Approbation of our Modern Criticks who make no Scruple to condemn a good Book upon the account of one word which they have banished out of conversation or an Expression which does not carry with it to use the stile of these Foplings the delicacy of Language Therefore I humbly desire these Gentlemen to 〈◊〉 me alone since I have been so ingenuous as to lay open my Infirmities before them and by way of Requital I here give them full possession of the Eight Parts of Speech all the Grammars and all the Dictionaries with all Remarks and Observations whatsoever upon Languages in the World upon this condition that they 'll leave things that are above their capacity to persons of better Iudgment and Experience For to deal plainly with them It 's a sad but a certain Truth that these Coyners and Admirers of New Words can attribute no other sort of merit to themselves than what belongs to those Mechanicks that make good Tools by the help of which excellent Statuaries form admirable Statues and famous Architects erect Noble Structures For my own part I have a great Respect for those people that can speak regularly and justly upon all Occasions but I cannot endure those Vain glorious â—…sops those Would-be-Criticks who in the Ruels of Ladies use to damn the best Compositions in the World and all for the sake of one Term or Phrase that has the ill luck to displease them I would not have so wild an Inference drawn from this as if I were of Opinion that 't is impossible for a man to write solidly and politely at the same time No I have more Sense than that comes to and preserve as great a Veneration for those Illustrious Persons that possess both these Talents as I have an Aversion and Contempt for those puny Grammarians that are made up of nothing but Pride and Insolence 'T is not for such unthinking Insects as these to judge of an History If I had the ambition to desire fit and competent Iudges for these Memoirs I should wish that the Famous President de Thou and those celebrated Brothers the Messieurs du Puy and that the President Ardier might come again into the World The latter of these was a long time Secretary of State under Mr. d' Herbaut his Unkle His Dispatches were so Natural but at the same time so strong and Masculine as were all the publick Declarations that pass'd under his hands That Mr. Conrait a man generally esteem'd in the World and who knew the Value of Things extreamly well has told me several times more than Thirty Years ago That the Kings of France ceased to speak with a Majesty befitting their Empire ever since they did not explain themselves by the Pen of Mr. Ardrier I shall forbear to speak more largely of this Illustrious Man who was a singular Friend of mine and to whom I have Infinite Obligations till I meet with a fitter Opportunity The greatest part of those Histories that have appeared in the World are properly speaking nothing else but so many Panegyricks composed by Interessed Hands that elevate Vice and Iniquity to the Heavens Of this Character are the Works of Paterculus and Machiavel who propose Tiberius and Caesar Borgia that in True History were downright Monsters as Examples fit to be imitated Directly opposite to these Retailers of Unjust Commendations are a sort of people that deal in Pasquils and yet have the Impudence to stile themselves Historians These mercenary or partial creatures make no conscience to attack Vertue it self and have frequently represented the most excellent Princes that ever wore a Crown as Tyrants and Wicked Persons Witness so many Histories and so many Printed Satyrs of the Huguenots upon Catholick Princes and among the rest upon Francis of Lorrain Duke of Guise for no other Reason but because that excellent General made War against them Witness so many Cart-loads of scurrilous Invectives composed by Monks and other Superstitious Catholicks against Queen Elizabeth of England the most glorious Princess that ever wielded a Scepter For to these hot-headed passionate Bigots 't is sufficient for you to be of a Party or of a Religion contrary to theirs to be defamed condemned and pursued with a Thousand Calumnies These ridiculous Monsters vainly endeavour to render Queen Elizabeth odious and execrable to all posterity for putting Mary Queen of Scots to Death although 't is a notorious Truth that the above-mentioned Unhappy Princess was of so unquiet and turbulent a Spirit that she could not forbear to embarras her self with Q. Elizabeth who was much more powerful than her self and by that Ill advised Conduct was the occasion of her own Ruine The Truth of this Assertion cannot be called in question as being confirmed by the Testimony of Monsieur de Castelnau Intendant of her Affairs in France and Ambassadour in England who tells us in his Memoirs that she ow'd this Ill-management to the Cardinal of Lorrain his Uncle Nay after she was Prisoner in Engâ—…and she continued to keep a correspondence with the Male-content party there who endeavour'd to disturb the Repose of that Kingdom so far as to attempt the Life of Q. Elizabeth Which obliged her to bring her to a Tryal where she was condemned by more than Forty Judges the greatest part of them consisting of Earls Barons Peers of England Officers of the Crown and Members of Parliament Notwithstanding all this her Sentence was for a long time respited and Q. Elizabeth had never dared to execute her if she had not been persuaded to it by France For I have heard my Father say That both Friends and Enemies concurred out of different Views and Interests to bring that unfortunate Princess to the Block Monsieur de Bellievre who was sent Envoy Extraordinary into England in appearance to solicit for the Life of this poor Queen for which purpose he carried large Instructions with him told him That he had quite contrary Orders under Henry the Third's Hand to perswade Q Elizabeth to behead this Common Enemy both of their Persons and Kingdoms All which the King was forced to do out of an apprehension that if Mary Stuart who was not only Heir to Q. Elizabeth but much younger than she should come to succeed her the Guises her Relations who Govern'd her absolutely and who by their great Number of Creatures made his Crown shake already at home being supported by the united power of England Scotland and Ireland would in the conclusion make a second Childeric of him For those of the League had the Insolence to change the King's Device which was Manet ultima Coelo into Manet ultima Claustro The King's meaning was That after he had enjoy'd upon Earth the Crowns of France and Poland he hoped he should wear a Third in Heaven But these of the League publickly declared That they would bestow a Third Crown upon him in a Cloyster And as a Learned Gentleman of that Age had enlarged upon the King's Device in
Prince who was his Nephew and had been bred up with him at Sedan and the Duke discovered some Ambition to have his Nephew a King when he wrote to some Friends at Paris that whilst Lewis was making Knights at Fountainbleau he was making Kings in Germany But this Royalty did not continue above 6 months so that his Enemies called him a King of Snow because the single battle of Prague in the beginning of the year 1621 lost him all Bohemia Silesia Lusatia Moravia with the adjoyning Provinces and the year following the Spanish Forces marching from the Low Countries deprived him of the Palatinate itself in which he was not re-established but by Adolphus's Descent into Germany Charles Duke of Lorrain who died many years after one of the oldest Captains of the age signalized himself very much at the Battle of Pragne where Count Harcourt was likewise tho very young But to return to Prince Maurice France being so apparently inclined to the Interests of Barnevelt's Party its Ministers which were then in Holland used to say that Prince Maurice would have pretended to the Soveraignty of the United Provinces but that such People who in the beginning had been hottest against Mr. Barnevelt and most devoted to the Prince yet when they fathom'd his designs became averse to them notwithstanding their former obligations besides the Exile Death and Imprisonment of persons who had been so considerable in the State and had likewise a great many Friends and Dependants wrought a mighty change in the Peoples affections to the Prince which appeared very visibly for whereas before when he went through the Towns of Holland every body came out of their houses praying for him with extraordinary Acclamations now as he was one day going through the Market-place at Gorcum which was full of people there was scarce a single man that pull'd his Hat off to him For the common people were so variable that the very Writings which heretofore had made Mr. Barnevelt become suspected by them were now produced as so many motives for their pity and compassion towards him To this they added that the assistance which probably he might have hop'd for from the Elector Palatine was since the loss of the battle of Prague no longer to be expected and the Emperor Ferdinand the 2d having by the happy success of his Generals Count Tilly and Wallestein made himself absolute Master of all Germany even to the Baltick Sea where he established an Admiralty at Wismar reduced all the Princes and Imperial Towns under his Obedience Prince Maurice could no longer expect Succors from Germany whatever Friends he might heretofore have had there But those who adhered to the Interests of Prince Maurice and the House of Orange acquitted him of a Design so prejudicial to the good of the United Provinces by maintaining that it was a perfect Artifice of his Enemies to make him become odious to the People of the Low Countries for said they what probability was there that Prince Maurice ever had it in his thoughts to become Soveraign of his Country since after the extirpation of Barnevelt and his party he never made one step towards it which he might have done having then no farther obstacles Prince Maurice did not long survive a great Conspiracy which the Sieur de Stautemburg youngest Son of Mr. Barnevelt had laid against his Life which being happily discovered some hours before its execution obliged him to punish a great number of the Conspirators throughout the pincipal Towns of Holland The Prince was never married but had several Natural Children the most considerable of them all was Mousieur de Beververt a man very well made and very brave he was Governor of Bolduc after whose death the Prince of Tarentum had that Government and was succeeded by Collonel Fitz Patrick a Scotchman Prince Maurice died in the Spring of the Year 1625 when the Marquess Spinola besieged the Town of Breda And as some pretended it was for grief that he did not succeed in the Soveraignty so others said that it was because he could not relieve that place which was his own propriety and had been surprized by him 34 years before FREDERICK HENRY Prince of Orange Henry Frederick of Nassau Prince of Orange and his Posterity THis Prince was born the 28th of February 1584. He was of a good mein and of a strong make and his parts were as eminent as his person was agreeable He was a very great Captain and equall'd the Glory of his Brother Maurice who taught him the Art of War and lead him into the most dangerous Adventures and amongst others at the battle of Newport where though he was very young he contributed much by his Valor to the gaining that great Victory in a conjuncture where the Army of the States General had before them a powerful body of men commanded by Albert the Arch-duke in person and the Sea behind them so that it was absolutely necessary either to make themselves Conquerors or to perish When Prince Maurice died in the year 1625 he advised his Brother Henry Frederick his chief Heir to marry Madam de Solmes who was come into Holland with the Queen of Bohemia whose Beauty and good Carriage were accompanied with a great deal of Modesty and Prudence she died a little while ago being very antient and her Name was Amelia Daughter to Iohn Albert Count de Solmes This Prince had one Son and four Daughters the eldest of these Ladies married Frederick William the Elector of Brandenburg by whom she had several Children This Prince has the greatest Territories in all Germany they reaching from the Low Countries to Poland and Curland The 2d Daughter Henrietta Emilia married the Count de Nassau The 3d Henrietta Catherina married Iohn George Prince of Anhalt and the 4th married the Duke of Simeren the youngest Son of the House Palatine who died a little while ago The Son was called William was born in 1626 and died the 6th of November 1650 after the business of Amsterdam He was a Prince naturally ambitious and of great Courage so that his Enemies reported of him that though he was so young yet he aimed at the execution of that design which had been laid to Prince Maurice's charge by Barnevelt and his Adherents His sudden death changed the whole face of affairs in the Low Countries He had great prospects from his alliance of England having married Princess Mary Daughter of Charles the first King of Great Britain by whom he left Prince William Henry of Nassau now King of England c. who was born the 14th of November 1650 some days after the death of his Father This young Prince William was very remarkable in his Infancy for his reservedness and moderation his Prudence increased as he grew up and such people as were nice observers of merit and took great notice of him have affirmed that never Prince gave greater hopes than he even in the most tender years He suffered with an admirable temper
long Combat where abundance of persons of France England and the Low Countries ran from all parts to see from the shore so extraordinary a spectacle The greatest part of so powerful a Fleet was burnt destroyed or separated and those which escaped put themselves under the covert of some English Vessels and so retreated into the River of Thames or some Port in Flanders The Spaniards lost above 7000 men that were burnt or drowned besides 2000 who were made Prisoners by the Hollanders This Victory was very great and memorable for there were 40 large Vessels sunk burnt or taken and amongst others the great Galeon of Portugal called Mater Tereza was burnt which was 62 foot broad and had 800 men on board who all perished This Tromp was the Father of Count Tromp who was engaged in the King of Denmark's service and gained great advantages over the Swedes In the year 1641 Prince Henry Frederick married his only Son Prince William to the Princess Mary of England eldest Daughter to Charles I. King of Great Britain and Madam Henrietta of France and this Marriage was celebrated with a great deal of Pomp and Magnificence The year 1645 was remarkable for the taking of the important Town of Hulsh in Flanders which was carried in spite of the Spaniards who could neither put succors into it nor make Prince Henry raise the Siege This Prince during the space of two and twenty years that he had the Government in his hands was remarkable for his wife and moderate conduct Because the Princess Louise de Coligny his Mother had maintained Barnevelt's Party some people thought that the Prince following his Mothers inclinations would re-establish that Party and recall such of them as had been banished and among others Mr Grotius But this Prince like a good Politician thought it better to let things continue in the posture he found them in than to embroil'em afresh by bringing a prevailing party upon his back I have seen Mr. Grotius in a great passion upon this occasion and he has spoke very ill of the Prince accusing him of Ingratitude and of having no respect for those who had been Friends to his Mother Prince Henry was very rich but instead of finding any support from England he was forc'd to help King Charles in his necessity with all his ready Money The greatest part of which has been repaid by the King of England since his Restauration to his Nephew the Prince of Orange Henry Frederick died the 14th of March 1647 and was buried with a great deal of State Besides his Children that we have mentioned before he left a Natural Son remarkable for his Valor his name was Mr. Zulestein Collonel of the Dutch Infantry who died at the attack of Vorden Prince William of Orange laid the Foundation of the Commonwealth of the United Provinces and was their first Founder his eldest Son Maurice secured and established this Commonwealth by his Victories which forced the Spaniards in the Treaty of Truce for 12 years to acknowledge the United Provinces for a free State and Henry Frederick Brother to Maurice and Grandfather to the present King of England by the continuation of his Conquests at last forced the Spaniards to renounce entirely the right which they had pretended to that Country so that we may say with reason and justice that this illustrious Father and his two generous Sons who have imitated his Vertues are the Founders of this Commonwealth which sends Ambassadors that are covered before the most powerful Kings in Christendom even before the King of Spain himself whose Vassals they were about 100 years ago Henry Frederick had for his devise this word Patriaeque Patrique intimating thereby that he thought of nothing but serving his Country and revenging the Death of his Father WILLIAM II Prince of Orange THE LIFE OF WILLIAM II. Prince of Orange THis Prince was born in the year 1626 the States General were his Godfathers and by the appointment of his Father was called William after the name of his Illustrious Grandfather In the year 1630 this young Prince was declared General of the Cavalry of the Low Countries and the year following the States granted him the Survivorship of the Government of their Province He was no sooner of Age to bear Arms but he followed his Father to the Army and was present at the Siege of Breda giving great proofs of his Courage though but 13 years old Immediately upon the death of his Father Frederick Henry he took the Oath of Fidelity to the States for the Government of which they had granted him the Reversion All Europe was in a profound Peace upon conclusion of the Treaty at Munster which was done the next year after Prince Henry's death The States considering the vast Debts they had contracted by the extraordinary Expences they had been obliged to make resolved to retrench all unnecessary ones having a great number of Troops in their pay that were of no use now the War was at an end they proposed to disband a considerable part of them William the Second who had succeeded in all the Places of the Prince his Father and knowing very well that nothing but the Army could support the credit of the Places he was possessed of made a strong opposition to this design of the States General He represented that it was against all the Rules of Policy to disband Troops who had been so faithful to the Provinces and that France or Spain might make use of this opportunity to fall upon their Common-wealth in a time when they could not be in a condition to defend themselves The States who were already resolved to break 120 Companies to make some sort of satisfaction to the Prince offered to continue the ordinary Pay to the disbanded Officers The Prince agreed to this proposal but the Province of Guelders and the City of Amsterdam opposed and protested against it for several reasons They who were in the Prince's Interests advised him to visit the principal Cities of the Netherlands to perswade the Magistrates to take a Resolution of leaving not only the Officers but the Troops in the same condition they were in before the War that they might be in a readiness to serve where-ever there was occasion Pursuant to this advice the Prince having sent for the principal Collonels of the Army went in person to four or fiveCities of Holland The Burghers of Amsterdam who were well assured that the Prince would visit them too and apprehending his presence would cross the Resolutions they had taken desired him by their Deputies to put off his intended Journey to this City for several Reasons which they gave him Haerlem Medemblic and several other places followed the Example of Amsterdam The Proceedings of these Cities was so considerable an Affliction to the Prince and incensed him so much that in a meeting of the States General he resented it with inexpressible concern He endeavoured to insinuate to them by a great number of Reasons
this fine Hexameter Qui deditante duas triplicem dabit ille Coronam The Fury of the Leaguers thus paraphrased it in the following Distick Qui deditante duas unam abstulit altera nutat Tertia tonsoris est facienda manu Besides this in a private Cabal held by those of that party where this Execrable Design was proposed it hapning that one in the companâ—… who was more moderate than the rest demanded Who should be the Man that durst put the King in a Cloyster The Cardinal of Guise who was of a hot fiery constitution after he had reproached him for his faint â—…eartedness roundly told him That were the King in his hands he would for his head between his knees and immediately make him a Monk's Crown with the point of a Poiniard An Aâ—…r 〈◊〉 cost him very dear for after Henry III had caus'd Monsieur de Guise his Brother to be executed and was considering with himself what he should do with the Cardinal whom he had order'd to be apprehended Col. Alphonso d' Ornano Father to the Mareschal of that Name having put him in mind of these cruel words and remonstrated to him That the living Brother was infinitely more dangerous than he that was now dead had ever been the King swore he should dye and immediately sent Monsieur de Gaast Captain of the Guards with positive Orders to dispatch him This secret Solicitation of Henry III. against Mary Stuart his own Sister in Law Queen of Scotland and Dowager of France makes it appear That to preserve our selves we often sacrifice our Allies and Relations and even Religion it self to Interest and Reason of State Witness what the aforesaid Q. Elizabeth heretofore told my Father That she held her Life by the Courtesie of King Philip II. her Brother in Law although he was the greatest Enemy she had Upon this consideration she kept his Picture in her Bed-chamber and made him be looked upon by all the World as her Saviour And in effect he hinder'd her Sister Mary from putting her to death For Q. Mary Second Wife to K. Philip being a great Catholic and very infirm had reason to fear that her Sister Elizabeth who was a Protestant when she came to succeed her would banish the Catholic Religion out of England theâ—…ower â—…ower of London But. K. Philip oâ—…d the motion with all his power fearing lest Mary Stuart Heir to Q. Elizabeth who then was marry'd to K. Francis II. should one day becoâ—… Queen of Great Britain by Right of Succession and joyning it to France as it would unqueâ—…ionably happen if she had any children by tâ—…e Union of so many Kingdoms a formidable power would be erected that would uâ—…erly ruin and confound his vast design of an Universal Monarchy At this very juncture the Spaniards make Religion truckle to Interest and those Grave Gentlemen who have so often in their Writings reproached us for our Alliances with Hereticks and particularly with Holland and Sweden in order to recommend themselves with a better grace to the Court of Rome at present look upon the Hollanders as the greatest support of their Monarchy permitting them to preach publickly in their Cities Nay to show what a consideration they have for these people Admiral d'Ruyter a little before his death got a great Number of Hungarian Ministers to be released out of the Gallys of Naples whither the Emperour had sent them at one word's speaking to the Marquiss de Los-Velez the Viceroy Thus any body may perceive that 't is Interest only that governs the World and that a great Captain had reason to say That Princes commanded the People but that Interest commanded Princes Which is so palpable so apparent a Truth that the most sacred things among men have been often devoted to this wicked principle and the greatest part of Crown'd Heads observe the Rules of Iustice and Religion no farther than they find them consistent with their dearly beloved Interest As for what remains if any scrupulous person shall think sit to quarrel with my Memoirs for comparing William Prince of Orange and Admiral Colligny who were both Hereticks and both Rebels to the greatest Heroes of Antiquity yet I would not have him conclude that I have the least leaning towards Heresy and Rebellion to which I have an equal Aversion My meaning is That it is a Sign of as much if not more Vertue to make ones self a Prince of a private person than to be one and being weak to resist mighty powers than to gain Batles being born to a Scepter as Alexander and Gustavus Adolphus were Kings owe their Victories to the Valour of their Captains and Troops and sometimes to the Winds and to the Sun that is to meer Fortune Thus Cicero speaking to Caesar tells him That he acquired more glory in pardoning Marcellus and restoring his Enemy to his Estate and Dignities than if he had gained a great many Battels because his Soldiers and Officers would attribute the principal honour of it to themselves and for an undeniable Argument That the gaining of a Battle is owine to the Experience and Courage of the Soldery the Prince of Conde who had as much personal Bravery as ever any man in the World had after he had defeated at Rocroy the old disciplined Regiments of the Low-Countries and those of the Empire at Nordlingue durst not appear in Guyenne before the Count of Harcourt who had but a small Body of old experienced Troops with him altho the Prince had twice the Number of New raised men Difference in Religion ought not to diminish our Esteem of any man We have seen several good Catholicks of very shallow Understandings as for Instance the Cardinal de Pelleve who as he was once haranguing the States General broke off abruptly and made nothing on 't which gave occasion to the following Lines Seigneurs Etats excusez le bon-homme Il a laissé son Calepin à Rome On the other hand we have seen some Huguenots as for Instance Monsieur de la None whom the most celebrated Writers have compared to the greatest men of former Ages As for my self I adore extraordinary Merit where-ever I find it be it in an Heretic in a Rebel nay even in an Enemy The Duke of Lesse Viceroy of Naples has left an Eternal Monument of this Generous Maxim behind him by erecting a magnificent Tomb in St. Maries de la Nove at Naples to Peter of Navarr with this Inscription Petro Navarro Cantabro solertissimo in expugnandis Urbibus duci Consalvus Ferdinandus Luessae Princeps Ludovici filius Magni Consalvi Nepos quamvis Gallorum partes secutum Pio Sepulchri muncrum honestavit cum hoc habeat in se praeclara virtus ut ctiam in hoste sit admirabilis This Hero honour'd Vertue in an Enemy in a Rebel and in a Deserter and not thinking it sufficient to commend him in private erected a Noble Mausoleum to his Memory Caesar was not less regarded at Rome because he was
Massacre'd in Florida by the Spaniards They promised to the Prince of Orange by Count Lodowick his Brother whom they had loaded with Honours and Caresses a considerable supply of Men and Money and the Sovereignty of Zealand Utrecht and Friezland and that they would joyn the other Provinces to France The Prince of Orange upon these great hopes and appearances which proved false refused a very advantageous and secure Treaty which the Emperour offered him from the part of the King of Spain and sent Forces under the Command of his Brother-in-Law the Count de Bergues to make an Attempt upon Gueldres and Over-Yssel The Count took Zutphen and several other places His Brother Count Lodowick was to make a considerable effort on the side of Hainault where he surprized Mons the Capital of that Province which diversion hindred the Duke of Alva from retaking the Cities of Holland and Zealand that had newly declared against him and which he might easily have done at a time when they were unprovided of forces and necessaries for their defence But nothing incensed the Duke of Alva so much as the surprizing of Mons which he resolved to recover at any rate leaving every thing else to apply himself wholly to this seige which gave time to the revolted Cities to draw breath and furnish themselves at Leisure with Men and Ammunition The brave Defence of Count Lodowick assisted by Mounsieur de la Nove bras de fer and many of the French Nobility made the Siege of Mons very long and difficult The Spaniards fired above 20000 Canon-shot against it In the mean time the Prince of Orange who had retired into Germany had raised a greater Army than his first to enter into Brabant where the Cruelty and Exactions of the Duke of Alva made him hope for better Success than he had in his first Invasion This Army was to be paid with the money the French Court had promised to supply him with Thus the Prince believed with reason that the Spanish Forces would not be able to defend the Low-Countries attack'd on so many sides by Land whilest by Sea they were gauled by the Counts de la Mark Sonoy Treton the Brothers Boisols and Bertel Entens his Lieutenants in Holland and Zealand where they had great Success as I shall afterwards declare The Spaniards were never in so great danger of losing the Netherlands as at that Conjuncture The hopes of the Prince were not groundless and in all probability the Spaniards had been quite driven out of the Low-Countries if France had made good its promises Thus this great Man who had so many Strings to his Bow parted from Germany with a great Army to enter into the Low-Countries when he found all People driven to despair by the Tyranny of the Duke of Alva and ready to receive him with open arms First he was received into Ruremonde where he passed his Army over the Bridge into Brabant Louvain gave him a sum of money and Malines opened its Gates to him which cost that poor City very dear The Duke of Alva was absent at the Siege of Mons which he resolved to take and the Prince designed to relieve as well to save so important a Place as to deliver his brother Lodowick from the danger he was in But Mr. de Genlis who marched from France to the relief of the place with 7000 Horse and Foot having been defeated and taken Prisoner by Frederick de Toledo who had gone out to meet him upon the secret intelligence which he received from the Court of France of his marching towards Mons and the condition of his Forces The Prince having attempted in vain to raise the Siege for the Duke of Alva had intrenched himself so strongly that 't was impossible to force his lines and at the same time understanding by the discharging of the great Guns and other signs of rejoycing in the Camp of the Massacre of St. Bartholomew where Admiral de Chatillon and all his principal friends had been kill'd and having no hopes from the French who had deceived him but on the contrary having all the reason in the world to be apprehensive of so great a Kingdom which had declared against his party and religion he advised his brother Lodowick to make an honourable Composition which was granted him and he himself retired by small Marches towards the Rhine In this retreat he was in great danger of being kill'd by the Enemies and his own Soldiers For the German officers talked of arresting him to secure the payment of their arrears which they were promised should be paid at their arrival in Brabant where he expected to receive the money the French had promised him But this eloquent and engaging Prince appeas'd the mutiny by assuring them 't was not his fault and satisfied them with promises and the little ready money he had On the other side he was in great danger of his Life at Malines 800 Spanish Horse who had chosen men mounted behind them entered into his Camp by night and pierced as far as his tent and would have killed him as he slept if a little dog who lay in his Bed had not waked him by scratching his face with his claws the greatest part of the Spaniards being cut off he marched strait on to the Rhine where he disbanded his Army at Orsay and went through Over-Yssell to Utrecht and thence to Holland and Zealand which had declared for him all except Middleburg and Amsterdam in the following manner Whilest the Prince of Orange was a Refugee in France and Germany and wandring from Province to Province William de la Mark Boissols Siegneurs de Lumay Sonoy Treton the Boissols Entens and others who acted under the Orders of the Prince turned Pirates and practised the trade a long time with great Success till having no longer a retreat in the Ports of England which Queen Elizabeth denied them at the instance of the Duke of Alva and for Fear of making the Spaniards her Enemies the Count de la Mark and the rest designing to seize a Port in North-Holland or Friezland were obliged by the contrary Winds to put in for shelter with 30 great and Small Ships into the Isle of Vorn in Holland where the Brill is which they took by surprize having found it without a Garrison which was sent to punish Utrecht for refusing to pay the tenth penny This Count de la Mark was a rash and a cruel man He swore never to shave his Beard nor Head till he had revenged the death of Count Egmont and Horn. When he had surprized the Brill which signifies Spectacles in the Flemish Tongue he had himself painted in a large piece with the Duke of Alva behind whom he stood and put Spectacles on his Nose by way of Derision it being a term of Contempt in Holland to say a man wants light He put ten pieces of Money in his colours in hatred of the Imposition which the Duke of Alva had
transcribed before I presented an Original to Monsieur de Noyers SIR I Am extreamly concerned that my Endeavours have had no better Success and that Monsieur de Lalen is detained for such slight Reasons If he had made a quick return 't would not have been difficult to surprize this place There are now but 300 Men in Garrison many of whom are old and can scarce go and as many disabled and can make no Defence besides the 28 or 30 Portugese and Catalonians who have promised us their Assistance and above 70 Officers who are Prisoners Philippine where there is a Garrison of Dutch is but four hours March from us All the Country between this Place and that is under Contribution Their Parties come up to the very Gates of the City and many of them enter upon several Pretences For they carried off lately a Horse from the middle of the Market-place by a cunning Stratagem in the Presence of all the World The Covetousness of the Governor the Count de Salazar gives all People a free Entrance into the Castle that he may sell off his Wine at the greater Gain which by a particular Privilege pays no Excise to the King And a Measure which costs fifteen pence in the City is worth but six pence in the Castle Here are still five or six thousand Burghers and Strangers Men and Women who drink without being search'd or examin'd If you will consider all these Circumstances and reflect upon what happened at the Surprize of Amiens and Breda you will find a fairer Occasion and a greater Probability of Effecting this To hasten so important an Affair I waited on Monsieur de Noyers who was at that time at Chaume en Briè with the King to taâ—…e care of the Preservation of Monsieur le Cardinal de Richelieu who stayed behind at the Bourbon Waters in great Suspicion of his Master and many of those who were about him But this Minister having assured me that he would give the necessary Orders about this Affair and commanded me to speak to no Man of it I retired easily perceiving by his Looks and Discourse that he did not relish this Proposal however advantageous it was when it came from a Man to whom he had such an Aversion He never acquainted the King with it for fear he should reward and consider Monsieur de Rantzau for so important a Service The Campaigne being at an End the Spaniards according to their usual Custom reinforced their Garrisons among others that of the Castle of Ghent with the Troops of their Army which changed the Face of Affairs and made the Execution of this Enterprize impossible The same Year that Breda was surprised by the Spaniards the Duke of Anjou pursuant to his Engagement with the States of the Provinces came from Chateau Thierry with 10000 Foot and 4000 Horse to the Relief of Cambray besieged by the Duke of Parma who raised the Siege Not long before the Viscount de Turenne who was afterwards the famous Duke de Bouillon Henry de la Tour the Counts of Ventadour and de la Fenillade and four other Lords having run the Risque to pass through the Army of the Duke and throw themselves into the Place were made Prisoners and forced to pay a great Ransom At that time the States-General assembled at the Hague declared the King of Spain to have forfeited the Soveraignty of the Netherlands broke his Seal and Arms and commanded all People to acknowledge him no longer for their Prince and take the Oath of Fidelity to them The Beginning of this Decree runs thus That a Prince is appointed by God Almighty the Head of his People to defend them from Oppression as a Shepherd to keep his Flock and that when a Prince oppresses them they may choose another Lord to govern them in Iustice according to their Privileges The rest is nothing but a long Narration of the Cruelties and Infractions of their Privileges by the King and his Ministers which obliged them to have Recourse to another Prince At the same time the Duke of Parma took Tournay from the States notwithstanding the vigorous Defence of Mary de Lalain Princess D'Epinoy Sister to Emanuel de Lalain Seigneur de Montigny one of the chief Malecontents She gave great Proofs of her Courage in this Siege encouraging the Soldiers and Burghers to a gallant Resistance and exposing herself so much in the most dangerous Places that she received a Harquebuss Shot in her Arm. This Lady who deserves a Place among the Heroines died the Year after at Antwerp extreamly regretted by the States-General for her Courage and Firmness to maintain their Party Immediately after the Duke of Anjou passed into England to have the Advice of Queen Elizabeth and to endeavour to accomplish his Marriage with that Princess a Contract being made and Rings having been presented on both sides But the Queen having found out some Excuses to hinder it contented her self with supplying him with Money for his Voyage into the Netherlands and sending with him my Lord Leicester Admiral Howard both Knights of the Garter and 100 other Lords and Gentlemen of Quality who carried with them a Train of 500 Men. An Dom. 1582. He repassed from England into Zealand aboard the Ships of this Princess arrived at Flushing and because of the great Cold went a foot to Middlebourg the Capital of Zealand which is a League from thence where he was received and treated very magnificently The Prince of Orange and Epinoy went to meet him and going aboard the 50 Ships provided for them arrived at Antwerp where this great City received him with surprizing Pomp and Splendour All the Keys were lined with the Burghers in Arms most part very richly dress'd and with gilt Arms Triumphal Arches were erected in all parts very richly adorned with fine Inscriptions This Prince marched under a Canopy of Cloth of Gold from the Port to the great Piazza where a Theatre was built with a Throne upon it There the Prince having cloathed him with the Ducal Cap and Mantle of Red Crimson Velvet lined with Ermins he sware publickly in the presence of the States and the Officers of the City and an infinite Concourse of People from all parts to see so extraordinary a Sight That he would religiously observe the Treaty concluded with them and the Privileges of the Provinces and govern not by his Will but by Iustice and Equity Afterwards the States and the Magistrates of Antwerp swore Fidelity and Obedience to him as their Sovereign Prince But this publick Rejoycing was interrupted by an Attempt made on the Prince of Orange One Iauregny a Spaniard of Biscay Factor to a Merchant called Anastre spurred on by the Reward promised in the Proscription fir'd a Pistol at him loaded with one Ball which struck him under the Right Ear and went out through the Left Cheek breaking several of his Teeth At first they believed the French to be the Authors of this Attempt but the
that I am truly your very humble and very affectionate Servant From Poitiers Jan. 20th 1616. Puysieux Prince Philip and Madame his Princess had so much goodness as to disabuse the Princes and Grandees who had raised a war which they called the War of the Henrys because the greater part of the Heads of that Party were so called Mounseir the Prince was called Henry of Bourbon Monsieur du Mayne Henry of Lorrain Monsieur du Longeville Henry of Orleans and the Duke of Bovillon Henry de la Tour. They told them all that these injurious Speeches were pure inventions to animate them against my Father They acquainted them likewise that whilst he acquitted himself of his duty he all along continued to preserve that respect which was due to them That for what remained there was no reason to object it to him as a crime to have served his Master faithfully And that he could not without betraying his trust and endangering his own ruine but execute such orders as came to him from Court I remember that I saw them at our House in my infancy and particularly the Princess who had the goodness to make very much of us and did my Father the favor to think fit that one of my Sisters who was born at that time should have the honor of bearing her Name of Eleanor She was presented in Baptism by Prince Henry Frederick of Orange who was her Godfather This Daughter was married to the Baron de Mauzè near Rochelle Brother to the Marquess de la Villedieu and died without Children in 1660. She was a Woman who painted the best in France and writ the most correctly whose Letters were all of a vigorous and masculine Stile without one word that was unnecessary Prince Philip died at Brussels in the beginning of the Year 1618. He had the Hemorrhoids very much inâ—…amed and Gregory a German Chyrurgeon having hurt him with the Syringe whilst he gave him a Clyster a Gangreen insued and it was impossible to save him The Princess his Wife died likewise in the same Year After his Death Count Maurice his Brother took upon him the Quality of Prince of Orange and inherited his whole Estate whereas before he was contented with the bare Title of Count. Maurice of Nassau Prince of Orange THis great Captain has falsified the Proverb which says The Children of Heroes are generally good for nothing for though he was the Son of a most excellent Father who left behind him an immortal Glory yet he has not only equall'd him in his prudence and greatness of Soul but has likewise surpassed him in the Art Military and great Performances As the Father for 20 years together made the discourse of all Europe so the Son for 40 years successively did it much more than all the crown'd Heads in Europe for from the Year 1584 when he came first into action to 1625 when he died Prince Maurice was never mentioned without admiration and astonishment as being held for one of the greatest Captains that has ever yet appeared In truth though Nature does not always make extraordinary efforts to produce great men in the same family and succession yet the great Actions of the Father are powerful Incentives to stir up their Children to imitate them The Glory of their Ancestors being a Light which directs their posterity to march in those generous paths which they have trod before them If the vertue of strangers has often stirred up some couragious Souls to do great things as that Greek whose rest was discomposed by the Triumphs of Miltiades sure domestick examples must be much more moving that they may not incur the shame of having degenerated Upon this occasion I shall here relate what I have often heard my Father say in his latter years That he had undoubtedly past his life in the Country like some of his predecessors had not it been for the example of Iames Aubrey his great Unkle who by his Vertue his Knowledge and his Eloquence discharged the office of Advocate General to the Parliament of Paris was Lieutenant Civil of the Council to Henry the Second and his Ambassador Extraordinary to England where he concluded a Peace between Henry the Second and Edward the Sixth and left behind him the reputation of being the French Demosthenes and Cicero by that famous Plea which he made pursuant to an order of the King for the people of Cabrieres and Merindol and which Monsieur the Chancellor de Hopital admired so much that he has translated great part of it into Latin verse My Father therefore thought that by his labour he might arrive to honourable employments and so well ordered the Talents which God had given him that he likewise was employed in Embassies and admitted to the Council of his Princes Prince Maurice of Orange from his very childhood discovered the passionate desire he had to follow the glorious steps of his Father and took for the body of his Device the Trunk of a Tree cut off so as to seem about two foot high from whence there grew a vigorous Sprout which apparently would renew the noble Tree which had produced it with these words Tandem fit circulus arbor At last the Sprout becomes a Tree To show that he would revive the glories of his Father I do not pretend to represent the great Actions of this Prince in all the particulars I shan't say any thing that may be found in common Annals nor add to the number of those who transcribe other People my design is only to draw the Portraicture of his Person and his Manners to inform the World of some transactions of his Life which are not known and to set forth the causes of those great differences which hapned between him and Mr. Barneveld which as it was thought would have overturn'd the Commonwealth by an intestine division that has remained almost to this day and threaten'd its ruine if it had not been prevented But before we come to these things it is necessary briefly to represent his principal Actions and to tell you That Prince Maurice had a great stock of Constancy and Courage from the 17th year of his age when he was called to the government of Affairs upon the decease of his Father for he was not cast down by that torrent of Success which attended Alexander Farnese Duke of Parma Governor and Captain General for the King of Spain who had then taken Bruges Ghent Dendermond Deventer Nimeghen the Grave with a great many other places and even Antwerp it self which was held for impregnable by a Siege which was looked upon as a Miracle of the Age having stopped the River Schelde and repell'd the force of the Sea by a Dyke which was then held as a thing impossible and which afterwards set an Example for undertaking the same thing at Rochel Prince Maurice was not more disturbed by the confusion and disorder that had reigned for a long time in the Common-wealth occasioned by the haughty conduct
of Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester Captain General for the Queen of England in the United Provinces whose insupportable Pride and unmeasurable Ambition did them more prejudice than the Sums of Money which he brought and the Troops which he commanded ever contributed to their Service for four entire years the States were reduced to strange Extremities so that it was thought impossible for this young Prince to rid himself of so great Difficulties and to cure those Evils which were occasioned by the Intrigues of Spain and the Treachery of some of the Earl of Leicester's Dependants who after their return into England sold the most important places to the Spaniards To be short as the Affairs of this World do not always continue in the same posture and are subject to a perpetual change so that good Fortune which till then had favoured the Duke of Parma in all his Enterprizes of a sudden came over to the Party of Prince Maurice for the Spanish Navy which they had entitled The Invincible and was designed to swallow up England and the United Provinces was destroyed in the year 1588. by the Fleet and good fortune of Queen Elizabeth the third part of so great a Navy scarce returning into the Spanish Havens after having undergone incredible dangers upon the Coasts of England Scotland and Ireland and this inestimable loss was accompanied with the mortification which the Duke of Parma received before Berghen ap-zoom which he had besieged Prince Maurice having forced him to quit his Enterprize with the entire ruine of his Reputation After this Success the Prince for the course of 20 years to the time of the Truce had fortune still so favourable to him that he conquered 38 or 40 Towns and more Fortresses and defied the Spaniards in open Field at three signal Battels besides he obtained several great Victories at Sea as well upon the Coast of Flanders as upon that of Spain and the Indies by the Valor of his Lieutenants and Vice-admirals But nothing gained him so much Reputation as the happy Surprizal of the Town and Castle of Breda which belonged to his own Propriety He made himself Master of it in 1590 by the stratagem of a Boat of Turfs without any effusion of Blood or losing so much as one Soldier upon so important an occasion and since this remarkable Action has made so great a noise in the World it may not be unnecessary to give some account of it in as brief terms as possible A Boatman called Adrian Bergues who furnished the Garison of Breda with Turfs being discontented with the Spaniards proposed a way to Prince Maurice how to surprize the place by placing some Soldiers in the bottom of his Boat The Prince seeing the probability of the matter gave the management of this great design to Charles de Heraugiere a Walloon Gentleman Native of Cambray Captain of Foot in his Guards reputed a Man of Bravery and Conduct As soon as he received this Order he made choice of 70 Soldiers out of several Companies and some Commanders whose Courage had been tryed These he put at the bottom of the Boat where they were placed very uneasily as being forced either to lie down or stoop the rest of the Boat being filled up with Turfs to a very great height It was extreme cold weather besides they were up to the knees in water which came in by a leak which at last they fortunately stopped The excessive cold made them cough very much but above all Matthew Helt a Lieutenant whose name ought to be remembred here in testimony of the Courage he shew'd upon this occasion not being able to hinder himself from coughing as they came near to the Castle drew his Sword and desired his Comrades to kill him that the Enterprize might not fail and he become the cause of their ruine but the Boatman hindred him from being heard by often pumping as if his Boat had took water The Garrison consisting of Italians wanted Firing the Soldiers because of the Ice helped to draw the Boat by a Sluce within the walls of the Castle as the Trojans brought the wooden Horse into their City which gave occasion to the Poets of the time to compare the taking of Breda to that of Troy but withal remarking this difference that the Horse made the Enemies Masters of Troy from whence proceeded its ruine whereas this Boat put the right Lord into possession of Breda who thereupon caused it immediately to flourish Prince Maurice having spread the report that he had a design upon Gertrudemberg made the Surprizal of Breda become more easie for Edward Lanza vechia who was Governor of both places ran to that which he thought was most in danger So the Castle being without a Commander was easily carried As soon as Heraugiere had made himself Master of it by the death of 40 of the Enemy Prince Maurice attended by the Counts de Hohenlo and Solmes Francis Vere the General of the English Iustin of Nassau the Admiral and the Sieur de Famars General of the Artillery being entred into the Castle with several of his Troops was afterwards received into the Town whence the Italian Garrison which for the most part consisted of Horse ran with full speed by the way of Antwerp Heraugiere with a great deal of Justice was made Governor of Breda and Lambert Charles a French Man a brave Soldier of Fortune was made Serjeant Major I saw him afterwards when he was Governor of Nimeguen There were Medals stamped upon so considerable an occasion which had these words upon one side Breda à Servitute Hispanica vindicata ductu Principis Mauricii à NASSAU 4 Martii 1590. Breda delivered from the Spanish Yoke by the conduct of Prince Maurice of NASSAU March 4. 1590. And upon the Reverse was represented a Boat with these words Parati vincere aut mori prepared to overcome or dye One of these Medals was given to each of the Soldiers in the Boat as likewise a Sum of Money with the promise of future advancement Adrian de Bergues the Boatman had likewise a Medal and was rewarded with a very large Pension This Surprizal may occasion this necessary Reflection That ye ought never to trust the guard of two Frontier places at the same time to one only Governor who has but too much trouble to preserve his own Government from the neighbouring Enemy whose mind is always intent and his eyes open for some opportunity to be able to surprize him The taking of Hulst in Flanders was a very considerable Action and that of Gertrudemberg much more so by reason of a long and difficult siege in sight of the Spanish Army consisting of 30000 Men commanded by the old Count Peter Ernest of Mansfeldt in the absence of the Duke of Parma who was then in France with Succors for the League This old General could never force the young Prince in his own Lines nor oblige him to come out of them though he presented him battle
Cardinal having some difference with Mary de Medicis the Queen Mother who being of the house of Austria by the mothers side was upheld by all the power of Spain and Germany he was forced to have recourse to foreign Alliances and to caress those whom he had before despised and offended This storm which was raising against the Cardinal for his destruction as well within as without the Kingdom obliged him to seek the friendship of the Prince of Orange who tho he had not the title of Soveraign disposed of all things belonging to the United Provinces There was a Treaty concluded between France and the States General by which they were to attack the Spaniards and to divide the Conquest of the Low Countries which they had already devoured in their imaginations the Prince of Orange was to enter Holland with the Dutch Army and France was to joyn him with thirty thousand Men and the French Generals had orders from the King to obey the Prince of Orange so much it seems at that time they thought him necessary to their affairs In short the Spring following the year 1635 the French Army under the Command of the Marshals Chatillon and Breze enter'd the Low Countries and defeated the Spanish Forces at Avein commanded by Prince Thomas of Savoy who afterwards took the name of Prince of Carignon all the Baggage and Cannon remained in the possession of the French with abundance of Prisoners several of which that were of the best quality were carried to Maestricht These Generals after this Victory joined the Prince of Orange and sacked part of Brabant but the Prince who did not love the Neighbourhood of the French better than that of the Spaniard and had still the remembrance of the affair at Orange very fresh in his mind for want of victuals and subsistence ruin'd the French Army that had been so victorious which being retired into Holland after raising the Siege of Lovain under pretence of the approach of Picolomini with a German Army the greater part of it perished there with Hunger and Sickness the sixth part of it never returning back again into their own Kingdom The Prince of Orange looked upon Cardinal Richelieu as an Enemy that was reconcil'd to him only out of the necessity that he had for him in his present circumstances and for this reason he under-hand did him all the displeasure and gave him all the mortification that he could possibly granting a favourable reception to such as had been disgrac'd by him in France honouring them with his confidence and considerable imployments as amongst others it appeared by Mr. Hauterive and Mr. Beringhen whom he respected not only in spight of the Cardinal but because they deserved it and Cardinal Richelieu as powerful as he was was forced to swallow those Pills having necessary occasion for Holland to make some diversions which conduced to the good of his other affairs this made the Cardinal know that it was not good to offend people of courage and being a very great Politician he could dissemble so far as not to be angry at this ill treatment so he continued to seek the Prince of Orange's Friendship and it was agreed that each should attack the common Enemy from his own side he maintained a faithful and perfect correspondence with the French and the Prince who was sufficiently revenged and drew great advantages from his alliance with France executed the Treaties he had made with great sincerity The same year in which happened the battle of Avein and the Siege of Louvain the Spaniards surprized the Fort of Skink by means of Lieutenant Collonel Enhold who made himself Master of it by a party of the Garrison of Guelders whom he made use of to execute so bold an Enterprize The Sieur Veld the Governour being waked with the noise of the attack and rising in his Shirt had his Arm immediately broken and being in despair to see himself surprized would not render himself Prisoner whatever offers of quarter they could make him still defending himself till he was overwhelm'd with blows The Father of this Enhold had been beheaded at the Hague for some Crime and the Son to revenge the death of his Father quitted the Dutch service and put himself under the Spaniard which happened very luckily for him for by the surprize of so important a place beside the inward satisfaction which he had to cause so great a loss to the States the Cardinal Infant Ferdinand of Austria being newly arrived in the Low Countries where he had the Soveraign Command presented him for so bold and happy an action with a Chain of Gold of great value and gave him the summ of fifty thousand Livres But Prince Henry was so set upon the regaining of this place that he gave the Spaniards free entrance into the Countries of Guelders and Utrecht having besieged it in the month of August 1635 he re-took it in April 1636 by a Siege of six months In the year 1637 Cardinal Richelieu to oblige the Prince of Orange gave him the Title of Highness in a discourse made on purpose by Monsieur de Charnasse Ambassadour of France to Holland in the Name of his Majesty and at an Assembly of the States General which was soon after printed In which he was followed by the Ambassadors of all other Princes who before had used no other Title but that of Excellence In the same year 1637 Prince Henry by a Siege of four months re-took the Town and Castle of Breda which the Marquis Ambrose Spinola had conquered in the year 1625 by a long Blockade of a whole year with incredible Expences although this place was defended by France England and Denmark so the Marquis put over one of the Gates of the Town that he had carry'd it tribus Regibus frustra renitentibus notwithstanding the Resistance of three Kings It was at this last Siege of Breda that Monsieur de Charnasse was killed for though he was Ambassadour of France yet he would serve at the Head of his Regiment which he had in the Low Countries hoping to become a Mareschal of France by the favour of the Mareschal de Breze whose Aunt he had married and who had gained him his Employments In the year 1639 the Hollanders gained a considerable Victory at Sea over the Spaniards the Fleet of Don Antonio Doquendo consisting of 67 Men of War that had been equipping so long in Spain joyned to some Vessels from Dunkirk who were considerable in that time came for some great design which none yet have ever penetrated were stopped in St. George's Channel by the Renowned Admiral Martin Erpez Tromp with only-twelve Ships but being afterwards reinforced with ninety Men of War and several Fire-ships that came from diverse places he encompassed the Spanish Fleet that had put itself into the Downes near the Fleet of the King of Great Britain as thinking itself to be there in safety and then attacqued it with so great resolution that after a