commanded them to desist The goods were restored to the Merchants by the States commandement presently after the enemies departure and they sent supplies of horse and foot to those of Tholen which were landen at Venusdam opposit to Romerswael The enemie doing his best to take the Hauen from those of the Towne the townes-men in like manner did their vttermost to keepe it and made sundrie new workes the first vpon the North causie some sixe hundred foot from the North Fort called the Priests cap extending it selfe towards the Towne On the Hauens banke nere to Helst they made a trench The fort called Stauast was begun the foureteenth of October vpon the Northland causie is a place called Barlabas one thousand one hundred fiue foot from the North for t where the causie was pierced through in two seuerall places These two holes hindred the enemie from bringing his canon to batter the North for t Our men fearing that the enemie in the end would doe that there which hee had done at the causie of Dryanneland did themselues make good the place built a fort there which the people called Stauast because they were to stay there to free the Hauen from the enemie and for the sooner building of it they tooke away the Burghers fagots especially from bakers and potters And because the sandie bank of Romerswael stretched as farre as our Hauen and that it was verie daungerous for such boats as would at that place enter into it because they were to hold on their course too nere the enemies Canon to preuent this the shippers or saylers tooke an other way behind Romerswael and so by the South entred the hauen where was lesse danger For betwixt the sandie banke the causie where the enemie had planted his canon the Scheld runs so as the boats could not auoid the enemies canon which lay within 2000 foot of the fort of Stauast by reason whereof they could bring their canon no nearer the hauens mouth for notwithstanding he discharged his ordnance vpon the boats which entred the Hauen yet could he neuer touch any of them which was a manifest worke of God Nere to the gullet of Tholen lies a drownd land called Broeloose the which confines vpon the causie called Steendijke There did the States of Zeland make a new hauen verie nere to the causie of Tholen opposit to Molsgat a Fort so named on the riuer of Eendrecht By this meanes the Isle was fortified and a commodious passage found to goe to Tholen for the Gullet of Tholen was verie dangerous because of the enemies canon who since that time had small vse for his ordnance Eight horsemen of Bacx his companie embarked themselues on the 13 of October to go towards Lillo landing in a certaine place where they tooke their way as though they had come from Antuerpe by which deuise they tooke 3 of the enemies captaines with their baggage who came from Antuerpe towards the campe and with their bootie returned to their boat The strife betwixt Morgan and Drurie was not yet ended Vpon the 14 of October at night prince Maurice General Villers came to Berghen The Lord Willoughby had threatned to imprison Morgan and great harme was likely to ensue about this contention But his Excellencies arriuall pacified the matter after this manner That Willoughbie so long as hee remayned in the Towne should commaund all men as her Majesties Lieutenant and in his absence Morgan and that Drurie should get him gone who neuerthelesse remayned there till the end of the siege It was reported that the enemie had an intent to seaze on the remainder of the causie of Southland by passing through the drownd lands at a low water thereby to keepe boats from entring the hauen at that place And nere to Burghvliet the footsteps of those who had beene sent by night to view the place were discerned Gabions and three piece of ordnance were planted vpon the head the greatest of which carried a bullet of 44 pound and the other two of sixteene pound The canons in euerie Fort did likewise play vpon the enemie when any boat arriued The causie whereon the enemie lay was by the continuall raine and souldiers treading become so deepe and slipperie as they could hardly stand vpon it They had neither plankes nor straw and the souldiers were enforced to stand in the raine in the trenches without any shelter vp to the knees in water There was daily great tempests of wind and raine and it seemed though the enemie besieged Berghen that they themselues were besieged by raine wind and sundrie other grieuous discommodities Those of the towne began to leuell the causie of Southland but perceiuing their labour to be vaine they gaue ouer that resolution At the causies end was a verie broad dike all men thought it fit there to build a Fort because that nere to the said dike there was a great piece of ground which was commonly drie so as the same dike might serue to defend the Fort against the enemie the Scheld likewise is not verie broad in that place by reason of the great dike opposit to Southland where in former time the toll house of Zeland stood There diuers men of warre lay at anker but if the enemie with his Shalops had brought his ordnanceto the Southland causie he might easily haue driuen them thence as hee had done before Barlabas and the Gullet of Tholen George More Vice-Admirall of Zeland hauing viewed the place said as much they onely wanted workemen Willoughby would haue had the Burghers to make the Fort but they tired with labour and trauaile and afraid of the enemie who lay not farre from thence on the firme land refused to doe it saying that he did them wrong to cause them to labour so farre from the towne and in daunger of the enemie For this dike was distant three thousand one hundred and thirtie foot from Valckenbourg and Valckenbourg foure thousand foot from the towne which together amount to
he that carries it should aduaunce it as high as he could and although the enemie was not far from them vpon S. Gertrudes mount yet the lord Willoughbie wold not return ere he had from aboue wel viewed and considered the depth of that way where he found no markes or signes of any Mine The ninth of Nouember the Earle of Northumberland and generall Norris came from England with a gallant traine of gentlemen At their arriuall all the ordnance great and small was discharged and the great Bell was rung The Earle came to see the Low-countries and Berghen-op-Zoom Generall Norris was by her Majestie sent to my Lords the States to procure some aid for D. Antonio King of Portugal for the Queene prepared a mightie fleet to re-establish D. Antonio in his kingdome from whence he had beene expulsed by the Spaniards Vchtenbroeck with fiue or sixe horse galoped forth of the gates towards the Sautwech before the enemies campe and there tooke two horsemen prisoners and a victualler with a waggon laden with beere who in despite of the enemie and before his face they brought to the Towne And to giue some delight to the Earle the English did the next day determine to make a sallie the footmen sallied vpon the enemies campe by the Mine at the powder gate for in hast they had made a Bridge ouer the Dike These at Holweghen did skirmish with the Italians that lay vpon Saint Gertrudes mount the horse sallied at Wouwe gate Parker stayed vpon Wijngaert hill and Poolie in the plaine towards Bourghvliet The brethren Bacx were not there for they had no warning of the sallie The Almans which were encamped on the Rabergh came downe into the plaine at the foot of the hill and made a stand not farre from Wijngaerts hill many retired behind the hedges and bushes others allured our men to come forward Captaine Veer with some thirtie souldiers driues away the Almans from their place of aduauntage Parker assailes and pursues them as farre as the Rabergh and suffereth few of them to escape A young Gentleman Captaine of a foot companie beeing on horsebacke and charging together with Parker was taken prisoner being carried by the furie of his horse into the middest of the enemies campe and was afterwards exchanged for D. Iuan de Mendoza both of them being almost of one age All prisoners that were taken did constantly affirme that the Duke of Parma determined to raise the siege On the eleuenth of Nouember a generall sallie was made on Steenberghens side by all the horse and foot some few excepted who here and there garded the gates and the Rampiers Generall Balfort with sixe hundred choyce souldiers both Dutch Scotch came thither at the same time from Tholen Captain Veer conducted the free booters that were to begin the skirmish Captaine Marcelis Bacx with his harquebuziers marched directly towards the enemies camp Balfort embattailed his troops on the highway of Steenberghen Those of the towne stood in the plaine on the right hand of that highway towards the West The Lanciers went somewhat on the one side towards the Sand-Wegh The footmen which went before with captaine Veer shot furiously vpon the enemies who shewed himselfe open aboue from their fortifications Certaine of the enemies horse made a braue sallie and were as brauely saluted with small shot and forthwith enforced to returne to their campe with losse of some of their horse In this manner was the time spent the enemie still continuing himselfe in his trenches which were too strong for vs to breake into Our men returned into the Towne thinking they had woon honour enough in that for two houres space they had dared the enemie to fight and in a manner halfe assayled their Campe. Of Captaine Veers souldiers foure were slayne and 12 hurt with the enemies shot On the twelfth of Nouember the enemie did set fire on the North part of the campe he likewise burnt the castle of Halteren and the next day about tenne of the clocke before noone they depart from Riselberg and Northgeest where they stood a long time in battaile till their lodgings were burnt and their baggage carried away to the Southward In their march nothing was seen but their ensigns tops by reason of the said hils But comming nere the Ball on the high way called Habergue which leads into Berghen wood there they discouered themselues openly There were they grieuously tormented by the canon from the rampier of the woodden gate It was delightfull to behold how their battaile was broken at euerie shot our canon made so as at last they were enforced to breake their order and to diuide themselues All the night following nothing was heard but the noice of drummes and trumpets to fauour the retreat of the wagoners which brought away the baggage Before day breake the campe towards the South was likewise seene all on fire the enemie retired towards Calmthoudt placing sentinels on diuers hils to giue them intelligence if the townesmen sallied forth So soone as it was day the Lord Willoughbie went forth at Wouwe gate with one and twentie ensigne on foot and all the cauallerie taking two falconets along with him The enemies sentinels seeing this doe presently retire our men doe speedily seaze on the enemies trenches and campe the fanterie makes a stand on the Raberg the cauallerie galops after the enemie and fell in vpon the rereward mocking scoffing them to prouoke them to fight But al this being in vain they returned for it was enough for them to haue reproched the base retreat of so great a Kings campe which was no better than a manifest flight some straungers that were found in the campe were slain two or three women excepted whose liues were saued The Lord Willoughbie assembled all the horse and foot companies captaine Marcellis Bacx excepted who was absent pursuing the enemie with part of the cauallerie whom he sent to seeke intending to honour him among the rest for his valour But being not found and the intended ceremonie not to be delayed because he would performe it in the enemies view the Lord Generall turned towards Veer Knollis Parker and Poolie his countriemen and likewise towards captaine Paule Bacx a Dutchman speaking thus vnto them Seeing it is an auntient and laudable vse that those who haue behaued themselues valiantly in the warres should receiue some acknowledgement of their valour and for that mine owne eyes are witnesse of your prowesse whereof I take the enemie to witnesse who hath often to his great losse made triall what souldiers you are Our illustrious Ladie the Queenes Maiestie of England whose Lieutenant Generall I am and whose commaundement I will now performe doth honour each of you with the order of knighthood and touching all of them gently with his sword vpon their shoulders he sayd Receiue from her Maiestie this remembrance of her good will and affection which all of you by your valour haue deserued
his soldiers to another Corps du gard nere to the Castles great plat-forme where sixteene souldiers more made some resistance who were all slaine This done and a signall giuen Count Hohenlo two houres after came to the Castle with his Excellencies vangard but because the vttermost gate of the Castle could not be opened by reason of the yce his suoldiers entred nere to the Sluce by breaking down a pallisado Hohenlo being entred young Lansauecia made an accord with him to go his way himself soldiers with their liues Within a while after Prince Maurice and his souldiers both horse and foot arriued and with him the Earles Philip of Nassau and Solms Sir Fraucis Veer who commanded the English the Admiral Iustinus of Nassau the Lords of Famas Verdoes and other Captaines And as Count Hohenlo had exhorted the Burghers to returne to the obedience of their auncient Lord and Prince Maurice had giuen order to enter the towne at two gates they sent a drumme who craued leaue that some of the Burgomasters might come and parley who in lesse than an houres space made an accord that the Burghers should redeeme themselues from spoile by paying two moneths wages to the souldiers the summe amounting to 97074 florins In this manner their armes being throwne downe Prince Maurice sent the Lord Vander-Noot Captaine of his gard to seaze vpon the State-house and other places The same night that the first alarme was giuen in the Castle the Marquis of Guasto his horse companie and fiue other ensignes of Italians being affrighted did in disorder breake downe a gate and basely fled forth of the towne notwithstanding that the Burghers who feared the spoile of their goods promised them all ayd and assistance if they would tarrie and defend it but in vaine This was a great disgrace to so noble a Nation which the Prince of Parma reuenged by reproaching the Spaniards some of whom he imprisoned and beheaded certaine captaines among others Caesar Guitra Iulio Gratiauo Guastos Lieutenant whose name was Turlantino and the corporall who had so slenderly searcht the boat The towne and castle of Breda were miraculously taken without any great losse of bloud one onely man being lost who by reason of the darkenesse fell into the water and was drowned of the garrison in the castle fortie were slaine For this victorie all the vnited prouinces and townes gaue publique thankes vnto God in their Churches made bonefires and in memorie thereof coyned pieces of gold siluer and copper with this superscription on the one side how that the towne of Breda had beene on the fourth of March 1590 freed from the Spanish bondage by the conduct of Prince Maurice of Nassau and on the other side was the Dike with the turfe boat which carried the souldiers with this circumscription Readie to win or die and then The reward of an inuincible courage Prince Maurice by the consent of my Lords the States gaue the gouernement of the Towne Castle and Countrie of Breda to captaine Herauguieres with ample commaund to Captaine Lambert Charles the office of Serjeant Major and to other particular Captains and soldiers some of the sayd pieces or medâ—ls in pure gold with sums of money with promise of aduauncement according to euerie mans qualitie and merit the shippers were likewise aduanced and well rewarded The towne was forthwith prouided for according to the Lord of Oldenbbarvelts direction with all kind of muniâ—ion and victuals from Holland for a yeare and a halfe and before ten dayes were expired foure hundred horse and twelue ensignes of foot were sent to lie in Garrison in the towne the Burghers were likewise diuided into fiue companies to keepe good watch And in this manner by Gods assistance the towne is till now preserued from the enemie ¶ Count Mansfelt batters and assaults the Fort of Nordam and is brauely beaten thence on the 14 of May 1590. THe Duke of Parma perceiuing that his Excellencie of Nassau had by a cunning surprisall taken the Towne of Breda from him did for auoyding a greater mischiefe before March was expired said Count Charles of Mansfelt with 40000 men towards Breda to hinder their incursions and secure the Countrie who presently seazed on all the places round about it as Oosterhout Tering and other townes wherein he placed souldiers hee likewise tooke Seuenberghen and other towns where he vsed great crueltie At Terheyden which is a village betwixt Seuenberghen and Breda seated on a little riuer called the Mercke he caused a great Fort to be built with a bridge ouer the riuer thereby to keep victuals from Breda and lay there encamped till the worke was ended thinking thereby to oppresse Breda In May following he besiged the fort of Nordam which my lords the States hold nere to Seuenberghen seated nere the water commaunded by Captaine Mathew Helt who was in the Turfe boat at the taking of Breda And the thirteenth and foureteenth of May the sayd Count Mansfelt battered it with seuen canon made 1200 shot vpon it and gaue a furious assault They did likewise at ful Sea bring a great barke before the Fort mand with good musketiers to anoy the defendants they had bridges likewise wheron to martch to the assault They twice assaulted it and were still repulsed with the losse of two Italian Captaines the one named Horacio Fontano of Modena and the other Giouan Francisco Pageno a Neapolitan with diuers others of name and marke Six or seauen hundred of the enemie died there for by often shooting they fired the barke and as many as were in her were burnt whereupon they were enforced to retire to the great commendation of Captaine Mathew Helt who thereby purchased much honour The vnited Prouinces in the meane time had sent a small Armie into the field vnder the conduct of Prince Maurice and Count Hohenlo with which in May they went to a place called Ouer-Betuwe or High-Betuwe encamping right ouer against NimmegueÌ„ where they built a strong Fort on the banke of the Riuer Waell the better to auoy the Towne they did it likewise to diuert Count Mansfelt from Nordam and to draw him forth of Brabant But Mansfelt not thinking himselfe stong enough came nere to Nimmeguen and hauing intelligence that Prince Maurice his forces began to make a Fort on the further side of the Waell nere to the State-house he marched towards them with his canon beating them thence and ouerthrew the worke new begun an afterwards the better to prouide his armie of victuals he went and encamped on the Mase in the Land of Cuyck So as Prince Maurice tarried there all the Summer to finish his Fort in view danger of the canon of Nimmeguen which with the help of Count Mansfelt plaid furiously vpon the towne Notwithstanding all these difficulties the Fort was made defensiue towards the later end of Iulie and was called Knodsenbourg or Maces-bourg in disdaine of those of Nimmeguen called Knodsendrages which
the besieged made a counter-batterie and brake three of the enemies canon Prince Maurice in the meane time being come nere to Steenwijck and hauing intelligence of the siege of Knodsenbourg resolued to goe thither leauing Count William of Nassau in Frize-land comming to Arnham he presently made a bridge ouer the Rhyne and caused 4 cornets of Lanciers 2 of Carabins and two thousand musketiers and pikes to passe into Betuwe who entrenched themselues and sent certain horse to view the enemies countenance who were put to rout so as his Excellencie on the foure and twentieth of Iulie laid an ambush of one thousand musketiers and pikes together with 500 horse and so soone as it was day Prince Maurice Count Solms Sir Francis Veer and certaine horse went to Parmas trenches where on a sodain 10 cornets of horse charged furiously vpon them Our men according to their instructions fled and drew them into his Excellencies ambuscado who on euerie side assailed them and slew 60 on the place taking 150 prisoners These companies following were at this charge That of the Duke of Parma commaunded by Pietro Francisco Nicelli Captaine of his gard whose Cornet was taken That of D. Alonzo D'Aualos bastard brother tâ— the Marquesse of Guasto who with his Cornet was taken prisoner The companie of Hieronimo Caraffa and his Lieutenant Count Decio Manfredi together with his Cornet were taken prisoners The companie of Antonio Padilla the Spaniard hurt and taken prisoner and dyed at Arnham All these vvere Spanish and Italian Launciers The companie of Biasio Capazuca brother to Cosma the prince of Parmas Secretarie with Antonio Smigalia Spaniards to the number of sixe cornets of which diuers noble men were slain and one hundred and fiftie horse taken with three cornets which were caried to Arnham and foure cornets escaped On the duke of Parmas cornet the image of Christ was imbrodered with this inscription Hic fortium diuidet spolia and on the other side was the image of the Virgin Marie with her young sonne in the cradell with this inscription Quem genui adoro On Alonzo D'Aualos cornet was the image of S. Iohn shewing the Lambe of God Parmas selfe saw this ouerthrow from his Court in Nimmeguen called Valckenhof hauing intelligence likewise that ouer all Holland mariners were readie to come and besiege him with great numbers of boats and that prince Maurice did what he might to come vpon the Waell to breake his bridges therupon he commaunded his armie and ordnance to be transported out of the Betuwe and made a trench euen to the riuer garding it with a fort and so vnder the defence thereof and of the cities ordnance he easily crossed the riuer with his armie artillerie and baggage He excused his departure by letters which he said to haue receiued from the king of Spaine who commaunded him to returne into Fraunce to ayd the League and to raise the siege of that famous Merchant towne of Roan and yet he remained in the Low-countries 5 moneths after To make Parmas departure more troublesome those of Knodsenbourg made a sallie and together with the mariners did so assaile him as his escape was not without great losse The boats of Holland arriued the next day but too late to doe any more hurt to Parma For on the sixe and twentieth of Iulie he went forth of Nimmeguen where those of Knodsenbourg in their Boats made a shew as if they intended to assault the Towne Thus Parma left Nimmeguen tooke his leaue of the Burghers making many faire promises how that his camp shold remain therabout and that he would preserue the city as the apple of his eye telling them that they needed no strong garrison that the miserable ought not to be burthened with greater miserie Some of the Burghers sayd their power was too weake others refused to take in more ayde yet hee left them some small prouision And this notwithstanding the common people after his departure derided him The Towne of Hulst is besieged and taken on the 19 of Nouember in Anno 1591. AFter the Duke of Parmas departure Prince Maurice left Garrisons in the places nere adjoyning and being not yet satisfied with all his victories but desirous of the countries good and his owne honour he was loth to loose any faire occasion but by the aduise of his Councell made a new attempt vpon the Towne of Hulst in the Land of Waes in Flaunders Great preparations were made in Zeland where they shipt ordnance powder ladders bridges and all other necessaries for a siege These did Prince Maurice send speedily by water together with 4000 foot and by Brabant seuen Cornets of horse himselfe with other forces went vp the Riuer of Scheld and landed in Flanders where without delay on the 19 of September he besieged Hulst the chiefe towne in the land of Waes the Duke of Parma suspecting no such matter The one and twentieth of the said moneth the canon was planted and all the Forts nere adjoyning were taken the horse made incursions to the gates of Gaunt and Veer By the way they encountred certaine souldiers and Boores who had barricadoed themselues in a Church and would by no meanes yeeld whereupon they fired the Church and burnt them all And fearing least those of Antuerpe would send forces to surprise them they intrenched the way and opened the sluce of Calloo drowning the Countrie round about The garrison of Hulst from whence the gouernour a while before was gone with a Conuoy perceiuing the Canon to bee planted the vtter Rauelin to be battered themselues too weake to resist so great a power and despairing of any ayde fell to composition and two hundred and sixtie men did on the foure and twentieth of September depart forth of the Towne with their Armes and baggage A Spanish captaine who supplied the gouernors place whose name was Ieronimo Stribanij was by the Duke of Parmas commaund beheaded either because he had so soone yeelded vp the towne or else for that his companie which shold haue beene two hundred strong was found to be but sixtie The Burghers capitulated to be delt with in the same maner as other towns in Holland conforming themselues accordingly All Ecclesiastical persons departed likewise Count Solms Colonel of the Regiments of Zeland was made gouernour both of the towne and countrie with full and ample commaund and was well prouided of men and other necessaries The ordinarie impositious on merchandize both inward and outward in the same towne or which from thence was by land transported to other places were for fiue moneths space let to farme for eleuen thousand and eight hundred storms and they hoped in time to draw great contribution from the Villages round about But Mondragon with Steeland baylie of the Land of Waes determined presently to fortifie some great Villages nere to Hulst to stop our mens incursions as the Dorp called S. Ianten-Steen the Dorp of Steken and S. Iames Skonse The Spaniard in the
time felt the commoditie thereof notwithstanding they had much to doe both with the Indians and Portugals of which if any one desire to haue further knowledge I refer him to the descriptions thereof which haue beene written and published ¶ The taking of the towne of Huy in the countrie of Liege on the eighth of Februarie 1595. CHarles of Herauguier gouernor of Breda the better to aduance the enterprises on the countries of Luxembourg and Namur went forth of Breda on the last of Ianuarie with twelue ensignes of foot and foure cornets of horse and marched towards the towne of Huy which stands vpon the riuer Mase in the countrie of Liege it is a fine towne and hath a bridge ouer the Mase and a Castle and is the ordinarie aboad of the prince and bishop of Liege In the Castle was a weake garrison 24 or thirtie of our men were hid in a little house vnder the castle which stands high vpon a rock ouer this little house was one of the Castles windowes these thirtie men with a ladder made of ropes got vp to the window which they brake and entred some among them knew euerie corner of the castle so as in the Morning when the chiefe of the castle went forth of their houses thinking to goe to Masse they were on a sodaine taken by the throat bound and layd in a dungeon which done they tooke the castle and gate and some moued the towne to yeeld The Burghers ran to armes thinking to defend themselues but perceiuing Herauguier to come forwards with his troops they compounded and suffered him to enter with three ensignes of foot and two cornets of horse on the 8 of Februarie Herauguiere fortified the towne and castle reducing the enemies countries neere adjoyning vnder contribution The Towne was verie well seated for our men to make an offensiue warre it beeing a passage into the countries of Namur and Brabant neere to the confines of Luxembourg where they supposed to obtayne great victories vnder the conduct of the duke of Bouillon count Philip of Nassau Herauguieres troopes of horse did at the same time neere to Montmedy meete with seuen wagons laden with rich Italian Merchandize as veluets and silke stockings which were going towards Antuerpe and were worth three hundred thousand florins which they tooke and diuided amongst themselues But part of this Cauallerie belonging to the garrisons of Breda and Berghen in Brabant being desirous to returne home met with certaine of the enemies ordinarie bands conducted by generall Schets Lord of Grobbendonck who not farre off had tenne foot companies whereof our men hauing intelligence diuided themselues into 3 troopes one of which was assailed by the enemie and being ouerloden with bootie were beaten and 70 of them slain and taken prisoners among whom were two Lieutenants The taking of Huy belonging to the Bishop of Liege who liued as a Neuter was thus excused namely our men borrowed that towne but for a place of retreat without any hurt to the inhabitants which so soon as the war should be ended they would willingly surrender that the Bishop permitted the like to the townes of Berck and Bonne which were his and yet were detained by the Spaniards But the Bishop complained to the States of the wrongs done vnto him and of the breach of the neutrallitie crauing to haue his town redeliuered and therein imployed al his friends but because small regard was had of his complaints hee implored the ayd and assistance of the Archduke Ernestus who presently sent forces thither to free the countries of Namur and Brabant from incursion with commaundement to ayd the Bishop these troopes notwithstanding Ernestus death besieged the towne of Huy because they perceiued it could not easily be relieued Herauguieres with Captaine Balfort le Vos and others did shut themselues into the towne and yet the waters were risen ouer the whole countrie by reason of the great snow which was melted by a continuall raine so that they had small hope of aid for all the riuers and especially the Rhyne had so ouerflowed their bankes as in the memorie of man the like had not beene seene for all the countrie round about was drowned many thousands both men and cattell perished In Guelderland and Holland the Isle of Bommell and others were drowned as the Betuwe and the countrie neere to Vtrecht and Ammersfoort euen to the gates and suburbes of Vyane three thousand persons were drowned so as it was a great and just punishment of God Diuers skonses and Buâ—warke were borne away so as the souldiers had much to doe to secure the countrie and with great cost to repaire the forts Fuentes la Motte Barlaymont and other captaines considering that the States forces were cooped vp by water and that small reliefe could come to them did on the one side of the Mase besiege the towne of Huy and the bishops forces on the other side and at last on the thirteenth of March tooke the towne by force slew many of the garrison and tooke diuers of them prisoners the rest fled to the castle which was battered with two canon and vndermined by al the myners in the countrie so as in the end the castle was by composition deliuered to the Lord la Motte and vpon the twentieth of March our men departed with their armes and baggage At their departure the Spaniards would haue murthered them but la Motte and Grobbendonck sent them safely away Herauguieres by this meanes lost much credit being taxed for yeelding the castle so soone seeing that neere to Coloigne forces were readie to relieue him as also because the breach was not sufficient for the enemie to come to an assault but others judged the contrarie and said that he had done discreetly so this enterprise did smally profit the vnited Prouinces ¶ The taking of the Island and towne of Cales-Males in Andelusia in Spaine in the yeare 1596. IN the yeare 1596 the Queene of England did set forth a mightie fleet of sixteene or seuenteene of hir great ships royall in twelue or foureteene of which were three or foure hundred mariners in euerie ship beside fortie other English ships of warre with fiftie others which carried souldiers and prouisions The Lord Charles Howard Baron of Effingham and now Earle of Nottingham was Admerall generall of this fleet The Lord Thomas Howard now Earle of Suffolke was Vice-Admeral and sir Walter Raleigh knight and captaine of the Queenes guard was rere-Admerall My Lords the States of the vnited Prouinces did at her Majesties request set forth eighteen great ships of war each of them being manned with one hundred and thirtie men beside sixe others loden with victuals and ammunition and in each of them fortie men the Lord Iohn of Duvenvord Lord of Warmont Admerall of Holland was by the States made Admerall of this fleet Iohn Gerbrantsoon of Enchuysne was Vice-Admerall the rere-Admirall was Cornellis Lensen of Flushing but they were tied by agreement
of Turnholt where his Excellencie caused his souldiers to rest a while Count Varax and the lord of Bolanson with 4 regiments of foot and 5 companies of horse had intrenched themselues in Turnholt he hauing intelligence that his Excellencie was so neere did by the aduice of his Councell cause the baggage to be laden by night and sent it away before intending by breake of day to follow with his whole armie and to retire safely to Herentals His Excellencie in like manner on the 24 of the said moneth early in the Morning did set forward marching still in his order when the waies would permit him The cauallerie bearing long Pistols made the vaunt-gard and was diuided into sixe troopes The two first in each of which were foure cornets were somewhat seperated and yet still flanked one another that on the right hand was conducted by the Earles Hohenlo and Solms After them followed two other troopes each of them consisting of three Cornets marching likewise somewhat diuided from the rest to bee the better able vpon any occasion to receiue the former into their rankes or else they to bee by them receyued in like manner His Excellencie followed the Cauallerie with two other troopes marching as the rest did somewhat diuided The footmen were diuided into eight troops viz. presently after the horsemen followed two squadrons verie neere to one another after them three and then two all of them marching in like manner as the former After them followed two demie canon with other field pieces placed betwixt the munition wagons and drawne by those that ordinarily had charge thereof together with certaine mariners Next them followed the rest of the foot troops enclosing the battel still marching in this order when the ground would permit them otherwise they troopt closely together fitting thēselues to the waies waters bridges that lay betwixt Rauels Turnholt His Excellencie being come before Turnhoult which was abandoned thought good by the aduice of the sayd earles other captaines to set forward speedily towards the enemie onely with the horse and to let the foot troopes follow to leaue the canon nere to the mill of Turnhoult guarded by part of the footmen This did his Excellencie presently put in execution but meeting with a little narrow way full of water beneath Turnhoult where the enemie had left forces to defend the passage he forthwith sent certain musketiers thither vnder the conduct of sir Francis Veer and the lord Vander Aa Lieutenant of his guard These enforced the enemie to quit the passage whereupon his Excellencie went forward and presently came to a plain champaine where he descried followed the enemie that fled in this manner Their baggage went before towards Herentals garded by certain souldiers next followed the battell The caualerie for the most part was gone before viz. Nicholo Basta D. Iuan de Cordoua Alonzo Dragon Guzman and Grobbendonck After them followed foure regiments diuided one from another the first was the regiment of Almans vnder Count Sultz the second La Mott his old regiment commaunded at that time by the lord of Achicourt the third was the regiment of La Barlotte the fourth of Neapolitans vnder the Marquesse of Treuick On the right hand sometime two cornets of horse marched and sometime on the left on the left hand were trees neere which was a small riuer running from Turnhoult It was not long ere they were ouertaken but by reason of the bad wayes and a valley ful of water which lay betweene the enemie and the States forces our men had no fit opportunitie as yet to assaile them Sir Francis Veer with a few horse certain musketiers entertained the enemies rereward with skirmish therby hindring him from his intended flight till they came to the farther end of that valley of water then the earles Hohenlo and Solms as first at the battaile perceiuing a certaine place of aduantage betwixt them and Count Varax fearing likewise least the enemie would entangle a narrow passage wherein his baggage was alreadie entred told his Excellencie That it was more than time to assaile the enemie whereupon a signal being giuen they charged him The earles Hohenlo and Solms with 4 cornets of Breda gaue in on the enemies right side those of Berghen-op-Zoom vpon the enemies hindmost regimēt so as the Neapolitans being last were the first that were assailed by Marcelis Bacx and his brother accompanied by Du Bois Done two captaines Count Hohenlo and Solms with the 4 cornets of Breda charging directly the enemies first regiment to which their cauallerie was alreadie turned backe meaning to charge those of Berghen in flanke did verie opportunely preuent them and putting them to rout went on and fell vpon Count Sults regiment with such furie as the enemies were onely content to make slight triall of their valour and betaking themselues to flight left Alonzo Dragon his cornet behind them His Excellencie perceiuing that the charge was alreadie giuen sent sir Robert Sidney and sir Frauncis Veer who till then had entertayned the enemie with continuall skirmish with certaine horse to cut off the enemies rereward The rest of the cauallerie stayed neere to his Excellencie to succour and releeue the first if need should be till at last perceiuing a manifest aduantage all of them in a manner fell into the battell Count Varax Generall of the enemies armie was slaine vpon the place and all his men beeing on euerie side fiercely assailed fell to open flight which was to no purpose as beeing on the one side incompassed by our cauallerie on a plaine ground and on the other with a riuer and trees so as few of them could escape to the narrow way and aboue two thousand of them lay dead vpon the playne and foure hundred were taken prisoners all this was done in so short a space as the States footmen notwithstanding all their hast could not come in in time but before their ariual the horsemen had gotten the victorie The enemies cauallerie perceiuing they could not well escape some of the brauest and most resolute among them to the number of 40 caused a trumpet to sound a charge and fel vpon those whom in disorder they saw busied in pillage making shew as if they intended to giue a fresh charge vpon our men whereupon some of our timerous cowards fled towards the footmen who were comming forward Prince Maurice lookt after his troopes of horse which he had reserued for succours but in vayne whereupon he commanded the prisoners to alight from their horses who earnestly begged for mercie saying That there was alreadie sufficient bloud spilt to finish the victorie yet diuers of them were slaine and then we perceiued the want of our troopes of succours but euerie man making hast towards his Excellencie especially Marcelis Bacx and Edmunds the enemie was so amazed as he againe betooke himselfe to flight Eight and thirtie ensignes were taken there together with D. Alonzo de Mondragons cornet
But within a while after as Count Nicholas of Teckelenbourg vncle to Conrade that was deceased called the matter in question as a fee belonging to the Duchie of Guelders the Emperour againe tooke it into his owne hand and disposed of it afterward according to his owne pleasure This towne was well fortified with Bulwarkes Dikes and a strong garrison for beside foure strong bulwarkes in the Castle the towne had double rampiers and dikes with foure bulwarkes and three rauelins and six hundred souldiers in garrison comprehended in three foot companies and one Cornet of horse vnder the conduct of Count Frederick of Berguen the Drossart Indevelt Laukema Verdugos Lieutenant with all other necessaries belonging to a siege Count Frederick had caused certaine houses that stood nere the towne to be burnt because the enemie should not seaze on them The next day the besieged made a salley burnt a mill which stood without the towne and skirmished with the Scots who did beat them in againe In the night as our men began to make their approches those in the towne and castle did nothing all that night and most part of the next day but discharge their ordnance so as the whole towne seemed to be on fire The thirtieth of October sixe ensignes of Frizons came to the campe and the besieged about eight of the clocke the same euening did with one thousand fiue hundred men assaile the gard of Frizons where captaine Peter Leenwaerd his Serjeant and two or three souldiers were slaine after which the townesmen with some losse retired The one and thirtieth of October and first of Nouember certaine canons were planted and our men began to batter the fortifications the better thereby to make their approach The night following we made a batterie with sixe canon and the souldiers marched the same day euen to the dike of the rauelin before the gate called Molen-port The second of Nouember nineteene boats came to Embden loden with ordnance and munition and passed along by a place called Oort notwithstanding the opposition of the castle which belonged to the Earle The third and fourth of Nouember the approches on euerie side were aduaunced so as the souldiers before Molen-port came so farre into the rauelin as they found a Myne which the townesmen had made and some of them tooke their hats and filled them with gun powder which beeing perceiued by the besieged they flung forth wild-fire vpon our souldiers which burnt diuers of them together with certaine Myners this happened on the 5 of Nouember The same day the Embassadors of Denmarke arriued viz. the Chanceller Witfelt and the Lord Barnekou with a great traine and strong Conuoy they came from the Hague and passed by Swoll to come and see the campe visiting the trenches but not without admiration wondering at and commending our skill in martiall matters The next day they departed thence and were strongly conuoyed towards Dulmenhorst The same day the workes were well aduaunced and the 6 of Nouember three galleries were made which were bargained to be done the one for one thousand six hundred the other for one thousand fiue hundred and the third for one thousand foure hundred florins this money was more bountifully bestowed because the States of Holland had sent 10000 florins to the campe for payment of the workes so as before Molen-port and Leuckport our men were gotten into the rauelins to leuell the causies which kept the water in the dikes The seuenth and eighth of Nouember the besiegers began to seaze vpon the rauelins before the gates and to let forth the water The ninth of Nouember artillerie and munition came to the campe whereupon three dayes after his Excellencie made another batterie with foure and twentie pieces of ordnance vpon the castle and after that vpon the twelfth day he had battered the fortifications for eight houres space and vnder fauour of the canon began to vndermyne two bulwarkes he summoned the towne thereupon the townesmen craued an houres respit for consultation and a cessation of the ordnance and Myne but his Excellencie would giue them no time so as they demanded two hostages for two of their men whom they would send vnto him the one was Verdugos Lieutenant and the other Euert de Ens and late in the Euening a composition was made That they should depart the next day with their horse armes Cornet ensignes and baggage and should crosse the Rhyne and Mase according to the agreement of those of Oldenzeel deliuering vp all their papers and writings concerning the demaines of the Countrie to his Excellencie crauing fiftie wagons for their first dayes journey and that all the officers and Burghers might remaine six weekes in the towne to end their businesse and afterwards with passeport to goe whither they should please This capitulation was made in the presence of the Earles of Lunenbourg Lippe Swartzenbourg and Benthem who were come to the campe to salute Prince Maurice The same night count Solms Count Lodwick and Count Ernestus went to sup in the castle with Count Frederick of Berguen and his brother Adolph and returned at night to the Campe where gards were euerie where placed The thirteenth of Nouember Count Frederick requested that he might remaine there that day which was graunted on condition that his men should leaue the Castle and Captaine Martin Cobbe with his companie was sent into the Castle and Captaine Telinghen with his companies into the Towne where they found one canon two demie canons one Coluering three demie Culuerings one Falconet and two morters with 12000 weight of gunpowder The foureteenth of Nouember the garrison went away it consisted of 500 foot and one Cornet of 50 horse and the first night they lodged at Salsbergue in the land of Munster The same day his Excellencies troopes began likewise to march the horsemen through Munster towards Berck and the Fanterie to Swoll there to be imbarked for Holland The fifteenth of Nouember his Excellencie Count William and the rest of the armie departed from Lingen and went that night to Vlsen where the next day they separated themselues each one going to his garrison Prince Maurice in all his exploits is highly to be commended for his great and continuall speed wisedome and skill in martiall matters hauing in three moneths space obtained such great and notable victories for in these actions beside the Danish Embassadours and the commissioner of the townes and Countries of Cologne Munster and Osnabrugge there were two Dukes nine Earles with many other Lords and Noble men which came in person to his campe to salute and congratulat him and to be eye-witnesses of his victories and valour In these actions he did in a short space vanquish two thousand men on the farther side of the Rhyne in the townes of Berck Alpen and Meurs and on the hither side thereof sixe and twentie foot companies and foure Cornets of horse all old souldiers vnder the conduct of two Earles sundrie old Colonels
which he shot into the Towne and ouer the bridge but did no great hurt spoyling the houses more than men daily approching towards the waters side that he might be able to reach our bridge with his ordnance and our men to defend it did much eleuat the wings of their trenches Our trenches bulwarks batteries were daily encreased being stored with diuers canoÌ„ culuerins other yron pieces which continually played vpon the enemie doing great hurt among his men so as they drew backe their cabins and Tents to be free from the canon Diuers of the enemies dead wounded men were daily carryed to Sertoghenbuske and other places neere adjoyning which filled the Hospitalls among whom were many Captaines and commaunders beside those that were dayly buried in the fields The foure and twentieth of May the enemie departed from the Isle of Bommell with fiue thousand foot and one thousand horse to fetch in victuals munition and other necessaries and on the six and twentieth he sent foure thousand foot men and certaine horse towards Antuerpe to conuoy the pay for the armie to the Campe and the better to couer his intent he discharged many vollies of shot seeking thereby to carrie away certayne ordnance Thereupon his Excellencie with all the gards went downe lower being followed by six cornets of horse and out of euerie English companie he tooke fiftie men which in all amounted to one thousand three hundred foot and with them embarked himselfe from Worcum and marched far into Brabant but the enemie hauing descried our men retired with all the treasure into Herentalls beeing vnwilling to leaue his aduauntage whereupon Prince Maurice returned to his Campe leauing certayne straglers behind him On the seuen and twentieth of May the enemie receiued his pay in the Isle of Bommell which was thought in value to bee worth sixe tun of gold all the garrisons dispersed here and there ouer Brabant were commanded to come to the campe to receiue their pay The same day our men of warre vpon the riuer dragged vp certaine engins that went vnder water which were carried away by the currant wherewith the enemie thought to haue blowne vp either our ships or bridge they were fiue foot long and one foot broad there were in them sixe Chambers charged with powder verie artificially made with fire-lockes and did beare out a point before which comming to strike against any thing the spring vnbended it selfe and gaue fire to the powder which brake all things neere it in pieces the enemie had made many of these yet they did in no sort hurt either our bridge or ships The thirtieth of May the bodie of the enemies Campe was much enlarged by great numbers of Tents and Cabins for he had newly receiued twelue great canons called the twelue Apostles each of them carrying a bullet of threescore pound weight with which came foure thousand Spaniards and Italians and certain cornets of horse The same day the enemie attempted to crosse the Waell neere to Dreule two leagues beyond Tyell but his Excellencie forthwith sent sixteene foot companies and fiue cornets of horse to stop their passage The same day our double canon and other ordnance plaied fiercely vpon the enemie who did the like vpon the Towne and especially towards the bridge but the bullets for the most part fell in a place called Haeftensche-weert doing no great hurt either to the bridge or men Dailâ—e skirmishes were made betwixt the sentinels souldiers which deserue no long discourse onely our men were commonly victorious Beside those of Bommell the inhabitants of Voorn Heusden Gorcum and other neighbour Townes made incursions vpon the enemie and tooke daily store of prisoners and many gallant horse and in Bommell alone during the siege more than foure hundred were sold. Newes came from Sertoghenbusk that on the eight and twentieth and nine and twentieth of May aboue fourescore wagons of dead and hurt men were brought thither beside those that were carried to Heel and other Townes His Excellencie caused the place where the old Cloister stood to be fortified from whence the enemie might haue greatly annoyed the Towne if hee had come on that side He did likewise fortifie a place called LitsenhaÌ„ began an halfe Moone there that he might from thence make incursions vpon the enemie The third of Iune his Excellencie caused all the ordnance of the Towne Bulwarkes and batteries to be discharged vpon the enemies campe for an houre together which enforced them to retire from before the towne and by night to burne their cabins and by to dislodge In this maner did the canon raise the siege of Bommell which the enemie had begirt for the space of twentie dayes The Spaniards from the beginning had no great hope of this siege but had rather to haue gone before Breda or some other Towne in the champaine countrie accusing La Bourlotte to be a traytor to the king whose negligence had held backe their first intended enterprises Those of Bommel perceiuing the enemies retreat did in troops run to their forsaken campe where they found much baggage armour and other engins many dead men vnburied many hurt men and yong children left behind whom his Excellencie sent after them causing the dead bodies to be buried and the wounded to be brought into the towne to be healed The fifth of Iune the enemies trenches batteries and other workes were made playne and leuell by the Burghers and souldiers with their owne tooles which they had left behind The enemie was so afraid to tarrie in Bommelers-weert as diuers Captaines which were not hurt withdrew themselues to Sertoghenbusk wearing their armes in Scarfes the better to absent themselues the number of them was so great as proclamations were made by sound of drum and Trumpet That all commanders and officers being in the kings pay should returne to their quarter and ensignes and a generall search was made to enforce such to the campe as were vnwilling The enemie hauing abandoned Bommell retired toward Rossem where the Country lay somewhat high and there encamped causing his bridge to be taken away from Creuecoeur and to be carried higher betwixt Alem and Marem His Excellencie to keepe the enemie forth of the Isle of Tiell fortified all the passages and sent 7 French ensignes to Nerines 8 companies belonging to the Lord Vander-Noot and foure of Suesses to Varick He began to plant sundrie batteries and to fortifie the Island called Rossensche-middel-weert and other places he likewise strongly entrenched the Isle of Voorn Both the campes were quiet all Iune because the enemie was afraid to passe on his way and Prince Maurice attended him in vaine each side being busied in making batteries and other fortifications and annoying one another with the ordnance The enemie began a verie great and strong Fort at Rossem vpon a Dike called Lorre-graft in a streight and narrow place of the Isle of Bommel with Curtaines the better to shadow himselfe and to cause the sayd
captiues haue bin freed from the hands the bloudie Spaniards Let the King of Spaine stay our Marchants let him kill and burne our Mariners and suppose that he hath weakenedour countries yet he shall find that wee haue braued him in his owne Realmes and made his Cnaries so wast and desart as of along time he will reape no profit by them and we on the contrary encreased our countries meanes by wealth gotten from him and reuenged our intollerable wrongs wherein by Gods assistance we will still valiantly persist ¶ The taking of the towne of Deuticum in Annno 1599. BEcause the Admerall of Arragons Armie remained for the most part in Brabant his Excellencie like a wise and valiant Captaine laying hold on occasion sent his cousin Count William of Nassau Gouernor of Frizeland with ten companies of horse 24 foot Ensignes with Commission to take forth of sundry Garisons 26 Ensignes more amounting in all to the number of 50 with ordnance and other necessaries for a seege and to doe his best to take the towne of Deuticum from the enemie and thereupon on the 24 of August he came before the towne and on the 25 began to fortifie and intrench himselfe on the 26 he planted two peeces of ordnance and after that one and began to make his batterie whereat they within it being terrified so soone as they were summoned to yeeld craued a parley which was forthwith granted and by their capitulation they were to depart thence on the 27 of August with foure Ensignes commanded by Don Inigo de Otaela who was Gouernor likewise of the Castle of Schuylenbourg which he yeelded vp to his Excellencie fearing if he should delay the matter till the Almanes were ariued who were hourely lookt for that then he could not make his peace at so cheapâ— a rate nor procure so sure a Conuoy These two places thus woone the vnited Prouinces were masters of all the Countrey as far as Rhine and his Excellencie manned Deuticum with a Garison There was 52 barrells of pouder and other warlike munition found in the towne This being done Count William and his souldiers did on the 29 of August returne to his Excellencies campe neere to the Isle of Voorn ¶ The taking of the Towne and Castle of Wachtendonck in An. 1600. WHilest the Archdukes were receiued ouer all Brabant and Flanders as Princes and Lords of those Countreys his Excellencie made an attempt vpon the towne of Wachtendonck Which is a strong place seated beyond Guelderland vpon the Riuer Niers which some twelue yeares since had beene taken from the vnited Prouinces by Count Charles of Mansfelt after two moneths seege His Excellencie one the 22 of Ianuarie lying in the Monasterie of Bebber neere to Cleue assembled 8 cornets of horse and 800 foot vnder conduct of Count Lodwick and Colonell Edmunds who with certaine wagons did before noone begin to march and went the same night to Niekercke neere to Watchtendonck after some repose they went towards the towne where some ouer the yee and others by the dikes gat vp vpon the Townes Rampiers there were not aboue 80 souldiers both in the towne and Castle for the horse Garison was gon a boothaling toward Cologn where they sackt the Castle of Wander-stuyt where they were beaten by certain souldiers of the GarisoÌ„s of Bonne Bruiler His Excellencies souldiers being gotten into the town the alarme was presently giuen but they found no great resistance but with ease became masters thereof That done they placed certaine musketiers vpon the rampiers causing them to shoot continually vpon the Castle and on such as made defence whereby the Gouernor the Lord of Geleyn was hurt in the throat and some other slaine The Gouernor had but 30 souldiers with him and presently sent to the Earle of Bergue that lay at Ruremond for aide who forthwith sent thither all the Garisons neere adioyning but they came too late for Count Lodwick of Nassau was by this time ariued with his troups of horse In the meane time certaine of them alighted from their horse and together with the Lieutenant of his Excellencies coÌ„panie had passed the dikes and gotten vpon the Castles Rampiers where at last they became masters of it promising to some their liues within it A maid that serued the Gouernor and was of a manlie courage did with an yron forke ouerturne a ladder whereon fiue men were ascending In this manner the towne and Castle were taken on the 23 of Ianuarie This towne being seated in the verie middest of the Country where the Spaniard hath great Commaund and in a moorish soyle was verie commodious and fit for ouerthrowing the Admerall of Arragons practises there Not far from thence lay certaine foot Companies of Spaniards which were in great danger to haue beene discouered and beaten for they could not be receiued into Guelder nor other townes in regard of their mutinus disorders This enterprise being fortunaâ—ly atchieued by Count Lodwick and the Scottish Colonell Edmonds did greatly inrich them for all the boores of the Countrey had brought their cheefest wealth thither After that they had giuen order for the safetie of the towne and Castle they departed thence on the 24 of Ianuarie with the Cauallery leauing the Lord of Ryhouen Gouernor of the Towne with all the Infantrie and because the towne was vnprouided of munition Colonell Edmonds went back thither on the 5 of Februarie with a conuoy of all necessary prouisions The 14 of Februarie his Excellencie sent thither againe vnder conduct of Count Lodwick assembling seuenteene cornets of horse and two thousand foot either to send a greater Conuoy to Wachtendonck or else vnder that colour to make an attempt vpon some other towne But in their march intelligence was giuen that Colonell la Bourlotte was vpon a march in Brabant with his owne regiment and that of Achicourt about a certaine exploit The Lord of Sidenisky being at Bommel countermanded Count Lodwick and his forces back to the Isle of Tiell there to stop preueÌ„t Bourlottes attempts Bourlotte thought to haue made vse of some of the mutineers of Hamont but they hauing some bad suspition of him would not march notwithstanding all his faire promises he thought likewise to haue taken away with him part of the Garison of Saint Andrews fort and thereupon on the fifteenth of Februarie he tooke muster of them But those of that Garison hauing receiued no pay of a long time began to mutin the verie same day and though at first they were pacified by faire words yet the same night they fell into a greater mutiny discharging the ordnance and tooke their Captaines prisoners ransacking the Gouernors lodging and other houses The sixteenth they sent their officers whom they had imprisoned together with diuers women and children to Sertoghenbusk Those of Creuecoeur hauing notice hereof and perceiuing that there was no pay for them neither did on the seuenteenth day follow their example began to mutin La Bourlotte by this
giue him leaue for inclosing and beseeging the towne After dinner my Lords the Generall states receiued news how that Archduke Albert had leuied tenne thousand foot and one thousand fiue hundred horse was come to Oudenbourg Hereupon foure of our Companies that lay in the forts of Bredene and Plessendale withdrew themselues not tarying his comming and the Garrison that was in Oudenbourg which consisted of six foot Companies and two Cornets of horse left there by his Excellencie were enforced to yeeld it vp on composition The like did two Companies that lay in a fort at Snaeskerck vnto which Garrison though the enemie had promised good quarter and that they should depart with their armes and baggage onely leauing their Ensignes behind and the capitulation signed by the Archdukes selfe yet they brake their promise for first diuers horse and foot of the Garrison of Oudenbourg breaking their rancks slew many of them hurt others and disarmed the rest and for a testimonie of their treacherous and bloudie nature did most villanously murder the two Companies that lay in Snaeskercke contrarie to their word and promise Some few souldiers that escaped hauing brought these newes to Ostend my Lords the States did in post aduertise his Excellencie thereof that he might be in readinesse and presently sent more men to Albertus fort which they furnished with victualls munition and other necessaries The second of Iuly the bloudie battaile neere to Niewport was fought whereof we will speake in the next description The third of Iuly about nine of the clock in the morning his Excellencie came in person to Ostend bringing Don Francisco de Mendoza Admeral of Arragon with him as his prisoner And after that my Lords the states had congratulated his Excellencies victorie he requested that generall thankes might be giuen to God which done himselfe with the Admerall dined with the states the armie remayning on the Downes beyond Albertus fort The same day and the day before diuers prisoners men of note brought from the Armie to Ostend were slaine both within and without the Towne by the remainder of the Scots and other souldiers in reuenge of the wrong and crueltie committed by the Enemie vpon our men contrarie to their promise and Law of armes The fourth and fift day whilest the armie refresht it selfe his Excellencie remained in Ostend in consultation with my Lords the states The same day we were busied in burying our dead looking to the hurt and sick souldiers sending them to places where they might be healed in deliuering prisoners Many horse armes and much bootie taken in the battaile were sold many Spanish cloakes cassocks with store of apparell were likewise taken which were not vnwelcome to our men The sixt day in the morning his Excellencie returned with his armie to Nâ—ewport and lay before the towne in the same quarter where he had formerly rested not being able that day nor the night following to doe any notable exploit by reason of the continuall rayne and foule weather After dinner order was taken for sending the prisoners into Holland and likewise the Admerall who by some of the States was conducted aboord the man of wâ—rs Brigantine His Excellencie on the seuenth day receiued letters from Count Frederick of Berguen wherein he craued libertie to send some to search among the dead bodies for some Captaines and chiefe Commanders and for buriall of the dead in the place of buriall Towards Euening the Admerall Iustine of Nassau came to the States with letters of credence from his Excellencie contayning certaine propositions wherein he craued their resolution but the said Lords thinking it necessarie to confer with his Excellencie sent for a conuoy About the seuenth day we tooke from the enemie a certaine halfe moone standing before the towne on the North side of the hauen which was taken with losse of six or eight men on either side The eight day in the morning a Conuoy of foure Cornets of horse ariued and the said Lords departed from Ostend to the Campe before Niewport where they consulted with his Excellencie concerning those propositions which the Admerall of Nassau had made vnto them the day before In the euening 25 souldiers with Lopestaues and halfe pikes were sent to leape the dikes carrying with them two Wagons each of them loden with one boat and other prouision to set on fire on some bridgâ—s on the Southeast side of the towne which in part was effected but not wholly The enemie the same day made great fires vpon the townes steeple and discharged many shot froâ— a Rauelin on the North-side of the towne to hinder the approach of our men wee afterwards vnderstood by prisoners and others that supplies were the same night brought into the towne and in that regard those fires were made The ninth day after that the States had dined with his Excellency they returned againe to Ostâ—nd crossing the hauen on foote ouer a bridge leauing their wagons and conuoy behind to follow them the enemie made many shot at them but did no harme to any man Whilest the wagons passed ouer the said Lords walked on foot for a while vpon the Downes where they saw such numbers of dead bodies as was lâ—mentable to behold His Excellencie hauing intelligence the same Euening that Colonell La Bourlotte was onward on his way with two thousand souldiers to trie if he could enter into Niewport did presently double all the gards and gaâ—e directions to hinder the enemies attempt if it were possible The 10 and 11 dayes no notable matter was done but onely our approaches were set forward as well as the bad and raynie weather would permit The 11 day at night the foot Regiment of the Marquis Varrabon entred the town and the next day they made three fires vpon the tower The twelueth the enemie made a salley vpon our trenches and with such fury as our souldiers were enforced to retire to the principall gards and then the alarme being giuen our men began to skirmish and did in such sort assarle the enemie as they draâ—e him in disorder to the towne gates and slew the Lieâ—tenant Colonell two Captaines and certaine souldiers of the same Regiment The Marquis his Regiment hauing entred the Towne and others likelie euerie day to enter in regard we could not inclose the towne on one side by reason of the broken lands and other inconueniences his Excellencie found many difficulties in continuing the seege and therefore on the 13 of the said moneth he went earlie in the morning to Ostend to propound these difficulties to the States and to craue their aduise After some conference it was thought fit seeing that Generall Wijngaerdens Regiment was newly arriued with fiue new Cornets of horse wherewith our Campe was strengthned to continue the siege and thereupon after that his Excellencie and my Lord his brother had dined they returned to the Campe. During his Excellencie abode in Ostend the enemie had made another sallie on Count Ernestus
of Nassau his Quarter but not so fierce an one as that of the day before and was presently repulsed with losse of Commanders and souldiers The 14 and 15 wee were busied in making three small forts there where our batterie was to be made thereby to assure the Canon and in the meane time the ordnance that was landed was againe sent to the ships My Lords the States perceiuing their presence at Ostend and in those parts to be to no great purpose made all things readie for their departure the next day and to this end the Aduocate Barnenelt went to his Excellencies Campe after dinner to confer with him once more returning the same night to Ostend The sixteenth of Iuly in the morning the Admerall of Nassau came to Ostend from his Excellencie propounding new difficulties to the States for continuance of the seege whereon hauing consulted they wrot back to his Excellencie that they wholy referd it to his owne discretion to proceed therein as he should find it most profitable for the Countries seruice and if he did breake vp his Campe to giue carefull directions for the timelie imbarking of the munition ordnance and other necessaries for preuenting of greater mischiefe with this answere they dismissed the Admerall About fiue of the clock in the Euening my Lords the States being embarked in the hauen of Ostend and word brought them that his Excellencie was come thither in person accompanied by my Lord his brother Barneuelt the Lord of Santen and others were set on shore and had some conference with his Excellencie which done they tooke their leaues and returned to the ships His Excellencie had shewed them sundry reasons why he thought it not fit to continue the Armie any longer before Niewport and therefore resolued to depart thence and to lead it before the forts about Ostend and first to assault Isabelles for t and then the rest The States hauing taken their leaue set faile about six or seuen of the clocke the same euening and arriued on the 17 day in the Morning at Middelbourg where they resolued to goe to Berghen-op-Zoom and there gaue audience to the commissioners of the generall States of the Prouinces on the other side assembled at Bruxels viz. the lord Gerart of Horne Earle of Bassingeri Philip of Pentinck lord of Vicht the Drossart or Magistrat of the land of Montfort and Master Henrie de Coâ—t pentioner of the citie of Ypre and to this end sent them passeport writing vnto them to meet at Berghen-op-Zoom on Thursday the 20 of Iulie these letters were sent in post to gouernour Bacx that he might send them away by a Trumpet with commaundement to make readie the Court against their comming and to prepare lodging for both parties The eighteenth and nineteenth of Iulie the States tarried at Middelbourg taking order for whatsoeuer was necessarie for the Common-wealths seruice Letters likewise were brought from Ostend certifying them that his Excellencie had on the 17 of the same moneth begun to breake vp his campe had brought his armie neere to Ostend to besiege the fort of Isabella The 20 of Iulie early in the Morning the generall States departed from Middelbourg to Berghen-op-Zoom where they arriued the same Euening whither the commissioners of the other side likewise came the same night within an houre after their arriuall being in number 23 who supped that night in the companie of the said Lords at the gouernours house The 21 day they deliuered their letters of credence and commission and after dinner an answer was prepared for them At night the commissioners supt with the said Lords whither the gouernour and some of the Magistrats were inuited and hauing receiued their answer in an enclosed letter whereof a coppie was giuen to each of them they departed thence on the 22 day verie early in the Morning The Magistrats of Berghen did that day at dinner feast my Lords the States who in the afternoone embarked themselues and sayled till they came before Saint Annes-land where they came to an ankor tarrying for the Aduocat Barnevelt and the Burgomaster Vander Dussen who were goneto a place called Saint Martins Dike to visit Count Hohenlo who was sicke meaning to returne the next day to the States The three and twentieth day the said lord Barnevelt being returned they weighed ankor and set saile but hauing a contrarie wind the said lords landed in the countrie of Putte and by crossing certaine passages arriued the same night about tenne or eleuen of the clocke at the Hague leauing their baggage with the ensignes and cornets woon at the battaile of Niewport to follow after which were brought the next day in the afternoone to the Hague The said ensignes cornets and some Trumpets were on the eight and twentieth of Iulie hung vp in the great hall of the court for a perpetuall remembrance of so famous and notable a victorie graunted by God to these countries ¶ A true description of the bloudie battaile betwixt Prince Maurice of Nassau and the Archduke Albert of Austria woon neere Niewport in Flanders the 2 of Iulie Anno 1600. THe Archduke vpon intelligence that his Excellencie lay before Niewport did speedily march with his armie towards the Downes the verie same way that his Excellencie had gone intending to passe on directly to Niewport His Excellencie vsing all meanes possible to hinder his comming and to win time did on the 2 of Iulie by day break send his cousen count Ernest of Nassau forth of the armie with 2 foot regiments Scots Zelanders 4 cornets of horse vnto whom the States according to his Excellencies direction added certaine companies of the garrison of Ostend to stop the enemies passage ouer the bridges lying vpon a water on the high way towards the Downes neere to Alberts fort But the enemie before their arriuall had alreadie taken the bridge passed ouer his chief force our men being too few to hinder his passage to the Downes and our regiments being engaged by the enemie too weake to make resistance against their whole armie yet after a braue fight like valiant souldiers they were at last put to rout the whole losse falling on the Scots who lost all their Captaines and commaunders and 800 of themselues were slaine vpon the place among whom were eleuen Captaines many Lieutenants and other officers vpon this victorie the Archduke wrot to Bruges that he had defeated Prince Maurice his vantgard and so engaged the rest of his Armie as he could not escape whereupon Bells were the same day rung at Bruges and afterwards in other townes as though they had already wonne all but to their great losse they soone perceiued the contrarie This ouerthrow did greatly perplex the States and others that were in Ostend considering the great danger the Common-wealth might haue sustained if any mishap had befallen our Campe which lay on both sides the Hauen diuided one from an other And because in such extremities when human helpe seemeth
was engaged by the enemie captaine Cloet knowing the Earle by his Orange coloured plume charged vpon a companie of Lanciers that were comming to charge the Earle who by this meanes escaped our cauallerie retired to his Excellencie who encouraged the souldiers re-enforcing them with two companies that were with him who constrained the enemie to giue backe His Excellencie sent two cornets of horse to the shore viz. his owne commaunded by Captaine Bael and Generall Veers companie commaunded by Captaine Pembrooke These two companies beeing come to the shoare stayed neere the batterie expecting the enemie Our ordnance charged with musket bullets played vpon the enemie who lost many men and horse and were enforced to quit the Downes and yet they returned againe to the shore and came before the batterie Then the companies of Baell and Generall Veer charged fiercely vpon the enemie who fled and then charged the fanterie likewise so as Baell tooke Sapena prisoner on the Downes and Generall Veers companie D. Lewis de Villar His Excellencies cauallerie on the plaine repulsed the enemie for he did continually put them in order and caused them to charge there where hee saw most need so as in the end our men perceiuing that the enemie began to flie both on the shore and Downes tooke courage and on euerie side charged him who at first began to giue backe and afterward betook himselfe to open flight and thereby our men woon the place of battaile and obtained the victorie diuers pursued the enemie into the Marshes and to the new Dam taking many of them prisoners this battaile was sharpe and bloudie on both sides The Archduke who hardly escaped did in this battaile both of such as were slayne and taken prisoners lose the greatest part of all his commaunders chiefe Lords Noblemen and household seruants together with most of the captaines and officers of his armie videlicet D. Francesco de Mendoza Admerall of Arragon Count Salines D. Lewis de Villar Campe-Master D. Lewis d'Avila D. Pedro de Mendoza Doctour Andrew N. one of his highnesse phisitians Count Charles Rezin one of his Pages D. Gaspar Moragon fiue and thirtie Captaines both of horse and foot two hundred and three Lieutenants ensignes Sergeants Dons Caualiers and others of name to the number of thirtie And beside these we got 8 pieces of ordnance all the munition much baggage and the verie furniture of the Archdukes own Chamber and Cabinet and among other things his Signet and aboue 100 ensignes with certaine cornets and Trumpets The number of the dead on the Archdukes side was 7000 beside those that were afterwards slaine and died of their hurts and his Excellencie lost betwixt two or three thousand accounting those which had beene defeated in the Morning Among other ensignes there was presented to my Lords the generall States a Standerd belonging to 1600 Spanish mutineers made of blew Damaske hauing on the one side in middest of a field the figure of our Ladie in a Sun before whom a Moncke kneeled ouer his head these words in golden letters Aue gratia plena ouer the virgins head was a great golden star and neere to it in golden letters Stella Maris in the middest on her right hand was the figure of a Sun and neere it these letters Electa vt Sol on the left hand the Moone with this inscription Pulchra vt Luna at her feet stood a Turret with these words Turris Dauidis and beneath vpon the hem of the Standard Benedicta tu in mulieribus On the other side was the represention of our Lord Iesus Christ vpon the Crosse ouer his head were these words in golden letters Adoramus te Christe benedicimus tibi in the middest Recordare nouissimatua in aeternum non peccabis and beneath Quia per crucem tuam redemisti mundum All these figures were cunningly wrought euen to the life In this battaile the greatest losse fell to the Spaniards and Italians who were the chiefe strength and glorie of the Spaniards armie who in the Morning did assure themselues of the victorie and that with such confidence as they made no doubt of it but marched on before hoping alone to gain the honour of the day It was a magnificent and gallant victorie for my Lords the generall States his Excellencie and for all the vnited Prouinces but obtayned with much labour and bloud for on his Excellencies side 1000 men were slaine among whom were three Captaines of horse thirteene of foot viz. six English Captaines two Frizons three French one Walon and one Alman with many Lieutenants ensignes and other officers beside some 700 hurt men among whom was the noble sir Frauncis Veer and many other Captaines and officers both of horse and foot As the enemie fleed the Cauallerie came forth of Ostend and slew many of them But his Excellencie who in the battaile had shewed himself valiant discreet for better encouragement to his souldiers had himselfe together with his brother and other Lords there present charged the enemie did in the end reassēble certaine cornets of horse and some foot regiments setting them in order in the place of battaile keeping them for reseruation and seconds if any disorder should arise The enemie being wholly put to rout and night drawing on his Ex. marched to the Church of Westend where with his whole armie he remained that night vpon the plain where the battail was fought and in his Tent supt with the Admerall of Arragon and others who were requested to deliuer their opinions what they thought of these exploits of these new vnexperienced soldiers whom they had so tearmed who could doe nothing but win townes and skonces not daring to shew themselues in open field and whether they thought that they would one day proue tal souldiers with such other like discourses But the Admerall grauely and discreetly knew verie well how to answer and among other discourses at Table concerning the battaile he complained of their owne cauallerie taxing them for not doing their duetie for had not they retreated there was some likelihood that their footmen would haue become Masters of the ordnance with which they might haue obtayned the victorie He complained likewise of their charging all at once and for that they had not reserued some to second the squadrons here and there who should haue put them in order againe when they retreated and with them haue giuen a fresh charge as Prince Maurice had done husbanding his horse and foot not hazarding all his forces at once He highly commended his Excellencie likewise for planting his ordnance but he chiefely praised him for that he had so brauely presented his forces to his enemie sending away all his boats and thereby enforced all his souldiers to fight if they meant to saue their liues and for that himselfe and other commaunders had no more aduauntage than the meanest souldier His Excellencie perceiuing the next day that his souldiers were much burthened with the enemies
others hoping to moue the Archduke to goe and besiege Ostend to free Flaunders from daily contributions and expence it was at for entertainement of so many garrisons and forts vpon passages and to that end offered the Archduke a great summe of money The States of Holland did with all possible speed build a great gallie at Dort to make head against those of Sluce in length eight and fortie paces so soone as it was readie it was in September sent into Zeland it carried fifteene brasse pieces many Bases it was mand with rowers and souldiers the rowers sat vpon benches and were shrowded with a defence which was musket proofe it was called the blacke gallie of Dort the Captains name was Iacob Michielz it was presently sent to Sluce and there recouered a ship taken by the enemie On the 29 of September the Admerall of Zeland and Captaine Legier with this gallie well prouided and certaine shalops went towards Antuerpe and in the night passed by Ordam Fort the garrison supposed they were boats which went to victuall Hulst About midnight comming before Antuerpe they there found the Admerals ship a goodlie great vessell called a Smackseil or Cromsteven so big and strong as the Hollanders had none such it was of the burthen of one thousand eight hundred tunne or more it carried sixteene or seuenteene brasse pieces beside those of Iron and the Bases it had three tier of ordnance one aboue another Captaine Maes the Admerall was then absent this vessell lay opposit to the new Towne towards Flanders point The blacke gallie stemd this ship with her yron beak so forcibly as they could hardly get it out againe but with great danger were faine to saw it off the souldiers in the meane time became Masters of the ship some of them that were in it were slaine others leapt into the water and escaped by swimming The ship being taken our souldiers enforced the two ship Boyes whose liues they saued to tell them where the sailes and other tacklings were which done they fell downe the riuer with the Tide They likewise took two new vessels which daily carried prouision to Bruxels and Malines each of them carrying foure brasen pieces and others of yron with fiue other vessels called Smackes which by chaunce they tooke the same night and with these eight vessels fell downe the riuer towards Lillo hauing gotten aboue fiftie pieces of ordnance a bootie more worth than the gallie Those of Antuerpe hearing the shot th' alarme was presently ouer the Citie and the sooner because our Trumpets vpon the Key sounded the song of William of Nassau so well knowne wherein they recorded the commendation of the late vertuous Prince of Orange Within a while after the Admerall and Count Arenbourg came to Antuerpe to punish the negligence of the Admerall Maes and others and to preuent the like affronts he likewise caused a Fort to be built vpon the Key to defend the ships by night ¶ Captaine Cloet winneth the Castle of Cracow on the 9 of Februarie 1601. THe Castle of Cracow and Lordship thereof being by the last will and Testament of the Countesse of Meurs giuen to his Excellencie as a Lordship vnder the jurisdiction thereof the Duke of Parma in ann ' 1586 had giuen it to Salentino Count of Isenbourg in regard of certaine claime he laid vnto it since when the said Earle had still possest it and placed a certain fellow for captaine there who was called long Huben with 15 or 16 souldiers to gard the Castle which by nature was strong being seated in a fennie soile But Prince Maurice being desirous to enjoy his owne and vnderstanding that the Dikes were frozen in winter commaunded Captaine Cloet a braue and valiant souldier to make an attempt vpon the said castle with three hundred horse of Nimmeghen and certaine foot companies from Watchtendonck The said Captaine according to his Excellencies commaund came to Niewkerke nere to Wachtendonck on the eighth of Februarie whereof the gouernour of Stralen hauing intelligence followed him with fortie horse and 500 foot who in the Morning by day breake did so fiercely assaile Cloets souldiers as 40 of them were surprised ere their fellowes knew it who at last turned backe and perceiued that those of Stralen retired through a certaine narrow way verie aduantagious for footmen against horse the enemy hauing by this time taken 30 of Cloets horsemen prisoners most of whom being of his Excellencies companie were soon released for Cloet thereby incensed took another way by which he intercepted their passage and incountring them at their comming forth of that way vpon a plaine he assailed the Gouernor of Stralen in front behind and ouerthrew many of his horse and foot the rest escaped into a house which he presently encompassed enforced them to yeeld on composition and on condition to pay ransome He freely sent away three hundred and seuentie souldiers and onely detayned the Generall Dulchen gouernour of Straelen prisoner with Captaine Golstein and seuen officers as caution for the rest Cloet lost sixe or seuen men and many of his men and horse were hurt After that the foot companies of Wachtendonck came to Cloet and went forwards towards Cracow and arriued there on the ninth of Februarie at night the horse men alighted and went ouer the yee into the first Court of the Castle thereupon those within it began to shoot but Captaine Cloet shot so terribly vpon the Gate as those within it durst not abide there and then he caused his men to crosse the dike to let downe the draw-bridge and to plant the Perard at the Gate which presently brake it open Whereupon those within yeelded themselues and Castle by day breake Captaine Cloet left his Lieutenant there with fortie men 20 horse til his Excellencies further pleasure were known and returned againe to his garrison hauing performed that which was enjoyned him and by this meanes his Excellencie became Master of this Castle and Lordship ¶ The second siege and taking of the Towne of Rhynberg in Anno 1601. RHynberg is a towne belonging to the Bishopricke of Collein seated on the Southward of the Rhyne eight miles from Collein it is rather small than bigge and fortified with double rampiers well seated both for warre and traffique taking great toll of all goods and Merchandise which come downe the riuer During these warres both parties haue sundrie times fortified it and first in the warre of Collein betwixt the two Bishops it fell into the hands of the vnited Prouinces which a long time held defended it against the atteÌ„pts of the Spaniards freeing the riuer both from the prince of Parma who after the taking of Nuis in anno 1586 did furiously assaile it on the 13 of August and wâ—â— enforced to raise his siege hauing lien three moneths before the towne which he left blocked vp with many Forts as also from the Marquesse Varrabon who pursued continued the said siege in
whose view the towne was often victualled which Marquesse as he thought on a time with all his power on a sodaine to charge the rereward of those that brought succours was himselfe wholly defeated by Counâ— Ouerstein and sir Francis Veer Whereupon Count Charles of Mansfelt came presently thither from Brabant with seuentie ensignes who in the end on the 30 of Ianuarie 1590 woon the towne for the Bishop of Bauier as it was reported but in effect for the king of Spaine as experience did afterwards manifest that he might thereby become Master of the Rhyne and diuide Germanie from the vnited Netherland Prouinces and likewise to open a way for him to enter into these Countries and to burthen the towne of Zutphen and Ouer-Yssel with continuall contributions In this regard Prince Maurice did againe besiege it on the 10 of August in anno 1597 and after tenne dayes siege tooke it as heretofore hath beene largely mentioned in the description of the first siege whereupon the Bishop crauing to haue the Towne restored to him which was graunted it was left vnfortified and enforced to fall into the Admerall of Arragons hands who easily tooke it with his mightie armie on the fifteenth of October 1598 and with so much the more ease because the Gouernour Shaef and the whole garrison in a manner died of the plague and likewise for that treacherie the by powder to the quantitie of 150 barrels was set on fire this did not onely much diminish the remainder of the garrison but ouerthrew the greatest part of the Towne rampiers neere to Rhyn-port and made a great breach The town was afterward kept by a strong garrison yet prince Maurice did besiege it on the twelfth of Iune in anno 1601 with one hundreth and fiftie foote ensignes and three and thirtie cornets of horse it being a verie important place for these Countries The enemie reported that there were in the towne 900 Italians vnder Iohn Baptista Pecchio Serjeant Major 4 Spanish ensigns 700 Burgonians 1300 Almans 200 sailers fiftie horse amounting in all to three thousand fiue hundred fiftie men among whom were many reuolted traitors They were well stored with ordnance and all other warlike prouision hauing two and thirtie great piece of ordnaunce whereof twentie were brasse three canon and twelue yron pieces There was likewise store of victuals and other necessaries salt and medecines for sicke persons excepted which they extreamely wanted being most necessarie in a towne besieged D. Hieronimo Lopes de la villa borne in Barbarie of Spanish parents was gouernour there he was renowned for a good souldier well experienced and much esteemed of his Countrimen He at the enemies first arriuall incamped round about the towne intrenching himselfe with forts and counter-points He likewise tooke in certaine pastures to feed horse and cattaile which they durst not kill for their owne prouision because they wanted salt to powder them He likewise sanke his owne ship of warre and other vessels cutting the masts a sunder for that the enemie shold not make vse of them His Excellencie presently sent his ships of warre vp the Riuer one of which the enemie sanke These vessels kept good gard euerie where on the riuer Rhyne as far as Cullein and by the way met with certaine of the enemies boats which were sent abroad for prouision The eighteenth of Iune he tooke the Fort that stands in the Island which being weake the enemie soone abandoned The campe was likewise speedily intrenched with dikes Pallisadoes gates and draw-bridges and the waies euerie where fortified both abroad and within against those of the towne who in great troopes made continuall sallies namely on the twentieth of Iune they fell vpon the French with 1500 men diuided into three troopes who charged one after another and after they had fought an howers space were beaten backe and enforced to re-enter not without losse on both sides In this sallie the French Generall the Lord of Chastillon was hurt in the legge and the gouernour of Berck in the face as hee stood vpon a bulwarke to behold the skirmish so as for a time he could not speake but was constrayned to referre the gouernement of the Towne and authoritie of commanding to Captaine Botberg and to an Italian called Francisco Nello The enemie likewise on the eight and twentieth day came with a thousand men to Count Ernestus quarter and with great rumour fell vpon one of our trenches from which he was soone beaten with great losse of men His Excellencie on the contrarie did daily approach the enemies trenches he also made foure batteries and on the first and second of Iulie planted thirtie piece of ordnaunce He planted 2 canâ—n in the Fort of the Island called Middle-weert and two demie canon by which as by the rest from other batteries the Town was greatly annoyed The besieged on the seuenth of Iulie tooke order for their victuals distributing to euerie man a pound of bread a day and began to fortifie the Market and Church making it a place of retreat vpon extremitie They had likewise sent many letters and messengers which for the most part were intercepted so as on the 5 of Iulie they made diuers signes by fires were continually answered with the like by those of Guelders who gaue them hope of ayd wherunto the Archduke seemed to encline raising many men neere to Maestricht and Ruremond who notwithstanding were sent away into Flanders as were the Italian troopes newly arriued of whom first eight hundred were sent towards Ostend then afterwards 2500 more and twentie forth of euerie companie of those that remained behind And yet al these troops seemed to be appointed for raising the siege of Berk vnder conduct of the Earles Barlaimont and Bucquoy who had alreadie made great prouisions for it at Couloigne and hired sundry wagons which they were enforced to send back the enemies intent being onely to encourage those of Berck by a vaine apparance and to cause them hold out to the last and themselues in the meane time to assaile Ostend on the sodaine and thereby to draw away our armie from that siege into Flaunders Notwithstanding of all our armie no man was imbarked for Ostend but the Admerall Duyvenvoord with eight English companies vnder the conduct of sir Frauncis Veer vnto which afterwards twelue other ensignes were added in whose stead other ensignes from elsewhere arriued at the campe on the 22 and 27 dayes His Excellencie in the meane time came vnder the enemie trenches he likewise vndermined the Counter-scarpe on the East-side of the Towne and on the seuenteenth of Iulie hauing drawne great numbers of the enemies thither by a false alarme he fired the Myne which hauing prosperous successe our men presently assailed it on euerie side and tooke the Counterscarpe with losse of one hundred men notwithstanding all the enemies resistance This counterscarpe taken his Excellencie made three Galleries which were brought on as farre as the Towne Dikes and from
for then it will be no hard matter for your Excellencies and vs to cause the Spaniards and other straungers to follow them and to enforce the greatest parts of their adherents to become true Patriots and Countriemen If any shall herein propound some impossibilitie how that your Excellencies cannot safely take this course let it please you to beleeue the contrarie videlicet that if your Excellencies for sixe moneths will assist vs with as much money as the moytie of the auntient and ordinarie taxation of Brabant Flaunders Artois Haynault Valenciennes Lislie Douay Orches Tournesis Tournay and Mâ—lines amounts vnto and to lie still your selues respecting theiâ— Highnesses or else to joyne with vs which we leaue to your Excellencies choice and pleasure we hope by Gods helpe to briâ—g things to such passe as your Excellencies shall judge that there is likelihood of good successe And seeing that many honest people dare not set themselues forward but are in diuers points irresolute your Excellencies shal giue such directions both for gouernment and matters of Religion as ye shall thinke fit and most expedient and yee are not to suppose but to bee well assured that we will not attempt to doe any thing to the contrarie Your Excellencies may likewise be assured that in an action so necessarie laudable and honorable neither your selues or vs shall want the ayd and assistance of our neighbours Kings Princes and common wealthes In which regard wee once againe entreat your Excellencies to forget all passion suspition and bad conceits and with vs to embrace this present occasion as the onely meanes to settle the Low-Countries in their auntient glorie prosperitie peace and quiet not depending on pretended new forces which cannot but cause great ruine and miserie If otherwise we foresee that miseries and mischiefes will grow greater than euer heretofore from which before the whole world wee will cleare our selues Whereupon we beseech God high illustrious honorable noble magnificent learned wise and discreet Lords friends and neighbours to inspire your Excellencies with a desire tending to the common good of the Netherland Prouinces and prosperity of the true and honest Inhabitants thereof From the Hague in hast this seuenth of Iulie 1602 signed by Hero de Hottinga and vnderneath The true freinds and neighbours of your Excellencies The generall States of the vnited Netherland Prouinces By their appointment signed by C. Aerssens So soone as all things which were thought necessarie for this armie were speedily prepared and that certaine Lords of the Generall States and councell of State were appointed to bee present with his Excellencie to assist him in all matters which might happen in the armie videlicet from Holland the Burgomaster of Alcmaer whose name was Gerard Coorn from Zealand Albertus Ioachimi counsellor and pentioner of Tergoes from Vtrecht Gerard de Renesse Lord of Vander Aa from Frizeland Iulius Essinga and from Ouer-yssell Otto Roeck The armie was diuided into three troops The first was that of his Excellencie conducted by Count Ernest of Nassau which commonly marched in the left wing the second by Count William of Nassau gouernour of Frizeland and Groeningue with whom was Count Henry of Nassau his Excellencies brother who vsually marched in the middle or battaile The third by Sir Francis Vere Generall of the English Regiments who led the right wing The horsemen were conducted by Count Lodwick of Nassau Generall of the cauallery and with him the Lord Gray who were likewise diuided into three troops each of which neere to one of the foot troops The wagons and carts were also diuided into three parts the ordnance excepted being twelue demy canons and three field peeces The three and twentieth of Iune the Campe departed from a place called Little Linden and marched in the foresaid order not one behind an other but close together being sometime seperated halfe an houres iourney from one an other and sometimes lesse and was quartered the same day at Sambeer Mullem and Oploo The foure and twentieth at Bleyterwick Meerle and Venroy the fiue and twentieth at Baecken neere to Venlo Brey and Zeuenum the sixe and twentieth at Bingenum neere to Remunde Baxen and Heilhuyse the seuen and twentieth at Aldeneyck neere to Masieres Gestinghen and Ophouen The Reader may consider that by the first mentioned places are meant the quarters of his Excellencies troop the second of Count William and the third of Generall Vere The eight and twentieth nine and twentieth and thirtieth of Iune and first of Iuly the whole campe remained in the said places setting vp mills to grind and ouens to bake and making other prouision in the towne of Masieres The second of Iuly the armie marched in the same order and quartred at Lent and thereabout The 3 day leauing Mastricht on the left hand at Gellick Moperdingen and Eygenbilsen The fourth at S. Heeren-Elderen Heins and neere to Tongren where it staied The fift and sixt at Gelmen Hopperdingen and Rijckel neere S. Torns the seuenth all the troops lodged together at Halmael neere S. Trons The Archduke hauing assembled his armie beyond the towne of Thyenen vnder conduct of the Admerall of Arragon at a place called Hackelduyuel entrenched and fortified his campe with Rampiers and Bulwarks well fenced with ordnance His Excellencie on the eight of Iuly with a great part of his horse and foot leauing the rest in armes together with the wagons and baggage at Halmael crossed a small riuer called Dormaele and a village in Brabant called Nerelant leauing Louayn on the right hand and went euen in sight of the enemies campe sending some of his horsemen to a little riuer called the Gete not far from the enemies Campe to view and to trie whether there were any likelyhood to draw him from his place of aduantage to battaile But perceiuing that hee did not stir his Excellencie and men after some stay on an high place hauing shewed themselues to the enemie returned to his Campe at Halmaell where hee continued the ninth day the enemie not once comming abroad and want of victualls enforcing his Excel to abide there no longer and perceiuing that the enemie was strongly intrenched hauing with them certaine Italian troops newly arriued amounting in all to the number of 20 thousand men together with 18 peece of ordnance he resolued to do that which should be most commodious for himselfe the difficulties of the passages and bad waies were propounded the number of wagons beeing verie great and the labour to iourney greater with such a cariage They found the townes and villages of the countrie of Liege verie vnwilling to giue them bread for money and there were so many men and horse in the armie as sufficient forrage could not bee found for them corne could not bee ripe in a fortnight or three weeks they came likewise too late to hinder the Italians from ioining with the Admerall whereupon they resolued to besiege some towne of importance some propounded Antuerpe but their necessarie prouisions
were not readie for such an attempt In the end they resolued to turne backe and besiege the towne of Graue and there to attend the Admeralls armie Thereupon his Excellencie departed the next day beeing the tenth of the said moneth in the selfe same order as before towards Aix and places neere adioining The heate of that day was so intollerable as many souldiers though the iournies were not long died of faintnesse by the way and others were so weake as they were enforced to tarrie behind yet in the coole of the euening they came to the camp the enemie in all the march giuing no alarmes to our men either by day or night The 11 day the heate continued so as his Excellencie stirred not that day but refreshed his armie The 12 the armie lodged vpon the heath before the towne of Hasselt The thirteenth at Helchteren the fourteenth at Lille the fifteenth at Hees where his Excellencie sent a trumpet to the enemies souldiers at Eyndhouen commaunding them to depart thence which was done The 16 the armie lodged before Helmont Stiphent and vpon refusall to depart which the enemies garrison in Helmont Castle made his Excellencie commaunded a volley of six canon to play vpon it whereupon they presently capitulated and went thence The 17 the armie rested at Vden the 18 at Cassell Esteren Reken and Welp and at last before the towne of Graue which his Excellencie besieged and tooke as shall appeare in the following description ¶ The siege and taking of the towne of Graue in the land of Cuyck in anno 1602. HIs Excellencie according to the resolution of the Generall States brought his armie before the towne of Graue the chiefe Citie of the land of Cuyck seated in Brabant vpon the Mase in former time it belonged to Guelderland but was afterward reduced vnder the gouernment of Brabant beeing ingaged to Maximilian of Egmont Count of Buren The Prince of Orange of happie memorie mariying his daughter bought it together with all that depended thereon and enioyed it a long time but after the pacification of Gand certain Almain troopes lying in garrison there for the Spaniards were driuen thence by the Princes forces together with the helpe of the Burgers The Prince of Parma did afterwards besiege it in anno 1586 vnto whom the Lord of Hemert deliuered it vp Since then the towne beeing strong by nature was better fortified with Bulwarks Rauelins and Counterscarps and is now one of the strongest places of the Netherlands Antonio Gozales the Spaniard was Gouernour there who fearing and expecting a siege D. Inigo d'Otaiola a verie skilfull Captain brought forces thither most of them beeing Italians and Spaniards with some German Companies vnder commaund of Pangus Gallais of Tiroll Lieutenant to Colonell Tyssing amounting to the number of one thousand and fiue hundred men beside the Burghers the towne was well stored with ordnance munition and victuals His Excellencie beeing come before the towne disposed his quarters after this maner himselfe encamped on the West side of the towne on the banks of the Mase on which a bridge was made of two hundred and thirtie paces in lenght Count William lay on the South side of the towne and the English vnder Generall Vere on the West side where another bridge was likewise made ouer the riuer whither diuers boats came presently forth of Holland loden with victualls and all other necessaries for a siege In the meane time newes was brought that the Admerall of Arragon had broken vp his campe at Thynen and was comming with 20000 horse and foot into the Countrie of Liege and from thence to Ruremond and Venlo with an intent by one means or other to releeue the Graue Whereupon his Excellencie spent some time in fortifying his campe abroad especially on that side where it was most likely the enemie would come And the whole circuit of the campe round about the Towne on both sides the Mase partly by reason of the Marshes and partly to enclose certaine high and eminent places which were not fit to be left abroad least the enemie should seaze on them and thereby giue some aduantage was wholly intrenched and fortified with Skonces and Pallisadoes Batteries were likewise made vpon the principall wayes where ordnance was planted Certaine engins were likewise directed to giue signals by fire that the quarters might in the night aduertise one another if any alarme should be giuen All the time from the sixe and twentieth of Iulie till the 3 of August was spent in these fortifications and works which were verie great and many But then in the Euening the musters being taken and certaine wagons and horse for draught sent away they began to make their approches The Admerall in the meane time tarried neere Venlo making shew as if he meant to crosse the Mase to goe to besiege Rhynberck thereby to draw his Excellencie from the Graue who in time preuented him sending his cousen Count Ernest of Nassau with sixteene foot companies thither The Admerall hauing notice hereof departed from Venlo and by easie journeys came on slowly putting men into the towne of Gennep which belonged to the Duke of Cleues The tenth of Iulie he lodged at great Lynden within halfe an houres journey of his Excellencies quarter and there encamped drawing his Campe forth in length as farre as the Mase where he made a bridge and Heumen Castle which he tooke and fortified intrenching his campe before and planting diuers canons The Garrison of Graue had at times made sallies vpon the approches but verie slowly at first yet after they perceiued succours they came forth with greater furie as on the thirteenth day in the morning by day breake hauing first made some signall by fire so as it was thought that the enemie would haue assailed the campe but nothing was done whereupon the enemie was beaten back into the towne with great losâ—e and with little or none at all on our side The fifteenth day the enemie did againe make shew to assaile our campe whereupon the towne garrison made a furious sallie vpon the English Quarter and was againe beaten back in this skirmish wee lost an English Captain In the meane time the enemies souldiers namely the Italians did in great troopes come and yeeld themselues to his Excellencie in regard of the great want and misery they endured and told him that the Admerall approched with his ordnance neere to his Excellencies Quarter on which he meant continually to shoot and thereby enforce him to dislodge vpon this aduertisement diuers fortifications were made whereby this mischiefe was preuented The twentieth day at night the enemie made some shot from a far off both vpon the bridge ouer the Mase and into his Excellencies Quarter hurting two or three men and within a while after he began to dislodge his troopes who caried ladders spades mattocks and other preparations with them comming downe to our trenches betwixt two skonces which stood in the middest betwixt his
ordnance two of the foure Gallies which had boorded Captaine Logier did likewise set vpon the Gallie of Zeland then the other two forsooke Legiers ship and fought with the Gallie of Holland one of these two last forsooke the black Gallie and came to the reskew of the two others which boorded the vice-Admerall Ioost le More percing one an other with canon shot The other ship wherein was Crijn Henrick could not come vp to fight through want of wind but did her best in shoting at the Gallies which boorded the Vice-Admerall and the blacke gallie This fight of gallies continued a long time against ships not accustomed to such fight there beeing eight gallies and foure fregats of the enemies against two ships and two gallies of ours Yet Spinolas gallies fearing that the Zelanders might bee seconded and themselues hauing receiued much losse in their men slaues and oares disparing of the victorie did in great disorder retreat to the Sluce mouth Among their slaine men was generall Spinola hauing receiued many wounds hee was of the familie of Spinola in Genoa a man of great reach and meanes There were slain in this fight eight hundred musketeers souldiers mariners and slaues and manie were wounded yet the certaine number could not be knowne Of the Zelanders thirtie six were slain and 60 hurt their ships and gallies beeing of better proofe than the enemies Among the dead was Captaine Iacob Michiels of the black Gallie and his Lieutenaunt of the thirtie and sixe English musketeers eight were slaine and sixeteene hurt among the wounded was the Vice-Admerall Ioost le More hauing receiued three daungerous wounds the like besell Captaine Legier Peters but both of them were afterwards healed During the fight the report of the Canon was heard to Flushing the Admerall of Zeland the Lord of Haultain presently mand foure men of war and a Fregat making all possible hast to the Sluce mouth but the Spanish Gallies ere they could arriue were gotten in Whereupon our men gaue publike thanks to God attributing all praise to him For without all question this was a valiant act with so few vessels and men to beat eight Gallies and foure Fregats so well manned and prouided The Zelanders in memorie hereof stamped siluer and brasse coine hauing on the one side two ships and two Gallies with this circumspription Laedunt triremes nauibus 1603 and on the other side the Spanish Gallies with this circumscription victae perempto Spinola 16 Maij. Our ships beeing well mand will no more feare Gallies although the Sea be calme as well appeareth by this Sea fight ¶ The taking of Cadsand and Ysendike with the siege and yeelding vp of Sluce in anno 1604. AT the beginning of the yeare 1604 the States of the vnited Prouinces resolued to seeke out the enemie in his owne Countrie and to enter Flaunders hoping to raise the siege of Ostend Hereupon they commanded all Captaines to make their companies compleat giuing forth new commissions to leuy 1500 Suisses and 2000 other footmen His Excellencie of Nassau espying a fit time and occasion sent commaundment to all his forces to meet him at Willem-Stat on the twentieth of Aprill with such number of boats as should bee needfull for such an attempt Thither came Count William Count Ernest Cazimir and Count Lodwick Gunther brethren of the house of Nassau together with Count Henry Frederick generall of the horse The troopes beeing shipt departed on the day appointed from Willem-State towards Zeland whither on the foure and twentieth of Aprill his Excellencie likewise went accompanied by the Prince of Anhalt Count Adolph of Nassau together with the Commissioner of the generall States and Councell of State who were there present to farther the enterprise The fiue and twentieth of Aprill in the Morning the whole fleet consisting of infinit numbers of boats sailed from Zeland to Flaunders where at the passage or entrie called Het Swartegat they landed in Cadsand where in two daies they tooke all the Forts And if at their first arriuall they had entred the Sluce mouth they might with little labour haue taken the Towne and peraduenture by such speed raised the siege of Ostend for at their landing those of Bruges had no forces in their Towne but whilest his Excellencie landed his men and was busied in taking in the small forts of Cadsand those of Bruges made such hast as Spinola from the campe before Ostend sent one thousand footmen to a place called Swint and from Watervliet sent Triuulcio with fiue hundred horse to stop the passage at the Sluce mouth notwithstanding that on the sixe and twentieth and seuen and twentieth dayes we vsed a meanes to passe on chasing the gallies towards Sluce So as his Excellencie beeing out of hope to passe and determining onely to assure the Countrie of Cadsand a Boore told him that by fetching a compasse towards the East-side of the Sluce he might enter Flaunders and shewed him the same night a fit place to goe to Oostburch but there he met with the enemies horse and foot troopes which made him thinke that there was some passage whereupon on the 29 day he sent certaine bands thither which skirmished with the enemies putting them to rout who in the flight shewed our men the way to passe and on the thirtieth day in the Morning his Excellencie went thither and crossing the water took a piece of the causie neere to Coxie where certaine men of Sluce who meant to haue made a fort there were beaten some 30 of them taken prisoners the rest put to flight those of the fort of Coxie did likewise yeeld on cōposition opening by this means contrarie to our expectation away to enter into Flaunders putting vs in hope of good successe notwithstanding that the Countrie round about was much broken Prince Maurice on May day marched with a great part of his armie to Saint Catherins Fort and sent for ordnaunce to batter it but because there was a spring tide that day and the waters were verie high it was afternoon ere the Canon was brought so as all that day hee remained in battaile neere the fort In Saint Catherines fort beside certaine souldiers commaunded by Count Trivulcio were many burghers and boores surnamed Keurlingen these are voluntarie mercenaries leuyed about Gaunt who hauing no quarter nor promise to be ransomed if they were taken his Excellencie to terrifie them commanded that none of them should bee taken prisoners but all slaine and though this did daunt many of them yet they held out that day and one of their Ensigne bearers did passe too and fro on the Rampiers erecting his Ensigne on the breach to the great encouragement of his fellowes who were likewise hartened for that Count Trivulcio who had been at Watervliet with certaine troopes of horse came and encamped with them below the fort where he entrenched himselfe and planted two field peeces to play vpon his Excellencies troops But his Excellencie hauing the same after noone
her men those which remained perceiuing that our men made towards them did ten and twentie at a time leape into the Sea thinking to escape by swimming but our men in their furie slew most of them so as the whole bay was full of dead carkasses The fight began about three of the clocke in the afternoone and in lesse than foure howers all was ended and the victorie by Gods goodnesse fell to vs. This braue exploit was chiefely begun by Admerall Heemskerck and was for the most part continued and ended by ten or twelue ships onely The next day in the morning the Spanish Admerall was run on ground but those of the town went and cut down her masts and then fired her thereby sauing our men a labour who meant to haue done it It was a fearefull thing to behold the flame and burning of the gallions especially when fire tooke the powder for it made such a noice as though it had thundred from heauen couering the land and sea with a thick smoake which made an vniuersall darknesse for a time Beside the Admerals gallion fiue more were burnt together with a great ship of war an other ship which the Spaniards had taken and the aboue mentioned vessell of Lubeck An other of the gallions was sunke the other two ran on ground and were made vnseruiceable A French man likewise ran on ground with two ships the one of Rotterdam and the other of Enchuysen all the otheâ— Spanish men of war did the like vp and downe the coast and by Gods assistance were destroyed The prisoners confessed that there were foure thousand men in the fleet and that halfe of them had not escaped among whom as letters into Spaine doe testifie was the Admerall with manie other gentlemen and captaines Among the prisoners was D. Iohn Aluares the Admerals sonne who was brought into Holland Wee onely lost the noble Admerall Heemskerck who was lamented of all men together with some hundred men and threescore that were hurt On the six and twentieth day our fleet came to an ankor in the roade of Gibraltar the ordnance of the towne and castle playing vpon them but did little or no hurt at all there did they looke to their sicke and hurt men as well as the time would giue them leaue and during their aboade there they saw great numbers of horse and foot vpon the shoare going to the towne of Gibraltar for the Spaniard thought verily that our men would haue assailed it and there was such amazement and confusion in the town as euerie man packt vp all he had intending to be gone the like feare possest those of Cales who thought that our fleete would come and visite them The seuen and twentieth day our ships departed forth of the road of Gibraltar those of the castle shooting after them and because the shot did no hurt our men reputed those peales of ordnance to bee done in their honour and so directed their course towards Barbarie going so neere Senta which belongs to the Spaniards as those of the towne and other places of the Countrie shot at them but our men passed on thorough the Streit towards the coast of Barbarie came into the road of Tetuan which is a strong towne within 5 miles of Senta to the Eastward belonging to the Turks and Moors there trimmed their ships which had bin spoiled by fire and the enemies canon When they came before Tetuan they were kindly welcomed The Gouernours selfe with many Turkish gallants came aboord our fleet offering vs all friendship and assistance both for our ships and men bringing vs all manner of refreshments as oranges and other restoratiue fruits seeming verie ioyfull for the victorie which God had giuen vs ouer the proud Spaniards our men likewise went ashoare and had great honor done vnto them euerie where The Gouernour made an offer vnto our men that if they would make any attempt on the towne of Senta hee would aid them both with horse and foot but wee intending other designes gaue him manie thanks for his courteous offer All things beeing repaired the vice-Admerall Alteras was made Admerall and Peter William Verhoof vice-Admerall there they consulted what was best to be done and what course to take for better annoying the enemie at last they resolued to send some towards the Islands of Flaunders to remaine there namely the vice-Admerall Captaine Iacob Iansz of Edam Captaine Harman the pinace of Frizland and Captaine Cleuter to trie if they could meet with any good aduenture there The rest videlicet Admerall Alteras with the greatest part of the fleet should keepe along the coasts of Portugall not farre from the riuer of Lisbone others along the coasts of Barbarie towards the Canaries and round about the Cape of Finistere and Bayonne two of the victuallers were to â—arry with the fleet and the other two were appointed to carrie home the bodie of Admerall Heemskerck which the Surgeon Major had embalmed together with the hurt and sick men and Harpert Marts Captaine of the baâ—ke was commaunded to conuoy them these returned homeward and on the fift of Iune arriued at Amsterdam with the Admerals bodie The eight day following his funerals were solemnised according to his worthinesse and the bodie was carried to the old church after this manner First before the bodie marched 2 companies of souldiers in mourning habit trailing their armes ensignes and drums couered with black according to the custome of war after them his helmet armour and scutcheon of armes were borne his armes were a Lion argent in a field azure Foureteene Captaines carried the bodie which was on euerie side hung with scutcheons and on the top of the coffin his guilt sword was laid After the bodie his chiefe kinsfolk went next them followed the commissioners of the Councel of the Admeraltie and after them the Scout Burgomasters Sherifes and thirtie six of the Councell of Amsterdam then followed the Colonels the councell of war captaines all the officers nobilitie and harquebuziers of the towne After them the gouernors committees of the East Indie companie followed in order and after them great numbers of citizens and merchants amounting in all to the number of 800 persons beside souldiers and infinite multitudes of people that filled the streets The generall States did in memorie of this worthie man commaund an honourable monument of a kind of blew stone to bee erected ouer him towards the East his armes were hung and to the Westward ouer his head a black stone was set vp on which in golden letters all his voiages and noble actions were engrauen this did they for a perpetuall remembrance of this worthie person to after ages And thus by the help of God was this mightie Spanish fleet destroyed and brought to nothing vnto whom wee ascribe all honour ¶ Truce for twelue yeares concluded and agreed vpon betwixt the the deputies and commissioners of the high and excellent Princes the Archdukes of Austria c. And
horse who vvas Cornet to the Lord Willoughby was slayne vnder him and was presently remounted to reuenge his losse In the skirmish Marcelis Bacx encountred a certaine Albanois whom after hee had thrust through with his sword he tooke by head and shoulders drew him and his horse by force forth of the enemies throng notwithstanding all his resistance and carried him away prisoner After he had done this noble deed his horse fell down dead vnder him for he was shot through on both sides the ordnance on the bulwarke of the Friers Minors and on Steenberghen gate plaid furiously vpon the enemie carrying away both men and horse into the ayre Yet this could not discourage the enemie who was superiour to vs in number and this fight seemed a combat for honour and not for life so doubtfull and vncertaine was the euent thereof which continued till night and darkenesse separated them The Captaines Lieutenants Cornets Quartermasters Corporals and common souldiers had receiued sundrie shot vpon their armour yet verie few of them were hurt the greatest losse was in horse how it went on the enemies side I know not Those which lay towards the South did on the 1 day of October begin to draw their trenches from the Ball as far as the Hospitall Two daies after a certain Spaniard came yeelded himselfe he had slaine 1 of his fellowes for that cause came to our side Being questioned concerning the state of the camp he said that there were 30000 men in it that they had already brought 6 canon with theÌ„ did daily expect 50 more that the enemie determined to make his batterie towards the water mill so confirmed the coÌ„mon report how that 60 pieces of ordnance were comming to the campe This Spaniard was sent to prince Maurice and the States And because the rampier next the water mill was too weake to resist the Canon they fortified it and made it thicker To this end the Magistrat sent the Burgomaster Suydland into Zeland to the States to craue some helpe towards the fortifications because in many places the towne was verie weake and vnprouided of money workemen and other necessaries the enemie daily more and more enuironing it doing his best to win it The second day after the Burgomasters departure the enemie made a Fort there vvhere the Hospitall had stood which was within Harquebuze shot of the towne Then euerie man assured himselfe that the enemie would there likewise make a batterie vpon the high way toward Calmthout great numbers of Carts and wagons were discerned which the horse could hardly draw so as they came but slowly on to the towne-ward The Burghers and souldiers thought them to be the other canons which the Spaniard talked of so as the Burghers began to fortifie betwixt the gate of Wouwe and that of the Nuns that the rampier might be free from the enemies smal shot They likewise brake down the wals of Wouwe gate which were too high that they might do no hurt when the enemie should play vpon them with his canon A way was likewise made athwart the gardens at the foot of the rampiers that the caual lerie might lie safe if the enemie should batter the towne But it was farre from the enemies meaning to make any batterie for those carts and waggons had brought no ordnance but onely boats hauing some other designe as the euent declared The morrow after which was the seuenth of October fiftie two ensignes of foot came on the North side of the campe commaunded by Count Egmont these companies encamped on the lower part of the Northgeest There is a causie on Northland nere to Benmoer called Eesterdike because certaine trees called Eesters had beene planted there This causie looseth it name nere to Dryanneland It beginneth at the nether end of the Northgeest and extends it selfe towards Northlands causie as far as the Sea and diuides first the land from Benmoer and next the countrie of Dryanneland from Northland in that manner making three wayes as farre as the Sea-dike My Lords the States had alreadie of a long time pierced the sayd causie of Dryanneland hoping that the water would enter into it by the Geux Gullet or hole and that entring into Northland nere to Bariebas and so together through the Gullet of Dryannelands causie the water would make a great breach and thereby take all meanes from the enemie to come vpon Northlands causie The enemie was often seene vpon that of Dryanneland making good obseruations of all things Our men presently suspected the truth of the matter how that they intended to make a bridge ouer that Gullet thereby to come vpon Northland causie which done they might then keepe our vessels forth of the hauen Much speech was made of this causie some were of opinion to leuell and make it euen others said it was necessarie to build a fort there where the causies did meet and for the effecting thereof had conference with Count Solms Now because the first wold haue bin too great costly a labor without any profit at all for if the causie had bin leuelled and made plain it would haue stood the enemie in better stead than before and that the second was not without danger because the enemie was so nere that place neither the one nor other was done The next night after the enemie himselfe seazed on that causie placing two great shallops in the Gullet with which he passed ouer his souldiers and within a while after he made a bridge there At the same time likewise hee seazed on the causie of Matteberg whereof we haue heretofore spoken in mentioning the enemies enterprise vpon the Isle of Tholen Vpon that causie he planted his canon and thereby tooke all meanes from those of Tholen of going into Holland In the gullet of Tholen the causie was likewise pierced through in 2 places there they had also built a fort called the Gueux hole Opposit to the gullet of Tholen lay certaine boats of war which the enemies canon enforced to retâ—eat Right ouer against Barlabas lay the Admiral of Zeland with an other man of war So soone as it was day the vice-Admiral George More discharged two or three canons after some shot made these two ships were enforced to retire to Romerswael being shot through in diuers places not without losse of some souldiers and mariners As our boats went forth of the Hauen some towards Holland others to Zeland they were likewise saluted by the enemies canon The first that went forth notwithstanding it receiued certaine shot went forward on her journey the two last returned backe one of which was shot through in which a Burghers wife with her child in her lap was slaine and two other women hurt These fearing the enemie were flying into Holland and Zeland For at the beginning of the siege somewere so terrified as they thought their onely preseruation to consist in getting forth of the towne This feare was not lessened when
floares in it one aboue another each of them twelue foot high they might at any time be taken downe and had curtaines of canuas towards the enemie This new tower beeing brought nere the Towne Rampiers and musketiers placed in it they did not onely beat the besieged from the Rampiers but shot those that went vp and downe in the streets The townesmen with two canons and helpe of the wind did in two dayes beat downe the two vttermost floares so as no man would any more go vp vpon it From the 27 till the 29 of Iune they were busied in prepayring two Mynes in the rampier vnderneath the Bulwark The thirtieth of Iune the Townesmen sent three Captaines to parley viz. Bernard de Moutberck Dauid du Wall an other called Vandensand sonne to the Prouost of Herderwijck and in their stead Captaine Peter Dorp Asseurs and Buck were sent as Hostages They craued to depart with their armour ensignes and baggage which was granted on condition that they should presently crosse the Rhyn and for sixe moneths space serue no more in those quarters which they refusing the parley was broken off The same night Verdugo gouernour for king Philip sent three hundred souldiers to the towne each of them with a bag of powder of fifteene or sixteene pound weight seuentie of whom entred the rest were defeated and taken prisoners The first of Iulie his Excellencie gaue a false assault hauing made foure hundred shot to note the behauiour of countenance of the besieged who on euerie side were readie for defence The second of Iulie by night he brought all his men secretly into the trenches intending in the morning to giue fire to the Mynes and to make a generall assault Euerie Captaine with his men stood in his place appointed The third of Iulie in the morning after that the canon had played for foure howres the besieged perceiuing all things readie for the assault came to the rampiers and then the Mynes were fired one of them did in such sort ouerthrow the rampier as a breach was made for tenne men to enter in front being in that place where Count William of Nassau stood with the companies of Frize-land to giue the first assault and at the trumpets sound the English were to giue the second The other Myne towards the South-West brake forth without and buried many Hollanders aliue who stood there readie for the assault all this while his Excellencie had giuen no signall But Count William perceiuing the townesmen to be terrified assaulted and tooke the Bulwarke which had beene ouerthrowne on the East-side and commaunded and discouered the whole towne On the other side towards the South they likewise tooke a gate with great losse to the besieged who perceiuing themselues discouered on euerie side did the same night send a drumme to parley but Prince Maurice for the time would not heare him yet the next day the aboue mentioned Captaines had audience but all their demaunds were denied in the end they were content to imbrace whatsoeuer his Excellencie would graunt for the canon by this time commaunded all places in the Towne and all the houses and Churches were for the most part beaten downe so as the people kept in cellers Prince Maurice graunted to the gouernor Antonio Quocquelle and to the Lord Waterdijke captaines and officers of the garrison of Stenwijck likewise to the Clergie Burghers these conditions following dated before Stenwijck the 4 of Iulie 1592. That they should depart forth of the said towne the gouernor captaines officers and souldiers hauing first sworne and promised not to beare armes for the king of Spaine on this side the Rhyne for the space of sixe moneths That they should depart with their baggage wiues and armes warlike munition and victuals Such souldiers as had reuolted and to escape the hand of justice for enormous crimes committed were retired to the said towne serued there should not enjoy the benefit of his accord That all prisoners should be deliuered and set at libertie paying twelue pence a day for their expences That all Burghers and officers belonging to king Philip might without molestation depart thence That an hundred wagons should be graunted them according to their request to carie them to Coeuord on condition they wold be obliged to send them back without any harme That the Surgeons and hurt people might remaine in the town till they were healed and then depart whether they pleased His Excellencie graunted them two commissioners to conduct them beyond the Rhyne vpon caution of the Gouernour and Captaines After this accord the souldiers went their way on the fift of Iulie Prince Maurice beside all this in regard they were valiant souldiers did of his princelie curtesie graunt the Gouernour his horse the like did he to Captaine Waell and to all his men to euerie one a horse and to the soldiers their swords Those which went away were fiue hundred and threescore footmen most Walons all healthful and well disposed and two hundred that were hurt with some sixtie or seuentie horse There were slaine in the towne some three hundred and fiftie among others Count Lodwick of Berghen a young Lord of some eighteene or nineteene yeares old together with the Captaines Blundel Hessel and others On Prince Maurice side fiue or sixe hundred were slayne many hurt and among the rest the Prince himselfe presently after the Myne was fired beeing desirous to see what effects it had wrought he was shot in the right cheeke without any great daunger At the same time Captaine William Dorp Colonel of the Regiment of Hollanders was hurt whereof he died Sir Francis Veer was likewise hurt The souldiers beeing gone foure companies were put into the towne commaunded by the Captaines Berestein Rijswick and others and the Campe remained there till the rampiers and Dikes were repaired In this siege all things were more plentifull and better cheape than in any towne by reason that prouision was easily brought thither and because they payed no impost Certaine souldiers who had beene actors in betraying the towne of Gertrudenberg not comprehended in the contract were taken and hanged And thus the Towne which was thought impregnable was enforced to yeeld his Excellencie hauing made more than nine and twentie thousand canon shot vpon it and was annexed to the vnited Prouinces being hitherunto preserued from all the enemies power and attempts ¶ The Townes of Ootmaersen and Coevoerden are taken in anno 1592. AFter that his Excellencie of Nassau had taken Steenwijck repaired the rampiers and taken order for the gouernement thereof he determined to march with his armie to Coevoerden and appointed certaine numbers of horse to goe and begirt the little towne of Ootmaersen whereof Alonzo de Mendoza was gouernour for the king of Spaine hauing sixtie horse and two ensignes of foot where Charles of Leuin Lord of Famars was shot he was a valiant Lord and one of the Commissioners to the Noble confederats who in
Earle perceiuing the enemie to be too strong for him and that he had taken the towne of Ootmarsen and fearing if he should go to encounter Verdugo the enemie might inuade Frizeland he marched with his forces towards the Lecke and knowing that the forces of Slochteren Wintschoten and Wedde with other small Skonses in the vaert or passage could not long hold out against the canon hee sent them word on paine of death not to yeeld the sayd places till the canon were planted against them this he did to win time and to be the better able to finish his chiefe fort vpon the Bourtagne which he had begun to master and oppresse those of Grouninguen and he had alreadie brought it so forward as by the situation thereof no canon could be brought to batter it The rampiers were of the hight of a pike the Dike was at least fourescore foot broad full of water and verie deepe It had fiue bulwarks two of them faced the enemie the storehouse was built and the souldiers cabins made and it was prouided of all necessaries for two moneths and beside they might fetch whatsoeuer they needed from the countrie of Westphalia in despite of the enemie There lay fiue ensignes of foot in it commaunded by the Gouernor Gerard the yonger and if this fort could be kept they made no doubt but in time to take the towne of Groninguen Therefore Count William perceiuing Verdugo to be master of the field and that he expected greater forces vnder the conduct of Count Herman of Berghen he durst in no sort stir abroad but stood on his defence looking for more ayd vnder the comaund of Sir Frauncis Veer and others and his Excellencie had promised him if need were to come himselfe thither with an armie The Grouninguers requested Verdugo to diuide his forces into two troopes and to besiege Reyden and Bellingwoderzile thereby to cut off victuals from the fort of Bourtange and to that end they were readie to send him sixe double canon But he allowed not thereof fearing least Count William comming to Slochteren Skonse would cut off his passage betwixt that and Grouninguen and hinder the comming of his canon and though he should besiege those towns he was in doubt to be daily assailed by him And because Verdugo in that place could not make vse of his horsemen he resolued to goe and besiege the Fort of Bourtange where in a short space he wanted victuals and was enforced on a sodaine to raise his siege causing a report to be made that he ment to besiege Coevoerden and so matched on Groeninguens side from thence craftily taking his way in October towards Count Williams campe to assaile him on the sodaine and vnlookt for which he might easily haue done had not a souldier stollen forth of a little Skonse by which Verdugo passed and giuen th' alarme by which meanes the campe arriued which the same day began to fortifie and intrench and had almost made it defensible the enemie could come no nearer it than within musket shot and onely made some skirmish which continued sixe or seuen houres till night in which time Verdugo sought to draw them forth into the field but Count William would not come forth of his fortifications so as Verdugo was enforced to retire towards Groeninguen with great losse by reason of his long skirmishes Count William lost one Captaine and many braue souldiers the Scottish colonel Balfour was hurt in the foot with diuers others Verdugo perceiuing his attempts on Count Williams campe to be vaine and that winter would driue him forth of the field and finding but small store of victuals in the countrie because that the boores of the Ommelands and countrie of Drent were retired into the forts and townes he marched towards Coevoerden and seeing that the countrie on one side of the towne was high he caused a way to be made within canon shot of it with hurdles and fagots couering them with grauell taken from vnder the mudd in the marshes and on this way he caused two or three forts to be built as farre as the Drossarts house and that of Steenwijck and by that meanes did shut vp the towne passages from those of Coevoerden in that maner besieging them But these forts being wet and muddie many souldiers died in them that winter to the number of two thousand Verdugo with the remainder of his forces went towards Oldenzell where most of his souldiers afflicted with pouertie and sicknesse ran from him both horse and foot Of 2000 Lorraines onely foure hundred were left seuen ensignes of Walons were brought to so small a number as they durst not for verie shame vnfold their colours Verdugo went to Lingen to meet with a new regiment of foot leuied by the young Duke of Saxonie whose Lieutenant Colonel was by the garrison of Deuticum and others taken prisoner and an hundred of his men slaine the rest fled In the meane time Verdugo and Count Herman sent consolatorie letters to the Groeninguers which were intercepted whereby they intreated them to take courage for they were going into Brabant to craue more ayd of Ernestus Count William thus freed from his enemie sent part of his forces to garrison and placed another part at Visflit to keepe the passage of Vrijse against the enemie and himselfe with three thousand men embarked at Zoltcampe and went towards Bellingwolderzill to recouer the Fort of Wedde which they tooke and wholly finished the new Fort of Bourtange making prouisions to send to those of Coevoerden during the frost The Grouninguers in the mean time made readie a conuoy to send to Verdugos forces before Coevoerden but Count Philip of Nassau lay in wait for it with 500 horse and his enterprise being discouered hee tooke but fiftie wagons Coevoerden by reason of Verdugos forts hauing beene oppressed by 300 foot and foure hundred horse the vnited Prouinces did in Germanie leuie a regiment of Almans vnder the conduct of count Euerard of Solms cousin german to prince Maurice together with certaine horse the Queene of England likewise permitted them to raise a regiment of English in her realme who were commaunded by Sir Frauncis Veer Verdugo and Count Herman were busied at Bruxels crauing more ayd of Ernestus The Grouninguers sent a present of siluer plate and twentie goodly horse to count Ernest of Mansfelt which were taken by the States souldiers That done his Excellencie with his whole Cauallerie and two and fiftie ensignes of foot went towards Arnham there to receiue his cousen count Euerard of Solms the regiment of Almaus and certaine horse but their arriuall was delayed by reason of the high waters and bad wayes so as they were enforced to come by boat Verdugo had likewise done his best to assaile them nere to Lippe at a narrow passage He went from Coevoerden with eleuen cornets of horse and certaine foot companies but he came too late because they were alreadie gone These forces beeing come nere to Ysseloort consisting
the Captaine and his two sonnes were burnt and blowne vp Expecting the tide the two Admerals sent for six great vessels each of them manned with foure hundred musketiers to boord the Spanish gallions being not willing to hazard the Queenes ships Six ships of Lubeck and Dansk were sent from the fleet but they fell foule of the others and peraduenture willingly so as the earle of Essex about noone did set saile the like did the Lord Admerall but the Earles ship drawing too much water he went aboord sir Robert Dudleis who was base sonne to the earle of Leycester All the commaunders being aboord the generall they resolued to assaile the gallions commaunding the Lord Howard and sir Walter Raleigh to begin and they would follow So soone as these began to hoist saile the Spaniards fled towards the shore and sands on Puerto Reals side where their ships ran on ground and themselues leaped into small boats the better to get on shore and those which could not get into the boats aduentured to swimme and beeing many in number most of them perished The S. Mathew and S. Andrew were saued from running on ground and were carried away each of them were of one thousand tunne The two Easterlings ran on shore and were burnt As Raleigh thought to haue boorded the great gallion S. Philip a Negro gaue fire to the powder and escaped by swimming It gaue so great a cracke as the mast was blowne vp into the aire as if it had beene an arrow a Pinnace that lay neere it was likewise burnt but the men escaped in boats The other Gallion called S. Thomas was likewise blowne vp but did no harme to the English The Gallies fled towards the bridge of the Isle del Suazzo The Indian fleet lay about two leagues higher vp in the Riuer neere to Medina This fleet thus broken burnt and scattered the Generall began to land his men and to assault the towne of Cales The Hollanders and Zelanders tooke the Fort of Puntall by force and in it presently displaied and erected the Lord of Warmonts ensigne this discouraged those of Cales and encouraged the rest which landed neere the Fort who began to put themselues in order The earle of Essex led the vantguard the Lord Admerall commanded the battell and sir Iohn Winckfield led the rereward Vpon news of the Englishmens approach the gallants and nobilitie neere to Cales who are called Los Cauallieros de Xeres had armed themselues and were for the most part better furnished with braue horse than valour These with 600 foot drawne from Cales did presently offer skirmish Count Lodwick of Nassau whom the earle of Essex had honoured with the conduct of the voluntarie gentlemen went forward to encounter them and neere to him Melchior Leben one of Prince Maurice his Gentlemen and with them the General and sir Francis Veer with some foure hundred armed pikes and a braue companie of musketiers which stood behind a sand hil these men did put the Cauallieros to rout killing many of them some of whom for sooke their horse and fled towards the towne which was shut against them others fled to a bulwarke without the towne but perceiuing that Count Lodwick began to assaile and mount it they presently fled through the Dikes into the Towne at a place which was scarce made vp leading their enemies the way who presently pursued them and slid downe by their pikes into the towne running to open the gates for the Generall The earle of Sussex his companie was the first that entred who verie valiantly behaued himselfe the like did captaine Sauadge Bagnall Euants and others Captaine Nicholas Metkerck was hurt there and died within a while after yet before he died the General knighted him he was a braue and well experienced gentleman The English being thus within the town two companies of soldiers that lay there in garrison with many of the townesmen fled to the castle others with stones defended themselues in their houses But the Market place and town-house once taken euerie man yeelded without any great effusion of bloud Sir Iohn Winckfield who in former time had beene Gouernor of Geertrudenberg when it was sold and betrayed to the Duke of Parma being wounded rode vp and downe the Market place with his sword in hand being disarmed who not regarding the Marshal Veers good counsell that wished him either to arme himself or else to returne was shot into the head The Generals being busied in taking of the town forgat to pursue the Indian fleet Sir Edward Conway sir Christopher Blunt and sir Thomas Gerard offered with their souldiers in small boats to assaile and take it but Raleigh would not haue that honour taken from the Sea-men notwithstanding that the Earle of Essex and the Lord Admerall wold haue had it so and whilest they contested about it time passed away and they thought themselues sure enough of the fleet yet therein they were deceiued The towne taken and night being come the two Generals entreated sir Walter Raleigh to returne to the fleet to his ship fearing least the Galleis should the same night at a low water set fire on the ships promising to keepe his share of the bootie and to giue him a good quarter in the towne He craued leaue to goe and take the Indian fleet desiring no more than his owneship and twelue merchant men of London but the Generals entreated him to giue them time to consider of it till the next morning at which time sir Walter sent his brother in law Throgmorton Henrie Leonard and Iohn Gilbert knights to know their resolution but the Generals sent him word to come a shore to the towne In the meane time the committee of the contractation house with the purueior Pedro Herrera the Corrigidor other the kings officers in the town offered 2 millions of ducats or 600000 pound sterling for ransome of the fleet this did Raleigh oppugne saying that they ought first to be masters of the fleet and then ransome it afterwards for if alreadie they offered two millions they would giuefoure when it was taken whilest the English spent time in consultation the Spaniards day and night vnloded all the richest wares because that the Duke of Medina gouernour of S Lucars and those parts for the king had commaunded to burn the ships which was done vpon the third day before the ransome could be agreed vpon the men saued themselues and escaped so as the contractors that were onward on their way to negociat for the ransome perceiued the ships to be all on fire this was a sharpe and rigorous resolution for which the Duke was greatly contemned by those that had a share in this losse but he knew the king his Masters mind Three and thirtie great ships laden for the Indies were burnt beside fiue ships which came from S. Lucars three of which ran on ground it was the greatest and welthiest fleet that euer went to the Indies The most
that gallant opportunitie His Excellencie in the meane time hauing intelligence of the enemies arriuall in the Isle of Bommell made hast thitherward with his Cauallerie and certaine foot companies where he arriued on the sixth of May and gaue order for all things necessarie in the towne commaunding the Burghers still to abide there who by his comming were so encouraged as they alone thought themselues strong enough to withstand the enemie The seuenth of May the Spaniards forsooke the town of Emmerick and joyned with the Admerall who was then marching towards the Isle of Bommell It was supposed that the Admerall had an intent to haue seazed on Heusden a verie strong Towne and seated within an houres journey of Bommell But his Excellencie like a prouident prince went thither on the 11 of May with tenne foot companies and caused the Isle of Hemert to be fortified and intrenched round about The Admerall perceiuing that Heusden was too well prouided did with all his force assault the Fort of Creuecoeur which by reason of the smalnesse was not able to hold out against him Whereupon the garrison yeelded it vp and departed thence with their ensignes and armes His Excellencie hauing intelligence thaâ— Creuecoeur was yeelded returned speedily to Bommell and caused it to be enuironed with many trenches halfe Moones and such like workes By these fortifications the Towne of Bommel in mans iudgement was made impregnable and as many as saw the height and bredth of those workes were amazed for it is almost incredible to see what they wrought in view of the king of Spaines mightie armie Beside these fortifications a farre off the bulwarkes of the Towne which had bin begun were finished and the walls closed vp the Towne being well furnished with ordnance and other prouision in places of most necessitie The Admeral in the meane time lay with his campe at Creuecoeur where he was busied in making a bridge ouer the Mase and a halfe Moone on Heels side thereby to secure the riuer The 13 of May the enemie made shew as if he would haue returned to Heusden whereupon his Excellencie sent 31 ensignes mo thither But he marched towards Rossem hoping to enter into the Isle of Tiell called Tielche-weert to enclose the Isle of Bommell on all sides but Prince Maurice sent ordnance thither and caused batteries to be made thereby hindering the enemies passage The 14 of May Count Frederick brought the most part of the armie before Bommell hauing first run vp and downe the Countrie and done nothing but warned those of Bommell and Voorn to fortifie themselues and giuen them time to doe it He came and sat downe on the West-side where the Towne had beene most open there beginning his skirmishes hoping to enter it but those within it did brauely repulse him During this skirmish the enemie thought to haue entred the Isle of Rossem but all things being there well ordered his attempt had no good successe Then he began to besiege the towne seating his campe at a place called Oensell aboue the Towne and made his trenches at the causey called Oensen-Dijke that he might lie safe from the Towne shot Prince Maurice perceiuing that the enemie meant to set vpon him with his whole power did likewise breake vp his campe which lay in the Betuwe and brought it to Bommell making all preparations for defence sending for all sorts of munition and making sundrie batteries His whole campe being assembled he diuided it verie skilfully and fortified all necessarie places He manned Bommel with eight ensignes belonging to the Lord Peter de Dorp eight ensignes of the Lord Vander-Noot foure ensignes of Suesse and the Lord de la Noiie with seuen French companies and himselfe with his youngest brother Count William and Count Lodwick retired thence He quartered the English at Haesten the Gards at Tuyll the residue of the French at Wardenbourg at Opinen the rest of the Frizons at Hessell Count Ernestus with the Almans the Scots with Edmonds regiment at Voorn and all the horse in the Isle of Tyell and so from thence as farre as Gorcum to keepe continuall watch along the Riuer The Admerall Duuenvoord likewise went vp the Riuer Waell with fifteene men of warre which lay from Opinen as farre as beneath Haeften On the sixteenth of May all things being thus ordered by the States armie the Admeral of Arragon came at last to his campe so as al the power on both sides was assembled nere to Bommel The Spaniards were in number 26000 foot and 4000 horse the States forces consisted of 16000 foot and three thousand horse most of them old souldiers and had a long time bin trayned vp in war and purchased great experience The same night that the Admeral came to his campe he made a furious assault vpon the townes furthest fortifications towards the gate called Oensche port which were scarce finished but he was brauely beaten backe with great losse of his men and among others La Motte was taken prisoner who died at Bommell of his hurt together with Alfonso D'Aualos who was grieuously wounded yet within a while after recouered his health Prince Maurice caused the causey called Oenschen-Dijke to be vndermined that he might blow vp the enemie if he returned to assaile the fortifications This was his last assault vpon Bommell for afterward he kept himselfe verie quiet standing rather on defence than offence His Excellencie on the contrarie was not satisfied in defending the towne of Bommell but did likewise with all his might assaile the enemie shooting on euerie side into his campe and visiting him often in his trenches The workes and fortifications did daily encrease round about Bommell and a bridge of boats was likewise made ouer the Waell before the Towne fiue pace in bredth and foure hundred and fiftie in length There were ten great boats and eight and twentie lesser ones a verie great Ferrie-boat seruing for an opening to the bridge when need was By his Excellencies commaund all mariners that were in the States fleet came into the towne of Bommell to ayd the souldiers to make a furious assault vpon the enemie who was aduertised thereof by two French-men that fled from our side whereupon the mariners were sent backe to their ships The 18 of May Count Lodwick with 8 cornets of horse was sent on Brabants side to surprise the enemies gards but returned without any effect On the one and twentieth at night our souldiers being for the most part English and French did fiercely assaile the enemie in his trenches and slew aboue six hundred men and would peraduenture haue troubled the whole armie had not a quarrell arose betwixt the two Nations whereupon they returned to the Towne bringing Captaine Aldeno prisoner with them with some other souldiers And on their side lost two Captaines and some others who for the most paâ—t were slayne by themselues The enemie at that time was verie busie in his fortifications making platformes and sundrie batteries from
houses round about it rasing all the Castles and so in good order himselfe and men left the Towne and returned to their ships We were no sooner gon but the enemies entred it and labored to quench the fire and often times shewed themselues in small troupes whilest our men embarkeed themselues but durst neuer come neere our boats The fift sixt and seuenth of Iuly the fleet remained in the hauen and Road of the graund Canarie as well in regard of contrarie winds and other impediments as also to tarrie for the foure ships which had beene sent to Sea The Admerall in the meane time did carefully visit the fleet and in the places of those commanders that were dead he appointed others He likewise called all the Captaines aboord his ship and conferred with them concerning the commodities of the other Islands of the Canaries Our men burnt one of their owne ships which at the fleets first arriuall had beene battered from the Castle Graciosa the Captaine hauing transported his men and goods into the barke which they tooke in the Road. In this meane time certaine Spaniards came at sundry times to the water side with flags of truce who in a boat were brought to the Admerall and afterwards sent back againe after they had redeemed some prisoners The eight of Iuly in the morning the fleet sailed along the Coast of the Grand Canarie and at the North point met with the foure ships which had beene at Sea So soone as they descried the fleet they weighed anker and did put to Sea with the rest Toward Euening the wind blew hard so as the fleets course was stopt which returned to the South-East point of the Grand Canarie where they all came to an anchor in the view of Tenerif The ninth of Iuly all the boats went on shoar to fetch in fresh water vnseene of the Spaniards The tenth the fleet did againe set saile with a North-West wind and were presently becalmed The 11 of Iuly in the morning the wind againe was faire but comming neere to Tenerif the weather grew calme and verie changeable so as the fleet was dispersed being not able to hold on their course but were enforced to come to an anchor twelue times in one day The twelueth of Iuly the wind was more constant so as the fleet directed it course towards Gomera Gomera is the least Island of all the Canaries and hath a small towne on the South-west part thereof with a strong Castle vpon the shoare Towards euening the greatest part of the fleet came vp together among others the Rere-Admerall Ian Geerbrantson with his white flagge who in the night with two other ships rode neere the towne But those of Gomera began presently to shoot at them so as the said Admerall did speedily fal off and with as many ships as were neere him came to an anchor waiting for the rest of the fleet which was farre off betwixt Tenerifa and Gomera The thirteenth of Iuly before noone the whole Fleet came together and sayled towards Gomera and doubling a poynt to the North-west of the Towne they came to an anchor The Admerall presently sent for all the Captaines and held a Martiall councell acquainting them with what they were to do Thereupon foure Ensignes of souldiers were presently landed in the valley to assault the backside of the towne and to hinder the enemies flight into the mountaines After that the fleet went forward before the towne on which it forthwith bestowed some shot and found no resistance at all Then the Admerall landed 6 Ensignes moe who without any resistance entred the town and Castle For so soone as the enemies descried the fleet they fled away like those of Allagona with their wiues children and goods into the mountaines hauing buried their bells ordnance wines and other commodities heere and there in the fields The foure aboue mentioned Ensignes perceiuing the enemies flight sent a troup of souldiers before to intercept them to take those goods which they caried with them But the Spaniards hauing notice thereof hid themselues in Caues and darke places in a valley incompassed our men Our men thus inclosed on euery side made braue resistance and slue many of the enemie and in the end after a cruell fight made way thorough them and retired to the towne hauing lost some 70 or 80 men among whom were two Lieutenants which had behaued themselues very valiantly one of whom had receiued fiftie wounds in his body After dinner the Admeral placed strong gards euerie where commaunded the souldiers to search the fields where the same night they found diuers pipes of wine In the night our men took a Spaniard who by the Admerals command was committed to the Prouost Marshal to cause him the next day to discouer such goods as were hid but about midnight by negligence of his keepers he escaped so fled into the mountains The 14 of Iuly in the morning our men shipt all the enemies goods and after dinner found three bells more which were buried in the fields The 15 of Iuly in the morning 10 or 12 of our men running rashly vp the hils were enuironed slaine by the enemy The same day the Admerall made a Generall muster and those ships which were not double mand and victualled began to deliuer vp the remainder of their munition souldiers to the other ships in exchange the sick and hurt men were stowed in them and preparation made to send them home into the Low-Countries to carie newes of their victories and purchase gotten from the enemie euen in his owne Countrey After dinner our men found two great peeces of ordnance the one sixteene foot and a halfe long and the other 14 foot The 16 of Iuly after dinner the enemie shewed himselfe sundry times scoffing at the defeat of our men in the valley and in derision bad them to come fetch their muskets which they had left behind them Thereupon the Admerall would haue landed certain souldiers mariners to assaile the enemie the next day in the coole of the morning but in the night a great tempest arose so as the fleet in regard the ships lay neere together had like to haue suffered shipwrack had not some of them fallen off farther to seaward and there anchored so as by this meanes the former determination was hindred and peraduenture the mischiefe preuented which might haue befallen our men if they had gon vp into the mountaines to the enemie The 17 of Iuly 300 men were sent to the said valley to visit the enemie who keeping himselfe hid our men returned bringing with them two small brasse peeces and two barrells of pouder which they found buried in the ground The 18 of Iuly they shipt all the enemies goods those ships which were appointed for execution of such enterprises as were to be made in the King of Spaines remotest dominions were stored with such proportion of Canarie wines as befitted the length of their voyage The
Euerard Count of Solms by his lieutenant that of Aeneas de Treston de Trebourg de l'Amovillerie de Langevelt de Ruisse and de Floris de Wijngaerden In the third Battaillon was the regiment of Colonell Huchtenbroeke with his owne companie conducted by Marlin that of the lord of Tempell by Belin his lieutenant that of the sayd Marlin of Dierick de Ionghe de Ruyssenbourg of Iohn de Loon and de Caluart these 26 ensignes made vp the rereward together with 3 cornets of horse His Excellencie stood fast in Battaile vpon the shoare expecting the enemies comming he had sent the gards to the Downes and had drawne some fiftie musketiers forth of the battaile placing them on the shoare and foure troopes of Frizeland musketiers for second with these to flanke the enemies troupes if he had come along the shoare and the better to diuert their approach he had planted fixe demie canon there About eleuen of the clocke the enemies cauallerie approached who were saluted by our canon which made them retire to the Downes when they tarried for their owne ordnance and fanterie that came on verie slowly His Excellencie had enjoyned the lords of Warmont and Duyvenvoord to commaund the ships to shoot into the enemies battailes which was effected the Vice-Admerall of Zeland whose name was Ioostle Moore and Captaine Knoopes made some shot into the enemies battaile who on his part answered them with two demie canon His Excellencie in the meane time abandoned the towne of Newport and caused the bridge to be broken commaunding the rereward to follow him and to place themselues in order he caused two demie canon to be brought vpon the Downes and planted them vpon a little rising meaning with them to scoure the plaines His Excellencie still had the wind and Sun which is no small aduauntage especially on the Downes when the wind blowes somewhat hard as it did all the time of the battaile The enemie being come betwixt the parishes of Westeynde and Willekins Kerck within a small mile of Niewport and two miles from Ostend did likewise plant fiue demie canon and one field piece vpon the shoare then his Excellencie shot into the enemies battaile who answered him presently with the like but the enemie receiuing much hurt by our canon was enforced to retire farther vp into the Downes in regard the Tyde did rise by reason whereof the shoare was so narrow as few men could stand vpon it and then al the boats which lay drie before Niewport began to float and sayled towards Ostend fiue excepted together with the greatest number of those boats that made the bridge which could not be loossened those of Niewport tooke a Carvell and carried it into the towne To defend these boats from the sallies of those of Niewport his Excellencie left certaine troupes of souldiers to skirmish with the Townesmen Then the Archduke began to march athwart the Downes towards the plaine behind them the like did his Excellencie causing his troupes to march against the enemie sir Frauncis Veer led the English pikes and muskets as also the Gards and Frizons and himselfe marched in the formost ranke and was the first man that charged the musketiers of two Spanish regiments he was seconded by Count George Euerard of Solms who led the battaile the French musketiers being diuided into foure troupes he did with three of them charge the musketiers of two Spanish and Italian regiments the said French shot were led by Captaine du Puy Captaine Bruill lieutenant to the Lord la Noüe Captaine Pommared lieutenant to Dommerville and captain Vander-Burch lieutenant to Captaine du Fort. His Excellencie perceiuing that he must needs fight and that he could not auoyd it did valiantly resolue thereon trusting to the equitie of his cause and to God and thereupon commaunded Count Lodwick to charge the enemie with 6 cornets of horse viz. that of his Excellencie Count Henrie and his owne appointing Marcelis Bacx Paule Bacx and Captaine la Sale to second them who brake the enemies horse and put them to rout this done the battaile began on euerie side with a furious batterie which was terrible to behold on the Downes they fought continually from the beginning to the end but in the plaine beyond the Downes by sundrie charges his Excellencie hauing diuided his men into diuers troupes vnwilling to haue them fight all at once The General Veer fought with a battaillon of pikes of two Spanish regiments after that he had repulsed the enemies shot The sayd battaillon was conducted by D. Lewis de Villar and D. Hieronimo de Monroy on the right side the enemie had a wing of horse with which he did much anoy our Vantgard Generall Veer being sore wounded did notwithstanding fight along time leading the English and the 2 Gards but at last retired being seconded by his brother sir Horatio Veer and Captaine Quirin de Blau The enemie charging furiously vpon vs certaine of our souldiers began to flie but it was soone redrest Presently after the first charge these Captaines of horse viz. Coutelor Peter Panier and Batenburch charged the enemies fanterie they were seconded by count Lodwick with six companies of Cuirasses with whom Count Frederic of Solms serued Count George Euerart of Solms with the French did by his Excellencies command charge marching formost in the battaile and diuided into two troupes of which that on the right hand was conducted by Monsr Dommervile lieutenant Colonell of the French and the other on the left hand by Captaine du Sau. This was the second charge of the French fighting with a battaillon of pikes of two regiments the one Spaniards and the other Italians conducted by D. Alonzo d'Aualos and Sapena the Campe Master Count George Euerart retired with the French and brought vp Count Henrie of Nassaus regiment videlicet the Walons of whom Monsr Marquet was Lieutenant Colonell to charge the enemie againe and also the regiment of Suisse by Hans Krijc these two regiments fought with la Bourlotte and the Earle of Bucquoy who commaunded the enemies rereward consisting of three regiments of Walons and Irish. Then his Excellencie commaunded Monsr de Gystelles who conducted the rereward to charge with his owne regiment and that of Huchtenbroeke And the regiment of Count Ernest vnder the conduct of Heusman his Lieutenant Colonell did likewise charge The fight continued doubtfull for three houres space for now one side preuailed and anon another and yet his Excellencies Cauallerie had still the aduauntage of the enemies which gaue backe by little and little and some of them fled towards Niewport and were pursued by our men The enemies Fanterie fought with better vantage on the Downes where they tooke one hill after another from his Excellencies footmen and did mightily endaunger the ordnance Behind the Downes Sir Horatio Veer charged with sixe English ensignes with Captaine Henrie Sutton his Lieutenant Colonell Captaine Louell Captaine Ogle and Captaine Farfax Count Lodwick with tenne horse
Charles Vander Noot was gouernor there The Generall States of the vnited Prouinces hauing intelligence of the siege of Ostend sent Colonell Huchtenbrock thither with ten companies and entreated generall Vere to go thither with three thousand men which were expected from England but hee made some difficultie therein beeing laoth to goe without his owne regiment and that of his brother whereupon on the eight of Iulie eight companies were sent vnto him and on the fourteenth of the same twelue other companies which had been at the campe before Berck making vp in all one and twentie companies among whom were six English Generall Vere came thither on the fifteenth of Iuly by night and the next day all sort of munition were brought thither by the Lord of Warmont in despite of the enemies canon the report where of was heard into England for the besieged made counter batteries and often brake the enemies ordnance and dismounted it whereupon two double canon and foure demys were sent to them The fifteenth of Iulie two of the Queene of Englands Ships arriued there with new supplies of souldiers Two daies before Generall Veer his arriuall the besieged had made a furious sallie vpon the enemies in their trenches killing many of them to the number of fiue or sixe hundred who were not well intrenched D. Augustino de Mexia was hurt there and D. Hieronimo de Monroy the Campe-Master was slaine in his Tent the besieged lost some 30 men At the same time or thereabout D. Diego d'Idiaques and D. Iuan Bracamonte Nephew to Count Fuentes D. Pedro de Lojas sonne to the Marquesse de Lojas who brought newes of the Kings daughters birth with diuers others were likewise slaine Sir Frauncis Veer being in the towne as chiefe commaunder gaue direction for all matters diuiding the Dutch companies into two regiments vnder the conduct of the gouernour Vander-Noot and Colonel Huchtenbroecke who commaunded in the old towne The seuenteenth and twentieth of Iulie Generall Veer hauing store of men seazed on a piece of land that lay Southward which he fortified and entrenched placing strong gards in the counterscarpes and forts neere adjoyning The two and twentieth of Iulie the enemies canon did so commaund the Hauen as no boats durst enter but the fiue and twentieth of Iulie the gouernour and the Ingeneer Master Dauid of Orleans with other old and experimented mariners found that the gullet would serue to bring in boats by opening a causey or rampier of the counterscarpe that the sayd boats might lye safe in the towne dikes But the Archduke caused boats to be laden with stones at Niewport and elsewhere which he sanke within and neere the gullet to choake it vp but all the labor was to no purpose Those of Ostend made many curtains to secure their men from the canon they likewise filled the fortifications which were made in the Sea with stakes and crosse beames full of stones the better to diuert the Sea waues from the Towne By this meanes the workes and counterscarpes abroad were fortified like the rampiers of other strong townes being garded with rauelins halfe Moons and forts so as the enemie could not bring his ordnance neere the towne to make a batterie or come to the assault they did moreouer secure the going out and in of the boats so as the vnited Prouinces were encouraged to defend the towne sending thither daily all manner of stuffe and workmen to make it more strong therein sparing for no cost The enemies could by no meanes come neerer the town than by the West side along the downes from whence they fiercely battered it and especially the Sand hill This Sand hill was a Bulwarke of double works one vpon an other hauing round about it sundrie rankes of Pallisadoes from the bottome to the verrie toppe all made of fagotts laide one vpon an other with other Bulwarks neere adioyning for it was made to defend the West side which was the weakest part of the towne together with the hauen on that side This Sand hill was so battered with the canon as it seemed like an yron hill for they shot bullet vpon bullet which strake vpon one an other and sometimes rebounded backe againe Neere to the Sand hill was a causey opposite to the sea extending it selfe as farre as the downes where the enemy lay This causey was defended by a halfe moone and by pallizadoes and the Porcuspine by a verie strong fort which the Archduke caused to bee vndermined the better thereby to approach the towne In that regard the besieged on the fifteenth of Iuly perced the said causey behinde their halfe moone and armed the point of it with planks and fagots against the force of the Sea waues and yet they feared that the same opening would haue done more hurt to the Bulwarkes and other workes than it did this onely enforced the enemy by reason of the water to quit sundrie forts By this meanes the towne became like vnto an Island wholy enuironed with the Ocean Sea beeing diuided the breadth of one hundred foot from the firme land and from the enemy who was in great hope that the Sea the causey being perced would doe more hurt to the towne in winter The vnited Prouinces on the contrarie were assured that God by that meanes would preserue and keepe the towne so as they for their parts vsed all diligence to secure it and at Generall Veres entreatie sent three and twentie foot ensignes more thither after the taking of Rhynberck vnder conduct of Earle Chastillon notwithstanding that there were alreadie nine and fiftie ensignes in the towne beside those who were daily sent from England whose number amounted to 2000 men The enemy shot continually into the towne more than euer into any that was besieged so as many men were dayly slaine The vnited Prouinces in September sent thither in lesse than fifteene daies vnder conduct of the Lord of Warmont Admerall of Holland who with his men of warre garded the Seas one hundred threescore and ten boats laden with all sorts of victuals wine beere bread turfe and fire wood for winter not reckoning fiue hundred and fiftie barrells of powder which were there before the siege the said one hundred threescore and ten boats did likewise bring three hundred seuentie three thousand pound weight of fine and course biscuit seuentie seuen thousand weight of match ninetie eight thousand poundes of musket and harquebuse shot with fifteene thousand yron bullets and all maner of prouision necessarie for defence of the towne so as victuals were so plentifull and cheape there as a pot of wine was solde for a groat and the best for six pence and a tunne of Delfts beere for fiue florins By this meanes the siege of Ostend grew so famous as people came from all parts to behold the besiegers and besieged The Inhabitants of Zealand did for curiositie sake goe boldly thither with their wiues and children All manner of victuals were better
cheape there than in Holland or Zealand in regard they paid no imposition The Duke of Holst brother to the King of Denmarke with Count Iohn of Nassau Count Hohenlo and the Earle of Northumberland came from England thither to view the manner of the fortifications Count Saint Paul Gouernour of Picardie was likewise onward on his way thither but by a contrarie wind was caried into Zealand yea Henry the fourth the great French king came in August to Calais to vnderstand the particularities of that siege from whence hee sent one of his Lords to visite the Archduke who likewise sent Count Solre to the king Count Chastillon a gallant noble and valorous Lord nephew to the great Admerall of France commaunded the French forces in Ostend and as by vnluckie chance hee stood on the top of the Sand hill viewing the Gabions in companie of the gouernour the Lord Vander Noot Colonell Huchtenbroeck gouernour of Saint Andrewes fort and Brog Lieutenaunt Colonell to the Scots with diuers other gentlemen the scalpe of his head was caried away with a canon bullet so as the braines and bones flew in the face of Huchtenbroeck Captaine Brog and others Within a while after namely on the last of September the said Colonell Huchtenbroeck was likewise slaine and was much lamented as also a French Captaine named Pomarend It would bee an impossibilitie to set downe the names of all the Captaines which dyed both within and without the towne together with the sundrie accidents which daily happened there with so small terrour and amazement as is almost incredible custome wholy banishing feare Among others a souldier bought a loafe of bread which hee held vp in his hand shewing it to one of his fellowes and in the meane time a bullet tooke away the one halfe of it whereupon the souldier merrily sayd that there was some good fellowship in him that made that shot because hee left him some bread and tooke not all away An English gentleman of the age of twentie yeares had in a sallie his right arme shot off with a Canon bullet hee tooke it vp and carried it along with him to the Surgeons who drest him which done hee tooke his arme with him to his lodging where without beeing sicke or distempered he held it in his left hand saying this is the arme which to day at dinner serued the whole bodie An other souldier hauing his arme shot off and beeing verie weake was led away by two of his fellowes as hee went along an other bullet tooke away one of his legs of which hurt he presently dyed those two which led him being in no sort hurt A Grocer standing in his shop was slaine with a great shot and beeing laid in a coffing the bodie was caried away with a Canon bullet A yong man beeing on horse backe his horse was slaine vnder him with a bullet which entred at his hinder parts and came forth at his brest and yet himselfe had no harme onely his breeches were torne a sunder betwixt his legs with the wind of the bullet A Sea Captaine beeing in conference with one who layd his arme vpon the Captaines shoulder it was taken away by a great shot the Captain hauing no hurt but only astonied with the wind of the canon It fell out likewise oftentimes that the enemie discharging his ordnance the bullet flew into the mouth of our canon which was charged and setting it on fire two bullets were sent backe in steed of one Diuers other strange accidents happened there among so manie millions of shot for the first ten weeks both from the town and enemies campe more than threescore thousand Canon shot were spent beside fire-works to burn downe the town building which tooke no great effect in regard the houses were low Now this is not strange for the meaning of the Spaniards was to win the towne with their ordnance and to make it a heape of stones and ashes but the besieged shot as much as the enemies dismounting their canon and tearing downe their forts For there was neuer any place among Turks Heathen or Christians where so manie shot haue beene bestowed on either side the canons beeing so worne and the holes made so wide as the like hath not bin seene The foureteenth of August Generall Vere beeing on the Sand hill was hurt in the head with a wodden splinter and because his wound was daungerous the surgeons told him that he must withdrawe himselfe to some quiet place free from the noice of ordnance whereupon hee went from Ostend and remained for a time in Zealand The besieged made braue sallies wherein the enemies were still put to the worst the foure and twentieth of August our men made two sallies the first by the English alone the second by Dutch and English of whom some nine or ten were slaine and thirtie hurt but of the enemies many moe were slaine who still repulsed our men and when their foot men were too weake they made vse of their horsemen among whom the ordnance made great slaughter so as this siege was verie bloudie and long as it shall appeare by the sequell of the Historie The enemies were often at variance among themselues because many of their attemps had no good successe They were intrenched in the West downes in seuen or eight trenches the one higher than the other according to the nature of the ground their trenches beeing conioyned with fagots and sand further off from these they had made an other trench with platformes for their ordnance which extended as far as their fort in the ruined churchyard betwixt the forts of Grooten-dorst aud Isabella standing on the riuer Yperlee where likewise Saint Clares fort stood and part of the camp of the Southern quarter from whence they had made a way with fagots as farre as the Eastern campe Count Frederick Vandenbergh had made a trench to the Southward opposite to the Englishmens trenches on the Polder well fortified with ordnance and batteries D. Augustino de Mexia with some eight thousand men commanded that quarter on the East side of the town neere to the bridge was another campe likewise wherein lay two thousand men vnder Count Frederick Beside they had a companie of reuolted English commaunded by Captaine Floud and foure cornets of horse Three thousand men did euerie night gard the camp Captaine Catrice had chiefe commaund of the trenches with one Simon Antonio Matheo Serrano was lieutenant generall of the ordnance D. Lewis d' Auila Balthazar Lopes D. Iuan Panrache were Sergeant Majors of the Army The Regiments of the Earles Solre Bucquoy Frisin Achicourt and others where there who agreed but badly with the Spaniards whose intollerable pride they could not endure The mutinie in certaine forts was not wholy quieted but the mutiners were sent to Saint Winocks Bergue till they might receiue their full pay which came too late so as they reduced the whole countrie vnder contribution Archduke Albert was in person in the
Armie and lay in Alberts fort where the Campe was fortified and prouided for winter as if it had been a towne and it was called West end The Infanta Isabella lay at Niewport and on the second of August shee came with eighteene Coaches to the campe beeing seene by those of the towne It is reported that whilest the ordnance plaied fircely on both sides herselfe gaue fire to certaine canons which was reputed for a singular honor They fastened wodden platformes to the shoare on the East side which they fenced with Gabions tied with Cables from thence to play vpon the boats which entred the old Hauen They attempted likewise to stop the sluce of the Causey with wood sacks filled with â—and but those filled sacks sank down to the bottom were caried away with the tide so as all that labor was vain After that by the aduice of Captain Catrice who had bin lieutenant to la Bourlotte and had now his place they resolued to giue a generall assault to euerie corner of the towne contrarie to the opinion of the whole Councell of war thinking at a low water to win the West Rampier of the old Towne and there to fortifie themselues but the besieged had prouided for it and the assault being begun Captaine Catrice was shot in the head whereupon it was deferred and yet his wound was not mortall for he was healed for that time From August to September the Archdukes Camp spared for no trauel nor expence to win the towne which they continually battered day and night ouerthrowing certaine fortifications killing diuers and laming others They likewise came at sundrie times into the trenches halfe moones and other workes from whence by the courage and magnanimitie of our souldiers they were beaten with great losse of men They went about by all meanes to choake the Gullet therein vsing all the cunning that man could inuent to keepe victuals from the town but they could not doe it nor yet by all their attemps cause the besieged to yeeld For Generall Vere and all the Captaines were resolued to defend it by all meanes possible and by their sallies did much annoy the enemie both in his Campe and forts At the same time certaine men went about to betraie and deliuer vp the towne to the enemie but they were bewrayed and executed After Haruest the souldiers on both sides were so badly clad as they were much tormented with cold especially the besieged who kept gard without the town in the counterscarps and forts where the waies were verie dirtie which caused diuers English men to runne away others grew sicke and died the Garrison being so weakned as of seuen or eight thousand there were in December but two or three thousand left whereupon Generall Vere wrot to the States for more men The Archduke lying in Alberts fort and the nights waxing long was desirous to make some attempt sending foure hundred of his souldiers on the one and twentieth of December about midnight at a lowe water ouer the Hauen on the West side along the shoare who passing by the Sand hill gaue an alarme to the East side and from thence at a place called Schottenbergh mounted the rampiers killing a sentinell of Gystels companie and by helpe of a great winde fired a curtein or great heape of fagotts which were layed to breake off the Sea waues and to preserue the Bulwarks foot made on the North side at the end of the falce-bray or out-wal beneath the Sand hils point where the foot of it made with fagots burnt three daies and three nights and could not be quenched by reason the enemie shot so fiercely The same night an Italian souldier that had lost his way was taken betwixt the rampiers and pallisadoes This Italian beeing secretly examined by Generall Vere told him that the Archduke hauing intelligence of the Garrisons weaknesse and how the towne had not of a long time beene supplied with men and victuals had speedily sent for all the Garrisons of Brabant Artois and other places and with these was come before the towne with a firme resolution to assault it in sundrie places namely towards the South and West Quadrant and the halfe moones and that Count Bucquoy should assault the Northwest rauelin of the old towne at a low water which hee might easily doe in the night Certaine other Captaines should assaile the Sand hill and two places of the old towne namely the Porcuspine which was a smal rauelin in the counterscarpe which garded a certaine place called the Biere they retained the water of the dikes which is a matter of great importance The other assaults should bee giuen to the works without the towne to the South-South-East ward called the South Quadrant the Polder and East Quadrant to which some three weekes past the enemies had giuen a fierce assault from whence they were driuen with great losse Generall Vere knowing this in particular did on the three and twentieth of December at two of the clocke in the afternoone send foure Captaines to view the Porcuspine and to bring him word whither it might bee defended against the enemies assaults and as the said Captaines were visiting this place Captaine Lewis Couture came thither about three a clocke with commission from the Generall to craue a parley of the enemie and to send hostage from either side This was done vnknown to the Captains but Captaine Couture found the Archduke verie willing thereunto The Generall to excuse this parley alleadged sundrie reasons viz. that he feared the assault because he was weake in men and they of sundrie nations that hee was loath to come to a generall assault and therefore thought good to beguile and amuse the enemie and winne time till cernaine fortifications in the old towne were finished Whereupon hostages were presently sent from the towne vpon the enemies word namely Captaine Ogle lieutenant Colonell and Captaine Farfax to procure that some others might bee likewise sent from the Archduke to treat And the same Euening the Generall sent the Sergeant Major Carpenter commaunding him to let in on the East side of the towne the gouernour of the Sluce Matho Serrano master of the ordnance and Councellor to the Archduke together with Captaine Ottaigno Sergeant Major of a regiment both of them discreet and well experienced persons with promise that in the meane time there should bee a cessation of armes by land on both sides and not otherwise These two Commissioners from the Spaniards were brought by the falce-braye ouer the Sand hill and so caried towards the new towne But a great tumult rising on a sodaine among the Captaines and souldiers especially because this was done vnknowne to them they were by the Generals commaundement sent backe againe the same way without audience and in the meane time the tide was risen so high as they could not passe on the East side but went through the towne towards the West part where they passed ouer in a boat to Count Bucquoys