Governour of the Provinces of Ghelderland and Zutfen had another The Duke then ordered that as many of the High Dutch as could be had should fall down into those parts He dispatched away thither also the Camp-Master Bracamonte with almost his whole Spanish Brigado and some horse and six Field-Pieces Lodovick had begun to fortifie the Town of Dam from whence there runs a Channel to Delfeziel but hindred by the coming of the Spaniards he resolved to quit those Quarters and to go to a certain Priory not far from thence which was more commodious and safe the ground was higher here then in other parts and there were some trees which served for the use of the Priory Here the Count took up his Quarters not knowing whether the Spaniards would assault him or indeavour by reducing him to straits to make him return to Germany If they should assault him it would make for his advantage by reason of his situation and because the Spaniards were of necessity to pass through the hollow places where they had cut out Turfs which stood ful of water and mire as did likewise all the fields thereabouts He feared rather to be straitned in victuals and consequently inforced to retreat but he was not left long in this doubt The Spaniards assoon as they descri'd the enemy began to murmure for that Aremberg would not suffer them to fall on and assault them which he was against considering wisely that Mega was not yet come and that he expected some further reinforcement of horse and foot his present forces being fewer in number then were the enemy But his councel was but little listned unto nor his Authority respected For the Spaniards impatient of all delay despising his Command would forbear no longer Nay some of them using injurious and offensive words towards him tearmed him a coward for matter of War and disloyal in the Cause of the Church and King Whence much incenst he said Let us then goe not to overcome but to be overcome and not by the Arms of our Enemies but those which Nature adoperates for them Shall not we be buried in water dirt and ditches before we can come to assault them How strong in all other respects is their situation and how much greater are their numbers then ours I notwithstanding will be one of the first that will fight and dye Thus will I shew whether I degenerate from my blood or no whether I be a Coward and whether I be faulty in my loyalty to my Religion and to my King This being said he with the rest felt headlong into the battel The Spaniards were on the front the High-Dutch followed and the Horse were placed more where the quality of the ground would permit them to be then in any good order the Artillery guarded one flank of the Enemy where they lay most open Lodovick on the contrary seeing himself at such advantage full of joy put his Army in order and encouraged them thus unto the battel What Victory my fellow souldiers was ever more certain then that which we shall this day win upon the Spaniards Doe you see how rashly and with how much arrogancie they come to assault us as if this Quarter of so valiant Souldiers were the proud Alva's Palace and that they were by their base treacheries to imprison here some other Egmont and Horn to make them afterwards laughing-stocks and to destroy them in their new Forts wherewith they have inthralled Flanders every where But this day undoubtedly will make them repent their so many tyrannical proceedings and make the Country conceive a certain hope that all bondage being shaken off it shall soon recover its former liberty If we consider Forces ours are twice as many as theirs If the Cause Violence displayes the Colours on their side and Justice on ours If the condition of Souldiers many of theirs are to be accounted ours and how can their Germans differ in opinion from you But say they were all Spaniards that they were more in number then we and that they had the better cause were not our so many other advantages sufficient to win us the victory The water dirt and holes will rob us of the honour of overcoming them This will not be like the encounter at Dalem where those few of our men thinking to be safe in the Country of Liege were set on at unawares and routed without almost any fighting Deceits will not avail here We will here soon repay our selves for that loss with good use to boot In wars the beginning useth to presage the end And therefore we by this present Victory will ascertain the future But loâ— the Enemy already comes on receive him couragiously For as Justice leads them on to punishment so doth it you to prey revenge and glory He had ordered his men thus The Horse on the right wing under his brother Adolphus who had the command of them on which side the ground was more tractable the Foot on the left where they were sheltred by a little hill whereon he placed some Files of Musquetiers he left the ground on which were trees on his back and on his front that which was most myery At the first the Spanish Artillery did somewhat prejudice his men and some of them did so couragiously charge Lodovicks Musquetiers who were placed to defend the little hill as they hoped to win it whereupon the Spaniards gave on upon the Enemy with more obstinate resolution then before But they soon were aware of their errors For bemyred in the water and mud the more they endeavoured to get out the faster they stuck and the rest who came to help them had need of help themselves They were then wounded and slain by the Enemies Foot who ran no danger thereby And Lodovick making his Horse wheel about invironed Arembergs men and without any trouble routed and defeated them In the Battel about 600 Spaniards were slain and almost none of the Germans for they suddenly yielded upon discretion to the Enemy who easily gave them their lives upon obligation that they should never bear arms more for the Spaniard Aremberg playing the part rather of a common Souldier then of a Commander whilst he fought couragiously was slain at the first encounter There were but few lost on Lodovicks side their greatest loss was in his brother Adolphus Some will have it that he was slain by Arembergs own hand and that Adolphus slew Aremberg The Spaniards lost their Artlllery and their Baggage and some monies which was brought to their Camp to pay the Souldiers The Battel was not well ended when a Troop of horse appeared led on by Count Curtio Martinengo and by Andrea Salatsar which Count Mega had sent before to reinforce the Horse of the Kings army Their arrival helped at least to hinder the Enemy from slaughtering any more of the disbanded men who ran away from the Spanish Camp Nor was Mega himself long after in coming up who considering the danger of Groninghen
together with a great number of common souldiers In fine the success of this Assault was such as a more fierce bloody and longer doubtfull fight had not till that time been heard of neither in the Wars of France nor Flanders Fuentes having taken Chatelet and Dorlan and gotten the aforesaid victory in the field he had the greater desire to incamp before Cambray and he hoped the more to win it at last He first rested his Army for some days and in the mean while sollicited those aids which diversly and plentifully was preparing for him in Henault Artois and in the other neighbouring Countries and by the Bishop of Cambray The aids consisted in monies souldiers victuals ammunition Artillery together with a great number of Pyoners to serve for the mannual work of the fiege But in the Interim he being willing to gain as much time as he could parted from Dorlan and with those men which he had incamped about the midst of August before Cambray His Camp consisted not then of above 7000 foot and 1500 horse VVherefore the Duke of Nevers who was then in Peroune resolved to try whether he could bring any relief into the Town or no before his Army should be increased He to this purpose sent his eldest son the Duke of Retel who was not then above 15 years old accompanied with 500 horse By sending such a pawn Nevers desired to assure the besieged the more that he himself would soon come to succour them with other forces The young Duke met with a brisk opposition wherein Carlo Colonna with his Cavalry did particularly signalize himself But the French prevailed and having lost some of their men entred most of them into the City Fuentes his Army did this mean while daily increase in a short time his Camp conâ—sted of 12000 foot and 3â—00 horse he had moreover above 80 pieces of Artillery great aboundance of Ammunition and victuals and 40â—0 Pyoners At his first incamping Fuentes had rather designed where he would take up his quarters about the Town then taken them up deviding them the most advantagiously that the several situations would suffer him to do But now abounding in all things that was necessary to fortifie them he applyed himself suddenly to bring them to intire perfection Cambray is seated as hath several times been said upon that edg of Frontier made by the two Provinces of Henault and Artois on Flanders side towards France opposite to Picardy It hath under its command abroad only the little Castle of Cambresis with a very narrow precinct of ground but the Prerogatives of the City make good the smallness of the Territories It enjoys a free Government under the spiritual and temporal dominion of its Archbishop It is indowed with very large Priviledges full of noble Churches whereof the Cathedral is such as hath not its like in any of the chief neighbouring Cities It is sufficiently provided also of other Edifices either for use or ornament yet are not the Inhabitants answerable in numbers to the houses Many of which being Ecclesiasticks foreign Commerce and Merchandizing doe rather languish then abound there Neither doth the Scheld though it run through the City afford Commodity for it for that River takes its head but from a little above that City and hath therefore there so slender a Channel as it is hardly Navigable in those parts The City is about a league in compass and is invironed with an antient wall flank'd for the most part after the ancient manner but with many Bulwarks also after the modern way of Fortification It hath a ditch which is very broad and deep on the one side whereinto for a great part the Scheld runs but the rest thereof by reason of the hight of its situation is dry but so much the deeper On the highest side which is on the East stands a Citadel with four royal Bulwarks having a great half Moon between two of them which are next the fields and divers other defences for the better custody of the ditch The ground descending from hence towards the South side and still more and more as it inclines towards the VVest stands the Port Neufe and then that of St Sepulcher afterwards another called Cantimpre and more towards the South that of Selle And lastly more higher towards the Citadel there is another Gate called Malle Between these Gates is the compass of the City divided It had for the defence thereof about 2500 foot and 600 horse besides 500 foot which were reserved for the Citadel Amongst the foot some Companies of Swissers were comprehended and some others of the confining VValloons which served Baligni The rest were French all of them well trained up in wars The City and Citadel did abound in Victuals Ammunition Artillery and with whatsoever was requisite for the maintaining of a long and hard siege Now to turn to the adverse party Fuentes had taken up his quarters chiefly over against the Gates that he might block up the most frequented avenues and that he might the better keep out succour On that side which lay nearest France from whence relief was most to be feared and which was on the South side he raised a great Fort near the Village Nierny and gave the custody thereof to the Prince of Simay He raised another Fort towards the west called Premy taking its name from a near neighbouring Village and gave the charge thereof to Count Bilio Colonel of a German Regiment Then turning towards the North he added another Fort which was called St. Olao the name of a Church not far from it and he committed the defence thereof to the Baron Ausi On the fourth side towards the East did Fuentes his self quarter by reason of the near accommodation of the Village Evendunre and here he raised the greatest Fort for on that side which was the most eminent and where the ditch was dry he intended to open his Trenches and to make his batteries These were the chief quarters and the defence was to be secured by the abovesaid Forts From one Fort to another did certain little Forts or rather Redouts run with double Trenches because the inward might serve to refrain sallies and the outward to keep out succour To each Fort and Redout he assigned such men as were requisite together with all things necessary for the well maintaining of them And the horse were likewise distributed in places most-needfull to scoure the Country and to be ready to disturb relief The siege being thus setled they began to work their Trenches against the wall But as that highest or most eminent place which hath been spoken of was most commodious for the opening of them so was the wall on that side the City hardest to be forced A half Bulwark was thrust out from the Citadel with a great Orillioune which with the well covered fences within did serve for a curtain to a long line of wall which ran between that Bulwark and the Port di Malle Between
men could not march so concealedly as upon such an occasion was requisit it was resolved that Gusman only should attempt getting into the City with his horse He marcht away by night but being discovered when he was got near the Ditch and the French men moving furiously against him he would have had much ado to have got into the City had not the Defendants who fallied out in great numbers and did valiantly withstand the Enemy received him In this action those of the Town lost Captain Fernando Dezza a Spaniard and Captain Tomas an Irish-man two valiant Souldiers with divers others of ordinary rank The number of the French that were slain was greater but of meaner quality Portacarrero that he might have the Field more free and might the readilyer go out to skirmishes resolved to pluck down the Suburbs and all the houses which were near about Amiens which he did chiefly by fire It was a miserable spectacle to see such and so many delightfull contentments the blessings of Peace consumed in an instant by the fury of War There was above 3000 choise Souldiers in Amiens and therefore Portacarrero thought good not to suffer the Oppugnors to breath but to endeavour by frequent and fierce Sallies to hinder their Fortifications which every day increased so as the Cardinal might have time to come and relieve the Town with a full succour Nor was the Cardinal wanting in making all possible preparations to that purpose A Levy of 4000 Foot was expected from Italy which Alphonso Avalos was raising Other Levies were made to the same purpose in Germany and the same diligence was used in those parts of Flanders which were under the Kings obedience But the monies requisite for such an affair fell far short by reason of the Kings so many former excessive expences and by reason of the charge he was forced to be at in consideration of the vastness of his Empire And just at this time there had hapned a great disorder in this point For the King desirous to curb the insatiable covetousness of Merchants had who traffickt Mony with him he had in those dayes published an Edict whereby he moderated the excessive gain which they formerly made The Merchants therefore retired themselves and Antwerp which was wont to furnish such monies as were requisite to maintain the Kings Army was so pincht as the Cardinal could no longer find necessary supplies there And this as shall be seen hereafter was the chief cause why he could not lead up the Army time enough to Amiens and preserve the purchase he had made of so important a City Now to return to the Siege The Fortifications without increased exceedingly every day Biroun being continually very sollicitous therein He munited the two aforesaid Bridges with good Forts on the one and the other bank but especially on that side which looked most towards Flanders He raised likewise such Forts as were requisite to defend the innermost Line of the Trenches and did the like in the outward Line which looked towards the Fields And because succour was chiefly to be kept out on that side therefore the more Forts and the more nobler were raised there and greater care was had of all those Works Birouns souldiery increased also daily so as he would no longer delay opening Trenches against the City He intended to lead them on just upon a great Ravelin which sheltred the Gate Montrecurt and upon the adjoyning Ditch which was dry and where he thought he might easiliest fall in But Portacarrero was as vigilant as might be all this while in making defences His chief design as we have said was to annoy the Enemy as much as he could by Sallies and hinder their Works The Marquis Montenegro fallied therefore out one day with 400 Horse he having the command of all the Horse in Amiens And placing a Company of Carabins in the first Front commanded by Captain Francisco Fuentes a Spaniard he gave in so fiercely and so unexpectedly upon the Enemy as he slue above 200. some Souldiers some Pioners without losing almost any one of his men This Sally was pursued almost every day with some other the like which being so very many to shun prolixity in relating every least passage and to maintain the Decorum due to History we will acquaint you only with the chiefest Affairs were in this condition both within and without when the King of France came himself in person to the Camp attended by many Princes and great Lords who were then at Court particularly by the Duke Du Mayn from whose valour and councel as much good was expected upon this occasion as the Kingdom had experimented prejudice in the late troubles thereof Biroun was not very well pleased that the King should come so soon unto the Army for he would willingly have brought the Siege first to better perfection But the King very much approving all the Works and for a sign of honour confirming him in the same superiority of Command did so far satisfie him as he continued more fervent then ever in his former endeavours The King being arrived it was resolved by the Councel of War that the business should be orderly carried on and that winning ground by the spade and mathook leasurely great care should be had in preserving the Souldiery and that the rashness of too immature assaults should be shunned The number of Pioners was therefore mightily increased by whose handy-work the further the Trenches were advanced the broader and the deeper were they made and to boot with the usual windings thereof many and greater Redouts then ordinary were raised in them for their better defence The King lay in the aforesaid Hermitage and the Constable the Duke Du Mayn the Duke of Espernon the Prince Jeanvile Brother to the Duke of Guise and other great Personages were lodged in the several Forts whereof the Marshal Biroun kept that for himself which was nearest the Works that he might from thence hasten their progress the more The Kings Army did not as then exceed 16â—00 Foot and 4000 Horse but it increased every day for it is not to be said with how much impatiencie he desired the recovery of Amiens nor how much he was seconded therein by the inclination of the Kingdom and particularly by the desire of the Nobility His Forces consisted of 3000 Swissers 4000 English sent by the Queen in relation to the aforementioned Confederacie which was concluded but a little before and the rest were all French Foot and Horse Monsieur de Montigny commanded the Horse and Monsieur de S. Luke the Artillery which were brought unto the Camp in great abundance Both of them Commanders cry'd up and of a cleer reputation And the King willing that they should no longer forbear annoying those within with the Artillery they began to play furiously upon the City and Batteries were disposed of in divers places which were afterwards to indamage the Besieged nearer hand Amidst these publick works appertaining to the
monies as might suffice for the present till they might be wholly satisfied in point of Pay So the excess proceeded no further on their behalf But the Spaniards were not well gone from Hamont when many Italians entred thereinto who resolving likewise to mutiny chose the same place From whence they were afterwards removed to Verte a Town likewise in Brabant upon the same terms as was first agreed upon with the Spaniards The Italians might amount to 1600 Foot and 1000 Horse but many others of other Nations were mingled with them as also with the Spaniards The Archdukes Forces being thus weakened the adverse Provinces failed not to take advantage thereby The weather was then exceeding cold in Flanders and so very sharp as not only all standing waters but even almost all running streams were frozen over every where By the opportunity of this Frost Count Maurice resolved to endeavour the surprisal of Vachtendonch one of the strongest Towns of Ghelderland This Towns greatest advantage lies in its situation for it is almost every where surrounded with marish grounds and therefore there is hardly any coming to the walls thereof Maurice having with all secresie assembled together all those of the nearest Garrisons gave order that unexpectedly by night the abovesaid surprisal should be endeavoured The Souldiers found no difficulty in passing over those marish grounds for they were then all frozen And by the same conveniencie passing over the Ditch they set their ladders against the wall Those within were all asleep insomuch as the Assailants being entred before they were discovered possest themselves suddenly of the Town and soon after with little resistance took the Castle From thence the rigor of theice not being well over Count Maurice marched openly against the Fort Crevecoeur and straightly besieging it he in a shorttime brought the Mutiniers who had the defence thereof to put it into his hands From thence he went against the other great Fort of St. Andrea The speediest succour which could there be expected was to come from Balduke Wherefore Maurice not content to besiege the Fort by his Forces resolved to drown all the fields thereabonts with water and to secure the higher places so as it should be kept from being succoured on all sides The banks of the Mause being therefore cut in sundry parts a great space of ground towards Balduke was soon overflown and the waters did increase so much likewise towards the Fort as the Garrison could not get out on any side On the highest situations Maurice planted divers little Forts where it was most needfull and began briskly to infest the Town The Garrison had mutinied as we told you before and it consisted of about 1500 Foot part Germans part Walloons who were under their Head the Elect and under other Captains which they had tumultuously chosen in their places whom together with the Governour they had driven out of the Fort when they began first to mutiny They shewed at first as if they would make an honorable defence the rather for that they knew that Velasco Generall of the Artillery was preparing to come and relieve them with a great strength of men But Velasco not being able to advance for that he found the wayes all stopt the Garrison began to cool Maurice this mean while advanced further and further every day And yet thinking that Interest would prevail more with such men then Force of Arms he offered to pay unto them all their Arrears which came to 50000 Crowns if they would surrender the Fort. Nor was he deceived in his opinion The Mutiniers were at first somwhat backward in enttrtaining the offer but afterwards foregoing all shamefastness and then growing infamous they at last yielded to deliver up the Fort upon the aforesaid price or rather to sell it and to make the action the more unworthy they condescended to fight under the Enemies Colours The Archdukes were very much moved at these losses and particularly for that of St. Andrea which had cost so much the building which bore with it so many advantages and which may be said was lost ere fully finished It was moreover known that Count Maurice made great preparations to come into the Field with powerfull Forces And the Archdukes having but small hopes so soon to satisfie the Mutiniers but rather fearing the increase of those disorders they saw their new Principality reduced into straits before they were well warm in it By reason of their being newly come to Flanders the States-Generall of the Obedient Provinces were then met at Brussels Which was done that such an Assembly being together in one place the mutual needs both of Princes and Country might be the better considered and convenient remedies applied thereunto The greatest mischief and which required the most efficacious remedy was the Mutinies which had happened and which might happen Wherefore the Archdukes did very much press the Provinces that by some extraordinary quantity of monies they would supply the necessity of the Army The Deputies seemed to know very well the urgencie thereof and to be willing that the Country should by their endeavours contribute as much as they could thereunto But they made it also plainly appear that the Obedient Provinces would be much better pleased to come if it were possible to some good and reasonable Agreement with those which had thrown off their Obedience then still to suffer under the miseries and calamities of wars Which whilst they were discoursing of a good occasion presented it self of commencing a Treaty to that purpose And this it was There were then likewise some of Caesars Ambassadors at Brussels the chief of which was Salentino Count of Ysemberg The Emperor had sent them chiefly upon the occasion of that Novelty which had hapned the year before in the Neutral Countries with strict command to endeavour by all means possible that things should be there restored unto and maintained in their former condition It was pretended that Reinberg did belong unto the Archbishoprick of Colen and that the ground whereon Schinks Sconce was a little before built by the United Provinces did depend upon the State of Cleves and that the same Provinces had also under various pretences possest themselves of the Town of Emrich after the Spaniards were gone out of it This was all the Ambassadors chiefest Commission They were also in the Emperors name to congratulate the Archdukes for their new Principality and to see whether they could introduce any Treaty of Agreement between them and the United Provinces The Ambassadors discharged their trust in all the aforesaid businesses As concerning the Neutral Countries the Archdukes excused the late excesses as much as they could and assured the Ambassadors that it should be amended for the time to come without binding themselves to any thing concerning the particular of Reinberg For their congratulating their new Principality they answered them in terms full of respect and honour And as for their mentioning a Treaty of Agreement between them and