towne accompanied with the Earle of Moeurs and the Earle of Heynsbergh nad Iohn his sonne the lord of Bâ—…ren Prouost of Aiz and about 300. horse besides his ordinarie traine The Duke attended at the Port the Bourgeoises hearing thereof held a councell where it was agreed that the Duke should enter with his ordinarie traine of 120 horse and no more Seuen of the Bourgesses went vnto him who hauing opened the Port the first entred and the rest thrust forward in a prease the Duke entring with the last into the towne The Reuward went with him to the court the next day the Duke came vnto the Towne-house and let the councell vnderstanâ—… that his comming thither was to to entreat some good accord with his brother and the Barons But the Reuward was gone to Louvaine to the Assembly of the Nobles The Duke fearing that hee should returne with him into Brusselles and seaze vppon his person demaunded of the magistrates that if it should so happen wheâ—…her they would open him the gate or not They to assure him said that if hee had any doubt thereof they would deliuer vp the Keyes of the gates into his handes wherewith he remained satisfied But the inhabitants were not in quiet to see those strange soldiers bragging in Tauernes with their swords in their hands that they should be all rich before they went out of Brabant so as the night following they assembled in Armes vppon the market place being aduertised of some dissein of the Earle of Heynsberg and others who should seaze vpon the Market place that night at the sound of a bell and then of the whole towne some soldiers were also found armed vppon their beddes The inhabitants therefore sent in all haste for the Reuward who came posting from Louvaine with all the Nobilitie and Deputies of townes Entring into Brusselles he thanked the Bourgesses for that they had so constantly preserued the towne and day being come hee went to the Court to the Duke where hee caused most of his houshold seruants to be apprehended dismissing others that were not prisoners and soone after hee suffered them to depart that were come into the towne with the gentlemen strangers but the masters as the Earles of Moeure and Heynsbergh with other gentlemen to the number of 150. were deteyned prisoners The lord Reuward seazed vppon all the horse and armes of the Earle of Heynsberg and others and disposed of them to whom he pleased The Emperor Sigismond writ for these Noblemen that were prisoners to the states of Brabant for their libeâ—…ties threatning them with a proscription of the Empire The like letters were written by the Princes Electors to the Reuward to whom he made no other answer but that hee had caused them to be iustly stayed according to the custome of the Countrey as they themselues had required and therefore their cause remained doubtfull vntill they had wonne the fauour of Gerrard vand Zype chiefe counsellor and most familiar with the Reuward who by the perswasion of the saide Vande Zype freed them out of prison vpon certaine conditions All things being thus past and the troubles ended the Earle of S. Pol Lord Reuward resigned vp his office of Reuward which is a dignitie which the States of Brabant haue power according to their Priuiledges to giue vnto whom they please to reduce their Dukes vnto reason when they stray from their duties into the hands of duke Iohn his brother who was by the said Estates confirmed in the gouernment of his Countrie Before that the Earle of S. Pol went out of Brabant there were beheaded Euerard of Tserclaes knight Steward to the duke Adolph of Coudenbergh William of Pipenpois and some 14. of the cheife of Brusselles who had beene the cause or at the least had wincked at the dessigned treason and trouble of Brusseles and there were 600. Crowns promised to him that should bring in the signior of Asschen aliue or dead for that hee had beene the motiue of the unkindnesse and quarrell betwixt the Duke and his wife Then the Earle of S. Pol retyred into France the Contesse and her mother remaining still at Quesnoy discontented still with duke Iohn for some of the said Ladyes councell found not the Bull of her marriage lawfull hauing not been allowed but held it to bee fraudulent and of no force By reason whereof in the yeere 1423. she went into England from whence she sent to cyte duke Iohn to the court of Rome to heare his marriage declared voyde according to the Canons Pope Martin referred this businesse to two Cardinals to determine thereof who assigned a day for the Duke to appeare before them and he appointed certaine Proctors at Rome to defend his cause The Countesse Iaqueline hearing that the Processe would be teedious and long without attending a definitiue sentence allyed her selfe by a promise of mariage to the Duke of Glocester vncle to King Henry the sixth of England then raigning vppon condition that the marriage with the Duke Iohn being declared vnlawfull shee should obtaine a dispensation from the Pope to marry againe Soone after the duke of Glocester came with the Contesse Iaqueline his betrothed Spouse vnto Calais with a great Army marching toward Henault and therefore hee diuided his Armie into three battailions The Lady Marguerite of Bourgongne mother to the Countesse requested the Nobilitie of Henault to accompany her and to goe and meet them and so by assistance and fauour of the lord of Haures Lieutenant to Duke Iohn they entred into Henault The duke of Brabant demanded succors from the duke of Bourgongne and Iohn of Bauaria who promised him all assistance The Duke of Bourgongne sent him the lords of Croy Lisle-dam and Mailly with good troupes of souldiers In the yeare 1423. Iohn van Vlyet had his head cut off at the Hage in Holland being accused by some of the Cabillautin faction that he had poisoned Iohn of Bauaria whereof he had been sick and recouered for the which hee was quartered and his quarters hung at the entrance of foure of the chiefe townes in Holland Iohn of Bauaria hauing receiued letters from the duke of Brabant demanding succors sent him word that if his health would giue him leaue hee would come vnto him with good Troupes within three weekes But hauing his armie readie to march he fell suddenly sick it may be the poison had not been well purged and dyed at the Hage on Twelffe day and was buryed there in the Iacobins Cloister Hee being dead all the Noblemen that had been of his faction called in Iohn duke of Brabant and receiued him for their prince notwithstanding that Iaqueline their Contesse was married againe to the duke of Glocester who hearing how hee had beene receiued held a counsell with her friends by what meanes she might seaze vpon some townes and castles in Holland and to that end she sent Floris of Kifhoeck with men to surprize the
Friseland 16 Guilielmus Primus This WILLIAM by great policie did breake the chaine Which crosse the Hauen of Damiet the Sarasins had layne Whereby the Harlemers great honour did obtaine Record whereof within their Towne as yet doth still remaine Two wiues he had whereof one out of Geldre came The second MARY called was a princely English dame Full nineteene yeares he rul'd and peaceably possest His countries and in Rhynsburgh died whereas his bones do rest WILLIAM the sixteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland hauing as we haue said in the time of the Contesse Ada expelled the earle of Loos remained in quiet possession of the said prouinces He had by his wife Alix daughter to the earle of Gueldre Floris who succeeded him in the said Earledomes Otto bishop of Vtrecht and William who was lieutenant of Holland the which was father to the lady Alix married to Didier lord of Brederode and two daughters whereof the one was Abbesse at Rhynsbourg and the other at Delft This Cont William did homage to the Emperor Frederic the second for his Counties of Holland Zeeland and Friseland Afterwards vpon a priuate quarell he went and besieged the castle of Aspren hauing taken it he rased it to the ground Cont Gerard vander Are brother to Didier bishop of Vtrecht in reuenge therof went and besieged the town of Dordrecht into the which he cast wild fire which burnt almost halfe of it Soone after Cont William and the bishop were reconciled together and they made an accord by the which Cont William should pay vnto the bishop a thousand pounds and restore vnto Henry of Craen all that he had taken from him for that as wee haue said before he had once put him in prison by the cōmandement of Cont Thierry his master brother to the said Cont William Item that all the Earles subiects being in the bishoprick of Vtrecht should from that time forth be vassales to the bishop as well as all his vassales remaining in Holland Item that Cont William with a hundred knights attired onely in linnen cloth and bare-footed should present themselues before the Cathedrall church of Vtrecht and being there the Earle should aske him forgiuenesse for that he had before laid hands vpon him and taken him prisoner although he were rescued in the Abbey of Staueren All which articles the Earle did accomplish fearing his excommunication and from that time the Earle and the bishop continued good friends Behold the simplicitie of Princes and the pride of prelats in those daies brauing all the world with their thundering threats At that time died Henry king of Scotland vncle by the mothers side to cont William of Holland leauing no children There was a great nobleman in Scotland who with the helpe of the king of England got possession of the realm The Earle of Holland pretending a title to the Crowne as the neerest kinsman son to the deceased kings sister imployed all his friends for the obtaining thereof and to bring it to effect being imbarked with a goodly armie he landed in Scotland where at the first he tooke many townes and castles In the meane time Lewis earle of Loos knowing Cont William to be absent and that he could not easily come out of Scotland although he had wholly conquered it leuied men secretly to make a new conquest of the Earldome of Holland but Cont VVilliam being aduertised thereof desiring rather safely to enioy his owne inheritance which he had gotten with much paine than to striue to make a doubtfull conquest in a strange countrey and farre off he returned speedily into Holland The earle of Loos hearing of his returne proceeded no further for he feared him much hauing made so good triall of him who afterwards gouerned his countries peaceably during the remainder of his dayes In the yeare 1218 the lady Alix wife to Cont VVilliam died hauing left the children aboue named and was buried in the church of the Abbey of Rhynsbourg Afterwards the said earle maried with Mary daughter to Edmond of Lancaster son to Henry the third king of England by whom he had no children About that time the inhabitants of Ziricxee in the Island of Shouven in Zeeland began to build great shippes for marchandise to traffique throughout al seas as well North as South and to make their towne famous as it was for a time by reason of their nauigation hauing fit and conuenient hauens and rodes the which haue since beene much stopped with barres of sand so as of late the inhabitants of that towne haue made a new hauen going directly to the sea before Noortbeuelandt The Earles of Zeeland who were also Earles of Holland had a palace in the towne of Ziricxee the ruines whereof are to be seene at this day It is the second towne of Zeeland We haue in the life of Cont Thier◅ the seuenth and of his daughter Ada rela◅ed briefely the deeds of this Cont VVilliam the first of that name FLORIS THE FOVRTH OF THAT name the seuenteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland Florentius Quartus My daughter in one day as many children bare As daies within a yeare complete by vs accounted are Twelue yeares I liued Earle Mars durst me not defie But iealous loue was cause that I was murthered cruelly My wife grieu'd at my death and her so hard fortune At her owne charge for women built the cloyster of Losdune VVithout the towne of Delft my sister edified Another which le champ royal she nam'd wherein she died FLORIS the fourth of that name by the death of Cont William was the seuenteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland his brother Otto was made Earle of Friseland in his fathers life and William the youngest was hereditarie gouernour of Kennemerlandt this William had one daughter called Alix the which was married to Didier lord of Brederode who had by her Alfart father to William of Brederode who was General of the Horse to the king of the Romans the eighteenth Earle of Holland Cont Floris had to wife Mathilda daughter to Henry duke of Lothier and Brabant by whom he had the said king William his successor and Floris who was gouernour of Holland then Alix which was Contesse of Henault and Marguerite wife to Herman earle of Henneberg who had that great number of children whereof we shall speake by and by In the time of this Earle Floris there was neere vnto the towne of Arckel a little castle vpon the place of Wolfard belonging to Iohn lord of Arckel about the which there liued some poore fishermen at which place the riuer of Meruve began to ebbe and flow for that the riuers of Meuse and Wahal the which before the towne of Tyel in Gelderland was very narrow and could not enter into that of Linge fell into it These poore fishermen called themselues Gorreckens whereof the towne of Gorrekom now Gorrichom tooke the name This lord of Arckel caused all the houses of
their departure was made Gouernour of all the Neitherlands in the Kings absence and recommended his sonnes Charles and Ferdinand to the Ladie Marguerite his sister Douwager of Sauoy The French King hearing that they tooke their way by Sea and would not passe through France he sent Philip of Cleues Earle of Neuers and the bishop of Paris vnto them in Ambassage requiring first That the marriage which had beene concluded betwixt Prince Charles their sonne and the Lady Claude of France the Kings daughter should bee diasnulled and made voyde for that the Princes of the blood and the Parliament did not thinke it conuenient And for the second point That the King of Castile should not attempt any thing vpon the Soueraigne iurisdiction of Flanders in ciuill causes and in Arthois touching Appellations both in Ciuill and Cryminall causes The which was wholy granted These Ambassadours dispatcht away King Philip and Queene Iane of Castile his wife accompanied with a goodly traine of Princes Noble-men Princesses and great Ladyes parted in the ende of the yeare 1505. from Antwerp and came into Zee-land where waying anchor at Arnmuyden the day after tweft day 1506 they went to Sea with a rich and mightie Fleet of shippes but they had not beene long at Sea before that there did rise a great tempest of winde snowe and such mists as being long before they knew what course they went they were hourely in great danger to perrish in the Sea Euery man wondered that in the depth of winter they would commit themselues to the danger and perrill of the Sea GOD letting them for to vnderstand that the greatest Kings and Princes are subiect vnto these dangers as well as the poorest Marryners but he preserued them and they put to land at Weymouth in the West part of England all the rest of the fleet was so dispersed as they knew not what was become of them whereof some shippes were cast away Henrie the seauenth King of England hearing of their being in the Harbour sent some of his Princes to receiue them in his name and to intreat them to come on land and refresh themselues whether he himselfe went and entertained them very louingly shewing them all the delights hee could and giuing them many goodly presents to make them forget their troubles past at sea At one time King Henry intreated King Philip that he would deliuer him the Earle of Suffolk who as we haue sayd was taken with the bastard of Geldres in the Castell of Hattem King Philip after great importunity vpon promise that King Henry should not touch his life consented that the Earle of Suffolke should be brought into England the which did much discontent many good men He was kept in the Castell of Namur from whence hee was brought and deliuered to the King of England who caused him to be lodged in the Tower of London Afâ—…er that King Philip and the Queene his wife had stayed for a faire season from their landing which was in Ianuary vnto the 24. of March they put to sea and hauing a prosperous winde they arriued soone after at the Groyne from whence they went to visit the râ—…licks of Saint Iames in Compostella going from thence towards Castille where they were royally receiued by all the Princes and Noblemen of Spaine The King of Castille had no sooner left the Netherlands but the Geldrois went to horsbacke against the treaty made at Roosendael falling vpon those townes and places which by the sayd treaty remained to the King of Castille among the rest vpon Groll and Waganengen the which they tooke running from them into Holland and Brabant The lord of Cheures hauing leauied an army went and besieged the sayd towne of Wagenengen but it was furnished with such good men which made continuall sallies vpon his campe as in the end seeing that he preuailed nothing he retired his army In August the same yeare 1506. there appered a Comete which did rise at the North-east and did set in the North-west drawing the taile which was great and large in forme of a rod towards the West the which was seene eighteene daies togither In the same moneth there was a poore woman in Holland betwixt the villages of Beuerwic and Vyc vpon the sea great with child and readie to bee deliuered Fifteene daies before her lying downe the fruite that was in her won be â—…as heard almost continually to cry and lament The which many worthy men for a greater approbation of the truth went daylie to heare it and since haue certified it Whereof some learned men in Philosophy and the Mathematiks haue diuersly written inferring that the crying of this child with the Comete did pronosticate the death of the â—…ing of Castille Pâ—…ince of the Netherlands and the great miseries which haue since happened in Holland and other of the sayd Prouinces The King and Queene of Castille beeing arriued in Spaine went from one Realme vnto an other and from oâ—…e cittie vnto an other to take possession according to the Preuiledges and customes of places Although that the King Don Fernando of Arragon father to the Qâ—…eene offred to King Philip 500000. ducates a yeare to remaine in the lowe countries and not to come into Spaine yet hee and his wife would goe and themselues in person end the controuersie that was by reason of the succession of the deceased Queene Isabella betwixt them and the King Don Ferdinando their father The which they did and Philip in the right of his wife was acknowledged King of Castille Leon Grenado c. But he enioyed it not long for the 27 of September in the same yeare 1506. he died sodenly in the citty of Bourgos not without suspition of poison being but 28. yeares old He desired before his death that his heart might be carried and buried at Ierusalem ioyning to that of the dâ—…ke of Bourgongnes his great grandfather the which was done His bowells were carried to Bruges in Flanders and his body was interred in a Couent of Chartreux Monks called Amesâ—…ur vpon a mountaine without the citty of Bourgos The Lady Iane his widoe was with child of a daughter whereof she was afterwards deliuered The newes of the death of this Prince caused great mourning and heauines throughout all the Netherlands fearing other troubles and reuolts by reason of the warre betwixt the duke of Geldres and them Those which at that time pretended to knowe the affaires of State sayd that the marriage which the Archduke Philip made with the Lady Iane of Castille was vnhappie for the Netherlands not for the miseries which the Spaniards haue of late yeares brought in and which the countries haue suffred for they could not fore-see these things so long before but for the great charges wherwith they were burthened to enter into those realmes of Spaine with a rich and stately pompe the which he did by the councell of his wife to impouerish the said countries
dispairing of succours yeelded it also and the Castell was presently razed Doctor Hubert Chancellor for the Duke of Gelders in Friseland and Wyard of Bolswaert captaine of a ship who had bin shut vp in Sloten hauing their liberties vpon the yeelding vp of the place thinking to goe to Steenwike which was contrary to the capitulation they were pursued and taken and for that they had broken the accord Captaine Wyard lost his head in the towne of Leewaerden the Chancellor for that hee was a Priest was sent to the Lady Marguerite Gouernesse who lodged him in perpetuall prison at Rippelmonde where he dyed This being thus performed by the Lords of Schenck Wassenare Castre they went to besiege Steenwyck which they tooke without any resistance the soldiers that were there in garrison for the Duke of Geldres hauing abandoned it as soone as the Earle of Maeurs was departed not daring to attend the Bourguignons whom they did see winne all where they came This towne thus wone the gouernor with the aduice of the said Noblemen caused a fort to be built there Afterwards the lord of Wassenare died in the towne of Leewarden of the wound which he had receiued before Sloten for the which the Frisons did mourne greatly He was buried with a great funerall pompe after the maner of a martiall man and greatly lamented of all men carried into Holland and buried in the Cloister of Preaching Friars at the Hage by his ancestors There remaines little to write of this warre of Friseland for through the valour and diligence of the said Noblemen all the country was in quiet and reduced vnder the Emperors obedience from Gheerskersbrugge vnto Staueren hauing all taken the othe and the Gouernor dismissed his soldiers with thankes yet for that the Geldrois did yet hold the towne and country of Groningen which were neuer quiet nor satisfied with any reason we will relate here-after what they did and how Groningen was yeelded vnto the Emperor This yeare the Geldrois entred with a small troope into Holland euen vnto the ports of Leyden spoiling all the villages thereabouts euen the Hage it selfe whereas the court remaines and from thence they past into South-Holland into the iurisdiction of Dordrecht where they did not much lesse returning brauely from whence they came without any losse or aduenture The Emperor Charles hearing the bad newes of the alteration that was in Spaine against the Gouernors which hee had left there after that he had consulted with the Princes Electors and taken his leaue of them and of the Noblemen Netherlanders hauing disposed of his affaires there hee parted towards the Iland of Walchren being accompanied with a great number of Noblemen Knights of the Order and others where finding a prosperous wind he set saile and toucht first in England where hee concluded an alliance with Henry the 8. King of England to marry with Mary his Daughter being then but seauen yeares old when she should come to age but it succeeded not as we shall see from thence he set faile towards Spaine where he arriued in few dayes without any aduenture only one great ship of the fleete was burnt by chance with the men and many horses that were in it After the Emperors departure out of the Netherlands hee returned not in eight yeares being much troubled to keepe those realmes in peace vntill hee had left them an heire Male his successor to the crowne Philip the second father to Philip the third now raigning The Emperor being parted for Spaine there fell out great troubles in Germany the Pesants rising against the Nobility abused with grosse errors who being assembled in great numbers did spoile many Abbayes Cloisters and religious houses stealing all they could lay hand of and committing a thousand outrages and insolencies without any subiect or reason but onely stirred vp and seduced by certaine false Preachers who said they had a reuelation from God that they should roote out that tyranous Nobility and enioy their full liberty But God would not long suffer the brauery of these villaines for the Cont Palatin the Archbishop of Mentz some other bishops made a great leuie of horse and foote and charged these poore miserable abused Peasants whom they defeated and put to rout Their leader being taken was publikely executed and the poore wretches that could escape from the battaile returned euery one home to his house The same yeare the Geldrois entred into the Mairie or iurisdiction of Boisleduke whom they forced by their spoiling and burning to pay a contribution vnto the duke of Geldres They of Boisleduke were not in the meane time idle but soone after entred into the Iland of Bomel and by their exploits reduced it vnder the Emperors obedience wasting and spoiling that quarter as much as the Geldrois had done their Mairie Then the Geldrois did labour to enter into Stellingwerff in the country of Friseland to waste it But the Gouernor Shenck although he had but newly dismissed his troopes taking some number of Pesants who were presently in armes he cut off their passage and forced them to retire without any exploite doing After that the Geldrois had thus played the gallants in the Mairie of Boisleduke and they on the other side for their reuenge in the Iland of Bomell there was a truce made betwixt the Emperor Earle of Holland and Charles of Egmont Duke of Gelders vpon condition that the money promised for contribution vnto the Duke should be payd in the towne of Arnhem and that which was promised vnto the Emperor by the Geldrois should be paid vnto a receiuer appointed for that purpose at the Hage in Holland In the yeare 1526. Collonell Martin van Rossein made warre for the duke of Geldres in Rydderlandt against the Earle of Emden and began to fortifie Iemmingen the country-men seeking to hinder it and running without order contrary to their Earleâ—… will and pleasure were defeated then with 4000. men hee besieged the Towne of Gryet the which at the end of three weekes the Drossart yeelded vp vnto him without any force for the which hee was afterwards prisoner at Emden and had not escaped without the losse of his life but by the meanes of his good friends The Duke of Geldres affaires standing vpon these termes the sayd Collonell did write vnto them of Groningen to send him some supplies of men and munition the better to maintaine himselfe But the Gronningeois nor their neighbours would by any meanes yeeld to it saying That the Earle of Emden was their very good friend and had not deserued any such vsage So as for want of succors from the Groningeois the Geldro is were forced to make an accord with the East-Frisons by the which the Duke of Geldres did restore the towne of Gryet to the Earle of Emden The Duke of Geldres did not easily forget the succours which the Groningeois had refused him but sought some occasion to bee reuenged
the Protestants armie being deuided the Prince Elector went with his troopes against Maurice and recouered all that he had taken from him The Emperour seeing the Protestants army thus dispearsed vppon no occasion and that the Landtgraue was retyred to his owne home he writte letters full of threates to the duke of Wirtembourg who sent to sue for pardon by his Ambassadors and so in a manner did all the Protestant townes whome he did ransom for money and many peeces of Artillery The warre beeing thus inflamed betwixt the two Noble couzins of Saxony and the Emperor hearing in what estate duke Maurice was hee sent Albert of Brandebourg vnto him with some troupes who was taken at Rochlick and brought vnto the Prince Elector and soone after the towne was also taken Ferdinand the Emperors brother King of Hungary Bohemia by the Lady Anne his wife would haue forced the Bohemians to serue against the Prince Elector of Saxony the which they refuzed to do by reason of the old leagues betwixt the Saxons and Bohemians and seeking to force them they rise in armes against him The Protestants had sent their Ambassadors to the French King and to the King of England to shewe the equitie of their cause and that they had taken armes against the Emperor for the defence of their liues goods religion and the liberty of Germany who hauing had audience of the French King past into England whereas they found King Henry the eight verie sicke so as hee died in the end of Ianuarie 1547. The French King had sent by these Ambassadors two hundred thousand crownes in lone to the Protestant Princes to ayde them in this warre And as the King of England died whilest the Ambassadors were there so at their returne into France they found King Francis extreamely sick who died at Rambouillet It was a happy chance for the Emperour among many other good fortunes that two so great and mighty Princes which had the meanes and as manie thought a desire to crosse the Emperor in his enterprises and high disseignes died both in a manner at one time In the same yeare 1547. Adolph of Bourgongne Seignior of Chappelle and Wackene Ierosme Sandelin Seignior of Herentont Receiuor of Bewesterscheldt in Zeeland and some priuate gentlemen did recouer and wall in about Sheerenskerke and Heinkensandt in the country of Zuydbeuelandt otherwise called the I le of Ter-Goes the old inclosure or Polder which is a land wonne from the sea the which before the Inundation was vsually called Zeeshuys so as it remayned a long time vnprofitable but since that it was recouered they call it Cray at this present a most fertill country whereby those that haue thus defended it from the Sea with their bankes haue made great profit The Emperor hauing an intent to ruine Iohn Frederick Prince Elector past the riuer of Elbe with all speed to fight with him on the other side which done the Prince hauing not all his armie in one bodie as the Emperor had was there forced to make head against him and to giue him battaile in the which the duke beeing verie greatly wounded in the cheeke was ledde by the duke of Alua Lieutenant of the armie to the Emperor The duke Ernest of Brunswyck was taken with him The Emperor and King Ferdinand vsed the Prince Elector very roughlie in wordes giuing sentence of death against him the which hee bare verie patiently but the Emperour durst not proceede to the execution thereof yet hee propounded heauie and rigorous conditions vnto him taking from him the greatest part of his Seigneuries the which hee gaue to Maurice his couzine with the dignity of the Electorship As for the Landtgraue of Hessen vpon the assurances which the duke Maurice and the Marquis Albert of Brandenbourg his sonnes in lawe gaue him he presented himselfe vpon his knees vnto the Emperor crauing pardon for all that was past wherevnto answere was made him in obscure tearmes which did not shew an absolute pardon Yet this Nobleman thinking that all went well with him thanked the Emperor and for that he suffred him to kneele too long he rose of himself He was led to supper with the duke of Alua when after supper thinking to retire with the two Noblemen his sons in lawe he was stayed prisoner the which ministred great matter of discontent who not-with-standing all the Protestation which duke Maurice and Brandebourg could make was detained and put into the gard of Spaniardes The two Noblemen charged the Emperour with his promise that hee would not keepe him in pryson his aunswere was that hee had promised not to keepe him there in perpetuall pryson wherevpon the Duke of Alua sayd vnto them that if in steede of foureteene daies the Emperor should restraine him 14. yeares he should not breake his word So the Landtgraue remained a prisoner being carried from place to place alwayes garded by the Spaniards of whom he receued a thousand indignities and he was not freed but by constraint no more then the Duke of Saxony which was the cause that the Emperor was chased out of Germany as we shall here-after shew The 23. of December in the said yeare 1548. died that valiant Captaine Maximilian of Egmont Earle of Buren after that he had arriued so happely to serue the Emperor in his warre of Germany of an extraordinary death for being fower daies before his death abandoned by all his Phisitions who had foretold him the day of his death hauing called all his houshold seruants and made them goodly exhortations giuing to euery one some thing by his testament he died speaking and appareled in his chaier Maximilian of Austria eldest sonne to Ferdinand hauing married the Lady Mary eldest daughter to the Emperor Prince Phillip 21. years old being sent for by his father began his iorney to come into the Netherlands leauing his cosin and Brother in law Maximilian to be Gouernor of Spaine in his absence and hauing set saile the 25. of Nouember with a goodly fleet of shippes and Galleis commanded by Andrew Doria he landed at Genoa accompanied with many Princes of Spaine among others by the Duke of Alua and the Cardinall of Trent from thence hee came to Milan and passing by Mantoua and Trent hee came to Ausbourg and Spyer so crossing the Country of Luxembourg hee arriued at the Emperor his fathers court at Bruslelles Duke Maurice went to meet him intreating him to moue the Emperor for the Landtgraue of Hessen his Father in law who was Prisoner the which he did It were tedious to make particular relation of his stately entery into Brusselles whereas the Lady Elenor the French Queene and the Lady Mary Queene of Hongary his Aunt 's receiued him and conducted him to the Emperor his father The fourth of Iuly the Emperor with his two sisters and the Prince his sonne went to Louuaine the most ancient and cheefe towne of the Duchy of Brabant to
some of the Hollanders ships than the Hollanders themselues were tooke fiue of them and brought them into Deepe In this fight the Hollanders had sixe ships burnt and the French men sixe and one sunke in the sea It was thought that the French men lost many thousand men their admirall being one and the Hollanders about 300 men This fight was esteemed an honourable action for the Hollanders because they were but marchants ships and the French men ships of war and better manned While they were busied in the Netherlands touching the ratifying and establishing of a truce there began a new warre in Italy by meanes of pope Paul the fourth the first inuenter of the Iesuiticall sect This Paul was one of the familie and house of Caraffa in Naples that alwayes held with the French men in their Nepolitane warres and for that cause were most of them banished out of Naples and serued vnder the French men This Iesuiticall cardinall Caraffa being pope began to fauour and aduance his owne family and kindred thereby seeking meanes to be reuenged on the noblemen and cardinals which in Italy being their enemies were such as fauoured the emperour and the house of Burgondie as also vpon the houses and families of Columna Romanes and others charging them to be conspirators against him and for that cause persecuted them to the vttermost of his power whereby they were compelled to seeke aid of the viceroy of Naples the duke of Alua the duke of Florence and others who the willinglier granted thereunto because the pope refused to inuest the king with the crown of Naples which he holdeth as tributarie to the sea of Rome and seemed to threaten to excommunicat and curse both the emperour and the king of Spaine for which cause the duke of Alua came to aid the house of Columna and sore anoied the pope taking many places from him whereby he was constrained to craue aid of France which alwayes held and maintained the sea of Rome For which cause in the end of the yeare 1556 the duke of Guise was sent into Italy with eighteene or twentie thousand horse and foot men which did the pope no great pleasure for that the duke of Alua hauing besieged Rome and the king of Spaine hauing woon the battaile at S. Quintines which the pope had heard of the French men were sent for to returne againe into France by which meanes a deuout peace was made the duke of Alua first seeking it and went into Rome to kisse the popes foot and by that meanes got the great priorship of Spaine for his bastard sonne Don Ferdinando de Toledo The war in this sort begun in Italy notwithstanding the truce made betweene both parties not long before the French men and the Spanyards sought to intrap one the other vpon the borders of the Netherlands and to that end vpon Twelfe eue the admirall of France then gouernor of Picardy thought secretly to haue taken the towne of Doway thinking to deceiue the townes-men when they were busie drinking vnto their kings but he failed of his purpose after that hee tooke Leus in Artois which he pilled and spoiled The same yeare in the moneth of March the king of Spaine went into England to his wife queene Mary to haue some aid from her who vpon the seuenth of Iune by sound of trumpet openly proclaimed warre against France both by water and by land and by a booke put in print charged the king of France to haue conspired against her with the duke of Northumberland sir Thomas Wâ—…at Dudley Ashton and other English nobles in regard that hee supported and prouoked them against her as he had done the like to retaine rouers and false coiners of her money wholy against the promise by him made vnto her embassadors as also that not long before he had sent Thomas Stafford one of her rebellious subiects to take the castle of Scarborow and had secretly conspired against the towne and countrey lying about Calis and for that he made warre vpon the Netherlands which the kings of England were by contract long since made alwayes bound to aid and assist and that hee had little esteemed of her intercession of peace and desired no friendly nor good neighbourhood and for those causes she thought it conuenient to declare and hold him for her open enemie which she caused to be signified vnto him by a herault he being then at Reims in Campaigne which herault being rewarded by the king of France was presently returned backe againe with this answere saying That seeing his lady and princesse would now become his vtter enemie whereas hee had alwayes beene her friend he hoped by Gods helpe that hee should find meanes ynough against a woman and to get the better hand of her as his progenitors had alwayes done the like against their enemies The warre in this sort being proclaimed the queene of England raised an armie of sixe or eight thousand horse and foot-men and some pioners which were al apparelled in blew cassocks vnder the conduction of the earle of Pembrooke with the lord Clinton and the lord Mountague and three lord Dudleyes sonnes of the duke of Northumberland and many others which went to Calis and from thence marched to S. Quintines and there ioyned with the king of Spaines armie and holpe him to assault and win the said town where the lord Henry Dudley was slaine in the assault The king of Spaine being in England vpon the sixt of Iuly Emanuel Philibert duke of Sauoy began to raise an armie by aid of the prince of Orange the duke of Arschot the earle of Egmont the earle of Megen the earle of Mansfelt the earle of Barlemont and others with whom were ioyned the Dutch horse and foot and with that armie marched towards Guise making shew to besiege the same and incamped themselues not farre from it but their number daily increasing the duke of Sauoy sodainly approached and inclosed the towne of Saint Quintines with his light horse-men Within the towne there was a company of horse-men led by monsieur Tiligny and captaine Brudit as then gouernor of the towne and not long after in the night time Iasper Coligny earle of Chastilion admirall of France got into the towne The siege being strongly placed round about the same the ordnance was planted and diuers mines and sconces made about it The meane time Henry king of France sent an armie of men vnder the leading of the constable of France and the duke de Montmorancy to put more men and victuals into the towne which they thought to do by meanes of a marsh or poole of water lying upon the one side of the towne and to that end the constable came with his armie and lodging not far from the duke of Sauoyes campe shot out of his armie into the Spanish armie and to the duke of Sauoyes tent whereby he was forced to dislodge and to go into the earle of Egmonts quarter With the constable of
wise temperate stout and high minded prince of great experience and fortunate but somewhat selfe-willed Before his death he obtained the full power and gouernment of the dukedome of Guelderland the carldome of Zutphen the baronies of Vtrecht and Oueryssel the baronie of Groning the towne of Cambricke and the earledome of Linghen all in the Netherlands he had the earledome of Flanders and other prouinces that as yet were in a manner contributaries to the crowne of Fraunce but freed from the same for euer by contract the kingdome of Tunes the countries of America Naples Sicilia and Myllan which hee woon and assured vnto himselfe his souldiers woon Rome he tooke prisoners Pope Clement the seuenth the king of France the king of Nauarre and the elector of Saxon the duke of Cleue the Lantgraue of Hessen and others submitted themselues vnto him In his latter daies fortune was not so fauourable vnto him by reason of his obstinacie bad counsell and hard resolution Keeping the Lantgraue prisoner he was by Maurice elector of Saxon and other princes that had made a contract with the king of France compelled not onely to set the Landtgraue free but also to lose the fruits of his victorie in Germanie as many hystories sufficiently declare the same He left issue by lady Isabell of Portugall king Philip his onely sonne daughters Mary married to the Emperour Maximilian and Ioanna princesse of Portugall with more naturall children or bastards as Don Iohn de Austria and Marguerite dutchesse of Parma And so king Philip in one yeare lost his father his wife and his two aunts In December after he celebrated their funerals in Brussels but aboue all the rest he made a most triumphant funerall for the Emperour his father with a victorious ship armes standards and banners of all his honours which was most triumphantly borne throughout the streets In the same yeare and about that time there died two kings in Denmarke as Christian then king and Christierne that had laine two and twentie yeares prisoner because of the tyrannie that he had shewed vnto his subiects being neuerthelesse a mightie king of three kingdomes as Denmarke Swethland and Norway but he fell into such hatred of his people that they forsooke him and chose another king and in Anno 1532 when with a great armie and by the aid of the Emperor Charles he thought to win Denmarke againe he was by them ouerthrown and taken prisoner which was a wonderfull worke and punishment of God shewed vpon him for his vnmercifulnesse and tyrannie and an excellent example for princes in our time Not long before he died he was friendly visited by king Christian where they forgaue each other from their hearts This Christiern married Isabella sister to the Emperour Charles the fifth by whom he had issue a sonne that died in the Netherlands at the same time that his father was taken prisoner and two daughters the one Palsgraueni the other called Christiana that was dutchesse of Lorraine and in Anno 1558 was a mediator of the peace betweene Fraunce and Spaine whose sonne being duke of Lorraine maried Claude second daughter to the king of France vpon the last of Ianuarie 1559. As I said before the death of the queen of England prolonged the treatie of peace between the kings of Fraunce and Spaine but in Februarie after the Commissioners on both sides assembled againe in the castle of Cambryse where also there came the queene of Englands embassadours as the bishop of Ely the lord Howard baron of Effingham Doctor Wotton and the Deane of Canterburie and for the duke of Sauoy two deputies and with all those the aforesaid dutchesse as mediator with her sonne and after some delayes at last they proceeded so farre that there seemed nothing resting to be done but onely that the Englishmen desired to haue Callis restored againe vnto the queene wherein king Philip sought to haue her satisfied and contented or els he would accept of no peace because that during his warres and by his meanes it had beene lost but the Frenchmen boldly alleadging that queene Elizabeth was not lawfull queene of England but the Scottish queene as being right heire thereunto by discent from the grandmother king Henry the eights eldest sister that as then had maried the Dolphin of Fraunce they said and affirmed that she had nothing to do therewith Whereby the queen of England began to suspect that the peace which as then was entreating of might be made only to compell her to hold and obserue the Catholicke Romish Religion which as then she began to alter and change within her kingdomes to the dishonour of king Philip and therefore thought it best for her to make an assured peace with France wherein on both sides one Guido Caualcanti a gentleman of Florence was specially employed by whose meanes vpon the second of Aprill 1559 an agreement was made in the castle of Cambresis and after much debating of the cause it was agreed That Calis should be vnwalled and so deliuered ouer vnto the queene but in the end they concluded That Calis and the Earledome of Oyen should continue eight yeres in the French kings hands and then should be restored to the queene againe without any defacing with all things that belonged therunto only with sixteene brasse pieces of diuers greatnesse and for assurance thereof the French king should giue six or seuen sufficient marchants for sureties of the same which should be bound in the summe of fiue hundred thousand crownes and vntill such time that the peace might not be delayed as those marchants should be committed prisoners in Bruges there should be fiue French gentlemen put into the queenes hands for hostages which euery fiue months she might change but for that this contract concerned many matters touching Scotland the queene of Scots then taking on her the title and armes of England and Ireland for the which after that there grew some contention part of the said hostages got away and others by new contracts were set at liberty and discharged and so the Frenchmen still held Calis The queen of England thus contented satisfied the peace betweene the two kings of France Spaine was concluded at Cambresis vpon the third of Aprill 1559 and proclaimed in Brussels vpon the fifth of April after The old controuersies that had continued for the space of fiue twentie yeares were on both sides wholly excluded out of the same as the soueraignty that France pretended to haue ouer Flanders Artois Rissel Doway Dornick the kingdome of Naples and the dutchie of Millan c. and the king of Spaines pretence ouer Burgundie Prouence the townes vpon the riuer of Some and the earledome of Bolonois The principall articles of the said peace being as followeth for the rest I refer the Reader to diuers hystories wherethey may see them at large this seruing onely for a memoriall First That a good peace should be holden betweene the said kings their children and subiects
without any armes and that if for certaine conuenient causes the Spaniards could not so soone depart out of the Land they desired him that hee to shewe his good-will would presently cause the castell of Antwerp and the towne of Lire to be deliuered vnto the States otherwise they could not abstaine from armes nor agree to any truce but to the contrary would doe their vtter-most endeauors by force of armes to take those places they likewise sent him a coppy of the vnion or agreement made by the States in Brussels whereof mention is made before This vnion aforesaid made by the States beeing shewed vnto Don Iohn hee partlie discouered the politike dealing of the Estates of the land togither with the readinesse and affection of the countries adioyning to ayde them in regard of the vprightnesse of their demandes and that there were many men amongst them that would not bee mooued nor perswaded by all his faire goodly smothe flattering and dissembling speeches wherein hee planted a great part of the foundation of his proceedings according to the generall opinion that the vnexperienced people of Spaine and Italie haue of the small courage vnderstanding simplenesse and bad agreement of the Netherlands as the duke of Alua sayd that hee would smother and drowne the Hollanders in their butter and milke hee was mooued to yeeld by the Ambassadors of the new Emperor Rodolphus to that end purposely sent into the Netherlands together with the Ambassadors of the duke of Cleaue and the Bishop of Liege but most of all by reason that hee perceiued the States to haue many souldiers and a great army in the fielde at Waure in Brabant and for that the Spanish souldiers were in a manner inclosed and might easily bee brought into want of all necessaries and on the otherâ—… side hee being as then wholy vnprouided and vnfurnished of all meanes to helpe himselfe mooued to come to an agreement of peace and for that cause thought good for a time to desist from his pretence and to cause the Spaniards to depart out of the countrey hoping thereby to breake and disanull all the states vnion promises and mutuall contracts and so in time to settle himselfe in the gouernement and to winne mens hearts vnto him and hauing done so to set them at diuision and thereby to attaine to his desire which without doubt hee might easily haue brought to passe if hee could haue couered his dissimulation with more patience and humility and his yong vnbridled courage with a kind of staidnes and fidelity and his hatred and cruelty with moderation and aduise but many men that had trauailed presently perceiued that hee was too great and high minded to bee ruled by aduise and to young vnexperienced and simple to gouerne of himselfe And his vaine opinion of himselfe was such and so great that hee had a conceit in his head to make himselfe King of England by deliuering the Queene of Scottes out of prison and destroying the Queene of England where-vnto hee had obtained the Popes good liking and furtherance and to that end dealt secretly with the house of Guise and the holy league wherein he was crossed for that the States found it not requisite that the Spaniards should goe out of the countrey by sea where-vpon it seemed that hee left off his purpose touching England till a more conuenient time or else till the Queene were dead which the King vnderstanding it being likewise made knowne vnto him by the Pope himselfe became very iealious and after that sent nothing but strange and limmitted instructions vnto him and when hee sent his Secretary Escouedo into Spaine for an other commission and more money the King by the meanes and councell of his Secretary Anthonio Perez caused him to bee secretly murthered being thought to be the onely man that mooued Don Iohn vnto such high aspiring conceits so as it was verily beleeued that in the next yeare after Don Iohn was secretly brought vnto his death as hereafter wee shall shew following in the Historie The reason that mooued the states generally to make peace was that thereby they might bee rid of the forraine souldiers out of the Netherlands wherevnto those that thought to haue the gouernement of the land much mooued them alledging that of force they must cause the Spaniards to leaue the countrie although the priueledges and freedomes were not in all points fully granted vnto saying that if they would after make warre againe they should easily effect it when the Spaniards were once gone and could want no meanes therein The Baron of Champigni was likewise the chiefest cause that promise and contract was made to punish the Spanish and Dutch soldiers for their insolencies thereby to make the better account and reckoning with the Dutchesse which otherwise would still find matter of complaint and discontentment where-vpon both parties being thus minded by meanes and solicitation of the Emperors Ambassadors and other Princes vpon the twelfth of February in the yeare of our Lord 1577. they being at Marche in famine made concluded and confirmed this contract which vpon the seauenteenth of the same moneth was proclaimed and published in Brussells and Antwerpe and called by the name of the perpetuall Decree the contents whereof were as followeth PHILLIP by the grace of God King of Castile Leon Arragon Nauarre Naples Sicilia Maiorque Sardenia and of the Islands of India and the firme land lying in the Ocean seas Archeduke of Austria Duke of Burgondie Lorraine Brabant Limbourgh Luxenburgh Gelder and Myllan Earle of Hasbourgh Flanders Artois and Burgondie Palsgraue of Henault Holland Zeeland Namure and Sutphen Prince of Swauen Marquis of the Holy Empire Baron of Friseland Salines Mechelin of the towne and territories of Vtrecht Ouerissell and Groning and Dominator in Asia and Affrica greeting For that since Iuly last past to out no small disliking and great griefe there hath many times happened great deuision alteration and trouble in our Netherlands by reason of the insolent behauiours of our Spanish and outlandish soldiars from the which hath sprong many inconuenyences disorders and miseries like-wise to our great dislike and greefe which as yet vntill this day as euery man knoweth continew and remaine therein and for the consolation comfort vnity peace and quietnes of our said Netherlands and for the better ruling and gouernment of the same haue sent thether our deare and well-be-loued good brother Don Iohn of Austria Knight of the most noble and worthy order of the Goulden fleece who since his beeing there in our said Netherlands hauing dealt spoken and conferred first in our towne of Luxenbourg with our louing faithfull trusty seruants and friends the right reuerent father in God Mathias Lord Abot of Saint Gildin elected bishoppe of Arras Charles Phillip of Croy Marquis of Haurec c. our Nephew and one of the Gentlemen of our chamber Charles de Haunart Barron of liddelkercke burgraue of our towne of Brussels and Adolfe van
1578. wherein hee complained of the long delaies vsed in Spaine touching that which should bee determined about his affaires in the Netherlandes and with what policie and patiencie hee was to arme himselfe to withstand the same that he must of force suffer himselfe to bee inclosed by his enemies which had almost stopped vp all his passages in such sort as hee should bee constrained to retire to the place appointed him for his vttermost refuge for that hee had no hope to fight as beeing to weake vnlesse he should forcibly make a passage through his enemies and so escape awaie and that whensouer hee should doe it the King who was the onely cause thereof would be in danger to loose all the country he complained further that he had made a new motion vnto the King that hee would take order what hee should doe and his Maiesties pleasure should be obeied and put in execution but that he feared the remedy would come to late for that neither his writing nor his meanes preuailed not saying that both his hands beeing cut off hee was fully perswaded that their meaning was hee should likewise stretch out and lay downe his necke and so desiring them to haue him in remembrance in their daylie praiers he committed them to God He that is desirous to know more hereof may reade the booke of the sayd letters printed by William Siluius in Antwerp by which letters written not long before he died it appeeres what a troubled minde and how much discontented he was being yong high minded and inconstant yet wanting no iudgement hee had great aduersaries in the Court of Spaine as the adherents of the duke of Alua who sought by his policy and great experience to draw Don Iohns proceedings into dislike From his youth vpwards hee alwaies sought to aspire to a Kingly estate and to effect great matters as it likewise apeereth by a Spanish booke made by Anthonio Perez Secretarie to the King of Spaine touching the death of Iohn Escouedo Secretary to the aforesayd Don Iohn for the which the sayd Anthonio Perez after long imprisonment and persecution and great vprores touching the same in Arragon about the priueledges of the country whereof the King tooke great reuenge was forced to flie into France and after that into England and there staied In the sayd booke it is shewed that Don Iohns minde was wholy addicted to aspire to high matters and that the King of Spaine had apointed him a trusty Secretary called Iohn de Soto who serued him well in the warres in Granado and in his office of Admirall in the great victory against the Turkes but while that Don Iohn was in Italie the Pope was secretly delt withall to make him King of Tunis which the Kings secretary vnderstanding and the motion beeing afterwards made by the Pope vnto him the King thanked the Pope for the great care he had of his brother but he denied the request as being much mooued and very iealious thereof for that hee seemed to depend more vpon the Pope then vpon him suspecting his Secretary Iohn Soto to bee the cause thereof and therefore tooke councell and agreed with Anthonio Perez his Secretarie to deuise the meanes to place Iohn Escouedo to bee Don Iohns Secretarie promooting Soto to a better place and gaue Escouedo diuerse and perticular instructions to pull downe Don Iohns haughty and proude minde and to bridle the same and so to amend that which Soto had neglected but Don Iohn beeing sent for to bee gouernor in the lowe countries pretended that as soone he should haue gotten the full charge and commande ouer the souldiars in the sayd countries and setled the same in peace that hee would enterpize somewhat with them against England as it hath beene partly shewed and there to put the Queene from her crowne and to marry with the imprisoned Queene of Scots and so to make himselfe King of England wherevnto hee had obtained leaâ—…e and the name or title thereof from the Pope with promise of aide hee had likewise a secret practise and contract in France with the Duke of Guise and the league which they named the defence of both the Kingdomes of Spaine and France which the King also vnderstood by his Ambassador Iohn Vargas Don Iohn not once perceiuing it although hee caused his pretended enterprize against England to bee certified to the King by the Popes legate But that was broken off for that the Estates in the Netherlands beeing then in treaty of peace with Don Iohn would by no meanes consent that the Spaniards should goe out of the countrie by sea whereby hee was preuented of his purpose and perceiuing that in the Netherlands by reason of the Estates good policie and foresight there was no meanes or matter of great honour or dignitie to bee attained vnto beeing desperately minded he sought secret meanes to bee discharged of the same gouernment or els to haue so great a powre of men and money from the King as he might by force become maister thereof or of some other place whereby it apeared that hee would in a manner compell the King to followe his humor as it is apparant by the letters aforesayd and others also from Escouedo and specially by one bearing date the tenth of February in the yeare of our Lord 1577. Wherein hee wrot that hee was so much out of conceite with himselfe that hee had failed of his enterprise against England that with meere discouragement hee was of the minde to be become an hermite for that he could not finde in his heart to liue as hee had done to that daie saying further that rather then he would liue in that gouernment vnlesse it were vntill an other came to take his place there should no resolution bee so hard and difficult vnto him that hee would not sooner take in hand although it should cost him his dearest bloud insisting so earnestly vpon his discharge that he sayd hee would leaue it either by faire or foule meanes and that if hee were not discharged thereof hee sayd hee feared hee should fall into the sinne of disobedience to shunne the sinne of dishonor saying that hee had rather to goe take an aduenture into France with sixe thousand foote and two thousand horsemen then to staie in the gouernment of the Netherlands These desperate and doubtfull speeches mooued the King of Spaine verie much and gaue him great occasions of distrust when such things were secretly brought vnto his eares Remembring likewise some of the words he vsed before hee went into the Netherlands saying that whensoeuer hee was King of England that then he would be equall with Spaine especially if hee once got the entry into Saint Andrewes and the castle which is the frontire of Biskaie and a fort vpon the rode called Megro from whence all Spaine was to bee ouerrunne and vanquished These and the like dealings with the Pope and the Duke of Guise beeing knowne vnto the King and some of
of religion if the King would not heare of any tolleration of the exercise thereof then they of the said Prouinces should be forced to for sake the religion wherein they were borne and bred from their youths or bee constrained to liue in perpetuall exile out of their countries by which meanes all those that would not leaue their religion would for sake the country wherby it should become desolate Neither could the King with any reason refuse his subiects that which in times past was by his father the Emperor Charles permitted vnto the Germanes and by other Princes and namely by him-selfe in his perpetuall Edict and that by the aduise of the best and the most learned Doctors in diuinity and councellors of estate the breaking whereof had beene the cause of all the tumults and troubles in the Netherlands as also in France and other places and was likely to bring many more inconueniences to the King in his old age and like-wise to his sonne who was yet but very young To all the points of this replication the King of Spains commissioners made none but dilatorie answers to no effect In the meane time the Queene of England was aduertised of an English booke printed at Antwetp written by Doctor Allen who not long before had beene made Cardinall at Rome being an admonition to the Nobility of England and Ireland to execute the Popes sentence against her Maiesty which executions the King of Spaine had taken in hand as Allen said and the Duke of Parma was appointed by the King cheefe Commander in that action The Queene was also aduertised of a Bull sent forth by Pope Sixtus conteyning many false and scandalous points against her Maiesty wherein was also contayned that he had concluded with the Catholike King to imploy all his power and meanes to expell the Queene out of her Kingdome straightly commanding all her Maiesties subiects in a most fearefull and thundring manner to ayd and assist the great noble and invincible army prepared to that end vnder the command of the Duke of Parma The Queene being made aquainted with these things during this treaty of peace shee commanded Doctor Dale one of the commissioners to go and speake with the Duke of Parma in person and to charge him in good sort with the things contayned in these aduertisements and to know his direct answere whether he were not appointed to bee generall ouer the army that was then preparing in Spaine and of the enterprise thereby pretended and to tell him that if it were true as shee could heardly beleeue it shee ment no longer to contynue the treaty but to call home her Commissioners The Duke of Parma made answer to Doctor Dale that he knew of no such booke neither had he any knowledge of the fore-said Bull sent forth by the Pope neither had hee attempted any thing of him-selfe but honorably in regard of the dislike that was betwixt her and the King his maister and that as a good and faithfull seruant hee was to execute his maisters commandement with many such Court-like speeches But her Maiestie was not satisfied with that answer for that hee did not say directly whether hee had vnder-taken to inuade England or not with that armie wherefore shee resolued not to call home her commissioners yet commanding them to treat with the Spanish commissioners by word of mouth and try if by that meanes better then by writing they might finde more reason and better furtherance But to the contrary and beyond their expectations they found that the longer they continued in this treatie the lesse hope there was of any good conclusion The Kings Comissioners telling them that they were grieued they had spent so much time about the matter and that the King of Spaine had kept fifty thousand men in pay almost a whole yeare to lye still and doe nothing to his great charge by the meanes of that treatie and so they blamed one an other At the last the Kings Commissioners said plainly touching the religion that the King of Spaine were better to giue his one and onely Sonne vnto them of Holland then to allow them the excercise of their religion And that the Queene had no more to doe to trouble her selfe with the religion of his countries then hee had to meddle with the religion in her Dominions As for the pacification of Gant they would not heare of that for that it had beene broken by the makers thereof saying that the Prince of Orange had receiued a iust reward for the same The forraine soldiers might not bee sent away so long as there was any warre with Holland and feare of France To conclude they refused all the English demands But Sir Iames a Croft riding priuately to Bruges shewed secretly vnto the President Richardot and to Mounsier Champigni certaine articles concerning a peace but much to the preiudice of the vnited Prouinces which Champigni seemed to like well of beeing very desirous by that meanes to haue the vse of the English Hauens for the harboring of their Spanish fleete for the which after-wards there grew great dislike betwixt him and the duke of Parma Before the departure of the English Commissioners the Earle of Darbie to discouer the Spaniards intents asked them if they intended to haue the cautionary Townes deliuered ouer vnto them without any conclusion But the Spanish fleete approaching then in August brake off all further conference either side hearing the shotte at Sea and so all dissembling was laid aside and the Duke of Parma was found contrary in his word hauing protested to some of the English Commissioners vppon his Princely word and faith as the English reported that the armie came not for England if they could agree vppon the fore-said articles of peace propounded But the Queene obseruing the constant resolution of the vnited Prouinces and seeing the fleete of Spaine already before her dore she called home her Commissioners wherevpon they desired a conuoy to conduct them safely from thence being in some feare for that they had no hostages but after fifteene daies stay they got a passport with certaine wagons and a conuoy to guard them to the Frontiers whether the Kings commissioners did very honorably conduct them for the which they gaue them great thanks much commended the Duke of Parmaes honorable disposition hauing kept his word so iustly with them Now I come to that great Spanish fleete whereof although there haue beene some petty discourses written and published in our owne language yet for that it concerned the vnited Prouinces as well as England I haue thought good to make a briefe relation in this history for posterities sake both of the preparations and the successe The King of Spaine hauing long fore-cast and sought by what meanes hee might bring the Realme of England into subiection and so to re-establish the Catholike religion there hoping by that meanes to re-possesse his inheritance in the Netherlands for that beeing
and were most cast vpon the coast of France The Generall of this mighty armie was Lodouicus Perez Duke of Medina Sidonia and Baron of Saint Lucas a Knight of the order of the Golden Fleese the Marquis of Sancta Cruce who was named for that charge being dead not long beford Iohn Martinez de Ricalde a wise Gentleman was Admirall Don Francisco Bouadille Marshall And for chiefe councellors in the warre Diego Pimentel Flores de Valdez Pedro de Valdez Michael Oquendo Don Alonso de Lieua Don Diego Maldonado Don Georgio Manriquez and many others Don Martin Alarson was Vicar generall of the holy Inquisition and with him aboue a hundred Monkes Iesuites and other religious men There were many Noblemen and aboue one hundred and twentie Gentlemen of good esteeme aduenturers that went at their owne charges to winne honor among the which were the Prince of Ascoly the Marquis of Pennafyel the Marquis of Barlango with many other Marquises and Earles of good account Whilest this armie was in this sort preparing the Duke of Parma receiued commandement from the King to make ready his forces in the Netherlands to ioyne with this armie where-vpon hee sent for ship-writes and worke-men out of Italy to build shippes setting many thousands on worke to digge and deepen riuers especially the riuer of Iperlee to bring certaine shippes from Antwerpe to Gant and so to Bruges where hee gathered together aboue three hundred small Boates lading them with victuals and munition the which hee thought to bring to Scluce and so into the Sea or through the new deepned water of Iperlee into the other hauens of Flanders Hee had also prepared three score and ten flatte bottomed boates which laye in the water of Watene euery one able to carry thirty horses with bridges made to shippe and vnship them There were also two hundred flatte bottomed boates more ready in the hauen of Newport but not so big as the others In Dunkerke they had made ready two and thirty ships of warre and hauing want of saylers hee sent to Hambrough Emden Breme and other places to hire them hee expected fiue ships from Hambrough well appointed with many saylers and had hyred fiue ships that then lay at Dunkerke These shippes hee went to lade with great store of piles of wood made sharpe at the ends with Yron pikes and at Graueling hee had twenty thousand emptie caske which might soone bee made fast one vnto the other with cordes like a bridge with all other furniture to make bridges to stoppe hauens and to pyle vp waters and to that end hee had prouided within Nieuport a mighty great heape of fagots and all other prouision for sconses Hee had shipt many saddles and bridles and other furniture for horses and horses also for carriages with ordinance and all other necessary prouision for the warre Neere vnto Nieuport hee had lying vnder the command of Camillo maister of the campe thirty companies of Italians two of Wallons and eight of Bourguignons euery company being a hundred men At Dyxmewe hee mustred foure score companies of Netherlanders three score of Spaniards three score of high Dutches and seauen of rebellious and trayterous Englishmen vnder the leading of Sir William Stanley and others which were ready to take shippe In the suburbes of Cortricke there were foure thousand lodged and at VVatene nine hundred horse with the Cornet of the Marquis of Guast who was generall of the horse To this great enterprize and imaginary conquest diuerse Princes and Noblemen came from diuerse countries Out of Spaine came the Duke of Pastrana who was sayd to be the sonne of Ruy Gomez de Silua Prince of Mileto but hee was held to bee the Kings Bastard sonne the Marquis of Bourgou one of the Archduke Ferdinands sonnes by Philippina Welserime Don Vespasian Gonsagua of the house of Mantua a great soldier who had beene Viceroy in Spaine Don Iohn de Medices bastard of Florence Don Amedeus bastard of Sauoy with many such like besides others of meaner qualitie Sixtus Quintus Pope of Rome forgot not likewise to send forth his Crusado as hee vseth against the Turkes published by his Bulles for the furthering of this great enterprise with great perswasions the which were Printed in all places The Englishmen and the Netherlanders scoft at these Bulls saying that the diuill was become a theefe by the high way and cared not for such pasports It was sayd hee had giuen the realme of England to the King of Spaine with the title of the defender of the Christian faith commanding him to ouer-runne the same vpon condition that hee should hold it as feudatorie of the Sea of Rome and to that end the Pope should contribute a Million of golde the one halfe to bee payed presently and the other when England or any notable hauen therein should be wonne The Queene hearing of this great preparation in Spaine shee sent forth her shippes of warre with other Marchants shippes the greatest to lye at Plymouth in the West parts vnder the command of the Lord Charles Haward Lord high Admirall of England and of many other Noble men of qualitie and the small shippes being some forty or fiftie sayle kept the narrow Seas betwixt Douer and Calais vnder the conduct of the Lord Henry Seymor sonne to the Duke of Sommerset The vnited Prouinces first of all in regarde of the shallowes and flattes of their coast made prouision of twenty small shippes to keepe all the hauens of Flanders from Lillo in the riuer of Scheld vnto Graueling by Calais putting great garrisons into their sea Townes and when as this great armie of Spaniards should bee ready to come they sent forth Captaine Loucke of Rosendale with fiue and twenty or thirty shippes to ioyne with the Lord Henry Seymor but when as the shippes were forced by a storme to leaue the Flemish coast and to sayle backe into Zeeland it beeing past they put to sea againe and with them Iustinus of Nassau the Admirall and Ioyâ—… Moyer vice-admirall of Zeeland being in all about fiue and thirty ships from a hundred and sixtie to fiue hundred tun burthen a peece very well appointed with great store of good saylers and 1200. old soldiers all Musketiers chosen out of the regements and well acquanted with the sea being fully resolued to fight and to keepe the Duke of Parma from bringing his fleet out of any hauen in Flanders whereon consisted the greatest part of their safety Vpon the nine and twenty day of May 1588. this great and mightie armie of Spaine put to sea and sailed from Lisbon to the Groine in Gallicia where they tooke in more men and munition it being the neerest hauen to England Being at sea they were scattered by a tempest the Duke of Medina entring againe into the Groine with foure score shippes the rest following as well as they could except eight of them which had spent their Maisters Of the foure
captaine as hee bent his pistoll vpon him which hee likewise did to him but both fayled wherewith the Spanish captaine thought to haue taken hold of the Earles scarse and for to haue pulled him to him the which Bax perceiuing hee bent his pistoll at him thinking to shoote him into the face but with ouer great hast hee shot him lower in the armor and their they sat both on horse-backe hardly be-sted amongst their enemies and but weakely releeued by meanes of the noise and cries which the Earles horsemen had caused amongst them they had manie shot made at them but in the end Baxes Nephew came and releeued them and by that meanes they gathered some horses together and once againe charged the head of a troupe but were againe put backe and in that sort they fought for the space of seauen houres In the meane time Prince Maurice came on with three field peeces and some troupes of footemen which as then were more necessarie then the horsemen who beeing ledde on by Cont Ernestus and collonel Marquette they discharged a volley of shot amongst the Spaniards at which time Earle Theodoro Trivultio was slaine beeing Lieutenant generall of those troupes a braue souldier and of a Noble house and therewith certaine horsemen led on by the Earle Henrick giuing a new charge the Spaniards were once againe put to flight and were driuen vp a hill some ranne into the wood and many saued themselues in the house of Brooke which at the first they tooke by policie but it was taken from them againe and for want of good order they recouered it againe and so it serued them for a good retraict many were taken and slaine in the flight and diuers horses wonne but such as fled into the wood heareing of Spinolaes comming from Roeroort with the whole armie gathered together againe After this long and tedious fight Prince Maurice hearing of Spinolaes approch hee caused his men to returne willing Bax to staie there to fauour the retraict as hee did but was ill seconded by the other horsemen the Spaniards hauing gotten fresh supplies fell vpon them againe and the horsemen getting ouer Roere the Spaniards fell vpon the English foote who valiantly defended themselues as long as they had any powder but the Earle of Chastillion standing with two troupes vpon the Roere about a hedge shot so fiercely as the Marquises horsemen were forced to retire and so they made an orderly retraict the Spaniards following them still shooting but comming to a heath they left each other where as Prince Maurice called for those horsemen which had fled giuing them many reprochful speeches and shewed them what confusion they had made amongst his men whereas he put his greatest trust in them and by that meanes mist so good and faire an occasion to ouerthrow his enemy It was thought in this fight there were about fiue hundred of Spynolas men slaine whereof one was the Earle Theodoro Trivultio whose body beeing imbalmed was the next yeare sent vnto Milane where hee was borne and Gambarotta and others of account amongst the prisoners one was Nicholas Doria cousin to Spinola and others hauing two cornets taken from them and of Prince Maurices side they lost two Ensignes and about two hundred men amongst the which Mousier Dumdeville was one and certaine captaines the prisoners were Mounsier de Bethune who was presently exchanged for Nicholas Doria as also captaine Sald captaine Pigot and captaine Ratclif but Sir Henrie Carie a gallant Gentleman and Maister of the Iewell house to the King of England after his father was put to a great ransome for that hee serued as voluntarie and was not contained in the quarter This was donne vpon the nineth daie of October which gaue Prince Maurice great cause not to put so great confidence in his horsemen beeing as then but weake of foote so as after that hee durst not by any meanes hazard the like againe This Winter there was little done in the Netherlands touching the warres onely that the garrisons on either side made many enterprises one vpon an other as vpon Nuys Graue Erckelens Deuenter especially ouer the Ice during the frost but they tooke no effect the feare thereof beeing the cause which made the generall Marquis Spinola to staie longer in the Netherlands then hee thought to haue done so as it was the first daie of Ianuary before he tooke poast to passe through France into Spaine where on the waie hee was hindered by sickenesse and beeing in Spaine hee found more want of money then hee expected by the bad traficke in Spaine for that the East and West Indian fleetes were not come as also in regard of the dearth in Spaine whereby al the Spanish ryalles were paied and carried away for corne which was brought thether in great aboundance out of France England and other countries so as in Spaine they were forced to vse most copper money the which was wont to bee as plentifull of siluer as any other countrie In this winter also the counsell of warre assembled in the Hage to giue their censure vpon the gouernor and captaines of Linghen for that they had so basely yeelded vp the towne this counsell consisting of the Earles Henricke Ernest and Iohn of Nassaw the young Earle of Solms the Lord Vander Noote gouernor in Flanders Emerie van Lidie gouernor of Williams Stat Mounsier van Lookeren with some English and Scots Colonels and other captaines with Collonel Warner du Bois as president which met the last of Ianuary They of Gelderland with certaine of the Barron van Hemerts kindred who was beheaded in the Earle of Leicesters time by rigor of lawe said that if they were not beheaded that then the said Barron of Heemert had great wrong offered him for that hee had endured three assaultes giuen against the towne of Graue and receiued aboue a thousand eight hundred cannon shot whereas they to the contrary suffered three bridges to bee laid ouer the towne ditches in the daie time without any resistance and that therefore if they would proceed seuerely against the one and not against them they should then haue good cause to apeale against the Iudgement giuen vpon the Barron de Hemert This counsell sitting tell the 11. day of February at last they gaue sentence that the gouernor of Lynghen called Marten Cobbe and captaine Iohn Witte should bee dismist and with ignominy declared vncapable euer after to beare armes and that the Drosart Albert of Itersome Iohn Ruysch Iohn van Dyck Ernestus Mellinga Nichalas Audaert and the Licentiate Iuthiema should bee deposed from their places cassiered and should serue vnder such companies as they should be appointed vnto to recouer their credits againe if they could This sentence was much spoken of for that many were of opinion that if at the first these men had beene censured they had beene likely to haue lost their heads but so much time passing ouer before they
shew themselues but kept in holes or led a rusticke countrey life neither after that day durst any man carry the armes of any of those three houses The Emperour Rodulphus the first of that name had in the yeare 1290 giuen East-Friseland vnto the riuer of Lanuvers vnto the earle of Gueldres to hold it in fee of the Empire but by reason of the ferocitie of the Frisons and their heat and resolution to maintain their auncient liberties graunted them by the Emperor Charlemaigne and other precedent Emperors knowing also that the Earle of Holland pretended an interest thereunto hee durst not aduenture to take possession thereof by force Besides Cont Floris hauing as we haue said before subdued West-Friseland and taken the town of Staueren did much annoy the East-Frisons and withall the bishops of Vtrecht would neuer quit their part who to free themselues from so many lords sent their embassadors to the king of Denmarke desiring him that hee would take them and their countrey into his protection The king being loth to let slip this goodly occasion receiued them and sent one of his noblemen to gouerne the countrey in his name and to be his lieutenant and to the end he should be the more respected and haue the greater authority he gaue him his sister in mariage A while after he came himselfe into Friseland making many lawes and ordinances and imposing a certaine tribute which was reasonably tollerable This done he returned into Denmarke but before six moneths were expired this lieutenant began to oppresse them and to vse them tyrannously contrary to their accord the which did so incense the Frisons against him as they slue him sending his wifebacke being with child to the king her brother in the yeare 1295 who was soone after brought in bed of a sonne who reuenged his fathers death as we shall see hereafter IOHN THE FIRST OF THAT name the twentieth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland 20 Joannes Hollandiae This IOHN the King of Englands daughter had to wife In whose short time the towne of Delft hap'ning to fall in strife VVith him attempted for to kill two of his counsellors Accompanied with WOLPHAR he did enter into warres Against the Frisons and subdu'd them in short space But death when he had rul'd foure yeares his conquest did deface And without heires it was his chance to die VVhose bones intomb'd with his valiant ancestors do lie COnt Floris the fifth being thus murthered as we haue said by Gerard van Velsen Iohn of Holland his only sonne succeeded him and was the twentieth Earle He being absent in England with the king his father in law Didier earle of Cleues tooke vpon him the gouernment of the quarter of North-Holland On the other side Guy brother to the earle of Henault Treasurer Cathedrall of the bishopricke of Liege came and tooke vpon him the gouernment of South-Holland made his residence at Gheertruyden-bergh By the diuisions and factions of these two noblemen there happened great troubles in Holland the subiects being diuided during the absence of their prince Cont Iohn of Henault and Guy his brother were sonnes to the deceased cont Iohn d' Auesnes and the lady Alix sister to William king of Romanes and Earle of Holland who was father vnto the last Cont Floris and so were cousin germanes to Cont Iohn of Holland his neerest kinsmen and more apparent heires than the earle of Cleues and therfore Guy maintained that the gouernment was due to him rather than to the earle of Cleues but Cont Iohns return from England ended all these quarrels William Bertold subrogated in the place of Iohn Zirich chosen bishop of Toul in Lorraine to the bishopricke of Vtrecht hauing an actiue and stirring spirit reuiued the ancient quarrels of them of Vtrecht against the Hollanders went to besiege the castle of Muyden the which he maintained to be part of his reuenues the which in the end he forced and constrained Didier of Harlem to yeeld it vp to haue their liues saued he remaining his prisoner The bishop puffed vp with this happie successe went into West-Friseland after that hee had caused his pardons to be preached for all such as would carry armes against the Hollanders The Frisons according to their auncient manner of doing being still readie to reiect the yoke of the Earles of Holland by the persuasion and encouragement of this bishop besieged the castle of Widenesse which they battered and gaue many assaults so as in the end Baldwin of Naeldwyke for want of victuals and munition of warre was forced to yeeld it vp by composition to depart with bag and baggage and to returne freely into Holland which done they rased it the like they did also to the castle of Euigenburch then passing on they besieged the castle of Medemblycke hauing burnt the base towne Floris of Egmont and other gentlemen that were within it defended themselues valiantly making many braue sallies and skirmishes vpon their enemies they were so long besieged in this manner as for want of victuals they were forced to eat their horses Cont Iohn of Henault hauing newes thereof and that the Frisons with the said bishop of Vtrecht did what they pleased without any or very small resistance tooke vpon him during the absence of his cousin the gouernment of Holland and with an Armie of Hannuyers Hollanders and Zeelanders went into Friseland where he defeated the Frisons raised the siege from before Medemblycke and relieued it with all things necessarie The Seignior Iohn of Arckel and Nicholas of Putten knights of Holland tooke the towne of Enchuysen whence they caried away a great spoile and in their retreat burnt it During the diuisions and partialities betwixt the earle of Cleues and Guy of Henault the which increased more and more in Holland the lords Didier of Brederode Floris Regal Abbot of Egmond Henry Vicont of Leyden and William of Egmond accompanied with some gentlemen of marke imbarked to goe and fetch their prince Cont Iohn out of England and for a strange and new thing they led with them Claes van Keyten where they were graciously receiued by king Edward who hauing rigged forth a goodly Fleet of shippes sent away the Earle his son in law with his daughter Elizabeth recommending vnto the lord of Brederode the gouernment of the said Earle his prince being then very young Being at sea the wind turned contrary so as they were forced to land in Zeeland whereas Wolfart of Borssele lord of la Vere reiecting and contemning the Noblemen of Holland did cunningly seize vpon the guard and gouernment of the young Earle chasing from him all the Nobilitie of Holland to whom the king of England had so much recommended him The Earle being one day at Romerswael by the persuasion of the said lord of Vere sent the lord of Brederode who was a plaine dealing man and nothing malicious to Ziricxee to treat of some affaires and in the meane time the said lord
increasing the Cabillautins sent their deputies to duke William of Bauaria Earle of Osteruant the Empresse eldest sonne being then resident in Henault intreating him to come into Holland to vnder-take the gouernment of the country hauing decreed among them no longer to indure the Mothers rule At the first he refused it but they did so importune him as in the end he came secretly to the towne of Gorrichom Those of Delf hearing of his comming went vnto him and carried him by force into their towne making him their head and Captaine generall with whom or by his commandement they issued often forth spoiling the Villages and country houses belonging to the Hoeketins In the end the Townes of North-Holland the Kennemers and the West-Frisons receiued him for their Lord and Prince doing the homage and taking the othe due vnto the Earles of Holland in despight of the Empresse their naturall Princesse his Mother The Hoeketins seeing themselues thus ill intreated by the Cabillautins had their recourse refuge vnto the Empresse whose party they held and began to furnish their townes Castels and Forts with men victualls munition of warre On the other side the Cabillautins went to befiege their places and to batter and beat downe their Castles whereof they did ruine seuenteene in lesse then a yeare The Empresse writte vnto her Sonne that she wondred at his presumption that he would intermedle with her authoritie and command seeming to bee very much incensed against the townes of Holland The Earle answered that the country did belong vnto him by right of donation which she had made vnto him And refusing to giue ouer his course begun the Empresse with the succours which the Queene of England her sister had sent her made a goodly armie with the which she imbarked and went and landed at La Vere in Zeeland Earle William landed with his troupes in the same Iland whereas both armies of the Mother and the Sonne being entred into fight one against an other the combate was furious and bloudie great numbers being slaine and drowned on either side In the end God gaue the victory to the Mother so as the Sonne escaped with great difficulty and fled into Holland This battaile was in the yeare 1351. William of Bauaria being safely returned into Holland made hast to leuie new forces and to raise a greater armie then the first the which consisted of Hollanders Kennemers and Frisons with the succours of many Lords and Knights of Iohn Lord of Arckel Iohn Lord of Calenbourg Iohn Lord of Egmont the Lady Mathilda van Voorne widow to the Lord of Walckenbourg Gerard of Heemskerke Gerard of Harler and many other Knights Gentlemen and good soldiers which came vnto him out of the countries of Cleues Geldres and Germanie with the which armie hee gaue a day and appointed a place vnto his mother to haue his reuenge in open battaile betwixt Bryele and Grauesand The Empresse had her armie composed of good soldiers English Henniuers Zelanders Walcharins accompanied with a great number of Barons Knights and Gentlemen She like a couragious and noble minded Princesse making no doubt of a second victory marched against her sonne and caused her men to begin the charge The two armies at the first incounter charged one another with such animositie and furie as there was nothing to be seene but glaiues broken lances a thicke shower of Arrowes in the ayre breaking of harnesse cutting in sunder of targets and bucklers and heads armes and legges falling to the ground there was nothing to bee heard but the cryes with the lamentable and fearefull groanes of men wounded and dying the bloud ranne ouer the field like a violent streame to conclude there was such murther and spoile on either part with such obstinacie and continuall furie as they could hardly iudge of the issue of the battaile vntill that the Empresse troopes opprest and tired with the great numbers of the Hollanders armie to saue themselues ranne into ditches and riuers where they were drowned so as all the Empresse armie was put to route and shee fled in a small Barke into England The Generall of the English troupes was slaine and lyes buried in the Church of Losdanen where as his tombels yet to be seene in blacke Marble Costin of Renesse Floris of Hamstede and many other Noblemen Knights and Gentlemen were also slaine there with an infinite number of good soldiers There was in this battaile which was in the same yeare 1351 so much bloud spilt as for three dayes after the old riuer of Meuse at a full sea was all redde in that place Finally after that so many valiant men had lost their liues there and whereas the Lord Didier of Brederode and many Knights on the Empresse part were taken prisoners there was an accord made betwixt the mother and the sonne By the which it was agreed that the Empresse should hold the Countie of Henault during her life and Duke William should haue the quiet possession of Holland Zeeland and Friseland After this battaile the Empresse liued yet fiue yeares and dyed at Valenciennes in her countrie of Henault where she was interred Notwithstanding this accord made betwixt the Mother and the Sonne yea after her death when as Duke William was sole and absolute Lord of the Counties of Henault Holland Zeeland and Friseland the factions of the Cabillaux and the Hoecks were not mortified but did continue their hatred aboue a hundred and fiftie yeares after vntill that time of Maximillian the first as we shall shew in its place WILLIAM OF BAVARIA THE 5. OF that name the 25 Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland and Earle of Henault called the madde 25. Guilielmus Quintus This William did obtaine in nuptiall state Mathilda of the house of Lancaster A husband Childlesse and vnfortunate Attempted Vtrecht and did factions stirre Vnder the names of Hamocons and Merlus Distracted in his flowre of youth he grew Since in his age he was vndutious To his graue Mother whom â—…e did pursue With many troubles though she had defects Yet children to their parents still must owe Remission of their faults and 〈◊〉 respects But death doth on his life his rest bestow AFter this cruell and bloudie battaile fought vpon the bankes of the old riuer of Meuse as we haue said William Duke of Bauaria Palatin of Rhine Earle of Holland and Zeeland and Lord of Friseland according to the accord whereof we haue made mention was absolute Prince of the said Prouinces Then after the decease of the Empresse his Mother did also inherite the county of Henault Hee had to wife the Lady Mathilda daughter to Henry Duke of Lancaster in England by whom hee had not any children In the yeare 1355. this Earle by the bad aduise of some of his councell thrust on by their priuate passions sent about S. Martins time in winter to defie the Bishop of Vtrecht
the French king should crosse his victorie if hee should embrace the affaires of the vnited Prouinces He had in December before sent one Augustino Graffino an Italian into England but being a subiect of the Popes hee was charged to haue beene acquainted with the prince of Orange his murther so as he had no audience at all And the Spaniards seeing that their practises preuayled nothing in the vnited Prouinces nor in England they bethought themselues of another course to kindle a new ciuile warre in Fraunce by the meanes of them of the house of Guise as you may read thereof more at large in the Hystorie of Fraunce The French king seeing himselfe suddenly assayled by the Guisian league in the which many of the nobilitie of Fraunce gentlemen and good townes were ingaged and carried away vnder a colour of Religion and the publicke weale he had no other helpe or meanes but to flye vnto his Edicts forbidding by publicke proclamation all his subiects and vassales that were vnder his iurisdiction to leuie any men or to serue them without his leaue declaring that this league and confederacie was ill grounded and against all reason But all this auayled him little or nothing being forced for this time to strike sayle and to forbeare to accept the offers that were made vnto him by the deputies of the Estates of the vnited Prouinces of the Netherlands And finding himselfe suddenly oppressed by the league being without any forces and the aduerse partie growne to bee so strong as they might easily haue deliuered halfe the countrey of Fraunce into the king of Spaine his hands he gaue the embassadours and deputies to vnderstand with whom he had begun to treat of the conditions That to his great griefe he could not receiue them vnder his protection or gouernment nor at that time assist them in any sort saying That his shirt was neerer vnto him than his doublet complayning much of the violence which the king of Spaine and they of the house of Guise and the league did offer him entreating them to maintaine and defend themselues as well as they could vntill that he had setled his Realme in peace promising to ayde and helpe them willingly with his fauour and counsell in any thing he could And as the Queene of England had recommended the vnited Prouinces vnto him in like sort hee entreated the earle of Darbie the Queenes embassadour to recommend them vnto her Maiestie that it would please her to succour them and to take their defence in hand making the like request vnto the Queene by his owne embassadours and also to the king of Nauarre the which hee promised by the faith of a king and hath beene euer since well affected vnto the sayd vnited prouinces The prince of Parma to finish his worke and to stoppe vp the passage of the riuer of Antuerpe from them of Holland and Zeeland he sent for all the masters of shippes mariners and shipwrights of Flaunders and Brabant whom hee caused to come to Calloo So as vpon the fiue and twentieth day of Februarie the bridge was fully finished whereby they might passe out of Flanders into Brabant and the passage to Antuerpe quite stopped vp the which was a singular worke and of great admiration to all the world being built after the manner which followeth On eyther side of the riuer hee had caused a mightie fort to be built one at Calloo vpon Flanders side and the other at Oordam on the bankes of Brabant in eyther of the which hee had planted twelue double cannons which shot euen with the water and the workes were aduaunced as farre into the riuer as the foundation would suffer it besides the heads which were made of bridges set vpon pyles of fiftie foot deepe rammed into the ground and well bound together And whereas the depth or the swiftnesse of the streame would not suffer it the rest of the bridge from one side vnto the other was made of one and thirtie flat bottomed boats euery one beeing made fast with two ankers one before and the other behind tyed together with strong chaynes and cables vpon the which were great beames layed crosse and vpon them certaine plankes which finished the bridge so as they might passe on horsebacke or with waggons and carts to eyther side About a thousand foote from this bridge both aboue and beneath there was a floate made of mastes of shippes that were bound together and vpon them other mastes crossed and pointed sticking forth some twentie foote long like vnto stakes and therefore they were called Stocadoes all being made fast in the bottome of the water with ankers like vnto the bridge and on eyther side of the riuer bound with chaynes and cables vnto the heads so as the bridge and the Stocadoes did rise and fall with the tide the sayd bridge beeing two thousand foot long lacking but two from one head vnto another And on eyther side thereof there lay fiue shippes of warre well appointed with men and artillerie to withstand the first assault before they should approach neere vnto the Stocadoes Moreouer there were planted on eyther side of the riuer betwixt the two Stocadoes aboue a hundred peeces of artillerie both great and small the which in truth was a royall worke for the making whereof vnprofitable they must vse other meanes than force or else they should haue foreseene it in time and not suffered them so much to haue aduaunced it for if they had done their endeauours to breake it as they began the worke the which they might well haue done he had not so easily finished it But beeing done and ended they sought to breake it with the force and violence of shippes of warre as well of Holland and Zeeland as of Antuerpe yet before they could get this preparation readie and a faire wind withall as they desired for the which there was aboue a hundred shippes laden with men and munition attending with great deuotion and during all these delayes and expectations the prince of Parma finished this great worke and the riuer was shut vp by this bridge and Stocadoes The which bred a great discontentment and murmuring amongst the common people as well of Brabant as of Zeeland and for the which the Zeelanders did partly blame their admirall Treslon and others which had had the chiefe charge but euery man excused himselfe of this negligence in the preuention thereof in the which there was also some priuate commoditie or aduantage as it is the vsuall custome in matters which passe by many heads and hands yea they did greatly taxe the Hollanders therewith some saying that the prince of Parma could not haue finished this worke without them and it was generally spoken that they had deliuered him cables and ankers wherewith hee had made his worke firme The towne of Nymeghen in the countrey of Gueldres situated vpon the riuer of Wahal which is one of the hornes of Rhin was at that time wauering and it was
beeing now in many places hardly beset and sore incumbred and oppressed and to deliuer the Netherlands and the inhabitants thereof out of miserable thraldome who not long before the wicked and dangerous inuasions of the Spaniards were so rich and flourishing in all kinds of wealth by reason of the great commodities of the sea hauens riuers traffique manuall trades and occupations whereunto they are much giuen and very apt by nature Shee should likewise preserue them from vtter destruction and perpetuall slauerie both of bodie and soule and so effect a right princely and most royall worke pleasing to God profitable for all Christendome worthie of eternall praise honour and glorie and fitting well the greatnesse and state of her princely Maiestie including therein the assured securitie prosperitie and welfare of her owne kingdomes and subiects Which done they presented their Articles vnto her Maiestie with all humilitie beseeching God who is the king of kings to defend protect and preserue her from all her enemies to the encrease of his honour and greatnesse and perpetually to hold and keepe her in his holy protection and safegard This humble petition tending so much to the honour and glory of the most magnificent and royall Queene and princesse in the world was with all thankefulnesse receiued at their hands Thereupon the Queene willed them for that time to depart and in the meane while she assembled her counsell to conferre with them what was to be done in this so vrgent a cause and to haue their aduice touching the same To conclude she found all her subiects generally addicted thereunto saying That shee might not by any meanes altogether abandon or forsake the vnited Prouinces of the Netherlands alledging the great hatred conceiued against her by the king of Spaine for the altering of his Religion in England which he not long before had planted therein which appeared by the treatie of peace made at Chasteau in Cambresis holden in Anno 1559 wherein he was verie slacke and carelesse for procuring the deliuerie of the towne of Calais vnto the English againe the which was lost by meanes of his warres and on the other side he caused the French to deliuer many townes ouer vnto the duke of Sauoy and left her in warre both against France and Scotland without any assistance They shewed likewise the vnkind refusall by him made of passage through the Netherland countreys with munition armes and powder which shee as then had caused to bee prouided and bought by her factor Sir Thomas Gresham vnto whome it was denyed Further That when her Maiestie by her embassadour the lord Vicont Montague desired the king of Spaine to renew and confirme the ancient contracts made betweene his father the emperour Charles the fifth and her predecessours hee would by no meanes bee drawne to yeeld thereunto That hee had suffered the Inquisitors in Spaine to persecute her poore subiects with all crueltie and extremitie and commaunded her embassadour out of Spaine because of his Religion That his gouernour the duke of Alua in the Netherlands had vsed all manner of hostilitie and violence against her subiects arresting both their bodies and goods contrary to the ancient contracts betweene England and the Netherlands That he had sent an armie into her Maiesties kingdome of Ireland and with colours flying inuaded the sayd kingdome vpon a supposed gift thereof made vnto him by the Pope of Rome which hee thereby excused intending also to enterprise the like against the Realme of England as it manifestly appeared by the Iesuite Sanders letters to that end dispersed abroad and by the Iesuite Creyghton who was then a prisoner and many other such like practises also were discouered by the dealings of his embassador Dom Bernardino de Mendosa in England Besides these many forepassed iniuries the Counsell layed before her Maiestie the danger that she was to expect if the Spaniard once obtained merum imperium that is full and absolute authoritie in the Prouinces of the Netherlands how he would alter their Religion breake their auncient priuiledges and subiect them wholly to his will and pleasure which done out of his malitious heart and intent he would easily inuade England with the aide of the multitude of shipping and sailers of those countries together with his Indian treasure first depriuing England of all trade of marchandize with the Netherlands and within the land procuring domesticall dissention and that therefore shee was not as then to let slip the present occasion nor yet to attend vntill the Netherlands were fully planted with Spaniards and Italians for that the warre was not vndertaken against the Netherlands but with a further intent and meaning to make a greater conquest On the other side there was laied before her Maiestie what difficulties and troubles might arise by entring into warre with the king of Spaine as first that thereby shee should breake the auncient contract betweene her and the king of Spaine and that it would not bee well thought on nor by forraine princes esteemed an honourable action to aide and assist the subiect against his lawfull soueraigne and that shee should hardly be able to contend against so mightie a monarch so strong of men money meanes and friendship which he should haue from the Pope domesticall English malecontents and many other his adherents whereby she should haue worke enough in hand to defend her selfe with many other obiections To these reasons aforesaid it was answered that therein shee should breake no contract nor league made with the house of Burgondie for that thereby shee was bound to aide and assist the Netherlands and to vphold them in their auncient lawes and priuiledges and not to permit or suffer strange nations to plant and settle themselues there and so intrude themselues into the gouernment and that if shee let slippe this faire occasion and did not assist them the French might set foot therein moreouer that shee intended not to aide any rebels against their king but to protect and defend her oppressed neighbours whereunto all princes were bound especially for religions cause as the Spaniards had done the like to her in her kingdom of Ireland with her rebels as also to keepe backe and preuent the warre with the miseries and troubles thereon depending if it be not foreseene and preuented and how dangerous and troublesome soeuer the warres be yet were the apparant danger much more and greater to be ouerrunne by forraine enemies and therefore it behoued her the more both in conscience and in honour to seeke to preuent all future danger for that the prouinces of the Netherlands could not be able any long time to withstand the enemies forces without some aide and assistance which beeing once brought vnder his subiection shee should bee assured to beare the burthen vpon her owne shoulders in England which would be much more preiudiciall insupportable and chargeable to her and that therefore it were better to haue and maintaine warre abroad than within the
by some that shee sought to make a peace without their consent This in effect was the contents of the letters on both sides sent and receiued touching the Earle of Leicesters gouernment where-with her Maiesty seemed to be some what pleased but yet it was an occasion that many men esteemed his Excelencie the lesse With this authority the Earle of Leicester was instauled in his gouernment and the contributions of the countrie deliuered into his hands amounting vnto the yearely valew of foure and twenty hundred thousand gilders and aboue besides the connoy mony the profits of the admiralty and her Maiesties ayde his owne intertainement being 100000. gilders a yeare presently therevpon hee set downe an order for marshall discipline amongst his souldiers and made a proclamation bearing date in Vtrecht the fourth day of Aprill whereby was forbidden the transporting and carying of all kind of necessaries victualls ammunition for warre or any manner of marchandise whatsoeuer vnto the enemy and their associates or to any newtrall places as also all manner of dealing or correspondence by letters of exchanges or otherwise not onely with Spaine but with France and the East countries vnder what pretence soeuer it might bee vpon paine of death and losse of shippe and goods The letter to execute these things one Iaques Ringoult a man verie familier with the Earle of Lecester and the onely inuentor of the sayd proclamation had gotten by an extraordinarie commission wholy without the aduise of the Councell of Estate thereby to deale and proceede extraordinarily with those that had any dealings with the enemie by forme of inquisition search and examination searching all the marchants letters bookes and secret accountes a thing not vsed nor accustomed in these countries and wholy against manie priueledges old orders and freedomes of the Prouinces and townes and not content therewith he sought meanes to haue the same order vsed in England against the Netherlanders inhabiting there in Sandwich and other places This proclamation and commission much disliked the Estates and mooued them to cōplaine against it At that time likewise it was put in practise hoped to be effected to raise a generall contribution vpon all nations trafficking to sea for the furtherance of the warres in regard that England being vnited with Holland and Zeeland it might prescribe and giue lawes as Lords of the sea how and whether men should traficke which lawe beeing set downe the Earle of Leicester thought to compell all sailors and sea-faring-men to come and buy passe-ports or saffe conducts of him thereby to haue libertie to deale freely in euerie place contributing some thing to the warres But when many letters of complaint concerning the same were sent into England The Noble Councell of Estate esteemed it a verie hard matter for to bring the French Scottes Danes and East-countrie-men there vnto and therevpon the contribution beganne to bee behinde-hand and the proclamation standing in force caused great trouble and hindrance in the Netherlandes for that by it much traficke was conuerted and ceased in these countries for that many rich marchants and sailers of Antwerp and other places withdrawing them-selues and flying from thence would not staie and inhabite in the lowe countries because they might not vse there trade as they were wont to doe but went to inhabite and dwell at Hamburgh Breame Emden Stode and diuerse other places from whence they might freely traficke into Spaine Italie Portugale and the Islandes and by that meanes made other Nations acquainted both with their traficke by sea and brought much dealing into many other townes so that at the last in Holland and Zeeland they were forced to dispence with that proclamation and againe to permit the traficke by sea West-ward or els in short time they should haue driuen all trade of marchandise and sea-faring out of their countries togither with their richest inhabitants those Prouinces liuing most by fishing and sea-faring hand-labors and trade of marchandise The fiue and twenty day of Iuly the Earle of Leicester being in Vtrecht made an act concerning the erecting of a new tresory in the vnited Prouince whereof hee apointed to bee principall in that office the Earle of Niewenar and Menes gouernor of Gelderland Zutphen and Vtrecht with authority to sit in the councell of Estate for the second man hee apointed Maister Henry Killegray one of the receiuers of her Maiesties Exchequer in England and a Councelor of Estate in the low countries the third person was Reynardt de Aeswin Lord of Barkelo and for tresorer Iaques Reingoult Lord of Canwenbergh and for commissioners Sebastian Loose Iosse Teylink and Maister Paul Buys The Receiuers generall the Treasuror for the warres the Clarke nor the Vssher beeing not named but blankes left to put in their names one Danell Burgrate being apointed chiefe secretary with free liberty to goe into the Councell of Estate and there to haue audience After the contract and vnion made by the Netherlands with the Queene was past and agreed vpon the King of Spaine caused all the Englishmen through all his dominions to bee arrested and their shippes and goods confiscate vsing them most rygorously wherevpon many of them became men of warre hauing commissions from the Queene for that they might not otherwise doe it in regard that as then there was no open warre proclaimed with Spaine who beeing at sea made good vse of the sayd arrest in Spaine for that all shippes going or comming West-ward that they could come by vnder that pretence were taken and made prize and at that time the Netherlanders could hardly deale or traficke into Spaine Portingall and the Islandes vnlesse it were vnder Spaniards names their Factors dwelling there and esteemed for naturall bred and borne Spaniards and vpon this suspition the shippes were brought into England and the keeping and possession of the goods that were in them was deliuered into the hands of them that tooke them and if it were such wares as would not keepe long they had authoritie to sell them giuing securitie for restitution thereof if the sayd goods were not found to bee good prize In the beginning of this winter in Ianuary Taxis Lieutenant to Verdugo Gouernor in Friseland for the King of Spaine gathered togither the garrisons thereaboutes and entred into Westergoe where hauing found meanes and oportunitie for to passe through the countrie by reason of the great frosts and yee hee had wonne Worckcom Coudom Hindeloopen and some other places The nine and twentie day of Ianuarie it beganne to thawe wherefore the Spaniards beeing loath to bee shut vp in that waterie countrie thought to make their retreate and not to attend anie further hazard In his retreat he met with some pesants armed whom he defeated wherof some saued themselues in a Church and refusing for to yeeld were burnt from thence they went to the village of Boxom a league from Leeuwaerden where they were told that there was nere them 2000. Frisons Protestantes
disorder to Sâ—…luse yet carrying backe all their gallies beeing fauoured by the neerenesse of their retreat There died in this sea fight the generall Frederick Spinola with aboue eight hundred of his men and a great number of them hurt Of the Estates side there were sixe and thirtie slaine among the which was captaine Iacob Michelson and his lieutenant the viceadmirall Ioos de Moor and captaine Leger Peterson with some threescore others were hurt In the viceadmirall and in the gally of Zeeland there were some Englishmen of the garrison of Flessingue who did exceeding well of the which there were eight slaine and some fifteene hurt Ioos de Moor the viceadmirall commaunded at this fight in the absence of the seignior William van Haulstein who was admirall vnder prince Maurice he hearing the noyse of the ordnance parted presently from Flessingue with fiue ships of warre and one fregate to come and succour his companie before the ditch but the fight was ended and the enemie retired before he came In this battaile the saying of the royall prophet Dauid was verified That victories proceeded not from the force and strength of man but from the ayd and assistance of God Elizabeth Queene of England of famous memorie being dead vpon the foure and twentieth day of March and Iames king of Scotland called to the succession of the crowne vpon the 8 of Aprill the vnited prouinces did write a letter vnto the king of England as followeth Most high and mightie prince as we were with great reason grieued in our soules for the newes of the death of the most high great mightie and soueraigne princesse the queene of England of most worthy and famous memorie in regard of the great loue and affection shee did alwayes beare vnto our estate and for the ayd which we did still receiue from her princely bountie for our defence and preseruation against the king of Spaine and his adherents wherby the remembrance of her shall for euer remaine eternized in vs and our posteritie so were wee much comforted and reioyced in our hearts to vnderstand that your Maiestie with a generall applause of the Estates of the whole country was proclaimed the true and lawful heire successor and king of the kingdomes of England Fraunce and Ireland and the rather for that wee assure our selues that your Maiestie comming to the succession of the said kingdoms will not onely continue your princely grace and accustomed fauour but will also of your princely inclination inherit the same princely affection towards vs and our estate which the aforesayd noble queene of worthy memorie hath left vnto you thereby to continue your gratious ayd and bountifull assistance for our preseruation for the welfare of all Christendome and your owne good against the common enemie as we haue long hoped and expected the same And in effect to shew the resolution we haue alwayes had to please and serue your Maiestie so wee beseech almightie God for the first part of our dueties to blesse your Maiestie in this succession to his glorie and the propagation of his holy word to exalt your Maiesties gouernment with all state and happinesse and to giue your Maiestie health and long life not onely to the glorie and comfort of your owne kingdomes and subiects and of our estate but also to the good and peace of all Christendom against the insatiable ambition of the Spaniards and their adherents To which end we most humbly beseech your Maiestie seeing it pleased the aforesaid queene of famous memorie in her later dayes to grant vs leaue to take vp certaine souldiers in England for to fill vp and make compleat the English companies that serue vnder vs as wee likewise besought your Maiestie to suffer vs to doe the like in Scotland for the Scottish companies that it will now please your Maiestie to grant vs the effect thereof that wee may at this present take vp the said souldiers both in England and Scotland to be transported into the Netherlands there to be imployed in our seruice as the necessitie of our cause requireth and especially for the preseruation of the towne of Oostend wherein we refer our selues to your Maiesties consideration kissing your princely hands with all humilitie beseeching the almightie God to preserue your M. throne in al happinesse glory and your princely person in long life prosperitie Dated as aforesaid signed by the generall states of the vnited prouinces Presently after this letter they sent an honorable embassage into England the embassadors were Henry Frederic earle of Nassau yongest sonne to the late prince of Orange Walraue baron of Brederode monsieur Van Olden Barneuelt counsellor for Holland and Iacob Valck treasurer of Zeeland beeing accompanied with diuers gentlemen as the lords of Batenborgh Schagen Trelongh Herdenbrooke Borselle with many others These embassadors arriued in England the 14 of May eight daies after the kings entrie into London and vpon the seuen and twentieth of May they had audience where besides their congratulating of the kings comming to his new kingdomes they layed open vnto him the estate of their affaires and craued a supply of souldiers according to the contents of their letters the which was deliuered both by mouth and writing but for that it is but a repetition of that which hath gone before I forbeare to insert it The king made them a friendly answer in generall tearmes excusing himselfe that he was but newly entred into his kingdome and beeing ignorant of the estate and power thereof hee thought it requisite first to settle his owne affaires and to be fully informed of all particularities beeing most conuenient rather to seeke peace than warre and that with all friendly care and affection he would continue all loue and friendship with them as his predecessor had done with many other exceeding good wordes wherewith the embassadours tooke their leaues The archduke hearing also of the death of the Queene of England sent a gentleman called Nicholas de Schosy into Scotland to sound the kings mind how he stood affected whether to peace or warre and hearing that he had beene alwaies inclined to a good peace he sent to all the coasts of Flanders commaunding them not to touch nor molest any English man neither by water nor by land but to vse them with all loue and friendship and withall to set all their English prisoners at libertie And at the same time he sent an embassadour into England which was Charles earle of Aremberg knight of the golden fleece chancellor of estate and admirall generall for the archdukes beeing accompanied with his sonne the baron of Seuenberghen the earle of Bossu the baron of Robles the lord of Wakene the lord of Swevigem the earle of Phirtburg the baron of Neuele with many other gentlemen his embassage tending besides congratulation to mooue the king to a peace and to crosse certaine designes of the vnited prouinces and for that the plague was great in
so as he might retaine the soueraignty But being ready to enter into a treaty of peace and the prouinces vnder the archdukes gouernment in good hope thereof the bad gouernment in Hongarie and Transiluania bred an open rebellion so as Stephanus Botschkay tooke vpon him to be their leader and besides this disordered gouernment bad pay mutiny of the soldiers they sought by means of the Iesuits to force mens consciences and to alter their long reformed religion in so dangerous a time of ciuill and forraine wars and for that cause they grounded their rebellion vpon the same foundation which the Netherlanders had done as breach of priuiledges gouernment of strangers and constraint of conscience the which gaue cause of suspition vnto the Emperour and the king of Spaine In the meane time there were many things propounded how a peace might be made the which for that it is a matter of great importance I haue thought it fit to bee inserted One terming himselfe a Netherlander yet dwelling out of those countreys sets down his opinion in three speciall points and first concerning the bad gouernment of the vnited prouinces Secondly that they will not be still able to continue the wars and thirdly that they shal be forced to submit themselus vnder Spain France or England Of these 3 points he maketh a long discourse and also of the forces and qualities of each one in particular If any man would argue and maintain that it were the best course to yeeld the countreys ouer to prince Maurice in regard of his great seruices done for the same with perpetuall confederation and league with France and England thereby to defend and support the said prouinces hee was of opinion that it would be too difficult a matter for prince Maurice to vndertake so great a quarrell with the Estates of Holland and Zeeland and that they which are so well seated and at this present in the gouernment would not willingly giue their consents vnlesse they were forced therunto by the said kings Therfore he setteth downe a means how to settle the archdukes after another maner in the said Netherlands which if it were not found good conuenient then they should deuise how to further prince Maurice in this designe The meanes hee speaketh of are That seeing the king of Spain and the archdukes are so vnited as they are not to be trusted in regard of the maxime of pias fraudes holy deceits that therfore to bring the 17 prouinces into a perfect vnion they must procure the kings of France and England to bee mediatours to the king of Spain to yeeld vp al his right absolutely vnto the archdukes vpon pain of breaking the league with them the emperor also in regard of affinity France must likewise resigne al maner of pretences vpon condition that their heires males after the maner of the Salike law by this or any other mariage of them both and no other shall succeed and that after both their deaths without heires males that neither the king of Spain nor the emperor in regard of their great suspected powers shold inherit the Netherlands but it should descend to the rest of the heires males of the emperors Ferdinand Maximilian with the like conditions and if it so fell out that the said successor in the Netherlands were chosen to be emperor he should then likewise giue ouer his title to the Netherlands vnto the next heires males of the same house and that if the whole house of Austria should chance to die and be extinct only the emperor and the king of Spaine remaining in that case it should be lawfull for the said prouinces to choose themselues another prince where they pleased that all the Netherlands might continue vnder one Lord and Prince It should bee also necessary that the king of Spaine should giue security for the effecting thereof vnto one of the two kings aforesaid which if hee refused then the said kings of England France with the Netherlands shold force him therunto with the consent of the emperor which he affirmeth is easie to be done by many reasons by him alleaged for that cause men must take heede of the Iesuites maximes or subtile fetches He also maketh answere to many arguments obiected to the contrary by the Spaniards who would not endure to be cut off from their patrimoniall inheritance but Christian peace ought to persuade him thereunto that so he may employ all his power against the Turke therewith he setteth downe certein articles to be obserued in this peace which are 6 in number which if the king of Spaine will not agree vnto and that the said articles were not liked on either part then the kings of France and England shall seeke to put the said countreys if it were possible into the hands of prince Maurice of Nassau but the other contract with the archdukes he saith were better he sheweth moreouer what profit all Christendome may expect and attend by the said peace wherein we should neither feare pope nor Iesuite but call a generall councell whether it were with the good liking or otherwise of the pope and according to the decrees thereof to begin a war against the Turke in such order as monsieur la Noue describeth whereunto all other princes would willingly giue consent and by that meanes the golden world would begin againe Another being a catholike and vnder the archdukes gouernment setteth downe certaine reasons for a peace as followeth He sheweth the strength of the vnited prouinces which are compassed in with the seas and great riuers that are nauigable hauing great store of shipping therewith to prouide them of all things necessary and on the other side hee setteth downe the difficulties whereunto the prouinces vnder the archdukes commaund are subiect As that their soldiers can hardly liue or get any thing from such an enemy but would bee ouer chargeable to their owne countrey that the aid which they had out of Spaine was great in shew but in effect small and was most of it drawne from the vttermost parts of Italy and the deepest parts of Spaine and that many times it was intercepted by the way and being come it did melt like snow against the sunne that by protracting of the soldiers pay mutinies did arise That the vnited prouinces are alwaies first in the fields and that they could thereby giue the first onset that Spaine of it selfe is poore that the Hollanders tooke his gold siluer and traffique from him at the Indies that his mynes are drawne drie that the yong king is not so sparing as his father and so his charges are greater and by that meanes money grew scant and mutinies daily increased so as to pacific the soldiers and to giue them some contentment besides their robbing and spoyling of the countrey they are often paide twelue or fifteen stiuers a day for a footman and foure twenty stiuers a horsman not any other are full paid vnlesse they
baron of Selles his fellow prisoner in the throat as he died thereof so as to bring him againe to his right sences and to comfort him at the suit of the lady Francis of Egmont his sister he was transported into Holland where he was well intreated vntill the king should free him from his imprisonment the which made him recouer his sences which before were much troubled In the end he was set free in the yeare 1584 for the said seignior of la Noue yet vpon promise so much they feared him that during his life hee should not beare armes against the king of Spaine vnlesse it were by the commandement of the king of Fraunce his master with some other conditions vpon paine of an hundred thousand crownes for the which the duke of Lorraine was his caution and pledge and the king of Nauarre his counterpledge This kind of rigorous proceeding in the exchange of such prisoners gaue great occasion to the nobilitie of the Netherlands the kings subiects to murmure at his ingratitude and of the esteeme which hee made of them and of their liues which they so willingly exposed for his seruice The male-contents hauing receiued this affront and losse at Bouchain to bee reuenged thereof they went in August following to besiege it and did batter it with such furie as the seignior of Villers hauing no hope of succours nor meanes the place beeing verie little to rampar or intrench himselfe within either by halfe moones new rampars or otherwise fearing it should be carried by assault and the Spaniard in like manner doubting to come to it he yeelded it by composition to depart onely with their armes And as the accord had been simply made without the reseruations necessarie in the like case the said seigniour of Villers had left a peece of a match secretly burning in a barrel of powder among diuers others which continued some houre or two vntill that he and his men were retired towards Cambray where being neere fire tooke this powder which carried away a part of the rampar did much harme to the towne and slue some thirtie souldiers wherewith the Spaniard beeing iustly incensed sent to pursue them and to cut them in peeces if they might ouertake them but it was too late the seigniour of Villers and his troupe beeing safely and without all daunger retired into Cambray The Estates knowing their owne forces by sea and vpon the riuers and what the Spaniards were at land they resolued by meanes of their ships of warre to hinder the passage and distribution of victuals and munition by the riuers of Rhin and Meuse Wherefore they sent their ships well appointed and manned euerie one carrying eight ten or twelue great peeces of brasse besides the lesse and hauing his pinasse wherewith they held the same riuers subiect and cut off the passage both for men and victuals that were appointed for the country of Groningue The which did much trouble the princes of the Rhin who also manned out certain ships of warre to chase away those of the States But for that they would not incense these princes nor contest against them they caused their ships to fall downe in August the which before were vsually accustomed to mount vp aboue the towne of Cologne to Bonne yea further Macklin beeing reuolted from the States and hauing committed many insolencies this yeare they sent the Englishmen that were in Liere towards Macklyn with their colonell Sir Iohn Norris a valiant gentleman and with these Englishmen the which would not leaue Liere without their pay the Estates sent Oliuer vanden Temple gouernour of Brussels with his garrison and that of Viluoord and Charles of Lieuin lord of Famars with his cornet of horse These troupes came vpon the ninth of Aprill in the morning before the towne where the Englishmen giuing an alarme on the one side in the meane time monsieur de Temples souldiers and the rest climing ouer the Brussels gate got into the towne where they fought a good while before they could force open the gates to let in the horsemen who being entred the bourgers with diuers monks and fryers being in armes vpon the market place defended themselues vntill that manie of them were slaine whereof Peter Wolfe a mutinous fryer who had before drawne them from the States was one who being well armed fought with a halberd in his hand The gouernour Rossignol and Boeskerke the scout with certaine Albanoys got out at the gates as soone as the towne was taken where there was about an hundred souldiers but most bourgers slaine They began to ransacke the towne notwithstanding that the bourgers had made a composition with the English who were the greatest number beeing eight hundred strong to giue them certaine monethes pay but that condition was not performed And although the generall for that the sacke had continued certaine dayes would gladly haue taken some order therein yet he could by no meanes do it This towne was so miserably sackt and spoyled as no towne in all the Netherlands had suffered the like during all the ciuile warres for that the English men who had no measure in their doings spoyled the churches and religious houses without any pitie and compassion for the which the rest of the souldiers were much offended After that the chiefe commanders as monsieur Timpel and the lord of Famars then made gouernour fell out with colonell Norris and would gladly after the sacke haue gotten the English men out of the towne but they being the strongest had gotten the keyes into their hands and for a moneths space did what they would putting the bourgers to ransome and still spoyling their houses sparing not the bells nor the great dyall which was many times forbidden to be touched they tooke likewise the stones that lay vpon the dead and carried many hundreds of them into England by ship At the last the Estates hauing great occasion to vse souldiers for that it was generally thought that for want of those souldiers la Noue had bin ouerthrowne and taken by Inglemunster they persuaded Sir Iohn Norris to leaue Macklin who at that time was fallen into such a quarrel with monsieur Timpel that although they were strangers there hee would not march out first for which cause they were forced to set some bourgers of Antuerpe and of the towne in the market place and else where to guard it vntill that at the sound of a bell they both went out at seuerall ports the which was not without some trouble which happened by misunderstanding by reason of the commanders high minds which was the cause that the Englishmen with much hurt and losse were driuen out of the towne the sixth of May. Monsieur de Famars was left there for gouernor who sought by all the meanes that hee could to restore the towne of Macklin to his former estate and to repeople it againe Henrie of Bourbon prince of Conde hauing with great difficultie retired himselfe out
of France into England where hee was verie gratiously entertained by the queene after hee had staid there sometime meaning to goe into Germanie to leuie men hee resolued to passe into Flanders and so into Brabant He first arriued at Scluce and from thence hee came to Gant the thirteenth of Iulie where hee was honourably receiued by them of the towne who sent fix companies of the regiment of the baron of Mortagne to meet him beeing feasted by the magistrats of the towne in their State-house The Vicent or Bourgraue of Gant newly created marques of Ronbay by the king in recompence of his seruice whether that he had intelligence of the princes comming to the towne or not had gathered together about foure regiments of foot and sixteene cornets of horse the which hee caused to march presently the same night thinking to surprise it by a camisadoe at a rauelin called by the name of Imbise not farre from the port of Bruges the which was onely shut in on the out-side with a pallisadoe and certaine planks being laid open in the day time to carrie the earth out of a new ditch which was made right opposit against it into the towne which pallisadoe foure or fiue men might easily haue pulled downe with halters The marques aduanced so fast with his horsemen as about two houres after midnight he came before the said rauelin which at that time was verie ill guarded for of a whole squadron there were but fiue or six souldiers of captaine Roses companie at the guard but by reason of the continuall raine all that night the footmen could not aduance so fast but the day begun to approach The seigniour of la Motte lighted from his horse and going ouer the ditch came to the foot of the rampar and approaching neere the rauelin hee tried to pull downe the pallisadoe and to make passage for the horse which should not haue gone aboue the knees in the water A poore countrey man beeing without came to giue an alarme to the towne but la Motte slew him presently wherewith beeing discouered hee was shot with a harguebuse in the arme Then the alarme growing verie hot all the six companies of the colonel Mortague and the prince of Conde himselfe came with his traine with the first vnto the rampar from whence a canon was discharged through a squadron of the marquesses horse ioyning vnto a mill who seeing that for want of footmen he could not doe any thing retired And soone after his footmen arriued so weary and wet as they could haue no great courage to fight The marques in his retreat cursing his misfortune burnt all where hee past in the territories of Gant I wonder at some writers both Flemish and French which say That the marques was entred a good way into the towne the which is false for if it had beene so hee would haue kept vs for I was there at that time holding that great place which they call Eckerghem from comming neere the rampar and his horsemen might haue giuen his footmen leasure ynough to haue entred in like manner Wee must notwithstanding confesse the truth that without this raine the towne had beene in danger to be lost not without great effusion of bloud The lieutenant to the said captaine Rose called Chastelet for the bad order which was at the guard was put in prison and grieuously tortured yet there was no treason found in him but verie great negligence After the retreat of the marques the prince of Conde parted the same day to goe vnto Antuerpe beeing conuoyed by the cornet of the seigniour of Rihouen and the voluntaries of Gant but hee was not halfe a league out of the towne when as there was a false alarme giuen which made him returne backe vnto the towne least they should say hee had led away their horsemen but hearing that it was nothing hee continued his iourney to Antuerpe where hee was honourably receiued by the prince and the counsell of Estate Hauing rested there some dayes during the which they made him rich presents hee tooke his leaue and continued his way into Germanie to the faire of Francfort from whence he returned into France by Switserland Monsieur de la Noue being general of the Estates forces in Flanders had gathered a small armie together and staying for the Englishmen that came out of Macklyn to ioyne with him in the moneth of May he besieged Inglemunster which is a smal castle which the malecontents had taken lying vpon a riuer called Mander where hauing planted his siege and giuen charge to batter the same leauing the lord of Marquette to commaund in his place hee was put in mind of an enterprise to be done against Ryssel which hee resolued to attempt and for that cause marched thither with certaine foot and horsemen but finding himselfe to be too weake to effect it for that the burgraue of Gant called Marques de Richeborgh or Ronbay with fifteene cornets of Albanoys horsemen and certaine footmen made towards him hee retyred backe againe to his campe before Inglemunster and beeing on the other side of the riuer of Leye he was forced to goe somewhat further downeward whereas the Mander falleth into the Leye and that night lodged in a village called Wackene the burgraue of Gant still following him and while la Noue passed the Leye at Cortricke hee tooke a new way to Inglemunster which la Noue perceiuing hee made all the hast he could to ioyne with his camp but by reason that his men were wearie hee was forced to stay all night at Wackene which was two miles from Inglemunster where his campelay yet fearing least the enemie hauing but a little way to march might charge his campe before hee got thither hee rod that night with certaine horsemen to his campe commaunding the lord of Marquette with all speed to breake downe the bridge that went ouer the riuer of Mander that the enemie should not fall sodainely vpon them but for all his commaund they that kept the bridge thought it not requisit to breake it downe but meant to keepe it strong contrarie to all marshall discipline which monsieur de la Noue notwithstanding would haue done The burgraue of Gant knowing that the Estates forces lay that night at Wackene made towards the campe which lay before Inglemunster with all his troupes and fell vpon them La Noue perceiuing that and hauing sent for his men to come from Wackene with all speed defended himselfe as well as hee could although hee had not aboue fiue or six hundred men and two or three cornets of horse which were easily defeated The Scottish souldiers beeing commaunded to hold play with the enemie as long as they could and to discharge their peeces one after another were too hastie and shot all together which hauing done they gaue backe Certaine French companies that had not aboue ten or twelue men in a companie the rest of their companions beeing at Wackene kept all