of Portugall by his Mothers side being Sonn to Isabella and therefore Nephew to Emmanuel but he himself almost twenty years before married into this Family to Mary Daughter to Iohn the third and Niece to Emmanuel It was therefore thought an high honour to the Farneze's that one of King Emmanuels Nieces should be married to King Philip and the other to Alexander Prince of Parma Especially because She and King Philip were Brothers and Sisters children and Mary of Portugal was in the same degree of bloud both to King Philip and his Queen besides by her Mother she was of the noble familiy of the Briganzes which had often match'd with the Bloud-royall of Portugal and kept a House like a Kings Court But Prince Alexander was farre more in love with the Beautie and Virtue of the Ladie then with the Merits of all her Ancestours The fame of this Princely Virgin was spread through Spain and most deservingly for she had such an understanding that it was reported there was nothing she did not comprehend She spake Latine fluently and very well She was a pretty good Grecian not ignorant of Philosophy and excellent in the Mathematicks So versed in Scripture that she could readily turn to any Text in the Old or New Testament But above all she was admired for innocency and holiness of life Nothing pleased her so much in her hours of retirement as the contemplation of things Divine And in her familiar discourse she often quoted short Maxims out of the Bible or the Fathers wherewith in the day time while she was at work she sweetly offered up her heart to God Indeed she never put her hand to sowing either needle-work or imbroyderie but onely to adorn the Altar and for the use of the poor that she might in both adorn and cover Christ himself Touching her modesty she was not onely carefull but proud of it and said Though women were to conceal their other virtues yet they might glory in their Chastity Therefore she forbare all publick Shews and Entertainments as often as her Parents and the King her Uncle would dispense with her absence And in readding of the Poets though she was very much taken with their wit yet she looked upon them with great fear lest she might encounter any amorous passages and once when she had took up Francesco Petrarch and had run over a few of his Verses she threw him out of her hands For the same reason she could not be induced to let any Courtier lead her or to lean upon their arms or shoulders the common garb of great Ladies either out of pride or to be the better supported going in high Chopines These and many other virtues commended the Match with Mary Princess of Portugal The Governess therefore loosing no time after her Sonn Alexanders coming sent the Royall Fleet well manned to sea and made Peter Ernest Count Mansfeldt a great Commander Admirall sending with a noble train of Lords and Ladies onely the Count himself with his Lady Mary of Momorancy sister to Count Horn and his sonn Charles Mansfeld Weighing Anchors from Vlushen in August about the beginning of September he arrived at Lisbon and not long after the Bride attended by many of the Portugall Nobility went aboard but would not suffer them to hoyst sail till she had sent for the Portugeses a shipboard and desired a Priest of the Societie who used to preach to her and to hear her Confession that he would arm her and the company with some Exhortations as an Antidote to preserve them from Heresie that had poisoned the Low-countreys whither they were bound Which being accordingly performed by that eloquent and religious man with a fair gale of wind they failed out of the Port. But when they were upon the main the billows on a sudden growing angry swelled they knew not why and the storm increasing the other ships being scattered onely one fell foul upon the Admirall that carried Princess Mary and having sprung many leaks the poor ship was left a miserable spectacle the sea almost devouring her in their sight and within hearing But Princess Mary moved with the piteous cries and lifted-up-hands of the wretched drowning people pâ—esently called the Admirall Count Mansfield and prayed him to vere to them and take in as many men and women as he could possibly before the Vessel sunk and 〈◊〉 many Christians should be cast away whilest she looked on The Aâ—mirall told her it could not be done without endangering her Highness and the whole ship The Marriners affirmed the same particularly the Master an excellent Pilot but unskilfull in that Art of Navigation which is directed by Divine hope Then said the Princess But I mark what my mind presages do hope in God if we do our best to help them that he will so graciously accept our endeavours as it will please him of his Goodness to help us all And this she spake with such a sense of Piety and so sweet a look that the Admirall durst not oppose her but gave order for the ship to succour them which struggling and crowding through the furious waves at last came near them and putting out her long Boat opportunely saved them all but the ship it self out of which they escaped having obeyed the Princesses command a little while after sunk before their faces onely one man being lost in her Nay the very hour that Princess Mary by Divine inspiration said her mind presaged they should do well the rage of the winds abaited and the scattered Fleet came together again Though within a few dayes a new storm rising drave them upon the unhappy Coast of Britain and forced them to put in at an English Harbour Where whilst they lay for a wind Count Mansfoldt thought it a fitting Civility to send some Noble person to present her service to the Queen of England in whose Dominions they remained But Princess Mary would not she said hold any correspondence with the Enemies of the Church And though others pressed her to it very much affirming that she might safely upon such an occasion interchange common courtesies she was constant to her first resolve adding that it was safest for her self and best for the example of others Yet beyond all exspectation at the same time she courted a noble hereticall Lady that came among a multitude of the English to see the fleet For Princesse Mary casting an eye upon her and two fine boyes her sonnes which she brought with her entertained her in a very friendly manner and finding by her discourse that she was the Mother of many more children she importuned the Lady to bestow these two upon her promising that she her self would be such a Mother to them as it should not repent her of the change This she did because as she her self professed she was not able to suffer such a pair of young Innocents that looked like Angels being
whilst the Governesse chides the Prince and wiâ—â—s him to revoke his Act news is brought to her that the Counts of Hotchstrat and Horn had followed the example of Antwerp he at Machlin this at Tournay and both rebuked by the Governesse gave her an account of their actions Hotchstrat said he could not do withall for the law was given to him by the inraged people whom he found at his entrance into the citie barbarously spoiling the Churches But Horn of whom her Excellence complained to the King as of a greater Delinquent then the rest because when he had made suit for the Government of Tournay it was granted him upon certain conditions which he ingaged to observe yet had broke every particular laid the fault upon the citie so full of Hereticks that of five parts scarce one continued Catholick The Governesse heard yet worse news from Utrecht and worst of all from the Bus those having chased away the Catholicks from the Churches and these the Bishop from the citie A while after the Prince of Orange certified the Governesse that three hundred of the common people at Antwerp in hope of spoil taking arms were ready to break into a Monasterie of Franciscans but that he came in with his horse and scattered them But the same wickednesse prospered better at Amsterdam Where a few men of the poorest roguey sort of Hereticks but countenanced by many and potent Citizens rushing into a Church and Monasterie of Franciscans and defacing all the consecrated things beat and stoned out the Religious hurting the Consull of the town and one of the greatest Senatours that opposed them and so made themselves masters of the Convent At which time the women of Amsterdam did a memorable exploit For while these impious madmen running to all the Churches in the town closely followed their victorious beginning and broke into a Chappell famous in those parts for miracles wrought by the holy Eucharist where they laid hands upon that heavenly bread the women that were about the Altar took to themselves mens courages rising up in defence of the blessed Sacrament and resolving rather to die then suffer that execrable rudenesse And what with threats and authoritie for some of them were women of qualitie what with force and clamour those barking hell-hounds ran away without so much as touching the Altar or tearing the Church-ornaments These women are indeed worthy the knowledge and commendations of posteritie Unlesse perhaps their praise may seem a disparagement to the men But the women of Amsterdam merited not more honour then the same sex deserved infamie at Delph a town in Holland For a whole Regiment of them undoubtedly possessed by the Devil knowing one anothers minds upon the sudden like Bedlams or Furies got into a Church of the Franciscans broke the Saints images towsed and spoiled the holy Altar-clothes From thence with like speed and rage they furiously made their way into the Monasterie it self with such violence as if they had been the Snake-haired hags sent from Pluto running over the house and rifling every corner so as the Franciscans frighted with the strange sight of these Bacchides thinking this to be the prologue to a massacre for it was rumoured that within two or three dayes all the Priests should have their throats cut part of them to save themselves fled and the rest hid themselves I know some were of opinion they were not women that durst make this attempt but men in womens clothes Yet that the women of Holland might be so wicked it is agreeable to their mannish principles in mastering of their husbands And that it was their Act the Governesse who shrewdly sifted things out affirmed and among divers such like prodigies whereof in many severall letters she informed the King her Excellence laments the desperate condition of the Low-countreys that had no hope but onely in his Majesties presence therefore she humbly beseeches him if he meant to keep those Provinces to cut off all delays and by the example of his father Charles the fifth who marched through France into the Low-countreys in the deep of winter onely to quiet one mutinous city now when all the cities were indangered he would please himself personally to come and speedily with his Armie to subdue that stubborn people as his father had done Gant and to impose such laws upon them as should stand with the pleasure of a Conquerour and a Revenger And now the King as appeared by other letters to the Governesse resolved upon a war Therefore in two packets sent by his Majestie from Segovia dated in August he appoints her the place and number of men she shall raise and pay Yet in his first Expresse before he opens his determination of levying forces he acquaints her with the Queens happie deliverie who having been two dayes in labour was brought a bed of a daughter baptized at the holy Font by Iohn Baptista Castaneo the Popes Nuncia afterward Urban the seventh by the name of Clara Isabella Eugenia The first of these names was given her from the Saints day on which she was born the second from her mother the third in honour of the martyr Eugenius Bishop of Toledo whose sacred body brought out of France King Philip helped to bear the same day that he perceived his Queen to be with child This is the Isabella that as she was born in the heart of the Low-countrey tumults so afterwards being married to the Archduke Albert Brother to the Emperour Rodolph had the Low-countrey Provinces and tumults for her Dowrie His Majestie having passed these complements to his Sister commands her to raise three thousand horse and ten thousand foot in Germany and giving them two moneths pay to have them ready in case they should be sent for into the Low-countreys Of these horse she was to order one thousand to be raised and commanded by Erick Duke of Brunswick five hundred under his Brother Philip 250 under Iohn Barnise the rest under Iohn Valhant The foot she was to distribute into 33 colours ten whereof to Count Iohn of Nassaâ— brother to the Prince of Orange as many to Count Otho Erber stein eight to Colonell Cremberberg the other five to Captain Valdersong For all these severall Officers the King sent Commissions the the Governess together with 300000 Ducats part whereof she was to distribute among the said Commanders and part to others if more should be entertained or any else thought fit to be nominated in their places that were already chosen For which purpose his Majestie sent her divers blanks signed with his signe manuall Finally lest any of the Germane Princes should make an ill construction of his levying those men he enclosed in her packet letters to them acquainting them all with the ground of his designe particularly the Emperour Maximilian to whom he explained himself both by Express and by the mouth
was in dispute if the Governess had conditioned That so long as their neighbours were in arms so long the borders should have their Cities besides their own train-bands kept with forrein Garrisons Certainly they had in generall such a longing to be rid of the Spaniards as they would have agreed to any terms whatsoever and afterwards the Governess might easily have suppressed the tumults with those forrein souldiers But being then ingaged in troubles the Dutchess endeavoured to compose them for the present Unless perhaps she were deterred from entertaining forrein souldiers by the emptiness of the Exchecquer fearing in that great want of money if their pay should fall short forreiners would mutiny more dangerously then the natives which from their Princes hand might divers wayes receive correction The publick joy of the Low-countreymen for the departure of the Spaniards was accompanied with private joy at Court for Granvels being created Cardinall and the solemnity of the Prince of Orange's marriage solemnized in Saxony whither many of the Lords were gone along For whilest he was present at the marriage of his sister he had there concluded a Match for himself his first wife Anne Egmont being dead with another Anne daughter to Maurice Duke of Saxony wherewith he preacquainted the Governess Who at first disliking his marrying into a Lutheran family assured him it could never be approved of either by his Majesty or her self that he should have a Lady born in a Lutheran Court not onely bred an heretick by her father long since deceased but whose zeal would be dayly inflamed by her fathers brother Augustus who succeeded Duke Maurice in the Electorate and by her mothers Grandfather Philip Lantgrave of Hessen But the Prince of Orange perswaded her Excellence he had taken order for that and by way of prevention had agreed with Augustus Guardian to the Lady Anne that he would not marry her unless she turned Catholick and that Augustus and she her self under their hands and seals had Articled as much though Philip her Grandfather was against it refusing the condition of altering her religion because he had a design when that marriage should be broke off under colour of Religion to match his own daughter to the Prince of Orange To this purpose he had treated with him by letters promising for his daughter that he would accept the condition of her renouncing the Lutheran faith So little account they make of abusing Religion whose profit is their God The plot being discovered and greivously complained of by Augustus Philip replyed said the Prince of Orange That he being but poor and the father of many children it was not unhandsome for him to receive conditions from another but it would be a dishonour for the Duke of Saxony a Prince Elector to have William of Nassau give the Law to him and therefore he had refused the condition for his Neice and accepted it for his Daughter but this answer was not satisfactory to Augustus therefore to prevent him he resumed the Treaty with the Prince of Orange And when the Prince of Orange had often professed That nothing was or could be so dear to him as his soul and honour and duty to his Prince the Governess at last consented But yet she gave no leave to the Governours of Provinces to accompany the Prince of Orange which he made his suit because she had use of their service at home the French being in arms upon the borders Notwithstanding lest he should depart discontented she permitted the rest of the Nobility to go with him And in the head of that gallant Troop he rode to Saxony followed by Florence Memorancy Lord of Montiny who in the name of the Dutchess of Parma visited the Bride and presented her a diamond ring The Prince of Orange at Liepswich a city in Saxony having celebrated his marriage in the beginning of August where the King of Denmark was present and divers other Princes of Germany immediately returned into the Low-countreys renuing his promise to the Governess touching his wives Religion Which Promise he as truly performed as she did the Faith she had sworn to him in marriage being thirteen years after taken in adultery and sent back into Germany by the Prince who married Charlotte Bourbâ—n daughter to the Duke of Mompensier But his new marriage feast was kept in Holland with more pomp then joy by the Prince of Orange offended at Granvels scarlet which he had long forborn to wear but now the Prince found him in his robes For Pius the fourth made him together with seventeen others Cardinall of the Sacred Romane Church this year upon the twenty sixth day of February and within twelve dayes after the messenger brought the news into the Low-countreys soon after came one to Machin that was to present Granvell letters from his Holiness and a Cardinals hat But Granvel put off the receiving of those honours till he knew the Kings pleasure He therefore dispatched a messenger into Spain I suppose because he was sensible that the Governess had used means to procure him this dignity without acquainting the King with the contents of her Letters to the Pope Indeed she had not onely concealed it from his Majesty who she knew would like well of it but from Granvel himself Though it had been long in agitation between her and the Pope as she afterwards wrote to the King Therefore fearing the King would conceive him to be obliged onely to the Dutchess Granvel would not accept that honour without his Majesties consent and as it were from his Royall hand Perhaps he had some little doubt that the Dutchess at one time or other would take occasion by reason of that Ecclesiasticall advancement to remove him from the Civill Government And therefore he thought it fit to wait for the Kings approbation who by a speciall and strict injunction had commended him to the Governess But whatsoever he thought the Dutchess liked not his demur upon it and therefore answered his letter to this purpose That she condemned not his resolution but her opinion was he should have done better to have put on his Cardinals Robes without delay nor did she doubt but he would find the King of Spain of the same mind and that he would receive with his Majesties Letters his Command to force him to it And though she was very glad the Popes Nuntio as Granvel wrote to her took it in the best sense Yet he must have a speciall care that neither the Nuntio nor any of his servants should write to Rome lest the Court there should take occasions to cavill at this kind of modesty or lest the Pope should take offence as if his gifts should have their estimation from another In the mean time she heartily joyed him of his honour which was joyned with so much good to Religion and the King to which ends she had endeavoured it
fault upon himselfe when he had fought unfortunately at Harlem charged the States with his Misfortune because they were slack in paying of his men and almost in plaine words threatned to fall upon them with his Army Therefore by Command from the Prince of Orange who as I conceive looked not with equall eyes upon the man boasting himselfe to be the sole Infranchiser of Holland he was put out of his Lieuetenant-Generalls Place which was conferr'd upon Willam Battemburg and being reduced to the quality of a private man with Entesius and others of his Followers was committed Prisoner And after his release being convicted of a Plot against the States of whose ingratitude he published his Complaint in Print That he who had freed the Maritime Provinces and taught the world by experience that the Spaniards were conquerable should be rewarded by the Hollanders with such Vsage he was condemned as well by the Prince of Orange's Sentence as by a generall Odium to depart the Low-countreys And foure yeares after when he had once more taken up Armes against Don Iohn of Austria losing the battaile of Gemblac he fled to Leyden and there bitt with a mad dog or poysoned at a feast dyed this wickedly stout man The surrender of Harlem as it is the common fate of Conquest gained by long Sieges brought more Fame then benefit to the Spaniard For the Army being not a little wasted and retarded with some mutiny Duke Federico sitting downe before Alcmar upon the approach of winter was forced to leave the Seige Nor was there any better fortune at Sea The confederated Gheuses in a Sea-fight taking Maximilian Henin Count of Bolduc Governour of Holland and Zeland and Admirall of the Belgick Seas an actiue Souldier and very intimate with the Duke of Alva In that Fight it is reported Count Bolduc's Admirall the Hollonders called her the Spanish Inquisition forsaken by the rest of the Fleete for 28 houres together fought with twentie saile of the Enemy and her men brought from the Number of 300 to 80 and those all but fifteene wounded at last was forced to yield Yet this losse was recompenced with some Townes reduced by the Spaniards in South Holland and at the Hague they tooke Count Philip Marnixius Aldegund a man of great place and account among the Confederates insomuch as the Prince of Orange threatned whatsoever was done to Count Aldegund should be suffered by Count Bolduc In the meane time Lodovico Requesenes came from the Government of Millaine into the Low-countreys guarded only with two Regiments of Italian Horse under the Command of Mutio Spaganio and Pedro Busto He was by the King appointed Successour to Alva because Iuan de la Cerda declined the Government despairing that any good could be done in the Low-countreys so leaving both the Burthen and the Enuy upon Alva And he with his Son Federick returning immediately to Bruxells delivered the provinces and Armies to Requesenes and December being now begun imbarqued for Spaine after he had six yeares governed the Netherlands All the Hereticall Commanders were not equally pleased with his departure it troubled some of them who conceived his Fortune was decreasing and that the people could be moved to Rebellion with no stronger Provocative then their Hatred to the Duke of Alva But the Prince of Orange that Publiquely hated and privately admired the Duke was glad to be so ridde of him never hoping to compasse his Designes whilst he had Alva for his Enemy Nor were the Catholiques all of one minde For some thought his Departure a happinesse being irreconciliably distasted at him because as they sayed he had found the Lowconntreys brought to a peaceable Condition by Margaret of Austria and by his Cruelty to the Lords Exactions upon the Commons had left the Provinces troubled and exasperated and they feared that as from thence Holland and Zeland tooke occasion to revolt so the rest of the adjoyning Provinces infected with the same Contagion would have shortly renounced their Religion and Obedience But others in a kind of middle way as the Romans said of Augustus Caesar that he should either not have beene borne or not have dyed affirmed that it was to be wished Alva had either not at all come to the Lowcountreys or had not departed at that time when the Prince of Orange had fortunately matured his Plot and could not be taken off by an amicable way nor broke more surely by any Armes then his who no lesse prudently then valiantly when the Prince entred the Provinces with such great Armyes had twice beat him out But the King of Spaine contrary to the Low-countreymen's Expectations and the Desires of some Spanish Courtiers very gratiously received the Duke Though some were not moved with such Formality knowing it to be king Philip's Custome to Countenance before others what his Ministers had done But supposing that his Indignation then raked up in Embers would in time breake out and that it did so some yeares after when the Duke was confined to Vzeda I confesse I rather thinke the greatest part of Alva's Actions in the Low-countreys was done by Order from the King and therefore merited not his displeasure or if he did erre his Service was more considerable then his Errour in the King's account into whose Favour as the accesse was rare and difficult so the possession was firme and lasting And that there was evidently no other Reason for the Duke's Confinement but because his Son Federico had promised Marriage to one of the Queen's Maydes of Honour and by his Fathers Advise marryed another Lady whereupon the King in a rage banished the Duke of Alva to Vzeda Which Misfortune and what greater could happen to a man in the highest Grace at Court manifested beyond al mens Imagination the wonderfull equall Temper and Gallantry of his minde and though he was accompted a great person whilst he stood yet being falne like a prostrate wall was thought greater lying on the ground Certainely he deserved that his Misery should at last be turned into his Glory For after the decease of Henry the last of the Kings of Portugall King Philip resolving his Army should move thither and doubtfull whom to make Generall passed by many that stood faire for the Imployment chusing the Duke of Alva not without the admiration of the world to see him trust a man discontented by long Banishment to command in Chiefe in the greatest Warre he ever undertooke Nay it is reported that Alva himselfe glorying to the Messengers that brought his Repeale said he wondred that for the Conquest of a Kingdom his Majesty should have use of a fettered Generall Diverse thought this more proudly spoken tâ—en became an Exile but the King tooke it well as he that looking upon his Actions easily pardoned the freedome of his Words Nor was the King deceived in Alva