the fift hir sonne being yet a child Shee marries againe with Robert the Frison sonne to the earle of Flanders They are chased out of Holland by Godfâ—…ey the Crookebacke duke of Lorraine called in by William bishop of Vtrecht ¶ Godfrey is the ninth Earle of Holland accounting Gertrude and Robert for two heads he vanquished the Frisons built the towne of Delf and was slaine in Antuerpe easing of himselfe ¶ Robert the Frison being earle of â—…landers restores Cont Thierry to Holland and Zeeland who vanquished the bishop of Vtrecht and tooke him prisoner Hee made war against the Frisons who would be free vnder the Empire and defeats them his death ¶ Floris the Fat the sonnâ—… of Thierry the fift the eleuenth earle of Holland c. he makes war against the Frisons subdues them and dies hauing reigned 30 yeares ¶ Thierry the sixt of that name the twelfth Earle he makes war against the Frisons with whome Floris the Blacke his brother ioins these bretheren being afterwards reconciled the earle of Cuycke kils Floris Thierry reuengeth his death and besiegeth Vtrecht The Frisons defeated by him in Holland and then he dies hauing raigned fortie yeares ¶ Floris the third the 13 earle sonne to Thierry the sixt Warre against the Frisons War betwixt the earles of Holland and Flanders for the island of Walchren The prowâ—…sse of the Hollanders at the siege of Damiette in which voiage the Earle died ¶ Thierry the seuenth the 14 earle succeeded his father he was in quarell with William of Holland his brother who ioined with the Frisons but they were afterwards reconciled Dying he left one only daughter ¶ Ada daughter to Thierry the seuenth the 15 commaunding in Holland she gouerned but one yeare and died without children During hir life she was still in war against the earle of Eastfriseland hir vncle who succeeded hir and was ¶ William the first of that name the sixteenth earle of Holland the crown of Scotland fell vnto him by his mother but he neglected it Dying he had ruled 19 years in Holland and 26 in Friseland ¶ Floris the fourth succceded William his father the seuenteenth Earle Strange war with the bishop of Vtrecht He is slaine at a tourney at Clermont ¶ William the second succeeded Floris his father being yet a child vnder the guard of his vncle the Bâ—…shop of Vtrecht He was crowned king of Romans He went against the Frisons where he was slaine ¶ Floris the fift the nineteenth Earle hee had great war against the Frisons whom he vanquished and brought backe his fathers bones hee was slâ—…ne by Gerard van Velsen knight ¶ Iohn the first of that name succeeded his father Floris the 20 Earle of Holland Being returned out of England where hee had married the kings daughter he reuenged his fathers death He died without children and in him failed the race of Earles descended from Thierry of Aquitaine THE yeare of our Redemption 863 Charles the Bald king of France being in Brabant in the Prouince of Campeigne at a towne called Bladell he called a generall assemblie of his Princes and Barons to consult of the best means to repell the Normans and Danes who made daylie incursions into Germanie Friseland Holland Zeland and into the realme of France Thither came many Princes and great Noblemen both Spirituall and Temporall from all parts whether in like sort the Pope being then at Mentz vpon the Rhin sent his Legats Among other Princes and Noblemen there present came Cont Haghen of little Troy which at this present is the towne of Zanthen vpon the Rhin betwixt the towns of Nuys and Cleefe bringing with him his sister Mathild wife of Sigebert duke of Aquitaine with hir two sonnes the eldest was called Walger whom king Charles did then make Earle of Teysterbaudt the which did at that instant and long after containe and comprehend the townes of Tyel Bommell Arkell Heusden Altem Vianen Culembourg Buren Leederdam Aspren and Henckelom with a great circuit of countrey vnto the riuer of Meuse The youngest was Thierry who as yet had no siegneorie nor commaund but was a valiant and hardie knight who with his father Sigibert had done many valiant exploits both in Prouence and Aquitaine against the Sâ—…rasins who made many incursions into those countries so as for his valour and prowessâ—… hee was much esteemed in Court and well fauoured of king Charles THIERRY of Aquitaine the first Earle of Holland King Charles surnamed the Bald first made me Earle by name Oâ—… Holland 〈◊〉 his brother Lewis of Zeeland did the same ' But troubles manifold soone 〈◊〉 my honour â—…ent Downe to the graue if the Emperour had me no succour lent Twise twentie yeares I held the Danes still in alarmes And did abate thou pride of heart by valor and by armes Of Aquitame I was surnamed borne and bred Gune my wife and in Egmont my corpt lies buried At this assemblie of Bladell the earle Haghen his vncle besought the king to remember Thierry his nephew and to aduaunce and inuest him in some part of the countrie which the Normans and Danes had lately spoiled and destroied knowing him as that was well known to all men to be valiant strong able to endure trauell wise temperat and discreet to keepe that which should be giuen him in charge besides hee was honourably descended issued from the bloud of France by the antient Troians King Charles hearing so many good testimonies of this young knight at the request of the Popes Legats and the instance of the Earle Haghen his vncle gaue vnto Thierry of Aquitaine all the countrie of Holland with a part of East-Frizeland from Dockum to the riuer of Lanuers as the Chronicles of Holland doe maintaine which the Frizelanders seemed to dislike and impugne saying that Charles who was then but king of France and not Emperor could not dispose nor giue away Frizeland the which maintained it selfe vnder the Romane Empire to defend and protect them by his valour from the inuasions and spoiles of the Danes and Normans who euen at that time held and enioied the towne of Vtrecht the Bishop and all his Prebends to auoid their furie being fled to the town of Deuenter in the countrie of Oueryssel the which was subiect both to the Temporall and Spirituall jurisdiction of the said Bishop of Vtrecht This assemblie at Bladell being ended king Charles went with this knight Thierry into Holland to put him in possission of the countrie by force of armes the vicount of Leyden and the lord of Wassenare his cousin these two houses being since vnited in that of the vicounts gathered together what forces they could to make head against king Charles and to hinder Thierry in the possession of that which was giuen him refusing absolutely to receiue Thierry for their lord and earle desiring rather to ioine with them of Friseland and to remain subiects to the empire The king and Cont Thierry marched against them and gaue
of land of his Maiestie to take any other othe then Gentlemen were accustomed to take for that the King would haue forced some to sweare to serue him indifferently against all men The third was to accomplish all that remained to be accomplished of the treatie of Arras the which he had promised and sworne when as he redeemed the townes that were ingaged To which requests the King lent a deafe eare and parted the next day from Hesdin During the Kings stay at Hesdin the bastard of Rubempre had charge to enter into Crotoye with a great ship called the Balleuier and forty choise soldiers with him to goe into Holland whereas the Earle of Charolois then remained who comming into a Port of Holland the bastard went to the Hage whereas the Earle was as secretly as he could but being drinking at a Tauerne hee was knowne and discouered vnto the Earle who caused him and his companions to bee apprehended and put in prison Soone after his companions were deliuered and the bastard remained still in prison with one other They had sent to seaze vpon the Ship but hearing of the Captaines apprehension it put to Sea and returned to Crottoy The common fame was then that the French King had giuen charge by letters written and signed with his owne hand to this Bastard of Rubempre to take the Earle of Charolois aliue or dead After which done being ready with a great armie neere vnto Hesdin which they sayd was prepared for England to set vppon the Duke of Bourgongne who doubted nothing whom hee would haue taken prisoner and ledde with him as hee did the Duke of Sauoye his brother in lawe then to marry the Earle of Charolois daughter at his pleasure being then but eight yeares old and to haue deuided the Dukes countries the Duchie of Brabant to the Earle of Neuers and his other Prouinces to whom he had pleased But GOD disposed otherwise As soone as the bastard was taken and had confessed the matter vnto the Earle of Saint Pol who kept then in Holland the Earle of Charolois sent letters presently to the Duke his father being yet at Hesdin whether the King had appointed him to come and that hee should attend him there But at the same instant the Duke receiued letters about dinner time from his sonne acquainting him with the bastards attempt and aduertising him that hee was not safe at Hesdin Where-vpon hee went presently after dinner to horse-back and retired with a small traine to Saint Pol to his bed whether euery man followed presently leauing Adolph of Cleues his cousin and the Lord of Crequi to guard the towne inioyning them notwithstanding that if the King would come to open him the Towne and Castle As soone as the King was aduertised that the Duke was gone so sodenly from Hesdin hee went to Rouan and the Duke of Bourbon came to Lille to see the Duke of Bourgongne his Vncle and from thence to Gaunt to the Earle of Charolois his Cousin The fourth of Nouember the same yeare 1464. the Earle of Charolois came to Lille with about a hundred Knights and Gentlemen and some sixe hundreth horse in his traine All the people were very ioyfull at his comming being alighted from his horse hee went to doe his dutie to his father The next day there came into the same towne of Lille the Earle of Eu Moruillier Chancellor of France and the Archbishop of Narbone Ambassadors from the king the next day they had a publike audience in the presence of the Duke and Earle his sonne insisting vppon three pointes The first was that they demanded the Bastard of Rubempre who was detained prisoner in Holland The second was that reparation were made vnto the King for the imputations which had beene layed vppon him since the imprisonment of the said Bastard The third that the Duke should send vnto the King one of the Earle of Charolois houshold called Oliuer de la March a knight of Bourgongne who had first published those scandals to the Kings dishonour the which a Preacher had afterwardes preached in the Towne of Bruges requiring also to haue the said Preacher sent to doe iustice of them according to their merites Alledging for the Kings excuse that the said Bastard of Rubempre had beene sent into Holland to take the Vice-chancellor of Brittaine in his returne from England and therefore hee sayd that the Earle of Charolois had greatly offended the King too hauing hindred the Bastards charge in causing him to bee taken The Duke hauing giuen an attentiue eare vnto his speech and suffered him to speake what hee would hee himselfe answered to euery point Afterwardes the Chancellor beganne againe laying foule and dishonest charges vppon Francis Duke of Brittaine whereunto the Earle intreated his father to giue him leaue to answere But the Duke sayde vnto him I haue answered for thee as much in mine opinion as a father ought to doe for his sonne yet if thou hast so great desire thinke of it against to morrow The next day the Ambassadors were called againe before the Duke and there in the presence of the whole Assembly the Earle of Charolois answered from point to point to that wherewith hee or the Duke of Brittanie his friend had beene charged the which hee did couldly without any shewe of passion or chollor and that so eloquently as all men did admire him In the ende the father was very humble and wise in his conclusion beseeching the King that hee would not lightly beleeue any thing against him nor his sonne but to continue them still in his good grace and fauour After which wine and some confections beeing brought the Ambassadors tooke their leaue both of father and sonne When as the Earle of Eu and the Chancellour had taken their leaues of the Earle of Charolois who was a good way off from his father hee sayde vnto the Archbishop of Narborne who was the last Recommend mee most humbly vnto the Kings good fauour and tell him that hee hath disgraced mee heere by his Chauncellor but before that the yeare passe hee will repent it The Archbishoppe did not fayle to doe this message the which bred great hatred betwixt the King and the Earle Soone after the Duke fell grieuously sicke at Brusselles so as they did in a manner despaire of his health the Earle of Charolois was then with him who seeing that the Lord of Croy and his adherents had in a manner the whole gouernment of his fathers contries holding the best and strongest places knowing that aboue fifteene dayes before the said Lord of Croy was retyred to the French King he caused in his name all the Townes castles and forts in the countries of Luxemburg Lembourg Namur Henault Bollenois and other places to bee seazed on placing newe Captaines in them The Duke being recouered made his sonne Gouernour of all his countryes The Earle seeing himselfe in this authoritie called the chiefe
Friseland 16 Guilielmus Primus This WILLIAM by great policie did breake the chaine Which crosse the Hauen of Damiet the Sarasins had layne Whereby the Harlemers great honour did obtaine Record whereof within their Towne as yet doth still remaine Two wiues he had whereof one out of Geldre came The second MARY called was a princely English dame Full nineteene yeares he rul'd and peaceably possest His countries and in Rhynsburgh died whereas his bones do rest WILLIAM the sixteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland hauing as we haue said in the time of the Contesse Ada expelled the earle of Loos remained in quiet possession of the said prouinces He had by his wife Alix daughter to the earle of Gueldre Floris who succeeded him in the said Earledomes Otto bishop of Vtrecht and William who was lieutenant of Holland the which was father to the lady Alix married to Didier lord of Brederode and two daughters whereof the one was Abbesse at Rhynsbourg and the other at Delft This Cont William did homage to the Emperor Frederic the second for his Counties of Holland Zeeland and Friseland Afterwards vpon a priuate quarell he went and besieged the castle of Aspren hauing taken it he rased it to the ground Cont Gerard vander Are brother to Didier bishop of Vtrecht in reuenge therof went and besieged the town of Dordrecht into the which he cast wild fire which burnt almost halfe of it Soone after Cont William and the bishop were reconciled together and they made an accord by the which Cont William should pay vnto the bishop a thousand pounds and restore vnto Henry of Craen all that he had taken from him for that as wee haue said before he had once put him in prison by the cōmandement of Cont Thierry his master brother to the said Cont William Item that all the Earles subiects being in the bishoprick of Vtrecht should from that time forth be vassales to the bishop as well as all his vassales remaining in Holland Item that Cont William with a hundred knights attired onely in linnen cloth and bare-footed should present themselues before the Cathedrall church of Vtrecht and being there the Earle should aske him forgiuenesse for that he had before laid hands vpon him and taken him prisoner although he were rescued in the Abbey of Staueren All which articles the Earle did accomplish fearing his excommunication and from that time the Earle and the bishop continued good friends Behold the simplicitie of Princes and the pride of prelats in those daies brauing all the world with their thundering threats At that time died Henry king of Scotland vncle by the mothers side to cont William of Holland leauing no children There was a great nobleman in Scotland who with the helpe of the king of England got possession of the realm The Earle of Holland pretending a title to the Crowne as the neerest kinsman son to the deceased kings sister imployed all his friends for the obtaining thereof and to bring it to effect being imbarked with a goodly armie he landed in Scotland where at the first he tooke many townes and castles In the meane time Lewis earle of Loos knowing Cont William to be absent and that he could not easily come out of Scotland although he had wholly conquered it leuied men secretly to make a new conquest of the Earldome of Holland but Cont VVilliam being aduertised thereof desiring rather safely to enioy his owne inheritance which he had gotten with much paine than to striue to make a doubtfull conquest in a strange countrey and farre off he returned speedily into Holland The earle of Loos hearing of his returne proceeded no further for he feared him much hauing made so good triall of him who afterwards gouerned his countries peaceably during the remainder of his dayes In the yeare 1218 the lady Alix wife to Cont VVilliam died hauing left the children aboue named and was buried in the church of the Abbey of Rhynsbourg Afterwards the said earle maried with Mary daughter to Edmond of Lancaster son to Henry the third king of England by whom he had no children About that time the inhabitants of Ziricxee in the Island of Shouven in Zeeland began to build great shippes for marchandise to traffique throughout al seas as well North as South and to make their towne famous as it was for a time by reason of their nauigation hauing fit and conuenient hauens and rodes the which haue since beene much stopped with barres of sand so as of late the inhabitants of that towne haue made a new hauen going directly to the sea before Noortbeuelandt The Earles of Zeeland who were also Earles of Holland had a palace in the towne of Ziricxee the ruines whereof are to be seene at this day It is the second towne of Zeeland We haue in the life of Cont Thier◅ the seuenth and of his daughter Ada rela◅ed briefely the deeds of this Cont VVilliam the first of that name FLORIS THE FOVRTH OF THAT name the seuenteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland Florentius Quartus My daughter in one day as many children bare As daies within a yeare complete by vs accounted are Twelue yeares I liued Earle Mars durst me not defie But iealous loue was cause that I was murthered cruelly My wife grieu'd at my death and her so hard fortune At her owne charge for women built the cloyster of Losdune VVithout the towne of Delft my sister edified Another which le champ royal she nam'd wherein she died FLORIS the fourth of that name by the death of Cont William was the seuenteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland his brother Otto was made Earle of Friseland in his fathers life and William the youngest was hereditarie gouernour of Kennemerlandt this William had one daughter called Alix the which was married to Didier lord of Brederode who had by her Alfart father to William of Brederode who was General of the Horse to the king of the Romans the eighteenth Earle of Holland Cont Floris had to wife Mathilda daughter to Henry duke of Lothier and Brabant by whom he had the said king William his successor and Floris who was gouernour of Holland then Alix which was Contesse of Henault and Marguerite wife to Herman earle of Henneberg who had that great number of children whereof we shall speake by and by In the time of this Earle Floris there was neere vnto the towne of Arckel a little castle vpon the place of Wolfard belonging to Iohn lord of Arckel about the which there liued some poore fishermen at which place the riuer of Meruve began to ebbe and flow for that the riuers of Meuse and Wahal the which before the towne of Tyel in Gelderland was very narrow and could not enter into that of Linge fell into it These poore fishermen called themselues Gorreckens whereof the towne of Gorrekom now Gorrichom tooke the name This lord of Arckel caused all the houses of
which was fallen vnto him by the decease of his great great grandmother Ada daughter to the king of Scotland who died without heires male wife to Floris the third of that name and thirteenth Earle of Holland which Cont William the first by the death of Henry king of Scotland his vncle by the mothers side did not prosecute by reason of the rebellion of some noblemen of his countrey which hindred him besides the Frisons were reuolted and the earle of Loos during his absence thought to reconquer Holland as wee haue said before Cont Floris being then with king Edward who dissuaded him from this war of Scotland for the great difficulties he should find there they concluded an alliance together which was That Iohn sonne to Cont Floris being then but young shall marie Elizabeth the kings daughter by which mariage they should remaine for euer good friends and allies as since England hath alwayes beene and is at this present well affected to Holland and Zeeland and to the other vnited prouinces of the Netherlands Guy of Dompierre earle of Flanders repining at this friendship and alliance betwixt the king of England and Earle of Holland leuied an armâ—… in the countrey of Catsand to inuade the isle of Walchren during the absence of Cont Floris but Didier lord of Brederode and Iohn of Renesse knights the one in Holland the other in Zeeland made hast to leuie men to oppose against him Cont Floris hauing hewes therof imbarked without any delay and came to land at Flessingue Cont Guy staying too long vpon his passage the seignior of Renesse by commandement from Cont Floris past into Flanders burnt the towne of Scluce and spoiled the whole countrey about This done the lords of Brederode and Renesse enter ioyntly with their troups into the isle of Catsand which they destroyed also The Flemings who were not faire from them being about 4000 men thought to compasse in the Hollanders but the seignior of Renesse who had but 300 Zeelanders choyce men and he a braue and hardie knight went first to charge them and put them to rout so as there were a great number slaine and drowned besides prisoners and the bootie which he carried into Holland returning a victor to the Earle his Prince This happened on Simon and Iudes day in the yeare 1296. The Flemings being retired after this defeat Cont Floris fortified his countrey of Zeeland with good garrisons against their inuasions and spoyles then hee returned into Holland to his court at la Haye One day among the rest he bethought himselfe that in the great wars which hee had had against the Frisons Flemings and others he had lost a good number of his knights and of his best noblemen besides many were dead of the plague the which had beene very violent in his countries so as to his great griefe he was then very destitute whereupon he resolued to send for one day in Christmas to his court at la Haye fortie of the chiefest and most substantiall of all his subiects that were not noble the which had good meanes and great reuenues to entertaine the traine and estate of a knight With these fortie good men specially chosen he held open court made them knights and gaue them armes and blasons In this sort did he honour his good and vertuous subiects who by their wealth might well maintaine their estate in the seruice of their prince Withall he did repeople his countrey with nobles and did beautifie his traine and court for the more noblemen a prince hath the more is hee honoured and feared True it is that in the beginning the antient nobilitie did scorne and hate these new knights it may be for that they had not so great meanes but in succession of time their sonnes grand-children and great grand children were taken for good gentlemen The chief knights and gentlemen issued from antient nobiline and knighthood in the time of this Earle Floris were these that follow Iohn of Holland his sonne Herman earle of Heneberg husband to Marguerite his aunt who had so many children Didier the Gentle lord of Brederode William lord of Theylinghen Iohn lord of Heusden Iohn lord of Heesben Arnoult lord of Escluse brother to the lord of Heusden Iohn lord of Arckel Hugh Butterman lord of Buttersloot Iohn lord of Heucklom Otto seignior of Aspren and of Abkoy Peregrin seignior of Lederdam his brother Ieams lord of Wassenare Didier of Theylinghen Nicholas Persin seignior of Waterlandt Simon of Harlem Ghysbrecht lord of Amstel Arnould of Amstel his brother Herman of Woerden Iohn of Leck lord of Polnen Hugh of Vianen Ghysbrecht of Yselsteyn Wolfard lord of Vere Iohn of Renesse Witten bastard to Cont Floris the first lord of Hamstede and William his brother Nicholas lord of Putten and of Stryen William of Egmond Gerard of Egmond his sonne Baldwin of Nueldwick Ieams Vander Vuoude Arnould of Heemskerke Henry of Heemskerke his brother Didier vander Goude Gerard van Velson Gerard of Heemskerke Didier of Raephorst Gerard of Raephorst his brother Hugh of Craelinghen Werembault Witten Hage Albert his sonne Gerard of Harlem Iohn Dortoghe and Floris of Duynen all knights And in Zeeland the chiefe noblemen were the lords of Borssele of Brigdam of Zandtwick of la Vere of Cats of Cortgoen of Mourmont of Renesse and of Ornyninghe all which carried the Earles order which was a coller of gold interlaced with cockle shels and the image of S. Iames hanging at it There was in the Earls court a valiant knight put in the rank of these nobles named Gerard van Velson whom the Earle held a whole yeare in prison after that he had caused his brothers head to be cut off through the false reports and pernitious counsell of some that hated them The Earle being afterwards better informed of the truth and of their innocencie hauing set Gerard at libertie he sought by all meanes to repaire the wrongs that had beene done him and to honour and aduance him among all the rest and to make him the more affectionat to his seruice the Earle thinking therein to doe him honour and sauour would haue giuen him his minion in mariage the which was a faire gentlewoman But Gerard disdaining her like a generous man would none of her The Earle insisting still to haue him mâ—…ie her in the end Gerard angrie at his importunities answered him plainly That he was not so abiect not base minded vsing a common Dutch phrase as to put his feet in his old shooes which is as much to say as to marie his leauings or strumpet The Earle displeased at this answer said vnto him And truly thou shalt haue my leauings Gerard who regarded not the Eaâ—…ls words goes from court and a while after maries the daughter of Herman seignior of Woerden neece to Ghysbrecht of Amstel Cont Floris hearing afterwards that Gerard was maried and that hee came no more to court by the persuasion of his minion he sent for him being
come he sent him in commission out of the countrey for some businesse of importance wherin Gerard held himselfe much honoured during his absence the Earle went with a small traine to the castle of Croonenbruch where as Gerard made his ordinarie residence as if he would refresh himself there The ladie Gerards wife receiued him honorably and courteously as her lord prince The Earle making shew that he had some priuat matter to treat with her in secret hee willed her to lead him into some priuat chamber where there might not bee any present but they two that he might the more freely deliuer what he had to say vnto her The good lady doubting no harme led him into her owne bed chamber The Earle hauing made the doore fast forced her to his will and then presently departed She being exceeding sorrowfull for this violence which had beene offered vnto her by her owne prince who aboue all things should haue maintained the honour of ladies especially of his vassals of her qualitie shee cast off her rich attire and pretious ornaments and put on the plainest and simplest mourning weed shee could Gerard being returned from his commission and hauing made his report vnto the Earle tooke his leaue and returned to his house where comming he found his wife all desolate and hauing vnderstood the occasion he did comfort her seeming to the world as if hee knew nothing and commaunded his wife to go vnto the house of the seignior of Woerden her father and to let him vnderstand the whole fact the which she did crauing pardon for that which had happened forcibly vnto her vnder a colour of hospitalitie Gerard of Velson demanded of the seignior of Woerden his father in law how he should best gouerne himselfe in this fowle fact and withall sware by his knighthood neuer to suffer it to passe vnreuenged after which time he neuer came to court but did meditate day and night vpon reuenge On the other side Herman of Woerden could not forget the wrong and dishonour which had beene done vnto his daughter for the which he became a mortall enemie vnto the Earle These two knights being thus discontented with the Earle drew vnto their partie Ghysbrecht of Amstel their kinsman to conspire against the Earle And by the counsell of the said seignior of Amstel and Woerden Gerard did secretly call vnto the towne of Cambraye the bishop of Duras for the king of England the earle of Cuyck in the name of the duke of Brabant two counsellors for the earl of Flanders before all which being assembled Gerard made his complaints of the base treacherie of Cont Floris with an aggrauation of the fowlenesse of the fact proceeding from a heart full of bitternesse despight and choller desirous of reuenge where it was concluded among them to attempt all meanes to seise vpon the Earls person and to send him into England to the king who should retaine him and make him end his dayes in prison and in the meane time should send Iohn of Holland sonne to Cont Floris his sonne in law husband to his daughter Elizabeth who kept then in England to take possession of the earldoms of Holland and Zeeland by the ciuile death of his father the which he had worthily deserued for an expiation of so fowle and villainous a fact In the same yeare 1296. Cont Floris being ignorant of this conspiracy and resolution taken against him at Cambraie by the deputies of the king of England the duke of Brabant the earl of Flanders and the lords of Amstel Woerden at the instance and suit of Gerard van Velson went to Vtrecht to end a certain difference growne betwixt the lord of Zuylen and some of his counsellors wherof the said seignior of Amstel and Woerden were The Earl going to the church with his knights and houshold seruants there came a woman which deliuered him a little note the which he caused his secretarie to read containing these 4 verses of the Psalme My deerest friend whom I did trust With me did vse deceit Who at my Table eate my bread The same for me layed wait My lord said she remember it well and marke this prophecie of Dauid The earle contemning this aduertisement went to make good cheare with the noblemen prelats of Vtrecht after dinner being laid downe to rest a little thinking to spend the remainder of the day in sport and pleasure the lord of Amstel went to wake him inuiting him to ride abroad with his hawkes saying that they had found a goodly flight of Herons and other wild-fowle but they were such fowle as no hawke could take and were lodged there to take the Earle himself who louing hawking exceedingly went to horse with a Merlyn on his fist being very slenderly accompanied of his followers riding about halfe a mile out of Vtrecht he was led into the middest of the ambush of these conspirators when as suddenly the Seigniors of Woerden of Amstel of Velsen of Beuscop of Crayenhorst of Theylingen and Van Zanthen with many horsmen who knew nothing of this enterprise issuing forth of their ambush enuironed the Earle on all sides Gerard van Velsen who held himselfe much wronged was the first that offered to lay hold vpon him but like a couragious Prince casting away his Merlyn which he caried he laid hold on his sword to defend himselfe desiring rather to die than to yeeld but not able to make resistance he was taken meaning to carry him secretly that night to the castle of Muyden and from thence send him into England by the riuer of Flye The bruit of this prize was suddenly dispersed ouer all the which moued the harts of many The Kennemers and Waterlanders with the West-Frisons tooke armes presently in their barkes and shaloupes to deliuer their lord but the conspirators being aduertised of their comming departed suddenly leading the Earle through marishes and vnknowne places Those of Naerden who first went in search of him encountred them full in the teeth they being much perplexed knowing that the Kennemers pursued them were doubtful what way to take The Earles horse whereon he was mounted and bound was little and weake so as not being able to leape like vnto the rest he fell into a ditch where they laboured to get him forth but could not hauing no leisure by reason of the pursute of them that followed Gerard van Velsen full of furie and rage seeking nothing but reuenge seeing that they must of necessitie abandon their prey not able to carry him any further his other companions being already fled not knowing how to vanquish his courage rather than to leaue him without reuenge of the wrong which he had done him he played the part of a desperate man giuing him one and twentie wounds with his sword most of the which were mortall then mounting vpon a good horse he saued himselfe in his castle of Croonenbruch In the meane time the Kennemers arriue who find their Earle halfe
shew themselues but kept in holes or led a rusticke countrey life neither after that day durst any man carry the armes of any of those three houses The Emperour Rodulphus the first of that name had in the yeare 1290 giuen East-Friseland vnto the riuer of Lanuvers vnto the earle of Gueldres to hold it in fee of the Empire but by reason of the ferocitie of the Frisons and their heat and resolution to maintain their auncient liberties graunted them by the Emperor Charlemaigne and other precedent Emperors knowing also that the Earle of Holland pretended an interest thereunto hee durst not aduenture to take possession thereof by force Besides Cont Floris hauing as we haue said before subdued West-Friseland and taken the town of Staueren did much annoy the East-Frisons and withall the bishops of Vtrecht would neuer quit their part who to free themselues from so many lords sent their embassadors to the king of Denmarke desiring him that hee would take them and their countrey into his protection The king being loth to let slip this goodly occasion receiued them and sent one of his noblemen to gouerne the countrey in his name and to be his lieutenant and to the end he should be the more respected and haue the greater authority he gaue him his sister in mariage A while after he came himselfe into Friseland making many lawes and ordinances and imposing a certaine tribute which was reasonably tollerable This done he returned into Denmarke but before six moneths were expired this lieutenant began to oppresse them and to vse them tyrannously contrary to their accord the which did so incense the Frisons against him as they slue him sending his wifebacke being with child to the king her brother in the yeare 1295 who was soone after brought in bed of a sonne who reuenged his fathers death as we shall see hereafter IOHN THE FIRST OF THAT name the twentieth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland 20 Joannes Hollandiae This IOHN the King of Englands daughter had to wife In whose short time the towne of Delft hap'ning to fall in strife VVith him attempted for to kill two of his counsellors Accompanied with WOLPHAR he did enter into warres Against the Frisons and subdu'd them in short space But death when he had rul'd foure yeares his conquest did deface And without heires it was his chance to die VVhose bones intomb'd with his valiant ancestors do lie COnt Floris the fifth being thus murthered as we haue said by Gerard van Velsen Iohn of Holland his only sonne succeeded him and was the twentieth Earle He being absent in England with the king his father in law Didier earle of Cleues tooke vpon him the gouernment of the quarter of North-Holland On the other side Guy brother to the earle of Henault Treasurer Cathedrall of the bishopricke of Liege came and tooke vpon him the gouernment of South-Holland made his residence at Gheertruyden-bergh By the diuisions and factions of these two noblemen there happened great troubles in Holland the subiects being diuided during the absence of their prince Cont Iohn of Henault and Guy his brother were sonnes to the deceased cont Iohn d' Auesnes and the lady Alix sister to William king of Romanes and Earle of Holland who was father vnto the last Cont Floris and so were cousin germanes to Cont Iohn of Holland his neerest kinsmen and more apparent heires than the earle of Cleues and therfore Guy maintained that the gouernment was due to him rather than to the earle of Cleues but Cont Iohns return from England ended all these quarrels William Bertold subrogated in the place of Iohn Zirich chosen bishop of Toul in Lorraine to the bishopricke of Vtrecht hauing an actiue and stirring spirit reuiued the ancient quarrels of them of Vtrecht against the Hollanders went to besiege the castle of Muyden the which he maintained to be part of his reuenues the which in the end he forced and constrained Didier of Harlem to yeeld it vp to haue their liues saued he remaining his prisoner The bishop puffed vp with this happie successe went into West-Friseland after that hee had caused his pardons to be preached for all such as would carry armes against the Hollanders The Frisons according to their auncient manner of doing being still readie to reiect the yoke of the Earles of Holland by the persuasion and encouragement of this bishop besieged the castle of Widenesse which they battered and gaue many assaults so as in the end Baldwin of Naeldwyke for want of victuals and munition of warre was forced to yeeld it vp by composition to depart with bag and baggage and to returne freely into Holland which done they rased it the like they did also to the castle of Euigenburch then passing on they besieged the castle of Medemblycke hauing burnt the base towne Floris of Egmont and other gentlemen that were within it defended themselues valiantly making many braue sallies and skirmishes vpon their enemies they were so long besieged in this manner as for want of victuals they were forced to eat their horses Cont Iohn of Henault hauing newes thereof and that the Frisons with the said bishop of Vtrecht did what they pleased without any or very small resistance tooke vpon him during the absence of his cousin the gouernment of Holland and with an Armie of Hannuyers Hollanders and Zeelanders went into Friseland where he defeated the Frisons raised the siege from before Medemblycke and relieued it with all things necessarie The Seignior Iohn of Arckel and Nicholas of Putten knights of Holland tooke the towne of Enchuysen whence they caried away a great spoile and in their retreat burnt it During the diuisions and partialities betwixt the earle of Cleues and Guy of Henault the which increased more and more in Holland the lords Didier of Brederode Floris Regal Abbot of Egmond Henry Vicont of Leyden and William of Egmond accompanied with some gentlemen of marke imbarked to goe and fetch their prince Cont Iohn out of England and for a strange and new thing they led with them Claes van Keyten where they were graciously receiued by king Edward who hauing rigged forth a goodly Fleet of shippes sent away the Earle his son in law with his daughter Elizabeth recommending vnto the lord of Brederode the gouernment of the said Earle his prince being then very young Being at sea the wind turned contrary so as they were forced to land in Zeeland whereas Wolfart of Borssele lord of la Vere reiecting and contemning the Noblemen of Holland did cunningly seize vpon the guard and gouernment of the young Earle chasing from him all the Nobilitie of Holland to whom the king of England had so much recommended him The Earle being one day at Romerswael by the persuasion of the said lord of Vere sent the lord of Brederode who was a plaine dealing man and nothing malicious to Ziricxee to treat of some affaires and in the meane time the said lord
afterwards another garboile in South-Holland which was that Allant bayliffe of Dordrecht meaning to make some secret informations of some crimes committed in the towne he required the Sherifes to assist and to sit with him in iudgement Whereunto it was answered him That it was against the lawes and priuiledges of the towne if in any thing great or small they should appeare in iustice without their Escoutette yet without preiudice to their authoritie and rights that in fauour of iustice they would assist not as Iudges but as Commissaries and Informers The information being begun Cont Iohn arriued with Wolphard of la Vere who demaunded the names of the offendors to doe iustice as hee should thinke good The bourgesses answered that by their priuiledges all offences committed in the towne should be also punished there The Earle discontented at this answere departed suddenly to la Haye The magistrats of Dordrecht hearing of his discontent sent some of the chiefe of the towne vnto him with offer to yeeld him a reason of the answer they had made him whereupon the Earle appointed them a day in the towne of Delft where being assembled the lord of la Vere speaking for the Earle made a discourse of what was past The Sherifes of Dordrecht answered That it had bin decreed with the baylife that any thing which happened within the towne should be ended by the Sherifes and the Escoutette by no other Iudges Whereupon the baylife said That they had lyed and that if there were any one that would maintaine it he would fight with him At these words one of the magistrats of Delft stept vp and said That it was not fit to expose the rights and priuiledges of any town to the hazard of a single combat thereby to make them fruitlesse and of no force Whereunto the lord of la Vere replied You my masters of Delft trouble not your selues with my lord the Earles affaires he knowes best what he is to do and without any other conclusion euery one retired discontented Soone after the Earle proscribed the towne of Dordrecht which is as much as to declare them guiltie of high treason as Witten of Hamstede bastard of Holland was in the castle of Putten and Nicholas de Cats at Ablasserdam Allant baylife of Dordrecht went to Slydrecht with many men and built a fort vpon the ditch that nothing might passe They of Dordrecht made choice of foure men among them that were valiant wise and temperat whom they made their captaines to whom they committed all the charge and conduct of this apparent warre writing to all the townes of Holland and Zeeland intreating them not to make too much hast to oppresse them seeing that the like might one day happen vnto them through the great libertie of some who abusing the youth and bountie of their prince did attribute vnto themselues the whole gouernment Whilest that Wolphard of la Vere a violent and seuere man would haue surcharged the Hollanders with some new imposition and extraordinarie customes disposing moreouer of all things at his pleasure he became odious â—…o many Once among the rest the Earle being at 〈◊〉 Hayeâ—… as also the lord of la Vere was there happened a tumult betwixt the said lord â—…f la Verâ—… and soâ—… noblemen and gentlemen of Holland running vp and down the strcets and 〈◊〉 Where is our enemie How long shall we suffer our selues to be braued and ill â—…ted by him Let vs goe and spoyle him and let vs see what all those practises which he â—…ath made â—…oppresse vs will auaile him Lâ—… Vere hearing this rumour kept himselfe close and the 〈◊〉 morning by the breake of day departed from la Haye with Cont Iohn went to Sâ—…dam there to imbarkt and to passe by the riuer of Meuse into Zeeland but the Hollanders peâ—… it pursued him and forced him to returne the respect of the Princes presence restâ—…g them 〈◊〉 offering him any further violence then they led their Earle and the said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Delft oâ—… here fearing that they would 〈◊〉 â—…ther him he fled into a high house built of free stone at the corner of a stâ—…ect called Choorstroet before the which there presently gathered together a multitude of people crying confusedly that they should deliuer Wolphard els they would burne the house and all that were within it They that were within the house with him fearing their liues tooke Wolphard who was not armed and cast him out from the highest windowes into the street where he was presently murthered and cut in pieces the which afterwards bred great quarrels betwixt the Nobilitie of Holland and Zeeland At the same time the bayliffe Allant hauing feare of them of Dordrecht had fled into the castle of Crayensteyn and hauing lost the lord of la Vere who was his chiefe support the commons of the towne went to besiege them seeing no meanes to escape them he went willingly to yeeld himselfe into his enemies hands who after they had reuiled him they put him into a barke and caried him to Dordrecht but he had no sooner set foot on land but hee was murthered by the people and his brother with him In the yeare 1300 Cont Iohn of Holland being at Harlem fell sicke whereof hee died the fourth of the Calends of Nouember after that he had gouerned his Countries of Holland Zeeland and West-Friseland about foure yeares He was the first of all the Earles of Holland that died without children and had not receiued the order of Knighthood in whom failed the line of Earles issued from the masculine line of the dukes of Acquitaine the which from Thierry the first Earle had continued 437 yeares He was interred in the abbey of Rhinsburg and by his death those Countries fell to the Earles of Henault issued by the mothers side from the Earles of Holland The Lady Elizabeth his widow was caried backe into England and afterwards married to the Earle of Oxford After the death of Cont Iohn Ghisbrecht of Amstel returned into Holland and did againe possesse the village of Amsterdam which he began to fortifie and to build many bridges and towers about the wals those of Harlem and the Waterlanders went thither with an army chased away Ghisbrecht set fire on the town burnt all the bridges and towers of wood and then ruined the rest We haue said before that when as the lord of Brederode and the noblemen of Holland went to fetch Cont Iohn out of England they led with them the gyant Klaes van Knyten as a strange and monstrous thing You must vnderstand that this gyant was borne in a village called Sparenwonde neere to Harlem his father and mother were of an ordinarie stature yet no man might bee compared vnto him for the tallest men of all Holland might stand vnder his arme and not touch him and yet there are commonly seene euen at this day very tal men in that countrey he would couer foure ordinary soles of
Prouence who was condemned to be hanged being priuy to the earle Campobachios treacherous practises and not caused him to be sodainly executed at the instance of this traitor hee might haue preuented his owne death and the ruine of his estate which the said Campobachio had plotted with the duke of Lorraine to the great content of Lewis the 11. And it is friuolous to say that in such cases prisoners condemned make such suits to prolong their liues for no aduertisements in matter of war how small soeuer from whence they may draw great coniectures and from coniectures come vnto the proofe are to be reiected And therefore wee may not wonder if things succeed not well with that prince that relies too much on the passions of his counsellors whom he should alwayes suspect to be enemies or to malice and hate him to whom they dissuade him to giue audience and the prince ought herein being well assured of his person vse his owne wisedome But let vs returne to our hystorie To pacifie these great quarrels betwixt Philip the Faire king of France Iohn of Henault earl of Holland Guy bishop of Vtrecht and Guy of Dompierre earle of Flanders and his three sonnes the duke of Bourgoigne and some other princes were intercessors and mediators on either side so as in the end an accord was made betwixt them by the which it was concluded That Guy bishop of Vtrecht shold be set at libertie shold be restored to the possession of his bishoprick the which was done That the earle of Flanders with his threesons some princes and noblemen with fortie Flemish gentlemen should be set at libertie by the king the which returned ioyfully into Flanders euerie one to his owne home But the earle after his inlargement grew so sicke as he died the 20 of March 1305 and was buried at Scluce neere vnto the contesse Marguerite his mother Some chronicles of Flanders say that he died at Campeigne in France being yet a prisoner Iohn of Henault Earlé of Holland and Zeeland Lord of West-Friseland hauing aduertisement of the victorie which God had giuen vnto VVilliam earle of Ostreuant his sonne was verie ioyfull and soone after the second day of the ides of September 1305 departed this world in peace and rest after that he had gouerned Henault 30 yeares and Holland and Zeeland c. 5 yeares and was interred at Valenciennes The lady Philip of Luxembourg his wife died soone after and was buried by her husband At the time of the death of the said Cont Iohn there were many noblemen barons knights and squiers that were renowned in the countries of Holland and Zeeland amongst the which the most famous were Guy of Henault lord of Amstel and of Woerden afterwards bishop of Vtrecht brother to the said Cont Iohn Iohn without mercie earle of Ostreuant who was slaine before the death of his father at the battaile of Courtray William who succeeded him in the said earldome of Ostreuant his second son afterwards Earle of Henault Holland Zeeland c. Iohn of Beaumont earle of Blois and of Soissons all three brethren sonnes to the said Cont Iohn of Henault Didier the Gentle lord of Brederode William and Thierry his brethren Didier lord of Theylinghen Iohn of Heusden Iohn lord of Arckel Hugh Butterman lord of Buttersloot Albert lord of Voorne Nicholas lord of Putten and of Stryen Iohn lord of Leck and Polanen Iohn lord of Hencklom Otto lord of of Aspren and Abkoy Ghysbrecht of Yselsteyn Henry vicont of Leyden Didier lord of Wassenare Henry lord of Vianen Nicholas of Persin Didier of Harlem Witten bastard of Holland lord of Hamstede in Zeeland Nicholas of Cats Peregrin lord of Lederdam and of Haestrecht William of Egmond Iohn lord of Elshaut Iohn seignior of Drongelon Didier seignior of Lyenburch Ieams vander Wuoude Gerard of Heemskerke Gerard of Polgeest seignior of Almade Simon of Benthem Wolwin of Sasse Adamâ—… Escosse Baldwin of Naeldwick Floris van Duynen Floris van Tol all knights Among the squiers William of Harlem William of Assendelf Iohn van Zil Nicholas of Adrichom Wouter of Wyck were the most markable with an infinit number of gentlemen of name and armes The yeare before the death of Cont Iohn of Henault there were so great tempests and such tides on a S. Katherines day as many banks and dikes were broken and carried away in Zeeland and the isle of Walchren was so ouerflowne as the countrey men were out of all hope to recouer their banks and if William Earle of Ostreuant who made his vsuall residence in Zeeland and the lord of Borssele had not preuented it at their owne charge this island had beene lost WILLIAM THE THIRD OF THAT name the two and twentieth Earle of Holland Zeeland and Henault Lord of Friseland 22 Guil ielmus 3 Hanoniae Cogn Bonus IOANE daughter to king CHARLES de Valois was thy spouse That brought thee children worthy thy degree and noble house Whereof one did his valour great and vertue show By mounting thee againe when as thy foes did ouerthrow Thee from thy horse whereby at last God did thee send The victorie to honour of the French as then thy friend Thou punishedst a bailife that a poore mans Cow did take And ruling thirtie yeares and one this life thou didst forsake WILLIAM the third of that name before Earle of Ostreuant after the decease of Cont Iohn of Henault his father succeeded and was the 22 Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland vnited to his county of Henault for his mildnesse gentlenesse equitie and good life hee was called The good Earle William Hee was generally beloued of all knights princes noblemen and greatly honoured of all men for his valour he was surnamed The Master of Knights Lord of Princes He had to wife Ioane the daughter of Charls of Valois brother to Philip the Faire king of France by whom he had Iohn his eldest son who died yong VVilliam earle of Ostreuant who was his successor and Lewis who died also yong Marguerite wife to Lewis duke of Bauiere emperour who after the decease of her brother VVilliam was contesse of Henault Holland Zeeland and ladie of Friseland Ioane who was maried to the earle of Iuilliers another Ioane who was queene of England and the fourth Elizabeth At his comming to these earldoms and seigniories he kept open court whither came 20 earles 100 barons 1000 knights and an infinit number of gentlemen ladies and gentlewomen comming from all parts This feast continued eight daies in all kind of sports and pastimes afterwards the princes of Germany did chuse him vicar of the empire He was much renowned throughout al Germanie in respect of two strong castles which he did win neer vnto Cologne that is Bruile Wolmestein He was founder of the chanory of Middlebourg in Zeeland walled in the town fortified it This Cont VVilliam had one brother as we haue said called Iohn of
wise temperate stout and high minded prince of great experience and fortunate but somewhat selfe-willed Before his death he obtained the full power and gouernment of the dukedome of Guelderland the carldome of Zutphen the baronies of Vtrecht and Oueryssel the baronie of Groning the towne of Cambricke and the earledome of Linghen all in the Netherlands he had the earledome of Flanders and other prouinces that as yet were in a manner contributaries to the crowne of Fraunce but freed from the same for euer by contract the kingdome of Tunes the countries of America Naples Sicilia and Myllan which hee woon and assured vnto himselfe his souldiers woon Rome he tooke prisoners Pope Clement the seuenth the king of France the king of Nauarre and the elector of Saxon the duke of Cleue the Lantgraue of Hessen and others submitted themselues vnto him In his latter daies fortune was not so fauourable vnto him by reason of his obstinacie bad counsell and hard resolution Keeping the Lantgraue prisoner he was by Maurice elector of Saxon and other princes that had made a contract with the king of France compelled not onely to set the Landtgraue free but also to lose the fruits of his victorie in Germanie as many hystories sufficiently declare the same He left issue by lady Isabell of Portugall king Philip his onely sonne daughters Mary married to the Emperour Maximilian and Ioanna princesse of Portugall with more naturall children or bastards as Don Iohn de Austria and Marguerite dutchesse of Parma And so king Philip in one yeare lost his father his wife and his two aunts In December after he celebrated their funerals in Brussels but aboue all the rest he made a most triumphant funerall for the Emperour his father with a victorious ship armes standards and banners of all his honours which was most triumphantly borne throughout the streets In the same yeare and about that time there died two kings in Denmarke as Christian then king and Christierne that had laine two and twentie yeares prisoner because of the tyrannie that he had shewed vnto his subiects being neuerthelesse a mightie king of three kingdomes as Denmarke Swethland and Norway but he fell into such hatred of his people that they forsooke him and chose another king and in Anno 1532 when with a great armie and by the aid of the Emperor Charles he thought to win Denmarke againe he was by them ouerthrown and taken prisoner which was a wonderfull worke and punishment of God shewed vpon him for his vnmercifulnesse and tyrannie and an excellent example for princes in our time Not long before he died he was friendly visited by king Christian where they forgaue each other from their hearts This Christiern married Isabella sister to the Emperour Charles the fifth by whom he had issue a sonne that died in the Netherlands at the same time that his father was taken prisoner and two daughters the one Palsgraueni the other called Christiana that was dutchesse of Lorraine and in Anno 1558 was a mediator of the peace betweene Fraunce and Spaine whose sonne being duke of Lorraine maried Claude second daughter to the king of France vpon the last of Ianuarie 1559. As I said before the death of the queen of England prolonged the treatie of peace between the kings of Fraunce and Spaine but in Februarie after the Commissioners on both sides assembled againe in the castle of Cambryse where also there came the queene of Englands embassadours as the bishop of Ely the lord Howard baron of Effingham Doctor Wotton and the Deane of Canterburie and for the duke of Sauoy two deputies and with all those the aforesaid dutchesse as mediator with her sonne and after some delayes at last they proceeded so farre that there seemed nothing resting to be done but onely that the Englishmen desired to haue Callis restored againe vnto the queene wherein king Philip sought to haue her satisfied and contented or els he would accept of no peace because that during his warres and by his meanes it had beene lost but the Frenchmen boldly alleadging that queene Elizabeth was not lawfull queene of England but the Scottish queene as being right heire thereunto by discent from the grandmother king Henry the eights eldest sister that as then had maried the Dolphin of Fraunce they said and affirmed that she had nothing to do therewith Whereby the queen of England began to suspect that the peace which as then was entreating of might be made only to compell her to hold and obserue the Catholicke Romish Religion which as then she began to alter and change within her kingdomes to the dishonour of king Philip and therefore thought it best for her to make an assured peace with France wherein on both sides one Guido Caualcanti a gentleman of Florence was specially employed by whose meanes vpon the second of Aprill 1559 an agreement was made in the castle of Cambresis and after much debating of the cause it was agreed That Calis should be vnwalled and so deliuered ouer vnto the queene but in the end they concluded That Calis and the Earledome of Oyen should continue eight yeres in the French kings hands and then should be restored to the queene againe without any defacing with all things that belonged therunto only with sixteene brasse pieces of diuers greatnesse and for assurance thereof the French king should giue six or seuen sufficient marchants for sureties of the same which should be bound in the summe of fiue hundred thousand crownes and vntill such time that the peace might not be delayed as those marchants should be committed prisoners in Bruges there should be fiue French gentlemen put into the queenes hands for hostages which euery fiue months she might change but for that this contract concerned many matters touching Scotland the queene of Scots then taking on her the title and armes of England and Ireland for the which after that there grew some contention part of the said hostages got away and others by new contracts were set at liberty and discharged and so the Frenchmen still held Calis The queen of England thus contented satisfied the peace betweene the two kings of France Spaine was concluded at Cambresis vpon the third of Aprill 1559 and proclaimed in Brussels vpon the fifth of April after The old controuersies that had continued for the space of fiue twentie yeares were on both sides wholly excluded out of the same as the soueraignty that France pretended to haue ouer Flanders Artois Rissel Doway Dornick the kingdome of Naples and the dutchie of Millan c. and the king of Spaines pretence ouer Burgundie Prouence the townes vpon the riuer of Some and the earledome of Bolonois The principall articles of the said peace being as followeth for the rest I refer the Reader to diuers hystories wherethey may see them at large this seruing onely for a memoriall First That a good peace should be holden betweene the said kings their children and subiects
and that the one might traffique and trauell freely and peaceably in the others countries and kingdomes all customes of reprisals should be abolished all priuiledges confirmed and either of them restored vnto his owne againe That all the old treaties and contracts of peace should be renewed and confirmed as farre as that treatie did allow and permit That both the kings should with all earnest zeale hold and maintaine the holy Catholicke Romish church and religion and be a meanes that the generall counsell might be holden That the King of Spain should deliuer S. Quintins Han and Chastelet to the French king and the king of France should deliuer him Theonuille Marienbourgh Iuois Damuilliers and Montmedi such as they had taken one from the other without breaking the fortifications and each of them might take his owne Ordinance and munition out of the same againe That Terrowane should be restored againe without wals as it was and Iuois on the other side should be defaced and should not be fortified againe nor any fort made within a thousand paces thereof Hesdin and his territories as old patrimonie belonging to the king of Spaine should be his and not claimed by France in any wise Many questions touching the borders of Burgonie Artois c. were put to deciding of certaine Commissioners on both sides with other such like doubts The king of Spaine should haue the earledome of Charlorys restored to him againe Whatsoeuer both the kings possessed and held in Montferrat should be restored againe to the duke of Mantua Bouillon should be yeelded to the bishop of Luyck the Island of Corsica to the Genouois and Valencia in the dukedome of Millan to the king of Spaine And as it was first propounded that a marriage of the eldest daughter lady Elizabeth of France should be made with Charles prince of Spaine to the end that further friendship and vnitie might be had it was agreed That the king of Spaine himselfe should marry her who as then was a widower and to haue with her 400000 crownes and she to haue a dowry of 50000 crownes yearely and that if he died before her there should be a third part of the 400000 crownes paid backe againe That the duke of Sauoy should marry with lady Marguerite the king of France his sister and with her should haue 300000 crownes besides the dutchy of Berry wherof she should receiue the inheritance during her life That the king of Fraunce should restore all the lands that hee then withheld from the said duke of Sauoy except the towne of Thierin Pignoral Chyras Ouer and the new towne of Asti which he should hold in his hands for the space of three yeares vntill order should be taken about the right that he pretended to haue therein That the duke of Sauoy should remaine as neuter on both sides That the king of Spaine should keepe Asti and Vercelles in his hands vntill the king of France did deliuer the 5 towns of Piemont aforesaid vnto the duke He that first should make deliuery should chuse four persons out of the others for sureties and should keepe them till the rest be performed That each king should comprehend his friends in that treatie of peace as the princes potentates and countries adiacent That the Dolphin of France and Don Charles prince of Spaine and the states of France and the Netherlands should confirme that peacâ—… onely the king of Spaine would not consent to comprehend the Earles of East-Friseland in that peace whether it were for any cause of actions that he pretended against them or for the reformed religion That all the goods of the vassals of either king should be restored vnto them againe and amongst the rest to William prince of Orange to whom should be freely deliuered his principalitie of Orange according to the contract made in Anno 1551 and also his lands in Dauphinois as Derpiere Tresluys Monbrison Curby Parriewe Nouois Cay Sauxcy Vayrume Beaurepair and Auxonne and that hee should haue law for his pretence and title to the earledome of Escampes Tonnere and Chaury with the foure baronies c. also the duke of Arâ—…chot the earle of Egmont and others as you may read at large That the bailiwike of Hesden should remaine to king Philip and the earldome of S. Paul to the lady of Tonteuille duâ—…ches of Longeuille excepting the right of both the kings the soueraignty remaining to the king of Spaine touching the restitutions aforesaid the K. of France offered to be the first chusing for sureties the duke of Alua the duke of Arcos the prince of Orange and the earle of Egmont which presently rid into France This peace was concluded as aforesaid in April 1559 subscribed by the Commissioners aforesaid as the duke of Alua the prince of Orange the prince of Melito Antony Perrenot and president Vigilius and on the other side the Cardinal of Lorrain the Constable Montmorency the marshall of S. Andrewes Moruilliers and Aubespina secretarie to the king In this peace the French king deliuered vp vnto the king of Spaine and the duke of Sauoy 198 townes castles and forts that were held with garrison whereupon Monsieur Mouluc marshall of France writeth That it was the most shamefull peace that France could euer haue made It is to be noted that this lady Isabella eldest daughter to the king of France was vpon the 19 of Iuly in an 1551 conâ—…racted in mariage to Edward the sixt king of England as then dead vpon condition that when she was 12 yeres of age within a month after she should be conueied into England there to be openly solemnly maried to the king vpon forfeiture on both sides of 50000 crownes with 200000 crownes to her mariage and that if she out-liued him to haue a dowry of 6666 l. 13 s. 4 d. yearely as long as she liued and that if king Edward out-liued her he should keep her mariage money as his owne This peace made many men to reioyce and all the countries throughout made great triumphs for the same specially in Antuerpe where from the 9 to the 18 day of Aprill they made fires throughout the towne shooting off their Ordinance casting fire bals playing and making diuers shâ—…wes in euery place of the same the high tower of our lady church was hanged with 300 lanternes burning with candles from the bottome to the top all the strangers resident therein as Florentines Genouois Lucans Dutchmen Easterlings Spaniards and Englishmen made diuers triumphant arches images castles other sorts of firing and fire-workes wine was let run in the streets whole oxen rosted hogges killed by men blinded great mastes set vpright that were greased and costly prizes set thereon for them to take that could fetch them downe and prizes for women that could run fastest and euery one for the best and the fairest For the accomplishing of this contract of peace the king of Spaine gaue the duke of Alua and others full power to fulfill the ceremonies
increasing the Cabillautins sent their deputies to duke William of Bauaria Earle of Osteruant the Empresse eldest sonne being then resident in Henault intreating him to come into Holland to vnder-take the gouernment of the country hauing decreed among them no longer to indure the Mothers rule At the first he refused it but they did so importune him as in the end he came secretly to the towne of Gorrichom Those of Delf hearing of his comming went vnto him and carried him by force into their towne making him their head and Captaine generall with whom or by his commandement they issued often forth spoiling the Villages and country houses belonging to the Hoeketins In the end the Townes of North-Holland the Kennemers and the West-Frisons receiued him for their Lord and Prince doing the homage and taking the othe due vnto the Earles of Holland in despight of the Empresse their naturall Princesse his Mother The Hoeketins seeing themselues thus ill intreated by the Cabillautins had their recourse refuge vnto the Empresse whose party they held and began to furnish their townes Castels and Forts with men victualls munition of warre On the other side the Cabillautins went to befiege their places and to batter and beat downe their Castles whereof they did ruine seuenteene in lesse then a yeare The Empresse writte vnto her Sonne that she wondred at his presumption that he would intermedle with her authoritie and command seeming to bee very much incensed against the townes of Holland The Earle answered that the country did belong vnto him by right of donation which she had made vnto him And refusing to giue ouer his course begun the Empresse with the succours which the Queene of England her sister had sent her made a goodly armie with the which she imbarked and went and landed at La Vere in Zeeland Earle William landed with his troupes in the same Iland whereas both armies of the Mother and the Sonne being entred into fight one against an other the combate was furious and bloudie great numbers being slaine and drowned on either side In the end God gaue the victory to the Mother so as the Sonne escaped with great difficulty and fled into Holland This battaile was in the yeare 1351. William of Bauaria being safely returned into Holland made hast to leuie new forces and to raise a greater armie then the first the which consisted of Hollanders Kennemers and Frisons with the succours of many Lords and Knights of Iohn Lord of Arckel Iohn Lord of Calenbourg Iohn Lord of Egmont the Lady Mathilda van Voorne widow to the Lord of Walckenbourg Gerard of Heemskerke Gerard of Harler and many other Knights Gentlemen and good soldiers which came vnto him out of the countries of Cleues Geldres and Germanie with the which armie hee gaue a day and appointed a place vnto his mother to haue his reuenge in open battaile betwixt Bryele and Grauesand The Empresse had her armie composed of good soldiers English Henniuers Zelanders Walcharins accompanied with a great number of Barons Knights and Gentlemen She like a couragious and noble minded Princesse making no doubt of a second victory marched against her sonne and caused her men to begin the charge The two armies at the first incounter charged one another with such animositie and furie as there was nothing to be seene but glaiues broken lances a thicke shower of Arrowes in the ayre breaking of harnesse cutting in sunder of targets and bucklers and heads armes and legges falling to the ground there was nothing to bee heard but the cryes with the lamentable and fearefull groanes of men wounded and dying the bloud ranne ouer the field like a violent streame to conclude there was such murther and spoile on either part with such obstinacie and continuall furie as they could hardly iudge of the issue of the battaile vntill that the Empresse troopes opprest and tired with the great numbers of the Hollanders armie to saue themselues ranne into ditches and riuers where they were drowned so as all the Empresse armie was put to route and shee fled in a small Barke into England The Generall of the English troupes was slaine and lyes buried in the Church of Losdanen where as his tombels yet to be seene in blacke Marble Costin of Renesse Floris of Hamstede and many other Noblemen Knights and Gentlemen were also slaine there with an infinite number of good soldiers There was in this battaile which was in the same yeare 1351 so much bloud spilt as for three dayes after the old riuer of Meuse at a full sea was all redde in that place Finally after that so many valiant men had lost their liues there and whereas the Lord Didier of Brederode and many Knights on the Empresse part were taken prisoners there was an accord made betwixt the mother and the sonne By the which it was agreed that the Empresse should hold the Countie of Henault during her life and Duke William should haue the quiet possession of Holland Zeeland and Friseland After this battaile the Empresse liued yet fiue yeares and dyed at Valenciennes in her countrie of Henault where she was interred Notwithstanding this accord made betwixt the Mother and the Sonne yea after her death when as Duke William was sole and absolute Lord of the Counties of Henault Holland Zeeland and Friseland the factions of the Cabillaux and the Hoecks were not mortified but did continue their hatred aboue a hundred and fiftie yeares after vntill that time of Maximillian the first as we shall shew in its place WILLIAM OF BAVARIA THE 5. OF that name the 25 Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland and Earle of Henault called the madde 25. Guilielmus Quintus This William did obtaine in nuptiall state Mathilda of the house of Lancaster A husband Childlesse and vnfortunate Attempted Vtrecht and did factions stirre Vnder the names of Hamocons and Merlus Distracted in his flowre of youth he grew Since in his age he was vndutious To his graue Mother whom â—…e did pursue With many troubles though she had defects Yet children to their parents still must owe Remission of their faults and 〈◊〉 respects But death doth on his life his rest bestow AFter this cruell and bloudie battaile fought vpon the bankes of the old riuer of Meuse as we haue said William Duke of Bauaria Palatin of Rhine Earle of Holland and Zeeland and Lord of Friseland according to the accord whereof we haue made mention was absolute Prince of the said Prouinces Then after the decease of the Empresse his Mother did also inherite the county of Henault Hee had to wife the Lady Mathilda daughter to Henry Duke of Lancaster in England by whom hee had not any children In the yeare 1355. this Earle by the bad aduise of some of his councell thrust on by their priuate passions sent about S. Martins time in winter to defie the Bishop of Vtrecht
towne accompanied with the Earle of Moeurs and the Earle of Heynsbergh nad Iohn his sonne the lord of Bâ—…ren Prouost of Aiz and about 300. horse besides his ordinarie traine The Duke attended at the Port the Bourgeoises hearing thereof held a councell where it was agreed that the Duke should enter with his ordinarie traine of 120 horse and no more Seuen of the Bourgesses went vnto him who hauing opened the Port the first entred and the rest thrust forward in a prease the Duke entring with the last into the towne The Reuward went with him to the court the next day the Duke came vnto the Towne-house and let the councell vnderstanâ—… that his comming thither was to to entreat some good accord with his brother and the Barons But the Reuward was gone to Louvaine to the Assembly of the Nobles The Duke fearing that hee should returne with him into Brusselles and seaze vppon his person demaunded of the magistrates that if it should so happen wheâ—…her they would open him the gate or not They to assure him said that if hee had any doubt thereof they would deliuer vp the Keyes of the gates into his handes wherewith he remained satisfied But the inhabitants were not in quiet to see those strange soldiers bragging in Tauernes with their swords in their hands that they should be all rich before they went out of Brabant so as the night following they assembled in Armes vppon the market place being aduertised of some dissein of the Earle of Heynsberg and others who should seaze vpon the Market place that night at the sound of a bell and then of the whole towne some soldiers were also found armed vppon their beddes The inhabitants therefore sent in all haste for the Reuward who came posting from Louvaine with all the Nobilitie and Deputies of townes Entring into Brusselles he thanked the Bourgesses for that they had so constantly preserued the towne and day being come hee went to the Court to the Duke where hee caused most of his houshold seruants to be apprehended dismissing others that were not prisoners and soone after hee suffered them to depart that were come into the towne with the gentlemen strangers but the masters as the Earles of Moeure and Heynsbergh with other gentlemen to the number of 150. were deteyned prisoners The lord Reuward seazed vppon all the horse and armes of the Earle of Heynsberg and others and disposed of them to whom he pleased The Emperor Sigismond writ for these Noblemen that were prisoners to the states of Brabant for their libeâ—…ties threatning them with a proscription of the Empire The like letters were written by the Princes Electors to the Reuward to whom he made no other answer but that hee had caused them to be iustly stayed according to the custome of the Countrey as they themselues had required and therefore their cause remained doubtfull vntill they had wonne the fauour of Gerrard vand Zype chiefe counsellor and most familiar with the Reuward who by the perswasion of the saide Vande Zype freed them out of prison vpon certaine conditions All things being thus past and the troubles ended the Earle of S. Pol Lord Reuward resigned vp his office of Reuward which is a dignitie which the States of Brabant haue power according to their Priuiledges to giue vnto whom they please to reduce their Dukes vnto reason when they stray from their duties into the hands of duke Iohn his brother who was by the said Estates confirmed in the gouernment of his Countrie Before that the Earle of S. Pol went out of Brabant there were beheaded Euerard of Tserclaes knight Steward to the duke Adolph of Coudenbergh William of Pipenpois and some 14. of the cheife of Brusselles who had beene the cause or at the least had wincked at the dessigned treason and trouble of Brusseles and there were 600. Crowns promised to him that should bring in the signior of Asschen aliue or dead for that hee had beene the motiue of the unkindnesse and quarrell betwixt the Duke and his wife Then the Earle of S. Pol retyred into France the Contesse and her mother remaining still at Quesnoy discontented still with duke Iohn for some of the said Ladyes councell found not the Bull of her marriage lawfull hauing not been allowed but held it to bee fraudulent and of no force By reason whereof in the yeere 1423. she went into England from whence she sent to cyte duke Iohn to the court of Rome to heare his marriage declared voyde according to the Canons Pope Martin referred this businesse to two Cardinals to determine thereof who assigned a day for the Duke to appeare before them and he appointed certaine Proctors at Rome to defend his cause The Countesse Iaqueline hearing that the Processe would be teedious and long without attending a definitiue sentence allyed her selfe by a promise of mariage to the Duke of Glocester vncle to King Henry the sixth of England then raigning vppon condition that the marriage with the Duke Iohn being declared vnlawfull shee should obtaine a dispensation from the Pope to marry againe Soone after the duke of Glocester came with the Contesse Iaqueline his betrothed Spouse vnto Calais with a great Army marching toward Henault and therefore hee diuided his Armie into three battailions The Lady Marguerite of Bourgongne mother to the Countesse requested the Nobilitie of Henault to accompany her and to goe and meet them and so by assistance and fauour of the lord of Haures Lieutenant to Duke Iohn they entred into Henault The duke of Brabant demanded succors from the duke of Bourgongne and Iohn of Bauaria who promised him all assistance The Duke of Bourgongne sent him the lords of Croy Lisle-dam and Mailly with good troupes of souldiers In the yeare 1423. Iohn van Vlyet had his head cut off at the Hage in Holland being accused by some of the Cabillautin faction that he had poisoned Iohn of Bauaria whereof he had been sick and recouered for the which hee was quartered and his quarters hung at the entrance of foure of the chiefe townes in Holland Iohn of Bauaria hauing receiued letters from the duke of Brabant demanding succors sent him word that if his health would giue him leaue hee would come vnto him with good Troupes within three weekes But hauing his armie readie to march he fell suddenly sick it may be the poison had not been well purged and dyed at the Hage on Twelffe day and was buryed there in the Iacobins Cloister Hee being dead all the Noblemen that had been of his faction called in Iohn duke of Brabant and receiued him for their prince notwithstanding that Iaqueline their Contesse was married againe to the duke of Glocester who hearing how hee had beene receiued held a counsell with her friends by what meanes she might seaze vpon some townes and castles in Holland and to that end she sent Floris of Kifhoeck with men to surprize the
speech and yet subiect to choller high minded and not willing to be braued of any how great soeuer as hee did often shew to King Charles the 7. and Lewis the 11. of France he was very curious to entertaine peace with his subiects whom hee loued and sought their quiet so in his time all his countries flourished in wealth and aboundance Hee was a wiseman discreet charitable and a great Almes-giuer by reason whereof hee was called the good but full of reuenge and very ambitious desiring to make himself great by what means so-euer as appeared by so many fals bounds which he played to the contesse of Holland his cosin He exceeded all his Predecessors Dukes of Bourgongne in riches Seigneories greatnes of state and pompe so as in his time there was no Christian Prince that for his qualitie might be compared vnto him He tooke pleasure to breed vp and nourish sundry strange and wilde beasts He had a Gyant and many Turks among his houshold seruants which he had caused to be baptized The Duke being dead the Earle of Charolois his onely sonne and sole heire called for the Seales the which he presently brake This done after that he had giuen order for the dead body vntill his returne he tooke poste and went to Lille where he sealed vp the chamber and the cofers of his fathers treasure appointing gardes that none might touch them then he returned presently to Bruges where hee perfourmed the funeralles of his father with great pompe and state his heart was buried in the Church of Arras and his body was layed in a coffin of leade and left in the Church vntill that it should be transported from thence to Ierusalem and interred neere to the holy Sepulchre hauing giuen great giftes to the Couent of Fryars of the said Sepulcher The Lady Isabel his wife dyed the 17. of December in the yeare 1471. in the towne of Aire and was interred in the cloyster of Nunnes at Gouvay by Bethune afterwards her bodie and the duke her husbands were carried to the Chartreux by Digeon in Bourgongne where as they lie vnder a stately tombe of brasse guilt richly curiously wrought About that time the art of Printing was inuented wherof those of Harlem in Holland challenge the first honor yet afterwards it was brought to perfection at Mentz by one that had been seruant to Laurence Ianson of Harlem the first inuentor and ranne from him to Mentz with his tooles they write his name was Iohn Faustus as they of Harlem do constantly affirme Carolus Dux Burgund CHARLES THE WARLIKE THE 1. OF that Name the 31. Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Frizeland Duke of Bourgongne Brabant Lembourg Luxemburg Earle of Flanders Arthois Henault and Namur Lord of Salins and Macklyn Of so many goodly Countries successor to my father Of three wiues I had but one only heire At Montlehery I defeyted the French brauely At Macklyn I erected my heigh Parliament Being incensed I made the Liegeois feele my splene If against the Cantons I had not taken Armes I had beene more happie and cruell death Had not shewed his force against me at Nancy The Argument of the fourth Booke CHARLES Duke of Bourgongne in the life of his father the good Duke Philip was called Earle of Charolois the 31. Earle of Holland c. At his first entrie into Gant the Inhabitants maintayned against him but he brought them vnder The Liegeois breake the peace and entred into warre against the Duke he defeats them in Battaile wherevpon the Towne of Liege yeelded The Duke of Bourgongne makes a peace with the French king who comes to the Duke to Peronne hee was in feare there least the Duke should haue detained him The Liegeois arme a newe against the Duke of Bourgongne he forceth King Lewis to go with him to the fiege of their Towne the which he ruines practises to ruine the house of Brederode The Duke makes war against the Frisons He entertaines many Princes with the hope of marrying with his daughter The french king the Duke of Bourgongne seek to deceiue one another The Constable of S. Poll growes odious to thē both they resolut to ruine him He seeks to reconcile the duke of Gelders his son besiegeth Neuse The motiue of the war against the Swisses A truce for nine years betwixt the Duke and the French king they sweare the Constables death who in the end is beheaded at Paris The duke makes war against the Swisses he is defeated by them first at Granson then at Morat wherewith the Swisses were inriched the Duke besiegeth Nancy where he was slaine in battaile by the treason of the Earle of Campobachio an Italian Marie of Bourgongne his only daughter succeeds him and was the 32. commanding in Holland c The French Long seazeth vpon the townes of Piccardie and Arthois with an intent to ruine her this Princesse being in the Ganthois power suffers much putting her cheefest seruants and Councellors to death the Flemings defeated and the yong Duke of Gellers slaine A marriage betwixt Maximilian of Austria the Emperor Fredericks sonne and the Lady Marie of Bourgongne CHARLES of Bourgongne called the Warlike for that hee had been so great a Warrior succeeded vnto Duke Philip of Bourgongne his father in all his Estates Siegneories was Duke of Bourgongne Brabant Lembourg and Luxembourg Earle of Flanders Arthois Henault Bourgongne Holland Zeeland and Namur Marquis of the holy Empire and Lord of Friseland Salins and Macklyn His father hauing left him great treasures of Gold and Siluer hee bought or as some write had in morgage of Sigismond Arch-duke of Austria the Earledome of Ferret in the Countrie of Elsatia neere vnto Basill in Swisserland vpon the Rhin somewhat neere to the Dutchie of Bourgongne and too farre from Sigismond to defend it from the incursions of neighbour Princes Hee was 33. yeare olde when hee succeeded all these goodly Estates Katherine the daughter of King Charles the 7. of France was first promised him to wife but she dyed yong before she was married Afterwards hee married Elizabeth daughter to the Duke of Burbon his cousin by whome hee had one daughter and onely heire called Marie This Dutches Elizabeth being dead he marryed Marguerite daughter to Richard Duke of Yorke and sister to Edward the fourth King of England by whom hee had not any children His father gaue him in his youth to maintaine his estate the Earldome of Charolois which is in the Contie of Bourgongne otherwise called Franch Contie with the Siegniors of Bethune Arckel and Bellain In his fathers life time he wanne from the Sea a great circuit of countrie opposite to Rotterdam causing a Village to be built there the which hee called with the whole countrie by his name Charolois and so it continues vnto this day Hee had begunne a great fort in the towne of Gorrichom vppon the Riuer of Wahal but it remained during his life
their magistrates to examine them giuing them an assistant of the house of La Marke a mortall enemie to the Lorde of Humbercourt In the beginning they examined them Why they had caused the Lord of Cordes to deliuer vp the cittie of Arras vnto the King but they stucke but little vppon that point although they could not haue conuinced them of any other their passions were not busied about the notable losse of such a Cittie neither did they care â—…o see their Princesse grow weake nor were the capable to comprehend and iudge how preiudiciall the losse of that Towne might bee hereafter The Commissioners or Iudges of the Ganthois stood onely vpon two points the one was vpon certaine gifts and presents which they obiected they had receiued and especially for a sute which the Cittie of Gaunt had lately gotten by their seâ—…tence and pronounced by the Chancellor against a priuat person wherein they accused him To haue sold iustice and to haue taken a bribe of them to haue their right Whereunto the accused answered That in that they had obtained their sute it was according to equitie and iustice that they had iudged it and as for the money which they had receiued they demaunded it not but tooke it when it was offered The second matter wherewith the Commissioners did charge them was That during the time they were in seruice with Duke Charles their Maister and in his absence his Lieutenants they had done many things against the Priuiledges and Statutes of their Towne and that any man that attempted any thing against their Priuiledges must loose his life Herevnto the accused answered That therein there was no matter to charge them withall being neither Bourgesses of the Towne nor any way subiect vnto it and therefore they could not breake their Priuiledges That if Duke Charles or his father had taken any from them it was by a composition made betwixt them after many warres and rebellions but those that had been left them had been well obserued Notwithstanding all the excuses and iustifications of these famous and worthy men vnto those two crimes obiected after they had tormented them cruelly without all order of Lawe the Magistrates of Gaunt condemned them to die They hearing this cruell sentence were much amazed and not without cause seeing themselues in their handes whereas reason had no place notwithstanding for that the soueraigntie of Flanders depended on the crowne of France they did appeale to the Parliament at Paris hoping at the least that it might giue some delay to the execution of the sentence and in the meane time their friends might help to saue their liues There Processe continued but sixe dayes and notwithstanding the sayd appellation being condemned they gaue them but three houres libertie to consider of their affaires and to dispose themselues to death This short time being expired they led them to the Market-place vpon a Scaffold to execute them by the sword The Princesse hearing of this condemnation went to the Towne-house to sue and intreate for these two Noble-men but it preuailed not from thence she went into the Market-place whereas all the people beeing in armes shee saw these two Noble-men that were condemned vpon the Scaffold shee was in a mourning weed and a plaine kerchief on her head which should haue mooued them to pittie Being there shee beseeched the people with teares in her eyes and her haire hanging about her eares to take pitty of her two seruants and deliuer them vnto her Some of the people would haue had her will fulfilled and that they should not die others would haue the contrary and began to bend their Pikes one against another and were ready for murther but those that would haue them dye were the greatest number who cryed out vnto the Officers that were vppon the Scaffold that they should dispatch them wherevppon they lost their heades and this poore Princesse returned desolate to her house After that the Ganthois had done this execution they did sequester from their Princesse the Dutchesse Dowager of Bourgongne her mother in law and the Lorde of Ravensteyn her kinsman for that they had set their hands to the Letter which the Chancellor and Humbercourt had carryed to the King was the cause of their death and did seaze absolutely of the authoritie and gouernment of this poore Princesse Shee might well bee termed poore not onely for the losse of many good Townes which the King had taken from her by force but to see her selfe in the power and subiection of ancient Rebels and very persecutors of her house and that which was the greatest miserie of all was to see her selfe so depriued of her liberty sequestred from her most familiar friendes They of Gaunt hauing forcibly seazed vpon the gouernment of State and of their Princesse person put two Noble-men to death chased whom they pleased out of their Towne and spoyled all the ancient seruantes of the House of Bourgongne of their goods Now they began to studie of alteration first they drew the yong Duke of Gelders out of prison who had beene taken neere vnto Namur and then sent to Gaunt and made him head of an Armie which they raised among themselues and their neighbours of Bruges Ypre and other places and sent it before Tournay where hee onely burnt the Suburbes without any profit There was within the Towne foure hundred men at Armes who sallied foorth and charged these Flemmings in the Reere as they made their retreate who presently fled with disorder The yong duke of Geldres who was a valiant Prince made head against them that pursued that his people might haue the better meanes to retier but beeing ill seconded hee was slaine with a good number of his people The Princesse of Bourgongne and those that loued her were glad of this defeat and of the death of the Prince of Geldres for it was sayd that the Ganthois intended to force her to marry with him else shee would neuer haue done it with her owne good liking for his great disloyaltie and cruelty against his father In the meane time there was a speech of diuers marriages for the Princesse of Bourgongne all men concluding generally that shee must haue a husband to defend all the rest of her Seigneories or els that shee should marrie the Daulphin of France that shee might enioye all in peace Some did much affect that Royall marriage especially shee her selfe before that her letters carried by the Chancellor and Humbercourt had beene discouered Others tooke exception at the Daulphins young and tender age and the marriage of him promised wiâ—…h the daughter of England There were others that laboured for the prince of Cleues Others for Maximillian Arch-duke of Austria the onely sonne to the Emperour Frederick This Princesse had conceiued an extreame hatred against the French King for the discouerie of her letters for shee imagined that hee had beene the cause in giuing them
his speech Frederic duke of Saxony spake next who hauing shewed that the French King was excluded by the lawe and that Charles was a Germaine Prince hauing liued in Germany and spake the language hee concluded that the common-weale had neede of a mightie Prince and that he knewe not any comparable to Charles Therefore it was most conuenient to choose him Emperour but with certaine lawes and conditions so as Germany might remaine at libertie and that they might anoyde those dangers which the two Archbships sayd were to be feared After that the rest had approued his speech the Archbishoppe of Treues sayd I fore-see the destinie of Germanie an alteration at hand yet seeing it pleaseth you I must yeeld vnto your willes And for that it was then late they retired themselues Pope Leo the tenth was much troubled and in a worde feared the election of one of these two Princes for both were alike suspect vnto him To the ende that hee might preuent both of them hee labored to haue a third man chosen Wherein hee sought to imbarke the French King putting him in dispaire euer to attaine vnto it himselfe But hee feared also this third seeing no man so apparent and likelie as Frederic duke of Saxony a fauorer of Martin Luther who was his mortall enemie yet all these deuises and practises turned to smoke and so did all the solicitings guiftes presents and promises made by the French King the election of Charles remayning firme and constant The next day after the sayd election the Princes Electors beeing assembled they beganne to treat of the conditions they should giue and prescribe vnto Charles the which was debated some daies togither and in the ende all beeing concluded they sent the lawes and conditions in writing to Charles his Ambassadors remayning at Mentz After they had receiued them they put in writing the voices of euery Elector according to the custome with his hand and seale The day before the sayd Election they had presented the Empire to Frederic duke of Saxony but hee refuzed it with a Noble resolution excusing himselfe vpon his age hauing as wee haue sayd alreadie giuen his voice vnto Charles This done the Noblemen were called and admitted in then the Bishop of Mentz going vp into the pulpit in Saint Bartlemewes Church declared that Charles the fift of that name Archduke of Austria duke of Bourgongue c. Earle of Flanders Holland Zeeland c. and King of Spaine was chosen King of Romains in the place of the Emperor Maximilian deceased Then the Ambassadors which were come within a league were sent for Beeing come a councell was held for the gouernment of the common-weale and the charge was giuen vnto Prince Casimir to leauie men and to put them in garrison for feare of some Innouation The Electors did write vnto Prince Charles and sent an Ambassage vnto him to certifie him of all that had beene done the chiefe of which Ambassage was the Pallatin Frederic who arriued in Spaine in the end of Nouember with Letters intreating him to accept of the Empire which they offred him and that hee would make hast to come into Germanie King Charles hauing setled his affaires in Spaine hee gathered together a great fleete of ships and gallyes and taking leaue of his Princes and Citties hee imbarked and landed in England where hee was ioyfully entertained with great state by King Henry the eight and by the Queene his Aunte and by the French Queene married to the Duke of Suffolke the Kings sister who had beene promised to him in marriage she gaue him a very kinde and louely welcome Hee was very honourably intreated there for some dayes then being imbarked againe with a prosperous winde he past soone ouer to Flessinghe and from thence into Brabant where he was ioyfully receiued by all his subiects The Princes Electors hearing that hee was arriued in Brabant they sent other Ambassadors vnto him to haue him prepare to receiue the Crowne of the Empire with the accustomed ceremonies MARGVERITE OF AVSTRIA PRINcesse widow of Castille Dowager of Sauoy Aunte to the Emperour Charles the 5. Gouernesse of the Netherlands MARGARITA AVSTRIACA DVCISSA SABAV GVB BELGICAE From Daughter to an Archduke I became An Emperors Daughter to King Lewis sonne I first was promised with pompe and Fame But my place in his bed another won The Prince of Arragon was my first Pheere But being left a widdow I did wed For second Duke of Sauoy he being dead I from my Nephew did the gouernment beare THe Lady Marguerite of Austria daughter to the Emperour Maximilian and to the Lady Mary of Bourgongne was first married to the Prince Don Fernando of Arragon the onely sonne of Don Fernando King of Arragon and of Isabella Queene of Castile which Prince died soone after leauing no children Afterwards the said Lady was married againe to the Duke of Sauoy with whom she liued not long before he dyed Returning into the Netherlands after the death of her brother Philip King of Castile in the yeare 1508. she was by prouision admitted by the Emperor her father during his absence in Germanie and the warres in Italy to the gouernment of the Netherlands with George Duke of Saxony So as this yeare 1520. King Charles her Nephew went into Germanie to receiue the Crowne of the Empire leauing the said Lady his Aunte Gouernesse in his absence The Emperor elect parted from Brussells with a great and honorable traine came the 20. of October to Cologne where the Princes Electors did attend him and from thence they came to Aix la Chapelle At his entry into the towne the Knights of the order of the Golden-fleece marched first euery one in his ranck according to his antiquitie in the said order After followed the Princes Electors first the King of Bohemias Ambassador the Archibishop of Ments either of them with 700. horse The Archbishops of Cologne and Treues either of them with 600. horse the Cont Pallatin of Rhine the Duke of Saxony and the Marquis of Brandebourg euery one of them with 600. horse There were besides other great Princes which followed to do him honour and homage for their Seigniories being accompanied with many Nobles and great traines As the Duke of Iulliers George Duke of Saxony the Marquis of Baden the Dukes Henry and Erick of Brunswick brethren euery one of them with 600. horse the Bishop of Leege the Duke of Lunebourg father to the Duchesse of Geldre the Earle of Emden and his sonne the Lord of East-Friseland the young Prince of Cleues who was alwaies with the Emperor the Earle of Saint Pol and many others with a stately traine Then the Ambassadors of the Kings of England Poland Hongarie and Denmarke of the Venetians the Dukes of Sauoy of the Knights of Rhodes and of the great Maister of Prussia The Lady Marguerit his Aunte was in the traine with a goodly company of Princesses Countesses Ladies and Gentlewomen euery
dispairing of succours yeelded it also and the Castell was presently razed Doctor Hubert Chancellor for the Duke of Gelders in Friseland and Wyard of Bolswaert captaine of a ship who had bin shut vp in Sloten hauing their liberties vpon the yeelding vp of the place thinking to goe to Steenwike which was contrary to the capitulation they were pursued and taken and for that they had broken the accord Captaine Wyard lost his head in the towne of Leewaerden the Chancellor for that hee was a Priest was sent to the Lady Marguerite Gouernesse who lodged him in perpetuall prison at Rippelmonde where he dyed This being thus performed by the Lords of Schenck Wassenare Castre they went to besiege Steenwyck which they tooke without any resistance the soldiers that were there in garrison for the Duke of Geldres hauing abandoned it as soone as the Earle of Maeurs was departed not daring to attend the Bourguignons whom they did see winne all where they came This towne thus wone the gouernor with the aduice of the said Noblemen caused a fort to be built there Afterwards the lord of Wassenare died in the towne of Leewarden of the wound which he had receiued before Sloten for the which the Frisons did mourne greatly He was buried with a great funerall pompe after the maner of a martiall man and greatly lamented of all men carried into Holland and buried in the Cloister of Preaching Friars at the Hage by his ancestors There remaines little to write of this warre of Friseland for through the valour and diligence of the said Noblemen all the country was in quiet and reduced vnder the Emperors obedience from Gheerskersbrugge vnto Staueren hauing all taken the othe and the Gouernor dismissed his soldiers with thankes yet for that the Geldrois did yet hold the towne and country of Groningen which were neuer quiet nor satisfied with any reason we will relate here-after what they did and how Groningen was yeelded vnto the Emperor This yeare the Geldrois entred with a small troope into Holland euen vnto the ports of Leyden spoiling all the villages thereabouts euen the Hage it selfe whereas the court remaines and from thence they past into South-Holland into the iurisdiction of Dordrecht where they did not much lesse returning brauely from whence they came without any losse or aduenture The Emperor Charles hearing the bad newes of the alteration that was in Spaine against the Gouernors which hee had left there after that he had consulted with the Princes Electors and taken his leaue of them and of the Noblemen Netherlanders hauing disposed of his affaires there hee parted towards the Iland of Walchren being accompanied with a great number of Noblemen Knights of the Order and others where finding a prosperous wind he set saile and toucht first in England where hee concluded an alliance with Henry the 8. King of England to marry with Mary his Daughter being then but seauen yeares old when she should come to age but it succeeded not as we shall see from thence he set faile towards Spaine where he arriued in few dayes without any aduenture only one great ship of the fleete was burnt by chance with the men and many horses that were in it After the Emperors departure out of the Netherlands hee returned not in eight yeares being much troubled to keepe those realmes in peace vntill hee had left them an heire Male his successor to the crowne Philip the second father to Philip the third now raigning The Emperor being parted for Spaine there fell out great troubles in Germany the Pesants rising against the Nobility abused with grosse errors who being assembled in great numbers did spoile many Abbayes Cloisters and religious houses stealing all they could lay hand of and committing a thousand outrages and insolencies without any subiect or reason but onely stirred vp and seduced by certaine false Preachers who said they had a reuelation from God that they should roote out that tyranous Nobility and enioy their full liberty But God would not long suffer the brauery of these villaines for the Cont Palatin the Archbishop of Mentz some other bishops made a great leuie of horse and foote and charged these poore miserable abused Peasants whom they defeated and put to rout Their leader being taken was publikely executed and the poore wretches that could escape from the battaile returned euery one home to his house The same yeare the Geldrois entred into the Mairie or iurisdiction of Boisleduke whom they forced by their spoiling and burning to pay a contribution vnto the duke of Geldres They of Boisleduke were not in the meane time idle but soone after entred into the Iland of Bomel and by their exploits reduced it vnder the Emperors obedience wasting and spoiling that quarter as much as the Geldrois had done their Mairie Then the Geldrois did labour to enter into Stellingwerff in the country of Friseland to waste it But the Gouernor Shenck although he had but newly dismissed his troopes taking some number of Pesants who were presently in armes he cut off their passage and forced them to retire without any exploite doing After that the Geldrois had thus played the gallants in the Mairie of Boisleduke and they on the other side for their reuenge in the Iland of Bomell there was a truce made betwixt the Emperor Earle of Holland and Charles of Egmont Duke of Gelders vpon condition that the money promised for contribution vnto the Duke should be payd in the towne of Arnhem and that which was promised vnto the Emperor by the Geldrois should be paid vnto a receiuer appointed for that purpose at the Hage in Holland In the yeare 1526. Collonell Martin van Rossein made warre for the duke of Geldres in Rydderlandt against the Earle of Emden and began to fortifie Iemmingen the country-men seeking to hinder it and running without order contrary to their Earleâ—… will and pleasure were defeated then with 4000. men hee besieged the Towne of Gryet the which at the end of three weekes the Drossart yeelded vp vnto him without any force for the which hee was afterwards prisoner at Emden and had not escaped without the losse of his life but by the meanes of his good friends The Duke of Geldres affaires standing vpon these termes the sayd Collonell did write vnto them of Groningen to send him some supplies of men and munition the better to maintaine himselfe But the Gronningeois nor their neighbours would by any meanes yeeld to it saying That the Earle of Emden was their very good friend and had not deserued any such vsage So as for want of succors from the Groningeois the Geldro is were forced to make an accord with the East-Frisons by the which the Duke of Geldres did restore the towne of Gryet to the Earle of Emden The Duke of Geldres did not easily forget the succours which the Groningeois had refused him but sought some occasion to bee reuenged
hauing assembled certaine gentlemen and others thereabouts set vpon foure companies of Netherlanders that were entred too farre within the countrey thinking to be seconded by the English men that were gone into their ships vpon the newes of the French mens comming and slew and tooke many of them prisoners whereupon they returned home againe with their ships without any further enterprise or that any man could certainely learne what their pretence was In the moneth of August both the kings of Spaine and France assembled their powers notwithstanding that the prince of Orange secretly parlyed with the constable of Fraunce and the marshall of Saint Andrewes as then prisoners concerning a peace And vpon the one and twentieth of August king Philip went vnto his armie as then being about Dorlens being thirtie thousand foot and foureteene thousand horse-men amongst the which were many high Dutch vnder the conduct of Ericke and Ernest dukes of Brunswicke the duke of Holst the earles of Wartstenborgh Mansfield Rennenbergh and others and besides Emanuel Philibert duke of Sauoy lieutenant generall for the king there was the duke of Parma and Plaisance the duke of Seminara the prince of Sulmona the duke of Arry the earles of Palicastro Bagin and Landi and the lord Ascanio de Cornia and of Spanish noble men there was the dukes of Alua Arcos Francauilla and Vilhermosa the marques of Balanga and Aquillar the earles of Fonsalida and Melito of Netherlanders there was William van Nassaue prince of Orange Lanioral earle of Egmont the duke of Arschot the marques of Bergen and Renti the earles of Horne Arenbergh Bossu Megen Ligni Teux and Hooghstrate the barons of Montigni Barlaymont Glayon and others The king of France also had assembled a mightie armie about Pierrepont most consisting of Dutch men Swissers and some Italians the Dutch men alone were 8000 horse-men to the which armie Henry king of France vpon the eight of August came thither in person accompanied with the king of Nauarre the duke de Montpensier the duke of Guise the kings lieutenant generall the duke of Lorraine Neuers Nemours Aumale and Boullion all French men The strangers were Hans William duke of Saxon second sonne to Hans Frederick the elector the duke of Lunenbourgh one of the Lantgraue of Hessens sonnes the princes of Ferrara and Salerne the duke of Somnia and diuers other marquesses earles and barons which would bee ouer long to rehearse and with this armie marched to Amyens and there past ouer the riuer of Some and incamped themselues not farre from the Burguignons that lay strongly incamped along by the riuer of Authie where many skirmishes were giuen betweene both those armies but the French men still remembring the two ouerthrowes that they had receiued not long before lay strongly intrenched and durst not venter to the hazard of a battaile for that the great power of those two kings on both sides that were there in person made them both lye still and to haue regard of their owne safeties and considering the great hurt that they might do each vnto the other if they had entred into battail and that on the other side their greatest powers consisted most of strange nations it made both the kings the rather to hearken vnto a peace and to that end by both their consents there was a place appointed for to meet in which was the abbey of Corcampe not farre from thence And to intreat of the said peace in October there appeared for the king of Spaine the duke of Alua the prince of Orange Rigomes de Silua Anthony Perrenot bishop of Arras and doctor Vigilius Swichem president and for the king of Fraunce the cardinall of Lorraine Annade Montmorancy constable of France Iaques de Albon marshall of Saint Andrewes that paying ransome were both released of their imprisonment Iohn de Moruilliers bishop of Orleans and Claude de Aubespine secretarie and with those deputies as allied on both sides there sat the duchesse of Lorraine with her sonne the young duke the meane time vpon hope of a peace both the kings began to lessen their armies and to seperate them one from the other and in the moneth of Nouember discharged diuers of their men And while the deputies were in treatie and had almost agreed vpon a mariage betweene the king of Fraunce his eldest daughter and Don Charles prince of Spaine and betweene the king of France his sister and the duke of Sauoy and thought verily to fall to an agreement nothing wanting but to content the queene of England who by her embassadours much pressed them to haue Calis restored vnto her againe without the which king Philip also would hearken to no peace It happened that queene Mary the kings wife died without issue vpon the seuenteenth of Nouember in the yeare 1558 after that shee had raigned fiue yeares and odde monethes whereby the said peace was prolonged off for the space of two moneths after This yeare vpon the first of Februarie queene Elenor Dowager of France and Portugal died in Spaine And vpon the 18 of October after died Mary queene of Hongary that had been regent in the Netherlands and one that greatly esteemed of that countrey who vnwillingly departed from thence but yet would not seeme to displease the emperour her brother that was in great care least she would haue taken too much vpon her in the Netherlands which might dislike the king his son wherunto such as were chiefe rulers vnder the king of Spaine were great soliciters least they should be troubled with any contradicters The emperour Charles the fifth likewise died the same yeare vpon the 21 of September being S. Mathews day in the couent of S. Iust of a hot burning feuer in the eight and fiftieth yere of his age after he had been thirtie six yeres emperour and fortie yeares king of Spaine Some write that when hee lay in his death bed by meanes of some admonition giuen him by the archbishop of Toledo or by that which he before had heard in Germany he acknowledged that hee hoped for his saluation onely by the death and passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and by no other meanes according to the opinion of the reformed Church This emperour Charles was a man of middle stature well proportioned of bodie and limmes faire faced high foreheaded friendly of countenance somewhat browne eyed high nosed his mouth somewhat gaping which he tooke from the Bourguignon princes and kings of France and a faire beard his haire browne both a good horse and foot-man familiar friendly speaking many languages in his youth sound of body of complexion sanguine which beeing mixed with melancholy bloud made him wise and politique but withall very suspitious and griple and in his aged daies salt flegmaticke humors falling into his pores caused him to be mild that so tempered his bloud and choler within him that he could master and ouercome his wrath and hastinesse He was in truth a religious deuout mightie
1578. wherein hee complained of the long delaies vsed in Spaine touching that which should bee determined about his affaires in the Netherlandes and with what policie and patiencie hee was to arme himselfe to withstand the same that he must of force suffer himselfe to bee inclosed by his enemies which had almost stopped vp all his passages in such sort as hee should bee constrained to retire to the place appointed him for his vttermost refuge for that hee had no hope to fight as beeing to weake vnlesse he should forcibly make a passage through his enemies and so escape awaie and that whensouer hee should doe it the King who was the onely cause thereof would be in danger to loose all the country he complained further that he had made a new motion vnto the King that hee would take order what hee should doe and his Maiesties pleasure should be obeied and put in execution but that he feared the remedy would come to late for that neither his writing nor his meanes preuailed not saying that both his hands beeing cut off hee was fully perswaded that their meaning was hee should likewise stretch out and lay downe his necke and so desiring them to haue him in remembrance in their daylie praiers he committed them to God He that is desirous to know more hereof may reade the booke of the sayd letters printed by William Siluius in Antwerp by which letters written not long before he died it appeeres what a troubled minde and how much discontented he was being yong high minded and inconstant yet wanting no iudgement hee had great aduersaries in the Court of Spaine as the adherents of the duke of Alua who sought by his policy and great experience to draw Don Iohns proceedings into dislike From his youth vpwards hee alwaies sought to aspire to a Kingly estate and to effect great matters as it likewise apeereth by a Spanish booke made by Anthonio Perez Secretarie to the King of Spaine touching the death of Iohn Escouedo Secretary to the aforesayd Don Iohn for the which the sayd Anthonio Perez after long imprisonment and persecution and great vprores touching the same in Arragon about the priueledges of the country whereof the King tooke great reuenge was forced to flie into France and after that into England and there staied In the sayd booke it is shewed that Don Iohns minde was wholy addicted to aspire to high matters and that the King of Spaine had apointed him a trusty Secretary called Iohn de Soto who serued him well in the warres in Granado and in his office of Admirall in the great victory against the Turkes but while that Don Iohn was in Italie the Pope was secretly delt withall to make him King of Tunis which the Kings secretary vnderstanding and the motion beeing afterwards made by the Pope vnto him the King thanked the Pope for the great care he had of his brother but he denied the request as being much mooued and very iealious thereof for that hee seemed to depend more vpon the Pope then vpon him suspecting his Secretary Iohn Soto to bee the cause thereof and therefore tooke councell and agreed with Anthonio Perez his Secretarie to deuise the meanes to place Iohn Escouedo to bee Don Iohns Secretarie promooting Soto to a better place and gaue Escouedo diuerse and perticular instructions to pull downe Don Iohns haughty and proude minde and to bridle the same and so to amend that which Soto had neglected but Don Iohn beeing sent for to bee gouernor in the lowe countries pretended that as soone he should haue gotten the full charge and commande ouer the souldiars in the sayd countries and setled the same in peace that hee would enterpize somewhat with them against England as it hath beene partly shewed and there to put the Queene from her crowne and to marry with the imprisoned Queene of Scots and so to make himselfe King of England wherevnto hee had obtained leaâ—…e and the name or title thereof from the Pope with promise of aide hee had likewise a secret practise and contract in France with the Duke of Guise and the league which they named the defence of both the Kingdomes of Spaine and France which the King also vnderstood by his Ambassador Iohn Vargas Don Iohn not once perceiuing it although hee caused his pretended enterprize against England to bee certified to the King by the Popes legate But that was broken off for that the Estates in the Netherlands beeing then in treaty of peace with Don Iohn would by no meanes consent that the Spaniards should goe out of the countrie by sea whereby hee was preuented of his purpose and perceiuing that in the Netherlands by reason of the Estates good policie and foresight there was no meanes or matter of great honour or dignitie to bee attained vnto beeing desperately minded he sought secret meanes to bee discharged of the same gouernment or els to haue so great a powre of men and money from the King as he might by force become maister thereof or of some other place whereby it apeared that hee would in a manner compell the King to followe his humor as it is apparant by the letters aforesayd and others also from Escouedo and specially by one bearing date the tenth of February in the yeare of our Lord 1577. Wherein hee wrot that hee was so much out of conceite with himselfe that hee had failed of his enterprise against England that with meere discouragement hee was of the minde to be become an hermite for that he could not finde in his heart to liue as hee had done to that daie saying further that rather then he would liue in that gouernment vnlesse it were vntill an other came to take his place there should no resolution bee so hard and difficult vnto him that hee would not sooner take in hand although it should cost him his dearest bloud insisting so earnestly vpon his discharge that he sayd hee would leaue it either by faire or foule meanes and that if hee were not discharged thereof hee sayd hee feared hee should fall into the sinne of disobedience to shunne the sinne of dishonor saying that hee had rather to goe take an aduenture into France with sixe thousand foote and two thousand horsemen then to staie in the gouernment of the Netherlands These desperate and doubtfull speeches mooued the King of Spaine verie much and gaue him great occasions of distrust when such things were secretly brought vnto his eares Remembring likewise some of the words he vsed before hee went into the Netherlands saying that whensoeuer hee was King of England that then he would be equall with Spaine especially if hee once got the entry into Saint Andrewes and the castle which is the frontire of Biskaie and a fort vpon the rode called Megro from whence all Spaine was to bee ouerrunne and vanquished These and the like dealings with the Pope and the Duke of Guise beeing knowne vnto the King and some of
done The factions were so great at this time in Holland as some of the greatest townes did vtterly reiect the Earle of Leicesters gouernment refusing to acknowledge him or to receiue him or his men any more And he on the other side sought to draw some vnto his party as well by the perswasions of his seruants and his creatures of the same country as by surprises as among others they sought to seize vpon Leyden whereas diuers of the inhabitants most part strangers fled out of Flanders and Brabant with Captaine Cosmo Pesarengis a Piedmontoâ—…s and Captaine Nicholas de Mawlde sonne to the Lord of Mansaert who had a company within the towne sought to make themselues maisters thereof to imprison all the magistrates that were well affected to the Estates so to bring in the Earle of Leicester with such authority as they thought good But before they began their enterprise it was discouered vnto the Magistrates by a Bourger called Andrew Schot where-vpon they apprehended one Iacob Volmar a Fleming Captaine Cosmo Pesarengis and committed them to prison Maulde escaped but he was afterwards taken neere Woerden by the Lord of Poelgeest and brought back to Leyden where being examined he confessed the enterprise without any torture wher-vpon the Magistrates of Leyden to maintaine Prince Maurice his authority being gouernor of Holland and of the Estates of the contry on the 26. of October they condemned the said Volmar Pesarengis and Maulde to loose their heads holding it according to their lawes to be an Act of treason not onely in such a towne as Leyden but if it had beene attempted in any of the lesser townes according to the custome there the same day they cut off their heads The two first heads were set vpon pikes at the Ports but Mawlds head in regard of his honorable house and family was buried He was much lamented euen of the iudges them-selues by reason of his youth his good disposition and the seruices which hee had done to the Prince of Orange and for that of late hee had carried himselfe so valiantly within Scluce during the siege The Earle disavowed this enterprise and purged him-selfe before the Queene who was not pleased that hee should so farre exceede his Commission as to attempt vpon any Townes seated in the heart of Holland as Leyden is At Vtrecht there was a booke made put in Print tending to the excusing of such that were executed the booke was dedicated to the Earle of Leicester but at Leyden it was expresly forbidden to be bought or solde within their towne and iurisdiction vpon a great penaltie as being a seditious and scandalous libell yet many disliked of this execution for that the Estates during these diuisions did not make known the reasons that moued them there-vnto the which not-with-standing for great and waighty considerations they did wisely conceale in regard of the Earle of Leicester which reasons were not then to be laid open yet the Estates were the worse spoken of but all men of iudgement especially such as had seene the processe and the offenders owne confessions esteemed this execution to be iust and necessary whereon the estate and well-fare of the country depended The 11. of September a Captaine of the Estates horse being with his company in the country of Westphalia neere vnto Lengen about the towne of Meppel he sent 12. of his men on foot to craue leaue of the Magistrate of the towne that they might enter to buy victuals and other necessaries being at the Port and letting them know the cause of their comming and that they desired not any thing but for their money the gard not fearing any surprize were presently charged by these twelue men and the port seazed on wherevpon the Captaine ariued with his troupe of horse and made himselfe maister of the towne Being vnable to keepe it with so few men they of Holland Ouerissel and Vtrecht sent them some supplies with the which they held it for a time but lying to farre of for the estates and heard to be victualed when soeuer it should stand in need Verdugo hauing a fort at Hassel halfe a league from it which might hinder the passage They thought it best to abandon it hauing profited nothing in that quarter which is neuter but only made poore families Whilest these factions were in Holland there grew a great quarrell betwext Collonel Diricke Sonoy geuernor of North Holland and the towne of Enchuysen for that he had receiued confirmation of his gouernment the which had bin formerly giuen him by the Prince of Orange confirmed by Prince Maurice his sonne in an other sort and quality from the Earle of Leicester the fourteene of October and for that the said Sonoy sought to secure and settle him-selfe in his gouernment causing captaine Duuenuord with his company to leaue the towne and to bring other companies thether to which end hee had perswaded his Excelency to come to see the townes of North-Holland meaning vnder collour of his presence and authority to assure him-selfe of the gouernment the which being disliked by the Bourguers for that long before they and other townes with the Noblemen and Gentlemen of Holland by force of their Vnion were bound by oth to defend and mayntaine the priuiledes of Holland and West-Freezland hauing sollemnly accepted of Prince Maurice for their gouernor of Holland Zealand West-Freezland they could not in respect of their othes consent that the gouernment of West-Freezland should be in that sort seperated from Holland Zeeland and consequently against alorder taken from the house of Nassau wherevpon after diuers assemblies conferences they found no better means to preuent all inconueniences to maintaine the peace in North-Holland then with due respect and reuerence to intreat his Excellency to deferre his comming into their towne till a more conuenient time when as they might receiue him with more security greater ioy and full consent of all the Bourgers humbly beseeching him not to mislike thereof so as for that time there was not any thing done but after they grew to further question as you shall heare The second day of Nouember Cont William Lewis of Nassau sonne to Cont Iohn gouernor of Freezland for the estates married the Lady Anne of Nassau daughter to the Prince of Orange and sister to Prince Maurice who liued but three yeares in marriage and died of child About this time there was much speech in England touching the affaiers of the Netherlands as also about the Earle of Leicesters authority and gouernment and of the proposition of peace many holding with the Estates and others against them some thinking that with two hundred thousand gilders a moneth well gouerned together with her Maiesties ayde of fiue thousand foote and a thousand horse complet and well paid by the Queene besides that which might be gotten by booties in the frontire townes and by conuoyes and licences that might be spar'd