and made the countrie yéeld them large contributions euen from the ports of Vtricht Amsterdam and Leiden in Holland being 50. miles frō them For strength they were accounted impregnable and might be supplied from the Towne by great passagde boates with al necessaries The Estates campe two yéeres before had lieu at them ten moneths with eleuen thousand footemen and 3000. horse and departed with losse without them Taxis a soldier of account with the enimie lieutenant to Coronell Verdugo gouernour of Frizeland for the king of Spaine commanded in the towne and forts After aduise taken vpon good view of the place it was resolued that the forts as of more importance for vs and not the town should be besieged Our bridge of boates was appointed to be laid ouer the riuer about an English mile from the Towne and the campe to be placed on both sides the water that the prince if he came and thought fit mought sée that we would giue him the opportunitie to attempt vs. Order being taken for these things whiles they were in doing his Excellencie vnderstanding the tickle estate of Deuenter thought fit himselfe in person to go thither leauing straight charge to be spéedily aduertised if at the campe they should vnderstand any thing of the Princes moouing Deuenter is the chiefe citie of the prouince of Ouerissell One of the Haunse townes large strong rich and directing indéede Swowle and Campen and the rest of the cities and townes of that countrie which in a manner depende wholy vpon it It is seated vpon the northeast bank of the riuer Yssell It then stoode in a kinde of newtrall termes inclining more in shew to the Estates party but yéelding no contributions to the war and indéed aiding the enimie with victuals and prouisions and some of the towne hauing secret and strict intelligences with him That was the cause of his Excellencies so spéedie repaire thither the case being taken to be such as that who had come first of the prince or him with forces should haue béene receiued And indéede the prince as we after vnderstood hastened al he could thither But his Excellencie was first entred and with him about foure hundred footemen and two or thrée cornets of horse and no moe at this time He dealt in courteous and gentle sort with the townesmen and they likewise vsed him and his well but yet so as they woulde not lodge as in garrison anie of those he brought with him He had not béene there full two daies when certaine aduertisement came to him from the camp that the prince with his whole armie was risen from about Weesell and come to Burckloe a towne of the territorie of Munster about eight english miles from our campe Wherevpon his Excellencie departed presently with his owne traine to the campe leauing the foure hundred footemen and two cornets of horse in Deuenter and finding in the camp the trenches vpon Zutphen side not fully finished he cōmanded all diligence to be vsed therin so as in one day they were sufficiently made vp wel furnished with soldiers and al necessaries ready for defence The next night the prince came to Zutphen with 1500. horse and the morning after departed leauing part of his horse men there and returned to his campe at Burckloe where whiles he staied prouiding victuals as we vnderstoode for Zutphen and the forts our men spent the time in intrenching and fortifieng about the two forts where as also vpon the towne side happened diuers light skirmishes almost euery day till vpon the 21. of September in the euening his Excellencie hauing intelligence that the Prince would the next morning send a conuoy of victuals into Zutphen sent out good scowt that night and gaue order to sir Iohn Norris to drawe out sir William Stanleies and some other bands of footemen and appointed some horsemen withall to encounter the conuoy in the way betwéene the enimies campe and Zutphen In the morning the 22. of September fell a great and thicke mist that you might hardly discerne a man ten paces of at the breaking vp whereof the enimies appéered so néere our companies hauing planted all their muskets and arcabuzes being 2000. and their pikes being a thousande very strongly on the high way as our men specially the noblemen and gentlemen as the Erle of Essex the Lord Willoughbie sir Phillip Sidney sir William Russell sir Iohn Norris and the rest in number seuen or eight score who were in troupe togither in the face of the enimie before our footemen receiued the whole volie of the enimies shot and passing the very furie of it gaue charge vpon the two formost troupes of the enimies horsemen and draue them backe ouer their owne trenches and within their pikes at two seuerall times in such sort as Count Hanniball Gonzaga a man for nobilitie and seruice of speciall account amongst them was there slaine and many others with him Captaine George Cresier an Albanese of singular valure and skill was taken prisoner and two of their cornets brought away We lost about thirtie one and other slaine and dying after of hurts but not any of name saue onely sir Phillip Sidney who first hauing one horse shot vnder him and mounted vpon a second was shot with a musket in the left thigh but came home on his horse and died the 25. day after His Excellencie hauing béene in the field giuing order from the beginning and now receiuing the newes of this good successe was somewhat of opinion to haue brought downe the whole campe and to haue set vpon the enimie with all our forces But vpon better consideration by aduise of all the chiefe officers of the field we being not past 300. horse 16. or 17. hundred footmen that might presently come to fight the rest being imploied at the forts and in other necessarie seruices at that time the enimie being thrée thousand footemen strong in place and 12. or 14. hundred horse and we doubting least his whole armie had béene there which it might well haue béene being the night before but fiue miles of it was resolued that our troupes should stay and not to commit the whole to the fortune of that day So this hot skirmish ended our men content with their victorie returning and the enimie marching quietly away After this fight we heard no more of the Prince in 10. or 12. daies But our certaine intelligences gaue vs that he was gone to méete with our Reyters and Almaines now thought to be readie to march with intent to stay them either by stopping their passage or by fight or otherwise as also to prouide more victuals powder and shot for Zutphen His Excellencie still applied his principall purpose in besieging the forts There is a péece of ground on the side of the riuer that Zutphen is and within sixtie yards of the towne called the Island but it is drie toward the towne The taking of it was accounted of great importance for the winning of the forts but
considered and such remedies to euerie member aptly applied as the present time would then permit the ciuill gouernment being first in some good sort well setled the Earle applied himselfe foorthwith to the militarie seruice the first occasion being offered for the reliefe of Graue Graue is a Towne in Brabant belonging to Count Mourice of Nassau seconde sonne to William Prince of Orange deceased But it was then in the gouernment of Count Philip of Hohenloe or Hollocke a Germaine who had long serued the Estates and had placed gouernour in this Towne Mounsieur Hemart a Baron of these lowe Countries with garrison of about eight hundred Dutch and Netherlande souldiours The Towne is not great but fortified of late and made verie strong by the Prince of Orange whose patrimonie it was It is of some importaunce because standing vpon the riuer of Mase it hindereth the frée passage of that part of the riuer néere it Otherwise for trade territorie wealth or any other commoditie it is not to be much accounted of Alexander Farnese Prince of Parma gouernour then for the king of Spaine in Brabant Flaunders and those parts of the lowe Countries that acknowledge the king of Spaine had sent the Count Charles Maunsfelt to beleaguere this Towne and to besiege it somewhat a far off which he accordingly did by erecting rounde about it foure fortes with fiftéene hundred souldiours in them and hauing néere him within one english mile all the spanish Regiments to the number of fiue thousand footemen He had now lien there from December till about the beginning of March at which time the E. of Leycester vnderstanding the Towne was brought into distres for lacke of men victuals and other prouisions minding to relieue it and for the readie answering of all incident occasions to be more néere it departed from the Hage by Harlem and Amstelredam to Vtricht From thence he presently sent his horsemen being in number about thirtéene or fourtéene hundred to encampe at Nyekircke in the prouince of Vellowe in Gelderland aswell to vnburden the Townes of them as also by their lieng there to deteine the enimies forces of those partes from Graue He appointed to Count Hollock and S. Iohn Norris Coronell generall of the English infantery about two thousand footemen without horsemen because the place was not for them with direction to victuall and to supplie and furnish Graue with all necessaries These Gentlemen marching with their troupes tooke first by assault a little fort of the enimies about foure miles from Graue called the Mill forte and then meaning to fortifie themselues as néere the Towne as they might and from their fortification to take such order as occasion should minister for atchieuing their intent began to intrench vpon the banke of the Mase on Gelderland side about two english miles from Graue betwéene it and Battenbourge castle and within halfe a mile or thereabouts of the enimies bridge and fortes on that side They began their worke with about thrée hundred souldiours and some pyoners on Tuesday at night in Easter-wéeke the 5. of Aprill and in the morning had raised it a yarde high when the enimie hauing had intelligence of their meaning sendeth to hinder the same thrée thousand Spaniardes who after two or thrée attempts put our men being but few from their worke and caused them to retire But other of our troups to the number of eight or nine hundred presently méeting them our men made stande againe gaue a fresh charge vpon the Spaniardes draue them ouer the fortification where they fought before euen to their owne forte slaying on the ground fiue hundred of them all Spaniards amongst whom seauen speciall captaines and two others of greater account and wounded about two hundred which were caried to Bolduke other places They tooke also one péece of the enimies ordinance brought to beate our boates and fortification Of our men sixe or seauen score were slaine but not one man of name Sir Iohn Norris was hurt in the brest with a pike sir Iohn Boroughes had a finger stroken off with a musket shot After this fight the Count Hollocke battered and tooke Battenbourge castle and the forte de Guanden and the strong house of Empell and then his victual being come he victualed Graue by water twise went himselfe into it supplied the garrison with newe men and left it furnished with all prouisions sufficient by acknowledgement of Hemart the captaine himselfe for nine monethes And hauing done that he came for in the verie viewe and face of the enimie he dissolued his campe and came away with great honor A liftle before this time fell out the surpryse of Wearle a great Towne in Westfalia by coronell Skenck and afterwards a sharpe fight by the same Skenck with thrée or foure thousande of that countrie where he slewe and ouerthrewe aboue two thousand with great valure and brought away rich spoiles but being in the diocesse of Colloigne and without the iurisdiction of the vnited Prouinces and not directly against their chiefe enimie I wil enlarge no further of these exploites The prince of Parma as it was reported to vs was much kindled with this ouerthrow at Graue with the taking of the castles and victualing of the Towne and his former winter preparations being nowe in readines about the beginning of Maie he began to march towardes Graue but so as that he was first assured by Count Maunsfelde as by our intelligences letters intercepted it appéered that the match for the towne was fully cōcluded before he would set out to it Thither he came with his campe nowe of twelue thousand footemen and about foure thousande horse He battered the Towne for shew and vpon batterie had it presently yéelded without assault The E. of Leycester hearing of the princes preparations towards Graue being as yet vnreadie and destitute of all meanes to furnish a campe sufficient to méete with him on equall ground in fielde yet to the entent to be néere at hand with the forces he had and to waite such aduantages as occasion might offer with a small campe of about thrée thousand foote and one thousande horse he passed in person the riuer of Rhyne at Arnham in Gelderland into the prouince of Bettowe with intent from thence to passe the riuer of Wale also and so to approch to Graue it selfe The Bettowe is a prouince in Gelderland lying betwéen the riuers of Rhyne and Wale verie fertile and then wholie helde by the enimie or at least infested by him with his fortes of Luytesforte and Berckshoofe and the two castles of Alon and Bemell It was first thought expedient to win these fortes and castles before further passage but they were verie strong well manned and sufficiently prouided of all necessaries The great citie of Newmegen was but ouer the Wale on the other side very néere them and the enimy with his campe at Graue not eight english miles from them These good helpes so néere encouraged greatly the souldiours
within who with all warlike skill omitted nothing that mought be required in souldiours for defence But the resolution was to attempt them which was done with such valure of our souldiours his Excellencie himselfe ordering the batteries at some of them and without respect of trauel or danger putting his owne hand to the trenches and other workes to be made for the approches as at length at seuerall times they were all yéelded Another thing of good importaunce was then to be done also A little aboue the Towlehuise in Cleueland is a small Islande in the riuer of Rhyne in place where the Rhyne diuiding himselfe taketh the right hande course downe to Arnham and retaineth still the name of Rhyne and on the left hand passeth to Newmegen and is in Latin called Vahalis in vulgar Dutch the Wale The Islande is called Grauenswert and being fortified might commaunde both the riuers of Rhyne and Wale from that place downward that nothing coulde passe to Arnham or Newmegen It was thought verie important to surprise this Islande and to builde a forte in it but the matter required celeritie secrecie and good strength of men bicause the enimie was néere It was committed to be done to sir Martin Skenck he was now knighted before at Vtricht and had giuen him by his Excellencie at his receiuing of knighthood a chaine of golde of a thousand crownes sir Martin whiles his Excellencie was occupied in winning the forts and castles tooke the Island built the forte and hauing left it defensible and well manned returned againe to his Excellencie who hauing nowe gotten the fortes and castles and so cléered the whole prouince of Bettowe and left not one enimie in it thought fit to procéede in his principall intent of drawing néere the enimie at Graue He had first to passe the riuer of Wale then to marche eight english miles in the enimies countries to the Mase Graue where the prince his campe lay As he began to prouide his passage ouer the Wale the newes were sodainly brought him that Graue was yéelded This séemed so strange that it was not at the first beléeued aswell bicause it was knowne to be of great strength and victualed and thorowly prouided of all necessaries for nine Monethes as also and more specially for that his Excellencie had receiued two letters from Baron Hemart captaine of Graue the one the daie before the other the same day wherein Hemart wished his Excellencie to do what else he thought conuenient and to haue no care of Graue for he was well able to defend it against all men for one halfe yéere These letters were sent to the Q. Maiestie but in the ende the newes were found true The Town was yéelded and his Excellencie bethinking him what was fit to be done and séeing his army nothing equall to the enimies the numbers being so far different as is before rehearsed vnderstanding also that almost all the Townes néere about as Bomell Arnham Amersfort Deuenter and the rest of Guelders and Ouerissell stoode in tickle tearmes likely to yéelde if the enimie came néere them and finding indéede that the prince had alreadie sent part of his armie towards Bomelsverte he sent foorthwith strong garrisons into the next frontire Townes and Bomell being thought to be then in some danger himselfe went thither with fiftéene hundred footemen and fiue hundred horse where he assured that Towne and the Island being of great importaunce and tooke such order for the rest as that time and the small meanes he then had would permit Hemart for his sodaine yéelding of Graue without good cause being sufficiently furnished of all necessaries for defence and contrarie to assuraunce of it giuen by his owne letters but the same day and the day before comming to Bomell was there apprehended and caried to Vtricht his proces drawne and in solemne assemblie by Co. Hollock himselfe and all the rest of the Coronels and Martiall officers of the Dutch English and diuers other nations adiudged to die and was publikely executed accordingly with two others of his captaines I will not speak of what difficultie the matter was thought to do this executiō the party being a baron of a Barons liuing great by birth and alliance in those parts his Excellencie a stranger the Estate in broken termes and the example there scant séene before But the fact fell out so plaine that his Excellencie woulde not be intreated but that iustice shoulde procéede the iudges coulde not but condemne him and the people though sorye for the man yet much reioiced to sée the iustice done Amongest diuers others nowe sent to strengthen the garrions in sundrye places sir Martin Skenck and sir Roger Williams were appointed with certaine horse footmen to sée if they might enter Venloe whither it was thought the enimie would make his next iourney Venloe is a Towne of the Dutchie of Gelders situate vpon the riuer of Mase seauen or eight english miles from Graue then in the gouernment of sir Martin Skenck who had garrison in it of seauen hundred dutch souldiours but himselfe was absent and attempting to get into it went as I saie with sir Roger Williams and about a hundred horse But they founde themselues preuented and all the passages taken by the enimie But yet minding to assay if with their horsemen they might possiblie breake through the gardes they gaue in the night a sodaine most valiaunt attempt vpon the whole campe and slue manie euen néere to the princes owne lodging But directing themselues towardes the Towne and finding the turnpikes shut and garded with strong watch of Muskeyteires and the campe nowe all vp in armes and the day drawing on they turned their course towards Wachtendoucke a Towne of the Estates seauen or eight miles of where themselues and manie of their companie entred and saued themselues from the whole cauallarie of the enimie now pursuing them some thirtie or fortie of their company were slaine and taken The prince then planted thorowly his siedge of Venloe which the townes men in short space yéelded to him whiles the souldiours stoode at defence of the walles Whiles these things were thus in doing in those partes the L. Willoughbie Gouernour of Berghes apzome in Brabant hauing intelligence of a great Conuoy of victuall and other prouisions to be brought out of the furder partes of Brabant next Cleueland and Lukeland into Antwerpe and hauing good aduertisement of the time of their comming vpon the 23. of Maie he met with them in their waie about eight or ten english miles from Antwerpe himself had with him thrée cornets of horse and three companies of foote the conuoy was foure hundred wagons and garded with souldiours and of the countrie people to the number of a thousande He set vpon them slue and put to flight all the people burnt and spoiled almost all the wagons and prouisions and some mares wagons and such other things as he thought fit he brought away with him to
Berghes The E. of Leycester in the meane time hauing placed strong garrisons in al his frontiers began to imploy himselfe wholie to the gathering of a sufficient armie to méete with the prince in fielde footemen in good numbers were gotten out of Englande with some from Scotland two thousande Germaine horses were appointed to be brought by Count Mewres with a regiment of Almaine footemen and a thousand pyoners But that the forces now readie mought be doing whiles the others to make vp the full armie were in prouiding his Excellencie sent into Flaunders vnder the conduction of Count Mourice of Nassau and of his Nephew sir Phillip Sidney about two thousand footemen which with great secrecie and valure surprised the Towne of Axell with foure strong fortes néere about it slue and put to flight foure bandes of footemen in the Towne had rich spoyle brought away fiue Ensignes of the enimies left coronell Pyron with eight or nine hundred souldiours in garrisō and came their way to the intent to attempt Graueling in Flaunders which by a deceitfull traine laide for him by La Mote was promised to sir Phillip Sidney who came thither but finding the fraude returned with the losse of about thirtie common souldiours Those of Axell had by this time cut the dikes and by letting in the sea drowned the countrie to the wals of Axell and Hulst and thereby added great strength to Axell Shortly after this the Count Hollock and sir William Pellham L. Marshall of the fielde made a roade into Brabant where hauing wasted and spoiled Lange Strate and a great part of the countrey they returned without hearing of any enimie to resist them The prince after the yéelding of Venloe marched to Nuyse a Towne of the diocesse of Colloigne helde for the elector Trucses by a valiant yoong gentleman called Clowte After some skirmishes and a little batterie and Clowte wounded this Towne was lost by the cowardlines of Clowtes soldiers and Clowte taken out of his chamber wounded and hanged out at the windowe with some note of vnsoldierlike vsage From thence came the prince to Bercke wherin were sir Martin Skenck and coronell Morgan with twelue hundred English and seauen or eight hundred other souldiours This Towne is also of the diocesse of Colloigne and held for the elector Trucses And though being without the limits of his Excellencies iurisdiction it may séem it appertained not to his charge as in like sorte Nuyse also yet for the importaunce of the place to the vnited Prouinces standing vpon the riuer of the Rhyne and for the communitie and néere coniunction and dependencie of both causes one on the other vz. of the elector Trucses and of the Estates of the vnited Prouinces it was thought expedient that the Towne should be defended with common aide and therefore such garrison before rehearsed was put into it The Towne at the beginning when this garrison came in about the time of the losse of Venlo was very weake and through a contention for it betwéene the Prince elector Trucses and Adolphe Count of Meurs vnprouided almost of all necessaries But his Excellencie hauing a little before quieted the strife betwéene those two it was now somwhat supplied of prouisions by the Estates and repaired by the industrie and trauell of Sir Martin and his soldiers The siege began in the end of Iuly and was continued on without great effect partly through the valure of the captaine and soldier within it who made diuers salies and often intercepted and slew sundrie of the enimies soldiers but especially by reason of the many continuall aduertisements brought daily to the Princes campe of a great armie of his Excellencies now gathered and in readines to march And indéed about this time had the Erle of Leicester collected his forces and prepared his prouisions and about the 14. of August sent sir Iohn Norris sir Thomas Cecill with the vantguard to passe the riuer Yssell on his bridge of boates at the foot of Yssellort a mile aboue Arnham with direction to encamp 6. or 7. miles into Cleueland at a place called S. Seuenter vpon the banke of the Rhine On the 17. of August was sent thither to him sir William Pelham L. Marshall of the armie with another troupe and on the 19. his Excellencie departed from Vtricht to Rhenen and so to Arnham where he staied till the troupes of Brabant and Zealand with Co. Hollock and those of Frizeland with Count William of Nassau met him there And when they were all come togither on saturday the xxvij of August he departed from Arnham accompanied with the Prince of Portugall Don Emanuell the Prince elector of Colloigne Trucses Co. Mourice of Nassau Co. Hollock Co. William of Nassau Erle of Essex generall of the English horsemen Count Phillip of Nassau Count Solmes Count Ouersteyne L. Willoughbie L. North S. Phillip Sidney and diuers others noblemen knights and gentlemen and with the rest of the armie marched that night to Elten in Cleueland At Elten his Excellencie thought expedient himselfe to take view of his armie which he did on sunday the 28. of August and finding the bands of English and Irish not to fill the number of fiue thousand footemen the rest of all nations not to make 2000. the Cauallerie of all sorts not to excéede the number of 1400. knowing the enimie to be 12000. strong on foote and 3500. horse experienced soldiers he fell into consultation what were fittest to be done To reléeue Berck was the principall intent or at least to get the soldiers safe and honorably out of it This was to be effected by one of two meanes Either by assailing or diuerting the enimie The first was full of difficulties The enimie was strong he was in his place of strength he had his retraits at hand Our campe was fewer in number we should come a long march into a strange place we had no retrait within twentie miles And which tooke away all deliberation our victuals vnsufficient either for maintenance of the armie or for reliefe of the towne must néedes haue failed vs. Diuersion therefore was thought to be the way and that to be done by the siege of some place that might force the enimie to arise to succour it And that place was reckoned fittest to be Duisbourge Duisbourge is a towne of the Countie of Zutphen scituate at the confluence of the riuer called old Issell with that péece of the Rhine that separating himselfe from the bodie of the Rhine a little east of Arnham was anciently called Fossa Drusiana as a ditch cut and made by Drusius from the Rhine into Issell The Towne was also called Drusii burgum It was and is now the chamber of the Countie of Zutphen well peopled and reasonably rich walled round with a high and strong wall and watered of good depth and breadth round and in the greatest part double so that in the opinion of soldiers it was thought of good strength This Towne besides that being
had so honorably and with so small losse in so short time takē these forts thought before very hard to be won hauing deliuered Berck also which was the principall intent of his first marching and sir Martin Skenck with diuers of our english being come from thence to his campe at Zutphen to him séeing his Almaines and Reyters came not and finding the enimie quietly gone hauing nothing else to do in fielde and the time of yéere far spent being about the midst of October determined by aduise of his counsaile to giue order for guarde and defence of the fortes and to withdrawe his soldiers from the Islande and other places and so to dismisse his army Which things the better to effect himself with the chiefe of his counsaile went to Deuenter minding withal to assay the garrisoning of that place being a matter of great importance But being called away from thence to Arnham where sir Philip Sidney then laie in great danger by the death of sir Phillip retiring himself with extreame griefe and sorrow to Vtricht he gaue order before his departure for the garrisoning of Deuenter and changing of the magistrate there to the prince elector of Colloigne Trucses sir William Pelham and sir Iohn Norris who with some little stur and danger effected both accordingly and left gouernor of the garrison there sir William Stanley with 1200 footemen English and Irish and two hundred horse Whiles this was in doing at Deuenter there fell out a great and gallant skirmish at the campe in this sort Order being giuen for dismissing the troupes into garrison first some companies then others were sent awaie and now it was thought expedient to abandon the trenches on the other side of the water next Zutphen and so to take vp the bridge and come away First the larger trenches were left and the men drawne into a small fortification at the bridge end with intent the next night to take vp our bridge also Which Taxis perceiuing from the towne and séeing the small companies remaining on that side he salied with about two thousand footemen passed the first trenches forsaken and assaulted the small fortification remaining with great valure himselfe being of the first in person Our men being taken on the sudden were at the first fiue or sixe of them slaine but the rest stood manfully to it at the pikes end vntill sir William Stanley comming ouer the bridge from the Vellowe side with supply of fiue or sixe hundred footemen and lieutenant Nicholas Parker with onely fiue horsemen draue them away euen into the towne gate and slew many of them and were likely to haue entred the towne pell mel with them if the soldiers had not béene staied by their leaders The next night we left this little fortification also and tooke vp our bridge and day by day as it might conueniently be done dismissed the whole forces into garrisons It may be demanded his Excellencie being now in a good course of prosperous procéeding the Prince with his campe being gone the forts taken and nothing remaining in those quarters but the bare town of Zutphen why the winning of that was not attempted also To which this may be answered The towne is of it selfe of small importance without the forts onely prohibiting the frée passage of the riuer by it Then is it very strong well prouided of all necessaries and at that time manned with two or thrée thousand bearing armes and the Prince though departed further of yet houering with his armie not aboue twentie English miles of it so that the attempt of it could not be but dangerous the commoditie small But besides it remaineth so inuironed with our garrisons round about it as it may be well said to be now besieged In Deuenter sixe English miles at northest vpon the riuer side is sir William Stanley with twelue hundred footemen and two hundred horse In the forts of Zutphen on the Vellowe side within musket shot of the towne at west is maister Rowland Yorke with eight hundred footmen and one hundred horse At Duisbourge southward sixe miles and at Brunkhurst castell somwhat néerer vpon the banke of Issell also is sir Iohn Boroughes with eight hundred footmen and two hundred horse The east and southeast quarters are shut vp with our garrisons of Lockham Sherenberg Doetecom So that they of the garrison of Zutphen can not stir out neither can so much as victuals be brought to them but by land and that from twentie or thirtie miles of at least and through the middest of our garrisons which will require more forces than the Prince can often spare them and more charges than the value of the towne will counteruaile But before our comming away as soone as our campe was broken vp we heare that Taxis hath lessened his garrison to the number of two hundred and put the Burgers out of the towne meaning to spare victuals which he hath in small store For neither did the Prince bring him in much at the times he came thither neither could or can he supply him at one time with any plentie for want of carriages Besides these other causes also letted this attempt against Zutphen The time of yéere was spent the wants in our armie were very great and our Reiters came not who if they had not disappointed vs all impediments notwithstanding his Excellencie had procéeded furder And last of all it was thought we had done well for this yéere more being indéed most happily atchieued than was hoped for or purposed at our comming foorth For the onely intent at the first setting out of this last campe was to raise the siege of Berke yea or if we could haue honourably deliuered our men that were in it though the towne were lost it was thought a sufficient péece of seruice with so small means against an enimie so puissant with continuall late victories so greatly estéemed and feared But God be thanked who is the giuer of victories and whose power for his poore afflicted appéered not obscurely in these actions Berke is cléerely deliuered the English are all come from it it is left well manned and otherwise prouided And if we will summarily note all Gods blessings in these militarie seruices onely shewed by the ministerie of his Excellencie during the time of his gouernement and abode there it will appéere that in those few monethes there haue béene taken by our men from the enimie aboue twentie townes castles forts and sconces that his footemen and his best footemen the Spanyards haue béen met withall at Graue that his horsemen and his best horsemen the Albaneses and Italians haue béene well encountred in the skirmish besides Zutphen that his strong Zutphen forts were taken by assault euen in the sight almost of himselfe and of his whole campe that his armie so much redoubted and feared was drawne from Berck to Zutphen there abidden there encountred sundry times and at length returned backe againe dismissed without sauing his forts or