where they ended their most miserable lives and reign A just reward for Rebels The town consisteth of 41 Islands to which they pass partly by Boats and partly by Bridges whereof there are 144 and of them an Hundred and four built with Stone Here 's a Castle said to have been built by Hengist the Saxon at his return out of England This City is scituated at the middle of the mouth of the River Rhene Anno 1574 it held out a gallant Siege and at last the Enemies were enforc'd by the overflowing of the waters to raise their Siege though the Spaniard had built 30 Forts to famish it and there died about 7000 Persons in the town of Famine and Pestilence which made a great confusion in the town insomuch as the people came in great multitudes to Peter Adrianson the Burgermaster declaring their misery and want and using many threatning words that he might agree with the Enemy but he answered them and said My beloved Fellow Citizens I have made an Oath which I mean by the grace of God constantly to keep If my death sith I must die may any ways profit you it 's all one to me whether you or the Enemy kill me and therefore if this Carkass of mine will do you any good in Gods Name take it cut it in pieces and divide it amongst you as far as it may possibly stretch for I shall be contented therewith The Citizens were so amazed at his answer as that they all went away without any more words But certain the deliverance of this Town can be attributed to none but to God Almighty for though the Prince did use all means by breaking of Ditches drawing up of Sluces and drowning all the Country almost to the Town yet the waters were not so deep as to carry Boats until God sent a strong South-west-winde which drave the Sea into the Rivers and Land that great Boats pass'd afloat and victuall'd the Town and two days after it was victuall'd came so strong a North-west-winde that beat back the Sea again from whence it came as doth appear in the History of the Netherlands Balder General for the King of Spain when he raised the Siege left in his Lodgings the Town of Leyden pictur'd with her Royal Ways Paths and Chanels of Water and in such manner as they were guarded and defended with Forts and under the Picture was written Vale Civitas valete Castella parva quia Relict a est is propter aquam non per vim inimicarum They of Leyden had a perfect hatred against the Spaniards and therefore a Zealander being in the Town and having shot a Spaniard he rip'd him open pluck'd his heart out of his body as he was half dead and when he had knawn it with his teeth he cast it away from him this knawn heart was afterwards seen in Delph by many credible people and the very print of his teeth in it as it 's delivered to us by good Authority The Fort Waddinghe which the Spaniards had made against the town did much annoy the townesmen whereupon they issu'd out and took the Fort and roasted the Spaniards in it alive though they cry'd out very lamentably Misericordia misericordia They here printed Paper-coyn on the one side Haec libertatis ergo on th' other side Godt behoed Leyden Some of them wore about them in a silver Crescent these words Rather the Turk then a Spaniard because the Turk paying his Tribute gives Liberty of Conscience but the Spaniard none I cannot forget one memorable Passage at this Siege An English Gentleman here had in a Salley his right Arm shot off with a Cannon-Bullet he took it up and carried it along with him unto his Chyrurgeon at his lodging where without being sick or distempered he held it in his left hand saying This is the Arm which to day at Dinner serv'd the whole Body There is a memorable Story if true which we have read in several eminent Authors which is thus Anno 1316 there hap'ning a great Famine a poor Woman went to her own Sister that was very rich to borrow a Loaf of Bread to save her and her Children from starving her Sister denied that she had any in the house she insisted that she had whereupon her rich Sister fell a cursing and swearing praying God that if she had any it might be turn'd into a Stone which God miraculously suffer'd to be done as it 's said to the confusion of this pitiless and wretched Woman In St. Peter's Church in the same City there is one of these Loaves safely kept to this day in a place iron'd about for a perpetual remembrance of the strangeness of this accident But Anno 1575 this Town being delivered of its long and calamitous Siege an University was here Founded in recompence of their great sufferings The chief Towns within the Territories of Leyden are 1 Rinsburgh anciently a well-Fortifi'd town within a League of it 2 Nortvies within a Mile of the Sea and two Leagues of Leyden 3 Valkenbourgh where every September is kept a Horse-fair Here were the Romans Magazins and Store-houses against the English 4 The two Catwicks 5 Wassenere a fair Village two Leagues from Leyden 6 Oestgrest 7 Warmont a League and a half from Leyden on Harlem-side 8 Soutervoude a League distant from it neer it is Lam and the Castle of Gronestren 9 Leyderdrope a Village which hath many Magnificent and Noble Seats in it 10 In Woorschoten a fair Village not far off from Leyden stood that Famous Nunnery of Ramsburgh so plentifully endow'd that 2000 Persons did there dayly receive Relief Here is a Hospital for poor Passengers and decay'd old People and also for Orphans a Noble Building In it are ordinarily 500 Children who are taught to read and write and bound Apprentices as they grow up Their Charity here is very great if any be overburden'd with Children or undone by accident they go to the Masters of the Poor and receive Relief according to their necessities The number within this City which receive Charity amounts ordinarily to 20000. Viane Is a square town seated upon the left bank of the River Leck a free Barony belonging to the House of Brederode it hath a strong Castle in it Heusden Is a fair Town and well built beautifi'd with a strong Castle and goodly Territories It 's scituated on Brabant-side upon the River Wahal There is a Fort in this Island of Hemert which defends Heusden Near it is Voroum a small Town with four Bastions between Lenistein and Gorchum Leerdam Is a wall'd Town upon the River Lyngen which together with Ysselsteyn fell unto Philip Prince of Orange from the Earls of Buren It hath a strong Castle belonging unto it Delfe So call'd from a Ditch which the Batavians call Delph which is brought from the Meuze even to this City It was built by Godfrey the crooked Duke of Lorain who had conquer'd Holland by the assistance of the Bishop of
AN EXACT SURVEY OF THE UNITED PROVINCES OF THE NETHERLANDS OF Their Cities Castles Fortresses and other their Dominions there With some Remarques of their Government Antiquities and Memorable Actions Together with an Exact Map of the SEVEN PROVINCES Which is also to be Sold alone Collected by T. W. Vade Liber verbisque meis loca grata saluta LONDON Printed for Edward Berry and William Berry and are to be Sold at their Shops in Holborn-Court in Grays-Inne neer the Hall-door and at the Globe in the Strand betwixt York-House and the New-Exchange 1673. To the Right Honourable William Earl of Craven Viscount Craven of Vffington Baron Craven of Hamsted-Marshal one of the Lords of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Council and Lord-Lieutenant of the County of Middlesex and Borough of Southwark My Lord THe Belgick Provinces for the last Century have been such a Theatre of Mars that all the Princes of Europe have little reason to thank the Spaniard for enforcing the States of Holland to know and use their own power and strength and therefore it was gravely expressed by a sober Person that to have all the Low Countries governed by a few States or by one Prince wholly depending upon the King of Spain would be equally dangerous but it doth most comport with the interest of England in Wisdom and Policy to erect and establish such a Prince as should neither altogether depend upon France or be wholly devoted unto Spain or else to divide the Seventeen Provinces into divers several Cantons whereby some of them being induced to affect England and others to favour Princes of their Religion they could not render themselves so formidable How prudent an expedient this would be for the security of England and to establish peace in Christendom I submit it unto your Lordships grave judgement who is perfectly acquainted with all the Criticismes of State But that which is the just admiration of all wise men the lesser moiety of these Provinces hath far exceeded even the whole and seven Provinces are become greater and more potent then Seventeen In Riches and Power they have out-done some of the greatest Princes in Europe Their Cities are many and splendid and yet there are more Sects among them then Cities and as many Creeds as Heads but if they had imitated your Lordship when you did them the honour to live amongst them the regularity of your Devotions being with such reverence you had made all their Provinces Canonical yet they have learned to vernish their lucre with Devotion and to make godliness a Page to their private Interest and to be so wise in any of their meetings never to discourse of Religion their Opinions therein being as opposite as the sides of the Diameter but they all concentre in this one Ecliptick line to darken the Authority of Princes Your Lordship being so great an Artizan of State understands all their Arcana and Mysteries and so great a Captain as this AGE with much difficulty hath not produced a greater you know all their Policies and Stratagems of War by the first your Lordship hath much engaged your own Nation by the other you may live to oblige all Nations of the World I do beg your Lordships pardon for this interruption leaving the Grandeur of your Actions and the Glory of your Name to be blazon'd by the Heralds of Time and celebrated in the lasting Chronicles of after-Ages I am Your Lordships Humble Servant T. W. THE PREFACE TO THE READER LEst thou shouldest have cause Gentle Reader to Quaere this present Edition of the Exact Survey of the Vnited Provinces of the Netherlands considering the many Essays written of that Subject at the instance of the worthy Author of this excellent and useful Discourse I was desired to advertise thee that some honourable Friends of his put him upon this present work which in their noble conceptions would be very acceptable to the Publick By this Topographical Discourse thou art brought to more familiar acquaintance with the scite strength present state and condition of those Belgick Countries which for this last Century had so bravely quit themselves maugre the utmost Policies and Hostilities of their great and formidable Enemies and when you hear of this or that other Town or Castle of theirs either taken or besieged upon a slight perusal of it upon all occasions you may be able to judge of those matters The Author hereof hath seriously consulted with most of the Grave Writers both Cosmographers Historians and others of the greatest note which have hitherto written of those Countries and Provinces from whom besides his own observations he hath received no small light assistance having brought this Web out of the Loom he here presents it to the judicious Eye of the Candid Reader wherein without much trouble or cost he may behold the sad face in its full dimension of the late most High and Mighty States of the Vnited Provinces that seemed so lately to eclipse and shadow much of the Grandeur and Glory of the most Potent and absolute Princes now lamentably it self eclipsed and rent in pieces and Peace the fairest flower in Paradise and the pleasantest Fruit upon the Tree of Life is here in Exile so that you may say of them as the Poet of Rome Qui miserandae videt veteris vestigia Romae Ille potest merito dicere Roma fuit They who the Ruines of first Rome behold May say Rome is not now but was of old If in Anno 1584 the poor distressed People of the Low Countries was their Epithet in all their humble Addresses to the then Queen of England what they then spake as Politicians possibly the same they may now say as Realists But Pride will have its Fall sooner or later Perfidiousness and Ingratitude will never go long unpunished And truly three of the hardest things in the world are To Quadrate a Circle to finde out the Philosophers Stone and to make the Dutch grateful The first Office of Gratitude is to receive a good turn Civilly then to retain it in Memory and acknowledge it and lastly to endeavour a requital How far they are from these their Insolencies to the English Nation will easily tell you they daily do heap injuries on the English whom they have so highly wronged as if the latter injuries would give countenance of Justice to the former and to speak truly if we should be left to their mercies we should be stript as bare as Diogenes did Plato's Man 'T was England that first raised them and it was the King of Great Britain that under God would have preserved and protected them if they had kept their Ancient Boundaries and not been too ignorant of their true Interest At present they seem to the world a lost People full of intrinsick confusions and upon the point of Ruine and they that have been reckoned for Great and Dominical Letters in the Worlds Alphabet are now almost blotted out For their Country it was
to his people he and his wife fled into this Castle and being besieged and reduced to want for Provision having no means to escape was compelled to enter into a Treaty for the rendition of the Town his wife amongst other Articles capitulated that she might have so much of her most precious Goods as she could carry at one time which was granted She with the help of her Maid carried out her Husband lock'd in a Chest out of the Castle leaving all her Rings and Jewels behind her A rare Example of conjugal Love It 's desir'd that the Ladies of these times would make it their President The Lordships and Villages under it are 1 Bredenrood 2 Assenburg 3 Heems kerck 4 Meresteen 5 Forest 6 Keewrick 7 Velsen 8 Polenburgh 9 Hemsteed 10 Beurwick Between Harlem and Leyden there are many fair Villages Heligon Lys and Tassam they are not above a League distant one from another Not far from them is the House of Feiling now belonging to his Highness the Prince of Orange Naerden On the Zuyder-Sea Fortifi'd with a strong Castle held of the Earls of Holland by the Dukes of Brunswick to whom it anciently belong'd Anno 1580 having submitted to the Duke of Alva he contrary to his Faith and Promise to them fired it and put all the poor Inhabitants to the Sword It 's the chief Town of the Bayliwick of Goeland Anno 1355 it was built by William of Bavaria and by him inriched with many Priviledges Anno 1481 they of Vtrecht having given the Hollanders a great overthrow surprized the Town of Naerden by an ingenious Stratagem For they dressed a good company of young Souldiers like Country-women going to Market who being let in seized a Gate of the Town and gave entrance to the Enemy the Citizens redeemed themselves from Fire and Sword with a great sum of Money Enchuysen So call'd from Euckle-Huysen little or simple Houses as they were at first but now 't is become a great Town scituate on the very point of the Gulf of Zuyder-see opposite to Friesland from which it 's not distant above two Leagues 'T was very serviceable to the Prince of Orange in the first Revolt of these Countries from the King of Spain for siding with him they cut off all Supplies and Provisions from Amsterdam and compell'd it in a short time to yield to the Prince It 's a place of great Trade and Navigation their Ships passing to all Seas of the world There are two Passages out to the Sea and three Havens at the entrance of one of them there is a great Tower It 's reported that Anno 1394 Albert Earl of Holland set sail from thence with a Fleet of 300 Boats to transport his Army into Friesland an Argument that it was then a Famous Port. Here are built great Ships for the Indies and great Fleets do sail from hence to the Baltick Seas This Town is environ'd on three parts by the Sea Under the Jurisdiction of this Town are these Villages 1 Grootenbroeck 2 Luttlebroeck 3 Boumers-kerspel 4 Hogekerspel 5 Hem. 6 Veenhuysen 7 Broeckhaven This Town Horne and Medenblyck have equally but successively the priviledge of Coyning of Money each for the space of Seven years and then they begin again Horn Is on the same Gulf also a rich Town with a very good Haven and of so great strength by reason of the multitude of Ditches and Chanels which are round about it that it seems impregnable Anno 1427 this Town began to be encompassed with goodly Walls deep and large Ditches Half of it all along the Sea is defended with Pallisadoes and Banks It hath its name from the Haven of the Town that turns in Form of a Horn. It hath these Villages under its Jurisdiction 1 Avenhoorne 2 Berth 2 Oudendick 4 Woggenom 5 Hubixwou 6 Hauvoant 7 Berchont 8 Swaech 9 Banejert 10 Betlem 11 Ostblocker several other Towns Edam Upon the same Gulf of Zuyder-see remarkable for the great number of Ships which are yearly built here It 's a Town well wall'd in and ditch'd It hath a long Haven to the which there doth belong many fair Ships being as stately and of as great Burthen as any in Holland or Zealand either for War or Merchandize It was antiently call'd Yedam of a current of Water called Ye or Vde by a Sluce which they call dam so it 's the Sluce of Yde This Town is two Leagues distant from Horn. Anno 1404 some women of this Town going in Barks to feed their Cattle in the Pastures of Gurmer-meer discovered a Sea-woman which came out of the Sea into the waters there and could not finde the way out They took her by Force they drew her into a Boat and carried her into Edam where she was wash'd and cloath'd in time she grew Familiar using her self to feed on ordinary Meats and did learn to spin They of Harlem desired to have her to whom she was sent and lived 15 years she never spake which was a rare thing in a woman seeking often to get away into the water You may read this in the History of the Netherlands for the truth hereof it 's desir'd that the Virtuosi of the Royal-Society would take it into their grave consideration Medenblick Is fortified with a strong Castle seated on the Sea It 's two Leagues and a half from Enchuysen and within 6 Miles of Horn. It hath a Port made by Art It 's a safe retreat for Ships in foul weather It 's so fortified with Walls and Bulwarks as 't is held impregnable It 's an ancient Town and formerly the Metropolis before Horn and Enchuysen were built Here live most of your Wood-Merchants which drive a Trade to Norway and into the North. Some derive its name from the River Medenlack Monickendam On the South-side looks towards the Isle of Marke which is opposite to it The Sea therein reasonably still for that it lieth under the Lee of the said Island Towards the Land 't is wall'd and ditch'd Great Ships may harbour here safely It 's a League from Edam It 's seated upon the River Monic which signifies a Monck and it hath for its Arms a Monck Purmerent Is a Town which stands in the midst of Moors lying at the end of the Purmer-Sea where 's a sluce by the which they of the Town sail towards Edam Monickkendam and other places which border upon the Sea On th' other side there 's nothing but Lakes which coast the Towns of Ryp Graft Wormer even to Alkmer Anno 1573 it was walled in There is a Castle which did belong to the House of Count Egmond but Anno 1590 it was bought by the States Muden Is seated on the River Vecte a strong Town Fortifi'd with Ramparts and a strong Castle upon the Gulf where the Vecte runs into the Zuyder-see It held correspondence with Alkmer Horn Enchuysen Medenblick Edam Monickendam and other Towns in West-Friesland against whom the Spaniards could not prevail
being pitch'd presently 'twixt them and the water which done the men put off their Disguises and the frighted Fish hastening towards the Sea are caught in Toylâ— There is a good Pâ—â—â—on of Ground which is call'd the Bildt It 's well defended with Ditches from the Sea and the fertilest quarter in all Friesland VTRECHT UTrecht hath on the East Gelderland on the West North South environed with Holland It 's named from the Roman Armies which lay by the Rhene as Munster conceiveth for in that place where the City of Vtrecht now stands the 35th Legion was quarter'd which was thus written by abbreviation V. Trig. Leg. stat that is the Station or Quarter of the 35th Legion But the three Letters LEG were by Antiquity worn out Those that were ignorant of the Latine Tongue reading these words together which should have been divided did pronounce it Vtrigstat afterwards this word Vtrigstat was changed into Vtrecht It contains 70 Villages and five wall'd Towns that is to say Wickter-Duyrsted Scituate on the middle Chanel of the Rhene where it diverts into the Leck well built and fortified with a good Castle It formerly had 32 Parish Churches in it The Princes and Bishops did here keep their Courts Tacitus makes honourable mention of this Town calling it Batavodurum Rhenen Upon the same Branch or Chanel whence it hath its name it 's five Leagues from Vtrecht and as many from Arnhem and Gelders It 's a great passage towards Deventer Zutphen Doesburgh and other places aswell in Gelders as Cleve or to Colen or to any place where they shall please in Germany Amersfort On the River Ems a fair Town and well peopled there 's a little Town all wall'd about in the midst of it It 's very strong with Ramparts and Bulwarks flanking one another and large Ditches It 's three Leagues from Vtrecht standing upon a little River which they call Do. Montfort Upon the Yssel pleasantly seated and of great strength as being anciently a Frontier-Town against the Hollanders It 's a league in equal distance from the towns Woorden Oudewater and Ysselsteyn Vtrecht Is scituate on the middle Chanel of the Rhene first called Antonina from one of the Anthonies at Rome But Dagobert King of France gave it the name of Trajectum or Vltrajectum because there was at that time the common Ferry over the River This City is large beautiful sumptuously built having in it many goodly Churches of which Five were Anciently Collegiate namely our Saviours Church St. Martins St. Peters St. Johns St. Maries but the most magnificent is that of St. Martins it was built by the Emperor Frederick 'T was strange that at the Foundation of this Church there was a Quick-sand found on which they could not build but that it would still sinke At length they cast Oxe-hides into it which made the ground solid and firm so that they built the Church on 't In remembrance whereof these Verses were made and now extant in the Church Accipe Posteritas quod post tua saecula narres Taurinis cutibus fundo solidata columna est It hath a fair strong Castle built by the Emperour Charles the fifth and called in their speech Vredenburgh The private Houses are well contriv'd most of them having goodly Cellars vaulted with wonderful art and skill to which the People did resort in all times of danger Sometimes the Seat-Royal of Radbolt the King of the Frisons then of the Bishops A City so eminently seated amongst wall'd Towns that a man may go from hence in one day to any one of 50 wall'd Towns or Cities thence equally distant or to any one of twenty six towns to Dinner and come home to Bed Betwixt Vtrecht and Leyden is that famous and most noble Castle of Abcoude Here was born Pope Adrian the sixth he was Doctor of both Laws and Schoolmaster to Charles the fifth Anno 1522 he was chosen Pope and being in Spain he receiving the news thereof he made no shew of joy being anointed he would not change his name He liv'd but 20 moneths and some days after in continual trouble and grief of minde His Epitaph was Hadrianus Sextus hic situs est qui nihil sibi infelicius in vita duxit quam quod imperaret The Estate of Vtrecht was so great anciently that the Bishop or Prince thereof could come into the Field with 40000 armed Men of his own Subjects and maintain them But the Bishop being envi'd for his great Revenues and for that the Duke of Gelders made continual War upon him He Anno 1522 resign'd the Temporalities thereof to the Emperour Charles the Fifth as Duke of Brabant and Earl of Holland that he might have the protection of so great a Monarch to defend him and his Subjects from their Enemies and to the end he might quietly enjoy his Ecclesiastical Estate Which Donation was afterwards confirm'd by the Pope and his Subjects did then Homage to him as Duke of Brabant and Earl of Holland and the Bishop did finely discharge them of their Oath which they had made to him Of which Estate of Vtrecht the Emperour made two Provinces that is to say of Overyssel and Vtrecht which make the number of 17 Provinces in the Netherlands OVERYSSEL SO named from its scituation beyond the Yssel It 's bounded on the East with Westphalen on the West with the Zuyder-see on the North with West-Friesland on the South with Gelderland It 's divided into three parts that is to say Twent confining with Westphalen Ysselland on the River Yssel and Drent beyond the River Vecht in all which are contained 11 Towns and 100 Villages The Principal of which are Deventer It 's an Imperial Hanse-Town scituated on the River Yssel three Leagues from Zutphen and four from Swoll the chief Town of all this Province first taken for the States by the Earl of Leicester then Governour of those Countries for Queen ELIZABETH Anno 1586. Their Trade here is great as well by Land to Westphalia and other places of Germany as by the River Yssel which on one side mounts up the Rhene unto Colen and descends down before Campen to the Zuyder-see unto Amsterdam Horn Enchuysen and other Towns of Holland and Friesland It 's wonderfully Fortifi'd with Ramparts and Bulwarks besides that it always had a double Wall of Brick round about it In former times when matters succeeded not well in the Diocess of Vtrecht the Bishops retired themselves thither as we read of the Bishop named Baldrick who to fly the fury of the Normans and Danes which ruined the Town of Vtrecht retired with all his Clergy to this town Swoll Is an Imperial Hanse-town standing on a River which runs into the Vidre Fortified with double Walls double Ditches and very strong Ramparts and Bulwarks a Place of great Traffick It hath two Chanels which pass through it It 's the third Town of this Province It 's three Miles from Campen Campen Scituate on the West-shore and Fall of
the Yssel into the Zuyder-see A fair large and Imperial Hanse-town well Fortified and of very great strength by reason of those inaccessible Marishes amongst which it is scituated It hath a goodly Bridge upon the River at the end whereof there 's a goodly Fort to defend it by which Bridge they may go both on Horse-back Waggon or Foot to all the Towns of Overyssel Friesland and Groning or else if they please by the Chanels which run through the Country Merchants and Workmen with a good winde may go in one night to Amsterdam and going from thence at night after dispatch of business may be again the next day at their own Houses which is a great commodity It 's the second Town in this Province the Burgers can put it under water when they please which is a great security to it These three Towns are in that part hereof which is called Ysselland In that part which is called Twent we have the Town of Enschede A Town of good Traffick a League from Oldenzel and two from Otmarsum Anno 1597 't was reduc'd to the obedience of the States by Prince Maurice and 't was much ruin'd Of which little memorable Delden Almeto Stenwick It 's scituated on a Brook called Blocker-zyel It suffered two great Sieges in the late Belgick Wars and did undergo a sad Fate but since is much recovered and is a Town of good Trade and of considerable strength it 's three Miles from Meppel Hassel Is seated upon the River Vidre which runs into the Zuyder-see at Gheelmuyden being mingled with the two Rivers of Regg and Vect It 's well Fortified Otmarsum A Town which did three times tast the fruits of the Wars as well by Siege as otherwise It 's a place of no great strength lying in an open Country but Anno 1592 taken by Prince Maurice In Latine this Town is called veteros Marsii which are the old Marsians whom Pliny and Livie do often mention being seated in the Country of the Tubantines which is now Tuent Oldenzeel Is a Town of good Trade and reasonable great It suffered much by a long Siege Anno 1605 being beleaguered by Marquess Spinola to whom 't was yielded for Arch-Duke Albert But Anno 1567 't was retaken by Prince Maurice It 's three Miles from Otmarsum Coewarden Is a place of good strength Anno 1593 't was strongly defended against Count Harman van Borgh and Veedugo who beleaguered it From hence you may go by Land into Friesland the Counties of Groning Westphalia Breme and other places It 's about three Miles from Hardenburgh 15 from Linge 15 from Swoll There are many other Towns here but whosoever is Master of the Field is Master of them And in that of Drent the Town and Castle of Valenhoven standing upon the Zuyder-see and two Leagues from Stenwick It suffered much in the Wars but since is repair'd and well fortified Gheelmuyden Stands upon the gulf of Vidre towards the Zuyder-see It 's a league distance from Valenhoven and as much from Hassel it hath towards the Land the pleasant Pastures of Mastubroouck a league distant from Campen It hath a strong Castle in it Hardenbergh A good Town upon the River Beecht the Bishops of Vtrecht took great delight in it by reason of the pleasantness of the Seat It hath a very strong Castle It 's the mid-way between Coewarden and Ommen The Soveraignty of this Province before the War in the Netherlands did belong unto Philip the second King of Spain who succeeded the Emperour Charles the fifth his Father who had the interest confirmed by the Pope from Henry of Bavaria Bishop of Vtrecht GELDERLAND SO called from the Castle of Gelder as Munster conceiveth which Wichard of Ponthe together with his Brother are reported to have built though many do suppose that it was so called from the Town Geldens which Tacitus mentions It 's bounded on the East with Cleveland and the Earldom of Zutphen on the West with Holland and Vtrecht on the North with Overyssel and the Zuyder-see on the South with Brabant and the Land of Gulick The whole Country is divided into two parts 1. Veluwe contain'd within the Zuyder-see and the Yssel 2. Betewe intercepted 'twixt the middle Chanel of the Rhene and the Wael In both Divisions are contain'd 22 wall'd Towns or Cities and 300 Villages The chief whereof are Nimmegen A Town high mounted on the top of a Hill the Wael which is there large and deep running at the Foot of the Hill rich great and populous having beside the modern Fortifications an Ancient Castle with so goodly a Prospect that from thence one may behold the best part of the Countrey built as some say by Julius Caesar to command those parts The Castle was re-edified by Bâ—tto and by him was the Town likewise encompass'd with Walls he being dead his Son Hesus augmented it by adding thereto that quarter which is called Heselbergh or the hele of Hesus which Town the Kings that succeeded him caused to be the Metropolis of Battavia or Holland as we read in Gerrard of Nimmegen This Town was Founded by Magus King of the Gauls who called it after his own name Magus but being deceased it was re-built by â—â—â—to sâ—ncâ— which time it hath been called Nimmegen that is New-megen 〈◊〉 Nemmeghen Anno 1592 it came under the obedience of the States being taken by Prince Maurice The States have built a mighty Fort called Knotsenburgh on the other Bank of the River of Wael opposite to the Town which is a great security to it Tiel Is chief of Tyelweerd it was formerly a Peninsula but since the last Wars a Chanel hath been cut through the Country to sail from the River of Mewze into the Wahal upon the right Bank whereof the said Town is built by which means the said Tyelweerd is now made an Island for there is no entrance into it but by water or through the Town It 's very strong by Nature and Art Anno 1528 it was besieged by the Emperour but was so stoutly defended that they were enforc'd to raise their Siege It hath many rich towns under its Jurisdiction It 's a strong Place and well fortified Bomel Is a fair strong Place the chief Town of all the Territory of Bomel-weerd which the Rhene and Mewze do encompass and make it an Island It 's a Frontier-town upon the confines of Gelderland towards the South and stands upon the River Wael on the North-side of Bomel It 's exceeding strong by Nature It was first walled by Otho The River Wael doth not only make Bomel commodious for Traffick but impregnable on the North-side and free from all Invasion The Country about it is very low and not only unfit for Mines but for continuance of any long Siege for in Winter by reason of great Waters and overflowing of Rivers it enforces the Enemy to leave the Field Besides its natural strength it hath been ever well fortified with Bulwarks and Towers and
is environ'd with a double Rampier and Ditch It hath many rich Towns under its Jurisdiction Anno 1599 't was beleaguered by D. Francisco de Mendoza High Admiral of Arragon but was enforced to raise his Siege with much loss and dishonour after he had begirt it 20 days The taking of this Town opens a Passage into Holland Vtrecht and the heart of Gelderland The Fort of Voorn Crevecoeur makes the Town impregnable with Hewsden a strong town and seated within an hours journey of Bomel and within two Leagues of Boisleduke Ghent Scituate on the Wael not far off At the first meeting of the Wael and the Maes stands the strong Fort of St. Andrews raised by the Arch-Duke Albert to command the passage of those Rivers But in the year 1600 taken in by Maurice Count of Nassau after Prince of Orange and ever since Garrisoned by the States to secure that Passage It 's the most Noble and strongest Fort in all the Netherlands It 's comprehended in five Bulwarks whereof three are upon the Banks of the Mewze and Wahal and the two other towards Haerwarden either of them having a platform to defend it with broad and deep Ditches without the which is a Counter-scarp the which hath also a Ditch round about it and small Forts to warrant it Ruermond Scituate on the mouth of Ruer Mondt in Dutch signifies a mouth or entrance and so of that word and Ruer is derived Ruermondt as many others are in that Country As Dendermond in Flanders Isselmond in Holland c. It 's five Leagues from Maestricht three from Venlo It 's a rich and populous Town both by Nature and Art full of Fortifications Ramparts and Bulwarks Under the Jurisdiction of Ruermond are comprehended Venlo Gelder Straten Wachtendonck and Erckelam all walled and strong Towns with those Boroughs of Montfort Vucht Nieustadt Kessel Middeter and Greytenberck Kessel stands a League from Ruermond a goodly Village with a strong Castle built upon a Mountain It 's called by Ptolomy Castelleum and he makes it the Metropolis of the Menapians Venloe A strong Town on the Maes the people are Martial and have in former times resisted an Imperial Army It 's half a League from Shalen and three Leagues from Ruermond In this Town the Duke of Cleve having lost all his Dutchy of Cleve and a great part of Juliers yielded himself to Charles the fifth Anno 1543. Gelder Heretofore of such Reputation that it gave Name to all the Country It 's within two leagues of Shalen It hath a good Castle and strong Fortifications Strael or Stralen A strong and well Fortified Town It 's a League and a half from Wachtendonck Arnhem Called by Tacitus and other Authors Arenacum It 's a large and well-built Town It 's seated upon the right Bank of the River Rhene half a League from Issel-Dort It was the ordinary Residence heretofore of the Dukes of Gelders who had here their Chancery and other Supream Courts of Justice established here Anno 1543 by Charles the fifth This is the third Capital City of Gelderland and had under it's Jurisdiction besides divers Villages Wageninghen It 's a strong Town seated on the Rhene It 's on all sides compassed with Moores and Boggs which makes it inaccessible It 's equally distant from Arnhem and Nimmegen and four Leagues from Culemburg Harderwick On the Zuyder-see burnt to the Ground Anno 1503 but since reedified and now more strong and beautiful then ever formerly The Haven is bad so as the Ships are forced to lie in the Road. Hattum Upon the Yssel a good Town and hath a strong Castle the Walls whereof are 24 Foot thick Within the Limits of this Dukedom stands the Town and Country of Culemburg It 's seated upon the bank of the River Leck a League from Buren and two from Vianen on the same side of the River It hath a goodly Castle in it It was erected into a Dukedom by King Philip the Second by reason of the fair Territory which belonged unto it Montford Is a Castle of importance a small Town It lies a League from Ruermond Wachtendonck A small Town with a Castle in it Anno 1588 taken by the Duke of Parma but Anno 1600 Count Lodowick surprized it for the States It 's very considerable by reason of its scituation Battenbourg Is a Town of great Antiquity with a noble Castle It being the first Castle which King Battus did build upon the Mewze in the County of the Sicambrians which now is Gelders The Baron of this place did make a great Revenue of the Toll and Custom which is paid by all Ships that pass that way From Batto Batavia took its name He was descended of the Catts people of Germany of whom Tacitus maketh honourable mention For Batavia signifies the Inheritance of Batto as one should say Battos-haur for Haur in the Dutch-language signifies Heritage Pliny calls this Isle The most Noble Isle of Batto Tacitus who was Commissary for Gaul Belgique makes mention of Claudius Civilis descended from Batto issued from a Royal Branch of the Catts from whom the ancient Town of Catwick had its Name for wic signifies either a Town or a Castle the Town or Castle of Catts And it 's observed that those Towns which end in Wic are the most Ancient and most Honourable This Batto was a great Patron of the Country a Person of much Honour and Gallantry The Romans laying great Impositions upon the Batavians he advised them to take up Arms against them which he being their Generalissimo they did and did much disable the Roman Forces insomuch as Tiberius Caesar coming to a Treaty with him and demanding of him why he had stirred the People to so long and bloudy a War he answered That the Romans themselves were the cause in that they had sent them Wolves for their Guardians not Dogs and Shepherds This and much more is reported by Dion a Roman Historiographer in his 55 and 56 Book ZVTPHEN IT 's bounded on the East with Westphalen on the West with that part of Gelderland which is called the Veleuwe on the North with Overyssel on the South with Cleveland It contains eight wall'd Towns besides many Villages that is to say Dortecum On the Overyssel rising out of Westphalen It 's a League from Doesburgh a good Town with a double Wall about it Doesburgh Seated on the Yssel Bronckhorst A County of it self It 's within a League of Zutphen seated upon the right side of the River Yssel A strong Castle in it and a Garrison Lochem Upon the River Berckel it 's two Leagues from Zutphen well Fortified and strong Heremburgh A good Town with a strong Castle It 's a League and a half from Dortecum Groll Taken by the Prince of Orange for the States Confederates Anno 1627. It is a strong Town wall'd in with Ramparts and Bulwarks having broad and deep Ditches Fortified with Casemates and Counterscarps It 's two Leagues from Bredefort Bredefort A small