of religion if the King would not heare of any tolleration of the exercise thereof then they of the said Prouinces should be forced to for sake the religion wherein they were borne and bred from their youths or bee constrained to liue in perpetuall exile out of their countries by which meanes all those that would not leaue their religion would for sake the country wherby it should become desolate Neither could the King with any reason refuse his subiects that which in times past was by his father the Emperor Charles permitted vnto the Germanes and by other Princes and namely by him-selfe in his perpetuall Edict and that by the aduise of the best and the most learned Doctors in diuinity and councellors of estate the breaking whereof had beene the cause of all the tumults and troubles in the Netherlands as also in France and other places and was likely to bring many more inconueniences to the King in his old age and like-wise to his sonne who was yet but very young To all the points of this replication the King of Spains commissioners made none but dilatorie answers to no effect In the meane time the Queene of England was aduertised of an English booke printed at Antwetp written by Doctor Allen who not long before had beene made Cardinall at Rome being an admonition to the Nobility of England and Ireland to execute the Popes sentence against her Maiesty which executions the King of Spaine had taken in hand as Allen said and the Duke of Parma was appointed by the King cheefe Commander in that action The Queene was also aduertised of a Bull sent forth by Pope Sixtus conteyning many false and scandalous points against her Maiesty wherein was also contayned that he had concluded with the Catholike King to imploy all his power and meanes to expell the Queene out of her Kingdome straightly commanding all her Maiesties subiects in a most fearefull and thundring manner to ayd and assist the great noble and invincible army prepared to that end vnder the command of the Duke of Parma The Queene being made aquainted with these things during this treaty of peace shee commanded Doctor Dale one of the commissioners to go and speake with the Duke of Parma in person and to charge him in good sort with the things contayned in these aduertisements and to know his direct answere whether he were not appointed to bee generall ouer the army that was then preparing in Spaine and of the enterprise thereby pretended and to tell him that if it were true as shee could heardly beleeue it shee ment no longer to contynue the treaty but to call home her Commissioners The Duke of Parma made answer to Doctor Dale that he knew of no such booke neither had he any knowledge of the fore-said Bull sent forth by the Pope neither had hee attempted any thing of him-selfe but honorably in regard of the dislike that was betwixt her and the King his maister and that as a good and faithfull seruant hee was to execute his maisters commandement with many such Court-like speeches But her Maiestie was not satisfied with that answer for that hee did not say directly whether hee had vnder-taken to inuade England or not with that armie wherefore shee resolued not to call home her commissioners yet commanding them to treat with the Spanish commissioners by word of mouth and try if by that meanes better then by writing they might finde more reason and better furtherance But to the contrary and beyond their expectations they found that the longer they continued in this treatie the lesse hope there was of any good conclusion The Kings Comissioners telling them that they were grieued they had spent so much time about the matter and that the King of Spaine had kept fifty thousand men in pay almost a whole yeare to lye still and doe nothing to his great charge by the meanes of that treatie and so they blamed one an other At the last the Kings Commissioners said plainly touching the religion that the King of Spaine were better to giue his one and onely Sonne vnto them of Holland then to allow them the excercise of their religion And that the Queene had no more to doe to trouble her selfe with the religion of his countries then hee had to meddle with the religion in her Dominions As for the pacification of Gant they would not heare of that for that it had beene broken by the makers thereof saying that the Prince of Orange had receiued a iust reward for the same The forraine soldiers might not bee sent away so long as there was any warre with Holland and feare of France To conclude they refused all the English demands But Sir Iames a Croft riding priuately to Bruges shewed secretly vnto the President Richardot and to Mounsier Champigni certaine articles concerning a peace but much to the preiudice of the vnited Prouinces which Champigni seemed to like well of beeing very desirous by that meanes to haue the vse of the English Hauens for the harboring of their Spanish fleete for the which after-wards there grew great dislike betwixt him and the duke of Parma Before the departure of the English Commissioners the Earle of Darbie to discouer the Spaniards intents asked them if they intended to haue the cautionary Townes deliuered ouer vnto them without any conclusion But the Spanish fleete approaching then in August brake off all further conference either side hearing the shotte at Sea and so all dissembling was laid aside and the Duke of Parma was found contrary in his word hauing protested to some of the English Commissioners vppon his Princely word and faith as the English reported that the armie came not for England if they could agree vppon the fore-said articles of peace propounded But the Queene obseruing the constant resolution of the vnited Prouinces and seeing the fleete of Spaine already before her dore she called home her Commissioners wherevpon they desired a conuoy to conduct them safely from thence being in some feare for that they had no hostages but after fifteene daies stay they got a passport with certaine wagons and a conuoy to guard them to the Frontiers whether the Kings commissioners did very honorably conduct them for the which they gaue them great thanks much commended the Duke of Parmaes honorable disposition hauing kept his word so iustly with them Now I come to that great Spanish fleete whereof although there haue beene some petty discourses written and published in our owne language yet for that it concerned the vnited Prouinces as well as England I haue thought good to make a briefe relation in this history for posterities sake both of the preparations and the successe The King of Spaine hauing long fore-cast and sought by what meanes hee might bring the Realme of England into subiection and so to re-establish the Catholike religion there hoping by that meanes to re-possesse his inheritance in the Netherlands for that beeing
effect concerning the matters in controuersie betweene both parts as well touching religion as otherwise that then his aforesayd declaration and agreeation should bee of no force but remaine as if it had neuer beene made and that by vertue thereof it should not bee vnderstood nor interpreted that hee had or would loose any of his right or title nor the Estates thereby to haue any aduantage but that all things should remaine in the same state they were and euery man to haue his due and that from thence-forth it should be lawfull for each party to doe as they thought good With this agreation hauing deliuered a copie thereof in Spanish French and Dutch Frier Iohn Nayen made a long discourse of the sinceritie and vprightnesse of the King of Spaine in that respect and that hee had caused the same to passe through the hands of his councell that it might bee the freer and more assured to take effect although hee should dye wherein hee sayd hee was much to bee commended in that hee expressed the true and vpright intent and meaning of his direct dealing therein promising no more nor binding himselfe no further then hee meant to performe and cause to bee effected whereas other-wise if hee had meant to deale deceitfully hee would not haue done so but rather haue made the agreation with-out any explication whereas now to make knowne his iust proceeding hee had declared his full pleasure and intent there-by to shunne and auoyde that which here-after might seeme to bee brought in question Mounsieure Verreyken also made a very long speach touching the sinceritie and direct dealing of the Arch-dukes concerning that poynte and of the greate inclination and desire they had vnto peace which was plainely to bee seene by their proceedings therein and how earnestly they had endeuoured themselues to doe all thinges which the Estates had by any meanes desired or could in any sort pretend The general Estates hauing receiued the copie of the said agreation and perused the same they found it to be very badly and negligently written by leauing out of many wordes and some defects to be in the writing of many wordes which were not placed as they ought to bee and also in the forme not being signed with the Kings name nor written in French And after they had imparted the same vnto the Ambassadors of France and England vppon the seauenteenth day they had further conference with the sayd Fryer Iohn Nayen and Verreyken to acquaint them with the sayd defects and to knowe if there were no other agreation to bee expected who letting them vnderstand that there was no other agreation to bee had from Spaigne but that in the proceedings with the principall pointes of the treatie all doubtes and difficulties might bee better seene into and preuented vpon good deliberation and after diuers consultations had with his Excellencie and the Ambassadors aforesaid Vpon the second of Nouember they resolued to giue the Deputies an answer which was that the said letters of agreation according to the declaration of the Deputies not only in the wordes and stile but also in the sealing insertion and omission of many words were not conformable to the promises made and that by the last clause therof besides the propositions of Fryer Iohn Nayen there might be pretended a disanulling of the sollemne promises thereby made it being not to be contradicted That the sayd King and the Arch-dukes with their Councels know well that the general Estates of the vnited Prouinces as being Estates of free countries and Prouinces where-vnto the aforesaid King and Arch-dukes pretend no soueraignty by the grace of God almighty and the said assistance of such Princes as are allyed vnto them can finde good meanes to maintaine and vphold the welfare estate and gouernement of the sayd countries and the Inhabitants of the same without making any mention thereof in the principal treaty concerning peace or truce notwithstanding any thing which might bee pretended or propounded by the King or Arch-dukes to the contrary vnlesse they would crosse or seeke to disanull the aforesayd sollemne and formall promises And although there might some question be made whether vppon the said letters and propositions they might proceed to a treatie Neuerthelesse to the end this worke begun for the freeing of those countries from these long continuall and bloody wars and the setling of a godly honourable and an assured peace may not be hindred they would shew the said letters as much as concerneth the approbation of the promises made by the Arch-dukes and the like declaration of the said King whereby he declareth that he is content that in his name and in his behalfe a treatie shal be made touching peace or truce with the generall Estates in qualitie and as holding and acounting them for free countries Prouinces and Estates where-vnto he made no claime besides all generall and particular obligations which are requisite and necessary vnto the Prouinces townes and members of the same respectiuely and within sixe weekes next enfuing giue intelligence vnto the said Deputies whether they intended the e-vpon to enter into any treatie or not with expresse protestation from thence-forth neuer to make any question to any poynt of the aforesaid letters which might bee vnderstood to be directly or indirectly against the said agreation and declaration togither with the promises of the said Arch-dukes And if it were founde fitte and conuenient vppon the sayd agreation and declaration or vppon any other that within the sayd time acording to the promises made might bee sent out of Spaine and deliuered vnto the said Estates to enter into a treatie the Estates were of opinion that neyther in the said Kings behalfe nor the Arch-dukes there should be any thing propounded or pretended that might bee preiudiciall to the state welfare and gouernement of the vnited Prouinces or the Inhabitants thereof contrary to the sayd promises And that the Arch-dukes will take order within tenne daies after the receipt of the saide aduertisment to send their committies with instructions according to the originall offers to the Hage fully instructed and authorised and also to vnderstand the Estates intent to deliuer their meanings plainely and effectually And there-vppon to make a short and briefe resolution and that the Estates in that respect would appoint certaine Committies with the like authoritie to treat with them This answer being made it was giuen to the said Frier Iohn Nayen and to Vereyken vpon the third of Nouember and there-withall they were demaunded whether they would deliuer the Originall letters of agreation whereat they made some doubt whether they might leaue them with the Estates or carry them backe againe to Brusselles and therefore they desired respite for certaine daies wherein Fryer Iohn Nayen might go to Brusselles to fetch a further commission concerning that point which being graunted them the Fryer went from the Hage vpon the fifth of Nouember the fourteenth of the same
the fift hir sonne being yet a child Shee marries againe with Robert the Frison sonne to the earle of Flanders They are chased out of Holland by Godfâ—…ey the Crookebacke duke of Lorraine called in by William bishop of Vtrecht ¶ Godfrey is the ninth Earle of Holland accounting Gertrude and Robert for two heads he vanquished the Frisons built the towne of Delf and was slaine in Antuerpe easing of himselfe ¶ Robert the Frison being earle of â—…landers restores Cont Thierry to Holland and Zeeland who vanquished the bishop of Vtrecht and tooke him prisoner Hee made war against the Frisons who would be free vnder the Empire and defeats them his death ¶ Floris the Fat the sonnâ—… of Thierry the fift the eleuenth earle of Holland c. he makes war against the Frisons subdues them and dies hauing reigned 30 yeares ¶ Thierry the sixt of that name the twelfth Earle he makes war against the Frisons with whome Floris the Blacke his brother ioins these bretheren being afterwards reconciled the earle of Cuycke kils Floris Thierry reuengeth his death and besiegeth Vtrecht The Frisons defeated by him in Holland and then he dies hauing raigned fortie yeares ¶ Floris the third the 13 earle sonne to Thierry the sixt Warre against the Frisons War betwixt the earles of Holland and Flanders for the island of Walchren The prowâ—…sse of the Hollanders at the siege of Damiette in which voiage the Earle died ¶ Thierry the seuenth the 14 earle succeeded his father he was in quarell with William of Holland his brother who ioined with the Frisons but they were afterwards reconciled Dying he left one only daughter ¶ Ada daughter to Thierry the seuenth the 15 commaunding in Holland she gouerned but one yeare and died without children During hir life she was still in war against the earle of Eastfriseland hir vncle who succeeded hir and was ¶ William the first of that name the sixteenth earle of Holland the crown of Scotland fell vnto him by his mother but he neglected it Dying he had ruled 19 years in Holland and 26 in Friseland ¶ Floris the fourth succceded William his father the seuenteenth Earle Strange war with the bishop of Vtrecht He is slaine at a tourney at Clermont ¶ William the second succeeded Floris his father being yet a child vnder the guard of his vncle the Bâ—…shop of Vtrecht He was crowned king of Romans He went against the Frisons where he was slaine ¶ Floris the fift the nineteenth Earle hee had great war against the Frisons whom he vanquished and brought backe his fathers bones hee was slâ—…ne by Gerard van Velsen knight ¶ Iohn the first of that name succeeded his father Floris the 20 Earle of Holland Being returned out of England where hee had married the kings daughter he reuenged his fathers death He died without children and in him failed the race of Earles descended from Thierry of Aquitaine THE yeare of our Redemption 863 Charles the Bald king of France being in Brabant in the Prouince of Campeigne at a towne called Bladell he called a generall assemblie of his Princes and Barons to consult of the best means to repell the Normans and Danes who made daylie incursions into Germanie Friseland Holland Zeland and into the realme of France Thither came many Princes and great Noblemen both Spirituall and Temporall from all parts whether in like sort the Pope being then at Mentz vpon the Rhin sent his Legats Among other Princes and Noblemen there present came Cont Haghen of little Troy which at this present is the towne of Zanthen vpon the Rhin betwixt the towns of Nuys and Cleefe bringing with him his sister Mathild wife of Sigebert duke of Aquitaine with hir two sonnes the eldest was called Walger whom king Charles did then make Earle of Teysterbaudt the which did at that instant and long after containe and comprehend the townes of Tyel Bommell Arkell Heusden Altem Vianen Culembourg Buren Leederdam Aspren and Henckelom with a great circuit of countrey vnto the riuer of Meuse The youngest was Thierry who as yet had no siegneorie nor commaund but was a valiant and hardie knight who with his father Sigibert had done many valiant exploits both in Prouence and Aquitaine against the Sâ—…rasins who made many incursions into those countries so as for his valour and prowessâ—… hee was much esteemed in Court and well fauoured of king Charles THIERRY of Aquitaine the first Earle of Holland King Charles surnamed the Bald first made me Earle by name Oâ—… Holland 〈◊〉 his brother Lewis of Zeeland did the same ' But troubles manifold soone 〈◊〉 my honour â—…ent Downe to the graue if the Emperour had me no succour lent Twise twentie yeares I held the Danes still in alarmes And did abate thou pride of heart by valor and by armes Of Aquitame I was surnamed borne and bred Gune my wife and in Egmont my corpt lies buried At this assemblie of Bladell the earle Haghen his vncle besought the king to remember Thierry his nephew and to aduaunce and inuest him in some part of the countrie which the Normans and Danes had lately spoiled and destroied knowing him as that was well known to all men to be valiant strong able to endure trauell wise temperat and discreet to keepe that which should be giuen him in charge besides hee was honourably descended issued from the bloud of France by the antient Troians King Charles hearing so many good testimonies of this young knight at the request of the Popes Legats and the instance of the Earle Haghen his vncle gaue vnto Thierry of Aquitaine all the countrie of Holland with a part of East-Frizeland from Dockum to the riuer of Lanuers as the Chronicles of Holland doe maintaine which the Frizelanders seemed to dislike and impugne saying that Charles who was then but king of France and not Emperor could not dispose nor giue away Frizeland the which maintained it selfe vnder the Romane Empire to defend and protect them by his valour from the inuasions and spoiles of the Danes and Normans who euen at that time held and enioied the towne of Vtrecht the Bishop and all his Prebends to auoid their furie being fled to the town of Deuenter in the countrie of Oueryssel the which was subiect both to the Temporall and Spirituall jurisdiction of the said Bishop of Vtrecht This assemblie at Bladell being ended king Charles went with this knight Thierry into Holland to put him in possission of the countrie by force of armes the vicount of Leyden and the lord of Wassenare his cousin these two houses being since vnited in that of the vicounts gathered together what forces they could to make head against king Charles and to hinder Thierry in the possession of that which was giuen him refusing absolutely to receiue Thierry for their lord and earle desiring rather to ioine with them of Friseland and to remain subiects to the empire The king and Cont Thierry marched against them and gaue
Wickin and Gadezo earles Lazo Alger and Zuveer that is to say Asuerus knights with a great number of squires and gentlemen besides the men at armes and common souldiors which were very many The bishop Adelbold was much perplexed for this defeat yet he fainted not but gathering together his dispersed troupes would make a second proofe and hazard another battaile the which was more preiudiciall and fatall vnto him than the first for not only his armie was defeated but himselfe was taken prisoner hauing lost among the men of marke Volckert a priest and chanon Bertold a deacon Iohn and Godfrey earles Hiddo Halmeric Wabtelin Hubert and Hildebold knights Zidfrid and Heyman barons with a great number of braue souldiors Cont Thierry after these two victories his men being laden with spoile and good prisoners returned into Holland leading his bishop with him whome he entreated very courteously seeking to comfort him and to moderat his passions in this his aduersitie being much troubled for his ouerthrow and imprisonment One day among the rest Cont Thierry asked of him by way of familiar discourse What had mooued him so to malice the Hollanders and to make war against them seeing that neythâ—…r they nor he himselfe had euer wronged him or don him iniurie The bishop answered Sir I confesse that I neuer receiued any wrong from your selfe nor your subiects neither yet from any of your predecessors but that which moued me to attempt war against you and to oppresse and molest your subiects was only for that I was giuen to vnderstand that the countrie of Holland did antiently hold of my bishoprike of Vtrecht for proofe whereof we read in Hystories that Vtrecht was in old time the chiefe and capitall towne of Holland and that at this day it is so held and therefore in my opinion Holland in former times did belong to my predecessors for this cause I did moue and incite the Frisons to rebell that by the help of their forces and succours I might expell you out of your countrey and ioyne it vnto my seigniorie But seeing I haue taken a wrong course and am taken in the snare which I prepared for you I will foretell you by way of prophesie That there shall neuer bee any pâ—…rtect loue and friendship betwixt them of Vtrecht and the Hollanders and that in future ages they shall much vexe one another by warre robberies oppression and spoiles sometimes one being victor sometimes the other Whereunto Cont Thierry answered Gods wil be done in al things both in my countries and elswhere according to his good pleasure yet I would haue my lord bishop vnderstand that the princes of Holland do little esteeme the towne of Vtrecht but I grieue for the poore commons who endure much through the spoyles and insolencies of men of warre Yet if you will promise me vnder your hand and seale neuer to stirre vp nor incourage my Frisons to rebell I will suffer you to depart free and will giue you leaue to doe what you can for that I do not much apprehend what you and yours can doe vnto me To whom the bishop said Although I do it vnwillingly yet necessitie will force mee vnto it Whereupon the Earle replied If my lord bishop will not accept nor effect that which I haue propounded he may remaine here with me and I will take order for his charges and for all other things necessarie yet my lord must vnderstand that neither he nor any of his predecessors had euer any right of proprietie or temporal iurisdiction vpon Holland nor on the dependances thereof in any sort whatsoeuer Neither shall it bee found in any writings and euidences That the bishops of Vtrecht were euer intitled Earles of Holland seeing that Charles the Bald king of France and afterwards Emperour hauing succeeded by the death of his father Lewis the Gentle sonne to Charlemaigne in the countries of Holland and Zeeland as wel as in the realme of France and other countries of his inheritance after that hee had defeated the Normanes gaue them to my great grandfather Cont Thierry the first sonne to Sigehert Duke of Aquitaine And for the better assurance and confirmation of the said grant at the instance of Pope Iohn the 9. he himselfe in person put the said Count Thierry in full possession of the said Earledomes and subiected them vnto him by force of armes instituting him as his royall letters patents make mention the first Earle to protect and defend them against the incursions of the Danes and by good and mild courses to draw this rough and vnciuile people to his deuotion as he hath done The like I may affirme and proue by good testimonies that Friseland is of the iurisdiction of Holland for that Lewis king of Germanie brother to Charles the Bald gaue all that countrie to the said Cont Thierry vnto the riuer of Lanuvers and beyond it bending towards the East Charles the Great king of France and Emperour gaue it vnto Godefroy king of Denmarke in dowery with his wife vpon condition That he should be baptised who afterwards was slaine And therefore if Godefroy hath made any cession or gift vnto the bishop of Vtrecht I am well pleased therewith and will not pretend any interest to that which lyes beyond the said riuer of Lanuvers My lord must also vnderstand the great ingratitude of them of Vtrecht for the benefits which they receiued of my great grandfather for he and his brother Walger Earle of Teysterbaudt remaining at Anezaet neere vnto Tyl made so long warre against the Danes which did then possesse the towne of Vtrecht as they forced them to abandon the place and restored the bishop Rabod who as an exiled prelat kept at Deuenter to his episcopall seat These be the thanks we receiue now from them of Vtrecht who require me euill for good I therefore conclude with the truth That neither my lord bishop nor any of his predecessors had euer any right interest nor title of temporall iurisdiction in the countries of Holland nor of Friseland for as much as is contained within the riuer of Lanuvers vnlesse your lordship can shew produce some sale transport or donation which my predecessors haue made vnto the bishop of Vtrecht as they had the power and meanes to do the which doth appeare by the letters granted by Emperors kings their benefactors Bishop Adelbold hauing wel duly considered of all Cont Thierries reasons confessed his error and that being ill aduised he had first attempted warre against him and that in all the lands and seigniories of the said Earle he had no other iurisdiction but spirituall in that which concernes the administration and gouernment of the church onely as it had beene giuen from Emperours and kings to Willebrord the first bishop as farre as it may extend vnto this day It is true said the Earle and we acknowledge you for our spirituall father commaunder in diuine things and which concerne the saluation of
the Emperor Henry the fourth to whom he made great complaints and suggested falsely that Thierry of Aquitaine the first Earle of Holland and his successors had violently taken away from Odibaldus the twelfth bishop of Vtrecht and his successors afterwards from Adelbold and forcibly usurped the Earledome of Holland which the Emperour Henry the second Conrade the second and Henry the third had confirmed to the bishops of Vtrecht And by these abusiue and slanderous suggestions he did secretly obtayne letters of a reiterated donation from the said Henry the fourth vnder his seale This reuerent bishop seeing that he should neuer finde a better oportunitie to seize vpon Holland than during the minoritie of Cont Thierry the fifth hauing called all his friends to his succour and among other Godfrey the Crooked Duke of Lorrain the which at that time was called Lothier of Brabantand of Ardennes made a mightie Armie vnder the command of the said Godfrey with the which he went to inuade Holland in the yeare 1071. in the countrey of Rhynland neere vnto the Towne of Leyden The Earle Robert the Frison gouernour of Holland and father in law to young Cont Thierry hauing gathered together what men hee could went to encounter these two inuading princes where there was a battaile fought and the charge was furious on both sides but in the end Robert thus suddenly surprised being otherwise employed about his affaires of Flanders and not able to leuie sufficient forces to encounter his enemies who were twice as strong the losse fell vpon the Hollanders and the bishop remained victor Robert taking his wife and children speedily with him saues himselfe in Flanders in the Towne of Gand as the Chronicles of Holland say but those of Flanders write that he fled into Saxonie to his wiues father from whence hee was called backe by the Flemings against the Countesse Richild as wee haue before noted speaking of the said Robert After this victorie bishop William caused Godfrey the Crooke-backe to take possession of all the Townes of Holland and to hold the whole Earledome in fee and homage of his Bishopricke of Vtrecht the which he possessed and gouerned fiue whole yeares after that donation during the absence of Robert who was busied in Flanders This Prelate of Vtrecht caused all the frontier Townes to be manned with good garrisons among the rest he built a strong Castle at Isselmonde vpon the riuer of Maeuse betwixt Dordrecht and Rotterdam the which he fortified with a good garrison Duke Godfrey for a perpetuall memorie to posteritie caused a new Towne to be built betwixt the villages of Auverschyer and Risuvicke the which is at this present the goodly Towne of Delft and without it a Castle where he made his residence during his gouernment This Duke seeing all things succeed so happily and that nothing did crosse his desseignes he resolued to make warre against the Frisons making a roade into the countrey and bringing a great bootie with many prisoners into the Towne of Alcmar The East-Frisons neighbours to them that were thus spoyled came downe like men halfe madde with a mightie Armie and besieged Godfrey in the said Towne of Alcmar for the space of nine weekes Seeing himselfe thus besieged hee called the bishop of Vtrecht to his succour who posted thither with all his forces and compelled them to raise the siege he gaue battaile to the Frisons whom he defeated and put to rout where there were slaine aboue eight thousand vpon the place besides prisoners the rest were all scattered and put to flight So Duke Godfrey with the helpe of the said bishop got possession of both Friselands East and West the which he also enioyed foure yeares together vpon condition that he should hold them likewise in fee of the said bishop and of his Bishopricke of Vtrecht Afterwards in the yeare 1075. Duke Godfrey being in Andwerpe some Authors say in Friseland easing his bodie in a low chamber which was ouer the ditch of his lodging hee was discouered by one called Ghisbrecht seruant to young Cont Thierry who thrust him in at the fundament with a jaueline Godfrey being thus wounded desirous to returne into his Countrey of Lorraine he caused himselfe to bee transported into the Towne of Maestrecht whereas he died in the moneth of March leauing no children of his body nor any other heire but one onely sister wife to Eustace Earle of Blois by whom she had three sons Godfrey of Bouillon Baldwin and Eustace After which Godfrey the Crooke-backe his nephew Godfrey of Bouillon succeeded in the Dutchies of Lorraine and Brabant although at that time the Dukes of Lorraine did not write themselues Dukes of Brabant But since in the yere 1251. Henry the third of that name Duke of Lorrain began to intitle himselfe Duke of Lothier and of Brabant the which the Dukes of Brabant although they haue no pretension vnto Lorraine haue continued vnto this day This Duke Godfrey of Bouillon with many great Princes of Christendome among others Hugh the great brother to the King of France Robert brother to the Duke of Normandie Robert the young sonne to our Robert the Frison before mentioned Earle of Flanders Raymond Earle of S. Gilles Steuen Earle of Blois Brunamond or Baymond Prince of Appulia Eustace and Baldwin brothers to Duke Godfrey of Bouillon Anselme of Ribemont and some Noblemen of the house of Borsele in Zeeland Among the Gentlemen of Friseland were Tiepko Fortman Iarich Ludingama Epo Hardtman Igo Galama Fredericke Botnia Eelcko and Sicco Liaucama cousins and Obbo Hermana with 300000. which were marked with the signe of the Crosse and therefore this voyage was called the Croisadoe in which expedition they recouered the holy Land and the said Godfrey of Bouillon was crowned King of Ierusalem to whom succeeded his brother Baldwin THIERRY THE FIFTH OF THAT name Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland 〈◊〉 Theodoricus Quintus THIERRY attain'd to yeares his valour for to show Found meanes to crosse the Priest that sought his vtter ouerthrow Man oftentimes doth win great honour wealth and fame But by industry and by force he must preserue the same The Frisons he subdu'd by valour and by might That secretly conspired had to worke him some despight His wife WITHILD was and as full seuenteene yeares His Earledome he assign'd to death as by record appeares THIERRY the fifth of that name sonne to Cont Floris the first of that name Earle of Holland Zeeland and Lord of Friseland After the death of Godfrey the Crooke-backe Duke of Lorraine who as wee haue said by the instigation support and fauour of William of Geldre bishop of Vtrecht had dispossessed him being yet in his minoritie of all his countrey of Holland and Friseland he leuied a mighty Armie with the helpe of Robert the Frison his father in law and his other kinsfolkes and friends to recouer his Countrey and auncient
which was fallen vnto him by the decease of his great great grandmother Ada daughter to the king of Scotland who died without heires male wife to Floris the third of that name and thirteenth Earle of Holland which Cont William the first by the death of Henry king of Scotland his vncle by the mothers side did not prosecute by reason of the rebellion of some noblemen of his countrey which hindred him besides the Frisons were reuolted and the earle of Loos during his absence thought to reconquer Holland as wee haue said before Cont Floris being then with king Edward who dissuaded him from this war of Scotland for the great difficulties he should find there they concluded an alliance together which was That Iohn sonne to Cont Floris being then but young shall marie Elizabeth the kings daughter by which mariage they should remaine for euer good friends and allies as since England hath alwayes beene and is at this present well affected to Holland and Zeeland and to the other vnited prouinces of the Netherlands Guy of Dompierre earle of Flanders repining at this friendship and alliance betwixt the king of England and Earle of Holland leuied an armâ—… in the countrey of Catsand to inuade the isle of Walchren during the absence of Cont Floris but Didier lord of Brederode and Iohn of Renesse knights the one in Holland the other in Zeeland made hast to leuie men to oppose against him Cont Floris hauing hewes therof imbarked without any delay and came to land at Flessingue Cont Guy staying too long vpon his passage the seignior of Renesse by commandement from Cont Floris past into Flanders burnt the towne of Scluce and spoiled the whole countrey about This done the lords of Brederode and Renesse enter ioyntly with their troups into the isle of Catsand which they destroyed also The Flemings who were not faire from them being about 4000 men thought to compasse in the Hollanders but the seignior of Renesse who had but 300 Zeelanders choyce men and he a braue and hardie knight went first to charge them and put them to rout so as there were a great number slaine and drowned besides prisoners and the bootie which he carried into Holland returning a victor to the Earle his Prince This happened on Simon and Iudes day in the yeare 1296. The Flemings being retired after this defeat Cont Floris fortified his countrey of Zeeland with good garrisons against their inuasions and spoyles then hee returned into Holland to his court at la Haye One day among the rest he bethought himselfe that in the great wars which hee had had against the Frisons Flemings and others he had lost a good number of his knights and of his best noblemen besides many were dead of the plague the which had beene very violent in his countries so as to his great griefe he was then very destitute whereupon he resolued to send for one day in Christmas to his court at la Haye fortie of the chiefest and most substantiall of all his subiects that were not noble the which had good meanes and great reuenues to entertaine the traine and estate of a knight With these fortie good men specially chosen he held open court made them knights and gaue them armes and blasons In this sort did he honour his good and vertuous subiects who by their wealth might well maintaine their estate in the seruice of their prince Withall he did repeople his countrey with nobles and did beautifie his traine and court for the more noblemen a prince hath the more is hee honoured and feared True it is that in the beginning the antient nobilitie did scorne and hate these new knights it may be for that they had not so great meanes but in succession of time their sonnes grand-children and great grand children were taken for good gentlemen The chief knights and gentlemen issued from antient nobiline and knighthood in the time of this Earle Floris were these that follow Iohn of Holland his sonne Herman earle of Heneberg husband to Marguerite his aunt who had so many children Didier the Gentle lord of Brederode William lord of Theylinghen Iohn lord of Heusden Iohn lord of Heesben Arnoult lord of Escluse brother to the lord of Heusden Iohn lord of Arckel Hugh Butterman lord of Buttersloot Iohn lord of Heucklom Otto seignior of Aspren and of Abkoy Peregrin seignior of Lederdam his brother Ieams lord of Wassenare Didier of Theylinghen Nicholas Persin seignior of Waterlandt Simon of Harlem Ghysbrecht lord of Amstel Arnould of Amstel his brother Herman of Woerden Iohn of Leck lord of Polnen Hugh of Vianen Ghysbrecht of Yselsteyn Wolfard lord of Vere Iohn of Renesse Witten bastard to Cont Floris the first lord of Hamstede and William his brother Nicholas lord of Putten and of Stryen William of Egmond Gerard of Egmond his sonne Baldwin of Nueldwick Ieams Vander Vuoude Arnould of Heemskerke Henry of Heemskerke his brother Didier vander Goude Gerard van Velson Gerard of Heemskerke Didier of Raephorst Gerard of Raephorst his brother Hugh of Craelinghen Werembault Witten Hage Albert his sonne Gerard of Harlem Iohn Dortoghe and Floris of Duynen all knights And in Zeeland the chiefe noblemen were the lords of Borssele of Brigdam of Zandtwick of la Vere of Cats of Cortgoen of Mourmont of Renesse and of Ornyninghe all which carried the Earles order which was a coller of gold interlaced with cockle shels and the image of S. Iames hanging at it There was in the Earls court a valiant knight put in the rank of these nobles named Gerard van Velson whom the Earle held a whole yeare in prison after that he had caused his brothers head to be cut off through the false reports and pernitious counsell of some that hated them The Earle being afterwards better informed of the truth and of their innocencie hauing set Gerard at libertie he sought by all meanes to repaire the wrongs that had beene done him and to honour and aduance him among all the rest and to make him the more affectionat to his seruice the Earle thinking therein to doe him honour and sauour would haue giuen him his minion in mariage the which was a faire gentlewoman But Gerard disdaining her like a generous man would none of her The Earle insisting still to haue him mâ—…ie her in the end Gerard angrie at his importunities answered him plainly That he was not so abiect not base minded vsing a common Dutch phrase as to put his feet in his old shooes which is as much to say as to marie his leauings or strumpet The Earle displeased at this answer said vnto him And truly thou shalt haue my leauings Gerard who regarded not the Eaâ—…ls words goes from court and a while after maries the daughter of Herman seignior of Woerden neece to Ghysbrecht of Amstel Cont Floris hearing afterwards that Gerard was maried and that hee came no more to court by the persuasion of his minion he sent for him being
shew themselues but kept in holes or led a rusticke countrey life neither after that day durst any man carry the armes of any of those three houses The Emperour Rodulphus the first of that name had in the yeare 1290 giuen East-Friseland vnto the riuer of Lanuvers vnto the earle of Gueldres to hold it in fee of the Empire but by reason of the ferocitie of the Frisons and their heat and resolution to maintain their auncient liberties graunted them by the Emperor Charlemaigne and other precedent Emperors knowing also that the Earle of Holland pretended an interest thereunto hee durst not aduenture to take possession thereof by force Besides Cont Floris hauing as we haue said before subdued West-Friseland and taken the town of Staueren did much annoy the East-Frisons and withall the bishops of Vtrecht would neuer quit their part who to free themselues from so many lords sent their embassadors to the king of Denmarke desiring him that hee would take them and their countrey into his protection The king being loth to let slip this goodly occasion receiued them and sent one of his noblemen to gouerne the countrey in his name and to be his lieutenant and to the end he should be the more respected and haue the greater authority he gaue him his sister in mariage A while after he came himselfe into Friseland making many lawes and ordinances and imposing a certaine tribute which was reasonably tollerable This done he returned into Denmarke but before six moneths were expired this lieutenant began to oppresse them and to vse them tyrannously contrary to their accord the which did so incense the Frisons against him as they slue him sending his wifebacke being with child to the king her brother in the yeare 1295 who was soone after brought in bed of a sonne who reuenged his fathers death as we shall see hereafter IOHN THE FIRST OF THAT name the twentieth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland 20 Joannes Hollandiae This IOHN the King of Englands daughter had to wife In whose short time the towne of Delft hap'ning to fall in strife VVith him attempted for to kill two of his counsellors Accompanied with WOLPHAR he did enter into warres Against the Frisons and subdu'd them in short space But death when he had rul'd foure yeares his conquest did deface And without heires it was his chance to die VVhose bones intomb'd with his valiant ancestors do lie COnt Floris the fifth being thus murthered as we haue said by Gerard van Velsen Iohn of Holland his only sonne succeeded him and was the twentieth Earle He being absent in England with the king his father in law Didier earle of Cleues tooke vpon him the gouernment of the quarter of North-Holland On the other side Guy brother to the earle of Henault Treasurer Cathedrall of the bishopricke of Liege came and tooke vpon him the gouernment of South-Holland made his residence at Gheertruyden-bergh By the diuisions and factions of these two noblemen there happened great troubles in Holland the subiects being diuided during the absence of their prince Cont Iohn of Henault and Guy his brother were sonnes to the deceased cont Iohn d' Auesnes and the lady Alix sister to William king of Romanes and Earle of Holland who was father vnto the last Cont Floris and so were cousin germanes to Cont Iohn of Holland his neerest kinsmen and more apparent heires than the earle of Cleues and therfore Guy maintained that the gouernment was due to him rather than to the earle of Cleues but Cont Iohns return from England ended all these quarrels William Bertold subrogated in the place of Iohn Zirich chosen bishop of Toul in Lorraine to the bishopricke of Vtrecht hauing an actiue and stirring spirit reuiued the ancient quarrels of them of Vtrecht against the Hollanders went to besiege the castle of Muyden the which he maintained to be part of his reuenues the which in the end he forced and constrained Didier of Harlem to yeeld it vp to haue their liues saued he remaining his prisoner The bishop puffed vp with this happie successe went into West-Friseland after that hee had caused his pardons to be preached for all such as would carry armes against the Hollanders The Frisons according to their auncient manner of doing being still readie to reiect the yoke of the Earles of Holland by the persuasion and encouragement of this bishop besieged the castle of Widenesse which they battered and gaue many assaults so as in the end Baldwin of Naeldwyke for want of victuals and munition of warre was forced to yeeld it vp by composition to depart with bag and baggage and to returne freely into Holland which done they rased it the like they did also to the castle of Euigenburch then passing on they besieged the castle of Medemblycke hauing burnt the base towne Floris of Egmont and other gentlemen that were within it defended themselues valiantly making many braue sallies and skirmishes vpon their enemies they were so long besieged in this manner as for want of victuals they were forced to eat their horses Cont Iohn of Henault hauing newes thereof and that the Frisons with the said bishop of Vtrecht did what they pleased without any or very small resistance tooke vpon him during the absence of his cousin the gouernment of Holland and with an Armie of Hannuyers Hollanders and Zeelanders went into Friseland where he defeated the Frisons raised the siege from before Medemblycke and relieued it with all things necessarie The Seignior Iohn of Arckel and Nicholas of Putten knights of Holland tooke the towne of Enchuysen whence they caried away a great spoile and in their retreat burnt it During the diuisions and partialities betwixt the earle of Cleues and Guy of Henault the which increased more and more in Holland the lords Didier of Brederode Floris Regal Abbot of Egmond Henry Vicont of Leyden and William of Egmond accompanied with some gentlemen of marke imbarked to goe and fetch their prince Cont Iohn out of England and for a strange and new thing they led with them Claes van Keyten where they were graciously receiued by king Edward who hauing rigged forth a goodly Fleet of shippes sent away the Earle his son in law with his daughter Elizabeth recommending vnto the lord of Brederode the gouernment of the said Earle his prince being then very young Being at sea the wind turned contrary so as they were forced to land in Zeeland whereas Wolfart of Borssele lord of la Vere reiecting and contemning the Noblemen of Holland did cunningly seize vpon the guard and gouernment of the young Earle chasing from him all the Nobilitie of Holland to whom the king of England had so much recommended him The Earle being one day at Romerswael by the persuasion of the said lord of Vere sent the lord of Brederode who was a plaine dealing man and nothing malicious to Ziricxee to treat of some affaires and in the meane time the said lord
Prouence who was condemned to be hanged being priuy to the earle Campobachios treacherous practises and not caused him to be sodainly executed at the instance of this traitor hee might haue preuented his owne death and the ruine of his estate which the said Campobachio had plotted with the duke of Lorraine to the great content of Lewis the 11. And it is friuolous to say that in such cases prisoners condemned make such suits to prolong their liues for no aduertisements in matter of war how small soeuer from whence they may draw great coniectures and from coniectures come vnto the proofe are to be reiected And therefore wee may not wonder if things succeed not well with that prince that relies too much on the passions of his counsellors whom he should alwayes suspect to be enemies or to malice and hate him to whom they dissuade him to giue audience and the prince ought herein being well assured of his person vse his owne wisedome But let vs returne to our hystorie To pacifie these great quarrels betwixt Philip the Faire king of France Iohn of Henault earl of Holland Guy bishop of Vtrecht and Guy of Dompierre earle of Flanders and his three sonnes the duke of Bourgoigne and some other princes were intercessors and mediators on either side so as in the end an accord was made betwixt them by the which it was concluded That Guy bishop of Vtrecht shold be set at libertie shold be restored to the possession of his bishoprick the which was done That the earle of Flanders with his threesons some princes and noblemen with fortie Flemish gentlemen should be set at libertie by the king the which returned ioyfully into Flanders euerie one to his owne home But the earle after his inlargement grew so sicke as he died the 20 of March 1305 and was buried at Scluce neere vnto the contesse Marguerite his mother Some chronicles of Flanders say that he died at Campeigne in France being yet a prisoner Iohn of Henault Earlé of Holland and Zeeland Lord of West-Friseland hauing aduertisement of the victorie which God had giuen vnto VVilliam earle of Ostreuant his sonne was verie ioyfull and soone after the second day of the ides of September 1305 departed this world in peace and rest after that he had gouerned Henault 30 yeares and Holland and Zeeland c. 5 yeares and was interred at Valenciennes The lady Philip of Luxembourg his wife died soone after and was buried by her husband At the time of the death of the said Cont Iohn there were many noblemen barons knights and squiers that were renowned in the countries of Holland and Zeeland amongst the which the most famous were Guy of Henault lord of Amstel and of Woerden afterwards bishop of Vtrecht brother to the said Cont Iohn Iohn without mercie earle of Ostreuant who was slaine before the death of his father at the battaile of Courtray William who succeeded him in the said earldome of Ostreuant his second son afterwards Earle of Henault Holland Zeeland c. Iohn of Beaumont earle of Blois and of Soissons all three brethren sonnes to the said Cont Iohn of Henault Didier the Gentle lord of Brederode William and Thierry his brethren Didier lord of Theylinghen Iohn of Heusden Iohn lord of Arckel Hugh Butterman lord of Buttersloot Albert lord of Voorne Nicholas lord of Putten and of Stryen Iohn lord of Leck and Polanen Iohn lord of Hencklom Otto lord of of Aspren and Abkoy Ghysbrecht of Yselsteyn Henry vicont of Leyden Didier lord of Wassenare Henry lord of Vianen Nicholas of Persin Didier of Harlem Witten bastard of Holland lord of Hamstede in Zeeland Nicholas of Cats Peregrin lord of Lederdam and of Haestrecht William of Egmond Iohn lord of Elshaut Iohn seignior of Drongelon Didier seignior of Lyenburch Ieams vander Wuoude Gerard of Heemskerke Gerard of Polgeest seignior of Almade Simon of Benthem Wolwin of Sasse Adamâ—… Escosse Baldwin of Naeldwick Floris van Duynen Floris van Tol all knights Among the squiers William of Harlem William of Assendelf Iohn van Zil Nicholas of Adrichom Wouter of Wyck were the most markable with an infinit number of gentlemen of name and armes The yeare before the death of Cont Iohn of Henault there were so great tempests and such tides on a S. Katherines day as many banks and dikes were broken and carried away in Zeeland and the isle of Walchren was so ouerflowne as the countrey men were out of all hope to recouer their banks and if William Earle of Ostreuant who made his vsuall residence in Zeeland and the lord of Borssele had not preuented it at their owne charge this island had beene lost WILLIAM THE THIRD OF THAT name the two and twentieth Earle of Holland Zeeland and Henault Lord of Friseland 22 Guil ielmus 3 Hanoniae Cogn Bonus IOANE daughter to king CHARLES de Valois was thy spouse That brought thee children worthy thy degree and noble house Whereof one did his valour great and vertue show By mounting thee againe when as thy foes did ouerthrow Thee from thy horse whereby at last God did thee send The victorie to honour of the French as then thy friend Thou punishedst a bailife that a poore mans Cow did take And ruling thirtie yeares and one this life thou didst forsake WILLIAM the third of that name before Earle of Ostreuant after the decease of Cont Iohn of Henault his father succeeded and was the 22 Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland vnited to his county of Henault for his mildnesse gentlenesse equitie and good life hee was called The good Earle William Hee was generally beloued of all knights princes noblemen and greatly honoured of all men for his valour he was surnamed The Master of Knights Lord of Princes He had to wife Ioane the daughter of Charls of Valois brother to Philip the Faire king of France by whom he had Iohn his eldest son who died yong VVilliam earle of Ostreuant who was his successor and Lewis who died also yong Marguerite wife to Lewis duke of Bauiere emperour who after the decease of her brother VVilliam was contesse of Henault Holland Zeeland and ladie of Friseland Ioane who was maried to the earle of Iuilliers another Ioane who was queene of England and the fourth Elizabeth At his comming to these earldoms and seigniories he kept open court whither came 20 earles 100 barons 1000 knights and an infinit number of gentlemen ladies and gentlewomen comming from all parts This feast continued eight daies in all kind of sports and pastimes afterwards the princes of Germany did chuse him vicar of the empire He was much renowned throughout al Germanie in respect of two strong castles which he did win neer vnto Cologne that is Bruile Wolmestein He was founder of the chanory of Middlebourg in Zeeland walled in the town fortified it This Cont VVilliam had one brother as we haue said called Iohn of
was also inuited both by the King and the Queene his Ante of whom he was honourably receiued with great shewes of loue At his returne from this voyage into Holland this poore Prince I know not by what vnknowne accident was distempered of his sences and vnderstanding so as being very big and strong of all his members he slue Gerard of Wateringhen a Knight with one blow with his fist so as they were forced to shut him vp and to set good garde vpon him where he was keâ—…t for the space of nineteene yeares vntill he dyed Hauing before his distemperature gouerned his countries of Holland Zeeland and Friseland seauen yeares and Henault two Foure yeares after him dyed also the Lady Mathilda his wife who lyes interred in the Abbay of Rhynsbourg by Leyden ALBERT OF BAVARIA 26. EARLE of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland and Palatin of Henault Adelbertus Bauariae I had two wiues both which one name did beare The one a Polonois the other was Marguerite of Cleues the Frisons stood in feare Of my strong hand that did their strength surpasse And oft subdu'd their proud rebellions Delfe taken by me I demantled it At t'Hage iâ—… Holland I appointed Chanons Good men I choosd and for their places sit Hage Castle in the Chappell now containes My body freed from all his eâ—…thly paines DVke William of Bauaria Earle of Holland Zeeland and Henault Lord of Friseland being as we haue said distracted of his sences put into safe keeping the faction of the Hoecks Cabillaux reuiued for the Cabillautins would haue the lady Mathilda wife to the said Cont William to be gouernesse of the said Countries but for that the said lady had no children the Hoeketins did choose Albert of Bauaria Palatin of Rhine siegneor of Nubingen brother to the said Cont William The Nobles of the Contie of Henault consented for their parts to this election and sent a notable Ambassage vnto him into Bauaria beseeching him that hee would take vpon him in his brothers place who was distempered in his braine the gouernment of the said countries Albert vnderstanding the iust request of the Estates by their Ambassador went well accompanied with many Barons Knights and Gentlemen going downe by the riuer of Rhine into Holland where he was honorably receiued of both parties as well Cabellaux as Hoekes and acknowledged as Tutor to the Earle his brother and gouernor of his countries and siegneories Then it was agreed that he should pay yeerely vnto the Countesse Mathilda his sister in lawe the summe of twelue thousand French crownes and no more by meanes of which accord both parties were content and continued good friends but not long This Prince Albert of Bauaria had receiued the order of Knight-hood before making warre in the country of Granado against the Moores and Sarazens At the first hee was married vnto Marguerit daughter to the Duke of Briga in Polonia by whom hee had three sonnes and foure daughters the eldest was called William Earle of Osteruant who was borne in the yeare 1365. the second named Albert siegnior of Nubingen who dyed yong the third was Iohn chosen bishop of Liege borne in the yeare 1374. The eldest daughter Katherine was first married to Edward Duke of Gelders and Earle of Zutphen after whose decease being yet a virgin she married with Duke William of Iuilliers and of Geldres but she had not any children The other daughter named Ioane had to husband Venceslaus King of Romaines and of Bohemia sonne to the Emperor Charles the 4. who also had not any children Marguerite the 3. daughter married with Iohn Duke of Bourgongne Earle of Flanders and Arthois sonne to Duke Phillip the hardie by whom shee had Phillip Duke of Bourgongne called the good and afterwards Duke of Brabant Lembourg and Luxembourg Earle of Flanders Arthois Henault Bourgongne Holland Zeeland and Namur Lord of Friseland and foure daughters the first Iolente Countesse of Poitiers the second Anne Countesse of Bedford the third Agnes Duchesse of Bourbon and the fourth Ioane wife to Duke Albert of Austria by whom shee had one sonne called Albert who married the daughter of Sigismond King of Hongarie who afterwards was Emperor of the Romaines after whose decease this Duke Albert did inherit all these realmes in the right of his wife and was afterwards chosen Emperor but he raigned not long for hee died in the flower of his age his wife was brought in bed soone after his death of a sonne named Lancelot who dyed at two and twenty yeares of age leauing no children This Albert had one cousin germaine sonne to his fathers brother named Frederick who afterwards was also Emperor the third of that name and had to wife the daughter of the King of Portugall by whom hee had Maximilian Archduke of Austria who was also Emperor the first of that name who had to wife Mary the daughter and sole heire of Charles the Warlick Duke of Bourgongne who was slaine before Nancie by whom he had one sonne named Philip and a daughter named Marguerite Philip married with Ioane daughter to Ferdinand King of Arragon and to Elizabeth Queene of Castille Marguerite was married to Iohn Prince of Castille and of Arragon who dyed yong and after married againe to the Duke of Sauoy Philip had by the said Lady Ioane his wife two sonnes Charles the â—…ift and Ferdinand both Emperors and foure daughters Elenor Ioane Mary and Elizabeth The Emperor Charles the sift had one onely sonne Philip king of Spaine Lord of the Low-countries father to King Phillip the third now raigning Behold in briefe the genealogie of the Kings of Spaine and of foure or fiue Emperors issued from the houses of Holland Bourgongne and Austria As for the second wife of Duke Albert of Bauaria Earle of Holland of whom wee now intreate wee will speake of her hereafter The said Cont Albert displaced Iohn of Blauwestein from the Baylewike of Kermerlandt inuesting Renald the eldest sonne to the Lord of Brederode in his place the which those of the faction of the Cabillautins tooke in very ill part and laide ambushes neere vnto the village of Castrichom to kill him when hee should passe that way One day this yong Nobleman doubting no harme riding towards Castrichom he incountred them that lay in ambush for him but hauing discouered them a good way of he saued himselfe by flight they pursued him and slew three of his seruants Those of the village of Castrichom seeing it went to armes to defend their new Bayliffe so as they were forced to retire Some of them saued themselues in the Castell of Walter of Hemskerke the rest fled to Delf where they were receiued for that the said towne was of the Cabillautins faction Cont Albert hearing of these newes did presently leuie some troupes and marched towards Kermerlandt where he besieged the Castell of Hemskerke for that Walter who was Lord thereof had receiued
Tessel the Flie were inlarged the which before were but small chanels so as since the nauigation hath growne easie betwixt the Iland of Tessel and Wyernighe and the townes of Medenblike and Euchuysen and so by the Zuyderzee to saile into the North sea as they do at this day In the yeare 1404. on S. Paules day in winter the most famous Prince Albert duke of Bauaria Earle of Holland Henault Zeland and Lord of Friseland died after that hee had gouerned the said countries 46. yeares that is 19. as Tutor to his brother Cont William that was mad and 27. yeares as his heire Prince Lord of the said conntries He was interred at the Hage in Holland by the lady Marguerit his first wife on the side of the great Altar vnder one tombe Besides his lawfull children he had two bastards Andrew which was borne at Papendrecht and William siegneor of Schagen a Knight From whom are issued the late Lords of Schagen WILLIAM THE 6. OF THAT NAME the 27 Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland and Earle of Henault 27 Guilielmus Bauarice I wasted Friseland and despoiled Liege I troubled Gelders both with campe and siege Helpt of the Delphois my great vnckles bones Is rescued out of forreigne Rhegions My first wife was the Daughter of a King My second from the Burgundy Throne did spring At Ualenciennes I dyed thirteene yeares raigning My predecessors Toombe my bones containing WILLIAM of Bauaria Earle of Osteruant after the decease of Duke Albert of Bauaria his father was the 27. Earle of Holland c. Being but yong he tooke to wife the daughter of Charles the fift King of France who made him Knight before Dam in Flanders this wife dyed young Afterwards he married the daughter of Iohn sonne to Philip the hardie Duke of Bourgongne Earle of Flanders and Arthois by whom he had one onely daughter named Iaqueline whom the Dutch call Iacobaâ—… who was borne in the yeare 1401. on Saint Iames his day This Prince was warlicke and much feared of a tall stature a goodly personage wise discreete in warre victorious a great iusticer and a giuer of almes In the yeare 1404. Iohn of Bauaria bishop of Liege brother to William Earle of Holland c. being chased out of the towne of Liege for that he would not be a Priest imployed the succours of Iohn Duke of Bourgongne who had married his sister against the Liegeois which Duke came in person and burnt the Cittie of Liege with the Churches and Monasteries and slew Priests men women and children to the number of 36000. soules according to the Chronicles of Germanie In the yeare 1405. William of Y sendorn leuied men in the Lord of Arckels name with a part whereof being disguised in the habit of marchants he went on a Shroue-twesday to the towne of Wandrichom where making a shewto aske leaue of the Toll-gatherer to passe with their ship and goods they seazed vpon a gate and slew the maister of the Toll This done they spoiled the towne burnt it and returned into Gorrichom being distant but a quarter of a league with a good number of prisoners of the best of the towne The Earle of Holland being displeased that the Lord of Arckel had thus broken the peace which had beene concluded a little before at the instance of the Bishop of Liege his brother thought to be reuenged He first renewed his league with the bishop of Vtrecht then he leuied an armie of Hollanders Zeelanders Hannyuers Frisons and Traiectins with the which hee went and besieged the townes and Castels of Gaspren Hagenstein and Euerstein being one distant from another about a quarter of a league whereof that of Euerstein is now falne into the riuer of Leck On the other side the Lord of Arckel manned the towne of Gaspren and the Castell of Hagenstein with good garrisons putting into them Iohn vander Hoenne Allard Pufflyet Lucas of Botselaer William of Lyenden Iohn of Arckel siegnior of Soelen and Iohn bastard of Arckel In the Castell of Euerstein were the siegneors of Bronkhuysten and Hoochstraeten William Banst and Henry of Nyenstein bastard brother to the said Lord of Arckel with a good garrison of soldiers Cont William made three Bulwarkes or Blockhouses the one aboue the Castell of Euerstein towards the riuer of Leck the which he caused to bee compassed in with a Palissadoe so as no victuals could passe that way and the other two were built on either side of the towne of Gaspren and Hagenstein causing a deepe and large trenche to be made from the one vnto the other to keepe them off the towne from succoring of the Castell and to hinder them of the Castle from salleying forth These two Bulwarkes or fortes being finished and furnished with good Commanders and soldiers and with all sorts of munition of warre and prouision of victuals the Earle returned into Holland A while after the Earle and bishop of Vtrecht concluded together to force this towne and castle for the effecting whereof the Earle went and camped there in person and hauing planted three great engins of battery he did strangely teare and ruine the towne and castell of Hagenstein The bishop with his men besieged the castell of Euerstein the which hee annoyed with wonderfull great stones that were shot continually from his huge Crosbowes The Earle had enuironed the towne with Bauins and Reeds mingled close together so as no man could passe ouer nor vnder it And as the winter was very sharpe and the ditches frozen and very thick with Ice the Earle knowing that there was no great store of victuals in the towne prepared to passe ouer the Ice and to attempt it by scaladoe the which was done and the assault well defended But Iohn of Arckel siegneor of Soelen nephew to the Lord of Arckel being slaine with an arrow they of the towne fearing some greater inconuenience yeelded it vp by composition to the Earle of Holland who fiered both towne and Castell and would not depart vntill the last house was consumed to ashes which they of Euerstein seeing who in like sort were straightly besieged their victuals beginning to faile them so as they were forced to eate their horses they did yeeld the same day to the Bishops mercy who in like sort caused it to be ruined to the ground the which as they say are now in the riuer of Leck The Earle hauing done these exploits against the Lord of Arckel returned to the Hage his men being laden with the spoiles of these Townes Castels Then there was a truce concluded betwixt the Earle and the bishop of the one part and William of Arckel of the other by the which Iohn Lord of Arckel his father was excluded As this warre betwixt the Earle of Holland and the Lord of Arckel could not be appeased the richest and most apparent persons of the country of Arckel who were dayly
speech and yet subiect to choller high minded and not willing to be braued of any how great soeuer as hee did often shew to King Charles the 7. and Lewis the 11. of France he was very curious to entertaine peace with his subiects whom hee loued and sought their quiet so in his time all his countries flourished in wealth and aboundance Hee was a wiseman discreet charitable and a great Almes-giuer by reason whereof hee was called the good but full of reuenge and very ambitious desiring to make himself great by what means so-euer as appeared by so many fals bounds which he played to the contesse of Holland his cosin He exceeded all his Predecessors Dukes of Bourgongne in riches Seigneories greatnes of state and pompe so as in his time there was no Christian Prince that for his qualitie might be compared vnto him He tooke pleasure to breed vp and nourish sundry strange and wilde beasts He had a Gyant and many Turks among his houshold seruants which he had caused to be baptized The Duke being dead the Earle of Charolois his onely sonne and sole heire called for the Seales the which he presently brake This done after that he had giuen order for the dead body vntill his returne he tooke poste and went to Lille where he sealed vp the chamber and the cofers of his fathers treasure appointing gardes that none might touch them then he returned presently to Bruges where hee perfourmed the funeralles of his father with great pompe and state his heart was buried in the Church of Arras and his body was layed in a coffin of leade and left in the Church vntill that it should be transported from thence to Ierusalem and interred neere to the holy Sepulchre hauing giuen great giftes to the Couent of Fryars of the said Sepulcher The Lady Isabel his wife dyed the 17. of December in the yeare 1471. in the towne of Aire and was interred in the cloyster of Nunnes at Gouvay by Bethune afterwards her bodie and the duke her husbands were carried to the Chartreux by Digeon in Bourgongne where as they lie vnder a stately tombe of brasse guilt richly curiously wrought About that time the art of Printing was inuented wherof those of Harlem in Holland challenge the first honor yet afterwards it was brought to perfection at Mentz by one that had been seruant to Laurence Ianson of Harlem the first inuentor and ranne from him to Mentz with his tooles they write his name was Iohn Faustus as they of Harlem do constantly affirme Carolus Dux Burgund CHARLES THE WARLIKE THE 1. OF that Name the 31. Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Frizeland Duke of Bourgongne Brabant Lembourg Luxemburg Earle of Flanders Arthois Henault and Namur Lord of Salins and Macklyn Of so many goodly Countries successor to my father Of three wiues I had but one only heire At Montlehery I defeyted the French brauely At Macklyn I erected my heigh Parliament Being incensed I made the Liegeois feele my splene If against the Cantons I had not taken Armes I had beene more happie and cruell death Had not shewed his force against me at Nancy The Argument of the fourth Booke CHARLES Duke of Bourgongne in the life of his father the good Duke Philip was called Earle of Charolois the 31. Earle of Holland c. At his first entrie into Gant the Inhabitants maintayned against him but he brought them vnder The Liegeois breake the peace and entred into warre against the Duke he defeats them in Battaile wherevpon the Towne of Liege yeelded The Duke of Bourgongne makes a peace with the French king who comes to the Duke to Peronne hee was in feare there least the Duke should haue detained him The Liegeois arme a newe against the Duke of Bourgongne he forceth King Lewis to go with him to the fiege of their Towne the which he ruines practises to ruine the house of Brederode The Duke makes war against the Frisons He entertaines many Princes with the hope of marrying with his daughter The french king the Duke of Bourgongne seek to deceiue one another The Constable of S. Poll growes odious to thē both they resolut to ruine him He seeks to reconcile the duke of Gelders his son besiegeth Neuse The motiue of the war against the Swisses A truce for nine years betwixt the Duke and the French king they sweare the Constables death who in the end is beheaded at Paris The duke makes war against the Swisses he is defeated by them first at Granson then at Morat wherewith the Swisses were inriched the Duke besiegeth Nancy where he was slaine in battaile by the treason of the Earle of Campobachio an Italian Marie of Bourgongne his only daughter succeeds him and was the 32. commanding in Holland c The French Long seazeth vpon the townes of Piccardie and Arthois with an intent to ruine her this Princesse being in the Ganthois power suffers much putting her cheefest seruants and Councellors to death the Flemings defeated and the yong Duke of Gellers slaine A marriage betwixt Maximilian of Austria the Emperor Fredericks sonne and the Lady Marie of Bourgongne CHARLES of Bourgongne called the Warlike for that hee had been so great a Warrior succeeded vnto Duke Philip of Bourgongne his father in all his Estates Siegneories was Duke of Bourgongne Brabant Lembourg and Luxembourg Earle of Flanders Arthois Henault Bourgongne Holland Zeeland and Namur Marquis of the holy Empire and Lord of Friseland Salins and Macklyn His father hauing left him great treasures of Gold and Siluer hee bought or as some write had in morgage of Sigismond Arch-duke of Austria the Earledome of Ferret in the Countrie of Elsatia neere vnto Basill in Swisserland vpon the Rhin somewhat neere to the Dutchie of Bourgongne and too farre from Sigismond to defend it from the incursions of neighbour Princes Hee was 33. yeare olde when hee succeeded all these goodly Estates Katherine the daughter of King Charles the 7. of France was first promised him to wife but she dyed yong before she was married Afterwards hee married Elizabeth daughter to the Duke of Burbon his cousin by whome hee had one daughter and onely heire called Marie This Dutches Elizabeth being dead he marryed Marguerite daughter to Richard Duke of Yorke and sister to Edward the fourth King of England by whom hee had not any children His father gaue him in his youth to maintaine his estate the Earldome of Charolois which is in the Contie of Bourgongne otherwise called Franch Contie with the Siegniors of Bethune Arckel and Bellain In his fathers life time he wanne from the Sea a great circuit of countrie opposite to Rotterdam causing a Village to be built there the which hee called with the whole countrie by his name Charolois and so it continues vnto this day Hee had begunne a great fort in the towne of Gorrichom vppon the Riuer of Wahal but it remained during his life
to the Ambassadors of Gaunt of the death of these two good men and of the disgrace she receiued when as they produced them before so great a multitude and that it had giuen the Ganthois such libertie as they had presumed to chase away her old seruants and to seperate her mother in law and the lord of Rauestein from her and had strucke such a feare into her Ladyes and Gentlewomen that neither shee nor they durst receiue nor open a letter without shewing it to them nor yet talke together in priuate See what a libertie a rascall multitude will take when as they haue vsurped any authoritie ouer their Prince Then also she began to estrange her selfe to the bishop of Liege being of the house of Bourbon who labored the marriage of the Dolphin whereof she would heare no more spoken wherefore euery man held his peace from that time and the bishop retyred himselfe into his Countrey of Liege They had before held a counsell about that matter whereas the Lady of Halwin the first lady of honor to the Princesse was present who hearing speake of the Dolphin said That they had need of a man and not of a child that her Mistresse was a woman able to beare children whereof the countrie had most need All were of this opinon Some would blame the said Lady for speaking so freely others commended her saying That she spake but of marriage and of that the Countrey had most need The question was now to find out this man If the French King would haue beene content shee should haue married with the Earle of Angoulesme it may be she would haue consented she had so great a desire to be allyed to the house of France The Duke of Cleues laboured for his sonne but she had no disposition to it The Emperor sent his Ambassadors to Gaunt to the Princesse to entreat a marriage who being first arryued at Bruxelles they were requested to stay there a while and they should be sent for the which the Duke of Cieues did hauing no delight in their comming and practising to make them returne discontented But the Ambassadors who had good intelligence in the Princesse court especially with the Dutches Dowager of Bourgongne her mother in law past on for she did aduise them to come forward notwithstanding any letter to the contrarie She did also aduertise them what they should doe at their comming to Gaunt and that the Princesse with many of her friends and Counsell were disposed to their intention The Ambassadours followed her aduice and came directly to Gaunt notwithstanding any message that was sent them whereat the Duke of Cleues was much discontented for he was not yet priuy to the Princesse will and disposition It was resolued on in Counsell that they should haue audience and the Princesse was put in mind to say after that they had deliuered their charge That they were very welcome and that she would consider of their propositions and that at that present shee would say no more vnto them but that they should haue an answere giuen them The Ambassadors being entred into the place of audience whereas the Princesse was set in the midst of her Counsell presented their letters when they were appointed and deliuered their charge which was That whereas a marriage had been concluded and agreed vpon beewixt the Emperor and the Duke of Bourgongne her father with her owne priuitie and consent as did appeare by Letters written with her owne hand which they did produce with a Diamond â—…hich they said hâ—…d beene sent and giuen in signe of marriage desiring earnestly in the behalfe of of the Emperor their Maister and the Arch-duke his sonne That it would please the Princesse to accomplish this marriage which was conformable both to her father 〈◊〉 and hâ—…r owne Sommoning her moreouer to declare openly if shee had written the sâ—…id Letter or no and if she had any desire to performe her promise Wherevnto without demanding futher counsell she answered That she had written the said Letters by the 〈◊〉 of the Duke her Lord and father and had sent the Diamond avowing all Wherevppon the Ambassadors did thanke her most humbly and returned ioyfully to their lodgings The Duke of Cleues was discontented with this answere which was contrary to that which had beene decreed in Counsell telling the Princesse that shee had spoken very ill but this Counsell knew not what this Commission was nor what the Ambassadours speech would bee wherevnto shee answered That shee could not otherwise doe that it was a thing promised and past the which shee could not recall nor gaine-say Which answere being heard and knowing well that the greatest part were of the Princesse minde the Duke of Cleues held his peace and resolued to giue ouer his pursute for his sonne and to returne into his owne Countrie and the Ambassadours well satisfied to the Emperour and the Arch duke their Maisters to make their report to hasten their yong Prince to come Who soone after their returne came to Cologne whereas some of the Noble-men and Barons seruantes to the Princesse went to meet him and was by them conducted vnto Gaunt hauing eight hundred horse in his traine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Austrius MAXIMILIAN ARCH-DVKE OF Austria sonne to the Emperour Fredericke by the Lady Marie of Bourgongne his wife the 33. Earle of Holland Zeeland and Lord of Freezland Nor am I Heire nor Earle but countable Vnto my sonne and for his good I hold it I onely twelue yeares kept the Dukedome stable To render it to him at yeares â—…'vphold it What I possesse is his for him I keepe My Empire me contents no more I thirst Two wiues I had but now with death I sleepe At Newstad with my Mother I lye Herst The Argument of the fift Booke THE good parts of the Arch-duke Maximilian the knowledge of Tongs reuiued the Arch-dukes marriage with the Princesse of Bourgongne the order of the Golden Fleece giuen to the Arch-duke The birth of Prince Philip of Austria the Geldrois reuolts from the house of Bourgongne the battell of Guinegate whereas the Arch-duke is Victor Tourney yeelded to the Arch-duke Truce betwixt the French King and the Arch-duke warre betwixt the Geldrois and Hollanders New tumults in Holland by the two Factions which the Arch-duke doth pacifie Dordrecht surpized by the yong Lord of Egmond Many townes in Gelders yeelded to the Arch-duke The factions reuiued in Freezland Warre betwixt the Hollanders and them of Vtrecht the death of the Arch-dutchesse the Flemmings take vppon them the gouernment of the Countrie and fall to their old mutinies Pettie warres in Freezland the Lady Marguerite carried into France after the peace to bee married to the Dolphin New troubles at Vtrecht and the Bishop prisoner afterwards restored by the Arch-duke Engelbert Earle of Nassau made gouernour of the Neitherlands by the Arch-duke Maximilian and Philip his sonne The Arch-duke creatâ—…d King of Romans the Factions reuiued and great troubles in
armie into the Towne after that the souldiers of the garrison were retired The which was performed and the Archduke entred in good order and triumphe the 6. of September pardoning the Inhabitants and remitting both their liues and goods the which hee did also to the Vicont of Montfort Those of Amersfort hearing of the yeelding of Vtrecht sent their Deputies to the Archduke vnto whom they were reconciled and to their Bishop whom they conducted with a good conuoy to his Towne of Vtrecht being glad to bee restored The Archduke appointed the Lord of Iselsteyn Gouernor there for him with 1000. men in garrison at the charges of the Counâ—…e of Holland The Hollanders were resolued to keepe it to serue them as a frontier and Bulwarke on that side fortifying Saint Katherins Port towards Holland and placing some men there in garrison The 1â—… of October the Archduke hauing ordred all things in those quarters of Holland and Vtrecht returned into Brabant for that the Bishop of Cambray the Prince of Orange and the Lord of Croye were come thether to aduertise him of the death of King Lewis the 11. who died the 13. of August the same yeare 1483. and of what was presently to be done At the reception of the Princesse of Austria in the Court of France the King desired that Prince Philip of Austria might be put in possession of the Estates and Seigneuries that were fallen vnto him by the death of the Dutchesse his Mother Where-vpon those of Gaunt Bruges Franc and Ipre required the Archduke to come into Flanders to satisfie the Kings will touching these inheritances but being then at Antwerp ready to goe and besiege Vtrecht he referred it to his returne This siege continued long the Flemings boyling as they be in all their first motions very violent yea without discretion tooke their young Prince being then but fiue yeares old and two moneths and put him in possession of the sayd Countie and of all the townes in the Prouince appointing for Tutors and Gardiens the Earle of Romont Adolph of Cleues Lord of Rauesteyn Ioos of la Vere Lord of Groouelt and Philip of Bourgongne Lord of Beueron Ioos Lord of Lalain hauing beene slaine at the siege of Vtrecht the Hollanders intreated the Archduke to giue them a Gouernour who according to their last priuiledges was borne in the Countrie According to the which Iohn of Egmont was appointed the Princes Lieutenant in Holland Zeeland and West-Friseland who in the moneth of May following marryed Magdeline of Wardenburch daughter to the Earle of Wardenburch a Germaine The Flemings hauing according to the will of the French King put young Prince Philip of Austria in possession of his inheritance without attending the Archduke his Father and hauing appointed him those foure Tutors to gouerne both him and his Country during his minoritie did greatly discontent the Archduke there-with who seeing himselfe depriued of his onely Sonne and of the gouernment of Flanders held diuerse Councels with his most familiars to know how hee might bring them vnto reason where-vnto the Earle of Nassau and the Lord of Goesbeeke perswaded him most with such as had beene expelled and banished out of Gaunt and Bruges And withall there fell out a quarrell betwixt the Flemings especially them of Bruges and the Townes of Antwerp and Berghen vppon Soom by reason of their Fayres and Markets the Brugeois complaining that their towne lost their trade by their meanes wherevpon the Flemings built a fort vpon Flanders side at Cloppesdike vpon the riuer of Escault the which they did man with a good garrison and Artillerie to keepe the shippes of Holland Zeeland and the East-countries from passing vp to Antwerp and by that meanes to hinder the traffike of the sayd towne spoyling oftentimes vnder this collour good Marchants and doing them great outrages Those of Antwerp on the other side did furnish forth some fewe Shippes of warre to bee a conuoie for merchants going vp and downe the Riuer and to defend them from the pilferies of the Flemings the which did the more incense the Archduke against the Brugeois wherevpon hee makes an enterprise to surprise them the which beeing discouered the Brugeois stood so vpon their gard as for that time hee could not effect any thing and many Bourgeses of the sayd towne were committed to prison beeing suspected to haue had intelligence with the Archduke whereof eight were beheaded and quartered terming them traitors the which did incense the Archduke the more against them In the same yeare after Easter there came out of France Anthony of Bourgongne Earle of Steenberghen bastard to the good Duke Philip of Bourgongne a wise and an ancient knight gouernor to Charles the 8. the French King sent by the King and his councell to deuise of the meanes to reconcile all controuersies betwixt the Archduke and the Flemings but their spleenes were so great on either side as hee preuailed nothing either partie remayning obstinate in his opinions A while after the Archduke seized of the towne of Deudermonde by surqrise and then beganne sharpe warres betwixt the Archduke and the Flemings to the ruine of the countries of Flanders and Brabant The Margraue of Antwerp entred with good troupes into the land of Waes which is the fattest quarter of all Flanders where he committed great spoiles and burnt the countrie The Flemings did no lesse in Brabant euen vnto the gates of Brusselles whereas the Archduke then was The lord of Rauestein did cunningly seize vpon Audenarde for the Archduke A captaine of Boisleduc called Martin Swart a Shomaker by his trade whome the Archduke for his prowes had made a knight entred with his company into Flanders surprised the towne of Nienhouen spoiled the French garrison that was in it ransomed the towne and they left it They of Antwerp beseeged battred and forced the fort of Cloppersdyke nere vnto Saffringhen vpon the riuer of Escault the which they raized Anthony of Bourgongne Earle of Seuenberghen contynuing still to mediate an accord betwixt the Archduke and the Flemings vsed such good meanes with them of Bruges as they were content to humble themselues vnto the Archduke with whome hee reconciled them in such sort as the 21. of Iulie hee entred the towne beeing accompanied by the Earle of Nassau and the greatest part of his armie where hee punnished some mutinous rebells and renewed the lawe the Magistrate and the Officers of the towne at his pleasure The Ganthois hearing what the Brugeois had done were by the intercession of the Earle of Steenbergeen reconciled in like sort whether the Archduke went about fifteene daies after with goodly troupes of horse and foote for his safety knowing with what kinde of people hee had to deale The sayd Earle of Steenberghen came to meete him bringing with him his Sonne the young Prince Philip whome hee had not seene of a long time and was then very ioyfull to behold him The Archduke entring
the Empire and the forme of publike gouernment was maintayned by the wisedome constancy vnion and fidelity of the sayd Princes Electors Albert of Brandebourg Archbishoppe of Mentz Prince Elector and Chancellor of the Empire throughout all Germanie hauing newes of this death gaue notice thereof according to his charge to the Princes Electors and called them all to Francfort vpon the riuer of Mayn to proceed vnto the election of a new Emperour whether they came all Videlicet Albert himselfe Herman Earle of Weda Archbishoppe of Cologne Richard Archbishoppe of Treues Ladislas of Sterneberg Ambassador to Lewis King of Bohemia Lewis Count Palatin of Rhine Frederic duke of Saxony and Ioachin Marquis of Brandebourg The seauenteene day of Iune in the same yeare 1519. they assembled all in Saint Bartlemewes Church at Francfort where after the accustomed ceremonies the Princes in their habits of Electors approched to the Altar where in the presence of a great multitude they did sollemnly sweare faithfully to obserue all the Articles of the election contained in the golden Bull of Charles the fourth the which to that effect was publickly read before them all from thence the Princes Electors alone entred into the Vestry of the said Temple where they had beene accustomed for a long time to make the like elections The Archbishop of Mentz opened the cause of their assembly and after some preface of honor and prayers done vnto God to direct the whole assembly of the Electors wherein he gaue a testimony of his wisedome piety fidelitie and sincere affection to the publicke good and quiet the chiefe point of his discourse was to exhort them to vnion and to auoyde all occasions of ciuill warre in the Empire Alledging to that purpose what had happened in the times of other Emperors namely of Lewis the gentle Henry the first the Ottons Henry the fourth Conrard of Suabe Lothaire of Saxony and others where by the discord of Electors infinite miseries haue fallen vpon the Empire Hee added more-ouer that this discord had caused trouble and schisme in religion That at this present the threatning of the Turke who conspired against the liberty and religion of Christians especially of Germanie and the threates of some Princes who sought occasions to sowe troubles and to deuide the Germaines should admonish the Electors to remember their oth wherby they were chiefely bound to preuent all sedition After many other speeches to the same purpose the Electors hauing had some short conference together they commended the Elector of Mentz for his zeale and affection to the publicke state protesting that they would therein indeuour to follow his aduice and to be of one minde and consent if it were possible This was spoken in the name and behalfe of them all by the Marquis of Brandebourg to whom his companions gaue the charge in respect of his eloquence for then the Princes were so vnited as without any emulation they did willingly yeeld one vnto another and were carefull not to blemish the graces which their companions might haue respecting therein the publick good To conclude according to the custome of the ancient Germaines they resolued to ioyne loue and plainesse together and without doubt they were so nobly affected as they would neuer shew their passions in any of their consultations which concerned the publick good nor conceiue in their hearts any bad conceit against their brethren especially in affaires of consequence the Electors deferred their resolution vntill the next day In the meane time the Ambassadors of Prince Charles Archduke of Austria Duke of Bourgongne Earle of Holland c. and King of Castile c. arriued at Ments They intreated the Electors to remember Charles in their election adding some-thing of his vertues they did also put them in minde that the Emperour Maximilian had recommended his grand-childe vnto them the which hee would not haue done being so good so wise a Prince if he had not knowne it to be for the good of the Empire In the meane time the Ambassadors of Francis the first the French King were at Coblents on Conflans from whence they did sollicite for their Maister who had some Electors fauourable to his party the which as some Histories say had giuen King Francis incouragement to affect it These Ambassadors did extoll their Princes vertues all they could pretending many reasons why hee should be chosen before any other The Princes Electors hauing receiued letters from the Ambassadors of France and Spaine made answer in few words That they were exceeding glad of the good affection which both Kings carryed vnto the Empire But as for the election they did hope that GOD would giue them the grace to carry themselues faithfully and as they were bound by othe and by the lawes and ordinances of their Predecessors When they came to consult touching the election the Archbishop of Mentz hauing conferred priuately with Fredericke Duke of Saxony who was in great credit and authority among them all began his Oration vtterly reiecting the French King for the aduancement of King Charles describing and setting downe his good disposition his great meanes the benefit which the Empire might hope for and expect and with-all his beginning being issued and descended out of Germanie holding him as a naturall Germaine where they must finde and choose themselues an Emperour and not among strangers concluding in the end in fauour of Charles After that hee had ended his speech hee perswaded the other Electors to deliuer their opinions who after they had conferred some-what togither they intreated Richard Archbishoppe of Treuer Prince Elector to speake for he was much esteemed for his iudgement and experience in affaires of State who contrarie to the opinion of him of Mentz maintained that the King of Spaine was no more to bee admitted then he of France in whose honour hee spake verie highly saying that the same reason that hee of Mentz had obiected against him were lyable also against the King of Spaine and therefore hee concluded that the French King for the ripenesse of his age for his valour and experience in warre Germanie hauing great neede of such a Captaine against the Turke should bee preferred before the King of Spaine beeing young and without experience And if the lawe did forbid them to choose a Frenchman that it was of the same force against a Spaniard Or els if neither the one nor the other were to bee admitted then they should aduise among all the Princes of the Empire to choose one that had not liued any where but in Germanie that was a Germaine by birth in his manners minde and language deliuering manie reasons why and howe that might bee donne against the allegations of him of Mentz vppon that point Saying that the meanes were easie to finde by the which an Emperour chosen out of their owne Nation might maintaine his authoritie and that of the Empire both at home and a broade and so hee ended
in the yeare 1556 king Philip pretending many goodly reasons and colour but the chiefest was to free and satisfie those debts wherewith the emperour had left hiâ—… charged made an excessiue demaund for the first aid and subuention which he required froâ—… his subiects of the Netherlands but he could not obtaine a moitie of that which he preteâ—…ded neither would that be granted without a conuocation of the generall estates of the 17 Bâ—…gicke prouinces the which was wonderfully ill taken by the Spanish counsell and by thâ—… that inriched themselues with the treasure to the peoples ruine so as some noblemen and gâ—…uernors of prouinces and townes were not only in disgrace with the king and his counsel bâ—…t were also iudged guiltie of high treason and the noblemen which had in any sort contraâ—…cted this demand were marked vnto death vpon the first opportunitie that should be offered for that they would not instantly yeeld vnto the first demaund without any conuocatiâ—…n of the states Notwithstanding that which was granted him being called the Nouenalâ—…yde amounted in all to fortie millions of florins of Brabant money But this conuocation of the generall states was both to the king and his counsell as it hath been euer since most olious as we shall see by the beginning of the trobles which happened in the said Netherlands wherof grew the wars the which haue continued since the yeare 1566 vnto this day On S. Andrewes day the same yeare king Philip held the feast and chapter of the orde of the golden Fleece in the towne of Brussels where as these knights following were newly ceated William of Nassau prince of Orange Philip of Montmorency earle of Horne the earle of Lalaine the earle Amorall of Egmont the duke of Arschot the lord of Molembais the â—…ord of Glaison and the lord of Barlamont The 22 of December the lady Marguerite of Ausâ—…ia duchesse of Parma bastard sister to king Philip came to the court to Brussels with her son â—…lexander Farnese a goodly yong prince and of great expectation of whom wee shall haue suficient matter to speake hereafter the king went forth of the towne to receiue her This Winter was wonderfully sharpe and rigorous as well by reason of the extreame cold weather as through famine which ensued whereof died in the towne of Brussels I omit other great townes by the report of the masters of hospitals aboue 19000 poore creatures of 〈◊〉 sorts men women and children which repaired thither from all places for the great charitieâ—…â—…alms which the king and noblemen in court gaue There was a drought continued from Iuly 1556 vnto the same moneth the yeare following in which yere not only corne and all sorts of pulce was exceeding deere but all other things that were to be eaten for that the vehement cold of the Winter past had spoiled all so as the poore soules knew not wherewithall to fill their bellies and when they had gotten any store of almes through the deuotion of well disposed people they burst themselues with eating or the meat being stronger than their weake stomac would beare made them die EMANVEL PHILIBERT DVKE OF SAuoy Prince of Piemont Gouernor and Lieutenant generall of the Netherlands for King PHILIP EMANVEL PHILIBERT DVX SABAVDIAE GVBERNATOR BELGIâ—…Ae I am EMANVEL PHILIBERT Duke of Sauoy That for long time did not one foot within the same enioy Mine vncle th'emperour maintain'd me in estate And of his sonne the gouornment of Netherlands I gate Where hauing rul'd a while at last did peace obtaine Which beeing made my lands to me restored were againe Henry the French kings sister to my spouse I had And by that meanes assurance of the peace to me was made From thence I tooke my way to Piemont and Sauoy Whereas my subiects me receiu'd with great and extreame ioy KIng Philip hauing after the emperours retreat out of the Netherlands appointed the duke of Sauoy his cosin to be gouernour and his lieutenant generall of the said countries he returned the ninth of December the same yeare 1556 from England to Brussels The English hauing before taken a fort neere vnto Boulogne vpon the sea put all the French men they found in it to the sword they found in it about fiftie cart loads of corne the which they did imbarke and brought to Middlebourg in Zeeland The queene of England and cardinall Poole by much means and long solicitation brought the matter of controuersie betweene the kings of France and Spain to such effect that she got them to agree to a truce and abstinence of warre both by water and by land for the space of fiue yeares that in the meane time they might draw to a good and continuall peace and the better to procure the same certaine mariages were propounded And vpon the last of Ianuary 1556 the said truce on the king of Spaines behalfe was at Brussels sworne vnto monsieur Chastilion admirall of France and at Blois on the French kings behalfe vnto the earle of Lalaine This truce was made wholy against the kings mind but well knowne to the counsellor Simon Renart and to the earle of Lalaine whereby great hatred and enmitie ensued and was after chiefe cause of the controuersies and troubles that ensued in the Low countries This yeare in the moneth of August there happened a great conflict betweene diuers Holland and French ships betweene Douer and Calis the Hollanders being twentie two marchants ships that came out of Spaine and amongst them had appointed one ship to be their admiral as the manner is amongst ships of warre promising and swearing not to forsake one the other but valiantly to fight and defend themselues the French men intending to take them had assembled nineteene ships of warre and six or seuen pinnaces and meeting them before Calis they set vpon them and in the end boorded them making their ships fast one vnto the other with hookes and other meanes the Hollanders as much as they could kept close together and defended themselues valiantly and lay so close and thicke together that they might fight almost as well as if they had beene on land the Hollanders ships were higher and stronger than the French ships but the French ships were both better appointed and manned for the war at the last when they had fought six hours beginning at nine of the clocke in the morning and continuing till three of the clocke in the afternoone one of the ships was set on fire which by reason of the wind that began to rise was so spread abroad that the fire tooke in most of the ships before they could part asunder which made them to cease the fight euery man seeking to saue his life in the ships that were not on fire many of them leaping into the sea and swimming to the next ship they came at whether it were friend or foe were by that meanes taken prisoners whereby the French men perceiuing themselues to be stronger in
wit procuring the king to limit the duchesses power when she came into the Netherlands That she should grant no pardon office estate benefice nor any thing else nor make any dispatch nor resolution in matters of state iustice nor religion but with the cardinals aduice and counsell which shee should wholy follow Hauing giuen the king secretly to vnderstand that yet she had not knowledge of affaires and therefore she might be often abused and erre And. so he held the duchesse of Parma subiect to his will who durst not but gratifie him in any thing that hee plâ—…ased so as shee would not meddle nor take knowledge of the quarrell the noblemen had against him a little before his departure And he had so won her by his policies as she not only made wonderfull great esteeme of him but did also aduertise the king by her letters of his deep knowledge wisdome dexteritie diligence loyaltie in all that did concerne the gouernment of those countries seigniories To auoid enuie in court which might grow by his excessiue credit being a man but of a base stock his vse was to aduance to the chiefe places of importance and credit in court those only that were his creatures and assured vnto him by long experience to frustrat them that he desired not And such as he aduanced he knew to bee tractable or rather simple and grosse witted for they that were cunning how wise and graue soeuer must not attend any thing fearing least they should discouer his policie Being preferred he drew them wholy by these meanes to be at his deuotion and to bind them more strictly he made them as some said to take an othe to be faithful and secret vnto him Thus hee fashioned them to his owne mould some for hope of gaine others through ambition to be great or for feare to displease him Among all others Vigilius Aita was the chiefe whom he had aduanced to bee keeper of the seales though they were at his disposition so as al matters were resolued on determined by them two The gaine spoiles of miserable suters was diuided equally betwixt them according to the register which their carefull broker Morillon kept The cardinall sent all matters to Vigilius and he did nothing but what it pleased him to command were it to answere petitions to write vnto the king or to moue the gouernesse and therefore hee had made him president of the priuie counsell that hee might haue him alwayes readie and obedient vnto him in that charge Besides this league with Vigilius he had intelligence with some of the chief of the treasure of the chamber of accounts of the great counsell at Macklyn and of all other prouinces yea with some magistrats of townes to the end hee might leaue nothing out of his power Yet was he not sufficiently assured if he did not draw some of the noblemen knights of the order to his partie to oppose them against the prince of Orange and the earls of Egmont and Horne The first was Barlamont a counsellor of state as himselfe and besides chief of the treasure who being by nature couetous ambitious had many children whom hee desired also to aduance wherein the cardinall might crosse him so as the earle of Aremberg his brother in law consented with him but yet so as he would not loose the friendship of the other noble men of the contrarie faction The duke of Arschot followed them in this ranke the marques of Renty his brother did accompany him Hee had many prelats at his deuotion Francis Richardot bishop of Arras was his creature and all the new bishops which he had lately forged but aboue all the archbishop of Cambray But omitting a long discourse of the subtilties and practises of this cardinall to make himselfe and his creatures great and to maintain himself per fas vel nefas without any respect neither of his princes seruice the commonweal iustice good order no nor yet of religion the which serued him as a cloke with a double lining when as in heart he was a very Atheist We will come to his priuat life and consider in particular how dissolute lasciuious and detestable it hath been euen to his old age we shall find nothing but villanie filthinesse infamie and the most polluted stinking abhominable vices that euer were written of any oâ—…her His luxury adulteries insupportable pride with his other goodly vertues and like perfections of bodie and mind made him to be chased out of Milan Rome and Naples and yet it did nothing impaire his credit in the court of Spaine so as whilest he laboured to torment the Netherlands by his letters instructions he purchased to his great dishonor and vnrecouerable losse to the king his master this goodly prouerbe Du Cardinall la braguette A fait per dre la Golette His life was so dissolute and so publick as his house was a sinke of all filthinesse and villany And as he was a great enemy to them that beat down images it seemed he had some cause for he made so great account of them as in all parts of his house vnder colour that hee was a great louer of the art of Statuary or making of images and of rare antike peeces there were to be seen many images pictures aswell cast as carued printed the most lasciuious and vnchast that euer were seen both of men women naked Besides in his cabinet or studie vnder the figures of Venus Pallas Iuno Ceres c. he had drawne naked and to the life the best qualified ladies gentlewomen and good bourgesses which he had abused Of the sumptuousnes of his lodging his delicat meats and his prouocations to luxurie there is nothing spoken for that they were not knowne to euery one that haunted his house Moreouer in shewing himselfe curious of the works of nature and of the Mathematikes he did honestly cloke his coniuring wherein he was his crafts master with the which hee mingled witchcraft sorcerie and poysoning the which he could vse cunningly hauing giuen a dram of his drugs by his masters commandement vnto that good prince Maximiltan the 2 when as hee was but king of Romans as the said cardinall confest vnto his friends but he durst not publish it fearing the crueltie of his master And afterwards he posted from Naples to Rome to poison that young nobleman of great hope Charles the prince of Cleues onely for that hee made a little difficultie to kisse the popes pantofle And this reuerent robber I would say pillar of the church shewed himselfe so zealous of the word of God as ordinarily he made a iest of it as when hee would proue that poore men should eat grosse meats and the rich as himselfe delicat beasts with small feet he proued it saying that verse of the Magnificat Esurientes impleuit bouis diuites dimisit in aues peruerting the words of bonis and inanes
chamber apart saying that the duke would come speake with them whither Don Frederic of Toledo and many Spaniards entred armed and they were commaunded to deliuer their swords and to yeeld themselues prisoners in the kings name and notwithstanding all their protestations that they were not bound to yeeld them vnto any one but to the king himselfe yet they were taken from them and they giuen in guard to captaine Iulian Romero Afterwards the duke sent them both prisoners with a guard of three thousand horse and foot to the castle of Gand. Cont Charles of Mansfield was then also in court when as these two noblemen were committed prisoners but his father sent to aduise him to retire fearing least the like should happen vnto him for that hee had been one of them that had signed the petition of the noblemen At the verie same time Anthony of Stralen bourgmaster of Antuerpe was taken prisoner by the earle of Lodron who presently caused all his goods to be seised inuentaried and sealed vp The like was done to Iohn of Casenbroot seigniour of Backerseel chiefe counsellor to the earle of Egmont by the prouost of Spelle and put in prison at the port of Couwenbergh at Brussels but his secretarie found meanes to saue him The duke of Alua commaunded the earle of Egmont beeing prisoner to write vnto him that was his lieutenant and gouernour of the castle of Gand That vpon the sight of the letter he should go forth with his garrison and mortpaies and suffer captaine Salnias to enter with his Spaniards the which was done So many imprisonments of great and small the brute whereof did flie sodainly ouer all the Netherlands executions and cruelties made many although they were not guiltie of any crime to retiâ—…e into England Germany the East countries and other places where they thought good abandoning their houses and countrey to liue with the libertie of their consciences free from the feare of tyrans As after all these exploits and imprisonments the duke of Alua was vpon the way going from Brussels to Antuerpe passing by Mackin fire fell into the tower where the gun powder lay the which did very much harme both within and without the towne for the violence thereof was so great as Louvaine beeing foure leagues off did all shake and yet the duke was nothing mooued thereat The 24 of December he laid the first foundation of the proudest citadell in Europe in the towne of Antuerpe on the side of the suburbe called Kyel along the riuer which was the designe and inuention of his enginour Pachiotto a Sauoyard compassed in with fiue mightie bulwarkes and euerie one defended by a caualier or mount to the which he gaue names drawne from himselfe and his familie for the first was called the Dukes bulwarke the second Toledo the third Ferdinando the fourth Toledano and the fifth by his enginours name Pachiotto wherein he entertained two thousand workemen as well masons as ditchers vntill it was finished with the counterscarps and parapets all being laid with free stone and bricke For the building of which citadell the duke obtained of the great counsell of Antuerpe the summe of foure hundred thousand Florins and more the which was raysed vpon a certaine imposition of the hundreth peny of the two twentieths and of two tenthes of all possessions and immouable goods within the territorie and iurisdiction of the towne of Antuerpe This citadell being finished the duke of Alua caused to be set vp in the middest of the place of arms his image cast into brasse treading with his foot vpon certaine men as representing the nobles and states of the countrey verie curiously wrought by one Iames Iongelinck an excellent Statuarie at the foot whereof was grauen Ferdinando Aluares de Toledo Albae Duci Philippi secundi Hispan Regis apud Belgas praefecto quod extincta seditione rebellibus pulsis Religione procurata Iustitia culta Prouincias pace firmauit Regis optimi fidelissimo Ministro positum And lower was grauen Iongelingi opus ex are captiuo For that this image had beene cast of the mettall of certaine artilerie which had beene woon from his enemies This proud peece of worke was not set vp vntill the yeare 1571 and afterwards as too prophane it was taken downe by the great commaunder of Castile Gouernour of the said countries after the duke of Alua as we shall set downe more at large hereafter After the duke of Alua had so well setled his affaires as he thought there was no enemie to be feared within the countrey and therefore had no need of so great forces hee sent by the commandement of the king his master to succour them of the house of Guise in Fraunce against the princes and Protestants of the realme the earle of Arembergh with twelue hundred launces and two thousand foot among the which there were many gentlemen which had signed the petition of the nobles in the yeare 1566 that went at their owne charge The duke of Alua thinking that he had now surmounted all difficulties beeing not content with the fleece of such as were retired out of the countrey but he would haue the skin withal yea and all the flesh he caused Iulian Romero to seize vpon the earle of Buren eldest sonne to the prince of Orange being at schoole in the Vniuersitie of Louvaine against the priuiledges of the duâ—… hie of Brabant and of the said Vniuersitie notwithstanding the protestations of the rector and of doctor Eâ—…bert Leom a lawyer schoole-master to the said earle who was carried from thence into Spaine and there kept pâ—…soner vnto the yere 1595 that the king sent him into the Netherlands with cardinall Albert of Austria After that this yong earle had beene thus carried away the duke of Alua required by the Atturney generall of the great counsell that the prince of Orange and cont Lodwic his brother the earles of Hoochstraten Vander Berge Culembourch the lord of Brederode and others should be called to answere personally to such things as should be propounded on his Maiesties behalfe touching the troubles by vertue of a commission granted in that respect touching the prince of Orange whereof the copie followes Philip by the grace of God king of Castile c. To our first vsher or sergeant at armes hereupon required greeting Wee haue beene giuen to vnderstand by our louing and faithfull counsellour and atturney generall how that â—…illiam of Nassau prince of Orange who had receiued from the deceasâ—…d emperour Charles the fifth our lord and father of famous memorie and from vs at our comming to these estates many honours and fauours as to haue been chosen a brother of our order named and appointed a counsellor of our counsell of state and aduanced to many goodly estates gouernments and offices that is to say to the gouernments of Bourgoigne Holland Zeeland and Vtrecht together with an ordinarie companie of our men at armes besides many other notable rewards whereby
retreats to sell their goods at Rochel whereas the Protestant princes of France did the like Emden and in England whereof the chief were Iohn of Berghes a knight seignior of Olhain who for a time carried the title of the prince of Oranges viceadmirall William of Fiennes lord of Lumbres Barthol Entes a gentleman Frison a bastard of Brederode and one of the house of Egmont a Hollander Embise a Fleming sonne to the bourgmaster of Gand and one Iohn Broâ—…k of Amsterdam with some others who hauing good ships got many rich booties to whom in the end ioined the seignior of â—…umay earle of la Maâ—…ke The king of Spaine complained of them to the queene of England who to please him commanded them to retire out of her ports So as to haue a place of retreat and a safe harbour there followed as we shall shew the taking of the towne and island of Bryele in Holland which made worke for the duke of Alua. The first of August whilest that the emperour and the estates of the empire were at an imperiall diet at Spier the emperour sent his daughter Anne to the king of Spaine accompanied with the archdukes Albert Wenceslaâ—… her two brethren being yet verie yong the great commander of Prusia and the bishop of Munster who did accompanie them vnto Brussels wheras she arriued the 22 of the moneth and from thence went to Middelburg in Zeeland where she imbarked with her two brethren the 25 of September and the 24 of Nouember following was married to the king of Spaine at Segouia in Arragon But some did mislike that the king of Spaine should marie his owne neece by whom at nine monethes end hee had a sonne called Charles Laurent for that hee was borne on that day which was dedicated to the memorie of the Saint This yeare there happened great flouds in the Netherlands about the time of a new Moon with spring tides for that vpon all Saints day the water flowed so high in Antuerpe about 9 of the clock in the euening that it flowed a foot higher than it did in the floud in anno 1530 when there was 70 parishes drowned and two foot higher than it was in anno 1552 and would as it seemed haue risen higher if it had not broken into the new towne and other places wherby it filled all the sellers and vaults both within and without the towne and euerie emptie place where an innumerable number of men and cattell were drowned Austerweel Kiel and Hoboken lay vnder water laden ships and a hulke of 300 tunnes were borne vp to the English key This floud did vnspeakable hurt within the towne of Antuerpe the damage receiued by merchandise that was as then wet being esteemed to be more than 100000 gulderns in value The huâ—…t that was done in the houses sluces keyes and towne walls was likewise esteemed to be aboue a hundred thousand gulderns This high water was the meanes that two houses were burnt not far from the Easterlings house but the benefit of the great water â—…oone quenched them This fire happened by meanes that a maid going with a lanterne in her hand to open a sheep coat thereby to saue 150 sheep from drowning the water ouercomming the maid drowned her and her lanterne driuing amongst the straw set it and the houses on fire In Zeeland the same floud did great hurt in many places as at Rommerswale Berghen Saftinghen where many were drowned where they were constrained to send out ships to fetch men and to giue them meat which sat vpon high trees and ditches The island of Walchren held out well but the salt keeles were all borne away South Beuerland endured more hurt In Holland whole villages were almost borne away as at Katwicke and other places but in Friseland most of all This high floud is notably described in high Dutch verse by one Iohn Fruytiers wherin is set downe all the hurt done in euerie seuerall prouince certifying the number of the people that were drowned that time to be four hundred thousand at the least besides an innumerable number of cattell The Spaniards said that it was a iust iudgement sent vpon that countrey by the holy Saints thereby to reuenge themselues for breaking downe their Images but the Netherlanders iudged otherwise thereof esteeming the Saints not to bee desirous of reuenge You must vnderstand that the Netherlands lye vpon the Spanish seas and are much subiect to high flouds happening commonly in Winter at a full and new Moon with Northwest winds which in many ages happened therein as our hystories make mention whereof I will rehearse some of the greatest In the yeare of our Lord 850 the riuer of Rhin that was woont to haue his recourse by Catwicke and so ran into the sea beneath the Flie brake out by Dort and so past forward which high floud was the greatest that our hystories make any mention of although there are no great particularities thereof to be seene Anno 1176 in Holland almost all men and beasts that saued not themselues vpon high places were drowned Anno 1230 in the time of the emperour Otto the 4 the most part of Friseland was vnder water and it is said that there was 100000 men drowned Anno 1374 in the moneth of October there was great hurt done in Flanders by a high floud Anno 1400 there happened a great floud called the Fresh floud Anno 1420 there was 16 villages drowned by Dort and many men and cattell somesay they were 72 villages Anno 1508 happened the high floud called S. Galens floud when they tooke Cods and Whitings before Groning Anno 1509 there was a great floud called Cosmus and Damians floud which brake through many ditches and drowned a great number of people Anno 1530 happened the Michaelmas high floud Anno 1552 there was a great floud called S. Pontians floud And this last in anno 1570 called all Saints floud which was in 6 or 7 prouinces as far as to Denmarke The electors princes noblemen and townes of the confession of Ausbourg in Germanie hauing presented a petition vnto the emperour at the diet at Spier tending to the quiet of Christendome and the reformation of some abuses it was not imputed vnto them to rebellion factions and innouations as that of the noblemen and gentlemen and the Netherlands was in the yeare 1566 by the king of Spaine but contrariwise the emperour knowing well that what they required tended to the good and quiet of Germanie and their neighbours not only accepted it in good part but also tooke such order as was most needful specially for those of Cologne who had driuen out all them of the confession although they did verie vnwillingly obey As for the Netherlands as he feared much the practises of the Spaniards which had long before sought occasions to get some footing in some corner of Germany and especially in the diocesse of Cologne hee could settle no other order but to write to the
were not all of one mind but the duke vpon his promise tooke it for a consent They of Henault Arthois and Namure had giuen their consent but with condition not to be burthened therewith but consented onely to induce the others thereunto as they did after openly declar◅ Thereupon the duke commaunded the hundreth penie to be gathered while an order should be taken how the tenth penie might be collected and perceiuing the difficulty therin thought it conuenient to stay it for a while til the disordred kind and forme of consent were somewhat forgotten and the magistrats in all places altered and changed and for that cause said That in steed of the tenth and twentieth penie he would be content with the summe of two millions yearely to be paid for the space of six yeares according to the old taxe and for that he had well hoped by collection of the tenth penie to haue had the meanes to haue laid vp a great summe of money against time of need hee desired that one hundreth penie might bee giuen therewithall which amounted vnto foure millions of gulderns but when hee could get no full consent thereunto hee would not accept of the two millions yearely taxe to bee paid but for the space of two yeares onely to make the people the willinger to pay the tenth penie for that it was troublesome vnto them to pay it after the old taxe whereby it was well perceiued that at the end of two yeares he meant to raise the tenth penie whereby hee knew hee should receiue great thankes and commendations of the king and great honor in Spaine hauing raysed the kings demeanes and incomes in the Netherlands to such a rate to which end all those two yeares he sought all the meanes he could to bring the manner of collection after the old taxe into disliking for that thereby the people knew what they paid vnto the king and therfore deuised what meanes he could to increase the difficultie and dislike of the said taxe both by words and actions and while for certaine yeares he was inuenting and deuising to bring in and raise the taxe of the tenth penie from anno 1569 hee had begun to practise with them of Vtrecht to get them to consent to the giuing of the tenth and twentieth penie but they excused themselues desiring him to haue consideration of them and to remember that it was not yet aboue 40 yeares from anno 1528 since they had granted by contract to yeeld subiection vnto the emperor as also that their country was verie small that a man might passe through the broadest part thereof in an houres space and that the one halfe thereof was but a barren island and that as much thereof as was fruitful was maintained and preserued by ditches mils and Sluces and such like costly industrious workes and that they in the forepassed troubles were forced to raise a hundred thousand gulderns for the preseruation and defence of their countrey and such like excuses neuerthelesse they were content to graunt him a taxe of 112 thousand gulderns to be discharged and vnburthened of the paiment of the tenth penie The prelats and the fiue churches in Vtrecht showed likewise That their spirituall goods belong to the churches were priuiledged and that they could not fall without expresse consent of the pope Sub commercium laicorum for that in the bull quae legitur in coena Domini all those are excommunicated that did consent to giue any thing out of the spirituall goods towards the lay mens taxes and they likewise that receiued any such taxe or collection without expresse consent as aforesaid alledging many such like priuiledges more and that therefore they could by no meanes consent to his Maiesties request of the tenth and twentieth penie Salua conscientia iuramento This answer much moued and offended the duke specially because the spiritualtie alledged Bullam de caena Domini which he vnderstood to extend onely against the oppressors of the catholikes and the church of Rome and not against the defenders and protectors thereof wherof he accounted himselfe to be one withall chafing against the Printer that had last printed the said bull as also against the priuie counsell for granting licence to do it and namely against secretarie la Torre for signing it for which cause he kept him prisoner in his house and discharged him of his office for the space of a yeare after And further to compell them of Vtrecht to grant to his desire vpon the one and twentieth of August 1569 he sent the whole regiment of Lombardie being tenne companies to lye in garrison in the towne and caused them to bee lodged as well in the spirituall as temporall mens houses thereby much burthening and incombering the townes men compelling them to giue thē seruice mony as they call it for two thousand foure hundred men which they said their regiment contained euerie man a gulderne a weeke which amounted vnto foure and twentie hundred gulderns the weeke and notwithstanding all this compelled them to prouide them all their necessaries and perceiuing that he could not thereby compell them of Vtrecht with that great charge to content vnto the said taxe vpon the fifteenth of December hee caused the kings atturney generall to summon the whole bodie of the towne to appeare before him and his bloudic counsell vpon the nine and twentieth of December then next after ensuing where they appearing hee charged them with high treason and for that cause said they had forfeited all their priuiledges charters and freedoms and that they had deserued to be punished in such sort as he in his discretion should thinke good Whereupon ensued many answers replies duplications and writings betweene them of Vtrecht and the kings atturney generall with great partakings on the dukes behalfe whereby their writings could hardly be read or heard and for that cause vpon the fourteenth of Iuly in anno 1570 hee caused sentence to bee giuen out against the states of the countrey of Vtrecht as namely against the fiue Metropolitane Colledges of the towne representing the first member of that state and against the gentlemen as well within as without Vtrecht representing the second member and for the third member the townes of Vtrecht Amersfort Wicke and Rheuen charging them to haue contracted and agreed with the confederated gentlemen and their adherents winked at the abuses of the image breakers and suffered the heretikes to preach in their hallowed churches and forbidden the monks and that therefore both the spiritualtie and temporaltie had committed high treason for which cause the said fiue churches were depriued from the aforesaid prioritie and that from thence forward they should haue no place nor voyce nor once bee called to appeare amongst the generall states that the gentlemen likewise should no more bee the second member of their state and touching the bodie of the towne of Vtrecht hee d◅ed them to haue forfeited all their priuiledges c. as also the
the great store of sea-faring men and shippes belonging vnto the same was the foundation backe and ground of the assuring of the neighbour townes about it as Briel in South-Holland and Flessingue in Zeeland were vnto those about them The towne of Briel being taken by the earle Vander Merke in Aprill 1572 whereupon ensued the reuolt of Flessingue with other townes the duke of Alua hauing before commaunded them of Holland and West-Friseland to send an armie of shippes of warre to keepe the sea did at that time will them in all hast to send them forth against those of the Briel thereby to recouer the passage of the Meuse out of their hands and while they of Amsterdam Enchuysen and other places were busied about the same diuers souldiers were likewise sent thither not onely for the shippes but also vnder pretence thereof secretly to put a garrison into Enchuysen as being a towne by reason of the situation of great importance for the keeping of the Southerne sea This pretence was partly perceiued by the vnaduised words of one captaine Schuylenburgh by him spoken in anger vnto a bourger of Enchuysen that asked him some money that he ought him threatening him and the rest of the townes-men with further inconueniences than they as yet had felt which being made knowne amongst the bourgers they promised and â—…ore each vnto other not to suffer any souldiers to enter into the towne After that it happened as the shippes of warre were almost readie one captaine Quickel came vnto the gate of Enchuysen with certaine souldiers desiring to enter in which hee was suffered to doe onely with one of his gentlemen so they would leaue their armes in the court of guard which souldiers esteeming for an indignitie and despight they could not refraine to tell them of it which made the bourgers to conceiue a greater suspition the same encreasing more by meanes of certaine fugitiue bourgers that were newly returned home againe vtter enemies to the Spaniards The foure bourgomasters which were then in office being Cornclis Peterson Iohn Reynarson Volckar Harrickson and William Iohnson sought and agreed all together vnder pretence of a muster to bring the sayd captaine Quickel his souldiers into the towne but the townes-men assembling together to withstand the same an old bourger called Reymer Stontingh told the old bourgomaster Walter Symonson That it was best for them to muster the souldiers without the towne and let them take shipping without so to put the bourgers out of all suspition Whereunto the old bourgomaster made answere and sayd Hold thy tongue thou beast seekest thou to make an vprore amongst the townes-men Thou wert well serued if thou wert hanged that others might take example by thee with other such like chollericke speeches And when the rest of the townes-men that commended their fellow bourgers speech thought to make answere thereunto he snapped them shortly vp and commaunded them all to bee silent saying That the gouernment of the towne was committed vnto their charge so that no man durst speake one word more onely a bourger of good account called Cornelis Peterson Reâ—…tlutz one well esteemed of amongst all the townes-men and that after serued in many offices of the towne answered him saying If the towne bee committed vnto your charge then rule it as you ought to doe but if you seeke to charge vs with a garrison the bourgers will not like of it they hauing beene without trade or traffique these fiue yeares and therefore now they had no need to be charged with souldiers Whereupon the bourgomaster spake in flouting manner and asked him how he would haue it and whether that they must aske him what were best to bee done Whereunto Cornelis Peterson spake boldly saying We desire to haue no souldiers enter into the towne though it cost me this blacke head of mine and of whome should you aske the question but of vs that are inhabitants of the towne Or haue not we to doe therewith you alone cannot maintaine vs. But when the bourgomaster saw more of them to assemble together hee sayd vnto them Bee of good cheere there shall no souldiers come in here wherewith the bourgers were content and better pleased thinking hee had meant as hee sayd The next day the lord of Boshuysen admirall of Holland came vnto the towne with his officers and his halberdiers attending on him who by his authoritie together with the bourgomasters caused captaine Quickel with his colours and companie to come vnto the towne but the bourgers running vnto the gates made them retyre by which meanes their purpose fayling part of the said souldiers got their pasports fayning not to be willing to serue in the shippes saying That they were taken vp and appointed onely to lye in garrison in the towne By this fained kind of discharging they thought to get into the towne without armes and by meanes of Claus Rem host of the Paradice where captaine Quickel aforesaid then lay they thought to get their armes to bee brought secretly into the towne vnder some womens long huyckes and hauing partly effected the same and gotten part of them in the captaine caused a drumme to be sounded to put the bourgers in feare as if all his souldiers had beene entered to will them all to assemble at his lodging Whereupon some of them gathering together the bourgers especially the fishermen that as then were newly come from fishing ranne in heapes together vnto the Inne and forcibly draue captaine Quickel with his souldiers out of the towne and yet no man hurt on both sides The sayd captaine Quickel beeing out the bourgers went vnto the house of Fredericke Simonson hard by the towne house where the admirall Boshuyseâ—… lay to speake with him but the host swearing that hee was not there they would not leaue vntill they had found him and for that he had deceiued them before they put him into the towne-house and there kept him with certaine bourgers to watch him and thereupon went and fetcht the Ordnance that lay at the hauen and out of two shippes of warre and brought them into the towne giuing order and causing the Passage Hoye of Amsterdam that came thither laden with powder and shot to bee safely kept and sufficiently guarded The next day being the third of May the bourgers beeing somewhat better encouraged went in great heapes vnto the towne-house where the bourgomasters sought to persuade the chiefest of them to bee quiet saying That all that while there had nothing beene done but that which might bee easily answered before the king and imputed vnto some light young fellowes and strangers in the towne and such like reasons But Iohâ—… Frederickeson and Cornelis Peterson aforesaid standing by Correlis bad the bourgomasters not to make the matter any fayrer than it was saying That the bringing in of the souldiers was nothing else but villanie whereby they sought to bring many bourgers especially those that loued and fauoured the prince of Orange their right Gouernour and
their letters the last of the moneth But all these conferences writings answers and replies of either side brought forth no fruite Don Iohn refusing to be tied to the pacification of Gant which he had sworne and the King approuing his actions and meaning to maintaine him in his gouernment And so Don Iohn made all the preparation hee could for warre and hauing ordred all things in Luxembourg hee came to March in Famine from thence to Hoye in the country of Liege fiue Leagues aboue Namur from whence he went vnto his castell of Namur Being at Luxemburg succors came to him from all parts as to the Rendezuous whether arriued Alexander Farneze Prince of Parina sonne to Duke Octauio and to Marguerite bastard to the Emperor Charles the fift in former time Gouernesse of the Netherlands bringing with him the Spaniards and Italiens of Lombardie whether also was come before Charles Earle of Mansfeld with his French troupes the Germains and Bourguignons were there also so as in a short time Don Iohn gathered together an army of sixteene thousand foote and about two thousand horse Italiens Spaniards French Germaines heigh Bourguignons and Lorrains seeing him-selfe thus fortefied hee published in print the causes and reasons which moued him to take armes against the States which were to maintayne in the Netherlands generally the Catholike and Romish Relligion and the obedience of the King of Spaine inserting many goodly promises to the Prouinces townes nobles Borroughes villages and men of warre that would bee of his party The States made an answer also in print vnto this declaration of Don Iohn At the same time Pope Gregory the thirteene sent a Bull from Rome of the 8. of Ianuary by the which he gaue remission of all sinnes for euer and life eternall vnto all those that after they had beene confest and receiued the Sacrament should goe to warre in the seruice of Don Iohn against the Prince of Orange and them of Holland and Zeeland and al others whom he termed Heretiks But these soldiars would haue bin better pleased with his duckets then with his pardons Wee haue saide before how that the Prince of Orange had often refused the Lieutenancy of the Arch-duke Mathias and that it had bred a iealousie among the Nobility the which appeared by the effects for the next day after that the Prince had taken the oth for this charge all the Noblemen that were in the campe began to abandon the army one after an other being then at Templours in the Countrie of Namur The Lord of Lumay Earle of Marche who had a great spleene against the Prince by reason of his imprisonment for his insolencies committed against Priests was the first that went away leauing his regiment there The Earle of Lalain generall of the Armie who expected to haue the place of Lieutenant followed him then the Vicont of Gant afterwards Marquis of Rouban would goe to see his wife at Beuvrage neere vnto Valenciennes the Earles of Bossu and Egmont and other Noblemen came to Brussels to the marriage of the Lord of Bersselle with the Marquesse of Berghen daughter to the Lord of Merode Valentin de Pardieu Seignior of La Motte Gouernor of Grauelinghe and at that time Maister of the Ordinance fained an excuse to runne to Brussels To conclude euery man left the campe one after another the which wandred vp and downe from place to place First they brought it from about Namur to Gemblours from thence to Templours then to Saint Martins and backe againe to Gemblours to bring it into Brabant At that time there were no other Commanders in the whole Armie but the Siegnior of Goignies Marshall of the Campe the Baron of Montigni Brother to the Earle of Lalain afterwards Marquis of Renty at that time young and vnexperienced in those affaires the Seigniors of Bailloeul and Heure bretheren old Knights And to prooue that this iealousie was the cause of their abandoning the Armie I can truely say for that I did obserue it beeing then a follower to the Vicont of Gant that after the Prince of Orange had taken the oth as Lieutenant generall to the Arch-duke and that the newes thereof was come vnto the Campe they held but once any councell of warre beginning the next day to slippe away and to disbande one after one which was the cause of the route of the sayd Armie As they tooke occasion to drawe it from Saint Martins and Templours to Gemblours Don Iohn the better to discouer it and to see it marche presented himselfe with his troope vpon a little hill that he might view it at his pleasure hauing no thought nor intent to fight with them But seeing their disorder and that the fore-ward was aduanced aboue a league before the reere-ward marching not in an enemies countrey but as it were to take a re-view or muster Hee was aduised to charge them giuing furiously vpon the battaile whose horse-men brake the foote of their reere-ward so as of the battaile and the reere-ward there was a quick dispatch most of the fore-ward sauing themselues in the towne of Gemblours The greatest losse fell vpon the regiment of Collonell Balfour a Scottishman who was hurt there and yet saued himselfe and so did the Lord of Montigny after that he had done as much as possible might bee the Siegnior of Goignies was taken prisoner and from that time fell to serue the Spaniard Those old Knights of Bailloeul and Heure who in all things dealt plainly hauing saued them-selues in Gemblours were soone after made prisoners by the taking of the Towne Don Iohn pursuing the course of his victorie the countrey wauering as if all had beene lost seized vpon the Towne of Louvain the Magistrates going forth to meete him presented him the Keyes then of Arschot Tillemont Diest Lewe and the little Towne of Sichem where hee intreated the Officers and Magistrates inhumainly This defeate made him swell with pride from thence hee sent Cont Charles of Mansfieldt before Bovuines whereas the Seignior of Estourmel commanded who hauing endured some Canon shotte seeing no shew of succours and the Towne beeing vnfit to bee held hee yeelded it by composition And although the losse was not so great in this defeate of Gemblours as the Spaniards bragged the States hauing gathered their men together with all the speed that might bee yet it did drawe away and coole the courage of many of their partie and those that in their hearts were affected and bore good will to the Spaniards began to shew them-selues openly and to retire to Don Iohn The Duke of Aniou being aduertised of this defeat sent the Seignior of Fougeres a Gentleman of his Chamber and one of his Secretaries to the States to condole with them and to offer to ayde them both with his person and meanes which being accepted by them he sent the Earle of Rochepot the Seignior Despruneaux in ambassage to Antwerp with whom the Earle of Lalain
sent from the court to Arras The which being long delayed the Prouinciall councell of Arthois beholding this confusion with greefe hauing by promises and faire words wone Captaine Ambrose his cornet and cheefe officers together with Captaine Gele and his company they preuayled so by the fauour of some and by the respect of their authoritie many Bourguers being in armes Ambrose and his men remayning spectators as they with enseigns displaied came vnto the towne house not without danger of a great slaughter of the cittizens of either part and set the Magistrats at liberty by force The party of those that were well affected to their country seeing them-selues abandoned by the horsemen and Captaine Geles company of foote durst not stirre the Magistrats were desirous to be reuenged for this iniury the Gouernor Capres being then absent returned hastily to Arras and ioyned with them being glad of this alteration setting vp a gibbet before the towne house they seazed vpon a notable Bourguer called Valentin Mordac whome they committed to the Arcenall of the towne and there caused him to bee hanged they depose the fifteene Deputies from their places they apprehend Allard Crugeot an Aduocate and Peter Bertoul one of the fifteene a man of seuentie yeares of age they make their processe with all diligence and the three and twentie day at night caused them to be hanged by torch light And in the meane time the seditious Preachers did Preach and storme in their pulpitts that religion went to wracke that all good order and pollicy with the lawes and priuiledges of the country went to ruine that the Pacification of Gant was broken by the Ganthois them-selues that all accords and confederations betwixt them the Flemings and other Prouinces were of no force and they freed and discharged from the bond and oth of association Maister Nicholas Gosson a learned Gentleman and a great lawyer being seauenty two yeres old from whome the Citty of Arras had by his learning and sound Iudgement drawne so many seruices for the publike good yea in the time of the duke of Alua was kept prisoner for the respect they had of him and for his great age in the towne house for that hee had giuen his aduise being required to speake that it was not fit in any sort to disioyne themselues from the Flemings not so much in regard of the oth of the vnion as for the great profit and commodities they had alwaies drawne from Flanders and Brabant by reason of their proximity and neighbourhood to Arthois by which Prouinces they had beene receiued and courteously entertained during the warres against the French whether sometimes they had beene forced to fly giuing them therein both sound and holesome councell with as many pregnant reasons as hee could possible produce to cut of this monster of disiunction which was afterwards the cause of so many miseries throughout all the Netherlands for which councell if they had followed it both the towne of Arras and the whole country of Arthois had beene for euer bound vnto him But contrary-wise thereby to begin to shew forth this monster on Sater-day the fiue and twenty of October the Seignior of Gosson being in his bed they caused him to rise and arraigned him accusing him for this good councell which hee had giuen them to be the Author of sedition tumults and popular mutines and a troubler of the publike peace he who was a man so decaied and decrepit as he came not out of his study where hee herd all consultations and gaue his aduise hauing traueled much for the common weale as well by writings the which are yet extant as other-wise and by these accusations not-with-standing all his obtestations exclamations protestations and recusations they condemned him to loose his head from whence hee appealed to the councell of Arthois who confirmed this sentence sodenly the which was so hastely poursued as his processe was begon and ended two appellations determined and the sentence put in execution betwixt one and two of the clocke of Sonday morning and all was dispacht with such celeritie as there was but seuen howers space from the beginning of the processe to his execution A very extraordinary thing and of bad example for such a person Afterwards they seazed vpon one Morand Camp one of the fifteene whome after they had kept languishing sixe monethes in prison they caused to bee hanged the very day that their disiunction was concluded in the Abbay of Saint Vaast The rest of the fifteene Deputies reconciled themselues with the Magistrats Iohn Caffart and one other which could not bee taken and without doubt had beene executed were banished and their goods forfeited against the preuiledges of the citty Many good Bourguers were vsed in the like sort which had beene noted to be forward in this trouble And thus was the disiunction of the Prouinces of Arthois Henault Lille Douay and Orchies made Arthois hauing led the daunce as wee shall hereafter shew more at large The Ganthois to suppresse the roads and spoyles of the Malcontents of Menin leauied at that time some troupes for their defence with the which they did sometimes charge these mutined Wallons saying that Don Iohn hauing beene the first breaker of the Pacification of Gant and they so much opprest by the Malcontents they could not doe lesse then to stand vpon their gard and incounter them that came to assayle them at their owne doeres without any cause or authority from their Soueraigne They also called Duke Iohn Casimire to their ayde whome Iohn d' Inbise cheeâ—…e Bourgue maister of Gant had set for of his priuate authority some would say that hee would gladly haue made him Earle of Flanders but being a doubtfull thing I leaue it in suspence whether hee went with some Cornets of Reistres vnknowne to the States But hee profited little for his owne particular and did lesse good for the States but that hee receiued little lesse then a hundred and fifty thousand florins of his pay from whence hee retyred soone after into Germany discontented with the States The first daie of October Don Iohn of Austria bastard brother to the King of Spaine Lieutenant and captaine generall of the Netherlands died of the plague as some thought in the campe neere vnto Namur a yong Prince full of high desseignes proud and presumptuous after that hee had by his dissembling which hee could not so conceale but it burst forth troubled the state of his King and Lord and the affaires of the Netherlands more then euer But others are of an opinion that it was conceit and greefe as it apeared by two of his letters which were intercepted by Monsieur de Saint Leger whereof the one was written vnto Iohn Andrea Doria Prince of Melfi and the other to Don Pedro de Mendoza Ambassador of Spaine lying in Geneua both bearing date in the campe a mile from Namur the seauenteenth of September in the yeare of our Lord
Brussels with diuers horse and footmen hauing victualed Niuelle as they returned backe againe met with certaine cornets of Albanoys horsemen which are a kind of people that when the Turke won Grecia being driuen from thence entred into the kingdome of Naples where they won a peece of the countrey and there inhabited and dwelt still keeping their owne language whom they ouerthrew and brought thirtie of them into the towne of Brussels and yet the towne of Niuelle was not long after taken by the prince of Parmaes troupes where the earle of Mansfield vsed very great and barbarous crueltie In the moneth of August the duchesse of Parma and Plaisance the old regent mother to the prince of Parma came into the countries of the Netherlands being sent thither by the king of Spaine to accomplish the treatie made with the vnited prouinces or for that it was thought that her sonne was not sufficient ynough to take so great a charge vpon him and to gouerne so many young headed noblemen the mother was thought fitter for the place as beeing better acquainted with the affaires of state and the humours of the nobilitie and the people of the countrey than her sonne who departed out of the Netherlands to the great discontent of the people who would willingly haue had her staid Being come to Namur and there visited by her sonne there grew some iealousie betweene them touching the gouernement for that the prince of Parma hauing left his wildnesse which he had vsed in the Netherlands for the which hee had beene much spoken of being come to more staiednesse hee had so insinuated himselfe into the peoples fauours as they held him worthy of the gouernment himselfe and to rule alone for that the countrey had more need of a cheefe and a captaine generall than of a woman and therefore the Spaniards were of opinion as knowing well that nothing is more subiect to hatred than gouernement and what preiudice might thereby grow that the duchesse should returne backe againe with smooth and good excuses as shee did in the yeare following And by that meanes the prince of Parma kept the gouernment of the country alone with the great good liking of the Wallon prouinces where he behaued himselfe verie wisely and vnpartially betweene the Spaniards Italians and Netherlanders as also amongst other nations vsing all Italian manners in his dealings thereby to procure the good will both of friends and foes in such sort as hee did the king exceeding great seruice more than al the rest of the forepassed gouernors with their Spanish crueltie and pride euer did I said before That the generall Estates had resolued to chuse a new soueraigne prince to gouerne them and that they found none more fit for them than Francis of Valois duke of Aniou Alanzon c. the onely brother to the French king Whereupon the Estates sat in consultation all Summer and at the last in Iuly they concluded with full consent of the prouinces townes and members of the vnited prouinces to yeeld the countrey vnto him vpon certaine conditions Whereupon the deputies of the prouinces of Brabant Flanders Holland Zeeland Macklyn Friseland and the territories associat beeing assembled in Antuerpe vpon the twelfth of August they deputed and sent their commissioners with full instructions into France whose names were monsieur S. Aldegonde the seignior of Dohain doctor Hessels Francis seigniour of Lauenborgh Iaques Tayart pentioner of Gant Woel Caron seignior of Schoonewall bourgmaster of the Vrie or Franc of Bruges and Iasper van Vosberghen bailife of Campeuere to treat with the said duke which they effected vpon the 29 of September The articles were concluded vpon at Plesis le Towers the contents whereof beeing 27 in number were as followeth 1 First That the Estates of the vnited prouinces had chosen appointed the duke of Aniou for their prince and soueraigne lord with the names dignities and titles of Duke Earle Marques c. and with such soueraigntie as their forepassed princes in former times had with prouiso That all alliances made by the house of Burgondie and the Netherlands not onely with the empire but also with the kingdomes of Fraunce England Denmarke and all other alliances in no sort contrarie to that contract should continue in their entire and full force without any alteration 2 That his lawfull issue males should succeed him in the said countrey of the Netherlands and that if hee happened to haue more than one sonne the Estates of the Netherlands should bee at their libertie to chuse which of them they would haue to bee their soueraigne lord 3 That if his heire were vnder yeares the Estates should appoint him a gouernor and keep the administration of the said gouernment in their owne hands vntill hee should attaine vnto the age of twentie yeares or that it should be otherwise determined by aduice of the Estates and that if he and his heires should die that then it should be lawfull for the Estates to chuse another soueraigne lord 4 That he should possesse and enioy the demaines and reuenues therof vpon certaine conditions and without raysing of them vnlesse it were by consent of the Estates according to their priuiledges and that if they were too much ouer-burthened the Estates should find meanes to appoint a conuenient entertainment for him 5 That the said duke should hold and maintaine all their old priuiledges and customs and namely the vnion which was made at Vtrecht so as it were not preiudiciall to the said treatie 6 That he should ratifie and confirme all the decrees made by the arch duke Mathias and Estates as well in generall as particular 7 That the generall Estates should be suffered to assemble once in a yeare at the least and at all other times when they shall thinke good 8 That he should be resident in the Netherlands vnlesse it were vpon some great occasion and that if hee stayed long out of the countrey that hee should appoint one of the naturall borne Netherlanders to gouerne in his place such a one as should bee pleasing to the Estates and that with their consent 9 That he should haue a counsell of Netherlanders such as the prouinces thereof should appoint or haue appointed without aid or assistance of strangers French men or others vnlesse it were one or two with the consent and liking of the prouinces to whom alwayes the gouernment should be referred 10 That the principall officers in the Netherlands should bee naturall borne subiects and others of meaner offices as it should please him with condition that the gentlemen should be Netherlanders 11 When any officers were to be chosen for the gouernment of the prouinces and forts and in the chiefe offices of the Netherlands the said prouinces should nominat three persons vnto him whereof he should chuse one 12 That hee should promise to vphold and maintaine the reformed religion and the religious peace in the Netherlands in such sort as it
kinsman Answere was made vnto the embassadour That the French king had neuer wronged nor yet thought to wrong a king which was his friend and allie neither was it fit for his greatnesse who carrieth the name of most Christian to seeke the ruine of the Catholicke faith or not to oppose himselfe against them that should contradict it That those armes were then raysed against the kings will the which had beene so often turned to the wasting spoyling and ruine of miserable Fraunce and who would thinke that it had beene with the kings consent neither could the king at this time frustrate his brothers resolutions no more than when the Huguenots turned their armes against the bowels of the kingdome That the king of Spaine should employ his forces against those disobedient and obstinate Frenchmen and punish them as his owne rebels the which should be very gratefull vnto him And for that it seemed the French king feared that vnder pretext of succouring of Cambray his brother the duke of Aniou might turne his forces against Fraunce or that the Spaniard if he were victor should break in vpon his frontiers to be reuenged of these fuccours which the king had not hindered hee gathered together thirtie companies of men at armes and threescore ensignes of foot and sent them to the frontiers of Picardie to defend the confines of his kingdome against the furie and rashnesse of eyther partie that should ouercome Whereupon the prince of Parma grew into great feare and iealousie at the approch of the kings troupes vnto the frontiers but the French king sent him word That he should not thinke that they were sent to attempt any thing against his person but onely to secure the confines of his kingdome against the insolencie of the troupes that should vanquish that he might not leaue his subiects vpon the frontiers abandoned for that all victories how temperat and modest soeuer the generall be are commonly insolent by the disorders of the souldiers With all this goodly traine as aforesaid the duke approched neere to Cambray the sixteenth of August on which day certaine yong noblemen of his armie being too farre aduanced were charged by the marquesse of Roubay Vicont of Gant generall of the prince of Parma his horse who put them to rout such as escaped running speedily to the body of their armie At which encounter the Vicont of Tureine and the earle of Vancadour were taken prisoners The prince of Parma who was also neere vnto Cambray with all his forces making shew that he would hinder the victualling thereof presented himselfe in battaile the seuenteenth day with all his armie where he stood six houres in the face of the French as if he would haue fought with them wherunto the said marquesse of Roubay did much persuade and importune him The duke had no other conceit but that he came to giue him battaile causing his armie to aduance softly in good order to receiue him if he would seeke to stoppe his passage vnto the towne But the prince seeing his resolution hauing taken good view of his forces like vnto the duke of Alua being loth to hazard any thing hee retyred abandoning all his forts to Valenciennes where he encamped The next day beeing the eighteenth of the moneth the duke of Aniou marching still in good order approched neere vnto the towne where hauing caused all the victuals and munition which he had brought in great quantitie to enter after that hee had forced the Spanish armie to rise he victualled it to the full and entred himselfe in person where he was triumphantly receiued with great ioy of all the people and acknowledged protector of Cambray and Cambresis held simply of the empire the which in old time were wont to be neuters The twentieth of the moneth he tooke a solemne oath in the Cathedrall Church and afterwards in the Towne-house to gouerne and maintaine the said citie and countrey and the citizens bourgers and inhabitants thereof in their auncient liberties freedomes and rights after which there was gold and siluer cast among the people The one and twentieth day he departed from thence with all his armie marching towards Arleux and Scluce with an entent to fight with the Spaniards who retyred further into the countrey Then he returned to besiege castle Cambresis which yeelded by composition hauing endured 219 canon shot There went foorth three companies with their armes and their matches out At this siege the Vicont of Touar was slaine and the Seignior of Balaigne shot in the calfe of the legge The duke of Aniou being come thus farre he was earnestly entreated by the generall Estates and the prince of Orange to passe on and to enter into the Netherlands hauing a part of their armie in Flanders vnder the commaund of the priâ—…ce of Espinoy and the regiments of la Garde and Stuart all which should goe and ioyne with him but Winter approching and his armie consisting for the most part of voluntaries and the best part of his horse being the kings companies of men at armes whereof he could not dispose at his pleasure and withall the nobilitie being at discord for the places of honour there was no meanes to make them yeeld thereunto the voluntaries and men at armes retyring home to their houses yet there remained some troupes to enter into the countrey the which not daring to passe by Arthois returned into France and tooke their way along the frontiers towards Calice where they entred into Flanders and ioyned with the Estates armie ⧠The Generall Estates of the vnited Prouinces of Gueldres Holland Zeeland Zutphen Friseland Oueryssel and Groeningen hauing declared Prince PHILIP of Austria second of that name King of Spaine fallen from the Seigniorie of the said Prouinces by reason of his extraordinarie and too violent gouernment against their priuiledges and freedomes solemnely sworne by him haue by the way of right and armes taken vpon them all the gouernment of the politicke Estate and of the Religion in the said Prouinces in the yeare 1581. THE GENERALL ESTATES of the vnited Prouinces The wicked counsell of the young King Roboam The most vnlawfull lust that proud Tarquins mind o'recame And of those two young kings the great peruersitie Was th' onely cause that did bereaue them of their royaltie Of twelue Tribes onely one to Roboam remain'd And Tarquin driuen out of Rome the people straight obtain'd The gouernment and the chiefe soueraigntie Of Rome and to the Senat did commit th' authoritie The crueltie of the Inquisitors of Spaine That long in the vnited lands did ciuile warres maintaine In th' end was th' onely meanes and cause that after we The Spanish yoke long time had borne obtain'd our libertie THE XII BOOKE The Argument THe generall Estates of the vnited Prouinces of Gueldres Holland Zeeland Zutphen Vtrecht Friseland Oueryssel and Groeningen tooke vpon them the gouernment of the said Prouinces after they had declared the King of Spaine to be fallen
then the king might make himselfe strong of men money and all things necessarie and should know what contrarie designes the princes of the empire the emperour those of the house of Austria and the allies and adherents to Spaine might conceiue As for the duke said they he will the sooner humble himselfe and submit to such conditions as it should please the king his brother to limit him rather than bee forced to abandon to his enemies that which he held and which had cost him so much And that the king vsing this manner of proceeding and hauing obtained of his brother what he desired the countrey being ouer toyled and tired with warte hauing consumed all their meanes and seeing themselues frustrat of their hope which they had conceiued in the dukes person through dispaire euer to be reconciled with the Spaniard fearing also the proceeding in the calling in of another prince would demand nothing more than to giue themselues vnto him And as for the other prouinces which remained vnder the obedience of the Spaniard that hee should make open warre with all violence vpon the frontiers suffering no victuals to enter beeing an easie matter to hinder it seeing that hee had no ports at his deuotion As for the Rhine and Meuse which are riuers running through the said countries they were to be stopt keeping an army in the countrey of Luxembourg and being master of the townes thereof as of Luxembourg the chiefe Theonuille and Malmedi the Spaniard should eat vp the countrey where he was They might also make roads and burne the haruest which would force him to yeeld so as the French king did stand vpon his guard without hazarding any thing vpō the euent of a battel still lodging vpon the aduantage And if it should so fall out yet might the king better endure it than the enemie who beeing once ouerthrowne could neuer rise againe Whereas beeing neere vnto France hee might sodainely recouer new forces But if the king reiected all these goodly occasions and would not imbrace the Netherlands actions that it was to bee feared hee should bee forced thereunto if hee would not haue a new ciuile warre in Fraunce And the duke his brother hauing no more meanes to resist the Spaniard would be contemptible to them that had called him not onely for the great charge they had beene at but also to see themselues frustrat of the great expectation they had of him That the said duke rather than they should doe him any disgrace would seeke to assure himselfe of some places within the country and then would returne into France to complaine of the smal succours and friendship which hee had found in the king his brother reuiuing the discourse which he had made the yere before to the parliament of Paris and in other places that for the greatnesse of the Estate and crowne of France beeing freed so long from frontier enemies which should ease the realme from so manie charges and impositions they should not neglect so goodly an occasion seeing that their father grandfather and predecessors had made so long warre against the house of Bourgoigne to conquer in the end but a towne or two and that now the whole countrey and the townes offered themselues and were in his possession the which hee might loose againe for want of succours from the king his brother And that therefore seeing hee had no assistance from him hee desired fauour from the generall Estates of Fraunce to preuent so great a disgrace and not to let slip so goodly an oportunitie which tended to the greatnesse and profit of all Fraunce Wherefore they counselled the king to consider well of this action which touched him neerer than any league or amitie with the king of Spaine Such aduice and counsell was giuen vnto the French king concerning the affaires of the Netherlands which came all vnto the knowledge of the Duke his brother making him to fall into diuers conceits and iealousies as well of the king as of those that were chiefe in counsell about him and neerest his owne person which seemed to make him run another course thrust on by his yong courtiers who hearing that his forces being led by the duke of Montpensier and the marshall of Biron had past by Cales and lay about Dukerke hee sent for them to come into Brabant The Duke being in Antuerpe and hearing that his forces were arriued hee caused his armie both old and new to approach neerer vnto Antuerpe into one of the suburbs which they call Bourgerhout the Switsers were lodged in another called the Kyel behind the castle along the riuer of Escaut In the meane time as the towne of Dunkerke did import him much to keepe a passage open and free from Flanders into Fraunce the duke to assure himselfe thereof in time hauing sent some French men thither hee commanded monsieur de Chamors to seize thereon the which hee did easily during the absence of the seigniour of Treslon admirall of Zeeland and gouernour of the towne Chamors pickt a quarrell against the bourgers about the diuision of some bootie so as they fell to blowes and many were slaine And whilest that they of the towne had sent to make their complaint to the Duke and the Estates being in Antuerpe Chamors hauing in the meane time fortified himselfe with more men chased away the States garrison and became master of the towne the sixteenth of Ianuarie This was the first act of ill counsell which the Duke put in practise which afterwards lost him the Netherlands and was the cause of his owne ruine Without doubt the Duke of whom for his owne disposition they had expected all good and on whom the Estates of the countrey had grounded the preseruation health and maintenance of the people against the oppression of the Spaniards had done wisely and had made himselfe wonderfull great if hee had giuen credit to the counsell of the prince of Orange and the Estates who had called him to those goodly principalities and seigniories wherewith hee was so lately inuested And that if in stead of preferring the French nobilitie who were but strangers in the Netherlands hee had countenanced the Netherlanders and not haue contemned them and held them in such disdaine for aboue the ordinarie counsell which he had of the said prince and other noblemen borne in the countrey although he shold not haue any other for matters of state and the gouernment of the countrey yet hee had a secret counsell which they called The Counsell of the Cabinet composed of yong giddie headed French men most of them being pensioners to the king of Spaine or relikes of the actors in the massacre at Paris This secret counsell put into his head that neither the prince of Orange nor the States did respect him as an absolute prince and would willingly haue seene him fully obeyed the which the Spaniards had so much affected and had beene the cause of the troubles and miserie which had
renowne At the same time the prince of Parma wrote many letters to the other townes of the prouinces of the Netherlands to perswade them to a submission and reconciliation with the king of Spaine their soueraigne lord and king after this manner ensuing Wee haue heretofore and of late written vnto you and earnestly intreated you in the behalfe of the king your natural prince to consider of the miserable estate whereunto you are now reduced to embrace the meanes to returne vnto the true obedience which you owe vnto your prince before you fall into greater calamities and miseries than those which hang ouer your heads beeing enuironed on all sides with the oppressions and ruines of warre which you draw vp-vpon your selues into the which many townes haue fallen and doe now but too late lament their misfortune seeing that wee are forced to proceede by the way of armes Notwithstanding wee haue alwaies conceiued a good hope of you expecting a good answer from you and that you will shew your selues as it befitteth good and faithfull subiects if our letters may bee deliuered vnto you for wee haue beene duely informed that God be thanked your hearts are not so much alienated from his Maiestie as many others bee which persist obstinately in their errours But for that hitherto wee haue receiued no answer wee finde that our letters haue beene supprest by some who for their priuate respects and profit labour by all the meanes they possibly can to nourish and maintaine aperpetuall warre among you to keepe you in subiection and to inrich themselues with the sweat of you and your children Wherefore beeing mooued with compassion we would not for our parts spare neither labour nor cost to discharge our selues as it belōgs to a faithfull seruant to his Maiestie and as we haue now written vnto you That once opening your eies you should not reiect the good meanes that are offered vnto you to free your selues of these miseries matters beeing not so desperate but they are yet in your owne hands considering on the one side the kings great forces which no towne can resist and on the other side his naturall bountie which he shewes you to drawe you to your obedience And if you will giue eare and yeeld to our persuasions we promise you in his Maiesties name such good and courteous vsage as you cannot expect better of so milde a prince whose desires and thoughts tend to no other end but to deliuer his good countrie of the Netherlands from such bloodie warres and of his owne bountie to restore them to their freedomes and auncient liberties wherein they haue heretofore liued happily the which we would rather seeke to augment than any way goe about to diminish if the publike good required it to the which we carrie a singular affection and would by all meanes seeke the aduancement thereof Whereof wee haue hitherto giuen sufficient proofes and testimonies referring our selues to all the world to iudge thereon hauing alwaies sought doneour best endeauours to conforme our selues to his Maiesties will and intention who cannot but with a heauie and sorrowfull countenance behold these countries which haue alwaies and aboue all others beene so deere and so much recommended vnto him so much to forget themselues as hee hath beene forced to take armes against them notwithstanding that his Maiestie in the beginning of the troubles had sought by all meanes to redresse it and to pacific them Wherefore we doe exhort you againe by these our letters that you will consider of that which is fittest for you and that you will giue eare vnto it and not carelesly to let it passe without regard and then you shall finde vs very readie to assist you in all that shall tend to your good knowing well that by the instigations and persuasions of some wicked persons you haue beene drawne into this warre which doth now so much importune you although it hath not beene so much through the violent attempts of the peruerse who beeing but fewe in number gouerne you as we heare as through the timerousnesse and want of courage in the good But bee it as it may the way is open vnto you whereby you may returne to your first quiet and tranquilitie vnder the peacefull gouernment and protection of his Maiestie your naturall prince and soueraigne and of vs as his Lieutenant Wherefore embrace this opportunitie before that warre oppresse you and that you feele in effect that which we haue long delaied before we would seeke to reduce you by force If you will hearken thereunto you shall find vs the readier and the more inclined to yeeld you that on his Maiesties behalfe which you can desire with reason for your publike good Hereupon wee will with patience attend your answer and full resolution and as our good friends recommend you to the protection and preseruation of the goodnes of the Almightie The F◅ench king beeing forced this yeare in March by the warres which were very like in a short time to growe within the bowels of his owne kingdome through the practises of the league to refuse the soueraigntie of the Netherlands which was offered vnto him by the embassadours of the vnited prouinces and to denie them succours as they demanded he aduised them to recommend their cause vnto the Queene of England and to the king of Nauarre The Queene beeing duely informed of the estate of their affaires lest they should be forced to make some desperate agreement with their enemies had sent them many comfortable wordes as well by the Lord of Grise as by master Dauison her Maiesties Embassadour Whereof the generall Estates beeing aduertised during the siege of Antuerpe they resolued to giue the soueraigntie of the Netherlands absolutely vnto the Queene of England vpon lawfull and reasonable conditions or else to treat with her to take the protection and defence thereof vpon her or otherwise to craue her aide and assistance by some forces to succour and releeue them And to that end vpon the sixt of Iune their deputies arriued in England which were these for Brabant although by reason of the besieging of Antuerpe not fully authorized was sent Iacques de Grise chiefe bailife of Bruges for Guelderland Rutgert van Harsolt bourgmaster of Harderwicke for Flaunders although likewise not fully authorized Noel of Caron Seignior of Schoonewall bourgmaster of Franc for Holland and Friseland Iohn vanden Does lord of Noortwicke Ioos of Menin counsellor of the towne of Dort Iohn van Oldenbarnevelt counsellour of the towne of Rotterdam doctor Francis Maelson counsellour of the towne of Enckhuysen for Zeeland Iacob Valck a ciuile lawyer and one of the counsell of estate for Vtrecht Paul Buys doctor for Friseland Ielgher van Feytzma counsellor of estate Hessell Aysma president and Laest Iongama all which had full power and authoritie by procuration from their seuerall places and prouinces to treat either for the deliuering ouer of the absolute soueraigntie to the Queene of England
owers had some aduantage to continue fight but the Englishmen shot chaine shot which did cut both their sailes tackling and owers in peeces but they grew to be verie scant of poulder so as they were forced to send to shoare for more On the fourth of August the Spanish army being before the I le of wight the English Admirall did valiantly assaile the Spanish Admirall beeing accompanied by some of his best shippes as the Lion wherein was the Lord Thomas Howard now Earle of Suffolke the Elizabeth Ionas commanded by Sir Robert Southwell the Beare by the Lord Sheffeld the victorie by Sir Iohn Haukins and the Gallion Leicester wherein was Captaine George Fenner the Spanish Admirall was then accompanied with the best of his shippes and in the midest of them where there was a dreadfull noise of Cannon-shot within three or foure hundred foote distance at the last the Spaniards sailed on before the winde On the sixt of August being Saterday the Spaniards cast anchor before Callais being resolued as it seemed to stay there and so to ioyne with the Duke of Parmaes forces and the next day the English fleet also cast anchor and lay close by them within shot one of an other and thether came the Lord Henry Seymor with his fleet of shippes the which had lien at the lands end in the mouth of the riuer of Thames The Duke of Medina aduertised the Duke of Parma of his beeing there and many Noblemen and Gentlemen went to land to refresh themselues and among the rest the Prince of Ascoly who was held to bee the King of Spaines Bastard sonne a gallant yong Gentleman who by good fortune was forced to stay on shoare for that hee could not get aboard whose shippe withall the men was afterwards drowned in Ireland The Duke of Parma hauing heard of the comming of the Spanish army vpon the coast of England made all the hast hee could to imploy his person in this exploite and to that end had giuen the gouernment of the country vnto the old Earle of Mansfield going himselfe in pilgrimage to our Ladie of Hall in Henault and from thence to Brugges where he arriued on the seauenth of August ryding the next day to Dunkerke where his shippes attended him where he heard the shooting of both the armies and at the euening as he entred into Dixmuyden he was aduertised of the successe thereof Vpon Twesday being the ninth of August he returned againe to Dunkerke euen as the army past by not one of his ships daring venter to put forth by reason of the fiue and thirty shippes of Holland and Zeeland commanded by Iustin of Nassau their Admirall which lay there to keepe the passage that none should come out of the hauen neither any of the smaler shippes of the Spanish armie aide and assist them for they had no cause to feare the great shippes by reason of the shallonesse of the water But the Duke of Parmaes men were neither shipt nor yet ready onely the runnagate souldiars of Sir William Stanleys regiment beeing seauen hundred strong were alreadie shipt thinking at the first entrance into England to be the leaders the rest of the soldiars seemed vnwilling to set forward finding their small number of sailers to bee verie backward and their prouision of bread beere and victualls not all ready and wholy vnshipt the sailers did feare the ships of Holland Zeeland which they found did both braue and threten them which made them hourely to run away fearing they should haue bin forced by the soldiars to put forth and to aduenture that which could not be done then they wanted the Spanish Galleies which were lost vpon the way with the which they might haue driuen the ships of Holland and Zeeland from the coast The Spanish fleet lying thus at anchor before Callais staying to heare from the Duke of Parma for the effecting of that which they had in commission from the King it was resolued amongst them as it was afterwards descouered that vpon the twelfth of August beeing a darke night to put that in execution which they had intended on either side wherevpon the Admirall of England and his councell resolued by the expresse commandement of the Queene her selfe as it was sayd either to force the Spanish fleet from their anchors or to burne them wherevpon they sodenly appointed some of their wast ships out of the which hauing taken all that was good and filled them with great store of wild-fire and other stuffe that would easily burne charging the Ordinance full of Poulder Iron and Stones vpon Sunday 7. of August two houres after mid-night the men hauing left them and they beginning to burne they sent them before the winde and tide right among the Spanish fleete which fire being in the night time strooke such a terror confusion and alarme among them fearing that these ships might bee laden with poulder and stones such as the Ingenier Frederik Innebell had vsed three yeares before against the duke of Parmaes bridge vpon the riuer of Scheld as they cried out the fire of Antwerp the fire of Antwerp so as euery man did presently cut his cables and setting saile put to sea confusedly In which fearefull cry the great Galliasse fell foule vpon the cable of an other ship and could make no way and by that means her rudder slipping out was lost so as for want of a helme to gouerne it it was driuen by the force of the sea vpon Callais sands the which was followed by their Pinaces in the end boarded by the English long boates Don Hugo de Moncado Generall of the foure Galliasses making some resistance but after some fight he was shot in the head and slaine with many other Spaniards some leapt into the sea to saue themselues whereof diuers were drowned Don Antonio Manriquez the countroller Generall with a few others escaped and were the first that carried the certaine newes of their successe into Spaine The great Galleasse hauing in it three hundred slaues and foure hundred souldiars being thus taken they were three howers vnlading the munition and other things that were found in her and there they also found fifty thousand ducats of the King of Spaines treasor the slaues being all loose and at liberty the English would haue burnt the ship but Mounsieur Gourdan gouernor of Callis would not suffer them finding it to be hurtfull both for the towne and hauen wherefore he shotte from the towne and draue the English from thence The same morning as the Spanish fleet after their great feare and disorder had againe put it selfe into Battayle the English army began to charge them valiantly before Graueling but they chose rather to passe a long with a forewind before Dunkerke then to open them-selues or to alter their ranks standing wholy vpon their defence The English had not aboue 22 or 23. ships fit to board the Spaniards who were ninety great ships at the least
being freed from the racke had declared and affirmed that by reason of certaine sutes with the inhabitants of Boissiere for the reuenues of his benifice and for that the country thereabouts was all spoyled and ruined by soldiers he had beene constrayned to abandon his charge and to haue serued it by a chaplaine going himselfe to keepe a schoole at Namur and had neuer serued neither the Abbot of Marolles nor the Earle of Barlaimont but that hee was a Priest and Curat of Boissiere and that the enterprize vpon Breda was an inuention of his owne That being knowne vnto the Earle of Barlaimont hauing supt with his gentlemen he was afterwards carried into the Earles chamber who demanded of him why hee liued in so meane estate and spent his time in so base a condition seeing that hee should want no meanes nor good vsage if hee would haue a good and bould courage and aduance him-selfe where-vppon the prisoner hauing presented his seruice the Earle sent for him againe in the end of February last by his Chaplaine calling him from schoole And at night hauing discoursed in the presence of some others of a certaine enterprise vpon the towne of Breda the Earle caused the prisoner to come alone againe into his chamber telling him that he would acquaint him with a matter of great importance if hee would imploy him-selfe in the Kings seruice with promise that hee should be richly rewarded wherevnto the prisoner consented afterwards by the commandement of the Earle he went with him to Brusselles whereas the Earle went often to Court to the Arch-duke But going once among the rest hee commanded the said prisoner to follow him where following him still hauing crost through many chambers the Earle entred into the Arch-dukes chamber whereas the prisoner had meanes to see him by a little of the doore which remained open but the Arch-duke could not discerne him And as he thought to enter into the chamber he could not for that the doore did shutte yet not so close but that he might easily heare the Arch-duke and the Earle discourse sometimes in latin some-times in Spanish vnder standing that at their departure they spake of a recompence And as the Earle went out the Arch-duke being at the doore said Cumulate et largo foenore satisfaciam then the Earle comming into the withdrawing chamber said vnto the prisoner that he had talked with the Arch-duke of their affaires that the Arch-duke would appoint him two hundred Philips Dallors At night after supper the Earle being alone with the prisoner in a chamber said vnto him that he had charge from the Arch-duke to root out or cause to be rooted out by a third person the Earle Maurice of Nassau and that he had a ready some men appointed to put it in execution in case that if the prisoner would also imploy himselfe there in the which he might wel doe that both he and his should be richly recompenced and that he should be saued saying moreouer that he had 15000 crownes to deliuer vpon the first newes to them which had committed this murther Where-vnto the said prisoner answered that it was out of his profession hauing neuer carried â—…es Here-vpon the Earle persisting with many reasons and great promises that it was the Kings pleasure and the Arch-dukes the prisoner vndertooke it promising to doe therein al hee could possibly and demanding how he might effect it Barlaimont said vnto him that Cont Maurice was a young Noble man familiar and of easie accesse and therefore he should finde good oportunitie if he made not too great hast but did mannage this businesse with shooes of lead That being come to the Hage or to any other place where the Earle should bee most resident he should find the rest that were sent to the same end being sixe in number and that the prisoner should be the seauenth that if one failed the other might speed That being here he might buy a paire of good pistols the which he should keepe alwaies as cleane as a clocke either of them charged with two bullets with the which hee should shoote Cont Maurice through the bodie or that hee should murther him by any other meanes hee could deuise as he might conferre thereof more particularly with the rest being arriued there and how soeuer he that did best effect it should be best recompenced that there were other men also which must be made away as Barnuiel or Barneuelt Longolius and Aldegonde And in case the said prisoner could murther any of them he should be highly recompenced Commanding the prisoner from that time to conceale his owne name and to take an other and that he should attire him-selfe like a soldier Then after diuers speeches the Earle of Barlaimont sent for an other man whome the prisoner could not name the which he said was one of the sixe to whome hauing discouered what the prisoner had vndertaken the same man called him his Camerado or chamber-fellow saying that hee would soone follow him into Holland with other speeches Declaring moreouer that since the Duke of Parmas time the said sixe men being all murtherers had bene entertained in the Court as Gentlemen at the King of Spaines charge to imploy them in matters of consequence against his greatest enemies and that in the meane time the said Barlaimont had receiued by his Secretary from the hands of Stephano D'ybarra the summe of two hundred Phillips Dallors the which Secretary did tell them vnto the prisoner in diuers coynes which hee did write downe in a certaine booke that was found about him mounting to the summe of 500. florins That the said prisoner beeing readie to go from Brusselles to Antwerp the other man conducted him vnto the boate and said vnto him that he thought they should bee sent to Leyden The prisoner asking him where it was and to what end Hee answered that Leyden was a Towne and an Vniuersitie in Holland where the young Prince of Orange did liue at his booke and that they should bee sent thether to catch him out of the way and to kil him After that time the prisoner following Barlaimonts commandement attired him selfe in a soldiers habit calling him-selfe Michael of Triuieres and went from Antwerp to Tournhout with the Earle of Barlaimonts letters to Larigon But fearing much that hee was gone hee returned againe to Brusselles from whence hee went with others belonging vnto the Earle towards Lovuain Dyest Herental and Tournhout Wherefore the Councells appointed by the generall Estates of the vnited Prouinces for the examination and Iudgement of this present fact finding it a matter of very bad consequence the which cannot bee in any sort tollerate in a countrie of Iustice without danger preiudice or ruine of the good and publike quiet but ought to be rigorously punished hauing taken councell and aduise therein after graue and mature deliberation doing right in the name and behalfe of the said generall Estates of the vnited Prouinces Haue
inconueniences came out of Flanders to Antuerpe leauing the Infanta at Gant In Antuerpe hee borrowed money wherewith he caused the armie vnder the admirall to march foreward with a third part of a monethes pay Whereupon many Italians and other commaunders left the armie Theodore Trivultio Alphonso d'Aualos Fernando Cariglia Martin Lopes and Emanuel Texera master of the campe and others were put out of the counsell of warre which caused in a maner a generall reuolt so as the nine thousand Italians were brought to 3000 the rest were run away or ioyned with the mutiners Out of Spaine they had small helpe both for that the king was yong and his counsell diuided in opinions To preuent all these difficulties it was giuen out That Dom Ioan de Medicis bastard of Florence should come thither to supply the admirals place but he came not many thought he refused that charge matters being so confused The garrison of the castle of Antuerpe began also to bee discontented and threatned a mutinie but the townes men gaue their words to see them payed and so by that meanes they were satisfied The archduke went from Antuerpe to Brussels to leuie money whereas by reason of the many new growne troubles hee was not verie pleasing vnto them At that time there was an assemblie of the Estates but they concluded little for the preuention of so great disorders The archduke caused many peasants to bee taken vp throughout all the Wallon prouinces both for his owne guard and to make head against the mutiners relying not much on his owne souldiers but on some that were well paid The high Dutch regiment vnder Barlamont were also vpon tearms to mutine and had attempted to surprise Dermonde in Flanders The archduke went to Toren and so to his armie whereas hee discharged the admirall of his generals place for want of money who soone after went into Spaine where hee was not verie welcome After that the archduke by policie and faire promises got them of Venloo to receiue more men and thereby assured the towne for himselfe from thence he went to Liere where with certaine companies of souldiers and the boors of the countrey with the townes-men and some others thereabouts he thought to charge the mutinous souldiers who at that time were verie strong and lay in Hoochstraten spoyling all the countrey and striking a great terror into the peasants These mutiners growing strong and their insolencies intollerable beeing a verie bad example to others and no money to be found to pacifie them the archduke with the Spanish counsell contrarie to the aduice of the Estates of the countrey resolued to banish them and to proclaime those mutinous souldiers traitors and villaines The sentence of their proscription was as followeth The Archdukes As wee had drawne our armie together to releeue the towne of Graue the which is besieged by the enemie and so valiantly defended by the souldiers that are within it as they deserue great commendation going our selfe in person to that end wee were aduertised That some souldiers of our sayd armie lying neere vnto the enemies campe vnder colour of an alteration or mutinie to recouer that which they falsely pretend to be due vnto them haue wickedly abandoned their colours and cornets and after they had made attempts vpon manie places in the end they surprized the castle of Hoochstraten by treacherous and wicked meanes hauing giuen many vchement presumptions to hold correspondencie and to treat with our enemies the which is against all reason and iustice neither hath it beene euer practised among our souldiers But contrariwise such as haue beene in mutinie when as the enemie hath besieged any place of ours or that wee had need of men for any expedition leauing their forts and places of strength came to serue vs willingly and chearefully And for that the chiefe actors of this wickednesse and treason are men to whom there is little or nothing due for that they are new come or else haue beene in the mutinies of Dyest Weert and Carpen and haue beene lately accounted with and paid whatsoeuer was due vnto them beeing men accustomed to practise and inuent mutinies to receiue money for contributions without doing vs any seruice who haue induced circumuented and forced the others to commit this treason whereby their brethren and companions which are besieged cannot bee succoured and all other enterprises which we might haue against our enemies hindered forcing vs to turne our armes against them as against those that are more dangerous and preiudiciall than domesticall enemies for that the enemie is thereby made stronger And for as much as this fact is strange fowle odious of bad consequence and worthy to bee exemplarly punished Wherefore desiring to prouide for the publike cause and the good of our subiects wee inioyne and commaund all soulâ—…rs or other persons or their traine which are in the sayd castle of Hoochstraten or that shal ioyne there or in any other place with them vnder colour of mutinie within three dayes after the publication hereof to returne vnto their ensignes and cornets or to present themselues vnto the gouernour of Liere or of Herental to the end they may be presently sent away vnto their ensignes and standerds wheresoeuer they shall be as if this alteration had neuer happened And wee ingage our word and faith vnto them that they shall neither at this present nor at any time hereafter be punished nor reprehended in particular although they were the chiefe motiues thereof but shall bee intreated with all kindnesse and fauour and there shall bee meanes made to giue them full satisfaction as men whom we desire to gratifie The which if they refuse to accomplish after the expiration of the said three dayes we declare as well them that are there at this present as all others that shall hereafter ioyne with them to bee rebels traitors and wicked persons hauing committed high treason in the highest degree and as such wee condemne them to loose both liues and goods and from this time wee hold them confiscated and incorporat to our reuenews Giuing leaue vnto all persons of what estate and condition soeuer freely and without any danger of punishment to kill the said mutiners or any of them after what sort and manner hee may most conueniently do it And whosoeuer shall kill them hee shall receiue for euerie one of their heads ten crownes and for any one of the ordinarie officers an hundred and for those which they call of the counsell the sergeant maior or the gouernour of the horse two hundred crownes and for the Electo fiue hundred And if they which shall kill them bee any of their companie wee pardon them and will cause the said summes to be giuen them And moreouer wee commaund and enioyne all judges of our armies estates and seigniories that they take an inuentorie of all the mouable immouable goods of the said mutiners of their apparell and of all other things belonging to their
the repeopling of this towne he graunted goodly priuiledges and gaue land by inheritance to them that would build and inhabit there with immunitie of excises and customes for certaine yeares and accommodating the garrison as well as he could It is vncertaine what numbers were slaine during this siege of Oostend yet it is sayd that there was found in a commissaries pocket who was slaine before Oostend the 7 of August before the yeelding thereof diuers remarkable notes and obseruarions and among the rest what number died without in the archdukes campe of euery degree Masters of the campe 7. Colonels 15. Sergeant maiors 29. Captaines 565. Lieutenants 1116. Ensignes 322. Sergeants 1911. Corporals 1166. Lanspisadoes 600. Soldiers 54663. Marriners 611. Women and children 119. All which amount to 72124 persons Which number is not so great considering the long siege sicknesse and the cold winters vpon the sea coast in so cold a clymat fighting against the elements It is vnknowne what number died in the towne the which is thought was much lesse for that there were not so many in the towne who were better lodged had more ease and were better victualed At the same time about three hundred horse of the vnited estates made a sudden incursion into the countrey of Luxembourg whereas they surprized the towne of Arlon the which they spoyled a whole day together at their pleasures then carying away their bootie and many good prisoners they came to Duyts right against Cologne where hauing shipt their goods and prisoners they sent them by the Rhin into Holland and they returned by land into the vnited prouinces to their garrisons The Marques Spinola hauing as we haue sayd finished the siege of Oostend and wonne thereby much honour and reputation he was sent by the archdukes into Spaine as well to giue an account of his actions as to procure a new prouision of money and to receiue the reward of his seruices from the king the which were such as at his audience in the kings chamber his maiesty saluted him with the name of duke of Saint Seuerino whereof he gaue him the title he made him lieutenant generall to the archdukes in the Netherlands gaue him the earledome of Vogira in the duchie of Milan in Italie with a pension of twelue thousand crownes a yeere for his diet commanding he should be put in the number of the Grandos of Spaine besides other goodly rewards which the king gaue him Sluce being taken Lodowike Gunther earle of Nassau who had maried the countesse of Walckenstein and Broeke being sicke died in Sluce this Lodowike was the sonne of old Iohn earle of Nassau and brother to William and Ernest earles of Nassau being a gallant yong earle and one that was much lamented hauing been employed in many great enterprizes and at the same time prince Maurice and diuers others were also sicke In remembrance of the long siege of Oostend and the winning of Sluce there were certaine counters made in the vnited prouinces both of siluer and copper the one hauing on the one side the picture of the towne of Oostend and on the other the townes of Rhinberke Graue Sluce Ardenbourgh and the forts of Isendyke and Cadsant with this inscription round about it Plus triennio obsessa hostirudera patriae quatuor ex me vrbes dedi Anno 1604. Oostend being more than three yeeres besieged gaue the enemie a heape of stones and to her natiue countrey foure townes Another counter hauing on the one side the siege of Sluce with this inscription Traxit duxit dedit Anno 1604. On the other side were the armes of Zeeland and round about it Beatus populus cuius adiutor deus The towne of Vtrecht did also make a triumphant peece of coyne both of gold and siluer where on the one side stood the siege of Oostend and on the other the siege of Sluce all the forts and hauens and on both sides round about was grauen Iehoua prius dederat plus quam perdidimus 1604. The king of England being quietly seated in the royall possession of the crowne the king of Spaine and the archdukes had sent their embassadours into England to make an ouerture of a peace as wee formerly shewed and this yeere on the nineteenth of May certaine commissioners came into England to that end during the siege of Oostend and Sluce for the Archdukes came the earle of Arembergh sir Iohn Richardot president and sir Lewis Vereycken secretarie of estate and for the king of Spaine came Alexander Rouido doctor and councellor for the king in Milan who had in his company as an assistant Martin de la Falia Baron Van Niuele but Dom Ioan Fernandes de Velasco Constable of Castilia and Leon duke of Frias eaâ—… of Hara c. councellour of estate and for the warres had only full power and authority to conclude for the king of Spaine who remaining sicke at Wynoxberghen in Flanders by vertue of his commission gaue authoritie to Ioan Baptista Taxis earle of Villa Mediana and to doctor Rouido to treat What followed in this treaty I thinke it needlesse to insert here being so well knowne to euery man After the conclusion of this peace betwixt England Spaine and the archdukes the generall Estates of the vnited prouinces called sir Noel Caron their agent then resident in England to come home into Holland and to acquaint them with the estate of England since the peace with Spaine whereupon the king gaue him letters of recommendation with certaine instructions concerning the money which was owing by the vnited prouinces vnto the crowne of England the king desiring that embassadours should be sent ouer vnto him to that end the which was done accordingly The general Estates returned sir Noel Caron back into England giuing him the title of their embassador and commission to cary himselfe so in all places the which made many to wonder and the Spanish embassador to storme who presently demanded audience and made his complaint vnto the king of the wrong was thereby done vnto the king his master who was dishonored thereby contrary to the league and friendship which was then betwixt them desiring that all accesse vnto the court in that quality might be denied him as being sent from such persons as had traiterously fallen from their lord soueraigne prince with many other bitter words and full of spleene To whome the king of England made answere That hee was not yet informed of any such matter and that when as hee should be fully certified thereof he would make him an honorable and a reasonable answer and afterwards vpon conference with his councell he told the Spanish embassadour that he had no knowledge of the Estates resolution but yet he thought it good to let him know that by the contract of peace made with Spaine all neutrality with the Netherlands was allowed him saying moreouer that as he was no author of their separation from Spaine so would he not
William Earle of Holland and Zeeland the which are two goodly earledomes neighbours and necessarie one vnto the other as well for nauigation as commerce would so dismember his estate to gratifie his sister wife to the said Auesnes And if he had had any disposition to dismember it from Holland it had beene more reasonable to giue it to his brother Floris to hold it in fee of his countie of Holland as his portion than to giue it in dowrie to his sister And therefore we will hold the opinion of the chronicle of Holland more true in that point than that of Flanders The contesse Marguerite seeing that the duke of Aniou fled before king William and that all her men were defeated and disbanded shee was much perplext and knew not how to resolue in the end she found no better course than to imploy many princes and great noble men yea S. Lewis king of France to reconcile her to the king of Romanes fauour vpon such conditions as she could with reason beare Although the said king William had beene too much wronged and incensed by her as well by contempt and iniuries as otherwise yet presuming that his courage would neuer oppose it selfe against a silly weake woman nor seeke reuenge of her vsing his clemencie he receiued her into grace vpon certaine conditions specified namely That she should absolutely quit her countie of Henault the countrey of Alost and the foure chasteleines of the countrey of Waes whereof she should giue full possession to Cont Iohn d' Auesnes her eldest sonne and passe it by authentike letters vnder her great seale the which was done And so the said Iohn d' Auesnes and Baldwin his brother were reconciled to the contesse Marguerite of Flanders their mother the which beeing well finished and ended king William returned into Holland Pope Innocent hearing of the death of Conrard king of Germanie sonne to the emperour Frederic and that William Earle of Holland had beene long before chosen king of Romans he sent for him by letters to come to Rome to receiue the Crowne the ornaments and all the markes of the Empire King William hauing no trust in many princes of Germany and Italy through whose territories he must passe went disguised in a pilgrims weed being accompanied with twelue of his most trustie and confident seruants and so past into Italy finding the Pope at Genoa or Genes by whom he was honorably receiued And as he came in a strange and disguised habit onely to conferre with the Pope he returned in the same maner through Lombardie and Germanie where hauing beene well receiued in some places whereas hee made himselfe knowne and there treated of the affaires of the empire he was aduertised That the West-Frisons were reuolted and according to their antient maner inuaded the frontiers of Holland from whence they daily carried away great spoyles hauing no man to make head against them he being so far off at that instant The said king being readie to returne into Italy with forces and a royall traine to be crowned at Rome hee thought it more expedient to preserue his owne inheritance and to settle peace and quietnesse in his countries and among his subiects than to goe farre off to purchase a title of honour without profit he therefore left off this voyage of Italy and led his armie to Vtrecht where being with the prelats and noble men at a banquet there was some traitor which hit him on the head with a stone wherewith he was sore wounded and yet no man could perceiue whence the blow came the which did much perplexe and trouble the prelats for that they had inuited him to this feast The king hauing the stone in his hand said See what an affront and despight those of Vtrecht do me seeking to beat me downe with stones hauing neuer deserued ill at their hands but haue euer assisted them and subdued their enemies at mine owne charge but by the liuing God this affront shall not passe vnpunished if I liue but one yeare in health and with those words he departed from thence and went to horse not without great reason being much mooued and threatening the whole citie which he resolued to ruine quite The magistrats and best bourgesses of Vtrecht were verie sad for this wicked and vnfortunat accident and hauing obtained a passeport to send vnto him they dispatcht their bourgmasters to the court at la Haye to see if they could any way pacifie his choller and displeasure against them The king answered them in few words That he had sworne the which he would neuer call backe again but would vtterly destroy the towne if they deliuered not into his hands him that had cast the stone With this answre they returned and hauing assembled their counsell they made diligent search for him that had giuen the blow This remained thus in suspence for the king made hast to go into Friseland whereof the citie of Vtrecht had great cause to thanke God for at his returne if he had liued any time it was to bee feared he would haue made a pitifull spoyle and the Traiectins or those of Vtrecht should haue endured much if he had returned victor out of Friseland The king being gone with his armie into West-Friseland at his entrance he subdued some of the first that would haue opposed themselues and stopt his passage causing a castle to bee built neere Alcmar the which he called Tornenburg which is to say the castle of Wrath. And marching on in the moneth of Februarie he went to Alcmar from whence passing vpon the ice at Vrouen he made all the hast he could to surprise his rebels sodainely But it succeeded not so happily for him as for his armie for as the lord of Brederode who led one of the battalions had incountred and vanquished the Drechters the king mounted vpon a mightie courser leading the other battalion seeking the shortest way to Hoochtwonde which he meant to burne marched before all alone vpon the ice far from his troups as if hee had beene vpon the firme land it happened that the ice brake and his horse sunke in and was almost drowned hauing no man neere him to helpe him in time The Frisons who lay in ambush in the reeds and oziers seeing a horsman thus mired ran thither and beat him downe with clubs staues not knowing that it was the king but when they had seene his target they imagined it should be some great noble man There were in that quarter some Hollanders that were fugitiues and banished for crimes who came also running thither and knew the armes and blason of their king which was an Eagle sables and a Lion rampant gules in a field partie par pale or saying vnto the Frisons that were there present That they had done very ill to haue thus murthered the king their lord and naturall prince When as they vnderstood that it was king William Earle of Holland there was not any one man
nor woman yong nor old that was not verie heauie and sorrowfull then hauing consulted together vpon this accident they resolued to burie him secretly in a house in the said village of Hoochtwonde to the end that in time the memorie and the reuenge thereof might be forgotten It was a strange thing that neuer a man neither on foot nor horsebacke of the whole armie came thither to succour him and that the Hollanders did not pursue their first victorie although they knew their king to bee dead For without doubt they had that day conquered all that quarter by the defeat of these West-Frisons if they had proceeded but they were so stroken and amazed for the death of the king their prince as they lost al iudgement and courage so as the commanders retired with their armie into Holland Behold how king William died miserably after that he had gouerned his inheritance of Holland and Zeeland one and twentie yeres and the empire seuen His bodie being found in this village of Hoochtwonde was carried and interred in the abbey of Middlebourg in the isle of Walchren in the yere 1255 then was accomplished the prophesie which said That one William king of Romans shouldbe slaine by the Frisons The same day there died in a battaile which they fought in their retreat all the inhabitants of Dordrecht except three hundred and their standard was taken and most part of those of Delft after they had slaine many of these Frisons The lady Elizabeth his wife died in the yeare 1265 and lyes buried by her husband This king of Romanes Earle of Holland and Zeeland gaue vnto the said towne of Middlebourg their principall priuiledges and among others hee graunted that in all the Beweterscheldt none should haue high iustice and iudge of life and death but the said towne and that all the criminall causes of the countrey should bee decided there and that offenders should be kept in the Earles prisons there causing this towne to be repaired and fortified FLORIS THE FIFTH OF THAT name the nineteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland 19 Florentius Quintus In iust reuenge of fathers death thou splid'st the blood Of Frisons that had him destroid and thee withstood And hauing taken his bodie from the place where 't lay Intombedst it in Middleburgh from whence thou took'st thy way To Flanders to abate their pride that quietly Gaue thee their princesse for thy spouse and for her dower Whole Flanders but when thou to hunt in woods wast gone Thy foes thee slue when thou hadst rul'd full fortie yeares and one AFter the lamentable death of William king of Romans Earle of Holland and Zeeland his son Floris being but six monethes old succeeded him and was the to Earle Floris his vncle brother to the king gouernour of Holland was his tutor who discharged it faithfully for the space of four yeares It was he which made lawes and customs in Zeeland the which they obserue at this day Floris being one day at a tourney in the citie of Antuerpe was very sore hurt wherof he died and was buried by the king his brother in the abbey of Middlebourg in the yeare 1258. Then Henry duke of Brabant sonne to this infants great vncle tooke vpon him the guardianship the which he did administer for a time till in the end through the dissolutions exactions and concussions of his officers he was chased out of Holland He being displaced the barons lords nobles with the estates of this countie did with one consent chuse Otto earle of Gueldre to vndertake the gouernment against whom those of Holland did chuse the lady Alix contesse of Henault aunt to yong Cont Floris to be his gouernesse and viceregent Which partialitie was afterwards the cause of a great battaile at Voerwoetzee whereas many were slaine on either part but the Hollandser won the battaile and the earl of Gueldres remained sole gouernour and guardian to the yong Earle In the yeare 1268 there were strange apparitions seene in the aire as armed men fighting and other strange and prodigious things after which there followed great calamities for the commons of Holland did rise against the nobles and Cont Floris being yet very yong those of Kennemerlandt did rise and bandie themselues against the nobles of the countrey destroying and pulling downe their castles houses in the country and places of pleasure the knights and gentlemen were forced for their better safetie to retire themselues into the towne of Harlem to be freed from this rable of rascals who had resolued to expell all the nobilitie of the countrey of Vtrecht to rase their castles and houses and to make all the countrey common The Frisons and Waterlanders did ioyne with them so as all together made a huge bodie of an army with the which they fel vpon the quarter of Amsterlandt Ghysbrecht seignior of Amstel seeing that he could not make head against so great a multitude of mad-men resolued to ioyne with them promising them all fidelitie and assistance Hauing therefore made choyce of him for their leader he with his people ioyned with this mutinous troupe Beeing made their captaine generall he thought to reuenge himselfe of all his enemies about Vtrecht and to ruine them beating downe their castles and houses For his first exploit he went to besiege the castle of Vredelandt the which had been expresly built by the bishop of Vtrecht against him and the seignior of Woerden his cosin but he found it so well fortified with a good garrison and of all other things necessarie for defence as he was glad to leaue it And finding that this troupe did eat and wast all his territorie of Amsterlandt he persuaded them in a faire night to make an enterprise vpon the town of Vtrecht the which they resolued and meaning to make a present proofe thereof before that it was day they had inuested the said citie round about The bourgesses and those of the guard of Vtrecht knew not what it might be thinking they had beene Scythians or Tartarians or some other strange nation that came to assaile them being in armes vpon their walles and in their towers they demaunded what they were and what they required Whereupon one of these Kennemers a man well spoken said vnto them You bourgesses and inhabitants of Vtrecht our good friends know that the franke Kennemers salute you and send you word that you chase away all the noblemen and gentlemen which oppresse and ouercharge the people and that you diuide their goods and riches among the poore in common He had no sooner ended this speech but presently there grew a tumult among the people of the towne incouraging one another with the persuasions of this Kennemer and so taking armes they chased away all the nobles and men of knowledge and authoritie in the citie or that were of the counsell and did administer iustice with fortie gentlemen of name Then they created a new magistrat aldermen and ancients
disgrace but the sweetnesse of libertie made him to disgest these comparisons which seemed odious vnto him It was confidently reported that monsieur la Noue taking his leaue of the prince of Parma said vnto him Sir this towne of Antuerpe cannot escape you when you shall enter into it I would aduise you to hang vp your sword and armes at the gate and there to end your victories To whom the prince answered You say well monsieur la Noue and my friends doe also aduise me thereunto but how may I retire my selfe beeing ingaged in the Kings seruice as I am Doubtlesse monsieur la Noue was not deceiued for since the prince of Parma did not any thing that might equall the hundreth part of his precedent happie successe in the Netherlands onely after that time he tooke the townes of Nuys and Scluse The deputies of Antuerpe that were returned vnto the towne with the articles of the accord to impart them vnto the people arriued the ninth day of August and the next day the great councell was assembled where they were seene and examined and were allowed of by some and reiected by others Whilest they were disputing in councell vpon these articles a good number of bourgers beeing tired with this long siege and not able nor willing any longer to endure the extremitie of famine came vnto the market place where they began to crie out that they would haue peace Some of the councell looking out at the windowe and seeing the people thus mooued grewe afraid that it would turne to a popular sedition making report thereof to the whole councell the which did terrifie and amaze them in such sort as they which at the first had opposed themselues vnto the said articles fearing some great mutinie and that they should be forced by the commons yeelded ioyntly with the rest giuing the people there present to vnderstand that the peace was concluded the which did so reioyce them as without any longer stay they beat downe the duke of Anious armes and set vp the king of Spaines In this treatie of Antuerp there was great difficulties vpon the word scandall the which by the pacification of Gant had beene strictly and bitterly interpreted the which they desired to haue explaned and not to haue the word of scandall applied to the least point that should be spoken or done by them of the religion as it had beene often construed to the worst since the said pacification of Gant for it had beene said that they should liue in libertie of conscience committing no scandall This word had beene generally taken against all those that would not conforme themselues to the ceremonies of the Romish church The interpreters of this maintaining that such as would not doe as the rest did were scandalous and therefore this word thus construed and vnderstood the libertie of conscience was nothing neither had it beene lawfull to sing a psalme without scandall The Dutch chronicle saies that the Seignior of Saint Aldegonde insisted much vpon this word against the prince of Parma alleadging some points which they would tearme scandalous amongst others that if they did no reuerence vnto the priestes carrying the sacrament through the streets whereupon the prince of Parma answered Truely for the last point it were a manifest scandall saying moreouer vnto the Seignior of Saint Aldegonde can you not doe as the countrie man did at Rome who passing along the streetes before an Eccehomo which is the figure of the representation which Pilate made of our Sauiour Iesus Christ vnto the people saying Behold the man hauing made a reuerence and passing on he bethought himselfe that Pilate might attribute this honour vnto himselfe wherefore returning and putting off his hatte againe hee said It is to the Christ not to the Pilate Doe so said the prince of Parma and thinke that the honour and reuerence which you doe vnto the sacrament you doe it vnto almightie God The eleuenth day of August the prince of Parma receiued the order which the king had sent him out of Spaine with the accustomed solemnities the which was also giuen to the earle of Egmont the marquesse of Renti earle of Ouereinden beeing at that time there present and to the marquesse of Renti who was dead as wee haue said the old knights assisting as the duke of Arschot the old earle of Mansfeldt and others with the Seignior of Assonuille chauncellor of the order the treasurer and the king at armes whom they call Toison d'Or or golden fleece This was done publikely on a scaffold richly furnished in the fort of Calloo this beeing ended the ordinance in all the sorts thereabouts were discharged The seauenteenth day of the moneth of August the treatie of accord with the towne of Antuerpe was fully concluded and signed by the prince of Parma who promised them to get it signed and ratified by the king of Spaine vnder his great seale whithin foure moneths at the furthest which accord was proclaimed in the said towne of Antuerpe with ceremonies on the twentieth day following the which beeing set forth in print we omit for breuities sake This proclamation beeing made before the towne-house in the presence of the prince of Parma his deputies the magistrates and the superintendents of the said towne the Herald or king at armes hauing his coate on him with the armes of Spaine cried out thrise God saue the king of Spaine the which was seconded by the shouts and cries of the people of the towne This beeing done the prince of Parma his deputies went to the cathedrall church of the said towne the which beeing blest by the bishop and the pulpits whipt with roddes and then pulled downe a Te Deum was sung from thence they returned to the State-house whereas a costly dinner was prepared for them The magistrates intreated the prince that hee would staie his entrie into the towne for some few daies that they might haue some respite to prepare themselues to receiue him in triumph as a victorious prince with all the honour and pompe they could deuise And all strangers especially the Geneuois and the companies of trades did striue who should exceed in sumptuous acknowledgement of their dutie So vpon the seauen and twentieth day of the moneth the prince of Parma meaning to make his entrie into the said towne of Antuerpe sent two thousand and foure hundred footmen Wallons and high Dutch men and foure hundred horse men with two hundred gentlemen following them among whom there were many great personages of good account The bourgomasters shirifes magistrates and regents of the towne went to meete him and the keyes of the towne were presented vnto him by a faire yong virgin the one beeing of yron the other of pure gold the which he tied to his coller by his order of the golden fleece There were along the streetes many artificiall and costly deuises of pictures images statues and writings all tending to the prince his honour glorie and