bank At Avala his first advancement he found some of the Enemy who had opened the Sluces to overflow the Country and saw that the water entred already in abundance But putting them to flight suddenly he made the Sluces be shut and kept as they ought to be The Duke himself advanced this mean while together with Vitelli Norchernes and some few others who came in fight of the Enemies quarters He understood by the Spies that they were in some disorder as well for that they saw his Army so neer as that Lodovicks men were almost all of them tumultuous and so ill paid as some uprore was already feared in the Camp The first Spaniards had this mean while drawn the Enemy forth to skirmish who not thinking that the body of the Army was so neer thought they might easily break the forerunners There was no long delay made Two great Squadrons of Foot for as much as the narrowness of the place could permit vigorously assaulted the Spaniards by whom they were no less vigorously withstood The Dukes Van this mean while advanced and look how much courage this added to the Catholicks so much did it lessen in the Hereticks They then would have retreated but being hotly pursued by the Spaniards they began basely to run away and the Spaniards followed them so close at the heels as they fell in with them at the same instant into their quarters where the Dukes men shewed no less valour nor the Enemy any more resistance who being still more imbased and thinking only how to save themselves fell every where into disorder and confusion The rest was not to be termed fighting but execution The Spaniards more greedy of blood then booty by reason of the slaughter which the others had committed the preceding battel put as many of the Enemy as they could unto the sword but there were almost as many drowned as slain for seeing they could not escape the fury of the sword they blindly threw themselves into the River which was very large and deep in that place It was said that Lodovick swom it over with much adoe and that 7000 of his men perisht the rest ran away some here some there in so great terror as there hardly was left any remainder of that Army Few of the Dukes men were flam And the Battel was such as certainly few will be the like wherein the vanquished were more indamaged and the vanquishers less THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO BOOK V. The Contents Orange enters Flanders with great Forces raised in Germany The Duke of Alva goes to meet him They lie many dayes in the face of one another Orange at last gives way and must quit the Country The Duke returns triumphant to Brussels His necessity in matter of monies occasioned by a great reprisal made thereof in England He therefore resolves to impose unusual grievances Commotions which insue thereupon A general Pardon proclaimed by him The Arch-Dutchess Anne of Austria passeth through Flanders to marry with the Catholique King The Flemish are scandalized at a Statue of the Dukes which was set up in the Citadel at Antwerp The Castle of Lovestein is surprised by Orange his followers but is suddenly recovered by the Spaniard Lumay more luckily takes the Bril A particular Description of Holland and Zealand The troubles of Zealand Sancio d'Avila goes to the succour of Middleburgh Valentiennes fals into the Hugonots hands who not long after are made to quit it By their assistance Lodovick steals into the City of Mons and prepares to maintain the siege THe Duke of Alva after having obtained so notable a victory return'd to Groninghen and staid there some dayes the better to secure it from any new danger He therefore munited it according as was requisite And because he feared danger more from within then from without he left a Citadel begun to be built there according as he intended at first the better to bridle the Inhabitants From thence he past to Utrecht whose Province is as it were incorporated in Holland He thought to have stayed there some time the better to secure the affairs of Holland But the news which he heard from divers parts of Orange his approach or preparation so to do made him go from thence much sooner then he had intended From thence he went to Balduke giving at the same time such order as was requisite for the gathering together of the Army and the reinforcing it with Foot and Horse To this end he fill'd up the German and Walloon Regiments and added another Regiment of Walloons under Christophero Mandragone a Spaniard and commanded that the Train-Bands of Flanders which came to about 2000 Horse should be in a readiness This sort of Militia distinguished into Companies of Curasiers and Harquebusiers under the chief Lords of the Country was of great 〈◊〉 in time past but afterward it lessened much in reputation When there is need to make use thereof the charge is given apart to some one chief Lord of the Country who knows no other Superior then the Generalissimo of the Army Whilst the Duke was preparing in this manner the Prince of Orange used no less diligence in gathering together great Forces to enter Flanders with them where it might be more for his advantage He had received very considerable helps but more in men then mony from the aforesaid Princes and Free-Towns of Germany To boot with the German souldiers he and his adherents had assembled together a good number of those Flemish and Walloons who had left the Country and some French He was upon the banks of the Rhine with all these people part whereof were taken into pay and part were a taking in intending to pass the River and then to thrust into Ghelderland or Brabant as it hath been said and fix himself in the best parts of the Country He was not to expect any obstacle in his passing over the Rhine not wanting means to doe so in many of his friends territories in Germany His greatest difficulty lay in passing over the Mause which did wholly appertain unto the King of Spain except the State of Liege which was also wholly a Catholick Country and almost incorporated into the Kings Dominions But he hoped to possess himself of some important place upon that shore which might secure his passage both for his entrance if he should advance and for a safe retreat if he were necessitated to turn back Orange having thus mustered his whole Army together he past freely over the Rhine above Colen about the end of August and then over the Mosel at Trovers And winding to the right hand he advanced towards the Country of Juliers confining upon the Kings Provinces of Ghelderland and Limburg and upon the State of Liege The common report was that his Camp consisted of 20000 Foot and 9000 Horse all of them Germans except the aforesaid Flemish Walloons and French With Orange was his Brother Lodovick Count Hostrat
arise on all sides and from thence troublâ— The Queen of Navar passeth by the Frontiers of Flanders towards France Don John goes himself in person to receive her and to carry her to Namures Upon which occasion he makes himself Master of the Castle of that City The States complain hereof unto the King They resolve to call the Prince of Orange into 〈◊〉 and receive him with unusual honours Which causeth jealousies in the â—â—st of the chief Nobility who therefore determine to offer the Government of Flanders to Archduke Mathias He accepts of the offer and comes thither privatly Orange his opinion and the opinion of the States General touching his coming They resolve to accept of him for the Governour of the Country The Flemish take up arms on all sides against Don John And endeavour to besiege Namures The Kings men return speedily into Flanders And a battel insues thereupon near Geblurs wherein they have the victory The proceedings of the Kings Forces Preparations on the behalf of the Flemish do encrease continually more against them To this end an Army is raised in Germany by the Palatine John Casimere And the Duke of Alanson prepares another in France John Casimere moves first and being come to Brabant takes Diste The Flemish quarter themselves strongly in the fields to expect the arrival of all the foreign fâ—râ—es Don John marches with all his men towards them but cannot draw them forth to battel His hopes of seeing the enemies foot soon dissolve By favour of the he etical aids the Flemish sectarists demand a general liberty of conscience and obtain it The Catholicks are much scandalized hereat A new action of the Malecontents Some accommodation of the affairs of Flanders is again endeavoured by tht Emperour by the King of France and by the Queen of England but in vain Alanson exters the Country with his Army Orange doth all he can that the Flemish and the foreign forces may joyn Don John fals sick dies And leaves the Prince of Parma in the administration of the Government The Prince of Orange was as the Oracle of the Provinces after the agreement made between them so as he was the main wheel upon which all their resolutions were turned wherefore the Councel of State and Deputies of the States General desired to know his opinion concerning the coming of Don John and in what manner he would have him received into the Government before they would take any resolution therein Whereupon Orange began a long discourse the substance whereof was this That the larger Don Johns promises were the more they were to be suspected That it was apparent the Spaniards end was to cheat the Flemish and to lull them asleep that they might the more easily oppress them That Don John was not to be received day otherwise then upon such terms as their obedience always preserved unto the King the former Government might be restored unto the Provinces That therefore in the first place all the Spaniards should be expelled That the Citadels should be all demolished and put into the hands of the Flemish That no Authority at all should be granted to Don John not so much as over the Militia of the Country That the States General should retain the prerogatives due unto them That to this purpose they might have a power to meet once or twice a year to preserve the priviledges of the Provinces And that Don John should resolve on nothing without the Authority of the said States General That it better behoved him to trust the Flemish then the Flemish him And that howsoever it was not to be believed that the King would ever pardon them since he held himself too much injured by them That therefore they ought to consider his anger together with his forces and put themselves into such a posture as since they could never secure themselves from the one they might not at least be opprest by the other This was Orange his opinion which he desired to distill into all the Flemish And this was the foundation which he even then laid of that Commonwealth of the United Provinces which hath been since so formed and established in these our times by powerfull forces and of which we formerly sent a particular Relation from Brussels to Rome which together with some other writings of ours touching the affairs of Flanders were afterwards published by Ericio Puteano our very good friend and the worthy successor of Justus Lipsius no less in learning then in place and in the Inheritance of his fame no less then of his labours Orange hoped by this means to make himself Moderator and Arbitrator of the Government and assisted by the present conjuncture of time to make himself at least as good as Prince of Holland and Zealand if he should not arrive at the Principality of all the Provinces joyned together in one body And peradventure he would not have missed in his designe had he not been slain as shall be said in its proper place and so had the thread of his life as well as that of his hopes cut off This answer increased such jealousies in the Flemish as not thinking themselves sufficiently united by the agreement made at Gaunt they resolved to make another union which should be more strict and more efficacious They therefore drew up a Declaration in the name and Authority of the States General wherein repeating the calamities suffered by the Spaniards they did again confirm the confederation of Gaunt promised to observe it inviolably and declared all such to be Traitors and infamous persons who should in any whatsoever manner countervene it This Writing or Declaration was afterwards signed and sealed in every Province by every Magistrate and Governour and was imbraced with great applause by the whole Country And because Orange had chiefly minded them that the States should put themselves in Arms shewing what danger they were again to expect from the Spaniards therefore the States General betook themselves to raise new men which they brought together in a good body under the command of Count Di Saleigne of the Vicecount of Gaunt and Monsieur de la Mota to Vaures a Town between Brussels and Namures very opportunely seated especially to withstand Don John The States General made likewise divers expeditions into Germany France and England to pray aide in all those parts and to make the cause of the Flemish common with all their neighbours A considerable sum of money was sent from the Queen of England who under hand shewed her self well inclined to greater demonstrations On the part of Germany the greatest confederacy was had with John Casimere one of the Count Palatines of Rheine and the thing desired was to furnish him with monies whereby to raise men in that Nation and lead them into Flanders On France's side they did not only endeavour to raise the Hugonot Faction but to draw likewise the Catholick party to be of the same mind under the Duke of Alanson brother to
with him was Orange who treated with him at large in that City and many Articles were agreed upon by which he bound himself to govern The first was That the Prince of Orange should be given unto him for his Lieutenant All the rest tended to make his Authority subordinate to that of the States General so as he could not in any whatsoever manner do any publick action without their will and consent The States and the said Mathias did afterwards by their Letters to the King endeavour to procure his approbation of that Election endeavouring to honest it in manner aforesaid and by divers other colourable pretences But this mean while the States forbare not to prepare forces and they turned them chiefly towards Vaures a Town between Brussels and Namures as hath been elsewhere said here they resolved to make their Rendesvouz resolving to befiege Namures So as when they should have possest that Pass towards Italy as they had already done the other of Mastrick towards Germany there might be no passage left for the Kings men who were to enter into Flanders either by the one or the other in an hostile manner This was the resolution of the States General and this was Orange his particular opinion who governed all things then according to his own will But when Escovedo was come to Spain and the other news of the novelties happened in Flanders being likewise advertised continual consultation was had there touching what was to be done in the affairs of that Country The King considered on the one side that to return to arms again would be to return to the former vast expences and excessive difficulties and that his enemies and those that envied his greatness desired nothing more then that he might re-enter upon a War of which he should never have an end and wherein he was to spend the flowre of his Militia There were not wanting some in his Councel who did no approve of Don Johns retreat to Namures and of his surprising that Castle as if he had done it not so much out of necessity as out of choice that he might have Forces in his hands and gather thereout more advantage to himself then to the Kings service But on the other side it was considered that if Don John should not be presently succoured and that with powerfull forces the Kings affairs in Flanders would be utterly lost the plots which were practised to that purpose both within and without being too apparent To boot that there was no way seen whereby to come to a peaceable agreement but by preparing with all possible power for a new War These opinions being then justly weighed it was resolved in Spain that Orders should be given to all the Kings Officers in Italy immediately to send back those forces into Flanders who were some months before come from thence and who were now almost all of them in the State of Milan or in the Kingdom of Naples At the same time Commissions for the raising of horse and foot were sent from the King into Burgony Lorain and the nearest parts of Germany And it fell out luckily that Count Charls Mansfield son to Count Ernestus did then lead back a body of 4000 foot from France which he had formerly brought into that Kingdom for the service of that Crown So as the Kings Forces began to found aloud in divers places which afforded the Flemish sufficient matter to think upon Their chief designe was as we have a little before said to besiege Namures and to be Masters of that Pass which was of such importance Wherefore the States endeavoured with all diligence to bring their men to the Rendesvous in Vaures And Commanders were already provided for the Army which was a gathering They had made the Lord Goygni Camp-master-general the Count de Laleigne General of the foot the Vicecount of Gaunt General of the horse and Mr de la Motte Master of the Artillery But the strength of their forces did not as yet answer to the eagerness of their design and therfore they labour'd very hard to get potent succours from their neighbours abroad and to advantage their Cause as much as they might These endeavors were had as we have formerly said in Germany France and England From Germany the Palatine John Casimire promised to bring a great strength of men if they would send him mony to pay them In France that King would not meddle with the revolt of Flanders they having been too busie in the Domestical troubles of his own Kingdom Nor could the Duke of Alanson much favour the Flemish by his own Forces They therefore placed all their chiefest hopes in the Queen of England And doubtlesly they might be better helpt from thence then from any other part both with men and mony Wherefore they turned their chiefest endeavours thither and to give it the greater weight and reputation they sent a solemn Ambassy to the Queen the head whereof was the Marquis of Haure The Queen her self desired that this clamorous appearance might be made to the end that she might the better honest unto the King of Spain any aid that she should give them through the publick complaints of the Flemish A firm Confederacie was by this means made without much difficulty between the Queen and the Belgick States the substance whereof was That each side should assist other interchangeably with proportionable Forces by Sea and Land The Queen obliged her self thereunto with present effects and with declaring that she would not suffer Flanders to be opprest And on the contrary the States promised to assist the Queen whensoever she should be molested by the common enemy She suddenly sent an express Ambassador into Spain to justifie this action of hers unto the King and sought to honest it by making known how much her interest was concerned in not suffering her Neighbours to be opprest especially the Flemish with whom the English had alwayes kept good correspondencie She shewed the King that he ought rather to be well pleased then offended with what she had done in their assistance for that otherwise they might peradventure through despair have thrown themselves into the hands of some other neighbouring Prince She exhorted him speedily to send some other Governour of his own blood in stead of Don John but chiefly to comply with the Flemish in their so just demands and fairly to compound the affairs of those Countries to which purpose she offered on her side to use her best and most powerful mediation When she had satisfied this her palliated respect to Spain she failed not readily to perform her true designs on the behalf of Flanders she suddenly raised the monies which were needfull to raise the intended Forces in Germany under John Casimire which were to be most of them Horse and gave order that a good number of Foot should be sent out of her own Kingdom The monies being received John Casimire was not slack in using such diligence as was behovefull Nor
into greater slavery then ever That Arms were taken up for driving out the Spaniards but not for that the Country should be more tyrannized over by the Flemish themselves To what other end did Orange his ambition tend What other designe had his adherents That Arms were at first taken up in Holland and Zealand under spetious pretences And finally it was not enough that the Inquisition should be hindred but that in lieu thereof the new sects of heresies should have defused their venom throughout all those parts should have alienated those Provinces from the Church and begun manifestly to alienate them also from the King That the former disobedience made way for the second the one not being to be severed from the other That in the interim Orange under the name of Governour did retain almost the whole authority of Prince That by the same cunning he had rather forced then gotten the Government of Brabant That now under fals pretences liberty of conscience was demanded thorowout the whole Country And with what intent unless it were to make Liberty fight against Liberty to wit the unjust Liberty of Heresie against the legitimate Liberty of the Church to the end that the latter being opprest the people might the easilyer withdraw themselves from their Allegiance to the King That it was time now to dive into the knowledge of such ends and not only to know them but to break them Let Brabant and Flanders be of another opinion and let those other Provinces joyn with them the Country of Walloons would still continue in the sole Catholick Religion and with safety to its Priviledges in their sole Allegiance to the King of Spain These words full of indignation were soon accompanied with acts as angersom For the two Provinces of Henault and Artois would not assign over Landresy Quisnoy and Balpema to the Duke of Alansons men as was ordered in the agreement made between him and the States and with the same resolution denied to pay their share for the Souldiery This commotion of the Walloons made those of Gaunt rage horridly as those who were naturally most given to revolt and had more readily received Liberty of Conscience allowing all advantage to Heresie amongst them and taking up Armes they resolved to use force against the Walloons John Casimire after having spoken with the Archduke Mathias was at this time gone to Gaunt In this his coming his chief aim was to get money for his Souldiers who not able to move for want of Pay did not at all advance but talked rather of mutinying then of fighting The Gaunteses did in part satisfie his desires and favoured by him took so much heart against the Walloons as they resolved more then formerly to force them to joyn with them The Province of Flanders is divided into two parts The one and which is the greater part and wherein Gaunt and the other chief Towns and Cities are contained is called by the name of Flemicant because nothing but Flemish is spoken there The other which is the lesser but which hath in it likewise many good Towns is called Gallicant because the French tongue is commonly used there The former lies towards the Sea and the other towards the Walloons Country The Flemicant part of the Province went hand in hand in all things with the Gaunteses and the Gallicant inclined towards the Walloons as being more addicted to the Catholick religion then to Heresie As soon as the Gaunteses had taken up Arms the Walloons did the like and divers acts of hostility were committed by both sides in particular the Walloons entred the Town of Menin situated upon the River Lisa which divides the Flemicant part of Flanders from the Gallicant and here they began to fortifie themselves and to prejudice the adverse Country The Walloons would not notwithstanding for all this their difference with the other Flemish either acknowledge Don John for their Governour nor any wayes adhere to the actions of the Spaniards which caused some of them to take unto themselves the name of Malcontents This was a name taken at the first by some of the prime Nobility from them it spread abroad into divers of meaner quality and was finally used by every one of that Country Many of them wore a Chaplet of Pater-nosters and of Ave-Maria's about their necks to shew that they would keep good Catholicks and all of them did generally declare that they would continue loyal to the King when they should be restored to their former Government This was the so famous Faction of Malcontents which afterwards proved very advantagious to the Kings affairs as shall be seen in the pursuit of this Story Orange was not this mean while so blinded in endeavouring his advantage by Heresie but that he clearly saw how great a prejudice such a division might work He desired the Heretick Army might prevail but yet that the Catholicks should have all their due rites for the satisfaction of those that would not abandon them Wherefore he failed not to use all possible means as also his own and the States authority to compound the aforesaid differences To this purpose the Lord S. Aldegond went with some other personages of quality to Gaunt but the people there listening more to their Ringleaders who were seditious and for their own private interests more inclin'd to foment then to finish the begun differences would by no means be brought to alter their resolutions Thus stood the affairs of Flanders when the Duke of Alanson came in with his Army which was more expected then well received by Orange his own faction for he brought not so many with him as he was tyed to do and those but ill provided of what was necessary for their own maintenance Alanson had found it more easie to raise men then to raise money for he had little or none of his own And the King his brother being neither able nor willing to assist him openly for the reasons touched upon before his hopes fell very short likewise on that side And the King of Spain had again renewed his complaints to the King of France for this business of Alanson He had likewise done the like in very sharp tearms with the Queen of England for the assistance she had given the Rebels in Flanders And for Germany he complained likewise of the Emperour because he had not used more effectual means to hinder John Casimires expedition and all these complaints wrought this effect that express personages were sent from each of them to see if it were possible to bring the Affairs of Flanders to some good agreement The King forbare not to make great preparations for War but he would much more gladly have seen peace in Flanders so as it might have been done without prejudice to Religion or to his honour Nor were there wanting some of his Councellers who interpreting Don Johns actions worse then before thought him to be in a great part the cause of all the new Tumults
which had happened since the so solemn agreement made between him and the Provinces as if that he had desired to govern rather armed then unarmed and that he believed he might compass some of his own ends easilyer by troubles then by quiet So as by reason of these jealousies which were had of Don John and which had got a little rooting in Spain peace in Flanders was the more desired by the Spaniards Wherefore about the end of August all these Ambassadors met in Antwerp The Count Zuarzemburg from the Emperour President Belliure from the King of France and from the Queen of England Walsingam her first Secretary and with him another called Gobham But it was soon seen that Cesars endeavours wanted authority and the rest candidness For both England and France did sufficiently desire to have the troubles and disorders wherewith Flanders was afflicted continue Nor did this opinion prove vain The meetings were more for shew then substance and their endeavours ended almost as soon as they were begun to boot that in very deed the difficulties which were met with on all sides were very great Each party would justifie all they had done and all that they pretended to Wherefore all Treaty of Agreement being suddenly broken they continued in their former heat of preparing for war The Flemish regained Ariscot and Nevile and tryed but in vain to recover Lovain On the other side the French entring into the Province of Henault besieged Bins and after some assault took it and put it to the plunder But these were businesses of small importance in respect of what the Rebels hoped for from the union of so many Forces which they had received to side with them from all parts Orange laboured more then all the rest to bring them together and herein his adherents used likewise their best diligence Miserable Flanders every where so full of Arms and so lacerated as it was questionable whether she were more afflicted by her own or by foreign Forces and whether those or these in seeming assistance bore the most spetious title Don John this mean while kept with his men within his quarters which he had fortified without Namures to withstand the assaults of the enemy These Fortifications were about two miles and a half in compass and did so much the more shelter the City so as that passage towards Germany and Italy was very well secured and his Army very well provided of all things necessary for the maintenance thereof Wherefore Don John hoped shortly both to receive powerfull aid and to see those disband which the enemy had assembled together for their service These were his designs these were his hopes when in their very hight he fell sick his malady so increasing as he died within a few days When he was near his end he sent for the Duke of Parma and after having in a very affectionate manner recommended the Kings service to him he substituted him in his own place not any ways doubting but that by the so many Prerogatives both of bloud and valour which met in him the King would suddenly confirm him in that Government Thus dyed Don John not being yet full thirty three years old The Emperour Charles the Fifth was his Father and Madam de Plombes a Lady of noble birth in Germany his Mother The Emperour before his death gave the King his Son great charge of him who at first had in his private thoughts destin'd him to an Ecclesiastical life but afterward changing his mind bred him up in the Military profession Wherein by three memorable enterprises he eterniz'd his name In the first he bridled the Moors Audacity in the second the Ottoman Pride and in the third the Fury of the Flemish In each of these his successes did much exceed his years He overcame the Moors when but yet a Youth he abated the edge of the Turk at the very entrance into the flower of his age and he did so master-like suppress the Belgiques as greater skill could not have been shewn by any whatsoever antient and most perfect Commander He had in him very excellent gifts both of body and mind In his aspect Majesty and Grace strength of Body to undergoe labour He was affable with the Souldiery vigilant answerable to his Command wise in the greatest difficulties but having a heart much willinger to encounter then to shun them Many could have desired that he had been less amorous and not so easie to believe reports He was so greedy of Glory as many judged it to be an aspiring after Empire Which made him at last be envied and so far suspected as made his service to the King doubtful as if from being Governour he had aspired to be Prince of Flanders and that to this purpose he had held private correspondencie with the Queen of England and proceeded more secretly to express negotiations of Marriage Which was cause why his death was thought to be rather procured then natural But whatsoever the business was wherein truth might be overclouded by Calumny He dyed with the fame of singular valour and great applause Worthy assuredly to have lived longer and not less worthy to have proceeded from a Conjugal bed and to have commanded rather as absolute Prince then as a subordinate Officer Finis Partis Primae THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Second Part. BOOK I. The Contents The Prince of Parma is confirmed Governour of Flanders by the King The Prince thought first to draw the Walloon Provinces to side with the King by the way of negotiation but in the interim he applies himself with all fervor to the management of Arms. He stands at first upon his defence The Foreign Forces vanish Alanson returns for France and John Casimir for Germany The Prince here upon passeth from the defensive part to the offensive He resolves to besiege Mastrick The description of that place The Royalists endeavours in oppugning it and the resistance made by the Defendants The Royalists at last prevail and the Prince is master of the Town An agreement between him and the Walloon Provinces It is endeavoured to reconcile all the other Provinces likewise to the King but in vain Small successes of War on all sides The Flemish think of choosing a new Prince and to cast off their obedience to the King of Spain This is chiefly fomented by Orange Their Deputies meet together in Antwerp to this purpose and there is much consultation about it Some of the Hereticks are for the Queen of England other some for the Duke of Alanson The Catholicks opinion in this point The Assembly leans much more to Alanson The Deputies depart and return to their own Provinces to make each of them severally resolve fully upon the choise The war continues this mean while on both sides The King would have the Dutchess of Parma return to Flanders and why She is not well come thither when she earnestly desires to go back to Italy which
titular Command and Orange who was wholly taken up with Civil negotiations could not take upon him the Military government So as the management thereof lay chiefly on Monsieur de la Nue a French-man and Colonel Norris an English-man but the authority and estimation of the former was much greater then the others Their Forces being of this condition the military affairs proceeded but very slowly on both sides Each of them could rather withstand then overcome and each of them hoped for better success in time The year 1580. came now in which brought with it one of the most memorable events that ever the war of Flanders produced through the resolution which the Rebels then took of chusing a new Prince and of continuing no longer under the King of Spains obedience The Prince of Orange had driven on this design before now and being between Despair and Hope he could no longer resist their violences On the one side despair assailed him setting before him all the greatest and most dreadful dangers which could be expected from the wrath and power of the King of Spain being then made greater by the accession of the Kingdom of Portugal And on the other side he was highly invited by hope desire making him believe that new greatness would be added to his fortune by a new Principality He argued within himself That at least the two Provinces of Holland and Zealand would be well-nigh wholly at his disposal And wherefore in such a case might not greater good fortunes befall him since it might easily happen that the Flemish being again angry at or weary of a foreign Prince might at last resolve to choose one of their own Nation And if so wherefore should not he hope to be preferr'd before all others He then without any further delay having first prepared mens minds in every Province by his Adherents of which he had great store in each of them He I say caused the proposition of change of Prince be put and made all such things be suggested as might facilitate the business The Rebels had no more weighty affairs at this time then this was Therefore that they might treat and resolve thereof with such maturity and honour as was needfull it was thought necessary to call a meeting of the States Generall wherein they might afterwards come to such a resolution as might be best for the whole Country This advice was chiefly given by Orange and Antwerp appointed for the place of meeting Here then about the beginning of the abovesaid year the Deputies of the Provinces met and Orange was there himself so they began to fall close to the business The Heretick Deputies of which the greatest part of the Assembly did consist such industry and means had Orange used in causing them to be chosen inclined to choose a new Prince as also still to strengthen Heresie Yet they differed within themselves in their votes some of them were for the Queen of England and some for the Duke of Alanson the one holding they might receive more advantages from England the others from France The City of Gaunt in particular was much inclined to the Queen of England which was the chief City of all those that then followed the rebellion of the Confederate Provinces Wherefore James Tayard the Deputy thereof together with some others who represented the peculiar Province of Flanders that is to say the Flemicant part one day when the business was hottest in agitation spake thus When I consider most worthy Deputies how much France is at this time divided and afflicted within it self I confess I cannot be perswaded to preferrre the Duke of Alanson before the Queen of England in the subjecting of our Provinces under a new Principality Every one knows what the unhappy agitations of that Kingdom at the present are it totters on all sides amidst mighty dangers The several Factions strive who shall rend it most The King hath only the shew of a King and is forced to use intreaties much more then commands How often and with what prejudice to his authority hath he been inforced rather to yield to the will of others then to use his own So perverse under the variety of their specious pretences are they sometimes grown who favour the Catholick religion and sometimes they who follow the Reformed in causing one revolt after another all tending to the great diminution of the Royal majesty and splendor France being then in so low a condition what ease or advantage can Flanders expect from thence Our end is to put our selves under a Prince who who may by his Forces strengthen ours that we may the better defend our selves against so powerful and so bitter an Enemy as is the King of Spain Then tell me I pray you what State what Forces what advantages can the Duke of Alanson bring with him that should make him be desired for our Prince Doth he enjoy any thing else in France save the bare Title of being the only Brother to the King with other such Prerogatives much greater in shew then substance Hath not the King treated him sometimes more like a Prisoner then like a Brother hath not the Duke sometime gone from Court in form of a Fugitive endeavouring by all means to protect Faction but rather to receive assistance from thence then to give it To boot his being the Kings only Brother bears with it a condition which we may very well suspect For if he when he shall be our Prince shall peradventure succeed his Brother who is childless in what condition shall we be then what dangers will our Provinces be then again in we shall be under so great a King who peradventure may treat us so much worse then the King of Spain now doth by how much the Forces of France are nearer us and more ready to oppress us From what I have said against France I shall now come to what may be taken into consideration as making for England States doe then most flourish when they are mâ—st quiet which may easily be seen by the happiness which that Queen now enjoyes Her Kingdom enjoyes full Peace and her people strive who shall most witness their obedience to her An obedience notwithstanding which she hath very will deserved of them For what Princess was there ever seen of a more masculine spirit who indued with more excellent vertues She hath nothing of woman but the appearance She is born to Empires and to command those chiefly which require most merit to enjoy them It is confest her Kingdom is â—et a little divided in point of Religion but the Catholicks are so few and 〈◊〉 so low as they can in no sort weigh against the Reformed She maintains these and by these is she maintained her pleasure is that only their Religion shall be profest in England according to the custom of that Country and with this her pleasure hath the Authority of the Estates general met in Parliament often joyned And how much doth this
make for our advantage For the most of us having resolved to imbrace the Refoâ—med religion doubtlesly the Queen of England will in that respect much more concur in our defence then will the Duke of Alanson who is a profest Catholick Together with this advantage in matter of Religion we shall also receive from her all other things which we stand most in need of her Kingdom abounds in People nor wants she Mony proportionably How much ought we to esteem her so near and so potent Maritime forces We may by that means expect at all times all manner of Aid in a very few houres and by that means that Country will be joyned to ours as well as if we were both one firm land And how much is England and our Province already joyned in Commerce May not the English-House here in Antwerp be envied by their own hamber of London And if we consider the Form of Government how much more conformable to ours is that of England then that of France For in France the Kingly power may be said to be almost absolute whereas in England it is so limited as in al affair of greatest weight the Princes there can resolve of nothing without the supreme authority of Parliament Which ought to make us expect a much more moderate government certainly from the Queen of England then from the D. of Alanson who hath already too much drunk in the too haughty and Kingly spirits of France This my short comparing of the present condition of these two Kingdoms doth sufficiently discover my opinion touching the business now in hand Yet all private opinions ought to submit to the publike interest And so shal I do when the contrary shal be approv'd of by this most wise Assembly for I have no consideration of any foreign good which is not altogether subordinate to what concerns our selves This discourse wrought very much upon the Deputies But the Lord of St. Aldegonde one of those that was deputed for the Nobility one of the best esteemed amongst all those of the Flemish Union took upon him to defend the contrary opinion And spake thus I wish it had pleased God most worthy Deputies that our calamities had not clearly taught us what the remedy is to free us thereof This remedy consists in having one for our Prince who being amongst us in person may rather with a Fathers then Princes affection imbrace maintain and govern the concernments of these our Provinces as if they were altogether his own And to pass by the more ancient examples let each of us consider what happiness they enjoyed in more modern times 'T is very well known to all how they flourished under the House of Burgony And that out of no other respect but for that the Princes did then of themselves and in their own persons steer the Government and shewing themselves from time to time in almost every of our Provinces did both give and receive such satisfaction as was most to be desired by each in each of them The Government then altered and began to grow worse under the House of Austria nor was it to be otherwise expected by reason of the many States and Nations which fell under the Empire thereof A great bulk cannot long maintain it self and when one part thereof is wrested all the rest are usually out of frame So in States which are too far divided a sunder the good of Government not being able to be joyntly united in them all the most remote must needs suffer therein and afterwards those that are nearest joyned will rescent it But notwithstanding in the times of Maximilian of Philip the first and of Clarls Flanders enjoyed such a share of their own personages and presence as look how much it sometimes suffered by reason of their absence it reaped other whiles as much advantage by their being present And each of them did still retain as well the sence as the bloud of Germany and Flanders Countries both of them almost alike seated and of the same nature The â—ow King being afterwards born in Spain and being become a Spaniard more by will then by birth he resolves to keep there and not to absent himself in any manner from thence What our miseries have been since then and what those in particular which we have suffered through the pride and cruelty of Spanish Governours we may all very well know since we have all too well tryed it Then to conclude as I said at first that the only help for these our Provinces consists in having here a Prince of their own to govern them I confess I cannot see who can be fitter for that purpose then the Duke of Alanson The Dukes of Burgony descended as it is well known to all from the Royal bloud of France then since Fortune presents us again with a new Prince of the same bloud wherefore should not we greedily imbrace the occasion of receiving him would not the very Government be by this means rather continued then any other of a different Form instituted How great a part of our Provinces do yet retain the French tongue and the Customs more then the tongue Are not all the confines of the Walloons and half the Province of Flanders it self called more by the word Gallican then Flemican so as in respect of the conformity of nature 't is clearly seen that the French are much more conformable to us then the English who had never any dominion over us That France is now in great turmoyls cannot be denyed but what better remedy then this can be found out to rid her of them to wit by drawing Alanson himself out of her and with him so many others who at the present do molest that Kingdom In which case it is not to be doubted but that the Duke will abound sufficiently in Forces and that the King his brother will largely maintain them in so just a Cause Every one may clearly see how much better these of France will be then those we should receive from England France doth over-abound with people every where especially in gallant Cavalry The coming from thence into this our Country can receive no impediment neither by the seas nor wind since both their confines by land joyn together And how opportune for us ought their neighbourhood now to be thought since almost the whole Walloon Provinces being re-united to the King of Spain the French Forces will prove very commodious on that side to force that Country to return to their former Union with our other Provinces and to joyn with us in chusing the Duke of Alanson for our Prince For what concerns all the other rubs me thinks they may be easily removed As for the Kings having no children his age is such as may certainly promise enough The mean while the Duke his brother will likewise marry and have sons of his own to succeed him but say that the Duke were to succeed unto the Crown wherefore may not we in such accse oblige
him to leave us one of his sons to be our Prince in his stead As for Religion every one knows how great a freedom France enjoys therein Wherefore it is not to be doubted but that the Duke will allow a greater liberty therein in Flanders For though our intentions be that the Reformed Religion should be the most prevalent yet it will behove us to allow of the Catholick there being so great a part of our Provinces which is obstinate therein and chiefly the Walloon Countrys to the regaining whereof we must with all our industry apply our selves And as for what authority the Duke may assume unto himself by the example of what the Kings of France enjoy in their Kingdom May not we limit it as we shall please so as he may know he hath the Flemish to Govern and not the French and that he must use our Laws only without any participation of theirs I therefore conclude that all the reasons considered in this present affair make much more for the French then for the English And this is likewise my opinion The which I am not notwithstanding so far in love withall but that I shall be ready to quit it when I shall hear a better None shall be more ready then I to adhere unto the sence of this most vigilant Assembly nor be more willing to endeavour the fulfilling thereof after it shall be maturely advised upon This opinion of Aldegonds bore great weight with it And to enjoy a Prince who was in his own person to sustain the Government and the Interest of the Provinces was a business exceedingly considerable This so important business was not agitated without the Catholick Deputies For though those of the Walloon Provinces were wanting and that there was no respect at all had to the Ecclesiastical Orders yet were there a great many Catholicks in the Provinces who leaned more to heresie wherefore in this Assembly there were divers Catholick Deputies chosen together with the Hereticks The Propositions which were made by the others were generally very ill rescented by these For though they did likewise greatly hate the Spaniards yet they thought it a too desperate business to treat of changing a Prince and almost altogether Religion They shewed How much the King would be irritated by both these That if he would never tolerate any liberty at all of consequence in Flanders how much less then would he suffer heresie to domineer every where And what more unworthy thing could there be then to make Religion subservient to the State the ancient Church to the new Sects and the Piety for so many years professed in those Provinces to rescent Doctrins which had involved almost all Europe in mighty troubles To this injury which should be done to the Church and which certainly the King would own as his own how much would the other add which belonged wholly to himself of bereaving him of his due soveraignty which after so long a succession of his ancestors was past into him and so strictly acknowledged and solemnly sworn unto by the Provinces That therefore it was to be believed he would rescent both these injuries with the whole Forces of his Kingdoms That his Forces had been formerly formidable but how much more now that he had gotten the Kingdom of Portugal That there could no relyance be had upon those of France by reason of the divisions by which that Kingdom was at the present so terribly rent in pieces And say the King of France could he would not assist his brother lest he might thereby draw upon him the Forces of the King of Spain That the Catholick Faction in France held already great correspondency with the King of Spain And now having so justifiable a pretence how much more might that King foment it and how many foreign evils might he add to those home-bred ones That from England they could not receive the benefit of a Prince of their own So as the administration must pass by the hands of Governours And what certainty was there that the English would give better satisfaction then the Spaniards especially in a new Principallity wherein they would never proceed so far by fair means but that they would much more use force That the same King had great commodity of making diversions likewise against the Queen and to incite England to some insurrection either by open war or under-hand practises and much more easily Ireland a Country which was almost altogether Catholick greatly devoted to the Church and well affected also to the Crown of Spain And thus the Provinces having no foreign helps would be wholly exposed to the indignation and forces of a potent and injured enemy from whom they were afterwards to expect the greater punishment in that they had given so just an occasion thereof For these reasons the Catholick Deputies past on to this opinion That above all things an agreement between the Provinces should be endeavoured for that if they were well united their own union might furnish them with sufficient Forces at least to defend themselves That they should never lay down their Arms till the ancient form of Government were first restored by the King That touching Religion the peace of Gaunt should be observed which was so maturely handled and concluded by the full consent of the Provinces That if things should be brought to that necessity as that the Provinces of Flanders must needs be severed from the Crown of Spain they should procure as it was most reasonable a Prince of the House of Austria or one of the Kings sons if he should have more then one or some other body who should marry with a daughter of the Kings upon whom the Dominion of those Provinces might be transferred And that at last if they should fail of all these means the Provinces should take the Soveraignty into their own hands In which case it was not to be doubted but that they should have a much better Cause more justifiable to the world better made good by their people and more favoured by their neighbours But the Hereticks did so far prevail in this Assembly as there was little regard had to this opinion of the Catholicks so as the question remained between the other two But at last that which Aldegonde had maintained in the behalf of Alanson was preferred Orange out of some private considerations of his own to boot with what concerned the Publick leaned more willingly likewise to this side For his Principality of Orange lay in France his wife was at that time of French bloud And great correspondency was had as had always been between him and the chief of the Hugonot Faction in that Kingdom Yet by reason of the weight of the Affair the ultimate conclusion was not at that time taken but the Deputies departed that they might first acquaint each Province with their Opinions and to bring from thence an integral resolution This mean while the business of War past on but coolly on both
should receive a full pardon from the King That the Citizens should return to the true obedience of the Church and King That those who would not live after the Catholick profession might enjoy their goods any where out of the Country That the souldiers should be suffered to march out with theirs Arms bagage and Colours flying That the City should pay 20000 pound to keep from being sackt And that the Princess of Espenoy might be suffered to go freely whether she pleased with all her wealth goods substance and family Thus was Tornay yielded and the Princess at her coming forth was received with such applause in the Kings Camp as it might be judged she came forth not as Conquered but as Conqueress The news this mean while continued that the Duke of Alanson would be quickly in Flanders and that without returning to France he would come directly from England and land in Zealand The Archduke Mathias had till this time kept in the Low-Countries and agita ted with many hopes could never fix upon any From the beginning he could not be Governour there by the Kings approbation He had enjoy'd nothing but likelyhoods in the Rebels Government and nothing but the Title in the management of the Militia yet he thought he merited by suffering Wherefore discovering the Rebels resolution of changing Prince he flattered himself mainly upon that occasion with new and ardent hopes He omitted not to make those things be suggested which might make most for his advantage and particularly his Austrian bloud of Germany which for so many years and with such satisfaction to the people had Governed Flanders But being but little listned unto and less considered and afterwards excluded out of all he was fain to be content and to return to his friends and former condition in Germany VVhen therefore it was noised that Alanson was in England and that he would be speedily in Flanders Mathias tarryed no longer but going by Cullen past over the Rhine and returned to his usual abode in the Emperours Court This year ended with his departure and with the Signior d' Altapenna's indeavour to surprise Bergen ap Zome which Town he was very near surprising for he and his men had already won one Gate and were begun to get more inward when the Garison betaking themselves to their Arms and the people flocking from all parts the Royalists were forced to go out many of them being slain and many wounded In the beginning of the year 1582. certain news was brought to Flanders at last that the Duke of Alanson was departed from England with intention of landing in Zealand After having been entertained many days with much feasting and honourable treatment he went from London and within three days came to Flushing The Queen made him be attended with a great Fleet of her ships which were commanded by Charls Howard Lord Admiral of England and would have him waited upon by divers of the chiefest Lords of her Kingdom amongst which was the Earl of Lester who was then in great Authority and favour with her When Alanson was come to Flushing he was received by Orange Espenoy and a great many other personages of quality who were come thither to that purpose They brought him from thence to Midleburg where staying a few days he came to Antwerp attended by above 50 Flemish ships gloriously trimed he landed upon the banks of Scheld near the Citadel and was met with an incredible applause and concourse of people After the wonted ceremonies of interchangeable oaths he entred on horseback into the City which was every where set out with triumphant Arches and other publick demonstrations of joy for his arrival Alanson being thus brought into his new Principality it was not long ere he began to know that hardly was the appearances or shadow thereof left unto him On the other side the Flemish began quickly to comprehend that he had brought with him nothing but the outside of vain hopes and of spetious titles He could not obtain any Forces of consequence from the King his brother and from the Queen of England such and so many only as by his means the Dominion of those Countries might rather be taken from the King of Spain then enjoyed by himself Wherefore the heat of that first welcome quickly cooled and the Inhabitants of Antwerp began to take some distaste at the Duke in point of Religion The Hereticks were already so prevalent there as but very little share of exercise remained for the Catholicks who had recourse unto the Duke to remedy the oppression which they received On the contrary the others endeavoured by all means to continue their advantages and though some satisfaction was at last given to the Catholicks yet were not they therewithall quieted nor did the Hereticks on their sides seem to be satisfied But an untoward accident which happened not long after had likely to have given him an â—ll favoured welcome and to have indangered his life Which was this A young Spaniard of mean birth in Biscay having resolved to kill Orange and taking bothtime and place fitting for his purpose in Orange his own hous discharg'd a musket in his face and wounded him so as at the first he was thought to be dead The noise being heard many hasted thither and astonished at the spectacle without further adoe slew the offender The news of this flew suddenly from the house to the Piazza and from the Piazza to every least corner of the City Nor is it to be said what a commotion it caused amongst the people Every one ran with anxiety from one place to another to know the truth thereof and lamenting one another and as if not only the Father of the Country but even the Father of every particular Family had been slain they bewailed the privat and publick misfortune which they thought had befaln them In this agitation it was whispered that the French had been the authors of this misdeed that they might rid their hands of Orange and thereby make the Duke of Alansons Authority the more free The baser sort of people turning their commisseration into fury ran headlong to Alansons house intending to kill all the French that they should find there and peradventure not to spare his own person In this interim the first fear was seised in Orange his house for the wound being searched was found not to be mortal the bullet had only past through both his cheeks beaten out some of his teeth and occasioned the loss of much bloud which for a while hindred his speech But when he knew it was a Spaniard who had shot him and heard what danger the French were in and even Alanson himself he writ some Tickets with him own hand and sent abroad divers in his own name who cleared the business and freed the multitude of their suspitions When all tumults were ceased they fell to search into the fact that they might make the juster resentment The most common opinion was
munite it on the one side and to Mandragone on the other Mansfield therefore fortified the Village of Cowstein from whence the counterdike was thrust out and that Fortification was called the strong House he inlarged and heightned the counterdike where it was most needfull he planted a little Fort upon the one side which was called La Motta because Signor de la Motta had the command thereof He made also another on the other side and named it Palata because for want of earth it was made of pales which want was found almost every where in fortifying the counterdike so as they were fain to supply it with fagots and other such like materials Where the counterdike joyned afterwards with the chief dike of the river Mandragone raised a Fort and called it the Cross in relation to the position of the place which was almost of the same form and because 't was doubted that the enemy might make a great cut in the chief bank of the river beneath Lillo which might have more prejudiced the counterdike Fernese caused three Forts be raised in that place which for that they were triangular were called the Forts of the Trinity All these Works which we have named were made from time to time according as need required which we have here set down the better to present them before your eyes and to give you the clearer intelligence thereof The Prince had shut up the Passes towards the land side about Antwerp which coasted upon Brabant by Garisons which were placed in Hostrat in Herentales in Breda in Lira in Diste and in divers other Towns by which Antwerp was kept from being relieved on that side Particularly the horse scoured the whole Country every where not only out of a bare intention of incommodating the Antwerpians but to keep them from having any communication with those of Brussels or Malines so to make both them Towns fall the sooner into their hands The fiege being thus ordered on each side the river it remained totally to block up the same river which was the chief business and which brought with it not only the greatest advantage but also the greatest necessary and met with greatest opposition The Marquis of Rubays General of the horse was of great authority and esteem in the Kings Camp Wherefore Fernese gave him the chief care of the bridg and gave unto him likewise the command of a great many men of War which were a preparing to facilitate the enterprise Rubays was not wanting in acting his part in all these imployments He was in action both day and night he uncessantly divided his labours now on this side now on that with infinite industry and valour So as by his dilligence all necessary provisions for the building of the bridg did in time so increase as all the Army began to hope to see their work soon brought to perfection Whilst the Kings Camp was amongst these labours and difficulties the besieged within the City were not agitated with less uncertainty and perturbances From the very beginning of the siege they had sent expresly into Holland and Zealand and to the rest of the Confederate Provinces to desire the best and speediest assistance which could be sent them from those parts But knowing that they could not receive sufficient succour from thence they had sent particular personages into France and into England to do the like in those Courts and endeavoured to interest both those Crowns again if it were possible in their cause They had good hopes from France but the effects were not answerable That Kingdom was still full of troubles and that King would not more irritate the King of Spain who was already too much incensed for what the Duke of Alanson had done in Flanders They received greater hopes from England and might much more easily come by them But the Queen after Alansons death willing to make such advantage of the Flemish as she could not do before made them believe she would assist them but was very slow in doing it It appeared at last that her end was to see them reduced to such necessity as they should be inforced to throw themselves into her hands and contenting her self at first with a bare title of protection she might come more easily afterwards so to be totally master of them These practises from abroad proceeding but very flowly and with much ambiguity the Antwerpians hopes consisted chiefly in succours from Holland and Zealand Provinces which were nearest them and which by their naval forces might best disturb the siege especially by way of the river Nor were these parts wanting in doing what possibly they could to this purpose But the work about the bridg advancing every day and the Forts of the Kings Camp being already increased on both sides and Rubays having commanded his barks to withstand those of the enemy victuals could not so freely be brought to Antwerp by water as formerly And all passes by land being shut up they had less hopes of any relief from thence Their wants therefore still increased But the Inhabitants were chiefly afflicted to see that Commerce began already to fail and that by continuation of the siege they were likely to be totally deprived thereof And peradventure not without danger of new plunder and firing which was that that they most apprehended calling to mind what they had undergone not many years before in that kind by the Spaniards A great part of their people especially of meaner sort lived upon Merchandizing and Traffick wherefore they began to complain very much of their already sufferings and of those yet greater which they daily feared more and more And those who were of better condition were not well pleased to see themselves thus incommodiated And those that were of the best condition and wealthiest amongst them the more they feared to lose so much more did they desire to avoid the danger thereof And though they did all of them abhor to return again under the Spanish Command especially those who were most infected with heresie yet well weighing all Interests they preferred that of their lives and estates before all other respects The meaner sort of people began already to speak freely of these inconveniences and dangers and whispers were heard to the same purpose amongst the more civiliz'd people So as wavering thus in their minds it appeared that they could not but grow very cool in sustaining such a siege so vigorously as they ought to do Il Signor di Santa Aldegonda was chief of the Magistracy which governed the City by the Title of Burgamaster Before Orange his death he was put into that Office that he might particularly advance Orange his ends as he had always endeavoured to do and as we have often told you And when Orange was dead there was not any one that more partially maintained his memory nor his passions with more vehemency then did Santa Aldegonda Wherefore occasion being one day offered when the Magistracy was much
the succour and that those that were with him were too weak to effect it Four of the six dayes granted for the relief of the Castle were already past Wherefore the King not willing to leave any thing unattempted which might contribute to the preservation of it resolved to send 300 choise men with all possible secresie from Boloign to Calis with a resolution that hazarding themselves upon all dangers they must either get into the Castle or die in the attempt He would have many Captains and Officers of known valour to be of this number and he gave them the Signor of Campignuola for their Commander a Souldier of great esteem and who was Governour of Boloign Campignuola marched on and being come two hours before day to within half a league of Calis he went to enter the Castle The chiefest difficulty lay in getting over certain low Marishes whither the Tide came and which were guarded by a Fort govern'd by the Marquis of Trevico a Neopolitan with his Brigado of the same Nation But the French had such luck to come at a low Ebb and such was the carelesness which was used in the Fort as Campignuola entred into the Castle with all his men not meeting with any obstacle Here he declared the Kings Commissions concluding that they must either defend the Castle or die in the defence thereof That if they could but make it good for a small time the King would come himself in person with full Forces to relieve it and that he was so resolved thereupon as he would use all imaginable means to doe it quickly These words did much inhearten those within the Castle insomuch as the Governour Biddosan together with the Garrison and the rest of the Inhabitants assured Campignuola that they would be faithfull in making the defence The Spanish Camp began to suspect by the proceedings in the Castle that it had received some succour which when the Cardinal was better assured of he complained much of Trevico Yet that he might come to the more perfect knowledg thereof the six dayes drawing now to an end the Cardinal sent to the Castle to demand the delivery of it according to the agreement To which the Governour answered That without violation of faith he was at liberty to defend it for he had received succour and such as he hoped he should be very well able to hold out This being known those without prepared for the assault and those within to defend the Castle And during these preparations the sixt day was fully expired The next day did hardly well appear when they began from without to play furiously upon the Castle and the chief Battery was placed against the chief Bulwark which did most command the gate Many other Peeces of Attillery were made use of at the same time to bereave them of their defence Wherefore the tempest of shot was so great and so continual for so many hours as the greatest part of that side of the Bulwark being beaten down the oppugnors thought they might fall to the assault The Artillery had plasd incessantly at the same time from the Castle and they within received the Enemy with great courage so as a sore conflict insued The Assailants were Spaniards and Walloons with their Campmasters Mendosa Velasco and Barlotta Who striving to give example and their Souldiers to imitate them there could not be a fiercer fight on this side Yet those within did so stoutly withstand the first assault as the Assailants not able to mount the breach were beaten back But at the very instant of their giving back being asham'd that they had done so they suddenly returned and falling more fiercely then before to the assault they so renewed the fight as at one and the same time almost they got upon the Breach planted their Colours there and entred with the Defendants into the Castle In this renewing of the assault the Governour Bidossan was slain together with many Captains and other valiant Souldiers who were present at the defence-making For what remained military fury was used few being left alive of which Campignuola was one From blood they fell to plunder which though it was not answerable to expectation yet it was thought to come to about 5000â—0 Crowns worth in goods together with a very considerable quantity of victuals and ammunition Many of the assailants Captains and Officers were slain The greatest loss they suffered was in the death of Count Pacchiotto an Italian chief Enginer of the Spanish Camp who through a desire of honour would be present at the assault where fighting valiantly he was slain Thus in less then 20 dayes Calis one of the chief Towns of France tell with so little opposition into the King of Spains hands Guines and Hames two Towns near Calis surrendred themselves also quickly to Monsieur de Rony The first was of some consequence the other very weak and not able to make any resistance The Cardinal staid ten dayes in Calis that he might leave the Town well munited and provided To the recovery whereof it appeared that the Queen of England and the Provinces of Holland and Zealand would buckle themselves with great Maritime preparations both these parties thinking themselves more concern'd in the loss of Calis then the King of France himself The King having received so great a blow returned speedily to his siege of Fera that he might put an end thereunto as soon as he could and keep the Town from being relieved with victuals Yet before he went from Bullen he secured that Town from all danger and furnished Montruille and Ardres with sufficient Garrisons and all manner of necessary provisions but especially the last as being nearer Calis and against which it was most to be feared that the Spaniards would address themselves Wherein he was not deceived For after divers consultations had the Cardinal being still thereunto advised by Rony made his Army march towards Ardres and on the beginning of May incampt before it The Town of Ardres is placed in a vally which is much more long then broad not above three leagues distant from Calis The Country about it is more watry then dry It is but of a small circuit but very strong both by nature and industry in the highest part thereof there is a suburbs which being formerly but weakly fortified was now very well munited by the Garrison and Townsmen Monsieur de Anneburg a well reputed Souldier was Governour of the Town And there were about 2000 Foot and 150 Horse there in garrison with good provisions for all things necessary for defence And for its greater advantage the Marquis of Belin the Kings Lieutenant of Picardy was come thither and with him Monsieur di Monluck a young man but one of the most cry'd up valour that was in all France Rony had the chief care of the siege wherefore having first well disposed of the Quarters and then provided for their security he began to advance with his Trenches They were first led
Calis afford less opportunity to offend so noble a part of the Kingdom by sea And what would Europe think of a King who contented with his only home-victories should suffer himself to be thus overcome by Forreign Forces How much would the Malcontents of the Kingdom be hereby incouraged to set the League on foot again perhaps which was or too lately supprest or not yet fully extinguished Thus did the King of France with great anger storm against himself for the surprisal of Amiens Being then thus agitated by these considerations he speedily removed from Paris to Co bie a Town standing upon the banks of Some not above three leagues from Amiens Here he together with Marishal Biroun and other Commanders in war resolved immediately to incamp before that City and not to leave any thing undone whereby to drive out the Spaniards and to free Picardy from all their Forces Biroun Commanded the Kings Forces who being naturally very haughty thought it redounded much to his own particular dishonour that the Spaniards should daily make such advancements in those parts The King therefore commanded him that mustering together as many of the French souldiery as might be had from the neighbouring Garisons he should begin to begirt Amiens and to take a particular care that no fresh men should enter into it This order being given and such others as were requisite upon such an occurrency the King went again to Paris to sollicite such Forces and preparations from all parts as were requisite for such an undertaking The River Some runs a long course through Picardy and cutting it as it were through in the middle fals afterwards into the British Sea Upon the Banks of this River stands the chiefest Cities and Towns of the Province But Amiens doth flourish there beyond them all as well for the antiquity of its foundation as for the beauty of its buildings and for the quality industry and number of Inhabitants The Some enters it with many Branches and washing the wals in many places makes the circuit thereof stronger on those sides then on the others it is also well provided of Curtains Flanks and Ditches but that part which looks towards Flanders as being most subject to danger is best fortified And because the Spaniards in likelyhood would have endeavoured to relieve the City on that side and especially from Dorlan the Marishal Biroun did therefore incamp himself on that side and began to break up the ways to possess himself of the Passes and to design out his quarters for the future siege Portacarrero had this mean while sent back Francesco d' Arco to Brussels to advertise the Cardinal of his happy success and to desire him to send some new recruits of men with all speed Great store of Artillery Ammunition and Victuals was found in Amiens Portacarrero did therefore for the present only desire a recruit of men that so he might make good the Town till such time as the Cardinal might come to relieve it with a compleat Army The Cardinal shewed such signes of joy as became such a purchase and sent back the same Francesco d'Arco having first honoured him upon this occasion with a Company of Spanish Foot to assure Portacarrero that he would speedily send him some good succour and that he would forthwith muster the whole Army with which he himself would come in person and undoubtedly raise the siege On the other side the King of France being fully resolved to continue it went perpetually from one place to another to raise what moneys he could what men and what provisions as were requisite for such a purpose A Renovation of League was then in Treaty between him and the Queen of England which he very much desired might be effected And he Treated likewise with the United Provinces of Flanders that they might make some considerable diversion against the Spaniards and that in particular they might send him some aid for the business of Amiens The mean while Marishal Biroun prosecuted the already begun works he had thrown a bridg of boats over the uppermost part of the River between Corbie and Amiens and another over the lower part thereof where the Village Lompre stands to the end that he might have free passage from the one side of the River to the other and might at his pleasure joyn the Kings Forces on either side He drew a Line in compass from the one bridg to the other of well Flank'd Trenches towards the City but of much greater compass towards the field-side All these Works were made on the side towards Flanders as hath been said because the besieged were to be succoured from thence Nor did he forbear beleaguering the Town in such sort as was fitting on the side which lay towards France It is not to be said with what ardency and eagerness Biroun behaved himself adding a rigid imperious command to his innate pride and making it evidently appear in his Military haughtiness that he would bequeath the siege in such a condition to the King when his Majesty should come thither as he should acknowledg the good success thereof chiefly from him Thus had Biroun laid the siege but at the same time he hoped to make so important a surprise on the neighbouring Frontiers of Artois as the Spaniards should be so much the more hindred from the freeing of Amiens To this purpose he did so unexpectedly assault Arras by night which is the chiefest City of Artois with 4000 foot and 1200 horse as he indangered it He planted a Petard luckily his men began already to enter the Gate but the people thereof which are numerous and warlike taking up Arms the French were so on repulst wherein Count Bucquoy's valour did very much appear who being in Arras had the fortune to signalize himself more then any other upon that occasion Biroun being returned to his quarters about Amiens attempted another surprise by sealado against Dorlan but failed therein also So as quite forgoing these secret machinations he applyed himself wholly to the siege which he had begun No less vigilancy was in the interim used on the Spaniards behalf The Cavalier Pacciotto an highly esteemed Italian Ingenier and brother to the other Ingenier Pacciotto who was slain at the assault of Calis was by stealth gotten into Amiens and had brought Captain Lechiuga with him a Spaniard who very well understood the management of Artillery These two applyed themselves diligently the one to better the Fortifications where it was most needfull the other to dispose of the Artillery where they might be of greatest annoyance to the enemy And Biroun not having as yet fully finished his Trenches the Cardinal Archduke had given strict command that some endeavour should be made to put some new recruit of souldiers into Amiens from the Frontiers of Artois Count Bucquoy was to this effect in Dorlan with 4000 Walloon foot and John de Gusman with 300 horse And because it was afterwards feared that such a body of
From thence they proceeded to Tumults from Tumults to Rebellion and from Rebellion to a cruel War The unquenchable fire whereof hath now burnt above these forty years and how oft to bring it to an end to boot by the way of force have you used treaties of concord But still in vain so unappeaseable hath the double rebellion of the Flemish proved against the Church and against your Crown and so very much have they continually been fomented by their neighbours on all sides insomuch as Holland and Zealand and many other of those Provinces which are up in Arms grow every day more obstenate in resolving never to return under the obedience of Spain Then if you who have lived whole years in those Provinces with such experience of their own particular affairs and of the affairs of the whole world with so many Forces and so many valiant Commanders when France was most grieved with inward wounds and England apprehended the like sufferings under a woman have not been able to shun such great losses in Flanders why should we not fear that your successors may yet suffer every day greater So as at last which God forbid this Crown may be wholly deprived of those Provinces How much better souldiers do those Rebels daily grow And how much better may France and England foment them now then they could have done formerly France being at peace within it self and England which daily expects the King of Scots for their King The vils which Spain suffers from Flanders reacheth even to the Indies it is to be feared they may indammage you more in the West-Indies then they have hitherto done in the East As a Canker in any one member of a mans body works upon and consumes the vigor of all the other members So the ulcerate part of Flanders makes the body of your whole Empire daily languish The gold of the Indies the people supplyed from Spain from Italy and those which for the like end are continually raised in Germany are not sufficient as by experience is found to maintain that war The hunger of that ravenous Beast is still increased by food and how much do mutinies devour Which are now grown so Domestick that as one ends another begins and often teo much to our loss divers happen at one and the same time This is the condition of Flanders and this is the state of the losses which the Crown of Spain hath thereby suffered till now and of what they may suffer hereafter My opinion therefore is that your Majesty shall do well to give the Low-Countries in Dowry to the most Illustrious Infanta whereof framing a principality in your daughter and honouring the Cardinal Infanta your Nephew with her by making him her husband the Flemish will by this means have at last a Prince of their own which is that which they at all times have so thirsted after If the marriage of these new Princes prove fruitful as it is to be hoped it will the yet obedient Provinces will continue their obedience to the Church and Austrian blood at least if not to the Crown of Spain Nor is it to be doubted but that the same good and profitable correspondency will pass between that branch and this as hath past betwixt this and that other established in Germany And to say truth of what use may such an example be In which it is seen that the Emperor your father in great wisdom would there agrandise that Austrian branch because he thought it impossible that the greatness of that and this joyned together should continue here in your Spain though the chief branch but too far remote from Germany Their neighbours will then rejoyce at this new Flemish Principality and will assist it as much hereafter for seeing it dismembred from this Crown as they have been formerly averse thereunto for that it was joyned to your Majesties Kingdom Jealousies will be succeeded by assurances instead of having the wars fomented from those parts friendly offices will be done for the introducing of Peace And the Flemish race being by this marriage established why should we not hope that at last even the rebellious Provinces should by degrees reunite themselves according to the ancient form with those which are obedient In sine either is this the remedy which remains to heal the wounds of those Countries or we shall never finde any sufficient to effect it When Moura had spoken the other Councellors gave their opinions Jovanni d' Ideaques a Councellor likewise of great authority with the King joyn'd with Moura Idiaques as we have told you upon another occasion had been Ambassador in Genua and Venice and after other imployments being returned to Spain did now exercise a place of the greatest importance belonging to that Crown But there were divers others of the Councel who adhered to Fuentes his opinion Wherefore the King was for a while in doubt what to doe yet at last those reasons prevailed with him which first inclined him to give the Low-Countries in Dowry to the Infanta his eldest Daughter He considered and foresaw how France would grow daily greater in power That the Queen of England being now very old was to be succeeded by the King of Scotland who would unite that Kingdom to England and of them both make but one of all Great-Britain That from those parts the Rebellion of Flanders would still be more and more fomented and still he should be in greater danger of losing all those Provinces He likewise foresaw the dangers wherewith the Indies might be continually threatned and thought that if Flanders were reunited under an Austrian Prince the Maritime Provinces returning again to enjoy as formerly the Commerce of the Indies in that of Spain they would no longer think of their new so long and so expensive Navigations But the King seemed to be chiefly affected with the losses which the Church had already suffered in Flanders and which they might again suffer at the same time together with him And lastly it was believed that to boot with the reasons formerly touched upon this consideration swayed much with him That in case his onely Son should dye and the Infanta being in such a case to succeed him he should doe wisely to give her a Husband who was already so well known already becom a Spaniard and who would cause no alteration in the affairs of Spain The King being thus fully resolved he caused the Articles of Marriage to be drawn up the chief whereof were these That he gave the Provinces of Flanders together with the County of Burgony in Dowry with his Daughter which she was to enjoy joyntly together with her Husband That either Males or Females which should proceed from that marriage should succeed the men being notwithstanding to be preferred before the women and still the first-born sons or daughters That if the inheritance should rest in a woman she should be bound to marry either a King or Prince of Spain That be the Heire
the United Provinces they seemed to desire nothing more then the peace and tranquility of those Countries affirming that for their part they would never be wanting in contributing their best endeavours thereunto Having thus declared their Commissions first to the Archdukes the Ambassadors went afterwards into Holland and there did the like to the Deputies representing the States Generall of the United Provinces Touching the novelties happened in the Neutral Countries the Deputies answered with all obsequiousness towards the Emperor and Empire and complained bitterly of the Spaniards As for Schinks Sconce they endeavoured to justifie the success thereof with divers reasons And the Ambassadors giving assured hopes that if the United Provinces would restore Emrich they would make the Archdukes restore Reinberg the Deputies promised that that Town should be restored as it soon after was In the point of the Treaty of Agreement the Ambassadors found great reluctancie in the Deputies who said That the United Provinces would never confide in the Spaniards that therefore they would not enter into any Treaty with them and that the Archdukes by the form of their new Principality did wholly depend upon the King of Spain Notwithstanding all these difficulties the Ambassadors did so work it as at last the United Provinces gave way that their Deputies should meet with those of the obedient Provinces to make if it were possible some good agreement between both sides and the Convention was agreed upon to be at Berghen-ap-Zome a Town belonging to the United Provinces and but a short dayes journey from Antwerp Thus was this Conference occasioned by the means of these Ambassadors though no good came thereof it being broken almost as soon as begun as shall be related in its proper place About the same time almost another Negotiation was put in hand to bring the affairs to some good correspondencie between the King of Spain and the Archdukes on the one side and the Queen of England on the other Cardinal Andrea had laid some ground-works hereof whilst he had yet the Government of Flanders Nor did the Queen shew herself averse thereunto When the Archdukes were come to Brussels they took occasion to continue the friendly offices begun by the Cardinal and the Queen did the like with them Wherefore these demonstrations proceeding from both sides by letters and particular personages it was believed that the Treaty might hold on and that they might come to some good agreement Not long after the Town of Boloign in France which lies upon the English Channel was chosen for this end Where about the beginning of May Baltazar de Ziniga who was Ambassador for the Spanish King in the Court of Flanders and Fernando Cariglio came in behalf of the King of Spain and with them the President Richardotto and the Audienciarie Verrechin on the Archdukes part And on the behalf of the Queen of England Sir Henry Nevil who was her Ambassador at that time with the King of France Sir John Herbert and Sir Thomas Edmonds But all these being met in Boloign such difficulties arose in point of precedencie between the Spanish and the English Agents as it was not possible to reconcile them wherefore they came not to any agreement at all but departing almost as soon as they were met the Negotiation was put off to a better conjuncture of time Count Maurice was by this time ready to march into the field It was thought he would go against the peculiar Province of Flanders for he imbarqued his men in the maritime Gulfs which were nearest that Province and therefore it was judged that his principal designs tended thitherward Nor was it ill imagined For about the midst of June he landed all his Army about the Fort Sasso which consisted as it was commonly said of 15000 Foot and 2500 Horse Divers Rivers run through Gaunt which is the chiefest City of the Province of Flanders one of them streams out in a large Channel which falls into the nearest maritime Gulf to that City and which afterwards joyns with the rest which doe incompass the Islands of Zealand Here stands the Fort called Sasso of Gaunt as not being above five leagues from that City This Fort was very carefully guarded by a Spanish Garrison especially for the securing of some Sluces by which the water of the aforesaid Channel might either be raised or let down and drown all the fields thereabouts Neer this Fort upon the brink of the same Gulf two lesser Forts were placed Maurice assaulted these and easily taking them it was thought he would have assaulted the great Fort of Sasso but he fearing he should be entertained there longer then he could be dispenced withal by his other greater designs he went from thence and marched with all his Army towards Bruges and past almost by the Gates thereof It was thought that having many in that City who sided with him he hoped that upon occasion of his being so near the Town they might occasion some tumult which might happen for his advantage But failing of his expectation he pursued his march with evident signs that he would lay siege to Newport a Town near the Sea and not far from Ostend At the same time as he march by land those many ships waited on him by sea which served to land his Army in the Province of Flanders When he was entred into Ostend he publickly declared his resolution of besieging Newport The Archdukes had divers Forts to withstand the excursions which were made by the souldiers of Ostend and in particular three called St. Albertus Snaescherch and Bredene and there was another between Ostend and Bruges upon the pass of a river in a place called Audemberg Maurice turn'd first upon these Forts which were but weakly garrisoned and munited and meeting but with little resistance possessed himself speedily of them all He thought that the Catholick Camp would not adventure to relieve Newport unless they had first recovered those Forts and that if they should not recover them all the sooner he might the mean while take the Town which was neither very great nor very strong nor sufficiently provided of men nor of other things requisite to make defence With this design and these hopes he drew near to Newport and being still followed by his Maritime Train by means whereof his Army might continually be largely furnished with whatsoever he wanted he began to straighten the Town both by sea and land Newport doth not stand fully upon the sea-shore but very neer it on the one part thereof there runs a little River which though it be but of a mean Channel yet where it fals into the sea makes a considerable haven and especially at high tydes Upon the first news of Count Maurice his being moved and of his Armies being landed in the Province of Flanders the Arch Dukes went presently from Brussels to Gaunt the better by their presence to secure both that City and the other Towns of that Province Where mustering as many
two peeces of Artillery and in it were twelve hundred choise souldiers picked out of all the Nations and this he assigned to Camp-master Antunes who was one of the valliantest and oldest souldiers of all Flanders A little behinde this followed two other Battalions of Foot with two peeces of Artillery likewise in the Fronts of each of them the one Spaniards under Camp-master Menesses the other Italians under the two Camp-masters Justinian and Branchatchio These two Battalions stood on equal brest but at a befitting distance one from another After these came another greater Battalion of Foot and because it was the last it had two peeces of Artillery on the Rear thereof and it was led on by Count d' Emden a German Camp-master and by Monsieur d' Ashshurt a Walloon Camp-master The Horse were placed on both the Flanks divided into divers Squadrons two whereof which were the greatest and which were called the reserve as being reserved for the greatest need were commanded by Cavalier Bentivoglio and Luca Cairo both of them Italians and who were the ancientest Captains On the Front of the Cavalry and in the Van stood Velasco their General on the right hand and Melzi Lieutenant General on the left And because the Enemy were much superior in Horse their wings were sheltered with long and redoubled Files of Carts which were likewise furnished with some Files of Musketteers and with a peece of Artillery on each side Spinola chose no particular place for himself that he might be at liberty to turn whither he listed This was the order of the Catholick Camp and in this manner they still drew nearer the Town and though they had all a great desire to fight yet Spinola to confirm it the more in them by shewing his own forwardness added such incitements as upon such an occasion was most requisite he told them That the preservation of Groll was not onely in dispute now but even the like of all that they had purchased at the price of so much blood and labour on the other side the Rhine That therefore they must either dye or relieve it But that he believed though the Enemy were more in numbers then they yet they would not come to the tryal of a battel That it was not numbers but valour that got the victory And had they not newly tryed even in those very parts that Count Maurice would still keep sheltered between Ditches and Rivers not ever coming forth to open battel And more of late at Reinberg when did he shew any true good will thereunto Let them then according to their custom play their parts valiantly That he would not fail on his behalf nor would he forget to let the King and Arch-dukes know their several good services and endeavour their reward But these exhortations needed not For Count Maurice were it either by express orders from the Confederate Provinces or for some particular sense of his own or that in reason of war he being so great a Commander it ought indeed to have been done he would not lead forth his Army into the field nor put himself upon the trial of a Battel And not being sufficiently fortified to attend the Catholick Camp within his Trenches he resolved to retreat and first staying in a certain place where he was safe on all sides he afterward withdrew from the Town and led his Army into other parts And Spinola after he had furnished the Town with what was necessary for the defence thereof did the like And sending his souldiers to their Garrisons he himself past back again over the Rhine and came to the Arch-duke at Brussels Spinola's designs had then been really very great as may be gathered by what we have said And though by reason of the unexpected difficulties which arose the success did not correspond to expectation yet these two affairs of Reinberg and Groll proved such as doubtlessly the one may be numbred amongst the noblest Sieges and the other amongst the most famous Reliefs that the War of Flanders had till then produced THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Third Part. BOOK VIII The Contents The opinion of the Popes of Rome in advantage to the affairs of Flanders A suspension of Armes insues in those Provinces They then fall to a setled Treaty that they might come either to a settlement of a perpetual Peace or of some long Truce The reasons why the King of Spain and the Arch-Dukes do incline to bring the Affairs to some accommodation Great consultations hereupon had in the Confederate Provinces The Emperors King of France and King of Englands sense therein Count Maurice his declared opposition yet the Treaty proceeds and Deputies on both sides meet The Businesses are propounded Great difficulties in those of the Indies and afterwards in other things Whereupon all Treaty of Peace soon ends They therefore enter upon the second Consideration Viz. Of a long Truce The Ambassadors of France and England labour hard therein Count Maurice does what he can again to interrupt it Yet the Treaty is held on foot by the said Ambassadors And the Ambassadors of France doe particularly stickle very servently therein Divers difficulties arise on the Spanish side And great diligence is had to overcome them Which at last is done and a Truce for twelve years is concluded IN this condition were the Affairs of Flanders when the year 1607 began the forty sixth year wherein those miserable Provinces had been so long and so surely agitated with the troubles of war was now on foot Nor for as many Treaties of agreement as had been begun was it ever possible to bring any of them to a good result The hottest negotiation was that of Cullen wherein Gregory the thirteenth had imployed an extraordinary Nuntio as was then shown that those Provinces might take into consideration the prejudice which the Church had suffered in Flanders by occasion of the Wars And on the contrary what benefit she might reap by the introducing of some sort of accommodation His successors did still retain the same sense And more modernly Clement the eighth in his having endeavoured and procured a peace between the two Kings did amongst his other ends ayme at making so good a corrispondency between them as that France might for the time to come afford all favorable assistance to the new Principallity of Flanders and might reduce the affairs of those Provinces to some peaceful end Leo the eleventh who succeeded Clement in the Pontifical See did abound yet more in the same sense as he who being imployed as Clements Legat in France had been the chief instrument of making that peace But being suddenly snatched away by death he could not witness it by his endeavours After him Paul the fifth was Pope a Prince very zealous in exercising the Pontificial office endowed with great worth and goodness and who being make Cardinal by Clement had drunk in the same sense of labouring peace in Christendom
together with some other of our writings concerning the Affairs of Flanders and that even since then we had a thought of composing this intire present History of the War which happened in those Provinces till by the Truce Arms were laid down we will therefore here insert the same Relation though it were formerly printed it being a member which ought also to be joyned to this body in this place and which will now fully compleat it The Command of the Catholick Army being past into Marquis Spinola's hands great were those designes as you have heard which he brought with him from Spain to Flanders to make the chief seat of the War on the other side the Rhine and to straiten the enemy the most they could in those parts To this purpose were the extraordinary Forces in the two last fields raised But though great advantages were gotten thereby yet fell they far short of the conceived hopes It was seen that Spain could not continue to maintain so excessive an expence That for want of money a new Mutiny had again happened That another might insue and that one of these disorders did much confound and distort the whole body of the Army Spinola was so troubled with these and some other reflections of importance as he at last fell upon those very considerations which already divers of the gravest and best experienced State-Ministers both of Spain and Flanders had faln upon touching the difficulties and dangers which the Warre of Flanders and the going about to weaken or subdue the Enemy by force of Arms brought with it They discoursed thus amogst themselves That all the good they had reaped by forty years War was their having made the Enemy the more strong more resolute to defend their usurpt liberty more firm in the union which they had established amongst themselves and better united to the forein Princes whho sided with them That Nature's self might be said to have fought always for them by their Bulwarks of Sea and Rivers and their strong scituations in all other parts and that where nature was wanting there industry together wih their so many well munited places did make amends That their power by land was verygreat in all things else and their power as sea so great as that the Crown of Spain had been much indamaged thereby even in the East-Indies and was in danger of being a greater sufferer by them in the West-Indies also What amass of strength on the other side and money must it cost the King to maintain the War of Flanders That doubtlesly his Empire was very large but much discunited Flanders the most disunited member of the whole body of his Dominions both by sea and land That the sea was blocked up by the Enemies ships That their passage by land did depend upon many Princes which alwaies caused great difficulties in their sending of aid and destroyed their men more by their marches then by their bickerings Then how many corruptions and disorders had been rooted in their Army and how could they be remedied during the War they being the effects which so long a War had inevitably produced That instead of obedience strife reigned amongst the Nations That there were now more wives then souldiers more mutinies then years that their own Forces were almost as dangerous to them as those of their Enemies And mutinies growing so familiar now of one now of another Nation and ofttimes of many Nations at once what a sad day would that be when the whole Army should mutiny together a day which would bring the Kings affairs in Flanders to their utmost danger as also the Cause of the Catholick Religion for the defence whereof the War at first was chiefly made and hath been so long maintained by the Spanish side If then by so many reasons and so long experience War against the Enemy were to be esteemed so fruitless is it not better said they to come to some fair agreement with them is it not better to order our Army anew and in the mean time to get strength and laying down Arms except what with time would make most to the Spanish advantage Arms being laid down the King of France already grown old might in this interim die and with him that assistance might chance to cease which was subministred to the Enemy by a Prince of such power and repute That after his death the affairs of France might peradventure change face their King being so young the like might be expected in the affairs of England their King being a new King and a Scotchman but ill looked on by that Kingdom the Enemy having likewise received considerable succours from Scotland And in case any of these things should happen how much would the affairs of Spain be bettered But above all it was to be hoped that even peace it self might turn to a secret war against the Enemy That the fear of the Spanish forces was the bond which fastened their union closest so as this fear ceasing through the enjoyment of quiet some domestick evil might arise amongst them which might break the union and some opportunity in favour of the King and Arch-dukes of regaining some of the Rebelious Provinces by underhand-dealing and of subjugating the others afterwards by force These reasons were doubtlesly very weighty and of great consideration and had been oft-times argued in Spain whereupon the King had at last resolved that if he could not effect his ends by arms all possible means should be used to come by some convenient Treaty of agreement with the Enemy in Flanders and the affairs of Flanders may be said totally to depend upon the King For the marriage between the Arch-duke and the Kings sister proving barren and the Provinces of Flanders being consequently to return unto the King again he had therefore chiefly maintained the War with his Forces and consequently all Treaties ' of agreement were chiefly to depend upon his Authority The Arch-duke inclined also very much to bring things to some accommodation he being a Prince naturally given to love his quiet and full of years and experience might comprehend better then any other the dangerous consequences which the War of Flanders brought with it but it was very hard to find out a way how to treat of accommodation A while since the enemy seemed to be quite averse unto any such Treaty and still swelling with prosperity and success they resolved never to listen to any whatsoever Treaty till such time as the King and Archdukes should first publickly declare that they treated with them as with Free Provinces and States unto the which the King nor Arch-dukes made no claim nor pretence whatsoever wherein the Arch-duke found great repugnancy in himself and foresaw the like in the King He thought that to declare those now to be a free people against whom they had fought as against rebels would be to confess that their former war had been unjust and that to seem now so willing to put an end
unto it would be likewise a declaring that they were no longer able to maintain it what honour should they lose herein how could they with credit treat of peace or truce with their own rebels and how dangerous a president would it be to make liberty the reward of rebellion for such an example in favour of those Provinces which had rebelled would be an invitation to such as yet kept their obedience to doe the like This preparation of the affairs of Flanders was in the beginning of the year 1607. Father John Neyen a Franciscan Fryer was then at Brussels he was born at Antwerp and after having taken upon him that religious habit he had staid awhile in Spain to pass the course of his studies there and by that reason was well acquainted with the affairs of that Court He returned from thence to Flanders and being become Commissary General of his Order in those parts he kept very much at Brussels He was very religious of an eloquent tongue very well fitted to the nature of his Countey and therefore as well acceptable in private discourse as in the Pulpit and much versed in the negotiations of the age The Commissary had some acquaintance in Holland and by chance a Holland Merchant who was a friend of his was then in Brussels This Merchant was very inward with divers of the chiefest that sate at the Helm in the United Provinces The Arch-duke being at privat councel with Spinola and some others of the Kings Officers in Flanders 't was thought expedient that the Commissary should dispose the Merchant to go to the Hague in Holland to endeavour some new overture of Treaty The Merchant went but he found no ear would be given thereunto till the abovesaid Declaration of their being Free-States were granted and that this should precede all other things The Arch-duke was sencible of the aforesaid repugnancies in condescending thereunto yet all the former considerations being again weighed it was at last judged that it was best to yield to the present necessity and that all means should be used to procure a cessation of Arms and to enter into a Treaty of accommodation If the Treaty should have good success the success would sufficiently applaud the Treaty if it should not succeed well but that they must be forced to continue the war the making of such a verbal Declaration would not import much 't was added That to declare that they treated with the United Provinces as with Free States unto which the King and Arch-dukes laid no pretension was alwayes to be understood by way of supposition to wit as if they were free not signifying a true and legitimate liberty which they by their rebellion could never justly come by nor justly enjoy which being so manifest neither did the King nor the Arch-dukes lose any right which they formerly had to the United Provinces though they should make a Declaration thus limited Sudden advertisment was sent to Spain of what had been discovered by the Merchants means and all things were again represented unto the King which were thought likelyest to induce him to give way that some Treaty of agreement might be had with the United Provinces in such manner as hath been said The reasons which prevailed in Flanders did so likewise in Spain in perswading the King to give way to the Treaty which was desired Whereupon the Arch-duke resolved to send the Commissary General in person into Holland to endeavour once more some fairer way of commencing a Treaty and to yield at last if there were no remedy to what the United Provinces pretended unto The Commissary took his journey about the end of February and being come to the Hague he soon perceived there was no hopes of ever being heard in any thing whatsoeever unless the abovesaid Declaration should precede whereupon being admitted into the Councel of the States Generall which is the supreme magistracy by which the whole body of those Provinces is represented he opened himself thus unto them That the Arch-duke Albertus and the Arch-dutchess the Infanta his wife had alwayes desired to see the Low-Countries once free from civil wars that so many and so bitter calamities of war might be turned to the enjoyment of a happy peace That peace was the end of war which not being to be had but by the way of Treaty they did consent on their side that the Declaration of Liberty which they knew the United Provinces do pretend unto should precede that it became all good Princes to endeavour all means whereby to cause quiet unto their people and that to justifie this their so just and religious end to the world they had willingly descended now to an overture of Treaty and to second the success thereof would be as willing to do any thing that might tend to the good of the weal-publick This Proposition being well discust in the Councel of the States General they thought that whatsoever could be desired made then for the advantage of the Low-Countries whereupon they resolved to accept of the offer and before the Commissary departed a suspension of Arms for eight months was agreed upon which was to begin the next May and it was likewise concluded that the Treaty should begin the next September The Commissary went from Holland with this answer Not long after the Arch-dukes declared by a particular Edict or Proclamation that they came to suspension of Arms with the United Provinces as with Free Provinces and States unto which they did not lay any pretence the States-General did also the like on their side the Commissary did likewise promise that the King of Spain should by the Arch-dukes procurement ratifie the same within three months and he did likewise desire in the names of the Arch-dukes that the States would inhabit all hostility by sea promising that the Arch-dukes would oblige themselves that the King of Spain should do the same to the which the States after some difficulties condescended all this was afterwards published by the United Provinces to their people with great demonstrations of joy and they gave an account thereof to their Confederate Princes but more particularly to the King of France and King of England from both of which Ambassadors were forthwith sent to congratulate with them The affairs of Flanders were at this pass when I came to Brussels which was on Saint Laurence his eve 1607. It cannot be exprest how all men on all sides did rejoyce in expectation of what the event would prove Soon after my coming to Brussels the Kings ratification came to procure the which as also to give a more particular account of what had past the Arch-duke had dispatched away Commissary Neyen The ratification came in general terms and so pen'd as it was to be doubted the United Provinces would not allow of it yet Lewis Verreychen chief Secretary of State to the Arch-dukes was suddenly sent with it into Holland The United Provinces shewed strange arrogancy in these negotiations and particularly
a great suspition of being over-reached by the Spaniards whence it was to be beleeved that they would interpret all that should come from that side in the worst sense You have heard what the number and Government of the United Provinces are and how they are seated How Holland and Zealand are seated in the bosome of the Sea and the other five lie more inwards into the land these therefore did more willingly give way unto the Treaty at the first and did afterwards appear more inclined to continue it The principal and Fundamental Law of their union is That in resolutions appertaining to the common interest the Votes of all of them must equally agree so as their businesses proceed but slowly they being to be treated of apart in every several Province and alike uniform consent to be gathered from them all by long and tedious perswasions as their liberty is in all of them alike The Kings ratification being then sundry times consulted on and with great jealousies these difficulties were objected by the United Provinces That the ratification came in general terms that it did not contain the essential clause touching their liberty but that the King still styled the Arch-dukes Princes of the Low-Countries that the King writ himself I the King as he used to do to his own Vassals that it was written in ordinary Paper and not in Parchment as is usually done in things of great importance and finally that it was sealed with a little seal and not with a great one as ought to have been Verreychin being afterwards sent for in these difficulties were propounded unto him and exaggerated rather in an insolent then free manner and it was at last concluded that the United Provinces would by no means accept of the ratification in manner as it was by him presented The common peoples madness is alwaies very great but more when they are smiled upon by Fortune They are full of arrogancy and rashness in time of Prosperity and as base and abject in adversity So as a multitude must either not be treated with at all or these alternate defects must be patiently born withal Verreychin used therefore such dissimulation as was requisite and endeavoured to remove their suspitions He assured them that such a ratification would not have been sent from Spain did not the King intend to make it good that his intentions were excellent and that he did vie therein with the Arch-Dukes he prayed them to allow time for another to come that he did again promise in the the name of the Arch-Dukes to cause another ratification bee sent in same form as was by them desired The resolution put on in Holland was that the Arch-Dukes should procure a new ratification to be sent from Spain within six weeks which should contain word for word the same Declaration of Freedom Which the Arch-dukes had made in their instrument that it should be written in Latine French or Dutch and should be subscribed by the King with his own name and to the end that no more errors might be run into the form thereof was given to Verreychin in all the three Languages Father Neyen was this mean while returned from the Court he acquainted them how hard it was to procure the King to send the former ratification though in general terms yet he affirmed that he did verily hope that a second would come in particular terms The Spaniards knowing what necessity there was to commence a Treaty thus with the United Provinces since no other way would be admitted of The Arch-Dukes did again signifie this necessity so as not long after the second ratification came from Spain but it was so penhed as it was feared the United Provinces would raise new seruples in admitting it it contained the pretended declaration of liberty and all the other clauses that were desired But in the conclusion this was added by the King that if the matters of Religion should not be agreed upon as well as the other points his ratification should signifie nothing and affairs should still continue in their former posture It was also written in Spanish subscribed as usually I the King and in all things else according to the former manner Yet it was believed that these last rubs would easily be removed by the example of the Kings having done the same in the two Peaces which were lately concluded with the King of France and King of England The other difficulty touching the new added clause was thought the greater And that word Religion seemed to be immaturely put in since it might raise jealousies in the United Provinces as if it were already determined in Spain to make propositions against the liberty of their Government and against that declaration which the King at the same time made in form aforesaid The Commissary and Verreychin were sent both together with this second ratification into Holland who in the presenting thereof made large professions to the States general again of the great good inclinations of the King and Arch-dukes towards the common good and how desirous they were particularly of the Low-Countries welfare The States took time to give their answer and after much consultation their answer according to their wonted arrogance was thus That the Kings ratification was not answerable to the form which they desired and that amongst other things the new added clause could not be allowed of since the King knew very well as did also the Arch-Dukes that the United Provinces were free Provinces and would alwaies be so though no agreement were made That notwithanding the States would acquaint every Province with the ratification and would within six weeks make their resolution known But with this protestation that they intended not that by vertue of such a ratification any thing should be propounded which might tend to the prejudice of the freedom of their Government in case the Treaty went on This answer being given the Commissary and Verreychin returned to Brussels Whilst affairs were thus negotiated in Flanders divers interests passions and ends were upon this occasion discovered to be not onely in the neighbouring Princes but almost in all the Princes of Europe In Germany the Emperor Radulphus the second pretended that no Treaty of agreement could be made in Flanders without his participation and consent taking for granted that the Low-Countries did depend upon the Empire and therefore no separation could be made therein without his Authority Wherefore he had written some Letters to this purpose to the Catholick King the Arch-duke and the United Provinces The King and Arch-duke answered him in general terms as did also the United Provinces save onely that they added a long justification of their cause and of their war against the Spaniard till the present Neither was there any more news heard of the Emperor in the whole progress of the Treaty But Henry the fourth of France was not so negligent in the consideration of these passages He had sent Ambassadors upon this occasion at
the first into Holland the truest and most intrinsecal end whereof was that he might have a share in what was to be done and specially to cause jealousie in the Spaniards and by this means to induce them to make use of him and to make him Arbitrator in the differences The King of France was then in his chiefest greatness and prosperity and enjoying his Kingdom in perfect peace and honour after having arrived thereat through many difficulties all which he had overcome with incredible constancy and valour He considered the Affairs in Flanders after several manners on one side he could have wished that the war might continue and that thereby the affairs of Spain might still be impaired even till at last they might lose whole Flanders On the other side he saw himself well stricken in years his children very young and that in case he should fail fresh troubles might in a short time arise in his Kingdom which might chiefly be fomented by the Spanish Forces of Flanders that the disorders of those Forces were not so many but that if the war should continue very necessity would force them to finde out a remedy nor the danger of their losses such as might not be evaded by the power of so great a Monarch which made him desire to see Flanders without war and the Spaniards without Forces so near at hand Neither did he like that the United Provinces who were already become so formidable at Sea might by their growing too great be as dreadful at Land For the Hereticks of his Kingdom could from no part else be better fomented to rebel The King amidst these various considerations had his eye fixt upon these passages of Flanders and because his authority was very great in the United Provinces he beleeved they would never come to any accommodation with the Spaniards without his consent At the first he seemed to be averse to the affairs in hand though to say truth he did not well know what he had best to do but he did this of purpose to enforce the Spaniards to put the Negotiations into his hands Great dexterity and cunning was requisite to the leading on of these designs He therefore chose for this so important affair the President Jannine a man of great experience and abilities and one who was then chieflyest employed by him in State affairs He sent Mr. de Rosse along with Jannine who was then extraordinary Ambassador into Flanders to continue afterwards his ordinary Ambassador in the United Provinces Having both of them exercised their Offices in the entrance into the affairs spoken of they stayed in Holland Jannine did diligently observe the whole carriages and wrought himself every day more and more into the affairs which still increased the jealousie of the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes who then began to see clearly that it behoved them to have recourse to the King of France his mediation who already had complained to the Commissary General in his return to Flanders that the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes had proceeded so far without his knowledge in the aforesaid business Almost the like passions and artifices appeared in James the first King of England who was newly come to that Crown The same reasons appeared in him for desiring the continuance of the war in Flanders as did in the King of France for the King of England being strong at Sea and confiding in the strength of all his Kingdoms situation as also in the conformity of his ends with those of the United Provinces in favouring heresie he could not much fear their Forces though they should grow greater He was the more secure likewise by having Flushing and the Ramechins in Zealand and the Brill in Holland Sea Towns of great importance in his hands as pawned for monies lent by Queen Elizabeth to the United Provinces and for that their chiefest strength consisted in English and Scottish souldiers who were in their Army He foresaw he should have greater cause to be jealous of the Spaniards if being free from the war of Flanders they might endeavour to molest him in any part of his Dominions especially in Ireland an Island which is almost wholly Catholick well-affected to them and much dis-affected to England Out of these reasons it was believed that the King of England desired the war in Flanders might continue But being a great lover of Quiet and much given to Hunting and to his Book and wholly fixt in warring by writings with the Church it was therefore judged he would not at last shew himself totally averse to see the affairs of Flanders in some sort pacified To boot that not being able for scarcity of Monies to give any considerable succour to the United Provinces his power would be but small in perswading or counselling the continuance of war since he could not much assist it by his Forces Yet it very much imported those Provinces to preserve his friendship were it onely that they might raise souldiers out of his Kingdom Wherefore they entertained his Ambassadors which were sent into Holland at the beginning of this Negotiation with very much respect and treated with them with all confidency The King of Englands end in sending of them was almost the same as was that of the King of France To wit that he likewise would have a share in the business which was in hand and to enforce the Spaniards to make use of him likewise therein The King of Denmark sent likewise Ambassadors to Holland as also the Prince Elector Palatin the Elector of Brandenburgh the Lantgrave of Hesse and other German Heretick Princes who all of them seemed to shew their good affections towards the united Provinces in so important an occasion These businesses which were thus begun grew very hot in Holland every thing was in motion and great was the expectation what the united Provinces would resolve as well touching the second ratification come from Spain as also whether they would continue or break the Treaty But of all others Count Maurice of Nassaws thoughts were most busied at this time His father the Prince of Orange being dead he being yet but a youth of sixteen years of age had got into all his fathers Military and Civil employments with the great good will and approbation of the united Provinces And encreasing no less in valour then in years after so many enterprises and prosperous successes his authority grew daily greater amongst them He had won it by arms and he thought he could best preserve it by arms And by means of the publick trouble of war he hoped some favourable conjuncture might the easilier be opened unto him of making himself one day Prince of those Provinces It is not to be doubted but that his ambition carried him thus high for his Father was very near attaining thereunto and his own deserts being added to his Fathers his hopes ought rather to be augmented then diminished To boot with the Supreme Government of the Army he had
sentence and for the most part the justice of the cause gives the victory It imports but little then whether their ends be sincere or fradulent in case of agreement for then they cannot oppress us by their forces We must above all things endeavour to secure our selves from this danger which necessarily consists in one of two remedies either in continuing the war out of hope that their necessity will daily grow greater or else in ending it by some accommodation after which our affairs might be better secured And from hence I come to the second point I deny not but that their present disorders and necessities are great but I cannot think them past remedy so far but that if the war in ure the Spaniards may finde sufficient Forces to do it I for 〈◊〉 own part finde the Monarchy of Spain to be the same thing that it hath alwaies 〈◊〉 during the whole course of this war nay rather increased in this interim by the addition of the Kingdom of Portugal and of the East-Indies which depend thereupon I finde it to be very strong both at land and sea Where hath the formidableness of their forces been better seen then here in Flanders What other power hath at any time maintained so long so far distant so hard and so expensive a war And shall we believe that the Spaniards cannot still maintain it And that they are not likely to finde a remedy for their disorders in these parts and for any hazard they may run in the East-Indies The very necessity of making war will doubtlessly furnish them with means enough to continue it So then we are again engaged in war in a new and more obstinate war then the former and what security can we have that fortune will alwaies favour us We have likewise our necessities and if they be at present great amongst the Spaniaads remember I pray you that they have been greater amongst us and that all humane things being subject to alteration and the events of war usually very uncertain the time may prove propitions again to them and averse to us Do not we know how much our war depends upon the aids from France and England May not the King of France die Is he not already very old May not the Kingdom afterwards alter And shall we not then be deprived of all succour from thence Do not we likewise know upon what fickle terms the affairs of England stand The King being a Scotch-man a stranger in that Kingdom and there being many other occasions which may cause some fear of alteration on his side How much would the affairs of Spain be bettered by any of these accidents How much worse would ours be We ought then to be taught by all reason and by all the rules of good Government not to let slip this happy conjuncture of coming to some good agreement with the Spaniards Fortune is flitting inconstant disdainful and exceeding apt to be provoked 'T is now the time to know how to lay hold of her So as my opinion is that by all means we ought to accept of this ratification come from Spain and proceed on to some Treaty of agreement I confess it is not alwaies in the power of man to enjoy the happiness of peace but I verily bel eve it is now in our power to shun the dangers of war which in my opinion ought by all means to be indeavoured and certainly we may hope for great advantages from the Spaniards by this accommodation which they do so much desire to make with these our Provinces in this their present necessity As all Pilots prefix the haven for their end all Travellers their Country and all motion rest so all war hath peace for its end wherein consists means chiefest happiness and shall the wa◠of Flanders be the onely thing which shall never have an end And shall all our most advantagious successes depend alwaies upon the so uncertain event of war We shall be free from the uncertainties and from so many dangers which troubles brings with them by reducing our selves at last to a quiet condition we shall then much better re-order the Government of every of our particular Provinces and of the intire body of the union when we shall be in a quiet condition This our Common-wealth will then break forth from out the duskishness and horror of arms which how wounderful a sight will it be and what unaccustomed praises will it produce in the Theatre of the Universe When it shall be seen how our Provinces do unite themselves in one body with what sort of Lawes and Magistracy they conspire together how unwounded the Liberties of each of them remain and how uninjured it passeth through every one of them as through so many veins to the intire body of their general Union We shall have Ambassadors sent to congratulate with us from all parts who will return rather envying then rejoycing at this our so great felicity We shall pay the debts we have contracted abroad we shall ease our selves of those we have here amongst our selves and we shall enrich our treasury by taking off so many and so grievous expences our people shall then know that they are truly free when they shall enjoy liberty without any contestation and being once got into such a condition what need we fear to be at any time reduced under the yoak of that proud cruel and tyrannical Spanish Government Barnevelt was listned unto with much attention and the reasons alledged by him appeared to be so weighty and wisely grounded as after some other consultations it was at last resolved on by the States General that they would accept of the ratification yet there was much ado before Zealand could be brought to joyn in this Vote so absolute Authority had Count Maurice in that Province whereof he was not onely Governour but had a great estate there and enjoyed such prerogatives as he appeared rather to be Prince then Governor of that Country The Arch-dukes were then acquainted with this the States Generals resolution and 't was almost in the same words which were used in the answer which was first given to the Commissary and Verreychin when they brought the ratification into Holland And because the term for suspension of Arms was already expired it was by both sides prorogued and continued to be so from time to time in new terms till the end of the Treaty which was after concluded I thought good to insert this in this place to shun the tedious repetition of the same things sundry times Now all the eyes of Flanders were fixt upon that Deputies the Arch-dukes would chose to send according to the first agreement into Holland The greatest weight of the Spanish affairs which were agitated in Flanders lay upon the Marquess Spinola Camp-master-general of the Army and upon Manchichidor the Spanish Secretary of War and as for the Arch-dukes business John Richardotto President of the Privy Councel and Verreychin so often named before
were chiefly trusted therewith These four were chosen for Deputies and Father Nyen was added for a fift as one who had hitherto had a great hand in the business Marquess Spinola was already got into great Authority by reason of his so many Imployments and Trusts He was Camp-master-general and Governor of the Army Administrator or Pay-master-general of the Kings monies of the Councel of State in Spain and through his hands all the Kings affairs in Flanders as hath been said did chiefly pass and the Arch-duke likewise seemed to put much confidence in him Indeed a States man of singular judgment and valour of incredible vigilancy and industry in the managing of whatsoever business either Military or Civil and indowed with so many other gallant parts as he had reason to be esteemed one of the greatest States-men that the Crown of Spain hath had these many years The Secretary Manchichidor was likewise highly esteemed of for his long experience in the affairs of Flanders for he had been Secretary of war even from the time that the Arch-duke whilst he was yet Cardinal was come to the Government of those Provinces In the affairs which belonged properly to the Arch-dukes the President Ricardetto was no less esteemed of he had for a long time been the man chiefly imployed in affairs of greatest importance by the Duke of Parma and other Governors and the Arch-Duke being made Prince of the Low-Countries chose him particularly to employ in making the last Peace with France and the like with the King of England so as almost all the important business of the Country passed through his hands Verreychin was likewise present at the making of the two above named Peaces and had long before exercised the place of first Secretary of State and was alwaies held a man of great wisdom and integrity Enough hath already been said of the Commissary-general and of his endowments But when the Spaniards who were in Flanders understood who the Deputies were and that they were to go to the Enemies own homes to treat of agreement with them it is not to be believed how much they stormed and how much they complained of the Arch-Dukes in particular Are the affairs of Spain said they come to so low an ebb that our King must abase himself thus hath so much time bloud and treasure been spent against the traâ—terous rebels to bring things to this end That the affairs of Spain were now in as glorious a condition as ever but that there wanted fitting instruments in Flanders to manage them That the Arch-duke had alwayes shewed himself to be better at peace then at war and that now that he saw himself not likely to have any children his only desire was to spend the remainder of his days in peace and quietness That it was impossible so great a Monarchy should be without a war nay it was to be desired that it should alwayes have an Army in the fields for its service And what other more fitting Theatre could there be found for the seat of its Arms then Flanders a place so opulent and of such extent and placed in the midst of Spains chiefest enemies and maligners That if the war could not be alwayes so plentifully maintained their Forces might be lessened and consequently their expences That thus the vigour of so great a Monarchy might be preserved even to eternity The Spaniards broke forth into these complaints and sent them from Flanders into Spain but to no purpose for it was then seen as also during the whole Treaty that the King and the Arch-duke did always jump in their opinions and â—s for the Deputies going into Holland without all doubt it might seem in all appearance no wayes to agree with the Kings and Arch-dukes dignity but the form of the Government of the United Provinces considered no other manner of negotiation could well be had for their Deputies were so many that Commissions so bounded and so many sendings to and fro as they were inforced to make Orders to receive new Orders and new Consents from every Province which if it had been to be done out of their own Country the Treaty would never have had an end and though afterwards as you shall hear it was concluded in Antwerp 't was because all things were already digested so as they went thither as it may be said to a business already concluded The Deputies departed about the end of January 1608. and being come into the United Provinces they were received by the Governors of their Frontier Towns with all honour and bravely lodged in all places They came to the Hague the first of February and were met half a league without the Town by Count Maurice of Nassaw accompanied by the other Counts of his House and all the chief men of those parts The Second BOOK of the TREATY of the TRUCE of FLANDERS HOLLAND is the greatest richest and best peopled Province of all the United seaven Nay it so far exceeds all the rest as it furnisheth half the monies which are issued out by the whole seaven Provinces It is made by the Sea and sundry Rivers a Peninsula it is incompassed on many sides by the Sea cut through in many parts by Rivers many Channels cut by hand joyn with these Rivers and there be many lakes within it so as it may be doubted whether it consist more of land or water Besides it doth so abound with shipping of all sorts as it may likewise be questioned whether the number of moveable habitations on water or of houses fixt on the land be the greater This Province is full of Cities and of a great many lesser Towns Amsterdam is its chiefest City and here is the greatest Traffick not only of Holland itself but almost of the whole North of all its Towns Hague is the principal an open Village but so large so well peopled and so delitious as it may compare with many Cities Here did the Counts of Holland formerly build a Palace for themselves to live in which the Vnited Provinces do now make use of for the meeting of their Councels which depend upon the Vnion Here likewise the Councel of the States General do meet almost every day wherein things of greatest importance are agitated and resoved by the Deputies of the whole seaven Provinces The chief affairs of the whole Vnion are then handled in the Hague and here staid the Catholick Deputies to give a beginning to the Treaty Before they arrived the Vnited Provinces had likewise chosen their Deputies one was chosen for every Province and two of the best of bloud amongst them in the common name of them all And these were Count William of Nassaw full Cousin German to Count Maurice and Min here Bredrode for Holland Barnevelt was named and by him the business on the behalf of the Vnited Provinces was chiefly to be agitated At their first meeting nothing was done but the producing of the credential Letters on all sides they then began to
discuss affairs with an intention to come to a perpetual peace if it were possible The Vnited Provinces offered one Article in the first place wherein they pretended that the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes should acknowledge them to be absolutely Free States and should at large renounce all right or claim which might be pretended unto by them or any of their successors to or over those Provinces with an obligation not to make use of their Arms or Titles or whatsoever other appearance This last addition appeared too arrogant to the Catholick Deputies who complained very much thereof to the Ambassadors of France and England with whom from the beginning they had had communication in what concerned the Treaty alleadging That it was an usual thing amongst Princes still to retain the Title of States or Kingdoms though they were lost or but pretended to whereof there was examples in the greatest Kings of Christendom That the Catholick King stiled himself King of Hierusalem and Duke of Burgony the King of France King of Navar and that the King of England did still keep the Title of King of France That the Vnited Provinces would be they alone who would introduce new Laws in the world and not content to pass from rebellion into liberty would pretend as it were by usurpation to such and so rash advantages in fine that this was a cause common to all Princes and wherein they were all by this one act injured The answer which the Catholick Deputies gave hereunto was that they had no Authority to admit of the Article in manner as was desired That they would acquaint the Arch-dukes therewith and expect their Answer but the Ambassadors thought these their complaints to be artificials they imagined that the Catholick Deputies meant to indear the said renuntiation as much as they might that they might the easilyer induce the Vnited Provinces to give way on their parts in other things in which opinion they were confirmed by the Answer which came from Brussels which was that the Arch-dukes would consent to the Article in the same manner as it was propounded if the Vnited Provinces by acknowledgement of so great a benefit would in lieu thereof abstain from their sayling into the Indies The Vnited Provinces seemed to be as much moved by this answer and their Deputies made equal complaints thereof to the Ambassadors of their Confederate Kings and Princes What do the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes grant said they more then what the Vnited Provinces do already possess that what should be granted by the King and Arch-dukes was nothing but wind and a bare Title whereas if the Vnited Provinces should give over their sailing to the Indies they should deprive themselves of the principal and most important part of their Traffick That they had begun and would continue that their Navigation which by the Laws of Nature and right of Nations is allowed to all men That some other thing might be thought upon which in this point might give reciprocal satisfaction to both sides But that they should exclude themselves from sailing into the Indies was neither to be thought on nor hoped for and why ought not the spoiles of that new world be common to all That it was of that immence vastness as more thereof was undiscovered then discovered as yet and that the right of the occupiers in those parts differed only in the better knowing how to manage what they possess Both parties argued this point touching the East Indies with great stifness and pertenacity nor would the Catholick Deputies ever discede from their first answer At last the Deputies of the United Provinces made three Propositions The first that according to the nature of all peaces Commerce might be free both by sea and land to both parties The second that for the space of seaven years the United Provinces might continue their Navigation to the Indies and that one year before the expiration of those seaven years some new composition might be made The third that upon the insuance of peace and due observation of all things on this side the line the Vnited Provinces might at their own peril continue their Navigation on the other side The Catholick Deputies were not pleased either with the first or the third Propositions Not with the first because it left the Vnited Provinces absolutely free to Traffick in the Indies Not with the third because they saw a peace mixt with hostility was not likely to last They did not appear to be totally averse from the second so as they would now agree that when those seaven years should be ended the United provinces should for ever forbear from their Navigation to the Indies To this their Deputies would by no means consent this point of the Indies was much stood upon and the difficulties thereof inlarged by the particular Company of Merchants in the Vnited Provinces which traffick into those parts The Company was chiefly composed of the Merchants of Amsterdam and of Midleburgh and one was sent in the name of that Company to the Hague to shew how great the gain was which they made by their trafficking in the East Indies and how much the continuation thereof did import in other respects They alleadged that they had already introduced Commerce in sundry parts of those Countries that many were the frienships and confederations which they had established there and that those seas were already frequented by above 150 of their Vessels and by above 8000 of their Mariners and Souldiers that great was the gain of particular men and the advantage no less which the publick received thereby that to keep so many of the baser sort of people imployed who would be alwayes troublesome when at quiet what was it but to purge their Publick of so much ill bloud ready to grow corrupt That the Navigation of the United Provinces into the Indies had already made Lisbon groan that the Merchant Towns of the Portugueses in those parts went to wrack and that their ships were seen to go and come much possest with fear and apprehension and were inforced to be at much greater expence then formerly for they had wont not to be greatly vigilant in that their Voyage not meeting with any contestation save from the seas and wind These and many other considerations were represented by the Company to keep the Vnited Provinces from consenting to the Spaniards demands touching the Indies So as both parties adhering to their opinions nothing was done therein The Catholick Deputies resolved therefore to send Father Neyen into Spain to acquaint the King with what past and particularly to receive Orders for what they should do concerning the Indies having first declared to the other Deputies that they had no Commission to conclude any thing in that business They told them also how that the Commissary should be back within two months whereupon he suddenly took his journey for Spain and I to shun the tedious prolixity of the less important affairs
almost after the same manner he had at this time made also a new League with the united Provinces and though his Authority was nothing near so great with them yet was it such as it might much impede the proceedings of the new Treaty for a long Truce and he had already complained to the Spanish and Flemish Ambassadors who were resident in England that the King of Spain had sent Don Piedro de Tolledo to Paris putting thereby so great an esteem upon the King of France and that he had made no manner of address at all to him For these respects the King of Spain resolved to send likewise Don Fernando Girone who was then in Flanders and who was one of the chiefest Commanders in his Army to the King of England who seemed to be very well satisfied therewith and made large promises to intercede for the continuing of the negotiation in Holland being thereunto perswaded by his natural addiction to peace as also for the aforesaid Reasons Before the Catholick Deputies departed from Holland the Ambassadors of France and England began to set again on foot this new Treaty of a long Truce insomuch as the Ambassadors meeting one day Jannines in the name of both the Kings made this insuing Proposition in the Councel of the States General That both their Kings had alwaies considered the affairs of the United Provinces as their own particular concernment having maintained them all this while as such by their Councels and defended them by their Forces but that the end of War must be Peace That to this purpose the United Provinces had been assisted by both of them and that both of them were therefore much troubled to see the Treaty of Peace which was begun thus broken and that they thinking it howsoever much better for the United Provinces to enjoy a commodious and honorable quiet then to return to the former difficulties and dangers of war were pleased to propound unto them by their Ambassadors joyntly a long Truce instead of Peace That notwithstanding in this Truce in the first place and before all other things it should be declared both by the King of Spain and by the Arch-dukes that it was made with the united Provinces as with free Provinces and States unto which they made no pretence at all and that they should be left Free in point of their Navigation to the Indies That both their Kings did believe that the United Provinces might be content with a Truce which was to bring with it such important advantages for them and not onely these but peradventure some others also That greater difficulties were to be foared on the other part but in case the war were to continue by reason of the Spaniards fault the Forces of the United Provinces would be thereby the more justified and both their Kings still the more obliged to mantain their Cause The States General took time to advice upon the whole with their Provinces The Ambassadors with like conformity applyed themselves to the Catholick Deputies who having lost all hopes of Peace did very much desire to come to some other accommodation or composition so they willingly listned to this new proposal of a long Truce though they thought many difficulties would be met withal in Spain touching the form thereof They promised the Ambassadors notwithstanding to use all the diligence they could to overcome them and having received assurances from the Ambassadors that they would do all good offices for the continuation of the Treaty and especially from Jannines on whose means and authority they did chiefly relye they at last went from the Hague after having been eight months entertained there and went to Brussels The Negotiation of the Truce lying then chiefly on Jannines hand he did all he could to perswade the United Provinces to allow of it in the same manner as had been propounded by him and the English Ambassadors Those Provinces seemed well inclined in general toward the Truce though they wanted not some amongst them who would have had the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes make the same renunciation in the Treaty of Truce as they pretended unto in that of Peace but the wiser and more moderate men amongst them considered that this would be too unjust a pretention due regard being had to the difference between a Truce and a Peace This difficulty proceeded chiefly from Zealand and was Fauter'd by Count Maurice by reason of his abovesaid power in that Province and the almost absolute dependency which Maldereo the particular Deputy of Zealand had upon him Maldereo had been a menual servant of the late Prince of Orange and to say truth the Interest of Zealand did accord with Count Maurice his particular ends for the Traffick and wealth of that Province was greatly increased by the war the choice Marriners who had served and did as yet serve in the voyages to the Indies were likewise Zealanders and next unto Holland certainly this was the chiefest and most considerable of all the United Provinces The same difficulties out of the same reasons were insisted upon by the City of Amsterdam in Holland but it was thought that at last the rest of that Province would prevail over the particular opposition of that City in a favourable acceptation of the Truce which Zealand did still pertenaciously resist And Maldereo very zealous in the cause endeavoured to make those words suspected wherein the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes were to denounce the United Provinces to be Free-States in form abovesaid Whereupon one day that this Clause was treated on he with great fervency broke forth into these words Are we Free-men or still Subjects If we be Free-men why ought we not to be publickly acknowledged for such Shall it depend upon the Spaniards to allow us what sort of liberty they please now that they cannot impose that slavery upon us which they would To wit a liberty more servile then our former servitude since it must depend upon the interpretation of their own words Do not we know what interpretation they have already given to those words Do not we know that they take them in such a sense as doth not take from them any pretended right to our Provinces At this rate we shall get nothing more by this long Truce then what was had in the bare suspension of Arms And yet this Truce shall rather look like a Peace and it may so fall out as by often prolongation it may at last be insensibly turned into the nature of a Peace Then as in the Treaty of Peace we did pretend in the first place That that absolute abnegation should be made by the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes which is now Treated of so ought we still to pretend unto it and in that form which may clearlyest declare our Provinces to be Free and Soveraign Shall not he ackowledge them when all the world Treats with them as such To what corner of the Earth or of the Sea is it that
at last effected and all of them concurring now in the same resolution the Ambassadors began again to labour to overcome the difficulties in dispute Continual correspondency was had by Letters between Jannines and Richardotto so as the Negotiation of what was needful past between them but the King of Spain needed no less labouring to be brought to give way to the Truce news was sent to the King of Spain of the Proposition made by the Ambassadors of France and England and of the new Negotiation introduced by their means The King would have been well enough pleased with the Truce had it been according to usual form and all things left in the same terms on both sides as they were at present but to declare the United Provinces to be altogether free and to suffer them in express words to traffick in the Indies seemed to put too great a difference between the present Treaty and ordinary Truces yet 't was seen that 't was impossible ever to come to any accomodation without this Declaration of Liberty and that if the United Provinces had stood so absolutely upon it before they would be brought to a bare suspention of Arms for a few months they would now be much more resolute in it in a Truce which was to endure for many years The Arch-dukes who saw the difficulties and dangers of the war in case it should be continued at a nearer distance were easilyer induced to give way to the Proposal made by the Ambassadors and Jannines both by word of mouth and by Letters had endeavoured to perswade the Catholick Deputies that to declare they made Truce with the United Provinces as with free Provinces and States unto which the King and the Arch-dukes made no pretence at all did not any waies prejudice the right which the King or Arch-dukes might pretend to have over them He had shewed how that it was a general Declaration that the word as bore with it a sense of similitude and not of propriety That in the declaring of one mans being friends with another 't was never said I hold him as a friend that the adding in the last words not to pretend unto any thing had reference to the ambiguity of the former words And finally that such a Declaration could not admit of any interpretation save onely during the time of the Truce That then the King and the Arch-dukes ought to be content to make it since it was involved in words which might satisfie both parties First The unskilful multitude of the Vnited Provinces for the outward appearance of their pretended Liberty then the King and the Arch-dukes for the true substance which was retained in them of leaving their former right still unhurt Then opening himself more freely Jannines said My King in such a case would not make any difficulty in granting this Declaration for if the Vnited Provinces when they shall betake themselves to Arms shall not have better Canons and Muskets words and interpretations will avail them but little In this manner and by these wary and wily waies Jannines as a good mediator endeavoured to draw both sides to a Truce to which the Arch-dukes were easily perswaded and endeavoured to bring the King to be so likewise shewing that by this neither they nor the King should do any thing more then what was yeilded unto at the first suspension of Arms much repugnancy did notwithstanding appear in the King 'T was thought in Spain that the Clause wherewith the Vnited Provinces were to be declared Free States though it were limited vvould generally be interpreted in savour of their Liberty and that vvhen they should have got their desires in that behalf the King vvould not obtain leave for the exercise of the Catholick Religion in their Country vvhich he vvas resolved to have by vvay of interchange and moreover if the Article concerning the Indies should be condiscended unto how much would the King be thereby damnified How much reputation would he thereby lose To which difficulties the Archdukes replyed shewing that when the King resolved to have the abovesaid requital 't was onely to be understood if the peace should be concluded and that the King and the Arch-dukes having absolutely renounced all their right the Vnited Provinces were absolutely free that the present Negotiation of the Truce did differ very much by which the King nor the Arch-dukes could not lose any piece of their former right that it was not to be doubted but that a clause so general and so limitated would be interpreted rather in favour of them then of the contrary party That the Ambassadors themselves thought so as also divers of the Inhabitants of the Vnited Provinces who were against the Truce as that which would be no whit more advantagious for them then was the bare suspension of Arms. And as for the point of the Indies they seemed to have hopes to end it so as it should be no considerable prejudice to the King These reasons were not taken as fully satisfactory in Spain but on the other side the King did very much desire the Truce and that the so great and so unnecessary expences of Flanders should cease The Duke of Lerma was then in great authority with the King and having gotten the sole power over the King by such arts as were available in peace he was unwilling to share it with them who might gain it by such means as war affords which made him from the very beginning very earnest in endeavouring the Negotiation and he did now no less labour that it might come to some good event of agreement the same desires were known to be in the Arch-duke who therefore resolved to send his Confessor to the Court of Spain to answer all the difficulties which were insisted on in Spain the which was thought necessary also to put an end to so long a Negotiation wherein above two years had already been spent which had so tyred the two mediating Kings as they began already to protest that they would meddle no more therein if it were not all the more speedily ended Father Inico di Brazuela of the Order of the Dominicans was the Arch-dukes Confessor a very learned and upright man and one who had been long experienced in the affairs of Flanders so as men hoped well of him and of his fidelity that he might reconcile affairs with the King and State-Officers he being a Spaniard a Votary and of a very noble Family and commendable life He was particularly to take all scruples from the King in the point of pretending by way of interchange the exercise of the Catholick profession in the time of Truce whereof he was to press the necessity even for the cause of Religion it self By representing That if they should return to Arms again manifest hazard would yet be run of losing more then formerly on the King and the Arch-Dukes behalf in Flanders and consequenly of quite losing the Catholick Religion in the yet obedient Provinces instead of
as hath been shewed above and in the rest divers resolutions were contained touching the affairs of Justice and concerning rather particular then publick interests Thus did this Negotiation of Flanders end at last the issue whereof was so long expected throughout all Europe And truly at this Truce as if it had been at an universal Quiet all Europe seemed to rejoyce which had seen for so many years and amidst so many fatal and dreadful spectacles the blood of all her Nations run upon the Theatre of Flanders FINIS A TABLE Of the most remarkable things contained in this FIRST PART A ABBOTS monasticall in Flanders complain against the new erection of Bishopricks 11 Adolphus Oranges brother slain in Battail 57 Alcmar in the Rebels hands 109. Besieged by the Kings party ibid. Alexander Farnese prince of Parma in Flanders upon oceasion of his marriage with Mary princess of Portugall 21 Alst in Flanders seâ—zed by the Mutiners 141 Amsterdam 96. A City very faithfull to the Church and the King ibid. Infested with the other Towns of Holland ib. Again molested by them 1â—0 Anne daughter to Maurice Elector of Saxony 19. Married to Orange ibid. Anne the Archdutchess daughter to Maximilian the Emperor married to the Catholick King 71. Is accompanied by the Archdukes Albertus and Wenceslaus her brothers ibid. Anthony Stralen a principall man in Antwerp 46. Is executed 58 Antonio Pittore endeavours to seize upon a passage and hinder victuals from being brought to the Kings Camp 102 Is routed slain and his head thrown into Harlem by the Spaniards ibid. Antwerp is threatned to be sacked by the Mutiners 122. Contributes a sum of money to satisfie them ibid. Taken by the Kings men 14. Sackt 147. The Commissioners from the Emperour from France and England meet there 177 Archduke Albertus and his praises 71 Archduke Matthias 162. passes secretly into Flanders ibid. Made Governour of the Countrie by the Councel of State 163 Archbishop of Colen in the Kings Army 86 B THe Baron of Battembourgh seeks to relieve Harlem 105. Is routed and slain 10â— The Baron of Erberstein makes a secret agreement with the States 142. Receives their men into Antwerp 143 Drown'd in the Scheld 147 Bartholomeo Campi Ingineer to the Kings Camp 99. He is slain 105 The Battel of Friesland 59. Of Geminghen 62. Between the Kings men and the Hugonots of France near Mons 8â— By Sea in the Lake of Leyden 104. By sea in the Gulf of Zuyderzee 110. In the Scheld between the Kings Forces and the Rebels 113 The Battel of Mooch 117. Of Geblours 1â—8 Berghen-ap-zome and its scituation 76 Bernardino di Mendozza sent into Spain by the Duke of Alva 103. He wrote of the Wars of Flanders 104 Was sent by the Commendador to Mastrick 115 Breda a Town belonging to Orange 23 What passed among the Confederates there ibid. Brederode makes himself Head of the Petitioners 24. His Oration to his Companions ibid. He presents a Petition to the Lady Regent 26. raiseth sedition 39 goes into Holland to set up Tumults there ibid. Seconds Orange in every thing ibid. Dies miserably ibid. Brill taken by the Geuses 73. Fortified by Lumay 74 Buren a Town confining upon Holland taken and sackt by the Kings Party 132 The House of Burgundy soveraigne over all the Provinces p. 1 C CAmbray raised to an Arch-bishoprick 9 Captain Plumart 91 His Proposition to Avila and Mandragone ibid. He finds the Food by which they were to go for the relief of Tergoes ibid. Capitulations between the Duke of Aianson and the States 172 Charls the fifth son to Philip the first 2 He peaceably enjoys Flanders ibid. Born in Gant 3. His favours to the Flemings ib. How much he was loved and reverenced among them 4. A comparison between his nature and that of his son Philip ib. The Castle of Gant besieged by the States 145. It is surrendred 148 The Castle of Antwerp besieged by the States 145. It is aemolished 147 The Castle of Namours seized by Don John 159. The Catholicks and hereticks in Antwerpt come to an agreement 39 Christophoro Mandragone Camp-Master goes to the relief of ter-Goes 91 Enters the Town and succours it 93 Is Commander at the defence of Middleburgh 108. Sends very earnestly for relief 112. Yields up the place 114 Seizeth upon the Isle of Finaert 133 Wades through the Channel of Scowen under Ziriczee 136 Coligni Admiral of France Head of the Hugonot Faction 83. His negotiations with Orange ib. The Commendador Maggiore of Castile sent to govern the Low-Countries comes to Brussels 111. Prepares two Fleets for the succour of Middleburgh 113. Sees one of them routed ib. Much troubled at the new expedition of Count Lodovick 115. Goeth over to Antwerp to appease the Mutiners 122. His designes upon Holland and Zealand 132 His perplexity about attempting the Ford from Filisland 134. He dies 139 His Character ib. A Confederacy in Flanders which they call a Covenant 22. Subscribed by a great number of the Nobility ib. The Confederates come to Brussels 24 They meet in the Count of Colemburghs Hourse ib. Admitted to the Lady Regents audience 26. They take upon them the name of Gueses 27. many of them goe in one Livery ib. their Licentious actions 28 The Conference in Breda for a Treaty of peace in Flanders 129. It is dissolved without coming to any conclusion 131 The Councel of State and its authority with the Lady Regent 9. What their opinions were concerning her designe for taking up of Arms 34. It enters upon the Government after the Commendadors death 139. Prepares for War against the Spaniards 141. Much daunted at the coming of Don John 150. They send Commissioners into Holland and Zealand 155. Their jealousies of Don John 157. They storm at his surprizing of the Castle of Namours 159. Writes to the King a Letter against Don John 160. Their practizes with foreign Princes 16â— Publishes an Edict against Don John 165 Declares it will not acknowledge him for Governour 170. Dispatcheth away a very solemn Ambassy to the Duke of Alanson 173 A Consultation held in Brussels upon matters of religion 21. what is resolv'd upon it ib By Frederick di Toledo whether the siege of Harlem should be prosecuted or given over 103. by d' Alva whether the Kings Forces should be imployed upon the siege of Mons or against Holland and Zealand 81. In Spain whether the King should go into Flanders 41. In Spain about the innovations in the Low Countries 164 Count Egmont a Flemming born 5 His nature and Customes ibid. Governour of the particular Province of Flanders and of Artois 12 Goes over into Spain 20. Returns well satisfied by the King 21. Is committed to prison 46. Is condemned 58 Count Horn Admiral of Flanders 12 Inraged against Granvel ib. His opinion that the people ought to be stirred up to innovations 36. Is attached 46. Is sentenced to death 58 Count Peter Ernestus Mansfield raises men to secure the Lady
Truce 447. They come to the Hague ibid. their Negotiations 448. They meet in Antwerp 457. those of the United Province to intervene at the Treaty aforesaid 447. their Negotiations ib. Characters of Philip 2. 347. Of Archduke Ernestus 414. Of Verdugo 317 Of Mandragone 331. Of Campmaster Rosne 345 D A Description of Geertruydenberg 299. of Groninghen 305. of Cambray 324 of Calice 336. of Ardres 339. of Hulst 342. of Amiens 353. of Ostend 400. of Sluce 416 of Linghen 422. of Groll 427. of Reinberg 428. of a fierce Assault made upon Dorlan 323. of another made upon Ostend 403. of St Andrews fort 383. of Schincks-sconce and the Countrey about it 377. of the battail of Dorlan 322. of the battail of Newport 396. of the United Provinces and their form of Government 438 A Declaration of liberty pretended to by the United Provinces 437. how interpreted by the Archduke and Spanish Ministers of State ibid. Ratified in Spain 438. the first Ratification therof not admitted in Holland 439. How the second was afterward accepted of 446 Dorlan besieged by Count di Fuentes 323 taken by assault ib. The Duke of Sessa by way of Proxie acts the part of the Infanta Isabella for effectuating her marriage with the Archduke Albertus 372 The Duke du Main recruited from Flanders 296. he takes in Noyon 297. he concludes a Truce with the K. of Navar for three months 298. he endevors to relieve Laon 308. his memorable Retreat 310. he comes to an Agreement with the K. of France 334. His Opinion that they were not to tarry in their Trenches for the Spanish Army 361 E. ELector Ernestus of Bavaria makes suit at Brussels for the recovery of Huy 316. the dammage done to his Estate by the quartering of the K. of Spains Army upon it 375 The Elector Palatine of the Rhine 375 F. A Fight of great consequence before Laon between the K. of France his Forces and the army of the League 310. between Count Maurice and Mandragone 330. between Marshall Biron and the Marshal of Barambone 347. between the K. of Spains men and those of the United Provinces 348 betwixt Marquis Spinola and Count Maurice before Sluce 418. and afterwards at Bruch 424 Frederico Spinola 407. Commander of some Gallies in Flanders wherewith he indammages the Enemy ibid. he goes again into Spain for a greater number ibid. he loses five 408. is slain 410 La Fera besieged by the K. of France 334 Relieved 335. yielded 340 Forts erected by Spinola upon the Rhine 421 Forts raised by the United Provinces upon the banks of the Wael and the Ysel 426 G. SPanish Galleys in Flanders 407 Gaspero Mandragone relieves Lyra 331 The Grave besieged by Count Maurice 408. It is yeilded up to him 409 Groll besieged by Spinola 42â— it is yeilded ib. Count Maurice strenghtneth it 430. It is relieved by Spinola 431 Groninghen besieged by Count Maurice 305. It s description ib. t is yeilded â—07 Geertrudembergh besieged by Count Maurice 299. The description of it ib. It is yeilded up 301 H HAn a Town in Picardy yeilded up to Count Fuentes 319. Recovered by the Marshal of Bulloigne ib. Hernando Teglio Portocarrero Governour of Dorlan 350. He projects the surprisal of Amiens ib. The order in which he disposed of the enterprise ib. His oration to the souldiers 351. He seizeth on the City 352. He craves a supply of men 354. His diligence in defending the Town 355. He sallies out upon the French Camp 357. He is slain 359 The Hollanders and Zealanders put for a shorter navigation into the East-Indies 312. How they got into the West ib. Their ends for the aforesaid navigation 313. The difficulties they met with therein ib. Hulst and its scituation described 342 Besieged by the Catholicks 343. It yeilds 346 Huy a Town in the Country of Liege seized on by the United Provinces 316. Recovered by Count Fuentes ib. I JAmes Maldereo Commissioner for Zealand 452. His oration ib. James King of Scotland succeeds in the Kingdom of England 406. Stiles himself King of Great Britain ib. comes to an accommodation with the King of Spain and the Archdukes ib. His ends in the war of Flanders 441 John of Balen in Groninghen 305. his oration to the Townsmen 306 John Guzman brings relief into Amiens 355. his death 357 John Barnevelt Advocate of Holland and his oration in behalf of the negotiations for peace 444. His opinion prevails beyond that of Count Maurice 446 Infanta Isabella Philip the second his eldest daughter 364. her singular qualities 365. She parts from Madrid 386. comes to Brussels ib. presents her self to the Army on horseback and makes a speech to the souldiers 392 Her constancy in entertaining the Archduke wounded in the battel of Newport 398. She comes with the Archduke to see Ostend 418 Frier Inico di Brizuela the Archdukes Confessor sent into Spain 457. He returns to Brussels 458 The Intelligence that Count Fuentes held in Cambray 328. that the King of France held in Amiens 355 Italian mutiners in Sichen 311 They seek to hold intelligence with Count Maurice ib. Besieged by Campmaster Velasco ib. withdraw into the enemies country 312. come to an agreement with the Archduke ib The Journey of Albertus upon occasion of going to fetch his wife into Flanders 399. Of the new Princes in coming thither 386 K KIng of England see James King of Scotland The King of France declared a Catholick 302. He besieges Laon 308. and carries it 310. comes to an open war with the King of Spain 316. Is fully reconciled to the Apostolick See 326 Besieges La Fera 334 and takes it 340. How much he was vexed at the loss of Amiens 353. He concludes a League with the Queen of England 354 Goes over to the siege of Amiens 355 What Intelligence he held there ib. His affability to the souldier 357 He routs some troops of the enemies horse 360 Enters Amiens in triumph 362. makes a peace with the Catholick King 364 His Interests in the affairs of Flanders 440. His authority with the United Provinces ib. He sends an Ambassador extraordinary into Holland to assist the negotiations of peace or a Truce 441 The King of Spain Philip the second and his ends in the affairs of France 296 He sends the Duke of Feria to Paris ib. He makes peace with the K. of France 364. His intention to marry the Infanta Isabella to the Gardinal Archduke 365. which he puts in execution 368 His death 369. his character ib. The King of Spain Philip the third resolves to make up an Army apart to be commanded by the two Spinolas 410 He approves of the Archdukes designes against the enemie 425. he resolves to give way to an Overture that shall be made for an accommodation with the United Provinces 437 L. ALeague between the K. of France and the Q. of England 354. Between the K. of France and the United Provinces 451 A Letter from Archduke Ernestus to
King of Spains power And none of them were well pleased to see the Provinces of Flanders joyned to his Crown which by reason of their situation circuit and opulency were of such consideration as when they were only in the hands of the house of Burgundy had oft-times reduced France to great straits and troubled England and the near adjacent parts of Germany more then once In France after the unfortunate mischance of Henry the second who was wounded as he was running a Tilt and died at the celebration of his daughters marriage with the King of Spain and his sisters with the Duke of Savoy Francis the second succeeded in the Crown whilst he was yet a child The Government of the Kingdom was therefore wholly in the hands of his mother Catherine of Medicis but so distracted and so full of factions as it could not be in greater disorder nor more confused Heresie which was first in secret and fraudulently crept into France shew'd it self now bare-faced And her Fautorers hiding their own ambitious ends under the deceitfull visard of conscience proceeded from their first Court-contentions to the taking up of arms to the great detriment of the whole Kingdom Those hereticks were called Hugonots nor is it well known from whence that word proceeded and Lodovick of Burbone Prince of Conde made himself the chief head thereof he was brother to Anthony King of Navar first Prince of the bloud-royal and his chief rather guider then follower was Jasper di Coligni Admiral of France who proved afterwards the plague of that Kingdom and at last his own ruine But the chief heads who maintained the Catholick cause were not less suspected and especially those of the house of Guise out of a received opinion that under the specious zeal to religion they hatched divers designes of bringing themselves to greater power France whilst thus afflicted within her self could not contribute much to the afflictions of others Yet it was evidently discerned that what fomentation from thence could be expected to the troubles of Flanders would never be wanting especially by the instigation of the Hugonots In England the succession of that Kingdom and of Ireland was fallen to Elizabeth daughter to Henry the eight Queen Mary who was wife to Philip King of Spain dying without issue Mary was not more resolute in restoring the Catholick faith in England then Elizabeth was in resuppressing it incited thereunto by the example of her mother Anne of Bullen and for fear lest by the Laws of the Church her succession might prove illegitemate from which fear she thought her self secure under the Dogmata of heresie Elizabeth making Religion thus subservient to State Interest would have heresie to be received throughout all England and Ireland And detesting the Pope and King of Spain by which two she might be the most indamaged she likewise endeavoured to prejudice them as much as she could She therefore persecuted the Church infinitely in England and was very intent upon all those sinister successes which might befall the King of Spain especially in Flanders where his power was nearest unto her and from whence she did most suspect it From those parts of Germany which lie nearest to Flanders all those heretick Princes who were there Masters of any States or Dominions shewed the same disposition against the Church and the King of Spain But the most considerable amongst them and of whom the greatest fear was had for that he was more amidst the Austrian Forces of Germany and Flanders was the Prince Elector Palatine of Rhine 'T was therefore much to be feared that from these external parts all the inward commotions of Flanders were upon all occasions to be fomented This was the condition of Affairs and the disposition of minds in Flanders when the King was there and upon his departure for Spain I will take my rise in the History which I undertake to write from hence after having with as much brevity as I could acquainted you with what hath already been said The King was resolved to go for Spain to the which he was moved not only out of his particular natural addiction to those Kingdoms as out of mature wisdome and advised choice He saw his vast Empire hardly well setled and consolidated after the so many voyages and great pains of his Father and finding it composed of so many members and so far divided one from another he thought it expedient that he should share out and disperce the vigor and spirit of government from out the principall part thereof as doth the heart in humane bodies and certainly Spain was to be reputed not onely the most important but the fittest place for this purpose there wanted not moreover many other urgent necessities which required the Kings presence and particularly those which were occasioned partly by the danger of Heresie which was already begun there and partly by jealousies of the Moors wherewith Spaine was greatly infected and with whom it was greatly feared that upon any intestine commotion the neighbouring Moors of Africa would joyn themselves The chiefest business which before the Kings departure was taken into consultation was to whom he should leave the government of Flanders in his absence Two Ladyes neerly allyde unto the King by blood were taken into consideration the one was Christierna Dutches of Loraine who was daughter to a sister of the Emperour Charls the fifth and the other Margaret Dutches of Parma naturall daughter to the same Emperour great was the contestation before it was resolved which of the two was to be preferred Christierna was the elder very well known in Flanders by reason of the neighbor-hood of Loraine praised for her great wisdom in having worthily discharged the Government of that State remaining still a Widdow and the afore mentioned Peace of Cambray which by her means she being there present in person was managed and concluded had very much increased her reputation By which successe Flanders being freed from the molestation of Arms she won more upon the affection of the Flemings Orange was chiefly for her out of the hopes he had of marrying one of her Daughters and therefore labored her Election as much as he could hoping also by that marriage that the government of Flanders might be more sway'd by him then by Christierna But the Kings inclination bore him at last to like best of Margaret as she who had been born and bred up in Flanders and who having her Husbands Estates of Parma and Piacensa in midst the forces of the Dukedom of Millan in Italy and resolving to send her onely son Alexander to the Court of Spain promised a more absolute dependency upon the King where on the contrary the house of Loraine by reason of the condition of the Country and more in respect of interest was inforced to depend almost wholly upon the Crown of France besides the great desire which the Flemish themselves shewed to have Christierna for their Regent made the King Spanish officers
See the form was ordained which the inquisitors were to observe in the expunging of Heresie The substance whereof was That they should proceed with all rigor in seeking out those who were infected with Heresie and in punishing them according to the penalties appointed the execution whereof was committed to the Magistrates of Cities and to the Provincial Councels with provision to be had that no particular Tribunals should be introduced for the inquisition as it was formed and as for the new Erection of Bishopricks it was carried as hath been said in the relation The King having ordered matters of Religion thus declared that for all things else the former ancient Government should be continued wherein next unto the Regent the Councel of State should have the first place of which were many of the chief Lords of Flanders and because it was impossible to confide in them all therefore the King gave private instructions that the Regent in matters of greatest jealousies and weight should abridge the number to a few and intrust the chief managing thereof in the hands of the Bishop of Arras whom to this purpose he left with her Before the King went from Gaunt he would make a new creation of Knights of the golden Fleece in the places of many that were dead And amongst others he honoured some Lords of that Country with that Order whose Ancestors had formerly been thereof Finally the King preparing for his journey and being desirous first to give such instructions to the Dutchesse of Parma as were most convenient for the administration of Government he took her one day aside and as it is reported said thus unto her I could not give you a greater testimony my beloved Sister of my confidence in you then that which I have now deposited into your hands in assigning over unto you the Government of these Provinces of Flanders You see their situation by how much they are the more remote from my other Kingdoms so much the neerer are they to be endangered by the States which do inviron them T is true France is now at peace with me but 't is not so within it self being full of Factions and in the hands of a childe who instead of giving Lawes will be enforc'd to receive them to boote that the emulation which hath alwayes been and ever will be between France and Spain is too much known The Queen of England who Oppugnes the Religion which I defend will alwayes be plotting to the prejudice of my forces particularly those of Flanders the same suspitions almost out of the same reasons may be had of the Heretick Princes of the neighbouring parts of Germany As also for the spite they bear to see the Empire continue so long in my blood These neighbours will still be practising some innovations here And the most dangerous business which can be apprehended from them will be their infecting the People with Heresie and the making the Nobility upon such occasions aspire to Novelties They will then endeavour to incite the vulgar people to madness by the poison of false opinions and to withdraw them by degrees from liberty to licenciousness from licenciousness to tumults and from tumults to Rebellion And without doubt the introducing of Heresie being permitted these other evils will consequently follow True piety and falie cannot cohabit together And when people begin once to differ in their beliefe the great ones break forth presently into Novelties and by a thousand false pretentions turn Religion into Faction Miserable effects are seen hereof in Germany and no lesse miserable are already begun in France Therefore to preserve Flanders from so dangerous evils care must be had above all things to keep her free from Heresie and that only the Catholike Religion be practised there Which is the true and ancient Religion and which alone is profest in my other Kingdoms From hence doth my Family acknowledge her chiefest greatness and by the means thereof as Subjects are more united within themselves in the worship of the Altars and Temples so are they by her means also the closer tyed together in obedience to their Princes and Magistrates So as I by defending and sustaining of her am by her defended and sustained And rendring hereby the greatest service that I can to God I do consequently the greatest advantage I can to my Crown I go from hence therefore resolved that the Edicts published against the Hereticks in these Provinces be inviolably executed wherein I shall desire you to use your greatest vigilancy and to be sure that your sence be the same that mine is which is not notwithstanding that a setled Inquisition be introduced here I see the differences between these Provinces and those which have received it But on the other side the greatest evils require the strongest remedies To boot that this doth not oppose the priviledges of the Provinces nor the form of that Government which I have promised and sworn unto Nay to tollerate the introducing of heresie would be the greatest violation thereof I could commit Since hitherto it hath wholly been grounded upon the Catholick Religion and all things would be disturbed and quite overthrown if I should give any allowance to the bringing in of heresie When this danger shall be provided for it will make the remedy the easier for the other which may arise from some peccant humour of ambition in some of the great ones Ambition usually seeks out pretences so as course must be taken that no such be found Of all other pretensions that of conscience is the most specious and they who plot most against the common good seem by this way to be most zealous in procuring it Let this so plausible occasion be taken away the other which may move the people to commotions will the more easily cease You my sister very well know the humours of the people of Flanders and how they ought to be govern'd They are born almost as much to liberty as to subjection He that commands must entreat and oft-times must yield instead of obtaining To such natures 't is fit to adjust a proportionate Government You must therefore use all possible diligence in maintaining the accustomed Priviledges and Immunities of the Country and endeavour to satisfie the people in them they being almost wholly constituted in their power The common people live peaceably when at ease and quiet and 't is little to be feared that the ambitious can either discompose them by hidden fraud or grow more bold by open conspiracy to move them to commotion and yet you must by all means endeavour to keep the Nobility devout to my service by particularly giving them their due imployments their due respects and by assuring them that they shall always see my father supervive in me in favouring and protecting them Thus it may be hoped that affairs may here succeed happily and that none of the great ones instead of expecting honours and favours from me will provoke me to rigour and severity But
of the Covenant Petition and of the violences used against the Churches and the Catholick religion He forthwith accompanied the terror of his Threats with the severity of Punishment He caused the Prince of Orange his brother Lodovick Count Hostrate Brederode and Colemburgh and the rest of the prime men who were gone out of Flanders to be publikely cited to appear before him within a certain prefixt time upon pain of rebellion and the loss of their goods in case they did not appear He caused a great many others of all sorts to be imprisoned in sundry parts of the Provinces who were fallen into the aforesaid faults and they were in so great numbers that all the prisons throughout the whole Country were on a sudden full of them To imprisonment he added Death and made the market-places the places of execution to the end that the publikeness thereof might infuse the greater terror At the same time he designed divers Citadels and began to lay their foundations where he thought either the situation of the Towns or the condition of the Inhabitants did most require it The first was placed in Antwerp with five royal Bulwarks upon the Scheld upon which River the City is seated to hasten the which he went in person to Antwerp and made the City contribute towards the expence thereof giving them assured hopes that as soon as the Citadel should be put into a posture of defence Lodroneas Regiment of High-Dutch which were there in garrison should be removed He began to build a Fort in Flushing the chief Haven of Zealand and which opens and shuts the entrance into the Scheld He designed another in Groninghen upon the confines of Germany and another in Valentiennes which lies towards France But unless it were that of Antwerp the rest were not built for so many troubles arose from so many parts as the Duke had not fitting opportunity to doe it He notwithstanding secured the Frontiers on all sides by good garrisons against all innovations which might be endeavoured from abroad and within he disarmed many of the most suspected Cities and distributed forces in divers parts where he thought it most needfull to curb the Flemish more straightly This so rigorous a beginning of Government put the Country every where into such fear as it was on a sudden abandoned by a great number of people of all sorts they were reported to be above thirty thousand Those who were no wayes concerned were affrighted to see the faults of others so severely punished and they groaned to see that Flanders which was wont to enjoy one of the ealiest governments of all Europe should now have no other object to behold but the Terror of Arms Flight Exiles Imprisonments blood death and confiscations The people fled to the neighbouring parts of Germany to France and England But those of best quality retired to Germany drawn thither by Orange who encouraged them more then all the rest to follow his example and run his fortune And who from thence did answer the Dukes citation in writing refusing to submit himself to his Tribunal as to that of a Judge too much suspected and of too inferior a condition to take cognisance of such a cause saying that he was a free Prince of Germany and therefore in the first place a Subject to the Emperour and that being a Knight of the Golden Fleece he was only to be judged by the King himself who was the supreme Head of that Order Hostrat answered almost in the same sort save only that he left out the reason of being Feudatory to the Emperour for he had no estate in Germany Horn had some estate of that nature and therefore his Mother when he was imprisoned had suddenly recourse to Caesars Authority and had from thence procured favourable offices in her sons behalf to the King and Duke of Alva The like is done by divers Princes of Germany in Orange his behalf and those that were joyned with him in the same cause for indeed the Catholike Princes were no less displeased then were the Hereticks of those parts with the Dukes severity and that such an alteration should be made in the Government of Flanders with which Country they had such conformity both in language customs and laws The King promised all fair intreatment so as the Citation might be obeyed But none of those that were cited daring to trust and the time of citation being already elapsed the Duke proceeded to punishment and amongst other things he made Colemburghs house in Brussels be pull'd down to the ground in memory of the detestation of the seditious practises which were there chiefly woven and concluded Orange was Master of divers fair Towns in sundry Provinces of Flanders The Principality of Orange is in France though not subject to that Crown and of a great many likewise in the County of Burgundy in Brabant amongst others he had Breda a noble pâ—ace having a stately Castle in it and of such consequence as the Duke of Alva would suddenly secure himself the better thereof by putting a garrison into it To the confiscation of his goods the Duke added the retension of the Count di Buren a Youth of twelve years of age who was the Prince of Orange his eldest son and who was then at the University of Lovain following his studies and under pretence that the King would have him follow the same studies and exercises in the University of Alcala d'Enares he sent him well guarded into Spain Orange and his companions together with other Nobles who were fled from Flanders exasperated at these proceedings did what they could to shew their resentment Their chief end was to raise Forces and lead them into Flanders hoping assuredly that when any Forces should appear from without they that were within the Country would suddenly rise This was therefore hotly endeavoured and it was managed by their Adherents in almost all the Provinces of Flanders The Duke of Alva's government infused horror into them and by all dreadful exagerations they endeavoured to make the people abhor it From without they themselves endeavoured by all possible means to draw other Princes to favour their cause From England 't was known the Queen had a great inclination to foment whatsoever novelties which might happen in the Low-Countries She considered that if the King of Spain should possess them peacefully his Forces would be too formidable both by sea and land throughout all Europe That she in particular was greatly to apprehend his Forces by Sea since England and Ireland would be as it were invironed by the Fleets which might be maintained on the one side in Spain and on the other in Flanders That the King would not be backward in molesting her having opportunity to doe it as he who knew she sought to indamage him as much as she might as he had already had several experiences These outward dangers appeared unto the Queen to be the greater when she considered also those within She saw
to the lower by her breadth In these respects their friendships adherents and allyances were very great in those parts Moreover divers of the best Families of Flanders derived from Germany and amongst others that of the Prince of Orange who afterwards married with the house of Saxony as hath been said The heretick Princes held therefore their streightest corespondencies with him and to him did discover their most intimate sence of the affairs of Flanders because it was most conformable with his own Orange being afterwards gon to them by reason of the Duke of Alva's being come into Flanders he still indeavoured to increase in them a resolution not to tollerate that oppression which he in the most horrid manner he could invent affirmed to be already introduced by the Spaniards amongst the Flemish Affirming that this cause was common to both the Germanies he mingled the Interest of Religion together with that of State and by the strength and vivacity of wit made dangers a far off seem very near at hand He chiefly propounded a meeting between those Princes who were most to dread the Spanish forces in Flanders the Queen of England assisted him herein by her authority and the Hugonots of France by their practices So as the resolution was soon put on and divers Hans Towns joyned therein likewise by sending their Deputies thither particularly those which are situated upon the Rhine in which by reason of their neighbourhood with Flanders the aforesaid power of the Spanish forces was most dreaded Of the Princes the Count Palatine of Rhine was most remarkable his State lay nearest to Flanders he had the best forces and being past on from Luthers heresie to that of Calvin he held greater corespondency with the hereticks of France and with the Queen of England The rest were the Duke of Wittenberg the Landgrave of Hesse the Marquis of Bada the Marquis of Durlack and some neighbouring Counts besides those of Nassaw The King of Denmark and the house of Saxony sent likewise their particular Deputies to the Diet. Business doth still proceed slowly which is to be agitated by many either they differ in their ends or agree not in the means or for the most part are lost through confusion But their progress is more slow then ordinarily in Germany where negotiations are not had without much prolixity more by writing then by word of mouth and where more time is spent in banqueting then in business The Diet proceeded on then but slowly and by reason of the variety of opinions many difficulties were met with in the things proposed Whereupon the Prince of Orange being all on fire himself and that he might set others on fire likewise spake one day thus It is not assuredly any waies to be doubted most Noble Princes and worthy Deputies but that we now treat upon a common cause The one and the other Germany are sufficiently united in situation tongue name traffick life and in all things else And who knows not that in former times they both made but one body their people do chiefly affect liberty And though in Flanders the Prince be heriditory whereas in Germany he is elective yet almost the same preeminence is due by them to their States as is here attributed to your Dyets But how oft and with how much labour and danger hath it behoved the one and the other Nation to oppose themselves to the avaritiousness of their Princes I will leave the pursuit of ancient affairs that I may come to the more modern and those of Germany that I may descend to the present affairs of Flanders When the Emperour Charls the fifth was dead every one knows the King his son's chiefest desire was to leave those parts and settle himself in Spain Being there wholly transformed into the sence and Customs of that people he grew desirous to govern Flanders after the same manner and Empire as Spain was governed And what more imperious Minister of State could he leave behind him with the Dutchess of Parma then the Cardinal Granville Did I say Minister of State nay rather supream Governor since whilst he was there the Dutchess bore only the name of Regent the whole power lay in him base Burgundian The first Author of Flanders's mischiefs and who deserves chiefly to be punished since the fault was chiefly his The Government of the Ecclesiastical and Temporal affairs was suddenly altered in divers sorts by absolute Authority but chiefly by new Edicts still more grievous to the conscience and by introducing the Inquisition The secretest Oracles are come from the Councel of Spain and are executed by secret consultations in Flanders If the Nobility have complained their complaints have proved vain to Petition is counted treachery to seem troubled rebellion and the casual headdy giddiness of the common people a premeditated insurrection of the whole Country In fine nothing but to have a pretence to use force against Flanders was expected in Spain And what more light pretence could be taken then to go about to suppress those tumults which were seen to cease almost assoon as begun When so suddenly hereupon the Flemish are insolently declared in Spain to be rebels to God and to the King and a foreign Army marches to cause Flanders to be treated hereafter not as a successive Nation but as a Conquered Countrey And who could be better chosen to execute such violences then the Duke of Alva the most haughty minded man of all Spain Flanders greatest enemy and who knows better then any other how to extinguish all remainders of religion and in lieu thereof to use all sorts of Tyranny And just so it fell out He hath begun to raise Citadels in the chiefest Cities he hath placed Garisons every where the places of execution run down with bloud in all Towns no more home-Laws are heard of but forein ones The Country is almost unpeopled by exilement imprisonment and running away And nothing but gastly looks complaints misery desparation and calamity is seen every where In this deplorable estate is Flanders at the present How much more happie then is Germany which enjoys her former libertie and which abhorring all forein force knows no other Empire then her own I partake of this felicity for from hence I derive my bloud and my first stem remains still here Nay I am more hated in Spain then any other of the Flemish by reason of my German spirit I am held to be the contriver of Conspiracies the head of sedition the pestilence of those Countries Their greatest anger thunders against me and the severest punishments are already fallen upon me Thus they seek to turn my glory to infamy And what greater glory can there be then to maintain the liberty of a mans Country and to die rather then be inslaved I then most high Princes and Noble Deputies who am both a German and a Fleming after having laid before you the miseries of the Lower Germany whose tears and supplications I bring hither with me
do in her name implore the help and protection of the Upper Germany But such recourse for refuge will not avail unless you your selves repute the cause which is now in hand to be common as well to Germany as to Flanders as I at first took for granted And who can doubt it who is not aware of the Spaniards vast designes doubtlesly a desire of Domination doth naturally reigne in all men One will draws on another nor doth what is possest give satisfaction But how immence how immoderate doth this thirst appear particularly in the Spaniards they think not their unknown worlds sufficient to quench it and will therefore extend their Empire still further in those which are known They fix their eyes and their machinations much more upon Europe in particular When they shall have opprest Flanders and have gotten so opportune a seat for their Arms what Province will they next fall upon that certainly which they shall have most reason to fear He who will lay the foundations of servitude well first seeks to beat down the Bulwarks of Liberty Wherefore knowing that they shall be most withstood by the power and undaunted spirits of this Nation which in all things is so united to Flanders they will forthwith bend all their forces hitherward It may then be concluded that the Spanish forces being in Flanders will be always ready to enter Germany and then what will your miseries be when their Colonies shall likewise be seen here new faces new Customs severe Laws more severely executed heavy yoaks upon mens persons and more heavy upon their consciences This point being then granted that the danger will be common amongst us the other will be clear that the cause should likewise be reputed common the rest follows on in consequence One neighbour runs to quench the fire that is kindled in another neighbours house When a river threatens to break in who runs not from all sides to mend the banks the same course ought now to be held all you must haste to help the Flemish since you are the first that are likely to seel the flames of their fire and they who shall first partake of the inundation of so many miseries which they suffer But do not believe that they will linger in expectation of your aids They will move assoon as they shall see you move and their worth and vertue which by so unexpected and cruel a violence is rather stupified then opprest will return with greater vigour then before What cannot armed desparation do what dares it not the entrance will be always easie from these parts into Friesland and into the Provinces of Flanders which are on this side the Rhine that river will with like easiness be at all times past over all the chief Cities will throw open their gates The Nobility and all the whole Country will joyn in the same opinion But I came short when I said that only Germany and Flanders would joyn in this cause France and England and the other Northern Countries will undoubtedly joyn with us since they stand in like fear of the Spanish forces He that commits violence doth not always boast thereof And how oft do we see oppression prove the ruine of the oppressor It may so fall out as whilst the Spaniards do so greedily gape after other mens states they may chance to lose their own The Flemish expect only your assistance to escape so hard a slavery And I in their names do once again earnestly implore it The cause cannot be more just nor more easily helped and it is yours no less then ours All neighbours will take it for their own concernment and the whole North will favour it But as the defence will in the first place fall to your share so the first place of victory will be given to your forces And so by the title of our being oppressed you shall for ever be accounted our deliverers The Crown of Spain never had nor never shall have a fiercer enemy then the Prince of Orange To this his discourse made in publick he added many others in privat He exagerated all the evils which are wont to be said in detestation of great Empires and their Governors and sought by all means possible to imprint those passions in the minds of others which burnt so fiercely in his own He pre'vailed so far with the Diet as even the backwardest amongst them wisht they had helped the Flemish Whereupon it was concluded that such men as were necessary for that purpose should speedily be raised This resolution was suddenly communicated by Orange to his confederates of Flanders and to those also with whom he held intelligence in France and in England They designed to enter Flanders at one and the same time in divers parts The easiest way seemed to be by Friesland as being the most open Country and the most commodious to receive German aids The other side whereon they would endeavour to get entrance was Brabant and Ghelderland confining upon the States of Cleves and Juliers and Liege On the behalf of France the Hugonor intimated hopes that they would cause some novelties in the Walloon Frontiers and the like was promised from England in Holland and Zealand by sea They made no delay much soldiery did just then return to Germany which John Casimere one of the Count Palatines of Rhine had not long before led into France in favour of the Hugonots Arms were for that time laid down in that Kingdom by some agreement between the parties interessed and therefore the aforesaid Germans returning to their own homes Orange and the rest of his adherents thought it very oportune upon this occasion to make use of them for the accomplishment of their designes Such as were needfull being then tane into pay by the Princes and Cities that did intervene in the Diet as many of them as were requisit to boot with the men which they raised in their own Countries began to march under Count Lodovick brother to the Prince of Orange with intention to enter the Low-Countries on the side of Friesland but before he began to move another was heard of towards Ghelderland Lumay and Villiers were two of those Nobles who had shared most in the Covenant Petitions and revolts which had happened in the Dutchess of Parma's time they feared to be punished by the Duke of Alva proportionably to their demerits Havingtherefore through this apprehension quitted their Countrie they would now return again with forces They resolved to put it to a tryal by indeavouring to surprise some important place in Ghelderland They thought Ruremond a fitting place a City standing on the Mause and which might serve them for a passage into Brabant Orange instigated them hereunto for he designed to enter with very powerfull forces on that side and then to settle in the midst of the Countrie Having gathered tumultuously together about 2000 fot and some few horse a rabble of people all of them almost of the neighbouring Countries they
a matter it was to get any footing there having no place upon the Confines which would receive them and more particularly upon the River and because the greatest hopes of new commotions lay yet in Germany therefore Orange his adherents spying out the conjuncture of time resolved to indeavour the taking of some opportune place upon the Mause on that side In this river after it hath changed its name to Wahell in one of its branches is contained the Island of Bomele of large circuit The situation of this Island could not be of more importance in respect also of its nearness to the Rhine And not far from thence was Balduke upon the utmost confines of Brabant which is one of the most populous Cities of that Province and one the best fortified both by Nature and Art of all Flanders One Captain Hermanno Reiter was a native of this City who depended upon the Prince of Orange and desired to signalize himself by doing him some service Upon the lower point of the abovesaid Island stands a little Castle called Lovesteyn more considerable for its situation then strength Reiter with some of his companions got in hither by fraud and brought in some fifty with him Roderigo de Tolledo lay in Balduke with some Spanish Companies who by reason of his being so near was advertised hereof He therefore presently dispatcht away 200 foot under Captain Lorenso Perea of the same Nation that he might indeavour by all means to recover the Castle The Invaders did not think to be so soon set upon so as not being able to defend themselves by their own forces nor having time to expect any from elsewhere they presently surrendred it to Perea not without some little dispute wherein Reiter was slain Thus was Lovesteyn recovered almost before it was lost But the Duke was notwithstanding much moved hereat weighing more the occasion then the effect of such a designe for he might fear that other more dangerous and more considerable designes were hatching as the event soon after shewed He being still more necessitated in expences and in monies to defray them and much incenst to see how hardly the hundreth penny was payed and more particularly upon the Maritine coast where no exaction thereof could ever be made and being yet more angred at the attempt of Lovesteyn he resolved by all means to recover not only the hundreth penny but the tenth and twentieth too he made the Kings mind in that affair be publisht having notwithstanding moderated the Imposition so as those of the Country were taxed less and foreigners more and thus he would have it executed But the people were no less resolved to the contrary notwithstanding any moderation which was added And this repugnancy grew so great as in some places no more meat was brought to the Markets nor did the Merchants expose to sale their wonted Merchandise Thus did affairs stand in the end of the year 1570. The other of 71 follows which will bring with it deplorable memorials for ever to Flanders For then the war broke forth almost every where in her and so great a fire was afterwards kindled as could never be extinguisht but by the truce of twelve years where with it was not quencht but smothered up Arms being suddenly afterwards reassumed and the War continued with more obstinacy on both sides We told you before how the Prince of Orange and his brother Lodovick were got into Picardy in France after the Duke of Alva had driven them out of Flanders and that Orange retiring from thence into Germany had left his brother in France Their Forces were almost quite disbanded for they wanted necessarie conveniences to maintain them But the whole strength which Genlis brought with him in assistance of those of Nassaw as hath been said was still intire Nor were the chief of the Hugonots in France wanting in nourishing in themselvs and in reviving in the Flemish runagates hopes of new revolutions which were to arise in those Provinces The Hugonots promised therefore all assistance on their sides and shewed how it would be easie to make themselves Masters of some good Town in the Walloon Provinces which as hath been said lie nearest France They therefore stood expecting all fit opportunities for this purpose Orange used all the means he could with the Princes his friends and other his adherents in Germany to prepare new Forces and facilitate his designe of entring Flanders again on that side He excused his first undertaking and promised better success in the next representing how ill-affected the Flemish were to the Spaniards and how much their hatred was increased by reason of the grievances which the Duke of Alva would lay upon the Countrie Nor was his indeavours and those of his associates in France ere a whit less fervent with the Queen of England so as by the opportunity of the Sea and for other aforesaid considerations 't was hoped that easier footing might be got in Holland and Zealand and easilyer maintained To this end some of the fled Flemish the better to raise some insurrection were got to sea in men of War to which they were driven even by despair For their goods being confiscated and not knowing how to live but by rapine they thought they might better do so by sea then by land The Lord Lumay Count of Marcia descended of Noble bloud and who neither wanted courage in undertaking nor industry in executing hard enterprises was one of the best qualified amongst them From this Maritine part where the danger appeared to be greatest the mischief first broke forth which Lumay was in this manner the Author of Having got together about 25 Vessels some of them fled Flemish and some of them English Pyrates and fomented in private by the Queen of England her self he steered about the end of March towards Holland and unexpectedly by underhand dealing got into the Town of Brill In the Western part of Holland there lies a little Island made by the Mause and by the Sea on the utmost part whereof towards the sea stands this Town which by the commodiousness of its Haven is held one of the chiefest Keys of those Maritine parts Lumay had with him about a thousand souldiers pickt up from several parts which were all hereticks of mean condition most of them fugitives or such as were driven from Flanders and such in fine as desired to raise tumults there Now because from this first commotion in Holland many others suddenly insued both in that Province and in Zealand so as the war was more kindled there then in other places and many of the most memorable accidents happened there I think it fit first to set down here briefly their situation and nature to the end that deliniating as I may so say the portraiture thereof the Reader may have the events as it were before his eyes Both these Provinces lie on the North and West side of Flanders In Holland the Rhine and the Mause and in Zealand
the Scheld fall into the Sea in so large Channels as losing the condition of Rivers they seem to carry new Seas into the Sea on the contrary the Ocean first washing the said two Provinces for a long trackt of ground and turning then as it were from the sea into a River penetrates into each of them by divers Channels and hides it self there in sundry Gulfs From hence joyning with the Rivers and together with them cutting Zealand thorough in many places it makes many Islands thereof and reduceth Holland into a Peninsula To boot with these three forenamed Rivers which are the chiefest of all Flanders there are in Holland divers other lesser ones and as if Art would contend with Nature there are thereunto added an infinite number of Channels cut by hand which are made for the more commodiousness of the Countrie There are within it likewise a great number of Lakes and standing waters so as the situation of both these Provinces being well considered 't is to be questioned whether the space of ground be greater which is won from the earth by water or from water by the earth nor is it less to be disputed whether their Country do more abound with or be more failing in those Commodities which men enjoy in other parts Through the condition of their situation they want both Corn Wine Oyle Wool Wood Hemp Flax and almost all other Commodities and delights which are used in more temperate and drie Climates and yet again there is no Country not only in that Northern nook but not even in any part of Europe which abounds so much as Holland and Zealand doth in almost all the aforenamed things and even of those which are less necessary for the maintenance of humane life So great is the advantage which these two Provinces receive by the Sea and Rivers whereby their Commerce with all other parts is so easie Which since they have introduced and made so familiar in the Indies it cannot be said how much both Merchandise and Merchants are increased in both of them Hence it is that they abound so much in Inhabitants and that their Cities Towns and Villages are so well peopled But the Sea likewise is as full of Ships and other bottoms and all their watry places with other sorts of boats which serve all for habitations especially to Mariners and Fishers Great is the number of people which apply themselves to these two vocations in Holland and in Zealand They make houses of their ships and of their houses schools Here they are born here they are bred up and here they learn their profession And the Mariners especially practising their Calling in running so oft and so boldly from the one Pole to the other and whethersoever the Sun communicates it self to mortals they grow so expert therein as though they may be equalled yet cannot they be out-done in this Seafering mysterie by any whatsoever Nation For what remains these people are generally given to Traffick and are extraordinary industrious in Manual and Mechanical Arts. Their greatest delight lies in their feasts and at their meat by which they temper the melancholy of their tedious Winters which are rather long then sharp the Country abounding much more in rain then in frost They are generally well shaped in body as candid in nature as in countenance pleasant in their leasure times but fierce in their revolts and much better at fighting by sea then by land They feed most upon fish and white-meats wherein their Country doth infinitely abound They have alwaies been inclin'd to a Free Government and have ever tenaciously held their antient Customes And since Heresie began to creep in amongst them turning their Liberty by degrees into licentiousness it hath since been easier for the Authors of the late Novelties to make them rise and forgoe their former obedience to the Church and King Holland is full of great Cities good Towns and infinite in Villages But by reason of the frequency of Foreigners and multitude of self-Inhabitants Amsterdam hath always been the chief City of that Province Even whilst Commerce flourisht in Antwerp great was the concourse of Foreigners to Amsterdam but Commerce failing in that City by reason of the War it is so mightily increased in this other as Amsterdam is at this hour the place of greatest Merchandising not only in Holland but in all the North. In Zealand Midleburg is the Town best peopled and of greatest Traffick That Province cannot notwithstanding come any thing near Holland neither in circuit people nor plenty 'T is almost impossible to enter either of these Provinces by force because not only the chief places but even the commonest Towns are Invironed either by the Sea Rivers or Lakes or by Earth then which there can be none more low nor more myery So as it is no wonder if these People being thus favoured by Nature were both so fierce in taking up Arms at first and have with like animosity maintained them ever since But to return to where I left As soon as Lumay was received into the Brill he presently began to fortifie himself judging that without delay the Duke of Alva would send to drive him from thence He openly profest Heresie wherewith that Town was likewise much infected so as great violence and impiety was at first committed against Church-men and sacred things The news of this flew suddenly round about and the Duke of Alva was soon advertised thereof by Maximilian Count de Bossu Governour of Holland The Duke was mightily troubled hereat He knew what practises there were in Germany France and England to cause new troubles in Flanders and that the nearest and greatest danger lay on the Maritine side of the Country He therefore ordered Bossu to draw out so many men out of the neighbouring Garisons with all possible speed as would suffice not only to recover the Brill but to drive Lumay out of that Island To this purpose Fernando de Tolledo marched thitherward with part of his men which lay nearest and went to Roterdam one of the greatest and most Merchandizing Towns in all Holland 't is seated upon the Roter a little River from whence it takes its name and almost where it falls into the Mause which inlargeth itself there very much The Kings Forces passing from thence met with Bossu in Waldargin a Town situated likewise upon the same stream of the Mause not far from the Bril and hence they were conveyed in Barks into the Island But Lumay being first advertised of their advancing Bossu met with such impediments in effecting this enterprise as he was inforced and that not without great difficulty to turn back and all those people were already manifestly inclined to rise through an opinion which was every where received and by the Hereticks cunningly spread abroad that the Kings souldiers went to gather the imposed taxes by force When the Spaniards were come out of the Bril Island they return'd again to Roterdam where they found
even one of the chiefest of all Flanders That from that Line of the Confines which was towards France it lay far enough inward in the Kings Territories but yet not so far but that it might be easily succour'd from without That it might easily be made very strong being on one side in a very low and spongy situation and well provided of Walls and Ditches on all other parts That being near the very Province of Flanders and that of Brabant it might easily further the Tumults both in the one and the other of them and consequently make the fire more lasting which was to be kindled in so many parts He therefore with much fervency apply'd himself to the sudden regaining of it and hoped well therein by his having so easily recovered Valentiennes He saw that Lodovick of Nassaw might be succoured on two sides to wit by the way of Germany by the Forces which Orange prepared and by the way of France by the Forces raised by the Hugonots these were doubtlesly the nearest and therefore likely to be the speediest The Duke therefore resolved to make his quickest opposition on this side of France hoping that when he should have interrupted that succour he might more easily impede the other but such and so grievous commotious happened suddenly in Holland as they put upon him new and greater necessities and rendred him much perplext touching what he was to resolve upon The Town of Eachusen had there led the way first to open disobedience which Town lies very opportunely for situation as lying upon the point of a great Gulf which the Sea makes in Holland towards the North and no less for the quality thereof and number of shipping which are continually built there and which makes it one of the best and most esteemed Arsenals of all that Province Nor was it long ere other greater revolts followed For Dort Harlem Leyden Gouda and almost all the other Cities and chief Towns did at once the like except Amsterdam which continued then and long after in Allegiance to the King Great raising of Arms was likewise heard of in Germany and that Orange having past the Rhine grew still stronger in men intending to enter Flanders again by the same way he did before To obviate so many evils which threatned him in so many several parts the Duke of Alva betook himself suddenly to raise great levies both of horse and foot and gave order for the taking of 5 or 6 thousand horse into pay in High Germany the chief care whereof was had by Henry Duke of Brunswick formerly imployed by the King upon like occasions by Salentine Count of Isemburg Archbishop of Cullen who shewed himself very faithfull to the Catholick Cause and the Crown of Spain and by Peter Ernestus Count of Mansfield who came originally from Germany and who had yet many friends and kindred of great esteem there he gave order for the raising of 18 thousand foot in six Regiments to wit 3000 in the Upper and 3000 in the Lower Germany The first were taken into pay by Ottone Count of Erbestein by George Baron of Fronsberg and by Nicholas Purvighliere all of them natives of the same Country And the latter by Giles Count of Barlemonte by Maximilian Count of Bossu and by Lancelot Count of Mega all of them the Kings Vassals in the Provinces of Flanders These levies required great store of money whereof the Duke was very much exhausted But he had represented unto the King the affairs of Flanders to be in so dangerous a condition as he was in some sort presently furnisht therewithall for his necessities and the King promised him to see him continually furnisht with what should be requisit for maintaining the Churches Cause and his own which was now become one and the same in those Provinces The new Insurrections which had happened in Holland bore with them very bad consequences to boot with the former in Zealand And the Novelties which had succeeded and which still grew greater in the Frontiers towards Germany and France required powerfull and speedy remedy The Duke of Alva consulted therefore with the chief Commanders of the Army to what part it was best to bend the Kings Forces or if by dividing them they might suffice for both occasions 'T was generally thought that there were not enough to be divided And as for the turning to the one or the other place Marshal Vitelli Camp-Master-General who was greatly esteemed in the Army as well for the prerogative of his Place as for his Valour was of opinion that they were to bend all their Forces immediately towards Holland and Zealand saying That by good reason of War Forces were to be turned thither where their imployment was of greatest consequence And how much did it most import first to secure the Maritine Country That in those parts which lay more inward in the Country the people were neither so infected with Heresie nor so inclin'd to Rebellion And though some loss might be suffered by the Forces from Germany and France it was to be hoped that they might be easily regain'd That the Hugonots Forces were of no substance of themselves nor was it to be thought that the King of France would favour them if for what might concern the good of Spain at least for what might respect the service of his own Kingdom so grievously infested by them That the heretick Forces of Germany which were to enter Flanders were to be esteemed of the same nature being tumultuously raised ill provided of men and worse of money more ready to pillage then to fight and that prey and pay failing they would soon forgoe their obedience and insteed of carrying their Colours against their enemies they would turn them against their Commanders That for these reasons it was to be believed that the noise was greater then the blow would be from either of both those parts and that those foreign Forces being soon scattered by the opposition made by the Kings Towns which to that purpose were with all diligence suddenly to be munited Mons would easily be recovered as also whatsoever other damage might insue in any other part upon those Frontiers But on the contrary how firmly was heresie radicated both in Holland and Zealand how much were the people alienated from their former devotion to the Church and to the King That by reason of the Sea and Rivers Merchandise did very much abound there as also monies and victuals and that every Town there was so strong by Nature that allow but a little time to Industry every Pass would require an Army to overcome it and every Siege almost an Age to finish it That by the opportunity of the Sea new Forces might continually be sent unto the Rebels on those sides from Germany and France But especially from England And they being Masters of the Maritine parts what advantages might they by other designes work unto themselves in the more inward Countries What difficulties would the succours
wherefore recourse must needs be had to that Assembly For what remained they said That they would never relinquish those Cities strong Holds Munitions and Arms wherein their safety did consist till they saw a setled peace in the form by them proposed That they held their reformed Religion to be good and that they would not for such an occasion abandon their Goods Parents and Country nor leave the two Provinces of Holland and Zealand made desolate by the excluding from thence so many who profest the same Religion which would redound very much to the Kings disservice by his losing so many Subjects and by the too much impoverishing of both the Provinces in the lesning of their Commerce and Merchandise The Kings Commissioners saw very well by this opiniatracy of the adverse party that no reply which they could make would be to any purpose Yet more to justifie the King in his proceedings then out of any hope of good success they resolved to present another paper whereby to confute the oppositions made by the contrary party They said That to speak in that manner against the Spaniards and the rest of the Kings subjects shewed they had no mind to a reconciliation but that they were still more radicated in their enmity And yet the end of this Treaty was only to take away all misunderstandings and to establish peace and concord That they again replyed when peace should be once made the King would not stick at removing the Spaniards and all those that they termed strangers out of those Countries That to do this before were for the King to lay down his arms before his time contrary to his dignity contrary to all reason of war and contrary to all right of justice That as the King did not pretend this at first in respect of those men who did serve the Rebels and who were indeed all of them strangers so when peace should be made he would on his part agree that all that sort of souldiery should depart the Country As for the assembling of the States General they shewed how that it would require too long time and that the Treaty being to pass through their hands would cause a much longer expence of time That such Treaties were never known to be handled by the States General That this would be to make the Subjects authority greater then the Kings and to make them the Law-givers whereas they were with all moderation to receive them That therefore when the peace should be established the King would suddenly call the States And in the re-ordering the affairs of Flanders would follow whatsoever was convenient and which had been formerly practised by his predecessors those Councels and Records which upon like occasion should be given him by them Concerning the restitution of Towns Munitions and Arms they said that no more reasonable demand could be made That in all reason when the alienated Provinces should return to the Kings obedience the Towns and Arms thereof should likewise return into his hands as formerly That this was practised in the making of every Peace between Prince and Prince then much more ought it to be so between Princes and Subjects Touching the point of Religion they replied again That the King would not in any the least degree alter his resolution taken therein and which they had declared That to change Religion was not in the power of Princes much less of Subjects That the Apostolick Roman Religion had for so many Ages and with so much piety been the onely Faith profest in Flanders That at the Kings taking possession of those Provinces the King and People had reciprocally sworn to defend and preserve that alone That by the departure of those that were infected with Heresie Holland and Zealand would not suffer any considerable diminution of people much less would they be left desolate for they were not so many nay if the Heretick Preachers were driven from thence who had brought with them and upheld that infection the Catholick Religion would soon return to flourish there again That notwithstanding the King would suffer such as would continue pertinacionsly in their Sects to transport their goods in form aforesaid And to be sure that whatsoever was promised should be performed the King would to that purpose pledg his Royal Faith in the most ample manner and would thereunto adde if the adverse party should so require the like of the Emperor by whose authority through his express Ambassador this Treaty which was now in hand was introduced When this Paper which was very long and spoke home was presented by the Kings side the adverse part took time to answer shewing that they must fully communicate the whole to the States of Holland and Zealand and therefore they their Commissioners were inforced to goe themselves in person into those parts Count Zuarsemburgh endeavoured very much to keep them from going from the Conference fearing as indeed it fell out that the Treaty if once interrupted would hardly ever be reassumed But they would by no means be perswaded and therefore at the same time the Hostages were set at liberty It was a good while ere the Answer came which was at last sent in a long paper and repeating the same things yet more bitterly against the Spaniards and against the Kings demands did conclude That they stood firm to the Conditions propounded by them concerning Peace that they thought them altogether necessary and that they would never accept of any other Accommodation When this Answer was made known to the Ambassador and the Kings Commissioners the Treaty forthwith broke and the Ambassador soon after returned for Germany In fine the business between the King and the Rebels was grown to too great a diffidence The Publike Faith is sufficient between King and King and to this Tribunal it is that recourse is had for Justice in differences which arise betwixt them But the Rebels more considered the Kings Forces then his Faith for the Treaty being betwixt Prince and Subjects they were still afraid and therefore demanded such terms for their security which they neither ought to ask nor the King to give The Prince of Orange was sole Arbitror and Moderator of whatsoever was treated of by the Rebels and 't was he who fill'd them with so continual suspitions It was every day more clearly seen that amidst the revolutions of the Country he hoped to reap good advantage for himself and therefore he chose rather to hazard the Common interest in Wars then to see his own designs quite overthrown by Peace and quiet Nor did the Heretical Faction in Germany France and England for the conformity of their ends desire the continuance of the troubles in the Low-Countries less then he 'T is therefore not to be imagined with how much industry all those of that party did strive to hinder the proceedings of that accommodation which was introduced by Cesars means and how much afterwards they laboured to make the Ambassadors endeavours subject to
that the Bischeyard to gain the fine that was set by the Kings Proclamation upon Orange his head and out of hopes of greater rewards had rashly resolved to undertake the business One Jaspar Annastro a Spanish Merchant had a share therein but he was broken and therefore gone from Antwerp And one Antony Venero and a Votary of St Dominicks called Antony Timmermanno were put to death and cruelly torn in pieces as complices in the misdeed This accident caused a great commotion in the Confedrate Provinces And the Prince of Parma hoping that thereby some advantage might result to the Kings affairs was not falling on his behalf to doe what was fittest upon that occasion But Orange being quickly out of danger and afterwards perfectly cured all fear ceased amongst the Rebels and they continued more firm then ever in their former resolutions Whilst these things past thus in Antwerp the Forces of both sides were not idle though they did but little Verdugo had made some further proceedings on the other side of the Rhine and had taken some Towns in Friesland and in the parts thereabouts And on the contrary the States had better secured the Towns of greater importance and strove to preserve those advantages which they had got on that side And they got one advantage of great moment at that time by the taking of Sehink prisoner as he returned from Germany being sent thither by Fernese to raise more Horse On this side the Rhine they had at unawares assaulted the Town of Alst with some of their men and taken it And the Walloons had done the like to Gaesbeck a Town not far distant from the other But this mean while Fernese growing stronger in men and yet more strong in hopes after the success of Tornay and after the accident which had befallen Orange resolved to besiege Odenhard one of the best esteem'd Towns in the Province of Flanders both for its situation traffick and people Odenhard lies upon the Scheld almost in the mid-way between Tornay and Gaunt It is begirt with a good Wall and the Wall with a large Ditch within the Walls it is furnisht with good Platforms but it hath never a Royal Bulwark without and therefore is but imperfectly fortified every where It hath on one side an eminent Rise which commands the whole Town Fernese incamped himself before it but first he seemed as if he would besiege Menin so to draw the greater number of the Enemy thither and that Odenhard might be thereby the more weakned And the effect did correspond with the design For there were not left above 500 Souldiers in Odenhard but under a very gallant Commander called Frederick Borch as he together with the Garrison made it appear to the very end of the Siege The Kings Army having taken up their Quarters Fernese quickly possest the Rise and from thence began to play upon the Town with his Canon he then came to the working of Trenches and preparing of Batteries The Prince was desirous to spare as much as might be the blood which is usually shed in Assaults wherefore his intention was to make a less bloody but more secure Siege Yet a great breach being made in a Ravelin which fenced the Gate they made an Assault but the event proved not fortunate For a Bridge which was to serve for passage over the Ditch and so to get upon the Breach not being so long as was requisite was with great disorder thrown down and those within made such resistance as the Royalists were forced to give over the attempt Wherefore Fernese was the more confirmed in his former opinion of proceeding with greater caution and in lieu of Assaults to use the Pick-axe and Mines This Siege did very much vex the Flemish Rebels wherefore mustering a considerable strength of Foot which were almost all of them English and Scots under Colonel Norris and Colonel Seaton together with a good number of Rutters they sent them into the Province of Flanders and disposed of them about Gaunt intending to adde thereunto and to endeavour the freeing of Odenhard But Ferneses Forces being likewise increased by Germans and Walloons and expecting the aforenamed others he fortified himself so well on that side as the Enemy could never bring in any the least succour into the Town This mean while a Mutiny hapned in the Kings Camp for want of Pay amongst some of the Germans and the Enemy both within and without hoped to reap some advantage thereby But the Mutiny being in a few dayes quieted and the Prince having by the punishment of some made the rest more obedient the Enemy despaired of holding out longer The Siege lasted notwithstanding from the beginning of April till almost the end of June And the Town was surrendred upon such Conditions as the Garrison marched out honourably and the Townsmen were contented Soon after the Royalists took Lira also a great Town in the bowels of Brabant not many houres march from Antwerp and therefore very proper to annoy that City There was in it amongst others Captain William Simple a Scotch-man with his Foot-Company of the same Nation Simple holding secret intelligence with Altapenna he under some other colourable pretence brought him in by night and driving out the rest of the Flemish garrison put the Town into the hands of the Royalists The Flemish seeing these continual losses not any assistance appearing as yet from Alanson and not being very well satisfied with him before his coming to Flanders they could no longer forbear breaking forth into sharp and spitefull speeches against him Where are said they these so many promised Forces where the Armies which would suddenly fall from France down into Flanders and where the helps which should also come from England That upon these assured hopes the Flemish had chosen declared and received him for their Prince and that in lieu thereof what had he brought them save only vain Titles and all other vain Appearances That his so many in vain reiterated promises were every day renewed by him but no performance seen That this mean while their losses were still increased and consequently the Enemies atchievements That by the taking of Tournay the Prince of Parma had gotten the whole Country of the Walloons into his hands That from Odenhard he might goe even to the wals of Gaunt and from Lira to the wals of Antwerp That his Army was already ingrost with Germans that he expected Recruits from Burgony and soon after from Spain and Italy So as now how did Flanders swarm with Foreigners and in what danger were the chiefest Cities of the Flemish Union That their new Princes succours would come just then when they should make not the strength but the scorn of his new Principality the greater These and the like Complaints did the Flemish make against Alanson and the French Nor did they spare Orange himself complaining that under pretence of procuring the publike felicity of the Country he had rather minded his own private
was a man born certainly for very great renown if contented with his own peculiar Fortune he had not through precipices sought after a greater The Emperour Charles the 5. and his Son Philip the 2. did undoubtedly alwayes acknowledge him to be their chiefest Subject in all Flanders and each of them seemed to strive with the other which should most favour him or put a higher esteem upon him He was notwithstanding still in the condition of a Subject but he had so high-pitcht thoughts as would not suffer him to be at quiet under the condition of a Prince He aspired therefore to raise himself thereunto as hath been seen by the Revolts of Flanders And the heat of his ambition being still carried on by the ordering of his designs he had brought his ends to that pass as had he lived there was little doubt to be made but that he would at least have been Prince of Holland and Zealand Vigilancie Industry Liberality Eloquence and a quick insight into any business did vie in him with Ambition Fraud Audacity Greediness and with an application of himself to all Natures And these his good and bad Qualities were accompanied with all others which the most skilfull School of Ruling could teach At all publike Meetings and in all other kind of Negotiations no man knew better then he how to dispose of mens minds how to wheel about opinions how to colour pretences how to hasten business or how to prolong them nor in brief how more artificially to take his advantage by all other means He was therefore thought much better at the government of Civil affairs then at the Military profession He altered his Religion according to his Interests Whilst he was a Child in Germany he was a Lutheran Passing into Flanders he seemed to be a Catholick At the begining of the Revolts he declared himself to be a favourer of the new Sects but not an open professor of any of them till at last he seemed to follow Calvinism as that which of all other Sects is most contrary to the Catholick religion which is maintained by the King of Spain THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Second Part. BOOK III. The Contents In this Book the memorable Siege of Antwerp is described The Prince of Parma resolves upon this enterprise the rather because Orange is dead and by reason of the great perturbancie of the Consederate Provinces He sits down before that City It s great advantages both in situation and in all things else Fernese in the first place treats of shutting up the Scheld to hinder all succour on that side To this purpose he designs a Bridge and the difficulties in making it are mentioned Howsoever it is resolvod to be made Fernese begins it He raiseth a Fort-Royal at each head thereof and these greater Forts are accompanied here and there with lesser Oppositions made by the besieged Their chief Fort at Lillo upon the Scheld By this means the Antwerpians receive great Aids from the Hollanders and Zealanders and therefore they pass freely up and down the River Fernese causeth a Navigable Ditch to be cut the better to bring the materials which were requisite for the Bridge Hereby the labours are increased Fernese endeavours likewise to keep the Enemy from succour by Lillo on the Land-side And therefore secures himself still better there by a Counterdike What is to be understood by a Dike and Counterdike Rubais takes the particular care of the Bridge and of some men of War to oppose those of the Enemy The Antwerpians begin to be troubled They use divers means both in France and in England for succour The Lord of S. Aldegonde endeavours by a perswasive Oration to encourage them as much as he can They therefore resolve to make all manly resistance Divers of their preparations to that purpose They build a Ship vastly great Their Fire-ships They first make use of them to the prejudice of the Bridge which is already perfected but doe no great good thereby nor doth the great Ship prove more fortunate They try their Fire-ships again but still to no purpose Then they bend all their might to prejudice the Counterdike and hope by that means to bring in succour Their first Assault does no good They with better order and greater Forces try a second Assault A bloody business thereupon Fortune varies the dangers and at last gives the victory to the Royalists The Antwerpians treat of a Surrender and after many difficulties deliver up the Town NEver was the loss of Father Benefactor or Prince so bewailed as was Orange his death by those of the Confederate Provinces And since they could no longer enjoy his person alive they without any manner of delay substituted his son Maurice in his place a Youth but of 16 years of age conferring all those self-same honours and offices upon him which they with so liberal a hand had bestowed on his Father Count Buren Orange his eldest son was still detained in Spain being sent thither by the Duke of Alva as hath been said And therefore the Confederate Provinces chose Maurice to succeed in his Fathers commands This Maurice was Orange his second son and by his second wife Anne of Saxony They gave Maurice the Count of Hollack for his Lieutenant and to be assisting to his youth in the Government of Arms. The Prince of Parma hoped that this novelty might occasion some great commotion in the Confederate Provinces which would make for the Kings advantage judging that having lost such a Governour as their councels were thereby weakened so would their courages be also And truly so it fell out with many particular men But in the generall this action did so inhorrid and so incense the people as they resolved to continue their former resolutions more obstinately then before and to keep dead Orange his sense still alive Wherefore Fernese soon saw that he was to place all his hopes in Arms. He had then a very strong Army and such were his advantages over his Enemies as he thought he might assuredly hope yet for much greater every day From the time that he had besieged Mastrick he had still had a great desire to begirt Antwerp But the then difficulties and those which every day arose would never suffer him to undertake a business of so great consequence But all things seeming now to smile upon such a design he would no longer delay the doing of it We therefore will here proceed on to the description of this Siege which we will doe with all brevity and yet with great diligence that by the one we may shun the tediousness of trivial things and by the other present you as punctually as may be with so cry'd up an enterprise And doubtlesly such and so memorable was this action as by the common opinion it was sufficient of it self alone to make Alexander Fernese his merits be very highly valued by the Church and King and his honour
more great then usual for the heads of all Trades and all those who bore any Office amongst the People were then present he spake thus Since we that are here most worthy Citizens represent the whole body of the City and that through your goodness I enjoy the prime place amongst you I conceive it belongs properly to me to propound unto you that wherein the publike service in these present occurrences is most concern'd We are besieged round doubtlesly a sad spectacle the inconveniences being great which must be suffered within besieged wals It is no wonder therefore if many amongst us doe already wisely foresee this sort of evil and fear it But then we must be wary lest through too much apprehension and fear of the necessity which those that are besieged must undergo we forget not the mischiefs which so cruelly doe oft-times befall those who surrender We have seen two memorable Sieges these late years past in Holland the out of Harlem the other of Leiden The Harlemists would at last yield and rather then to come to the last desperate resolutions try the humanity and clemencie of the Conquerors But how much did they repent it afterwards and doubtlesly they had better have sallied out and with their swords in hand have willingly incountred their own deaths then to die as many of them afterwards did suffering such barbarous and horrid punishments On the contrary those of Leyden resolving rather to dye then surrender the Town did so maintain it though reduced to the utmost extremity of difficulties as at last they were freed from that so cruel siege by that so miraculous succour Which of these two examples shall we follow I believe it will be soon resolved Who can doubt that it is not better to under go not one but a thousand deaths rather then to fall again under the cruel proud and unsupportable Spanish yoke The Countrey groans every where through the so many horrible calamities which it yet suffers thereby But especially for the loss of so much famous bloud Where are the Egmonts Where the Horns Where so many of the Nobility of all sorts Finally where is our glorious Orange that true Father of his Country that unconquerable defender of the Liberties thereof It is no ways to be doubted but that as the first blow came from the hand of a Spaniard whereby he had then almost lost his life so did the second likewise from Spanish orders which brought him so miserably to his end If this our City shall ever prove so unfortunate which God forbid as to fall into their hands what doe you think their first actions will be They will certainly put the Citadel into its former condition which is as much as to say they will put the former insupportable yoke upon us To these and many other violences which they will use upon our persons we shall suddenly have many no less intolerable put upon our consciences The Reformed religion will be forbidden the very first day and the Inquisition will soon after be brought in And thus Antwerp being no longer a Flemish City but a Spanish Colony all Foreigners will forsake it all Traffick will decay and it will finally be intombed like an unhappy Carkass under its own desolate and decaying wals But let us talk no more thus dejectedly Let good auguries prevail And very well they may doe so if we consider the condition of the Enemies siege It is in vain to think that they will ever be able to finish the Bridg or to maintain it when it shall be finished The River it self will oppose them the flowing and reflowing of the Tide will oppose them our Ships will continually oppose them on all sides the Winter with her ice will fight against the Bridg nor will there be wanting many other inventions to discompose and break it down and leave that passage always free unto us And how much more easily may we open their Counterdike On Lillo's side our men have already begun to drown the neighbouring fields We will doe the like on Ordams side towards the City And the Counterdike being inclosed round between these two inundations and between our two Fleets it must of necessity either be born down by the water at the highest tides or being so often assailed by us we may cut it destroy it and freely receive all assistance likewise on that side In which case when we shall have commodity of being succour'd the Enemies can have no hopes in the continuation of their siege This mean while the Forces of our Confederates will still the more unite they will be accompanied with aids from France but chiefly with those which we may in greater numbers and with much more ease receive from England And having so many Forces both by land and sea why shall we not hope to see Antwerp restored to her full and entire liberty and to her former happy condition Let us then most honoured Citizens return all joyfully to our own homes And being to encourage others let us first take courage our selves But let us return always with an immutable resolution of rather perishing let our condition be what it will then of surrendring In fine Or Liberty or Death Thus ended stout Aldegonde Nor can it be said what power this and his other discourses had alwayes with the Antwerpians in making them receive his advices By his perswasion a new form of Oath was composed by which the City obliged it self never to return to the obedience of the King of Spain And an Edict was likewise published wherein it was prohibited under severe punishment for any one to listen to any whatsoever agreement which should at any time be propounded on the Kings behalf They then applied themselves with great fervencie to withstand the Siege Great care was had in the delivering out of victuals Such Citizens as were fit to bear Arms were put under Colours and disposed of in several Companies each of them having a Commander given them But above all things they betook themselves by all possible means to hinder the building of the Bridg and the defence of the Counterdike To boot with the Men of War which annoyed the Bridg they ordered some artificial Fire-boats whereby to assault indammage and utterly destroy the Bridg if it were possible And because the Kings Forts which were upon the River banks did very much hinder any thing that could be done by the Enemies ships the Antwerpians bethought themselves of building a Ship of such a vast greatness as being too good for the Kings Forts and furiously playing upon them with Cannon shot the absolute command of the River might by means thereof remain unto the City It was to be of a bulk answerable to a manageable Castle in the water And the Antwerpians confiding mainly therein and falling to work thereupon they gave it a no less vast title then was the bulk calling it The Wars End They ordered likewise all things which were necessary for the
by exposing their own to danger The Souldiers suddenly reassumed their courage but that which did most inhearten them was to observe that the Tide began to ebb which would soon inforce the Enemies shipe to retreat But as this consideration incited the Royalists to doe their utmost so had it the like effect upon the Enemies They thought the Victory already so sure their own as Hollack and Aldegonda were gone to carry the news thereof to Antwerp which occasioned an incredible joy in those Citizens The fight was then renewed more hot then ever upon the Counterdike and particularly near the Fort of the Palata and each side had their hopes and fears for a while But it was clearly seen that the Enemies courage ebb'd with the Tide and the courage of the Royalists did as much increase In fine the Enemy could no longer hold out for many of their ships being already on the ground on both sides the Dike they saw there was no more hopes left for them All the rest was blood and slaughter being void of all succour they were hewed in pieces every where nor did the Royalist thirst more after victory before then they did now after cruelty Above 2500 of the Enemy were slain and many of them men of quality Of the Kings side little less then a thousand most of which were Spaniards and Italians though the Dutch and Walloons did sufficiently act their parts Some 30 of their ships fell into the Royalists hands and but few of the Enemies were taken prisoners for all but those that were slain got easily away by water The fight being ended Fernese gave forthwith order for filling up the Cuts which the Enemy had made in the Counterdike he better secured the Forts he reinforced the Guards and did so provide for all things on that side as the Enemy was either not to make any more assaults or if they did they were to hope for no good thereby But the Antwerpians falling from so high hopes into so deep despair knew not what to doe nor how to evade their threatning misfortune They could hope for no assistance from France The Queen of England by the aforesaid artifices held them on in hopes Their confederate Flemish could doe no more then they had done To boot with Gaunts being long before fallen into Fernest's hands as hath been said Brussels Malines and Niminghen the chiefest City in all Ghelderland were likewise surrendred unto him wherefore as the Flemish Union was brought very low by so many losses the Kings party was as much advantaged by so many acquisitions Antwerp began long before this to suffer much in scarcity of victuals which increasing every day they began to think daily more and more upon the horror of Famine and upon the inevitable necessity of yielding to that enemy The Antwerpians kept as yet some Towns about the walls of the City and kept gartisons in them that they might likewise enjoy some part of the open fields wherefore all their hope lay now in getting maintenance by the means of that neighbouring Territory expecting what might afterwards fall out to their advantage But Fernese soon foresaw this their design nor did he lose the benefit of the opportunity Rubais being slain he had given the chief command of the Horse to the Marquis of Vasto who scouring the Country every where suffered not the Enemy to breath and had already laid waste all that Territory of those Country people And the Enemy opposing the Marquis one day with some of their Horse they were by him routed and defeated Wherefore Fernese presenting his Cannon before some of the forenamed Towns which were the best munited he quickly reduced all the rest And so the Antwerpians were shut up within the precinct of their own walls They began then allso far to despair as there was no talk amongst them but of their necessity of surrendring and the mind of the most was to begin a Parley so to get the best Conditions that they could Hollack and Aldegonda were still obstinate and those that did most pertinacioufly adhere unto them and by sophisticated Letters endeavoured to make the people believe that the Earl of Leicester was already parted from England being sent by the Queen with a powerfull Army to relieve Antwerp that he was every day expected to enter Zealand and that so many Foreign forces being added to those of their own Confederates they might very well hope to see that City quickly free from fiege This cheat might prevail for a while but the deeds speaking a contrary language and famine together with other extremities which usually are suffered by those who are besieged every day increasing the people would be no longer deluded They were first seen to gather together in small companies and then in more open assemblies which at last brake out into open tumults They chafed at the obstinacie of a few saying that for their own private passions they would make the City run hazard of suffering its late misfortune and misery Those who were better accommodated and who had most to lose either by plunder fire or other miseries which Cities are accustomed to suffer when either taken by force or surrendred upon discretion began to be of the same mind On the other side Fernese was not backward in inviting the Antwerpians to surrender and not by standing out to make their conditions the worse Thus the Magistracie resolved at last to send some to the Army to treat of surrendring the City They were fairly received by the Prince and so the Treaty began on both sides wherein at first was found a great deal of intricacie and difficulty and therefore many dayes were spent in adjusting them till such time as Aldegonda coming forth himself with some others of the best of the City the Articles of Surrender were concluded of about the midst of August which made up a just year since the first begining of the siege The Articles in effect were these that follow That the City of Antwerp should return under the obedience of the King of Spair as formerly That the Prince of Parma in the Kings name did pardon and forgive the Inhabiants thereof all faults committed in the late revolutions as well in taking up of Arms as in what soever else they had done against the King and his Royal crown That to maintain Traffick in that City as much as might be it might be lawfull for any body whosoever to live there for four years next ensuing without any particular tye in matter of conscience and religion provided no scandalous act were committe against the Catholick religion which was solely to be profest and exercised for the future in that City That the aforesaid four years being ended those who would not profess the Catholick religion might freely depart from thence and carry all their goods away with them without any manner of hinderance That the City should by the least grievous way that might be find means how to repair the
before they could get thither and afterwards in their return for Spain some of those ships perished unfortunately and amongst the chiefest and best qualified Spaniards which were there lost was Alonso di Leiva Generall of the Gallies in Sicily who chose to quit that Command and to be a Voluntier in this so famous Enterprise It would be too long to relate how many others of Quality perished in this imployment It will suffice to say that there were not any parts of the English Scotish or Irish coasts which were not innobled either by shipwracks or by the death or imprisonment of some of the choisest and best born Personages of all Spain Some other ships came up to the Admiral Ricalde in Ireland but all of them so shattered as they had much adoe to recover Spain and in the remainder of that voyage many of them perished The place whereunto the rest came for refuge was St. Anderos where Ricalde within a few dayes dyed as also another chief Commander at Sea called Oquendo together with divers other persons of quality who through their so great sufferings at Sea dyed almost as soon as they came to Land The Duke of Medina Sidonia after having together with the common dangers fallen into many particular hazards of his own arrived likewise about the end of September at the Port of St. Anderos from whence he acquainted the King with his arrival and gave him a full account of the whole success of that expedition This was that which befell the Spanish Armado which was sent to assault England Few enterprises were ever longer premeditated few ever made with greater preparations and none ever executed with greater misfortune So fallacious doe the designs of Mortals usually prove And thus the Divine Providence doth often in the secret Decrees of Heaven determine things contrary to what Humane wisdom hath in her pride determined here below THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Second Part. BOOK V. The Contents After the unfortunate success of the Spanish Fleet the Duke of Parma goes from the Province of Flanders into that of Brabant The situation of the Enemies new Fort called Schinck-Sconce What was the occasion of making it and how prejudicial it is to the Kings affairs and those of the Archbishop of Colen in those parts At the Archbishops desire the Prince of Samay is sent by the Duke to recover Bona. The Duke hopes to get Bergen ap Zome by secret intelligence but is deceived He sends Count Charles Mansfield to besiege Vachtendonch who takes it S. Getrinburg is delivered up unto him by the Garrison thereof The mean while he again straitens Reinberg Schinck dyes in attempting to surprise Niminghen Reinberg soon after is surrendred A Spanish Brigado mutinies to Fernese's great displeasure which is increased by the loss of Breda Count Maurice raiseth a Fort-Royal against Niminghen The Duke of Parma prepares to go into France The King of Navar and Duke of Parma compared together in Military qualities The Duke goes from Flanders comes to Meos finds Paris reduced to the greatest extremity of famine resolves to use all means to succour it The King of Navar opposeth him with all his Forces The Dukes stratagem in shunning Battel when he seems most desirous to fight The mean while he unexpectedly assaults and storms the Town of Lagny upon the Mearn and relieves Paris with great store of victuals The King of Navar retires much incenst from thence The Duke of Parma besiegeth and takes Corbel upon the Sene. From thence he returns to the Low-Countries The King follows him and endeavours to discompose him But the Duke marches in so good order as with ut receiving any considerable damage he leaves France and returns to Flanders THe Spanish Fleet being departed with so unfortunate success the Duke of Parma went presently with his Army from Bruges Whilst he was in those parts attending the expedition for England he had not omitted to do what was fitting for the service of the affairs of Flanders We told you before that at the instant intreaties of the Archduke of Colen the Duke had recovered the Town of Nuys and besieged Reinberg both which places appertain to that Church Being diverted from Reinberg and drawn to relieve Zutfen he could not as then do more in service of the Archbishop This mean while things went very much the worse for him Schinck was never quiet Neither was it well known whether the vivacity of his understanding or his vigorous proceeding was the greater The Rhine after having run for a long space in one only Channel not being able any longer to keep within its own bounds falls into two Currents which become almost as capacious as the first By these two is the Island of the antient Battavians formed and the same name though somewhat corruptly is at this time preserved there Schinck thought it would be very convenient to build a Fort upon that point which the two arms of the river make Wherefore presenting himself before Count Maurice he spake in a Military manner thus Since my fortune was not most illustrious Count to serve under your Fathers Ensignes I will wholly dedicate my self to you who are left in his place And doubtlesly you will imitate him much more in valour then in bloud What Martin Schinck is his actions have already shewn Being ungratefully dealt with by the adverse side I will never be at quiet till I have revenged my self To this end I beseech you hear a Proposal of mine Why do not we fortifie that point which is made by the Rhine where it divides into two branches How much advantagious will it be to raise a Fort there All Vessels which pass from the one or the other part will be inforced to strike sail and to pay Tribute to it It may be called the Bridle of the Rhine And from thence may the banks thereabouts be overrun and still new progresses be made and those already made the better confirmed In fine no fort can be more advantagiously seated I desire no more but the trouble of building it and of keeping it and that it may be called by my name that I may be the more obliged to defend it Either my Military industry deceives me or the enemy cannot receive a greater blow then this upon the banks of Rhine Count Maurice though he was yet very young knew that Schincks proposal must needs be of great consequence and he represented it so unto the States as they resolved it should be done And it was not long ere the Fort was made defendable with such flanks every where as the situation most required It was afterwards munited with a good Garison and with all things else that was thought necessary for the security thereof This is the so famous Fort called Schincks Sconce possest for almost fifty years together by the United Provinces but which is of late years so much in every mans mouth by reason that
be brought by small boats into la Fera. This design required great secresie wherefore Basti having very secretly acquainted Osorio Governor of the Town therewithall and suddenly assembled the 800 Horse together upon some other pretence came with such speed so near the Town as he might easily effect the Succor The Agreement made between him and Osorio was that Basti should come at a certain prefixt time to a part where the Marish was most watry and that Osorio should send all the Boats he could get to receive the Corn to bring it to the Town And just so it fell out to Basti's unspeakable praise and honor he having been continually on Hors-back for little lesse than Forty hours and having known so well to choose his time to deceive his own men first and then the Enemy much better and how to return without the loss of so much as one man nay more having defeated some of the Enemies horse which would have opposed him as he returned This small succour gave some hopes that a greater might ensue but the former oppositions still arising and it being known that the King did still more and more fortifie his quarters and that his Forces grew still greater the Cardinal began to incline to the making of some important diversion and hereupon they gave their opinions in the Councel of war Some were for besieging Peronne others St. Quintain and others other Towns thereabouts The Camp-master General Ronye was very well acquainted with every corner and every pass of the Province by reason of his being so long thereabouts in the time of the League he was more averse to the succour then any other and advised more to the diversion and willing to speak his minde clearly therein to the Cardinal but with such secresie as so jealous an affair required He took an occasion to speak thus unto him in his Chamber when but some few were with him It is now agitated most excellent Prince whether it be better to succour la Fera by all our Forces or to endeavour such a diversion as the King of France may be thereby more damnified then he shall be advantaged though he doth not raise his siege enough hath been already said touching the difficulties of the siege which truly are so great as there is no hopes of overcoming them Let la Fera then be lost provided that in lieu thereof we get another Town which may recompence the loss thereof with advantage I must confess the keeping of la Fera and other Towns in Picardy was of some concernment during the League and Civil wars of France but now that there is no sign of League left nor of civil commotions and that la Fera is surrounded with so many Towns towards the Frontiers of Flanders what considerable advantage will it be to the King if be do chance to get it Nay how great will his trouble and expence be to keep it Let the King continue then at that siege and let us betake our selves to a diversion but as I have already said let it then be such a one as the acquisition which shall thereby be made may much exceed the loss which may be apprehended by the other I shall not propound Peronne St. Quintain nor any of those other Towns wherewith la Fera is surrounded unto your Highness every one of which may be thought equal or rather inferior to this I shall advise you to another of so much greater concernment as it may of it self alone weigh against all those put together I mean Callis Callis a Sea Port the Key to the English Channel from whence passage may be had in a few hours into that Island and in a few more into Holland and Zealand Callis where succour may so commodiously be received by Sea from Spain and which certainly will be the sharpest Thorne at the present in the sides of France which fears nothing less there abouts then to see Callis besieged The Commander there is a very weak man the Garrison at the present is as weak and you shall find all other provisions for defence of equal weakness This is the diversion which I propound in enterprises of this nature in the first place great secresie is requisite in the resolving thereupon and then speed in putting it in execution Your Highaess must therefore possess your self of all the Avenues about Callis before the Enemy get any inkling of it otherwise succours will be soon sent thither both by Sea and Land and so the undertaking will be defeated before it be begun when on the contrary if the Avenues be speedily secured either my military experience deceives me or our Arms and your Ensignes shall in a few dayes be seen to enter there The Cardinal seemed to be mightily pleased with the propounded diversion which was fully approved of by the rest that vvere vvith him vvho vvere the chief commanders of the Flanders Forces They then fell to treat of putting it into execution and the Cardinal chose Ronye to be the guider thereof vvho was the first adviser but for the better concealing it they gave out that they vvere resolved to relive la Fera or attempt some diversion thereabouts To this purpose Valentiennes vvas chosen for their Randezvous one of the neerest Cities upon that Frontier and after having made great store of victuals be brought thither the Army began to march vvhich vvas one of the most flourishing ones that had of a long time been seen in Flanders It consisted of 5000 Spaniards 1500 Italians 1000 Burgonians 1000 Irish 2500 Germans and 6000 Walloons all these vvere very choice Foot and to these vvere added 3500 Horse the Train-bands of Flanders being numbred thereinto vvhich did serve upon that occasion The Cardinal vvas in Valentiennes about the beginning of April and had with him the greatest part of his Army and ordered divers marches the more to confound the King of France and to keep his true design unknovvn to him From hence he sent Ronye vvith great celerity and secresie tovvards Callis vvith the Camp-masters Lewis di Vilasco Alonsa di Mendosa la Barlotta and the Count Buckquoy The tvvo first Spaniards vvith their Brigadoes and the other tvvo Walloons vvith their Brigadoes also and these Foot vvere accompanied by 400 Horse Callis lies upon the very brink of the Channel vvhich divides France from England and in that very point of Land vvhere the two Kingdoms are nearest one another This vvas the last place from vvhence the English vvere driven after they had so long possest Normandy together vvith so many other provinces of France and as the repurchase thereof made by the French vvas thought a great concernment so did they ever after studiously endeavour to keep it But the Kingdom falling into civil discord Callis vvas no happier then vvere the other Tovvns vvhich being all of them almost in private mens hands for their ovvn ends could not be so vvell kept as the service of the Kingdom and Crovvn
succeeded his Father in the Civil Administration of Holland Zealand Utricht Overisel His brother Count Henry General of the Horse of the united Provinces and the Counts William and Eâ—rnestus the one of them Governour of Friesland and Groninghen and the other Governor of Ghelderland were all of them of his House and depended on him almost in all things so as the whole Government of the united Provinces as well Military as Civil may be said to be in his hands and his domestick power was the greater by his great friendship and alliance with Forraign Princes The Negotiation in hand made nothing at all for his present condition nor for that which peradventure he had an intention to raise up unto himself And say he had a minde to have hindred it at the beginning what colour or what pretence had he so to do Since the united Provinces in the Proposal made by the Arch-dukes for a Treaty had gotten all that they desired when the first ratification which came therefore from Spain proved vain Maurice began to hope well in the begun breach of the Negotiation by occasion thereof augmented the coÌ„mmon jealousies He inlarged himself very much and with great fervency in calling to minde their late good successes so many mischiefs cruelties and horrible in humanities committed as he affirmed by the Spaniards together with many other things to make all manner of Treaties with them suspitious and to encrease the hatred which those of the united Provinces alwaies bore to that Nation And though the second ratification was come in very ample manner yet did not he go less in continuing to do the same hoping to make this second appear likewise faulty in many things The time drew near of giving their resolution therein concerning which they had had many meetings at last one day when the Councel of 〈◊〉 States General was fuller then usual by reason of the importancy of the business 't is said Count Maurice spoke thus How much most worthy Deputies I have alwayes desired the prosperity of our Republick all my precedent actions which have made me appear no less my Fathers competitor then his son in her service may sufficiently manifest I have not laboured less then did my father in all wayes procuring the common good and if he lost his life in the publique cause I have exposed my self to no less dangers in the defence thereof and certainly it would have redounded much more to my honour and glory to have died amidst Arms then it did to him to perish by the hand of that base and detestable Paricide who so unworthily slew him None therefore should more rejoyce then I to hear our Provinces declared to be Free-States even by our Enemies themselves did I not think that all these proceedings were but couzenages whereby more easily to draw our Liberties again into their subjection I apprehended this even from the beginning of these practises so that as I have hitherto ever abhorred them so do I now abhor them more then ever and think it now more necessary then ever to break them wholly off and to throw back this second ratification with the same resoluteness as we did the former How many tricks and how many cheats the Spaniards have alwayes used in their like Treaties is too well known to us all But what need we look after past-times hath not the like been seen and is it not now seen in these present negotiations The first ratification came in general terms nor did it contain any thing of ratification but the bare name The second is come since which is likewise so defective as in my opinion it ought in no way to be excepted Do you perceive how the King would have it sent in the Spanish tongue a tongue unknown to us the true meaning and efficacy whereof we do not understand Do you observe how he uses the same subscription as he useth to his Vassals Not having changed any of the other things excepted against And the addition of the last clause doth it not evidently enough shew his pretensions that it shall wholly depend upon his will whether we shall be free or no As if from the time that the Duke d' Alva that Fury and Firebrand of all the troubles of Flanders and after him the other Governours had bereft their Countrie of its priviledges brought forein colonies thereinto put the whole Country to fire and sword and given sentence themselves against our Liberties and we had not known how to defend it by our unconquered Forces We then are free whether the King declare us to be so or no. And our pretence to this Declaration is because it is due to us from all the world and due to us by him absolutely without any conditional limitation of insuing agreement as he pretends in the additional clause so as it is now too well seen that the Spaniards treat with their wonted frauds and that they would pretend they can never lose by any whatsoever accord that should insue the right which they presume to have over our Provinces that they may afterwards expect new opportunities to oppress them again it may then be granted that it is not any publique respect but their own particular necessity which induceth them now to come to agreement with us The necessity I say of their disorders which doubtlesly are so many and so great as we may expect their utter losing of Flanders What darkness what obscurity is it then that doth possess our senses or what hoodwinkt and untimely wisdom is it which teacheth us to intermit and slacken the course of our Victories whence they are nearest and most certain their Army is in very great confusion without any discipline without any obedience corrupted by perpetual mutinies And if the war continue we shall doubtlesly see the whole body of the soldiery mutiny and then their whole Countrey will rise How great a part thereof does there already abound in our sense We on the other side have a flourishing Army well disciplin'd well paid and well provided of all things We have the assistance of France of England and of the greatest part of Germany We maintain a Cause then vvhich none can be more just nor can there be more constancy desired in our peoples wills to defend it To these our advantages by land our other progresses at sea do fully correspond What greater blovv could the Spaniards receive from us then that which we have given them in the East-Indies What will the other prove vvhich vve are preparing for them likevvise in the West To this end to boot vvith the publicke forces particular Companies of the richest Merchants of all our Provinces are oppointed so as when we shall get footing there to what straits and hazards shall we reduce the Spanish Fleet On the contrary side how much both publick and private advantages how much honour and glory shall our Common-wealth receive thereby Our having gon round the Sea where ever the
Sun shines with so many and so illustrious Navigations and having made our name so famous by so many and so glorious Victories will be the most memorable things spoken of by our posterity in after Ages The fear of losing the Indies is that which chiefly causes the Spaniards to come to some accommodation with us Who will then perswade us to let slip these so propitious opportunities which now offer thenselves unto us and see them turned peradventure hereafter to their advantage True Victory lies in the making good use thereof Which not being done the too late remedy of repentance serves but in little stead We ought by all means possible endeavour not to fall into such errors and not suffer our selves to be deceived by the false names of repose and Peace and other specious alluring pretences These are the means wherewith those full people asleep whom they intend afterwards to oppress No Lethargy is more mortal then a Peace which is to prove worse then war it self Our people this mean while will grow unsinewed by idleness We shall lose those friends which our wars have purchast to our cause But the worst of all evils will lie in the secret venome of discord which the enemy will in this interim endeavour to introduce amongst us and this sort of plague will sooner be radicated amongst us then driven out Thus by means of rest more fatal far then arms our Common-wealth would fall into the geatest misfortunes and the Spaniards by their machinations quietly enjoy what hitherto they have not been able to do with their Armies in the fields But I never was an Orator and as a Souldier methinks I have spoken more then I need upon such an occasion Nor can I deny but that my particular passions sway me in what concerns the common good which is now in hand which may notwithstanding all of them be reduced to the implacable hatred I bear those who are our implacable enemies and hope to make their power more formidable to others by the ruin of our Republick The Authority of so great a man assisted by so many and so forcible reasons prevailed very much with the hearers John Barnevelt Advocate General of the Province of Holland and one of her Deputies in this present Councel was one of those who did most favor the things which were now in Treaty His Authority was very great not onely in Holland but even throughout the whole Union in the service whereof he had ever had the chiefest employments and had therein continually faithfully discharged his trust So as his credit was such at this time with the Union and his estimation so great as he drew commonly most men to adhere to him in all his opinions He desired to see Count Maurice his power lessened to the end that the common liberty might be the more secure both at home and abroad though this his emulation cost him afterwards his life For not many years after Maurice his faction prevailed so far as for divers faults laid to his charge were they true or false he was publickly beheaded in Holland When Maurice had ended his discourse Barnevelt still resolved to defend the contrary opinion spoke thus Of so many egregious acts most worthy Deputies which the Prince of Orange of ever happy memory did and which have been since continued by the Illustrious Count Maurice the worthy son of so gallant a father in service of our Common-wealth this is one of the fruits we reap that every one may freely speak his minde in this Councel for what concerns the common good and if it were ever requisite so to do the nature of the business in hand doth now require it He hath certainly shewed great gravity and wisdom in what he hath said But since the more weighty the affairs are so much more necessary it is to have them maturely debated I hope it will not be displeasing if I alledge all those reasons to the contrary as may be considered in so important an affair We shall differ in our opinions but not in our ends which is the like in us all to endeavour all the advantage and stability which we can to this our Common-wealth The Illustrious Count did If I be not deceived urge two points chiefly the one that the Spaniards do not proceed with sincerity in these their negotiations and the other that it is meer necessity which makes them now seek to come to some agreement with us that they may hereafter finde some more favourable opportunity to oppress us As for the first I hope that none will deny but for what concerns the affairs now in hand we have hitherto obtained all that we have demanded of the Arch-dukes 'T is true that afterward the King of Spains first ratification was faulty and as such a one was justly by us refused but to speak truly I do not think this second such a one as ought to be rejected the defects whereof being well considered do more transgress against the circumstances then the essence of the ratification which we demand The essence lies in this that the King should acknowledge our Provinces to be free and that he should declare he had no pretence or claim thereunto this this second ratification doth fully contain as doth also the first Declaration made by the Arch-dukes And in fine it is the very same which we did desire except it be in the diversity of Language and in some other petty things of small importance and in the last clause added by the King Faults which in my opinion cannot be held any waies essential First how can it be doubted but that the true sense and meaning of the Spanish tongue must be understood by us Here where the frequent commerce of so many of our Cities with all the Principal Cities of Europe makes all Languages common and known To boot that the Arch-dukes Deputies affirm and give it under their hands that it is in the same language with the same subscription and alike in all other things to the ratifications of peace between the Crown of Spain and those of France and England Ought we to pretend to more then what was then done to two so great Kings The greater difficulty would lye in the additional clause if it were not evidently known that it were to be understood though it were not exprest since how can it be denied but that if no agreement should be made both parties would continue in their former rights To wit the Spaniards in what is grounded upon violence and we in what is grounded upon so known Justice But say the Spaniards after some agreement made should pretend a Title of right over us tell me I pray you wherein could our affairs be therein prejudiced Should they peradventure be Judges in such a cause In such a case recourse must be had to the Tribunal of the whole world and each party to the favour of their friends or rather to the Tribunal of arms where Armies pronounce
will here mention only things of greater moment wherein their differences consisted The King of Spain and the Arch-dukes to shew their ingenuity and the more to honest all conclusion of agreement desired that the exercise of Religion might be left free throughout all the United Provinces towards which I had not been wanting but particularly before the Deputies went for Holland had prest the Arch-dukes much therein and certainly the United Provinces should by all rules of good Government of their own accord have endeavoured to give the Catholicks who were in no small numbers amongst them satisfaction but the hatred to the Catholick Religion prevailing on the one side with the leading Hereticks and the suspition that this was the more to oblige the Catholicks which were amongst them to the Spaniards on the other side it was to be believed they would not consent to any thing in favour of the Catholicks The second chief point was that which concerned Commerce The United Provinces would have had it absolutely free and the King and Arch-dukes would have the Indies excepted and desired that many insufferable Taxes might be taken off to which the Merchandizes were subject in Zealand which were necessarily to pass from thence to Antwerp and which every day much lessened the Traffick of that City The other chiefest affairs consisted in the exchange which was to be made of divers Towns and other places which the one side were Masters of in the others Country in the adjusting of confines in contributions which were paid in several parts by those whose habitations confin'd on both sides to free themselves from Military incursions in the restitution of goods confiscated in the time of War and in other the like things of Justice They treated sometimes of one of these sometimes of another but very leasurely for great difficulties were met withall in all of them without coming to any resolution The point of exchange of places was in particular much argued The United Provinces were possessed of Sluce in the Province of Flanders together with the Island Cassant which is but of small circuit but commodious for the unlading of Goods having in it some Forts They likewise were Masters of Breda Bergen-ap-zome and St. Getringberg all of them strongly scituated both by Nature and Art in Brabant together with some lesser places fortified likewise On the contrary the Arch-dukes had Linghen Groll and Oldensel beyond the Rhine toward Friesland Linghen is a very strong Hold and the other two places of good consideration The Arch-dukes would have desired to have changed these three places with those which the United Provinces had in Brabant and Flanders And because that which was possest by the United Provinces was much the greater and better part it was thought that the Arch-duke to make the change more qual would willingly have quitted unto them all the rest which they were Masters of in Ghelderland or at least the greatest part thereof Long dispute was had upon this Article but to no purpose for it was not possible ever to agree upon it And with the same difficulties and prolixity they proceeded likewise in the other affairs This mean while the time was expired wherein the Commissary was to return from Spain who did not only not appear but not any news was heard of him whereupon the United Provinces grew very jealous and their Deputies began publickly to complain thereof The King of France was all this while very attentive upon the proceedings in Holland and to make the Spaniards the more jealous he was easily perswaded upon this occasion to make a new League with the United Provinces The Contents whereof was That in case the peace now in Treaty should succeed the King of France should be bound to assist the Vnited Provinces with ten thousand paid Souldiers to make the Spaniards the better keep it and that they on the other side should give the King of France five thousand paid foot in case the Spaniards should make war upon him The Spanish and Flemish Ambassadors which were at Paris quarrelled with the King hereupon but he justified it with divers pretences and shewed how that the King of Spain and Arch-dukes should rather be beholding to him therein as a business which might the easilyer facilitate the peace of Flanders which was in Treaty These artifices were not unknovvn in Spain and it was every day better seen that no agreement would ever be made with the Vnited Provinces without the King of France his interposition and authority To the end then that he might obtain his mediation upon this occasion the King of Spain resolved though upon other pretences to send Don Piedro de Tolledo or of the chief Lords of Spain into France And this was thought then the fitter to be done because the King of France at the-same time had sent for President Jannines to Paris with whom advising upon the affairs of Holland and the King resolving upon the forementioned things which might make him desire to see the affairs of Flanders setled he sent him suddenly to the Hague But Jannines grew quickly to dispair of seeing any Peace concluded He found the business more perplext with difficulties then before and the mindes of both Parties more exasperated The United Provinces could not tollerate the Spaniards slowness for the Commissary did not appear at all nor was there any news heard of what he had done in Spain Whereupon their Deputies resolved to know directly the King of Spains final intention touching the Indies which when they should not know presently to break off the Treaty and this they prest upon the Catholick Deputies with much inconstancy who made them this Answer That the King desired a happy end of the begun Treaty and that he would at last condiscend to that renunciation which they desired and in manner as was by them propounded But that on the otherside he expected that in requital of so important an Affair they should forbare going to the Indies and that moreover they should permit liberty of conscience to the Catholicks within their Provinces That the Commissary was already dispatched from the Court with this answer and that they had already received orders to acquaint them the United Provinces therewithal This Answer quite overthrew all hopes of Peace The United Provinces had put on an unalterable Resolution neither to abandon the Indies nor yet to admit the Catholick Religion amongst them Whereupon having heard this they in Writing did presently declare the Treaty broken and presented the writing to the Catholick Deputies The Treaty of Peace being thus faln to the ground it remained to see whether they might the easilyer compass a long Truce The King of England had all this while seemed rather averse then otherwise to the Negotiation in Holland and having the same ends which the Kings of France had to raise jealousie in the Spaniard as hath been said he also made use of the same means In imitation of the King of France and
regaining it in those that were revolted The business was all this while put on by the two Kings Ambassadors but because to Negotiate by way of Letters was long and tedious the Ambassadors minded the Catholick Deputies who had been in Holland that it would make more for the purpose to have the meeting in Antwerp to end those difficulties which yet remained concerning the Negotiation This Proposition was willingly listned unto by the Arch-dukes whereupon the Ambassadors and the Catholick Deputies met in Antwerp in the beginning of February 1609. The greatest difficulty was touching the point of the Indies The Ambassadors had alwaies assured the Vnited Provinces that in the Truce they should be permitted to Traffick thither and they therefore desired that that Article might be laid down in clear and express words On the contrary the Catholick Deputies desired that if it should be impossible to come to a Truce without condiscending to that point it might at least be understood by tacit circumlocutions then by nominating the Indies expresly They desired also howsoever that the Vnited Provinces should forbear from coming into or from trafficking in those parts of the Indies which were already under the Crown of Spain At last after much arguing this point was agreed upon and was couched in such tearms as both the Vnited Provinces and the Catholick Deputies were satisfied therewith for the name of the Indies was left out and the said Provinces were forbidden entring into the Kings Countries in those parts And Richardotto had wont afterwards to say that this Article was so obscure as he himself did not understand it much disputation was likewise had upon the Article of Contributions 't was said that the United Provinces received every year 300000 Crowns of Contribution money which was a great help to their expences The Arch-dukes did not receive near so much but because these monies were all raised by hostility it was thought a thing too repugnant to the publick tranquility which was endeavoured that this kinde of Hostile proceedings should be continued in times of quiet so as the United Provinces were at last perswaded that all contributions of both sides should be laid down On the contrary 't was necessary to yeild to the pretention moved by them that the precincts which did appertain to such Towns as were enjoyed both on this and on that side should be restored to the said Towns Touching which point little or nothing returned to the Arch-dukes hands whereas large boundeurs were restored to the Towns of Breda and Berghenapzone together with some others in Brabant which were in the possession of the United Provinces Yet the Arch-dukes did so far prevail and my endeavours were also so earnest therein as the exercise of the Catholick Religion onely was left in those precincts as it was before To the which the united Provinces obliged themselves apart being promised by Jannines and Rossi his Collegue who gave it them under their hands that the King of France should oblige himself to see it performed Touching the point of exchange of Towns there was no means of accommodation therein to be found so as it was resolved that each party should still enjoy what they did possess at the present nor would the Vnited Provinces ever suffer themselves to be perswaded in the point of taking away the Taxes and other impediments to which those vessels were lyable in Zealand which passed through the Scheld to come to Antwerp whereby that City was much indamaged as hath been said This business was refer'd to be propounded and examined in a friendly manner after the Truce should be concluded And the Arch-dukes hoped by the benefit of the Truce the better to accommodate their own Ports in Flanders into which much merchandize was to be brought which in time of war went necessarily into Holland and Zealand because their Havens were continually block'd up by many of the Vnited Provinces men of war These were the chief points on which the Ambassadors of France and England treated with the Marquess Spinola and the other Catholick Deputies in Antwerp the Catholick Deputies endeavouring to proceed as slowlâ— as might be that the Arch-dukes Confessor might have time to Negotiate in Spain and to send away the resolution which was expected from thence which not long after came and was the same in sum which the Arch-dukes had desired and the Confessor by the reasons alledged by him had perswaded the King unto great consultations were had notwithstanding before this determination both in the Councel of State and amongst the gravest and learnedst Ecclesiasticks of Spain for the King would be fully satisfied in all those affairs which were to be considered in so important a business before he would suffer it to be brought to a conclusion The Confessor himself returned soon after so as the affairs being fitted by all parties for an agreement the two Kings Ambassadors who after the Negotiation at Antwerp were gone to give an account of the whole business to the Vnited Provinces thought it fitting to return again to that City and to bring thither the same Deputies of the Vnited Provinces who were first imployed in Negotiating the business in Holland which was approved of by the Arch-dukes and at the same time the Catholick Deputies returned thither likewise amongst which was Commissary Neyen who was then returned from Spain The Vnited Provinces thought this to be the business of highest nature and of greatest importancy which had befaln them since their withdrawing themselves from the obedience of the Crown of Spain and therefore it was judged necessary that it should be concluded by the Authority of the whole body of the great Assembly representing the general Vnion and that the Assembly should consist of as many Deputies as could be gathered together upon so great an Occurrency The Town of Berghenapzone was made choice of to this purpose situated not many leagues from Antwerp Here the great Assembly met and 't was said that the Deputies were eight hundred in number The Deputies of both sides together with the two Kings Ambassadors met every day in Antwerp in the publick Palace of that City From whence whatsoever past from time to time was sent to Brussels to the Arch-dukes and to the Vnited Provinces in Berghenapzone and resolutions were suddenly taken When all points were then adjusted after so many and so long obstructions a Truce for twelve years was established and concluded on the ninth of April in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and nine betwixt both parties The Articles were eight and thirty In the first it was declared that the Arch-dukes made Truce with the Vnited Provinces as with Free-States and Provinces unto which they did not make any pretence at all and they obliged themselves that the King of Spain should ratifie the same Declaration together with all the rest which was afterwards done in such manner as was requisit The other chief Articles contained the affairs of chiefest importance
the same 118. The Order the Spaniards observ'd in marching through the foord of Zirickzee 130. Octavio Farnese D. of Parma at Brussels 21. Octavio Gonzaga 150. takes in Lovain 168. routs some Companies of French 170. Oudewater in Holland and its situation 132. Besieged by the Spaniard ibid. Utterly ruined ibid. P. PEace establisht between the Provinces of Flanders 148 Pope Urban the eight 123 The Popes General Pardon proclaimed by the D. of Alva 70 Pius Quintus his particular demonstration of honour to the D. of Alva 66 Practises of the Germain Princes to foment the Flemish Hereticks 51. Of Orange and the Flemish vagabonds with the neighbouring Princes 73 The Predicants driven out of Antwerp 40 The Prince of Orange born in Germany 5. Coming over yong into Flanders he became a Catholick ibid His Nature and Cústom ibid. Opposeth Granvel 12. Proposes that there may be a Convocation of the States General ibid. His intelligence with the Admiral of France 13. He opposeth the bringing in of the Councel of Trent into Flanders ibid. His propositions to the Covenanters in Geertruydenberg 30. He goes into Holland and Zealand to pacifie the tumults there 32. terrified at the news of d'Alva's coming into Flanders he leavs the countrey 4o His Answer to the D. of Alva's citation 49. He seeks to interess Germany in the revolt of the low Countreys to which end he procures a Diet there 52. His discourse at it ibid. He raises an Army to enter Flanders 64. He desires to come to a battel with d'Alva his reasons for it 65. A great part of his men routed 66. He retires into Flanders where his Army disbands it self ibid. He assembleth new Forces to enter those Provinces a second time 85. He masters Ruremond and sacks it ibid. He takes in Malines ibid. He makes a hault in Henault ibid. He offers to give the D. of Alva battel 86. He retires with his Army defeated 88. He goes into Holland ibid. He passes to Leyden to ayd the Harlemers 98. He attempts the relief of the besieged there but those whom he sends are routed by the Royalists 102. He makes many inroads about Nimegen 122. In the conference at Breda he is absolute Umpire for the Rebels 131. He doth his utmost to relieve Zirickzee 138. He makes use of the Commendadors death for cherishing of the Flemish rebellion 140. his opinion concerning Don Johns coming 151. His ends in the affairs of Flanders ibid. He approves not of the Agreement made at Marck 153. He expresses his conceit of Don Johns retreat to Namure 160. He is received into Brussels by the States Generall 162. Created Governor of Brabant ibid. His Judgement concerning the Archduke Matthias his comming into Flanders 163. his diligence to compose the discords between the Provinces of the Low-Countreys 176 The Prince of Parma comes into Flanders 166. his Military employment ibid. He fights with singular valor at Geblours 168. storms the Town of Sichen 169. substituted by Don John in the Government of Flanders 177 The Propositions of the Provinces concerning the citadels designed by the D of Alva 71 Philip the second son to Charls the fifth 4 comes into Flanders ibid. Returns into Spain and upon what occasions 7 Before his departure he cals together the States Generall in Gaunt Ibid. creates some Knights of the Golden Fleece 9. his discourse with the Dutchesse of Parma ibid. his secret Orders to her about the Tumults in Flanders 33. his perplexity about sending an Army thither 45. he prepares a fleet in Spain to be sent into Flanders 134 with great secrecy he sends away his brother Don John of Austria for Governor to the Low-Countries 150 endevors by his means to compose matters in the Low-Countries ibid. is again constrained to take up armes against the Flemmings 164. makes great complaints in France about Alansons march into Flanders 177. the Provinces of the Low-Countries divided into many Principalities 1 Q. QUeen of England 6. see Elizabeth The Queen of Navarre passeth by the Frontiers of Flanders 158. A Book of hers ibid. R. RAphael Barberino and his qualilities 123. Uncle by the Fathers side to Pope Urban the VIII ibid. how bravely he caryed himself at the taking of the Fort of Bomell 138. he is wounded at Visenac 144 Efficacious Reasons for the Inquisitin 26. For King Philips going into Flanders 41. Against it ibid. Count Lodovicks Ruyters rout the Catholicks German horse 119. They are defeated by the Kings Lanciers ibid. The Rebels in Holland doe their utmost to cut off all Victuals from the Kings camp before Harlem 101. they attempt ter Tolen 107. they seize upon Ramechins 108. they become Masters of the Isle of Walcheren 114. a Treaty of accommodation with them 123 but it goes not forward ibid. they prepare for the defence of Leyden 124. they drown the Country all about it 126. they raise the Siege 127 A Relation of the Mutinies 120. The wonderfull Obedience yeelded to their Laws ibid. The course that was taken to reduce them to an agreement 121 A Rising in Maestricht against the Spaniards 145 Rodulphus the Emperor interposeth for the quiet of Flanders 152. he continues the Treaty of agreement by the bishop of Liege 164 Ruremond made a Bishoprick 9. Sacked by Orange's army 85 S. THe Sacking of Valenciennes 78 Sancio d'Avila comes into Flanders with the Duke of Alva 46. Sent against the Flemish Vagabonds 50 Captain of Antwerp castle 76. Routs the Enemy and secures Middleburgh ibid. brings Relief to ter-Goes 91 Overcome by the Rebels in a Sea-fight 107. is commander over a Fleet for the relief of Middleburgh 113. he enters Mastricht with the Kings men 115. he assaults the Enemy and routs him 116. he discovers Lodowicks designs and prevents them ibid. Conqueror at the battel of Mooch 119. Made Admiral of the fleet in ter-Tolen 135. Fordeth the channel of Scowen 136. his counsel to defend the Kings Souldiers against the States Militia 141. His words to Don John at the departure of the Spaniards out of Flanders 154 Sconhoven a Town in Holland besieged by the Royalists 132. It yeilds 133 The Suspicion of the Flemings and the conceit of the chiefest among them concerning the Inquisition 4 Spain greatly infested with the Moors 7 The Spaniards assault Harlem disorderly and are made to retire by Romero 100 They mutiny after the battel of Mooch 119. They take the way of Antwerp which they enter without any more adoe 121. They make the Garison there retreat ib. They are satisfied and return to their obedience 122. Many of them perish before Leyden 127. They prepare to defend themselves against the Flemings 141. Their designe to meet in Antwerp ib. The difficulties they met with ere they could get together 144. They assault and take Antwerp 146 States General of the Provinces of Flanders 2. Called together by the Duke of Alva 67 The States of Holland meet to consult upon the relief of Leyden 126 The States of
Flanders 140. see the Councel of State 102 The Sufferings of the Kings Camp before Harlem 102 T TOrney and the Country thereabouts infected with heresie 28 A Treaty of accommodation between Don John and the States 153 Tumults how they began in Flanders 2 A popular Tumult in Brussels 140 A Throne set up in Antwerp by the D. of Alva 71 V VAldes a Spanish Campmaster hath the principal charge of the siege of Leyden 124. He takes two Forts from the enemy ib. He shuts up all the Avenues about the City 125 Valentiennes riseth 37. Is surprised by the Hugonots of France 8 Vargas a Spanish Captain relieveth Mastrick 145 Vahelius President of the Privy Councel follows the opinion of Granvel 11. Opposeth Orange and for what reasons 19. shews himself contrary to the new Impositions 69 Utricht an Archbishoprick 11 W WAlcherin an Island 76 The Walloons take up Arms against the Gantois 176 Seditious Writings against the Inquisition 22 Z ZEaland opposeth d'Alvas Impositions more then all the other Provinces 70 Zirickzee a principal Town 135. It s scituation ib. It is besieged 137. Is yeilded up 138 Zutphen and its scituation 94 Besieged by Frederick di Toledo ib. stormed and sackt ib. A TABLE Of the most remarkable things contained in this SECOND PART A ADolphus Count de Meurs Commander in chief for the Flemish opposeth the Kings party 237 Altapenna surpriseth Breda 199 Mortally wounded before the Fort of Engelen 247 Antwerp in danger of being surprized 210. It s description 217. Besieged by the Prince of Parma 218. What diligence the Townsmen use to get in relief 222. Their uproars for the streightness of the siege 223. They contrive fireboats to annoy the Bridge made upon the Scheld 224. Their great ship called the Wars end ib. Their new designe against the Bridg 228 They resolve to surrender 233 Arch-duke Matthias returns into Germany 204 The Arch-bishop of Rossano sent to Collein for the accommodation of Affairs in Flanders 187 ALexander Farnese See Prince of Parma Army of Farnese before Mastrick how quartered 183. How placed about Antwerp 220. Of the League and its strength 281 B BErghen-ap-zone attempted by Farnese but in vain 260,261 Bona surprized by Skinck 259. Recovered by the Prince of Simay 260 Breda surprized by Altapenna 199. and with a stratagem recovered by Count Maurice 265 Bruges taken by the Kings party 213 Brussels comes in to Farnese The Bridg before Antwerp and the description thereof 220. What mischief the fire-barks did to it 227 C CAmbray straitned by Farness 198 Relieved by the Duke of Alanson 200 Cardinal Allen 251 The Cardinal Infante takes Skincks Sconce 259 Christophoro Mandragone Campmaster where quartered before Mastrick 183. How gallantly he plaid his part in defending the Counterdike 231 The Conference held at Colein for accommodating the affairs of Flanders 187 A Consultation held by the Prince of Parma Whether Antwerp or Mastrick should be first besieged 181. by the same about building a bridge upon the Scheld 219. by the Queen of England upon the proffer of the soveraignty over the United Provinces 237 238 by the King of Navar whether the siege of Roan should be suspended or continued 282. in Spain concerning the manner of expressing their grudge they bare to the Queen of England 248 The Count of Aremberg forceth Hollach to retreat from the siege of Zutphen 214 The Count della Laigne Governour of Henault 186 The Count di Berg turns to the Kings side 198 Count Herman di Berg besieged in Deventer 278. is wounded ib. yeilds up the Town ib. Count Charls Mansfield taketh in Eyndoven 213. Assaults and routs Marshal Biron ib. Besieged the Grave 240 Relieveth Nimegâ—â— 265 Count di Fuentes sent into Flanders 292 Count Holack at the siege of Groninghen 198. Made Count Maunce his Lieutenant 217. Assaulteth the Counterdike 229 Count Maurice put into the place of the Prince of Orange his father 217 Commands the Militia of the United Provinces 245. Surprises Breda 265 Raises a Fort against Niminghen 266. Makes himself Master of Zutphen 278. And then of Deventer ib. Takes in Niminghen 280. Takes Steenwick 292. and the Fort of Coverden ib. Colonel Norrice surprizeth Brankemberg Fort 277 Colonel Vere relieves Reinberg 264 Count Peter Ernestus of Mansfield left by Farnese to govern Flanders 267 The Count of Reinberg turns to the Kings side 198. He besiegeth Steenwick but is forced to retreat 199. His death ib. The Counter-dike of Covestein 221 Defended with four Forts by the Royalists 229. Assaulted by the Rebels but in vain ib. Assaulted again by the same 231 Complaints of the Flemish Rebels against the Duke of Alanson 207. Of the same against the English 244. Of the Commanders of the League against the D. of Parma 273 Of the Army of the League for want of victuals 290 The Catholick Commissioners of the Flemish Union what opinion they were of in point of changing their Prince 193 The Character of Alanson 214. Of the Prince of Orange 215. Of the Duke of Parma 292. Comparison between the King of Navar and Duke of Parma 267 D A Description of Mastrick 183. of Antwerp 217. of the Bridg built upon the Scheld at the siege of Antwerp 225. Deventer won by Farnese 244 It falls back into the hands of the United Provinces 278 The D. of Alanson returns into France 181. Comes into the Low-countries as their Prince Elect 193. Upon what condition he 〈…〉 of the Government 195. He 〈…〉 the City of Cambray 200. He goes over into England and thence to Zealand 204. His solemn entrance into Antwerp 205. He receives his expected forces â—08 He is perswaded to establish his new Principality by force ib. and he attempts the surprisal of Antwerp 210. but with bad success ib 211. He goes away into France 213. where he dies 214 His character ib. The Duke of Medina Sidonia made Commander of the Spanish Armado in the place of the Marquiss of Santa Croce 254. His unfortunate expedition 256 The Dutchess of Parma comes over into Flanders 194. Her Letter to the Catholick King ib. She returns into Italy 195 The Duke of Parma 242. See Prince of Parma The Duke du Main gives the Duke of Parma a meeting 267. His opinion that the victory of Aumale should be followed 285. He exhorts Farnese to keep aloof from Roan 287. He continues Generalin the Camp of the League 288 He carries a supply of men into Roan 291 E THe English rout the Spaniards before the Grave 241 The English Fleet 255. The advantages it had of the Spanish ib. F THe Faction of the Malcontents what it pretended to 181. It seizeth upon Alst 188 Monsieur di Feruaches and his speech to the Duke of Alanson 209 Francesco Verdugo Governor of Friesland 199. Takes in Embden ib. Surprizes Zutphen 213 The French in danger for Oranges wound 205. They run up and down Antwerp in hostle manner 210. But are repulsed by the Inhabitants 211 They
secure the Towns of Dunkerk Dixmund and Terramund ib. The Fort of Blankemberg taken by the Duke of Parma 245. Recovered by Colonel Norrice and by him demolisht 277. of Engelen taken by the Rebels who change the name calling it Creve coeure 247 Francis Drake 254 Fire-barks in Antwerp for destruction of the Bridge 224. How they were made 226. what was the effect 237 228 A gallant Fight between the Duke of Parma's men and the Rebels 279 Fire-ships sent out by the English against the Spanish Armada 256. what was the effect ib. G THe Gantois oppose the Catholick Religion and the Soveraignty of Spain 181. They seize upon the Town of Menin 188 Gaunt taken in by Farnese 236 George Basti fals upon the King of Navar and puts him to a retreat 285 Groninghen besieged by Count Hollack 198. t is freed ib. H HEnry the third King of France how he excused himself for the D. of Alansons accepting the Government of the Low-Countries 196. Signior d'Hierges General of the Artillery in Flanders 183. Slain at the siege of Mastrick 185 I IPre taken by the D. of Parma 213 The Island of Cassante 245 Signior d' Insy Governor of Cambray 193 K THe King of Navar besieges Paris 266. His exhortation to the Commanders of his Army 268. Raises his Camp from before Paris 269. Challenges the enemy to a set battel 270. Attempts the surprizal of Paris 2 2. Annoys the Enemies Camp 274. Besieges Roan 281. Removes to Aumale whence he goes in person to view the Camp of the League 284. Is shot with a fire-lock 285. Returns to streighten Roan he riseth from that siege 287 He cuts off all Convoys from the Leaguers Camp 289. His hope to conquer the enemy by way of Famin 290 L LAgny stormed by the Duke of Parma 271 Lyra in Brabant taken by the Royalists 207 The Earl of Leicester sent into Holland by the Queen of England 239. He besiegeth Zutphen 243. But is forced to retreat by the Duke of Parma 244. He returns thither afresh and takes in some of the Forts ibid. The jealousies which the United Provinces entertain of his actions ib. he brings over new aid from England 246. He is appointed by the Queen to defend the banks of the Thames 253 M MAlines taken by Farnese 188. recovered by the Rebels 193. reduced the second time by Farnese 232 Maria della Laygne defends the City of Tornay in the absence of her husband the Prince of Espinoy 203. her words to encourage the souldiers ib. She is wounded ib. She yeilds up the Town 204. The honours done her by the enemies Camp at her going forth of it ib. The Marquiss of Rubays Governor of Artois 186. He fals upon Monsieur Della Noue and takes him prisoner 194. He prevails with the Walloon Provinces for the returning of foreign souldiers 201. He takes the Fort of Lifetensuch 218. Oversees the building of the Bridge upon the Scheld 223. Takes Monsieur de Teligni prisoner 225. his death 228 The Marquiss of Vasto General of the horse in Flanders 233. Made Knight of the Golden Fleece by the Duke of Parma 242. Returns out of Italy into Flanders to wait upon the Duke of Parma in his second expedition into France 284 Marshal Biron comes into Flanders 208. Takes the Castle of Vouda 213 Is routed by Mansfield ib. Returns into France 214. His Oration for not breaking up the siege of Roan 282. he is left there by the King of Navarr to continue it 284 Martin Skinck and his conditions 198. He relieves Groninghen ib. His victory over the Rebels at ter-Goes 199 He is taken prisoner 206. He comes over to the States service 237. His speech to Count Maurice for the raising of Skincks Sconce 259. He surprises the Town of Bona ib. He routs some Companies of the Kings party 263. he attempts the surprisal of Niminghen ib. where he loseth his life ib. Mastrick besieged by the Prince of Parma 182. Assaulted by the Royalists 183. It is stoutly defended ib. is stormed and sackt 186 The Meeting of the States General in Antwerp for chusing of a new Prince 189. They shew themselves inclined towards the Duke of Alanson 193 To whom by a solemn Ambassy they proffer the Government of the United Provinces 195 A Mutiny of the Germans in the Kings Camp 206 N NImegen comes in to the King 236 Is in great danger of being surprized 263 Monsieur de la Noue Lieutenant to the Prince of Orange and Governor of Mastrick 182. Will not be shut up in it ib. His diligence to relieve it 185. He is taken prisoner 194 Nuys stormed and sackt by the Spaniards 242 O OUdenarde in the Province of Flanders besiged by Farnese 206. the assault made upon it ibid. it is yeelded 207 The Oration of James Tayard in behalf of the Queen of England 189. Of the Seignor de St Aldegonde in behalf of the Duke of Alanson 191. Of the same to the Antwerpians 223. Of the Pr of Parma that foraign Souldiery might be suffer'd to return 200. Of the same to the Commanders of the Army at their entrance into France 267. Of Seigneur di Feruaches to the Duke of Alanson 209. Of the Deputies of the United Provinces to the Queen of England 237. of the King of Navarre to the Commanders of his Army 268 Of Marshall Biron that the Siege before Roan might not break up 282. Of the Duke of Boloigne to the contrary 283 P PAris besieged by the King of Navarre 266. Relieved by the Duke of Parma 269 The Princess of Espinoy see Maria de la Laigne The Prince of Orange takes great care for the Relief of Mastrich 185. He useth all possible diligence to disturb the Treaty of accommodation in Colen 186. He follows close the Election of a New Prince 189. his particular ends herein ibid. He holds with those that stand for Alanson 193. he divulgeth a Writing in justification of himself and in Answer to the Kings Proclamation issued out against him 205. He is wounded with an Harquebuse shot ib. he endeavours to re-unite the Flemish Rebels and Alanson after the mischance at Antwerp 212. He is slain 214. His character 215 The Prince of Parma receives a Confirmation from the King for the Government of Flanders 180. He besiegeth Mastrich 182. And at last stormeth it 185. he brings the Walloon Provinces to an Agreement 187. He takes in Malines 188. Besiegeth Cambray but is forced to Retreat by the D. of Alanson 200. his Speech that the Foraign Souldiers-might be suffer'd to return ibid. he besiegeth Tournay 202. and takes it 204. recovers the castle of Cambresis 208. makes himself Master of Dunkerk and Newport 211 Resolves to besiege Antwerp 217. Fals to making a Bridge upon the Schelde 220. causeth a Ditch to be cut of 15. Miles in length 221. Ran a great hazard at the playing of the fire-Barques 227. beats off the Enemy from assaulting the Counterdike 232. Receives the Order of the
Golden-fleece 234 his solemn entrance into Antwerp ib. he besieges the Grave and carries it 241. he incamps before Venlo ibid. which at length is yeelded to him 242 thence he goes against Nuys ibid. which is storm'd and sack'd ibid. He takes on him the title of Duke upon the death of his Father ibid. the Honour conferred upon him by Pope Sixtus the fifth ibid. he goes to the Relief of Zutfen he takes in Deventer 243. and after that the castle of VVowe 244. he layes Siege to Sluce 245. which at last is yeelded to him 247. his Opinion concerning Spains making war upon England 250 he goes over to Newport to further that enterprize 255. a Designe of his upon Berghen-ap-Zome 260. but it hits not 261. he falls sick of the Dropsie and passeth into France ibid. he joines with Du Main at Meaux 270. He besiegeth and stormeth Laigny 271. storms and sacks Corbeil 274. Returns into Flanders 275. Encamps before the fort of Nimeghen 278. but can do no good upon it 279. He receives order from the King to pass again into France ib. In the fight of Aumale against the K. of Navar he carries the day 285. He sends a supply of men into Roan and thence marcheth into Picardy where he besiegeth the Town of Rue 287. He returns speedily towards Roan and raiseth the King of Navars siege 288 Is wounded in one of his arms before Caudebec ib. resolves to pass the Seine performs it fortunately 290. marcheth towards Flanders 291. Petitions the King for leave to quit the Government 292. He prepares for the third expedition into France ib. He dies in Arras ib. His Character ib. Prince Ranuccio the Duke of Parmas eldest son brings off safe the Kings army in their retreat from the Fort of Nimeghen 279. He marcheth in the van with the horse of the Leaguers Camp 284. In the retreat from Caudebeck he makes good the rear with singular valour 291 Philip the second confirms Parma in the Government of Flanders 180. Resolves to send back the Dutchess of Parma into Flanders 194. yet afterwards gives her leave to return into Italy 195. Declares that he will aid the Catholick League in France 266 Q. THe Queen of England how she liked of the new Principality of Alanson 202. She examins in her councel the offer of the Severaignty of the United Provinces that had been made to her 239. Endeavours to compose the differences between the United Provinces and Leicester 244. She procures a Treaty of agreement in the affairs of Flanders to be moved for by the King of Denmark 248. But all Treaties come to nothing 252. She resolves to oppose the Spanish Fleet and prepares for it with great Forces both by Sea and Land ib. Her Oration to the Parliament ib. R. REberg besieged by the Marquiss of Barambone 262. Relieved by Skinck ib. and after by Colonel Vere 264. At last it is yeilded up to the Royalists ib. The Flemish Rebels at great difference among themselves 180. For want of moneys they cannot maintain the souldiers that flock to them from other parts 181 They feed with fair hopes of relief those that are besieged in Mastrick 184. They resolve upon chusing a new Prince 189. and publickly declare the election they have made 201. Their complaints against Alanson 207. How much they were inraged at the surprisal of Antwerp by him attempted 211 They are reconciled to the French by the workings of Orange 212. They rout the Kings party near Nimegen 279 Roan besieged by the King of Navar. 281 Receives a supply of men 363. Is in very great danger ib. S SEbastian Tappin a French-man and Swarzemburg at the defence of Mastrick 182. Their vigilance 184 They very stoutly beat back the Royalists 185 The Signior of St. Aldegond in great esteem with the Flemish Union 191. He is Governor of Antwerp 223. His speech to encourage the Antwerpians to hold out the siege ib. Sixtus Quintus Pope sends a Present to the Duke of Parma 242. Exhorteth Philip the second to the enterprise against England 250 Skinck See Martin Skinck T TOrnay besieged 202. The batteries that are raised against it 203. It stands out the first assault ib. Takes in a small supply 204. At length is yeilded up to the Duke of Parma ib. V VErdugo See Francis Verdugo Venlo besieged by Farnese 241. It yeildeth before it comes to an assault 242 Sign di Villars at the defence of Roan 281. Falls very valiantly upon the Camp without and sorely annoys it 286. Adviseth that the Forces of the League should turn some other way 286 Makes great suit for relief 287 W WAchtendonck yeilded to Mansfield 261 The Wallon Provinces contest with the Gantois 181. they come to an Agreement with the Prince of Parma 186. And upon what conditions 187. They consent to the return of the Foraign soldiers 201 Z. ZUtfen besieged by Leicester 243 Relieved by Farnese 244. Taken in by Count Maurice A Table of the most remarkable things contained in this THIRD PART A AUgustin Messia a Spanish Camp-master 309. Enters Cambray with Forces 329 Is declared Governour of that City 332 The Admiral of Arragon seizes upon the Town of Montulin 363. Made Governour of the Militia in Flanders 369. The Orders left him by the Archduke 372. He takes in Remberg 373 He distributes his Army in divers neutral places 374. His opinion for besieging Skincks Sconce 377. He makes the enemy retreat from the fort of Durang 382. Is taken prisoner 397 Being after released he attempts to relieve the Grave but in vain 409 Amiens the Metropolis of Piccardy 350 Surprised by the Spaniard 352. and after sackt 353. The description therof ib. besieged by the K. of France 355 The rendring of it up 362 Admiral Villars Governor of Normandy 320. Routed and slain at Dorlan 322 Archduke Albertus by way of Proxie espouseth in the Kings name the new Queen in the City of Ferrara 372 Departs from Madrid with the Infanta his wife 386. They both come into Flanders ib. He cals a consultation of the Officers of the Army 393. Resolves to assault the enemies Camp at Newport 394. His words to the souldiers 396. He is wounded in the battel of Newport ib. He besieges Ostend 399. His constancy in pursuing that Enterprise 406. His speech to the magistrates of Balduke 412. He commits the care of the siege of Ostend to Marquiss Spinola 413. He goes thither in person 418. He sends his Confessor into Spain to facilitate the conclusion of the truce 457 Archduke Ernestus Governor of Flanders 302. Sends with fresh men Count Mansfield into France ib. Endeavours to bring in some treaty of peace with the United Provinces 303. He sends Campmaster Velasco against the mutiners of Sichen 311. He aies 313 The Archdutchess Margaret of Austria intended for wife to the Prince of Spain 369 Ardres besieged by the Spaniards 339 It is yeilded up 341 Arras suddenly assaulted by the French 454 Articles of Marriage