in the General for its dimensions fuller planted with People Cities Great Towns Castles Fortresses Bulwarks Forts Garrisons and for Military Defence then any other Countrie in Europe Their Naval Forces were prodigious befitting Wonder rather then Words even a Terrour to the Great Princes of the World For their trade it far exceeded that of the Neighbouring Princes and in the Oeconomy of it more prudently managed To every town they assigned some Staple-Commodity As to Dort the Germane Wines and Corn To Middleburgh the French and Spanish Wines To Trevere the Scotch Trade In Leyden in respect of her long Siege was erected an Vniversity to Harlem Knitting and Weaving and to Rotterdam formerly now Dort the English Cloth this maketh their Towns so equally rich and populous The Hollanders the best Copy of Thrift in Christendom teach their little Ditches to bear Boats not that their Waters are more docible in this kinde then ours but they are the more ingenious and industrious School-Masters of the lesson of publique advantage making every place in their Provinces to have access to others therein by such cheap transportation A thing much to be desired in England and certainly this great Metropolis and other Cities here would attain to much more grandeur and riches if more navigable Rivers were made unto them for nothing can more advance Trade or raise a better Nursery of Sea-men Their Buildings are Splendid and Magnificent In many places as in Amsterdam the Foundations of their Houses cost more then the Superstructure for the Ground being low and spungy they are constrain'd to ram in huge stakes of Timber till they come to a firm Basis so that one said Whosoever could see Amsterdam under Ground should see a huge Winter-Forest But of these as of their more Ancient and Noble Families the Famous Men of their Countries for Learning and Exploits of War their rare Monuments and other admirable Rarities to be found amongst them with many other remarkables which for thy more ample satisfaction I shall refer thee to the following discourse wherein our Author hath gravely and judiciously with singular method and brevity set each memorable particular to thy View in which thou wilt meet with many Occurrences worthy of thy admiration having not only equall'd the best of such Writers as have hitherto treated on this Subject but far out-done them all And therefore I shall no ways doubt of thy candid Interpretation of this his very laudable and worthy Enterprize assuring thee that thy friendly reception of these his present Labours will strongly invite him to commend unto thy judicious consideration another Political Discourse discovering their Arts and Intrigues by which they have attained to their Grandeur a Book which will be of great concern and advantage to the English Nation Of the great pleasure and utility and the excellent use that will be found in the serious perusal of Books of this kind I shall need to say nothing though I first principally intended it it being a truth so generally received amongst all Judicious Readers only I shall tell thee thou hast here Magnum in parvo or Iliades in nuce or the late High and Mighty States of the United Netherlands with all their Provinces brought thee even to thine own home But I shall not inlarge knowing Verbum Sapienti sat est Yours to serve you T. W. An Exact SURVEY OF THE Vnited Netherlands BELGIVM or the Netherlands are Bounded on the East with Westphalen Gulick Cleve and the Land of Tryers Provinces of the higher Germany on the West with the main Ocean which divides it from Britain on the North with the River Ems which parts it from East-Friesland on the South with Picardie and Champaigne two French Provinces upon the South-East with the Dukedom of Lorrain The chief Rivers here are 1. The Rhene 2. The Maes 3. The Ems 4. The Scaldis or Schelt 5. Lis or Ley. The Rhine is divided about the confines of Gelderland into four Channels Of which the first is called the Wael which running thorow Gelderland by Nimmegen and Bommel loseth it self in the Maes The Second which keepeth the name of the Rhene passeth by Arnhem from thence in a contracted channel to Vtrecht and so through Holland The Third called the Leck taketh his course through the Provinces of Vtrecht and Holland and so into the Sea 'twixt Dort and Rotterdam The Fourth called the Yssel passing by the Towns of Zutphen and Deventer 'twixt Gelderland and Overyssel emptieth it self into the South-Sea The Maes runneth by Ruremond and Venlo two known Towns of Gelderland where turning towards the West it takes in a part of the Rhene and from thence passing to Maestricht divides Brabant from Holland watering the Town of Grave in the one and of Dort in the other and falls into the Sea not far from Brill Ems which divides the two Frieslands Scaldis or Schelt which ariseth in Picardy and runs through Artois and between Hainault and Brabant meets with the Sea a little above Antwerp Lis or Ley which runs through Flanders Besides which Rivers and others of inferiour note here are great store of Lakes Pooles and Marishes which do both fortifie the Country and provide it of Fish Belgium is divided into 17 Provinces Whereof there are 4 Dukedoms 1 Limburg 2 Luxemburg 3 Gelderland 4 Brabant One Marquisate viz. of the Holy Empire Seven Earldoms 1 Flanders 2 Artois 3 Hainalt 4 Namur 5 Zutphen 6 Holland 7 Zealand Five Baronies 1 West-Friesland 2 Vtrecht 3 Overyssel 4 Machlin 5 Groninge Of these 17 Provinces only two did acknowledg the Soveraignty of the Kings of France viz. Flanders and Artois the Earls of which were Homagers to that Crown at the Treaty of Cambray Anno Dom. 1550 when they were quitted by Henry the Second of France to Philip the Second King of Spain and to his Successors the rest were held originally of the Germane Empire Nine of which Provinces are under the King of Spain 1 Flanders 2 Artois 3 Hainalt 4 Namur 5 Luxemburg 6 Limburg 7 Brabant 8 Marquisate 9 Machlin Under the States General are 1 Holland 2 Zealand 3 West-Friesland 4 Vtrecht 5 Overyssel 6 Gelderland 7 Zutphen 8 Groning With some Towns in Flanders and Brabant HOLLAND HAth on the East the Zuyderzee Vtrecht and some part of Gelderland on the West and North the Germane Ocean on the South the Islands of Zealand and some part of Brabant Upon the eruption of the Gothish and Danish Nations they here planting themselves in Holland and Zealand as Adrianus Junius conceiveth in reference to Zealand and Orland two Islands in the Baltick Sea out of which they came these two Provinces were called Holland and Zealand And with him agreeth William Heda Petrus Hannius Scriverius and others But Hugo Grotius will have it called Holland from Holtland which is as much as to say a Country of Wood Holt signifies a Wood. And the Annals tell us that heretofore Holland was full of Woods and Bushes This Country
the Yssel into the Zuyder-see A fair large and Imperial Hanse-town well Fortified and of very great strength by reason of those inaccessible Marishes amongst which it is scituated It hath a goodly Bridge upon the River at the end whereof there 's a goodly Fort to defend it by which Bridge they may go both on Horse-back Waggon or Foot to all the Towns of Overyssel Friesland and Groning or else if they please by the Chanels which run through the Country Merchants and Workmen with a good winde may go in one night to Amsterdam and going from thence at night after dispatch of business may be again the next day at their own Houses which is a great commodity It 's the second Town in this Province the Burgers can put it under water when they please which is a great security to it These three Towns are in that part hereof which is called Ysselland In that part which is called Twent we have the Town of Enschede A Town of good Traffick a League from Oldenzel and two from Otmarsum Anno 1597 't was reduc'd to the obedience of the States by Prince Maurice and 't was much ruin'd Of which little memorable Delden Almeto Stenwick It 's scituated on a Brook called Blocker-zyel It suffered two great Sieges in the late Belgick Wars and did undergo a sad Fate but since is much recovered and is a Town of good Trade and of considerable strength it 's three Miles from Meppel Hassel Is seated upon the River Vidre which runs into the Zuyder-see at Gheelmuyden being mingled with the two Rivers of Regg and Vect It 's well Fortified Otmarsum A Town which did three times tast the fruits of the Wars as well by Siege as otherwise It 's a place of no great strength lying in an open Country but Anno 1592 taken by Prince Maurice In Latine this Town is called veteros Marsii which are the old Marsians whom Pliny and Livie do often mention being seated in the Country of the Tubantines which is now Tuent Oldenzeel Is a Town of good Trade and reasonable great It suffered much by a long Siege Anno 1605 being beleaguered by Marquess Spinola to whom 't was yielded for Arch-Duke Albert But Anno 1567 't was retaken by Prince Maurice It 's three Miles from Otmarsum Coewarden Is a place of good strength Anno 1593 't was strongly defended against Count Harman van Borgh and Veedugo who beleaguered it From hence you may go by Land into Friesland the Counties of Groning Westphalia Breme and other places It 's about three Miles from Hardenburgh 15 from Linge 15 from Swoll There are many other Towns here but whosoever is Master of the Field is Master of them And in that of Drent the Town and Castle of Valenhoven standing upon the Zuyder-see and two Leagues from Stenwick It suffered much in the Wars but since is repair'd and well fortified Gheelmuyden Stands upon the gulf of Vidre towards the Zuyder-see It 's a league distance from Valenhoven and as much from Hassel it hath towards the Land the pleasant Pastures of Mastubroouck a league distant from Campen It hath a strong Castle in it Hardenbergh A good Town upon the River Beecht the Bishops of Vtrecht took great delight in it by reason of the pleasantness of the Seat It hath a very strong Castle It 's the mid-way between Coewarden and Ommen The Soveraignty of this Province before the War in the Netherlands did belong unto Philip the second King of Spain who succeeded the Emperour Charles the fifth his Father who had the interest confirmed by the Pope from Henry of Bavaria Bishop of Vtrecht GELDERLAND SO called from the Castle of Gelder as Munster conceiveth which Wichard of Ponthe together with his Brother are reported to have built though many do suppose that it was so called from the Town Geldens which Tacitus mentions It 's bounded on the East with Cleveland and the Earldom of Zutphen on the West with Holland and Vtrecht on the North with Overyssel and the Zuyder-see on the South with Brabant and the Land of Gulick The whole Country is divided into two parts 1. Veluwe contain'd within the Zuyder-see and the Yssel 2. Betewe intercepted 'twixt the middle Chanel of the Rhene and the Wael In both Divisions are contain'd 22 wall'd Towns or Cities and 300 Villages The chief whereof are Nimmegen A Town high mounted on the top of a Hill the Wael which is there large and deep running at the Foot of the Hill rich great and populous having beside the modern Fortifications an Ancient Castle with so goodly a Prospect that from thence one may behold the best part of the Countrey built as some say by Julius Caesar to command those parts The Castle was re-edified by Bâ—tto and by him was the Town likewise encompass'd with Walls he being dead his Son Hesus augmented it by adding thereto that quarter which is called Heselbergh or the hele of Hesus which Town the Kings that succeeded him caused to be the Metropolis of Battavia or Holland as we read in Gerrard of Nimmegen This Town was Founded by Magus King of the Gauls who called it after his own name Magus but being deceased it was re-built by â—â—â—to sâ—ncâ— which time it hath been called Nimmegen that is New-megen 〈◊〉 Nemmeghen Anno 1592 it came under the obedience of the States being taken by Prince Maurice The States have built a mighty Fort called Knotsenburgh on the other Bank of the River of Wael opposite to the Town which is a great security to it Tiel Is chief of Tyelweerd it was formerly a Peninsula but since the last Wars a Chanel hath been cut through the Country to sail from the River of Mewze into the Wahal upon the right Bank whereof the said Town is built by which means the said Tyelweerd is now made an Island for there is no entrance into it but by water or through the Town It 's very strong by Nature and Art Anno 1528 it was besieged by the Emperour but was so stoutly defended that they were enforc'd to raise their Siege It hath many rich towns under its Jurisdiction It 's a strong Place and well fortified Bomel Is a fair strong Place the chief Town of all the Territory of Bomel-weerd which the Rhene and Mewze do encompass and make it an Island It 's a Frontier-town upon the confines of Gelderland towards the South and stands upon the River Wael on the North-side of Bomel It 's exceeding strong by Nature It was first walled by Otho The River Wael doth not only make Bomel commodious for Traffick but impregnable on the North-side and free from all Invasion The Country about it is very low and not only unfit for Mines but for continuance of any long Siege for in Winter by reason of great Waters and overflowing of Rivers it enforces the Enemy to leave the Field Besides its natural strength it hath been ever well fortified with Bulwarks and Towers and
is Brederode from whence they take their name Besides those Towns on the firm Land or Continent there are some Islands which appertain to the States of Holland call'd by the General name of Voorn signifying as much as before or in old English bevorne but known now directly by their proper Names 1 Somerdike 2 Gaurede 3 Pierschille so call'd of their principal Towns 4 Voorn specially so nam'd and chief of them all The principal Towns hereof are 1 Briel which we call the Brill a strong Town and the first that revolted from the Spaniards Anno 1572. A Cautionary Town to the English with the Town of Flushing chosen by them in regard of the great Command it hath upon the passage to Gertrudenburg and the rest of Brabant and also to Delf Dort and Rotterdam the greatest Town of Trade in the South of Holland Breheel or Brehil is as much as to say Brede-Heel that is a Broad River for Heile signifies a River on the right side of it the Maes receives the Rhene into it and falleth into the main Ocean Geruliet Is a small Town but hath Jurisdiction over many Villages There are also on the North-side of Holland the Isles Vierengen and Texel of which little is memorable but that the last is furnished with a large and capacious Bay for receit of Shipping Goeree Is scituated in a little Island and hath as good and deep a Road as any in Holland where great Ships which go long Voyages cast Anchor attending their last Provision and a good Wind. The Garrisons of Wonde and Hulst and also Hellevoetsluys opposite unto it which is the Sluce of the Island of Voorn on that side towards the Sea whereas Brill lies on th' other side upon the Gulf of the River which is call'd the Mewze Beverwyck A Burg two Leagues from Harlem upon the River Ty not above two Miles distant from the Sea this and Reensburg were in former times reckon'd amongst the strongest and fairest Towns in all this Province Scage A good Burg and well built in which there 's a strong Castle Of ZEALAND ZEaland consisteth of seven Islands the remainder of â—8 the rest whereof the Sea hath swallowed and in them 300 inhabited Towns It 's sever'd from Flanders with the West-Branch or Arm of the Scheldt which the Battavians call Honte and on the East from Brabant with the right Branch of the said River which still keeps its name on the North from Holland with the Gulf call'd the Vlack and on the West with the main Ocean from the Kingdom of England Zealand is so call'd as Levinus Lemnius thinketh from Sea and Land which invironeth it round about and with him agree Guicciardine and Jo. Keygersberg But as Adrianus Junius rather thinks from Zeeland an Island in Denmark as before we observed The whole contains eight Towns and 100 Villages The Islands which remain are commonly divided into the Eastern and Western according as they lie to the River Scheldt These Islands are encompass'd with strong high Banks made with such infinite charge that Emanuel de Meeter saith they cost above 140000 l. sterling so the expence to maintain them must be very great The Western Islands are four in Number Walcheren lyeth to the North of the Sluce in Flanders the richest and most populous of all this Province It 's in compass 10 Dutch Miles or 40 Italian The principal Towns whereof are Middleburgh Seated on a creek off on the Sea well wall'd fortifi'd the Streets spacious the Houses and Churches well built inhabited by wealthy Merchants and industrious Tradesmen so call'd because built in the midst of the Island It 's a quarter of a League from Arnemuyden Flushing Of great Note for its good Port and invincible strength one of the first Towns which the Low Country-men took from the Spaniards by the diligence of Voorst a Sea man and Monsieur de Berland then Bayliff thereof and not long after put into the hands of the English as a Town of Caution A poor Town then it was now the Key of the Netherlands without whose license no Ship can pass either to or from the City of Antwerp insomuch as if the Duke of Alva in the beginning of his Government had bestow'd that pains in the fortifying of this and th' other Martime Towns as he did in the strengthning Antwerp and some midland Cities he had in all probability hindered the Revolt of those flourishing Countries It 's scituate right against Flanders a Mile from Middleburgh There are three goodly Bulwarks towards the Land and one to the Sea which defend the Haven on that side flanking it at the Port. They have made a new Haven there and built a Church for the English It 's also a Marquisate belonging to the Prince of Orange as La Vere Ramne or Arnemuyden A wall'd Town beautifi'd with one of the goodliest and most frequented Havens in Europe out of which one may sometimes see 500 sail of Ships of great burthen set forward on their Voyage to several parts Anno 1574 't was yielded to the Prince of Orange Veer or Camp-veere A very Famous Sea-Town and exceeding strong having many Staples for Herrings and other Commodities here it belong'd to the Prince of Orange From hence came that illustrious and most noble Family of the Veeres now Earls of Oxford By Maximilian Duke of Burgundy and Lord of it was made a Marquisate It hath ample Jurisdiction and nine Villages depend upon 't Rammeken or Zeeburgh Built upon the Dike between Middleburgh Flushing serving for a Bulwark for all Ships which for want of good winde are forc'd to come and Anchor in this Road. This Castle is alwayes well Man'd and Garrison'd with all things necessary for a place of such Importance This was one of the Cautionary Towns delivered to Queen ELIZABETH There are in this Island many good Towns East and West-Suyburgh A quarter of a League one from the other betwixt Flushing and Middleburgh at West-Suyburgh there is a good Castle South-Beverland Scituate betwixt Walcheren and Brabant the greatest of the Isles of Zealand heretofore 20 Dutch Miles in compass but now much diminish'd by the rage and fury of the Sea by which the Town and Seignory of Borhule with all the Country round about it was swallowed up Anno 1532. The chief Towns here are Romerswal seated on the East towards Bergen-Op-Zoome sever'd at the same time from the rest of the Island and made an Island of it self defended with continual charge from following the sad Fate of the Town of Bursule distant about a League from Bergen-Op-Zoome Goes or Tergoes On the Northern Coast a strong Town and well Priviledg'd and the only wall'd in all the Island It hath a good Haven at the mouth whereof there are two Forts one of either side so as nothing can pass without Discovery Not far off are Cloelingen Cruyningen Zeateskerke Capelle Catton-dike and other Villages North-Beverland Lying betwixt South-Beverland and the Isle of