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
them battaile whe◅in there was great effusion of blood of either side and those two noblemen of Leyden and Wassenare were both slaine After this defeate all the people of the countrie submitted themselues to the kings obedience as he commanded them did acknowledge Thierry for their ◅ege lord and earle of Holland The king and cont Thierry marching on forced them of Friseland to the like obedience and to acknowledge Thierry for their lord taking an oath of fealtie to remaine for euer vnder the obedience of the earles of Holland This done Charles returned into France leauing the new earle Thierry in full possession of these prouinces of Holland and Friseland where he liued for a time in peace Some yeares after the Friselanders impatient of a new lord commanding ouer their magistrats and rulers seeing earle Thierry remaining alone in Holland liuing in peace and rest they tooke counsell with the Hollanders how they might with their common forces expell him out of their countries The earle hauing discouered this conspiracie and fully informed of all their practise he went speedily into Fraunce to king Charles complaining of the rebellion of his subiects of Holland and Friseland The king did write vnto the Pope asking his aduise in this action for at that time the Hollanders and Friselanders were good Christians yet free the Pope hauing read the kings demaund he tooke the same letters the which he did cut into long lab◅ls and then hee cut off the tops of them At night walking in his garden with the kings embassadors with his knife he cut off the tops of the highest plants of some smaller The next day the embassadors requiring an answer of the kings letters the Pope sayd vnto them Report only vnto the king what you haue seene me doe vnto his letters and vnto the plants Wherof the embassadors hauing made relation vnto the king he presently conceiued what the Pope meant Hauing therfore leuied a goodly armie he returned into Holland with Thierry to see who durst presume to oppose himselfe where being arriued euery man shrunke but the king hauing intelligence who had bene the authors of this conspiracie tending to a generall reuolt without making any great bruit in the beginning seeing there was no rising nor taking arms he sent to seise vpon some of the chiefe greatest personages among them as also of some of the common sort of Holland Friseland whom he knew to be guiltie of this practise whose heads he caused to be cut off the next day in the presence of the people the rest terrified with this example and seeing the king earle had respected the greater no more than the lesse nor spared the lesse more than the greater they cast themselues at the kings feet at the earls their prince lord crieng for pardon mercie who receiued thē into grace vpon a new promise and oth taken to continue for euer faithfull and obedient to cont Thierry Thus was Thierry inuested the second time and put in possession of the countie of Holland and Friseland the which was confirmed vnto him by the kings letters pattents as followeth In the name of the holy Trinitie Charles by the grace of God king of France As it is well befitting our roiall greatnesse to honour and aduance our welbeloued and faithfull seruants we giue all men to vnderstand both present to come that our welbeloued and faithfull the earle Haghen of Zanthen hath presented himselfe before vs and humbly intreated vs to aduaunce our welbeloued and faithfull knight Thierry to the siegneorie of Egmont and the appurtenances depending thereon with all the countrie which is from Suydherders-haye vnto the Fortrappe and Kumen Whereunto being fauourably enclined we haue giuen and do giue by these presents vnto our said faithful knight Thierry all the countrie aboue mentioned with the vassals and homages therein contained or that may be hereafter with all the woods marishes waters riuers pastures and all that depends of them Inioining all men to obey him and not to giue him any let or hinderance but to suffer him and his successors for euer freely to enioy vse and possesse the same by this title of donation which we haue made vnto him as of all his other goods lands and siegneories of inheritance And for that our pleasure is that these present Letters pattents shall remaine firme and stable for euer We haue sealed them with our roiall accustomed scale Giuen at Bladell in the yeare of our Lord 863 the 17 of the Kalends of Iune on S. Vits day The Archbishop Rutger high Chancellor hath seene and allowed it By the tenour of these letters it is manifest that the earledome of Holland was not giuen to Thierry by king Charles the Bald at the Popes request as some write to maintaine the Christian faith which S. Willeuord bishop of Vtrecht had planted there but at the especiall instance and suit of Haghen earle of Zanthen vncle to cont Thierry to defend and preserue it from the inuasions of the Danes Normans other enemies We must vnderstand that Suydherders-haye is now Hillegums Meerbeeck the Fortrappe was neere vnto Casant in Flanders and the Kumen is a streame of water betwixt Al◅mar and the old cloister of the Carmes where West-Friseland begins the which they call North-Holland Cont Thierry being by vertue of these letters of Donation inuested and confirmed as well by force as by loue in the quiet possession of the countie of Holland his aunt ladie Emme wife to Lewis king of Germanie brother to king Charles the Bald caused the forrest of Waelsdael to be giuen him by hir husband the which at this present is the countie of Zeeland and at that time consisted of many islands diuided by riuers Of which donation mention is made in these letters following In the name of the holy Trinitie Amen Lewis by the grace of God king of Germanie to all those to whome these present letters shall come greeting We giue them to vnderstand that our deere and welbeloued spouse and companion hath intreated vs to giue vnto our deere and faithfull nephew Cont Thierry of Holland sonne to hir sister the forrest of Waelsdael ioining vnto his earledome with all the fields and land that was vsually laboured and fed together with the waters riuers as well within as without woods heath and forrest and all that depends thereon Being fauourably enclined to the suit and request of our said Spouse and being desirous to gratifie hir therein We haue giuen and doe giue by these presents vnto the said earle Thierry our nephew the said forrest of Waelsdael with all the appurtenances depending thereon to possesse hold and quietly enioy for him and his heires or for any other to whome he would sell or ingage them for euer without any contradiction And for that our will and pleasure is that this donation shall remaine firme and stable for euer Wee haue sealed
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
imperfit This Duke Charles Earle of Holland Zeeland c. His fathers funeralles beeing finished hauing setled his estate and the affaires of his house went in person to take possession of all his Countries and Siegneories Frist at Gaunt to bee inuested in the Earledome of Flanders The Regents and chiefe of the towne went to meete him receiuing him with great honor and state acknowledging him for their Prince and naturall Lord Earle of Flanders Entring into the towne he was followed by about 800. banished men whom he tooke into his protection and remitted their banishment Hauing receiued the possession of the towne the next day the people did mutine both against him and the Magistrate pressing to haue a certaine imposition vpon the corne freed and to haue their priuiledges restored which the Duke his father had taken from them with other demands comming armed vnto the market place with their Enseignes crying out that they would not part from thence vntill the Duke had granted what they demanded Duke Charles seeing this and knowing with what people he had to deale after he had spoken vnto them seeing they departed not he strooke saile and yeelded to all that they demanded dissembling his conceptions vntill hee was freed from them This trouble thus pacified the Duke parted from Gaunt and went to take possession of his other Prouinces then he came to Brusselles whether the deputies of the mutinous Ganthois came vnto him crauing pardon for the excesse committed by them against his greatnesse carrying him backe the letters which they had forced from him and offring to make any reparation he should please The Duke pardoned the offence and would aduise of the reparation The deputies departed with this prouisionall pardon Two yeares after the duke did intimate vnto them that for a reparation of their offence the Ganthois should teare in peeces all the Enseignes Banners and Standards of their companies and trades the which was put in execution in the towne of Brusselles whether they were brought And as for their Immunities and freedomes hauing perused and examined them according vnto reason some were abrogated others confirmed and some moderated granting them some new according to his good pleasure A while after those of Macklyn rebelled against their Gouernor and Magistrates whom they chased out of the Towne The duke went thether with a resolution to ruine the towne if the Nobilitie and best Bourgeses had not sued for mercy and obteyned it vpon condition that they should deliuer vp all their priuiledges into his hands repaire the house of Iohn Muse Knight which they had ruined and restore that which they had taken and more-ouer to pay him for a fine thirtie thousand Lions of gold whereby the duke was pacified The Liegeois brake the peace not-with-standing the 300. Hostages deliuered to the duke of Bourgongne the last yeare taking a small towne called Ligny and chasing away all the inhabitants after they had vtterly spoyled it In the meane time Lewis the eleuenth the French King laboured all he could by goodly offers and promises to drawe the duke of Bourgongne from the allyance of Francis duke of Brittaine and in that respect he would abandon the Liegeois that were newly reuolted the which duke Charles refused The King insisting still vpon the same demand sent the Earle of Saint Pol Constable of France and the Cardinall of Balue his Ambassadors vnto him To whom the duke made short dispatch telling them plainly that hee would not doe any thing and in the presence of the sayd Ambassadors went to horse-back to goe and make warre against the Liegeois marching directly with his armie before Saintron A little before they were in councell to determine what should bee done with the 300. hostages whether they should put them to death or not Some among others gaue their opinions that they should dye But the lord of Humbercourt giuing a more modest milde and wise censure to preserue the dukes honor and reputation and for some other respects said that the best course was to send them back and at their departure to let them vnderstand what grace the duke had done them hauing their liues in his power that they should labour to draw the people to a good peace and in case the Liegeois would not yeeld vnto it yet at the least acknowledging the grace which he had done them they should promise neuer to carrie armes against the duke nor against their bishop his cousin who was in his company This aduise of the lord of Humbercourt was followed and the hostages did promise at their deliuery To whom it was said that if euer any one of them was prisoner in the warre that without any mercy he should loose his head And so they departed ioyfully to haue made so faire an escape The duke being camped before Saintron ready to batter it in the which there were 300. souldiars Liegeois and one Knight their captaine Those of the towne of Liege to the number of 30000. men good and bad fiue hundred horse and great store of Artillery aduanced to raise the seege and about two of the clocke in the morning came vnto a village that was strong of it selfe and partly inclosed with marish groundes called Bretan The campe was aduertised thereof hauing a generall alarme giuen them The duke knowing them to be so nere him put his army in battaile and after that hee had disposed of them that should gard the campe hee placed 1200. men on eyther side of the village of Bretan and hee himselfe stood right against them with about eight hundred The lord of Rauestein leading the vant-gard with some men at armes and Archers and certaine peeces of Artillery marched vnto the foote of their trenches But he was so valiantly repulst as hee lost about 500. men and his Artillery al the vant-gard wauering as if it had beene halfe defeated But the duke aduancing with his battaile led by the lord of Creueceur hee had soone put the Liegeois to rout and defeated them whereas their died some 9000. men and if night had not approched as many more had beene slaine for the flight was confused being pursued by the dukes horse but the darkenesse of the night saued them The duke beeing a conqueror returned the same night vnto his campe before Saintron with his whole army two daies after this battaile the Liegeois babling was well cowled for the beseeged imagining that the defeat had beene much greater then it was yeedled the towne leauing their armes they deliuered ten men at the dukes pleasure such as hee would choose whose heads he caused to bee cut of among the which there were sixe which had beene of the Hostages This towne being yeelded hee went to beseege Tongres an ancient towne sometimes the chiefe of the Realme of Tongres which comprehended the Country of Liege Lembourg Valkenbourg c. the which at the first made shew of resistance yet
â—…or besides that which he solde alienated and surcharged yea ingaged his reuenues this ladie carried with her all the goodly Iewels riche Tapistrie massie plate both of golde and siluer that great and famous Flower de Lys of Diamants one of the nailes wherewith our Lord IESVS CHRIST â—…eredere fasâ—…est was nailed vnto the crosse and the great Besome of Flanders To conclude she left not any thing causing all to be packt vp all which was in those dayes esteemed at nine Millions of gold After the death of â—…ing Philip all the Noblemen of the Netherlands were sent out of Spaine neither were they very welcome there so as the greatest part of these riche moueables plate and Iewels was stolne and lost onely some little which Iohn Earle of Nassau Lord of Breda recouered with great diligence and care and brought them with him into the Lowe-countries In the yeare 1507. the Dutchesse of Burbon Ante to the Duke of Gelders by the mothers side sent as it was reported certaine troupes of Frenchmen vnto her Nephew the which being come to Ruremonde the Duke lead them being ioyned wiâ—…h his owne forces to Tournhoult in Brabant to spoile it then hee went before Dyest pretending to surprise it but Cont Iohn of Nassau made such resistance as he got nothing but blower From thence the Duke went to Tillemont which he tooke by assault where he lost a Germaine Earle the which hauing spoyled and taken many good prisoners he abandoned carrying all the bootie to Ruremonde and putting his men into Garrisons The Frenchmen passing by the countrie of Liege to returne into France with their prey being in the Forrest of Ardennes lodgeâ—… about Saint Hubert and making good cheere vpon the poore country men and as they say sleeping after the French fashion some Namurois Houilliers and Bocquillons to the number of 600. men vnder Iohn Despontin their Captaine came early in a morning to wake them they first slew their Sentinels and corps de garde then entred into their quarter and surprized them in bed whereof there were many slaine who thought but too late to take armes there were many prisoners especially of Gentlemen to conclude all were defeated and happy was he that loosing his horse armes and baggage could sane himselfe on foote in the Forrest So as these Namurois by this hard enterprise wone much honor and a riche spoile both of horses armes gold siluer plate silkes and veluets which the French had gotten in Brabant casâ—…ng vp all at once which they had gotten in the diuers towns which they had spoiled Soone after the Geldrois burnt that goodly great village of Bodegraue betwixt the townes of Woerden and Leyden in Holland Iohn of Egmont Gouernour of Holland to be reuenged of the Geldrois weâ—… at the Hollanders charge and of them of Boisleduc to besiege the strong plaâ—…e and Castell of Puydroyen whereas then the Seignior of Seewint Marshall of Gelders did much harme vnto the Marchants to whom the sayd Marshall was a capitall enemie But the Duke of Gelders came himselfe in person forcing the Lord of Egmont to dislodge After the death of the King of Castile the Emperour Maximilian tooke vpon him the gouernment of the Netherlands as gardien to Charles and Ferdinand his Grand-children and by the meanes of the French King and the King of Arragon a peace was concluded at Cambray betwixt the Emperour in qualitie of gardien and the Duke of Gelders the which was of no long continuance the warre kindling againe soone after by some occasions offred by the Lord of â—…selsteyn CAROLVS 5 IMPERATOR CHARLES OF AVSTRIA THE 2 of that name the 35. Earle of Holland and Zeeland the first Temporall Lord of the Towne and Diocesse of Vtrecht of Friseland Oueryseel and Groninghen The fift Emperour of that name England France Afrique Turkey Germanie Haue felt my spirit to their seuerall losses Beyond Gibralter are my pillars planted My wife a Portugaise and Philips daughter Through my victorious powers fayre Italie Hath seemd to tremble when nâ—…re Pauia I plotted 'gainst the French and tooke as Captiue Francis the first their famous warre-like King Then with fresh Souldiers being from Spaine supplyde I quite did tame the haughtie Germaines pride I call to witnesse prisoners that were Princes As Saxonie and the Lans-graue the rich Ransomes Engines of warre with which as gifts constrainde They made peace with my furie great and small Were ransomde as I pleas'd my Spanish Forces Tooke holy Rome the Italians greatest Terror There three dayes was their Pillage in no place The Pope found succour but his powers and hee Lay in their Forts besiegde not Issuing forth Vntill their Ransomes bought them a free way From which the Almaine armie receiu'd pay Was it not I with blowes as quicke as lightning Conquerd Golletto Tunis and Argier And made the famous Pyrate Barbarosa At Ariaden shrinck vnder my Sinewe Who bade fare-well to Africa by flight Which also stoopt and sunke vnder my might Did not I Muly-assen then erect When I Barbarians and the Moores had tamed Was it not I that with my Campe of Almaynes From Austria chasde the great Turke Solyman With which the noble conquests that I held In the West-Indyes may be paraleld Were not my men the first that did finde out Those mynes of Peru-gold and made bolde way Through sandy bounds of rich America Vnder the obedience of the Spanish lawes Bringing their Kings what though at first afront They Kingly stroue being vanquisht there my slaues Nor ought the world forget my souldiers deedes That two and twenty millions put to sword Of rebell Indians forcing the remaynes Like brutish beasts to vnder-goe base paines Am not I CHARLES fifth Emperour of that name Throughout the vniuersall Globe the Terror But when I thought mee firme-vnder my stroake The Spaniard toucht the Almaines left my yoake And a new Trouble nere conceiude before Did vnawares beset mee Germaine Princes Confederates came vnexpected Foes And forest me flie from Inspruck all vnfurnisht I that was woont Foes with a whip to chase Was forst to worke my safetie by my flight Death to my pride and furie of my Sword Yet all I wrought either by force or Law When I to narrow straights the Cleuoys forest That Gelders Freezeland Vtrecht in the end And beyond Island all the wealth was mine Vnder my Lawes stoopt Groninghen and Cambray Fiftie two yeares I Holland did possesse Then to my Sonne all titles I resignde My flesh lyes at Granado my soule fares Like her eternal selfe from humaine eares The Argument of the sixt Booke THe birth of the Emperor Charles the fifth warre betwixt the Esterlings Danes and Hollanders The Duke of Geldres makes warre against the Bishop of Vtrecht and the Hollanders The state of Friseland A quarrell betwixt the Duke of Saxony and the Earle of Emden for the siegmory of Groningen Henry Duke of Brunswyke slaine there The Groningeois giue themselues to the Duke of
Geldres Prince Charles of Austria takes possession of the Netherlands George duke of Saxony resignes his interest of Friseland to Prince Charles Hee holds the feast of the golden sâ—…ce at Brusselles Philip Bastard of Bougongne Bishop of Vtrecht Maâ—…ten van Rossen Gouernor in Friseland Prince Charles crowned King of Spaine the death of the Emperor Maximilian Charles the â—…ift chosen Emperor the Lady Marguerite Duchesse of 〈◊〉 Gouernesse of the Netherlands Troubles in Spaine the King being absent warre in Friseland warre betwixt the French and the Bourguignons the Peasants warre in Germany the Groningeois reâ—…ing the Duke of Geldres giue themsselues to the Emperor the second bloudy Edâ—… made by the Emperor aâ—…st the Protestants of the Netherlands A tumult at Vtrecht who call in the Geldrois against their Bishop VVilliam van Enkeâ—…oort 59. Bishop of Vtrecht the Coronation of the Emperor Charles by the Pope An Impâ—…iall diet at Ausbourg whereas the Protestant Princes present a confession of their faith A wonderfull deuoâ—… rinâ—… Inundation in the Netherlands Mary of Austria Queene Douager of Hongarie succeeds in the gouernment of the Netherlands after the death of the Ladie Marguerite her Aunâ—… warre betwixt them of Lubâ—…c and Holland An Imperiall dyet held at Ratisbone concerning religion A peaâ—… betwixt the Emperor and the Duke of Geldres warre betwixt the French and the Bourguignons The townes of Geldres mutine against their duke the Emperor comes out of Spaine through France to punish the Ganthois warre betwixt the Emperor and the French King A peace concluded CHARLES the second of that name the 35. Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland eldest sonne to the Archduke Philip of Austria and of Lady Iane Queene of Castile was borne at Gand in Flanders the 24 of February 1500. After the death of his Father he did inherit ouer and aboue the counties of Holland Zeeland West-frisland the Dutchies of Bourgongne Brabant Styria Carinthia Carniola Lembourg Luxembourg and Geldres The counties of Flanders Arthois Henault Bourgongne Ferrete Kyburg Namur and Zutphen the Landtgraueship of Elsaten the Marquisate of Burgau and of the holy Empire the Principalitie of Suaue and the Seigneuries of Windismark Portenau Salins and Macklin Afterwards hee conquered the Dutchie of Milan and did incorporate the country of Friseland Vtrecht Oueryssel Groningen Cambray and Cambresis all holding of the Empire The Emperour Maximilian hauing as we haue sayd taken vpon him the gardianship of his Nephews and Neeces retiring out of the Netherlands to goe into Germanie about the affaires of the Empire hee appointed his daughter the Lady Marguerite Douager of Sauoy Aunt to the Princes Charles and Ferdinand Regent of the low-countries in the name of the Prince her Nephewe who meaning to come out of Flanders into Zeeland she imbarked at Nyeuwerhauen right against Flesingue Philip of Bourgongne lord of Somersdike Admiral Adolphe of Bourgongne lord of Beueren with the Noblemen and deputies of the states of Zeland went with a good number of flie-boates shaloups other light boates to receiue her at the sayd place of Nyeuwerhauen Whilest that the sayd Noblemen were gone to land to entertaine the sayd Princesse the ships of war lying before the hauen shoting off their great Ordinance in signe of honour it happened that fire fell into the poulder of the Admirall so as many were slaine drowned and wounded but there were not any of these Noblemen in her al being gone to land in their long boates to salute the Gouernesse At that time died the vertuous Lady Anne bastard of Bourgongne Lady of Rauestein of whom we haue formerly spoken after that shee had recouered and walled in many Islands that were drowned in Zeeland To whose goods succeeded Baldwyn and Philip of Bourgongne her brethren except the Island of Duyueland the which returned to them of the house of Borssele from whence it first came William of Egmont Lord of Iselstein with the consent and coÌ„mission of the Emperour Maximillan and of his councell went to take and ransome some Inhabitants about Bommel for that they said they were of the Iurisdiction of Geldres and contrarywise the said Lord of Iselstein would haue them of his Princes Iurisdiction where-vpon the Duke of Geldres tooke occasion to reuiue the warres Saying that the Bourguignons had first of al broken the peace where-vpon the Geldrois lay in waite for the marchants of the Netherlands at their returne from Francfort Mart whome they spoiled and carried away prisoners to the towne of Gelder setting them at great ransomes besides their losses which they had taken from them In the same yeare 1508. Raoul Prince of Anhault of the noble and ancient house of Ascagâ—…e cheefe of Maximilian the Emperors Armie in the Netherlands â—…nt againe to beseege the castell of Puydroyen in the month of March from whence the duke of Geldres had forced Iohn of Egmont to raise his seege who hauing battred it and giuen diuers assaults in the which the marshall Seewint was slaine in the end it was yeelded to his mercie which was that the beseeged should depart euery one with a white wand retaining twelue to dispose of at his pleasure whom he caused to be presently hanged before the port then he caused both castell and fort to be ruied and razed In the meane time the duke of Geldres thought to surprise the towne of Harderwick which the Bourguignons held yet but he failed from thence the Prince of Anhalt went to beseege the towne of Wesep and the Castell of Muyden both together being but a quarter of a League one from an other The French king sent an ambassador to the Princes campe who did mediate the yeelding vp of the said two places by some good accord to the said Prince in the Emperors name after that the Geldrois had first been chased from the Block-house of Amsterdam and the Lord of Aymeries with his walons defeated vpon the mont of Muyden where the Lord of Iselstein was slaine In the yeare 1509. there died in the citty of Cologne Cont Henry of Stolburch Gouernor for the Duke of Saxony in the contry of Freeseland he was much lamented of the Frisons for his mild gouernment being a good Iusticer an vpright man fearing God after whose death Duke Georges Mareshall came into Friseland bringing with him Euerwin earle of Benthem with the dukes Comission to be gouernor of the said contry In the yeare 1510. there fell out great warre betwixt the King of Denmarke and the townes of the East contries as Lubeck Wismare Rostwicke and others Theyof Lubeck did write into Holland Zeeland and Freeseland for-bidding them to sayle into Denmarke but they would not forbeare for that the greatest profit of those contries consists in nauigation where-vpon the Lubeckers tooke some of their ships at two seuerall times their second losse was by the default of the Danes who did not succor them as they ought The yeare following the Esterlings came
be committed to prison and put some of them to death MARGVERITE OF AVSTRIA DVTches of Parma bastard daughter to the Emperor Charles the fifth Gouernesse of the Netherlands for king Philip. MARGARITA AVSTRIA DVCISSA PARMAE BELGâ—… DITâ—… P. HISPA REGâ—… NOMINA GVEER Who ere he be that sees this picture in this booke Vpon the bastard daughter of th'Emperour Charles doth looke That first was macht with one of th' house of Medicis And afterward espoused in the stocke of Farnesis And had a sonne that was a man of worthinesse This bastard wholly gaue her mind to craft and subtilnesse And with dissembling face did vaile her bad and foule intent For while in Netherlands she had the gouernment The gentlemen thereof she knew how to deceaue And many men of good account in troubles great did leaue But ere she saw the effect of her disloyaltie Another had her gouernment and did the place supply MARGVERITE of Austria bastard daughter to the Emperour Charles the fifth was first married to Alexander Medicis the first duke of Florence who was slaine by his owne cousin then she married againe to Octauio Farnese duke of Parma and Placence Anthonie Perrenot Cardinall of Granuelle before bishop of Arras caused her to be preferred to the gouernment of the Netherlands before all the princes of Austria sonnes to the Emperour Ferdinand and the dutchesse of Lorraine neece to the Emperour Charles daughter to Christierne the second king of Denmarke and to the lady Isabella sister to these two Emperours and so cousin germane to king Philip The which the said Cardinall a great counsellor and mignion had laboured to the end that this lady Marguerite comming out of Italie new and vnacquainted with the affaires and state of the Netherlands might be wholly directed and gouerned by his counsell and he by consequence haue the whole managing of the said countries the which he obtained as you may see by the progresse of our Hystorie The which caused a great iealousie against him and by his practise bred a diuision betwixt the noblemen the knights of the Order and other of the counsell of state of the said countries who diuided themselues into partialities and factions one against the other the one to supplant and the other to maintaine the credit and authoritie of this Cardinall King Philip hauing now made peace with the king of France determined to go into Spain there to aid the Inquisition being certified that certaine noblemen there were great fauorers of the reformed Religion and also from thence the better to further the generall counsell which two causes had chiefely moued him to hearken vnto a peace And therefore he caused all the states of the Netherlands to bee summoned to appeare in Gaunt there to declare his mind vnto them and to take his leaue much recommending his sister vnto them and vnder her according to the auncient custome he appointed a counsell of estate for matters of great importance as making of peace or beginning of warre intelligences with forraine princes and countries and the defence of the Netherlands and a priuie counsell for making of laws giuing of pardons ministring of iustice and other publicke causes and a third counsell for the Treasurie and the gouernment of the kings demaines and all receits of moneyes and incomes of reuenewes belonging thereunto those three seuerall counsels hauing seuerall assemblies so that one had not to doe with the other they of the counsell of estate were Anthonie Perrenot bishop of Arras who not long after was made Cardinall of Granuelle William van Nassau prince of Orange Lamorale Degmont prince of Gauare and earle of Egmont Philip de Staden baron of Glayon Charles baron de Barlamont chiefe of the Treasurie and doctor Vigilius president of the priuie counsell After that Philip de Montmorency earle of Horne admirall and Charles de Croye duke of Arschot were ioyned with them He appointed further That the knights of the order of the golden fleece being called thereunto by the lady regent should also be admitted to sit with them and those also of the priuie counsell and of the treasurie He likewise gaue them secret instruction whereby they had authority to sit in counsell make enquiries and heare causes but should not resolue vpon any thing without the aduice of the Cardinall the prince of Orange the earle of Egmont the baron of Barlamont and the president Vigilius The priuie counsell consisted of twelue more or lesse doctors of the lawes and each counsell had their secretarie He ordained a gouernour in euery prouince that were knights of the order of the golden fleece as in Brabant the regent had the chiefe charge as generall gouernor being resident there the prince of Orange was gouernour of Holland Zeeland and Vtrecht and after that also of the earledome of Burgundie the earle of Egmont was gouernor of Flanders and Artois Iohn de Ligni caâ—…le of Arenbergh was gouernor of Friseland Ouerissel Groning and Lingen Charles de Bunen earle of Megen was gouernor of Guelderland and Zutphen Peter Darust earle of Mansfield was gouernour of Lutsenburg Iohn marques of Berghen was gouernour of Henault Valencia and the castle of Camericke The baron de Barlamont was gouernor of Namure Iohn de Montmorency lord of Currieres was gouernor of Rissel Doway and Orchiers and Florence de Montmorency brother to the earle of Horne was gouernor of Dornicke and Tournesis These were all the principall lords of the Netherlands and had authority ouer the souldiers and execution of iustice He also appointed the ordering and gouernment of the bands of ordinarie horsemen vnto those lords that were three thousand horse wel mounted and esteemed to be the best brauest horsemen in Christendome and were entertained and held in pay both in time of peace and warre the colonels were the prince of Orange the duke of Arschot the earle of Egmont the marques of Berghen the earle of Horne the earle of Mansfield the earle of Megen the earle of Rieulx the earle of Bossu the earle of Hooghestrate the baron de Brederode the baron de Montigni and the baron de Barlamont each colonel hauing his lieutenant his treasurer And at the same time the king held the order of the golden fleece in Gaunt where amongst others he inuested certaine lords of the Netherlands therewith as the baron of Assicourt the lord Florents of Montigny the marques of Renti and the earle of Hooghestrate of the house of Lalain The states of the land hauing behaued themselues so well towards their prince wherby he had attained to so honourable a peace and the gentlemen in his seruice hauing ventured both their liues and goods the commons likewise willingly paying their nine yeares contribution deliuered an earnest petition vnto the king to desire his Maiesty to send the Spanish other forraine souldiers out of the Netherlands ouer the which souldiers the prince of Orange the earle of Egmont and the Earle of Horne were colonels
and loyall vassales and subiects owe vnto their soueraigne lord and naturall prince and in doing so shall with all their meanes seeke to preuent these present troubles seditions and tumults and restraine the mutinous multitude and that all spoyling and ruining of Temples Churches Cloysters and Monasteries may cease yea they shall helpe to punish them which haue committed these sacriledges outrages and abhominations That no wrong nor violence may be offered to any spirituall persons officers of Iustice gentlemen or other his Maiesties subiects and vassales That they shall do their best endeuours that the multitude which is now armed whereby so many mischiefes haue beene committed and daily may be more may lay aside armes They shall do all good offices to hinder that the preaching be not vsed but in such places where it hath beene accustomed and that without carrying of armes or committing any scandale or publicke disorder Moreouer they shall giue all aid and assistance as they are bound by their oath and allegeance vnto his Maiesty to repell all strangers enemies and rebels to him and the countrey Finally they shall employ all the credit they haue without the countrey in his Maiesties seruice and the good of the country whensoeuer they shal be commaunded submitting themselues to all that it shall please his Maiesty to commaund them by the aduice and consent of the generall Estates Made at Brussels the 23 of August 1566. We make it knowne That all these things considered and according to his Maiesties liking and good pleasure and the authoritie which he hath giuen vs wee in his name and by vertue of his commaund haue promised and doe promise by these presents That by reason of the said compromise and petition and for that which hath followed vnto this present there shall not be any thing imputed vnto them by his Maiesty nor vs in regard of the oath which the sayd gentlemen haue taken as well for themselues as their other confederates conformable to the articles aboue mentioned and for the which they shall giue their bond requiring and in his Maiesties name commaunding all gouernors knights of the order chiefe president and counsellors of state and all other Iusticers and officers whom it shall concerne to entertain this present assurance and to cause it to bee entertained inuiolably for euer suffering the gentlemen and confederates to vse and enioy for euer without doing or giuing or suffering to bee done or giuen to them now nor hereafter directly or indirectly any trouble molestation or let to the contrarie nor attempt any thing against the said suppliants for the aboue rehearsed occasions in any sort or manner whatsoeuer For such is his Maiesties pleasure and ours In witnesse whereof we haue signed these presents and set to our seale Giuen at Brussels the 25 of August Signed Margareta The gentlemen confederats holding them assured by these letters gaue reciprocally an act in writing to the Gouernesse of their promise whereof mention is made in the letters of assurance signed by the deputies as followeth We Lewis earle of Nassau Eustace of Fiennes lord of Desquerdes Charles of Reuel lord of Andrignies Bernard of Merode lord of Rumen Charles vander Noote Seignior of Risoir George of Montigni Seignior of Noyelles Martin of Tserclaes Seignior of Tylly Philip vander Mere Seignior of Sterbeke Philip of Marbais Seignior of Louuerual Iohn of Montigni Seignior of Villers Charles of Lieuin Seignior of Famas Francis van Haeften Iohn the sauage Seignior of Escaubeque and Iohn of Casenbroot Seignior of Bacquerseel as wel in their own names as deputies for the other noblemen and gentlemen confederats hauing presented a petition vnto his Maiesty in Aprill last past touching the Inquisition and Edicts for matter of heresie Whereas we haue this day receiued from the high and excellent princesse the duchesse of Parma and Plaisance Regent and Gouernesse for the king in these countries certaine letters patents hauing authoritie from the king our soueraigne lord and naturall prince in the manner and forme that followeth The letters of assurance aboue mentioned being inserted at length with their bonds and promises this was the conclusion Be it knowne that according to the said letters of assurance we haue promised and doe promise vpon our solemne faith and the words of gentlemen true and faithfull vassales and subiects to his Maiestie that we will obserue fulfill and keepe all and singular the points and articles aboue mentioned as well for our selues as in the name of all the others for whom we are deputies and haue power commission and authoritie promising to cause them to bee entertained obserued and kept by our said confederates And therefore wee doe hold our confederation and compromise to be disannulled void and of no force so long as the said security promised by her Highnesse in his Maiesties name shall hold In witnesse whereof wee haue signed these presents Made at Brussels the 25 of August 1566. This promise was made by the said noblemen deputies to the prince of Orange the earles of Egmont and Horne to the Seignior of Hachecourt and to Christopher of Assonuille counsellor of State being committees to that end by the Gouernesse whereof the said lady aduertised all gouernours and counsellors of prouinces and townes commaunding them that in consideration of the said assurance and promise to the nobles they should do their best endeuours to restraine the people and suppresse all disorders vntill the kings comming which she said would be shortly And in truth these letters did somewhat pacifie the people and made them here and there to lay downe armes In the meane time the prince of Conde the admirall and other noblemen protestants of France sent one secretly with letters of credit to the lord of Brederode and the confederates assuring them that if they entred into any accord with the duches of Parma they would bee deceiued offering to succour them if need required within one moneth after they should demaund it with foure thousand gentlemen which should come into the Netherlands at their owne charge But the confederates being too much terrified and the assurance being then in question whereunto they would trust this offer of the French Protestants was not accepted Let vs now leaue the confederates in rest with their letters of assurance and the better to explane the matter let vs see what the kings letters contained the which were receiued by the duchesse the three and twentieth of August whereof mention is made in the said assurance the which had reference vnto those which shee had receiued in May before the which she kept so secret as shee thought that the three noblemen of Orange Egmont and Horne knew not any thing for that she held them to be of that partie or else to fauour the confederates notwithstanding any good shew they made whereof I haue set down a briefe extract as followeth First that it was not fit to alter any thing touching the Edicts but that they should be
had caused the pioners to fill vp the ditches and began to vndermine the wall so as he forced them within to parle but Dekema refusing to accept of the conditions his souldiers compelled him thereunto and deliuered him and eighteene Friselanders more prisoners to Sonoy the rest were suffered freely to depart This castle had the wall next vnto the towne throwne downe againe and presently thereupon Sonoy caused the town to be fortified This towne of Staueren is very auncient and in times past was a lordship very rich and mightie a great towne of marchandise and the chiefe in all those Northerne parts with a very good and a spacious hauen but now filled vp with sand it had great commaund euen as farre Nimmeghen as it appeareth by an authenticke writing grauen ouer the gate of the castle of Nimmeghen whereas yet is to be seene in old letters this inscription Hucusque ius Stauriae that is Thus farre stretcheth the iurisdiction of the towne of Staueren and in another place Hic finitur regnum Stauriae that is Here endeth the dominion of Staueren Staueren in times past was so mighty as in Anno 1345 with the aid of the Frisons vpon the 26 of September they ouercame William earle of Henault with all his army in Holland hard by S. Odolf his cloyster where the said earle with many of his men were slain so that long after there were diuers dead mens bones it being two hundred yeres since found vnburied in that place for which cause in Anno 1545 Mary queene of Hungarie the emperour Charles sister and Regent in the Netherlands caused all the dead bones thereabouts to be gathered vp and sent to Staueren where they were buried In May the earle of Renenberghs souldiers came out of great Auwart downe to the Reediep and thought to make a sconce vpon the water to exclude the lord of Nyenuenoort from the sea but he being aduertised therof went to encounter them hauing laid an ambush he charged defeated them slew and took a great number of them caried away some of their ensignes After that the lord of Nyenuenoort hauing receiued 2 moneths pay for his soldiers of the Estates of Friseland vpō condition that he should in the Estates name besiege great Auwart he for that cause went besieged it with diuers companies of souldiers brought ordnance before it to batter the fort but the earle of Renenbergh being aduertised thereof gathered together all his forces from Myddelstum other places the which they did rase abandon and so passing ouer the Reediep hauing a new supply of 300 horse he marched towards Auwart which Nyenuenoort perceiuing he was in mind to haue left the siege but the most part of his captains were of a contrary opinion wherein they committed a great error for that placing the pesants of Friseland among their squadrons of souldiers they for want of experience as soone as the earle of Renenbergh came to charge presently without any blows giuen leaped ouer the ditches with their long staues ran away which put the rest into rout euery one seeking to saue himself the earle of Renenberghs forces following them who took Haspelinus Berenbroeks ensignes captaine Stuper and Vischer being taken prisoners but not many slaine Many of them fled into the sconce of Auwerderziel where the earle of Renenbergh gaue two furious charges but he was forced to leaue it with great losse of his men but comming thither againe with the canon and hauing battered it and made a breach after three assaults they forced it killing all they found in it where among the rest Schelto Iarges a wise and a valiant captaine was slaine The Friselanders presently after assembled the dispersed souldiers againe so that Nynuenoort being made strong with more souldiers went to his fort of Winsum but the earl of Renenbergh comming before it with all his power the fort being not yet finished nor able to endure the canon he was constrained by his own men to parle with the earle so as it was agreed that he should depart freely with bag and baggage and leaue all his other forts Nyenuenoort being thus ouerthrowne the earle of Renenbergh was master all ouer the Ommelands as far as Doccum In the meane time the Estates to aid the lord of Nyenuenoort although too late appointed Sir Iohn Norris to be generall ouer certaine forces and with him eight companies of Sonoy his regiment with some others who being made stronger with the remainders of the broken companies sought opportunitie to giue the earle of Renenbergh battaile and as captaine Schul with certaine souldiers had taken Monikerziel fort he tooke that from them and forced the earle of Renenberghs troupes to goe out of the village in Gripskerke in battaile Colonel Sonoy led the foreward and began the charge coldly by many skirmishes vntill the rest came on and charged in grosse wherupon the Renenberghers fled and were pursued till they came to Groning with the losse of certaine ensignes and seuen hundred of their men besides many which were taken prisoners and small losse to the victors they tooke great store of their armes which they that fled were forced to cast away and yet Sir Iohn Norris had no horsemen with him but onely his owne cornet whereby many of the Renenberghers saued their liues most by means of the ditches there was also foure peeces of ordnance taken from them and all their prouision The 23 of Iuly died George of Lalain baron of Ville earl of Renenbergh brother to the earle of Hoochstraten for griefe and sorrow of this defeat although his sicknesse was not without some suspition of poyson during his sicknes he did often grieue and lament that he had quit the Estates party whereby he had drawne himselfe into such a laberynth crying out often O Groning Groning whereunto hast thou brought me cursing the day that he had euer seene it The last 8 daies before his death he exclaimed also vpon his sister Cornille of Lalain forbidding hir to come in his sight seeing that she had seduced him and was the cause of his perdition This earle of Renenbergh was sonne to the lord of Escornets gouernor of Guelderland for the emperor who had to wife the daughter of the earle of Renenbergh afterwards by the succession of his cousin became earle of Hoochstraten as also the said George of Lalain succeeded after the death of Cont Herman his vncle by the mothers side chanon of Cologne to the said earldome of Renenbergh His elder brother earle of Hoochstraten was called Anthony of Lalain a wise and valiant nobleman who in the yere 1567 retired himselfe with the prince of Orange out of the Netherlāds was also banished by the duke of Alua as we haue formerly shewed He died of a shot in the foot in the first voiage which the prince made with his army into these countries leauing some children among others his eldest was also
beleeued for that Schenk was often accustomed to make vse of the garrison of that towne in that manner His men being thus in armes Patton insteed of Schenk drew in Haultepenne The Bourgers descouering this to soone put them-selues in defence but it was in vaine many flying into the castle which they were forced to yeeld paying their ransome By this treason Collonell Schenck lost his horses armes and all his moueables and treasor which Patton seazed on And as the Prouerbe saies From the Diuell it comes and to the Diuell it goes For al this wealth which Schenck had came by spoiles This Patton by the meanes of his great wealth gotten this waies married the poore widdow of Ponthus of Noyelle Lord of Bours who helpt to pull the Castell of Antwerp out of the Spaniards hands as wee haue said before This Ladye was of the house of Bieure whome the Lord of Champaigny thought to haue married but his gout and Pattons money hindred it the very same night that hee should haue beene made sure to her Prince Maurice of Nassau hauing as wee haue said the gouernment of the Vnited Prouinces committed vnto him in the absence of the Earle of Leicester beeing very desirous to draw the Duke of Parma from the siege of Scluce hee caused the Earle of Hohenlo his Lieutenant to make a roade into Brabant with a smal armie which his men did spoyle and burnt twenty two villages and two small Townes making a shew as if they would besiege Boisledu which hee then thought easie to bee done by reason of the high waters and the dearth of corne where-with the Townes were as then but badly furnished But the Duke of Parma hauing more men then hee needed before Scluce he sent Haultepenne Barlaymonts sonne with two and fortie companies offoote and twenty fiue troopes of horse who incamped at Bixtell not very farre from Boisleduc In the meane time the Estates protracting the succors for Scluce they began to feele the want of the Earle of Leicester and to desire him many saying that his authoritie and presence was very necessary The which the Earle vnderstanding supposing that this should recouer his honour which had beene interessed by their former Imputations and reproches Hauing obtained leaue from her Maiestie hee parted from England and returned into Zealand the sixth of Iuly with many soldiars which hee brought with him where hee was attended with great deuotion where hee made preparation to succor Scluce and to raise the Duke of Parma from the siege Prince Maurice hearing of his comming went vnto him accompanied by Generall Norris who was then to go into England Collonell Schenck and other Collonells with their troops as well of Netherlanders English as Scottish Leauing the Earle of Hohenloo with three thousand men horse and foote in the Iurisdiction of Boisleduc to keepe the Frontiers of Holland attending greater forces from Gelderland Freezeland Vtrecht and other places which came not Yet notwithstanding the Earle of Hohenloo left not to besiege the Fort of Engelen the which hee tooke by force and razed The Lord of Haultepenne being come to raize the siege was incountred by Hohenlos horse-men and defeated Hee was by mischance hurt with the bough of a tree which fell vppon his necke beeing broken downe with a peece of great Ordinaunce from the shippes whereof hee dyed the fourteenth of Iuly in the towne of Boisleduc The Earle of Leicester beeing returned into Zealand for the releeuing os Scluce the Generall Estates came vnto him vnto whome Doctor Leoninus made a speech in his Excellencies behalfe Giuing them to vnderstand that hee was very glad of their arriuall hoping that by his presence hee should bee assisted in the executions of some millitary exploits that were in hand and required expedition the which especially the reliefe of Scluce his excellencie did so much affect as neglecting his owne priuate affaires hee had made hast to returne into these parts for the preseruation of the generall VVhere-vnto his Excellencie hath brought so great an affection that although hee findes his honor interessed by reason of some scandalls which haue beene raized during his absence and certaine letters which were sent into England yet hee desires not by reason of those mistakings the said exploites of warre and other affaires concerning the publike good should be delayed intreating them to enter into conference concerning the Estate of the men of war their pay armes munition and necessary victualls to the end that Scluce might be releeued in conuoied to Bresque where they were receiued by the shippes of Zeeland and transported to Flussingue Thus was Scluce after that it had beene valiantly defended for the space of two monethes in the end giuen ouer for want of succors for the which it seemes they that defended it were but hardly censured by the Estates in giuing it vp so soone Wherevpon Sir Roger Williams in his booke called a discourse of warre makes a breefe relation of the seruice they did within the towne and to iustifie their proceedings the which I haue thought to insert here for the Readers better satisfaction of the particularities I protest sayth hee by the faith of a souldiar that what I write is true As neere as I can remember wee kept the towne of Scluce some three score daies diuers thinke it no time for that Harlem Mastricht and others were kept longer little doe they thinke how those two places were furnished with all things necessary when as the lesser of them both had in it sixe thousand hands to fight and worke Let vs bee rightly censured I will prooue that Bouvines was the most furious siege since the Duke of Aluas arriuall vnto this houre the which beganne and ended in lesse then twenty daies and yet there were more captaines and souldiars spoiled by the sword and bullet then at Harlem which continued ten monethes experimented captaines will confesse that they fury of all breaches are tried in fewe houres Wee were not in Scluce one thousand sixe hundred men to fight worke and all we had to keepe accounting the two forts aboue two miles and a halfe It is well knowne that before wee entred the towne had lost one fort If wee shewed any valour in our entrie let Sir Henry Palmer and his sea-men with them of Zeeland iudge the daunger was such as of the vesselles which carried vs in fiue were taken the next comming out The third tide Sir Charles Blunt afterwards Lord Montioy and Earle of Deuonshire offred fiftie pounds besides the commandement his maisters and marriners receiued at his imbarking to carrie vs in some necessary prouision from Sir William Russell then Lord Gouernor of Flussing who indeed was the causeof our entrie resolution and quick dispatch sending vnto vs a good quantitie of victualls and munition and to say the truth without his importunitie and diligence wee had not entred and then the world knowes the towne had beene lost without blowes as
and West sides and a certaine tower which did anoy on the West part then he caused a gallery to bee made through the ditches to go to the sappe if need were This done and all things redy to force it the Prince caused the beseeged to bee sommoned to yeeld them-selues vpon promise of good vsage This captaine of Lorraine refusing to giue eare vnto it the Prince caused three vollees of Cannon to be shot and then he sommoned them againe But the beseeged growing obstinate relying vpon the strength of their towne and castle imagining that the cannon could not doe them so great harme as experience taught them afterwards but to late the Prince commanded to batter the Rauelins and ports of both sides with all fury the which was done from nine of the clocke in the morning vntill three in the after noone and a breach made at the Rauelin on the North side the which was sonne wonne by the bridges which he caused to be presently made The beseeged seing this Rauelin beaten downe and that their began to be a sufficient breach to giue an assault yea to haue gone vpon horsebacke and that the army was put in battaile to assayle them they made a signe that they should cease the battery and they would parle But their first obstinacy was the cause that the Prince would not forbeare vntill that he see an easie breach and the women and children vpon their knees holding vp their hands and crying for mercy the which preuayling nothing and the battery soone after ceasing some soldiars aduanced it may bee without charge to go and view the breach where being aloft and seeing no man to defend it they entred and were presently followed by others who charged the beseeged which began to fly and to make their retreat towards the castle whereof there were some seauenty of the hindermost slaine The Lorraine Captaine durst not retier himselfe fearing least his former wilfulnes would make his owne men to kill him but hee hid him-selfe in a mine where hee was found and led prisoner to the Prince who pardoned him and gaue him his life The Prince would gladly haue kept the towne from spoyle and haue sparâ—…d the poore people and avoyded all disorders and insolencies which vsually happen in the like accidents standing him-selfe a long time in the breach to keepe and defend it and would not suffer that any of the inhahitants should be taken prisoner nor ransomed yet was the towne partly spoyled by them that entred first but being forbidden the spoyle was not great and the Bourgers had not beene in very ill case if a soldiar seeking some aduenture in the night with a wispe of straw burning for want of a candle had not set fire of the house the which spred ouer all the towne and could not be preuented so as the whole towne was burnt except eight houses The soldiars that were retired into the Castle cryed out for grace yeelding vnto the Princes mercy who gaue them all their liues leauing their armes and paying a conuenient ransone who hauing left the most apparent among them for hostages for the said ransome the rest retired towards their other troupes as those of Grolle had done The mony which grew by these ransomes was diuided by the Prince among the soldiars reseruing no penny to him-selfe wherein hee shewed his bounty and clemency for he might by the law of armes if hee had pleased intreated these obstinat men roughly as the Spaniard doth in the like case causing all to bee hanged or slaine but the Prince is of so mylde a disposition besides his other vertues as hee alwaies prefers clemency and mercy before rigour and malice As for his buunty and liberality he gaue sufficient testimony thereof to the horse-men of Grolle as we haue said The Prince hauing taken the towne and Castell of Brefort and hauing giuen order for all things hee turned head with his army towards the towne of Enschede the which was great but none of the strongest nor yet of the weakest places meaning to make him-selfe Maister thereof before hee past any further Hauing made his approch with twelue peeces of ordinance and caused it to bee somond the garrison which was within it being better aduised then they of Brefort seeing there was no hope of succors for them and that those strong and important places had beene wonne without any shew of succors they demanded that they might depart with their armes and baggage the which the Prince graunted them yet without Wagons and conuoy vpon condition to passe beyond the riuer of Meuse Thus the saâ—…d garrison departed the same day the Prince arriued beeing the seauenteene day of October the which were but two small companies who held it for honor ynough to haue seene the Princes army and cannon The next day the Prince went and planted his campe before the towne of Oldenzyel in the same country of Oueryssel reasonablie great and well peopled hauing three double walles and as many ditches in the which there were sixe hundred souldiars The Bourgers who would not willingly see their towne spoyled with the cannon nor their liues and goods in danger knowing well that howsoeuer they must needes bee taken by force or by accord either soone or late and that attending longer they might haue the worse composition seeing the ordynance and that they beganne to drawe the water out of their ditches they perswaded the souldiars that they might with one generall consent enter into capitulation so as on the two and twenty daie they sent a drumme vnto the Prince to let him vnderstand their mindes wherevpon after a little parle it was agreed that the souldiars should depart the next daie with their armies and baggage vpon the same composition that they of Enschede did And moreouer that such as would depart and could not so speedelie doe it by reason of their affaires should haue three monethes time to finish all their businesses and then to depart freely without any desturbance whether they pleased with their goods and mouables Whilest that the Prince was before Oldenzyel hee sent his cousin the Earle of Solms to besiege the little towne of Otmarsum in Oueryssel before the which Charles of Lievin Lord of Famas Generall of the Artillery for the Estates had beene slaine in yeare of our Lord 1595. where hauing giuen three volles with foure small peeces the garrison beeing but of one company required that they might depart with the composition of Enschede the which was granted them so on the one and twenty of October the towne was yeelded the souldiars departing with their armes and baggage Those that were in garrison in the towne and fort of Goor seeing the Princes happy successe how he stil prospered being loth to attend the hazard of themselues they abandoned those places to the Earles pleasure who presently caused the forts to bee ruined by the peasants of that
disorder to Sâ—…luse yet carrying backe all their gallies beeing fauoured by the neerenesse of their retreat There died in this sea fight the generall Frederick Spinola with aboue eight hundred of his men and a great number of them hurt Of the Estates side there were sixe and thirtie slaine among the which was captaine Iacob Michelson and his lieutenant the viceadmirall Ioos de Moor and captaine Leger Peterson with some threescore others were hurt In the viceadmirall and in the gally of Zeeland there were some Englishmen of the garrison of Flessingue who did exceeding well of the which there were eight slaine and some fifteene hurt Ioos de Moor the viceadmirall commaunded at this fight in the absence of the seignior William van Haulstein who was admirall vnder prince Maurice he hearing the noyse of the ordnance parted presently from Flessingue with fiue ships of warre and one fregate to come and succour his companie before the ditch but the fight was ended and the enemie retired before he came In this battaile the saying of the royall prophet Dauid was verified That victories proceeded not from the force and strength of man but from the ayd and assistance of God Elizabeth Queene of England of famous memorie being dead vpon the foure and twentieth day of March and Iames king of Scotland called to the succession of the crowne vpon the 8 of Aprill the vnited prouinces did write a letter vnto the king of England as followeth Most high and mightie prince as we were with great reason grieued in our soules for the newes of the death of the most high great mightie and soueraigne princesse the queene of England of most worthy and famous memorie in regard of the great loue and affection shee did alwayes beare vnto our estate and for the ayd which we did still receiue from her princely bountie for our defence and preseruation against the king of Spaine and his adherents wherby the remembrance of her shall for euer remaine eternized in vs and our posteritie so were wee much comforted and reioyced in our hearts to vnderstand that your Maiestie with a generall applause of the Estates of the whole country was proclaimed the true and lawful heire successor and king of the kingdomes of England Fraunce and Ireland and the rather for that wee assure our selues that your Maiestie comming to the succession of the said kingdoms will not onely continue your princely grace and accustomed fauour but will also of your princely inclination inherit the same princely affection towards vs and our estate which the aforesayd noble queene of worthy memorie hath left vnto you thereby to continue your gratious ayd and bountifull assistance for our preseruation for the welfare of all Christendome and your owne good against the common enemie as we haue long hoped and expected the same And in effect to shew the resolution we haue alwayes had to please and serue your Maiestie so wee beseech almightie God for the first part of our dueties to blesse your Maiestie in this succession to his glorie and the propagation of his holy word to exalt your Maiesties gouernment with all state and happinesse and to giue your Maiestie health and long life not onely to the glorie and comfort of your owne kingdomes and subiects and of our estate but also to the good and peace of all Christendom against the insatiable ambition of the Spaniards and their adherents To which end we most humbly beseech your Maiestie seeing it pleased the aforesaid queene of famous memorie in her later dayes to grant vs leaue to take vp certaine souldiers in England for to fill vp and make compleat the English companies that serue vnder vs as wee likewise besought your Maiestie to suffer vs to doe the like in Scotland for the Scottish companies that it will now please your Maiestie to grant vs the effect thereof that wee may at this present take vp the said souldiers both in England and Scotland to be transported into the Netherlands there to be imployed in our seruice as the necessitie of our cause requireth and especially for the preseruation of the towne of Oostend wherein we refer our selues to your Maiesties consideration kissing your princely hands with all humilitie beseeching the almightie God to preserue your M. throne in al happinesse glory and your princely person in long life prosperitie Dated as aforesaid signed by the generall states of the vnited prouinces Presently after this letter they sent an honorable embassage into England the embassadors were Henry Frederic earle of Nassau yongest sonne to the late prince of Orange Walraue baron of Brederode monsieur Van Olden Barneuelt counsellor for Holland and Iacob Valck treasurer of Zeeland beeing accompanied with diuers gentlemen as the lords of Batenborgh Schagen Trelongh Herdenbrooke Borselle with many others These embassadors arriued in England the 14 of May eight daies after the kings entrie into London and vpon the seuen and twentieth of May they had audience where besides their congratulating of the kings comming to his new kingdomes they layed open vnto him the estate of their affaires and craued a supply of souldiers according to the contents of their letters the which was deliuered both by mouth and writing but for that it is but a repetition of that which hath gone before I forbeare to insert it The king made them a friendly answer in generall tearmes excusing himselfe that he was but newly entred into his kingdome and beeing ignorant of the estate and power thereof hee thought it requisite first to settle his owne affaires and to be fully informed of all particularities beeing most conuenient rather to seeke peace than warre and that with all friendly care and affection he would continue all loue and friendship with them as his predecessor had done with many other exceeding good wordes wherewith the embassadours tooke their leaues The archduke hearing also of the death of the Queene of England sent a gentleman called Nicholas de Schosy into Scotland to sound the kings mind how he stood affected whether to peace or warre and hearing that he had beene alwaies inclined to a good peace he sent to all the coasts of Flanders commaunding them not to touch nor molest any English man neither by water nor by land but to vse them with all loue and friendship and withall to set all their English prisoners at libertie And at the same time he sent an embassadour into England which was Charles earle of Aremberg knight of the golden fleece chancellor of estate and admirall generall for the archdukes beeing accompanied with his sonne the baron of Seuenberghen the earle of Bossu the baron of Robles the lord of Wakene the lord of Swevigem the earle of Phirtburg the baron of Neuele with many other gentlemen his embassage tending besides congratulation to mooue the king to a peace and to crosse certaine designes of the vnited prouinces and for that the plague was great in
them of the religion in the Netherlands 410 Bartel Entens makes a vaine enterprise vpon Tergoes 479 Bastard of Rubempre prisoner in Holland 152. Batenbourg surprized by Duke Albert 219. Battaile of Verona 75. of Marendyke 93. betwixt the Liegeois and the Earle of Holland 121. of Gorrichom 130. Of Alphen 138. at Sea 141. betwixt Charles of Bourgongne and the Liegeois 162. betwixt the Lords of Amster and Woerden against the Bishop of Vtrecht 65. of Esquine-gate 193. of Hinges 209. of Saquelets 271. betwixt the Cleuois and Imperialists 276. of Saint Quintine 322. of Grauelin 326. betwixt the Earle of Hohenlo and Shenck 738. betwixt the English and Spaniards at sea 1002. of Tournhoult 1126. of Nieuport 1247 Battenbourg taken by the Prince of Parma 951. Balfour a Scottish Collonell defeated slaine by the Spaniard 769 Berghen Saint Wynox taken and burnt by the French 326. besieged by the Spaniard 827. yeelded with honor and profit 828 Bellieure treates with the Estates for the Duke of Aniou 818 Berghen vp Zoom besieged in vaine by the Duke of Parma 1006 Berghen surprized by the Spaniards 474 Blyenbeeke besieged 716 Bernardin of Mendosa treates with the French King touching the Netherlands 870 Berlandt Gouernor of Flussing poysoned 511 Bins a towne in Henault taken by the Duke of Anious men 681 Bishoppe of Vtrecht defeated and taken prisoner by the Hollanders 12. slaine in battaile 80 Bishoppes of Cologne and Liege defeated by the Earle of Holland 18 Bishoppe of Liege complaines to the Estates for the taking of Huy 1003 Borselle a house in Zeeland their beginn ing 5. Blommart a Captaine of the Protestants slaine going out of Audenarde 496. Bommel besieged by Philip Archduke of Austria 229. assured by Prince Maurice 1213 Boisot made Gouernor of Flushing 512 Bommened a Forte in Zeland taken by assault 586. Bonne in the Diocesse of Cologne yeelded to the Spaniard 990 Boisot Admirall to the Prince prepares to succour Leyden 560. slaine 590 Boisleduc surprised by the Protestants and then abandoned 417. after yeelds to the Estates 646. vnwilling to enter into the vnion of Vtrecht 700. is besieged in vaine by Prince Maurice 1273 Borentange a Forte in Friseland 1068 Bishops newly created refused in the Netherlands a great cause of the troubles 350 Bishops of Ypre and Bruges prisoners at Gant 649. Boncham in Henault besieged and yeelded to the Male-contents 742 Bouines a Towne in Namur yeelded to the Estates 650 Bourse at Antwerpe burnt 824 Brederode the noblest house in Holland and their beginning 9. hee presents the petition for the Nobilitie to the Dutches of Parma 383. what hee did at Amsterdam 425 he retires out of the Netherlands and what he was 427 Breda in Brabant yeelded to the Estates 648. deliuered to the Spaniard by the meanes of the Siegnior of Fresin 772. surprized by Heranguere for the Estates 1031 Brefort besieged and taken by assault by Prince Maurice 1132 Briaute enters combate vnaduisedly 1239 Bronkhorst yeelded to the Estates 808 Brussels opposeth against the imposition of the tenth pennie 465. they accorde with the King of Spaine 875 Bruges in trouble 702. the Estates men succor it before the male-contents 703 Bruges and Gand reconciled to the Archduke Maximilian 200 Bryele a towne in the Isle of Voorn surprized by the Earle of Marcke for the Prince of Orange 472 Brauery of 30. souldiers 916 Buren Towne and Castell yeelded to the Spaniard 583 Bruges refuzed from the Hollanders 845. yeelded to the Spaniard 846 Bishop of Cologne comes to succour the Duke of Alua 492 Beckaff by Sluys taken by Prince Maurice 1309. Bossompiere slaine before Ostend 1310 Baron of Termes a French man comes with a troupe of horse to Prince Maurice before Sluys 1312 Berghen in danger to bee surprised 1349. attempted againe by the Spaniard 1350 Brefort surprized by the Spaniard and abandoned againe 1354 C. CAmbray victualed 778 Cabillautins a faction in Holland restored in Horne 98. take armes againe 134 Caius Ransou a Dane taken prisoner by the Estates men and what followed 942 Castels in Frisland razed 731 Castels ruined in the Netherlands 647 Castle of Antwerpe built by the Duke of Alua 457. That of Gant besieged and yeelded to the Estates 612. That of Vtrecht besieged and yeelded to the Estates 624 Callais besieged and yeelded vnto the French 324. Castle of Staueren yeelded to the Estates 775. Castle floating at Antwerpe what it was 877. Cambray surprised by the Earle of Rhomont 193. besieged and yeelded to the Spaniard 1110. Carlo slaine 513 Cassimire burnes the Duke of Aluaes poulder 525. Carpen taken by the Spaniard 682 Campen a towne in Oueryssell yeelded to the Estates 660 Charles of Bourgongne Earle of Charalois inherits the moytie of Aspren and Henkelom 149. in disgrace with his Father 150. is reconciled 151. succeeds his Father 160. defeates the Liegeois 162. forceth the French King to goe with him to the siege of Liege 166. seekes to rule absolutely ouer the Frisons 171. hee besieged Nuys 174. is defeated twise by the Suisses 172. besiegeth Nancy is defeated and slaine 179 Castle Cambresis yeelded to the Spaniard 809 Charles Duke of Geldres freed from prison in France 210. sentence giuen against him 217. is reconciled to the Archduke Philip 231. Charles the fift Emperor succeeds in the Netherlands 236. his departure out of the Netherlands 315. his death 328 Champignies regiment defeated by the Spaniard 650. imprisoned at Brussels 677. he is forced by the Duke of Parma to forsake the Netherlands 1019 Change of Magistrates in the Netherlands 656 Charles of Croy Prince of Chymay his carriage in Flanders 845 Charles Earle of Mansfeldt enters into the Iland of Bommel 1024. hee takes Seuenberghen 1035. Charles of Lieuin Siegnior of Famas slaine at Otmarsum 942 Christopher Fabri a Minister put to death at Antwerpe for religion 350 Cittadel of Cambray surprized for the generall Estates of the Countrie 595 Commons in Holland rise against the Nobilitie 62. Coaes van Kniten a Giant 75 Compromise of the Nobilitie of the Netherlands 368 Complaint of the Netherlanders to the King of Spaine 418 Commission from the Queene of England to treate with the Duke of Parma 986 Countesse of Flanders layes claime to the Isle of Walchren 56 Conuocation of the Nobilitie at Duffel 389 Conde a towne in Henault surprised 752 Confederation of the French King the Queene of England and the Estates against the Spaniards 1124 Conference at Gheertruydenberg betwixt the Deputies of Don Iohn and the Estates of the Netherlands 627. Consultation of the Estates touching the change of their Prince 726 Conuoy of Brussels defeated 867 Cocqueville defeated and ouer-come at Saint Valery 448 Coeuarden taken by the Spaniard 74. besieged and yeelded vp vnto Prince Maurice 1060. Courtray in Flanders surprised by the Spaniard 730 Councell of the troubles erected in the Netherlands with absolute authoritie 435 Councell of Estate at Brussels committed to prison 591 Councellors displaced in Frisland 656 Crimpen a Forte
goodly rich abbey in the which at this present is the court of Zeeland and prince Maurice his lodging when he comes there The third member of the said Estates which at this day is the chiefest of all is comprehended in the commonalties of the townes of Middlebourg Flessingue la Vere Ziricxee Tergoes and Tertolen which are the principall the rest hauing no voice For the gouernment of iustice and the reuenues of this countie there are two soueraigne officers who are as it were lieutenants to the earle called rent-masters that is to say receiuers who haue proportionably great authoritie and preheminence one of the which is to reside as hee doth in the towne of Middlebourg and is rent-master of the chiefe part of the west quarter which they call Bewersterscheldt The other hath his abode in Ziricxee and hath charge of the east part which is called Beoosterscheldt These two in their seuerall iurisdictions receiue the rights fees and reuenues of all the earldome they are honoured with the title of the princes counsellers and all orders sentences and decrees are directed to them to see them published and obserued They haue also authoritie in all the villages and places of their iurisdictions to apprehend or cause to be apprehended for the execution whereof they haue their lieutenants and sergeants all delinquents and malefactors whom they are to represent in the two chiefe towns of the islands of Walchren and Schouen that is Middlebourg and Ziricxee and there to demaund iustice bee they to be punished or absolued The chiefe trade of the inhabitants of this countrie bordring vpon the sea is nauigation and fishing both farre and neere sayling and traffiquing at this day to the islands to the east and west Indies and to all parts of the world Those which dwell within the land giue themselues to tillage and to feed catteâ—… Moreouer they boile and refine salt the which they doe wonderfully augment boyling it with sea water The salt which comes from Spaine they doe increase fiue and fourtie in a hundred that of Portugal about thirtie fiue and that of Brouage or other parts of France fiue and twentie for a hundred In all the towns of the island of Walchren especially at Middlebourg and Flessingue they doe daily build goodly great ships which goe to the Indies and to all parts of the world for that they are very commodiously seated for nauigation and these townes of Walchren especially Middlebourg since the warres began haue much increased both in people wealth and trade of marchandise for that their traffique is farre greater since that Antuerpe fell into the Spaniards hands so as they haue beene forced to make their towne greater and to beutifie and fortifie it with new hauens bulwarkes and ports with other great and extraordinarie buildings Flessingue likewise is much bettered both in wealth and buildings being also amplified fortified and beutified with a faire towne house and a new church Camphere and Arnemuyden doe also prosper well and the rest of the townes in the other island as Ziricxee Tergoes and Tertolen haue likewise recouered a great part of their forepassed losses Hauing described the earledomes of Holland and Zeeland their beginning situation and manners we will hereafter set downe the number of their princes who had but the titles of earles whereunto in continuance of time by right of succession according to the alliances of mariage was added the earldome of Henaut or at the least the counties of Holland and Zeeland were vnited to the earldome of Henaut the race of Thierry of Aquitaine the first earle of Henaut failing in Iohn sonne to cont Floris the ninth to whom Iohn d'Auesnes earle of Henaut his cousin succeeded which three seigniories of Henaut Holland Zeeland although they haue no other title but of earle are richer better peopled and more mightie either of them apart than many dukedomes principalities or marquesates in Germanie France and Italie for there is no common weale how mightie soeuer no not Venice it selfe that can put so many ships to sea and entertaine them continually either for warre or trade of marchandise aduenturing themselues in long voyages as the Hollanders and Zeelanders doe at this daie which makes them so mightie as all the forces of the king of Spaine nor of all the princes of the house of Austria could not for these fourtie yeares greatly hurt them nor restraine their command at sea To enter therefore into this subiect we will first shew how that Holland and Zeeland in ancient time being much and often tormented by the daily incursions of the Gothes Danes Normans Saxons Sicambres which were they of Gueldres and Cleues and other their neighbours beeing freed some thousand yeares since from the subiection of the Romane empire did gouerne themselues in forme of an Aristocraticall common weale by the nobilitie and the most apparent men among the people among the which the viconts of Leyden and the lords of Wassenare were the most eminent in credit and authoritie in Holland and the lords of Borselle in Zeeland which two families are at this present extinct vntill that the emperours Charles the bald king of France and Lewis king of Germanie desirous to prouide for the spoile and ruine of these two prouinces gaue them a prince and lord which was Thierry of Aquitaine A HISTORIE OF THE NETHERLANDS OR SEVENTEENE PROVINCES Containing the Discents Genealogies and memorable acts of the Earles and Princes of the said Prouinces from THIERRY of Aquitaine the first Earle of Holland and Zeeland successiuely to PHILIP the third of that name king of Spaine and last Earle of Holland Zeeland Friseland c. ¶ The Argument of the first Booke HOlland erected into an Earledome and who was the first Earle The Viount of Leiden and the 〈◊〉 of Wassenare oppose themselâ—…es against Thierry of Aquitaine the first earle of Holland The earledome of Zeeland giuen also to Thierry The Normans and Danes make great spoiles in Holland ¶ Thierry 2 earle of Holland and Zeeland succeeds his father he makes warre and ranquisheth the Frisons ¶ Arnulph or Arnould sonne to Thierry the second the third earle of Holland Zeland this earle was vanquished and slaine by the Frisons ¶ Thierry the third the fourth earle of Holland and sonne to Arnulph The Bishop of Virecht riseth against him he defeats the Bishop and takâ—…s him prisoner The death and â—…pitaph of the three Thierries ¶ Thierry the fourth the â—…ft earle of Holland he sâ—…e the bishop of Collogns brother at a tourney The Germans to reuenge it come into Holland take Dordrecht the which he recouers and being victor 〈◊〉 slaine from a window with an arrow ¶ Floris the first the sixt Farle brother to Thierry the 4. The bishop of â—…ollogne and Liege inuades Holland â—…he defeats them twise and being a conqueror hee is slainely the earle of Cuycke who was also slaine there ¶ Gertrude of Saxonie his Widow Gouernesse to young Cont Thierry
Winckell a furious battaile was fought wherein the Hollanders hauing the worst cont Arnold with a great number of the chiefe of his nobilitie were slaine in the yeare 993 the day after S. Lambert which was the eighteenth of October hauing gouerned Holland and Zeeland fiue yeares after the decease of his father he is interred in the abbie of Egmont by his father and grandfather leauing his eldest sonne Thierry the third for his successor in the said earledomes Hee had also another sonne called Ziffrid the Frisons call him Sicco who being fallen in disgrace with his father to auoid his displeasure went voluntarily into exile into the countrie of Friseland where he was courteously receiued by Gosso Ludingama then Potestat or gouernour of the Frisons with whose daughter he fell in loue and married hir without the priuitie of the earle his brother of whome hee had two sonnes the eldest he called Thierry by his grandfathers name and Simon Afterward Ziffrid being reconciled to his father was made his lieutenant in the quarter of Kennemerland and had for his part a portion of land measured with the great yard the word of Breede-roede signifieng a Great Yard so as euer since the siegneorie of the said Ziffrid hath retained the name of Brederode vnto this day His father did also giue him the castell of Theylingen the which Ziffrid did giue and bequeath vnto Simon his yoongest sonne from whome discended the familie of Theylingen at this present quite extinct by the death of two brethren which remained the which were both slaine in battaile by the Frisons with Cont William of Hainalt the fourth of that name their prince as wee shall hereafter see and how that also by the like accident of war we haue seene die without leauing any issue foure braue knights of the house of Brederode being yet in the flower of their youth not any one remaining of that house at this day but three bretheren the eldst Walrauen lord of BREDERODE baron of Vianen and of Ameyden Florent the second brother lately deceased left one sonne lord of Cloetinghen heire apparent of the whole house and Maximilian the youngest who liues in Brabant There are many of the same house bearing the same surname and armes but broken gentlemen come of bastards The Epitaph of this earle Arnold preserued with many others in the ruines of the said abbie of Egmont whereas most of the earles of Holland haue bene interred hauing bene recouered by me although it be but grossely composed as also the rest that follow yet could I not omit them for that they shewed their antiquitie the which is not wholy to be reiected Such was the Epitaph of the said earle and the ladie Lutgard his wife Gloria carnalis pernicibus euolat alis Et quasi non fuerit cum moriente perit Hic Comes Arnulphus patrioe tutela sepultus Expectat requiem Iudicijque diem Iste venustauit hac sancta locumque beauit Terris mancipijs oedibus Ecclesijs Qui bis septenas Octobre rotante Calendas Hostili gladio transijté medio Laudibus meritò similis Lutgarda marito Complexu fedei consepelitur ei Per tauri sydus ternas Maius regit Idus Dum Comitissa pijs fungitur exequijs This Countesse Lutgarda wife to Cont Arnold and daughter to Theophanes Emperour of Constantinople and of Greece died in the month of May but I find not in what yeare She lies by hir husband in the abbie that was of Egmont THIERRY THE THIRD OF THAT name sonne to Cont ARNOLD was fourth Earle of Holland Zeeland and Lord of Friseland 4 Theodoricus Tertius This THIERRY to reuenge his fathers death in hast With forces great to Freeseland marcht and laid the countrie wast Saâ—…ked the townes and slue the towns-men cruelly And made the bishop of Vtrecht his prisoner valiantly On pilgrimage he went vnto the Holy land And there the Turkes in Palestine did mightily withstand And being home return'd vnto his spouse most true At six and fortie yeares of age did yeeld to death his due THIERRY the third of that name after the death of Cont Arnold his father was in number the fourth Earle of Holland and Zeeland and lord of Friseland Being come vnto the Principalitie he demaunded homage of the Frisons the which being denied him dissembling the discontent and the desire of reuenge he had for his fathers death he then surceased to make any further question attending some fitter opportunitie He tooke to wife in his fathers life time Withild daughter to the emperour Otho the second duke of Saxe whome he had of his second wife daughter to the Marquis of Austria Of which Withild Cont Thierry had two sonnes the eldest was called as his father and the fourth of that name earle of Holland the second was Floris earle of East-Friseland who after the death of his brother without children succeeded in the said counties of Holland Zeeland and siegneorie of Friseland After the death of Anfrid the 18 bishop of Vtrecht issued from the race of Charlemagne Adelbold descended from Manson a nobleman of the countrie of Friseland was chosen Bishop for his great knowledge as well in Diuinitie as in other liberall arts hee had bene Councellor to the emperour Henry the second he was the first bishop that began to aduance himselfe and to make war against the Hollanders For when as Thierry the third earle of Holland had liued some time in rest and peace and that Walbold deane of the Cathedrall church of Vtrecht was made bishop of Liege who before had bene chiefe chancellor to Adelbold dissuading him stil from all attempts of warre this Walbold being thus retired to his bishoprike Adelbold desirous of alterations would needs without any colour make warre against the Earle and the Hollanders The causes and motiues of this war were That Adelbold had animated the Frisons and fortified them to rise rebell against Cont Thierry their naturall lord moreouer this bishop had aduaunced a gentleman called Didier Bruno to bee earle of Bodegrauen and of Suvamerdam who did greatly wrong and oppresse the Hollanders his neighbours wherupon Cont Thierry went with his troups to assaile him and hauing defeated him in battaile hee expelled him by force out of his siegneorie The bishop bearing it impatiently to see his vassall thus expelled leuied an armie with an intent to restore him by force so the 9 of Iune in the yeare 1018 the bishop hauing brought his men to field betwixt Bodegraue Suvamerdam the earle Thierry went to charge them being accompanied by his brother Ziffrid lieutenant of Kennemerland by Iohn lord of Arkel the siegneor Iohn of Persin the vicount of Leyden and many other braue knights and gentlemen But this incounter proued vnfortunat for the bishop wherin he was defeated and put to rout There died on his side among the most remarkable Wyger Aduoe that is to say Aduocat generall of the diocesse of Vtrecht
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
to depart without any further harme The duke being aduertised that the King came to assaile him leauied a great number of men giuing them halfe a pay to haue them ready at all houres mustring them euery month and yet neuer imploying them But growing weary of this charge hee cassierd them casting away all feare and went into Holland to spend some-time leauing no garrison in the fronter townes Being there hee was aduertized by the duke of Bourbon that shortly the King would make warre against him both in Bourgongne and in Piccardie where as he had great intelligences whereat beeing amazed he went presently to Hesdin whereas hee beganne to enter into â—…elousie of the practises they had in his townes yet hee was something long before hee could arme And at the same instant Baldwyn of Bourgongne his bastard brother and some of his houshould seruants leauing him went to serue the French King this did amaze him more fearing it had beene of some greater consequence for at that time the Constable put Saint Quentin into the Kings hands Amiens yeelded by his owne fault for that hee would not enter into it being sent for from Dourlans from Dourlans he retired to Arras fearing the like inconueniences These two chiefe townes of Amiens and Saint Quentin beeing yeelded there was an other practise the Constable laboring to make a marriage betwixt the duke of Guienne and the duke of Bourgongnes daughter saying that otherwise hee was not likely to haue any ende of the warres The duke receiuing this answere knewe well that the Constable did not loue him and that hee was the chiefe Instrument of this warre wherevpon the duke grewe to hate him in such sort as hee neuer left vntill hee had ruined and brought him to his ende Fifteene daies after the yeelding vp of Amiens the duke of Bourgongne went to field neere vnto Arras and notwithstanding any resistance hauing past the riuer of Some at Pygneur where hee did beate the Kings Archers hee went and lodged about Amiens where hee made three campes saying that hee would see if the King would come and fight with him and in the ende hee approched so neere to it as his Cannon shot at randon into the towne and ouer it where hee lay in campe about sixe weekes In the meane time the duke writ sixe lines vnto the King humbling himselfe verie much and complayning that for the appetite of an other hee had assayled him beeleeuing that if his Maiestie had beene dulie informed of all things that hee would not haue attempted it The King hauing read these lynes was very ioyfull for that hee did not credit his intelligences much and besides all long attempts were tedious and troublesome vnto him Hauing sent an answere vnto the duke there was a small truce but in the ende there was one concluded for a whole yeare Whereat the Constable seemed discontented The which beeing confirmed both armies were dismist the King retyring into Touraine the Earle of Guienne into his country and the duke of Bourgongne into his also where hee assembled the States who granted him the some of 120000. crownes the which increased aboue 500000. and did greatly augment the number of his warlike men at armes The duke of Guienne did still presse the marriage of his daughter who ledde him with great hope as hee did all others that demanded her as the duke of Calabria the Archduke Maximilian of Austria Sonne to the Emperour Frederick and others But during the treatie of this great and Noble marriage with the duke of Guienne there was still some new enterprise made by him against the King his brother to blinde the duke of Bourgongnes eyes During all those dissimulations betwixt the King the duke of Guienne the Constable and the duke of Bourgongne intermixt with some petty warres betwixt the French and the Bourgongnons Charles duke of Guienne brother to the French King died the which brake the peace betwixt the King and the duke of Bourgongne hauing beene sworne by the meanes of Peter Dariole Chancellor of France and the lord of Crà an but the King hearing of the death of his brother refused to sweare it Wherevpon the duke to recouer these two principall townes of Amiens S. Quintin entered with an army into Piccardie and tooke Nesle Roye and Montdidier then he marched with his army into Normandie thinking to take Beauvois iu Beauvoisin against the which hee did all he could to force it but preuailed not from thence hee came to Eu and Saint Vallery both which were yeelded vnto him setting fire of all the quarter euen vnto the gates of Deepe Hee tooke Neufchastell which hee caused to bee burnt and all the countrie of Caux at the least the greatest part euen vnto Rouen before the which hee went himselfe in person It was an vsuall custome betwixt the King and the duke of Bourgongne euer when as winter approched to make a truce for sixe monethes according to which custome they made one which the Chancellor of Bourgongne with his Adiuncts did negotiate and treate During which treaty they did murmor on both sides against the Earle of Saint Poll the King and the chiefe of his councell grewe in hatred of him and the duke of Bourgongne much more for hee had beene the cause of the taking of Amiens and S. Quintin during the time of peace and did thinke him to be the fire-brande of all the diuision and warre betwixt the King and him For in the time of truce hee entertayned him with the best wordes that might bee but when the warres beganne hee was his capitall enemie Moreouer hee would in a manner haue forced him to marry his daughter to the duke of Guienne He had yet an other cause of spleene against him for whilst the duke was before Amiens the Constable made a roade into Henalt and burnt the castell of Seure belonging vnto Baldwyn of Lanoy Knight of the order of the golden fleece for it was not then the manner to vse burning on either side which made the duke to set fire on some parts of Picardy and Normandie They diuised therefore some meane to be rid of the Constable of Saint Poll. On the Kings behalfe there was an ouerture made by some that adrest themselues to some seruing the duke that were the Constables enemies and who hated him no lesse then their Maister euery one exclayming on him as the Author of the warres Then they beganne to make a collection of all that hee had sayd against these two Princes they examined his actions descouered his practises and sought his ruine All that yeare during the truce was spent in practises against the Constable for the which there was a meeting appointed at Bouines in the country of Namur whether came for the King the lord of Courton Gouernor of Lymosin and Iohn Hoberge afterwardes Bishoppe of Eureux and for the duke of Bourgongne came the chancellor of Bourgongne and
passages with cartes and other impedimentes hoping that the Duke beeing defeated and flying there would some fall to his share as there did many The Germaines marched in good order hauing good store of french horse whom the King had suffered to goe to those warres many lay in Ambush neere vnto the place where the battaile should bee fought to see if the Duke were defeated or to get some good prisoners or other bootie You may see into what a wretched estate the Duke had thrust himselfe in neglecting of good counsell The two Armies comming to ioyne the Duke of Bourgongnes armie which had beene lately twise defeated beeing fewe in number and ill appointed was presently put to rout and flight many saued themselues the rest were slaine or prisoners among the which the Duke himselfe was slaine in the field being ouerthrowne by a great troupe of Lanciers and not able to bee relieued of his followers for that they were prisoners Hee had three woundes the one on the head the other in the thigh and the third in the fundement The Bourguignons would not belieue that he was slaine but that hee was fled into Germanie and that hee had vowed to doe seuen yeares penance There were some among the Bourguinons which sold Iewels horses and other things to be paid when hee should returne and at Burchselles in the Diocesse of Spierre in Germanie a poore man begging they thought him to bee the Duke who did penance euery man desired to see him and hee receiued good almes Naucler writes that he had seene the said man The French King was well aduertised of the defeate whereof they did hourely expect some newes The Lorde of Lude who lay without Plessis where the King then was heard the first newes by the Poste which the Lorde of Craon and others had sent but no man did assure the Dukes death but onely the defeate before Nancy and that he was fled The King at the first was sole transported with ioy at these newes as hee knew not how to containe himselfe yet hee did thinke that if hee were taken by the Germaines they would compound with him for some great summe of money which hee would easily pay them On the other side hee was in great care if the Duke were defeated escaped whether he should seaze on the Duchie of Bourgongne or not being so easie to take seeing that all his best men and his chiefe Commanders were almost dead in these three battailes wherevpon it was resolued that although the Duke were in health yet hee would send his Armie into Bourgongne and seaze vppon the Countrey in this amazement which beeing done hee should aduertise the duke that he did it with an intent to preserue it that the Germaines might not destroy it for that the said Dutchie did hold of the Souerainty of the crowne of France the which he would not haue falne into the hands of the Germains that what soeuer he should take he would yeeld vnto him againe which few men would beleeue Duke Charles had beene a Noble and valiant Prince well bred vp in his youth and instructed in the tongues and liberal Arts yea in Astronomy and Musick a man wel spoken and of a good grace exceeding chaste but very high minded who would not indure any iniury of his equall nor of any greater Prince then himselfe exceeding cholerike froward and willfull he left one only daughter and heyre 〈◊〉 Maria Charlesia My father beeing deceast I was young left A Pupill to the Cleuoys for a while But tho of father I was quite bereft Me Maximilian gaue the marriage stile I him my fayth and dowry In yeares fiue I became Mother of three Children faire But being twenty six I left to liue My soule vnto her Maker did repaire Bruges reseru'd my bones my corps lay there MARY DVTCHESSE OF BOVRGONgne Countesse 32. ruling in Holland and Zeeland Duchesse of Brabant Lembourg Luxembourg and Geldres Countesse of Flanders Arthois Henault Namur and of Zutphen Lady of Sallins and Macklin Marquis of the holy Empire MARY the daughter and onelie heire to Charles duke of Bourgongne called the Warlike succeeded vnto her father in all his countries lands and Seigneuries shee was eighteene yeares olde when her Father was slaine before Nancy and remained vnder the care and charge of the duke of Cleues and the Lord of Rauestein his brother After that Lewis the leauenth the French King had certaine newes of the dukes death hee sent the bastard of Bourbon Admirall of France and Philip of Comines lord of Argenton into Piccardie with commission to receiue all those that would submit themselues vnder his obedience These two Noblemen went to Abeuille which was one of the townes giuen to duke Philip called the good at the peace of Arras by King Charles the seauenth the which for want of heires Masâ—…e should returno to the crowne of France At their arriuall they found that the Inhabitants were in treaty with the lord of Torcy to whome after that they were freed of foure hundred lances that were there in garrison they opened the gates From thence the Admirall and the lord of Argenton went to Dourlans from thence they sent to sommon Arras the Metropolitaine towne of Arthois and the ancient patrimony of the Earles of Flanders in the which time out of minde the daughters did succed as well as the Sonnes The lords of Rauestein and Cordes being in Arras went to speake with them in the Abbey of Saint Eloy two leagues from thence and with them Iohn de la Vacquery first President of the Court of Parliament at Paris These Noblemen entring into conference the Frenchmen demanded to haue the cittie opened for the King and to bee receiued in his name being that the King pretended it to be his by right of confiscation with all the country of Arthois and if they did refuse it they were in danger to bee forced considering that their Prince was dead and their chiefe commanders slaine in these three battailes whereby all the countrie was vnfurnished of defence The Bourguignons answered by Vacquerie that the countrie of Arthois belonged to the Ladie Mary of Bourgongne daughter to their deceased Prince who was lawfully descended from the Ladie Marguerite of Flanders her great great Grandmother who was Countesse of Flanders and Arthois c. the which was married to Philip the Hardie duke of Bourgongne sonne to King Iohn of France and brother to King Charles the fift Beseeching the King to entertaine the truce which continued yet betwixt him and their deceased Prince The conference of these Noblemen was not long for the French expected no other answere The Low-countries were much amazed and not without cause for in eight daies they could not gather togither fiftie men at armes as for other martiall men there were but 1500 in the countries of Henault and Namur that were escaped from the defeat of Nancy The French King marched with his army towards
wholy vnder his obedience the marriage being accomplished And although that this were the best and most honorable course for the King yet was it not pleasing vnto him but hee would haue all eyther by loue or force to impouerish this Princesse But in these great actions God disposeth of the hearts of Kings and Princes to take those wayes by the which hee will afterwards worke For without all question if the King had taken this course which hee himselfe had sought and desired before the death of the Duke of Bourgongne the warres and ruines which haue beene since and continue euen vnto this day in the Netherlands had not happened and the said Prouinces had beene successiuely vnder the Crowne of France and had neuer felt the furies of Spaine but wee were not worthy to receiue so great a benefit from the hand of God the which this perpetuall peace would haue brought by the vniting of these two great estates into one body who happily would haue prescribed a law to all their neighbours And it seemes God had so appointed it that the one might serue as a bridle and a restraint vnto the other hee did also fore-see the dissolution of the one and the other such as wee haue seene it whom hee would chastise by such meanes in their due season The King had good intelligence with the Lord of Cordes Gouernor of Arras whose name was Philip of Creuecaeur brother to the Lord of Creuecaeur who had all his liuing in Picardie lying along the riuer of Some The King required the Ambassadors that they should cause the Cittie of Arras to bee opened vnto him for at that time there were walles and ditches betwixt the Towne and the Cittie and a gate shutting against the sayd Cittie and now it is contrary for the Cittie shuttes against the Towne After many admonitions and propositions made vnto the Ambassadors what were the best course and that they should more easily attaine vnto a peace in shewing this obedience to the King they consented especially the Chancellor and the Lord of Humbercourt and gaue their letters of consent the which afterwards cost both their liues to deliuer the Cittie of Arras vnto the King with a discharge to the Lordes The which hee did willingly retiring out of the towne and drawing forth his men at armes Then holding himselfe discharged of the Princesses seruice by this consent hee tooke an othe vnto the King and became his seruant for that his name his armes and his lands were beyond the riuer of Some neere vnto Beauuois in Beauuoisin Hee was made Gouernour of Picardie for the King Seneshall of Pontheiure Captaine of Crotoy Gouernour in parcicular of Peronne Roye and Montdider and captaine of Bologne and Hesdin as he had held them in the time of Duke Charles of Bourgongne After that the King had disposed of the Cittie of Arras he went from thence to besiege Hesdein whether hee led the Lord of Cordes who was Captaine and Gouernor whom the besieged hearing to speake making some shew as if they would preserue it for their Princesse in the end they yeelded the place From thence the King went before Boulogne the which did the like after that they had made some shew of defence for the space of fiue dayes Whilest the King staied before Bologne those of the Towne of Arras found that they had beene deceiued being shut vpon euery side and a great number of soldiers and Artillerie about them they did therefore what they could to furnish their towne with men at Armes and to that end did write vnto their neighbour townes as to Bethune Douay and Lille There were in Douay some few horsemen among others the siegnior of Vergy who had escaped from the battaile of Nancie the which horsemen resolued to goe and succour the towne of Arras gathering together about 300. horse and fiue or 600. foote Those of Douay who were at that time somewhat proud as they bee at this day prest them whether they would or not to depart at noone day the which succeeded vnhappily for them For as betwixt Arras and Douay being but foure leagues it is an open champion Countrie if they had staied vntill night they might easily haue effected their desseigne But marching in the open day the French-men that were in the Cittie went and incountred them in the way charged and quite defeated them most of them were slaine the rest were taken prisoners among the which was the Lord of Vergy The King came the next day into the Cittie being very glad of this defeat hee caused many footemen that were prisoners to bee put to death to terrifie those few soldiers that remained in those quarters He caused the Lord of Vergy to be a long time straightly kept in prison vntill in the end by the perswasion of his Mother he tooke an othe to the King who caused all his goods to bee restored him giuing him more-ouer 1000. pounds a yeare rent and goodly offices Such as escaped from this defeate being very few saued themselues in Arras whether the King caused his Artillerie to approach and battred it the Bourgesses seeing themselues vnfurnished of soldiers and their walles beaten downe and their ditches filled vp by the furie of the Canon yeelded vpon composition the which was not well obserued and kept for the Lord of Lude put many good Citizens and other men of qualitie to death to haue their goods and besides the Cittie was taxed at 60000. Crownes to the King During this siege of Arras the Princesse of Bourgongne was in Gaunt detained by the inhabitants to her great preiudice and the Kings profit For the Ganthois hearing of the death of the Duke her father their Lord and Prince it seemed vnto them as if they had escaâ—…ed out of some prison attributing vnto themselues all the authoritie not onely of the towne but of the whole Countie of Flanders They tooke all them of the lawe prisoners to the number of sixe and twentie whereof they put most of them to death vpon a coullor that the day before they had caused a man to bee beheaded who although hee had well deserued death the Magistrate as they sayd could not put to death seeing their power and authoritie ceased by the death of the Prince which had created them They did also put to death many good men who had beene seruants and friends to the Duke although that some of them had before time diswaded the Duke meaning to destroy a great part of the towne for their rebellion They forced their Princesse to restore and confirme their ancient priuiledges which they had forfaited the which had beene taken from them by Duke Philip and Charles which priuiledge to speake truely and properly serued them to no other end but to make occasion to picke quarrels with their Princes The King thinking that all things had beene to his minde assured himselfe that hee should see them more succesfull then they proued knowing
the factious disposition of the Ganthois who would not faile to attempt some newe thing against their Princesse and sti◅re vp some sedition in her Estate knowing how they had alwaies carryed themselues to their Princes and Lordes whilest that the King was before Arras there came certaine Ambassadors vnto him from the thre Estates of the sayd Princesses countries who were then assembled in the cittie of Gand for whome the Ganthois did not much care doing all things after their owne mindes and ouer-ruling their Princesse whome they detained among these Ambassadors there were also some deputies of the towne of Gand. The King heard them among other speeches they sayd that what they had propounded to his Maiesty touching a peace did proceed from the motion and will of their Princesse who in all things was resolued to gouerne herselfe by the aduice and councell of her States desyring his Maiestie to desist from making of warre as well in Bourgongne as in Arthois and that it would please him to choose a daie for a friendly treatie and that in the meane time there might bee assurance of armes The King tooke hold onelie of that which they had sayd That their Princesse would not doe any thing without the councell and aduise of the three Estates of there countries and answered them that they were ill informed for hee was well assured that shee would gouerne her affayres by priuate persons who desired not any peace and that they should bee disauowed Whereat the Ambassadors were much perplexed and like indiscreete men answered sodenly that they were verie well assured of what they sayd and that they could shewe their instruction if neede were Wherevnto some replied that if it pleased the King hee could shewe them letters written by such a hand as they would beleeue it the which did import that the Princesse would not gouerne her affaires but by foure speciall persons they answered that they were assured to the contrary Then the King shewed them a writing which the chanceller of Bourgongne and the Lord of Humbercourt had the time before brought vnto Peronne whereof part was written by the Princesse and part by the Duchesse Douager of Bourgongne widow to duke Charles deceased and Sister to King Edward of England then raigning and part of it by the hand of the lord of Rauestein brother to the duke of Cleues neere kinsman to the sayd Princesse So this letter was written by three sundrie handes although it went in the Princesses name onelie the which had beene done expresly to haue the more credit It was a letter of credit for the Chancellor and the lord of Humbercourt And moreouer the Princesse did declare that her intention was that all her affaires should bee gouerned by foure persons The sayd Ladie Douager her mother in lawe the Lord of Rauestein and the sayd Chancelor and lord of Humbercourt beseeching the King that whatsoeuer hee should please to haue managed with her might be by their hands and that he would be pleased to direct himselfe vnto them and not to confer with any other When the Ambassadors had seene this letter they were wonderfully troubled and perplexed being incensed more more by such as treated with them for the King In the end the same letter was giuen them and they had no other dispatch of importance Wherevpon they returned directly to Gand wheras they foūd their Princesse accompanied with the bishoppe of Liege and the duke of Cleues There was also William of la Marke a valiant goodly Knight but cruel il conditioned whom the bishop had taken into fauour although hee had alwayes beene enemie to him and to the House of Bourgongne holding the partie of the Liegeois to whom the Princesse had giuen 150000. Florins of the Rhin in fauour of the Bishop to reconcile him But soone after he banded against her and against the Bishop his prince hauing attempted by force and the fauour of the French King to make his sonne Bishop of Liege Afterwardes he defeated the said Bishop in battaile slue him with his owne hand and caused him to be cast into the Riuer where hee remained three dayes The Duke of Cleues was neerest vnto the Princesse hoping to make a marriage betwixt his sonne and her which seemed very fit and conuenient for many respects but his humors were not pleasing to her nor her seruants and muchlesse to her Ladyes for he had bin bred vp in that house and it may be the ordinary sight of him and the long knowledge they had had of him did him that harme The Ambassadors from the States of the Netherlands being returned out of France to Gaunt a Counsell was held and the Princesse set in her seat with these Noblemen about her to heare their report They began to charge her touching the letter aboue mentioned wherewith being suddenly mooued and in choller She answered That it was not so thinking assuredly the said letter had not beene seene Then presently the Pensioner or Orator of Gaunt who made the speech drew the sayd letter out of his bosome before all the world and gaue it her wherein hee played the part of a simple and vnciuill man to doe this publike disgrace vnto his Princesse in the presence of the Dutchesse Dowager the Lord of Rauesteyn the Chancellour and the Lord of Humbercourt They had before had some speech with the Duke of Cleues touching the marriage of his sonne which bred an alteration in them all and they beganne to enter into great diuision The Duke of Cleues had beene alwayes in hope vntill that time that the Lord of Humbercourt had fauoured this marriage But seeing this letter he found himselfe deceiued and became his enemie The Bishop of Liege loued him not nor William of la Marke for those things which had past in the cittie of Liege whereof the Lord of Humbercourt had beene Gouernor The Earle of S. Pol sonne to the Constable of France of whom wee haue spoken sufficiently before hated the Chancellour and Humbercourt to the death for that they deliuered his father at Peronne into the Kings seruants hands Those of Gaunt hated them not for any offence they had done them but only enuying their great authoritie and credite Finally the night following after that this letter had beene showne in the morning the Chancellor Hugonet and the lord of Humbercourt were committed to prison by the Ganthois notwithstanding that they were sufficiently aduertised thereof before yet could they not with all their wisedome auoyde their owne miseries as many others did who retyred themselues in time out of the Town They might well presume that their enemies aboue mentioned would helpe them forward There was taken with them William of Clugny bishop of Teroane who dyed afterwardes bishop of Poitiers all three were put together in prison Those of Gaunt obserued a certaine forme of proceeding against them the which they had not accustomed to doe in their reuenges and appointed some of
leuied of the people was ill gouerned that Iustice was not duely executed and that many oppressions extorsions and violences were committed in the countrie with all impunitie This new order set downe by the Flemmings did much displease the Archduke who went to Bruges and to Ypre but they would no more acknowledge him for their Prince nor allowe of the Magistrates and Officers that were made by him The Ganthois did banish Robert of Halewin great Bayliffe of Bruges out of Flanders for fiftie yeares and put many Gentlemen of good account from their places and Offices so as in those times the Nobilitie was very much opprest iâ—… Flanders The Lord of Cordes Gouernour of Teroane for the French King made ordinarie courses then into Flanders and spoyling the countrie For the preuenting whereof these Comissioners appointed for the gouernement gaue commission to Charles of Sauoy and the Lords of Beuere and Merwede to goe with some good troupes of men which the Ganthois did furnish And at the same time the Bastard of Hennin had an incounter neere vnto Bethune against the French whom hee put to route and slue many of them At the same time there were many shippes of warre put to Sea both Flemings Hollanders Zelanders and Frisons which came along the coast so as the French durst not boldly put to Sea The Seignior of Chanteraine going out of Saint Omer with his company to seeke some aduenture mette a conuoy neere vnto Teroane which carryed the Souldiers pay thether the which hee defeated and carried the siluer and the spoile into Saint Omer Whilest that matters were thus handled in Flanders and vpon the frontires of Picardie and Arthois the Archduke was in Holland where hee was acknowledged by the States of the Countrie for Gardien to his sonne Philip of Austria Duke of Bourgongne being then but foure yeares olde the like was done in Zeeland and West-friseland But the Flemmings naturally inclined to innouations and mutinies especially the Ganthois did greatly crosse him The Factions of Schyeringers and Vetcoopers in Frizeland were then as violent as euer as those of the Hoecks and Cabillaux in Holland the which were no sooner pacified and reconciled in one part of Friseland but they kindled againe in another and continued so long in that estate before they were quite supprest that the countrie was made a prey to Strangers and quite ruined as we shall hereafter shew In the yeare 1482. the Duke of Cleues made a leuie of aboue 10000. men horse and foote the which he sent into the Diocesse of Vtretcht to make warre against the Hollanders The Traiectins and Cleuois ioyned together making a great body of an armie presumed they might conquer all Holland and went to campe before Iselstein On the other side the Lord of Lalain Gouernor of Holland with many Noblemen went to field with all the forces he could get and camped iust by them being resolued to charge them in their Trenches and to raize the siege Heerevpon the Cleuois mutining against the Traiectins fearing they should be surpized during their diuision wherevppon they dislodged from thence leauing a part of their Artillerie and carriages behinde them which those of Iselsteyn tooke and carryed into their towne The Hollanders not content with this did runne ouer the Countrie of Vtrecht and passing by Intfaes they tooke the Castell of Wronesteyn and a great Tower which they ruined From thence they besieged tooke and raized the two Fortes of Vaeâ—…t vpon the riuer of Lecke and brake the Scluses by the which they passe from Vtrecht into that riuer which done winter approaching they retyred the Traiectins making no shew to hinder them In Iune the same yeare there arriued in Flanders a Herald from Lewis the 11. the French King bringing a safe-conduit for 60. of the Neitherlanders which should go treat with him of a peace the which were chosen by the 2. Estates Secular Clergie This Treatie had bin begun in Nouember the yeare before in the Cittie of Arras Of the Archdukes Deputies were the States of Brabant of Arthois of Henault and the foure members of Flanders with the Kings Commissioners who at this time was very sicke seeking remedie both by phisicke offrings and pilgrimages so fearefull was he of death In the end a peace was concluded betwixt these Deputies whereof a treatie was made containing a hundred one Articles Among others That the Dolphin of France should marry with the Lady Marguerite of Austria daughter to the sayde Arch-duke Maximilian and the deceased Lady Marie of Bourgongne beeing about foure years old With many other Articles which for breuities sake we omit The Deputies of the Neitherlands went to confirme them at Tours where the King was who receyued them courteously ratified the peace and confirmed the marriage of his sonne and after that hee had honoured them with rich presents hee thanked them and gaue them leaue to returne to their Prince During the time of this Treatie at Arras Philip of Creuecaeur Lord of Cordes slept not but went to besiege the towne of Aire in Arthois betwixt Bethune and S. Omer the which made some shew of resistance but it was soone yeelded or to speake truely sold for the Captaine had 3000. crownes The Inhabitants that would not stay to the number of 500. retyred themselues to Bethune and S. Omer being ill affected to the French A peace beeing concluded betwixt the Archduke and the French King and the marriage agreed vppon betwixt the Dolphin his sonne and the Lady Marguerite the Archdukes daughter about Easter in 1483. The Earle of Beauieu afterwards Duke of Bourbon the Kings sonne in lawe came into Arthois to receiue her where shee was deliuered vnto him who led her to Paris and from thence to Amboise to the King There was great ioy of her comming as a pledge and faithfull confirmation of the peace the which had beene proclaimed before in Holland Zeeland and Friseland to the great contentment of the people who by that meanes recouered their trafficke of marchandise in France And although that this peace and marriage had beene concluded for that good and quiet of both nations yet some gaue bad impressions thereof to the Archduke who seemed not much to regard it saying that he had neuer giuen his consent to it and therefore many that had delt in it were suspected and not fauoured in Court and some Captaines of the Netherlands practised to surprize some places in Arthois and Picardie vpon the French whereby they might haue occasion to breake the peace The Archduke had in those times for the pleasure of Dauid of Bourgongne Bishop of Vtrecht great warre against the Traiectins and Cleuois hee besieged Vtrecht battred it and in the end after some assaults forced them to yeeld by composition vpon condition among others that they should beate downe a part of their wall and fill vp their ditche by the which the Archduke might enter with his
West Flanders which held the King of Romains party went to beseege the towne of Dixmuyden which the Ganthois had taken a little before the which for want succors was forced to yeeld to haue their liues goods saued Charles of Egmont duke of Gelders sonne to Prince Adolph who as we haue said was slaine before Tourney in seruice of the Ganthois was yet prisoner at the French Kings court going and comming vppon his faith euer since that he was taken neere vnto Bethune by the Lord of Cordes with the Earle of Nassau some of his friendes among the which was the Earle of Moeurs and other Noble-men Geldrois did worke his deliuerie for money and conducted him with a goodly troupe of souldiers French and Germans through the countrey of Leige into his Dutchy of Gelders where hee was welcome to all men and acknowledged for their Duke and Earle of Zutphen The 30. of May 1492. the furie of the Pesants in Holland reuiued againe of those whom they called Kasenbroots-volck that is to say men of bread and cheese as if one would say poore men that sought for meate to eate who went in great troupes before the towne of Harlem where by the helpe of poore handy-crafts men they entred and spoiled all the rich men beating and breaking downe doores windowes cofers and cubberts tearing in peices papers bonds and instruments pulling of the seales and carrying away what was fittest for them and doing other villanies which did nothing auayle them yet could not be appeased And not content heere-with thinking to doe as much to Leyden they aduanced euen to the gates but they were chased away by the Canon so as euery one was glad to get him to his home During these alterations the Duke of Saxonie sent men into Holland to subdue these Pesants Those of Harlem who were not guiltie of these troubles smarted notwithstanding for it by reason of the spoyles which the souldiers committed in those parts euen at their gates Soone after the Duke came in person into Holland vnto whom the Magistrate sent to excuse himselfe of all that had past fearing they should bee accused as if they had beene culpable and in the meane time the troupes did the worst they could Duke Abert of Saxony comming to Harlem the Clergie the magistrate went to meet him in forme of a procession presented the keies of the town vnto him but the most mutinous fled away being entred he caused a gibbet a scaffold to be set vp to punish such as remayned many good Bourgesses which during the troubles had absented themselues were called for And although that the Magistrate and the chiefe of the Towne were not guilty of the breaking downe of the gate and that those that were guiltie were fled yet for that they had giuen a pasport to such as would depart he must needs finde some coulor as strange Gouernors do commonly to intrapt them the towne was taxed at 17000. of S. Andrewes florins so as the Inhabitants were forced to bring their Plate and Iewels to the Towne-house to furnish the summe for that there was not so much coyned money in all the towne it had been so exhauste by the warres and troubles past This Duke did also punish the Kennemers by fines and reparations and not yet satisfied with them of Harlem hee commanded their Banner to bee brought vnto his lodging and the Charter of their Priuiledge the which hee declared to be forfeited causing a fort to be built to keepe them in awe Those of the towne of Alcmar sent their deputies vnto him to craue pardon they were receiued bringing their Banner the which in like sort hee adiudged forfeited and that they might neuer cary any more for that they had serued in the last interprise vpon Leyden condemning them to pay 6600. Florins for a fine The Duke hauing punished these two townes and reduced the Countrie to his will hee created new Magistrates in Harlem for that they had forfeited their Priuiledges The eight of Iune hee went from thence carrying away all their artillerie both great and small for hee would not enter into the towne before that all had beene brought into the Market-place before the Towne-house and that the Bourgesses had brought in all their armes but presently after his departure they fetcht them againe From thence he went downe into Zeeland surpized Zericzee where hee lodged all his armie meaning to fleece them as hee had done the restâ—… for that during all these Flemmish warres they had borne more affection to them then to their Prince A proud people and trafficking dayly with them of Slcuse There he also built a Block-house in forme of a Cittadell and taxed them at 3600. Florins of Germanie wherewith hee pardoned them which being done presâ—…ng to haue some good and assured intelligences vpon the towne of Gaunt hee marched thether withall his army to surprise it but beeing discouered the Ganthois let goe their Scluses and drowned the whole countrie where hee should passe so as hee could not approach any neerer but was forced to retire Those that were suspected to be assistants to the duke in this enterprise were taken and executed Among others Coppen Gheel otherwise called Holl one of their chiefe captaines who had in a manner alone gouerned the whole towne of whome it is at this daie spoken for a common prouerb when as any one presumes ouer much Thou shalt bee like Coppen Holl that is to say thou shalt loose thy head From thence the duke went before Scluse the which hee beseeged straightly both by sea and land during which seege there arriued many shippes in the Low-countries laden with corne the which did abate the prices of all things especially of bread the sommer season beeing verie faire and temperate promising a plentifull and rich haruest the like was neuer seene in the memorie of man It seemed that with the season which had beene a long time troublesome men would also growe more moderate and gentle for in the moneth of Iuly those of Gaunt sent their Deputies to Hulst to duke Albert to be receiued into fauour repairyng their faults past with a great sum of money which they promised and paied by meanes whereof all was pardoned and their fore-passed rebellions forgotten In the meane time the duke did furiously batter the towne and castell of Scluse the besieged made many braue Sallies vpon his campe bringing still away some prisoners the Artillery of the castell was not idle shooting through the shippes that did besiege them at sea and through the Tentes and pauilions that were at land both partes remayning in this sort a long time In the end the 10. of October an accord was made betwixt the duke and Philippe of Cleues Lord of Rauestein By the which it was sayd that the soldiars that were in the great and little Castell of Scluse should depart that the towne and little Castell should bee open to
black troope fell vpon the Geldrois reer but not without losse of either side This done the Frisons returned home and the Duke to his campe before Groningen The Duke of Saxony growing bare of money had not so many voluntary soldiers as he was accustomed for money only workes with the Germaineâ—… and there was no meanes to get any Frisons for they were too much wasted and consumed neither would they contribute any thing wherevpon he was forced to borrow much mony of Abbeys yea of priuate persons whom he knew to haue mony He also made a demand to the States who required a day to aduise and in the meanetime the Geldrois returned with great forces into Frisland and made themselues maisters of the seauen Forests Gheester-land Staueren Sloten 〈◊〉 Bolsweaâ—…t Winbridseradeel and Oonseradel So as the dukes demand was made frustrate and afterwards the Frisons paide him no impositions whatsoeuer beginning to leane to the Geldâ—…ois party who promised them liberty and freedoms which woâ—…ds the Frisons do willingly giue eare vnto Notwithstanding the Saxons did still hold Dâ—…m Leeuwarden Dockom Franicker Harlingen wherby they did for a long time torment the Frisons Without doubt Frisland was at that time wonderfully tormented with the Geldrois on the one side and the black troope on the other by the taking of townes burning of villages and mills ruining of castels murthers thefts and robberies of either side If the soldiers entred into any to vne either by surprise or otherwise they would not depart before they were paid which all lay vpon the inhabitants and when they were paide in one place they went vnto another to doe the like The Sea was not free from theeues and robbers which hindred the trade and comerce of marchandise and nauigation so as nothing could come into the contry which caused a great derth If there were any prouision of vittells in townes they kept that for themselues not suffring any to goe forth so as the poore of the villages died for honger for if they had a bit to eate the soldiers pulled it from them In the yeare 1515. Prince Charles of Austria hauing taken possession of his contries of Brabant Flanders Arthois Henault Namur Lembourg Luxembourg c. falne vnto him by the death of King Phillip his father he arriued at Midelbourg in Zeeland from thence went to Ziricxee in which 2. townes he tooke possession of the country of Zeeland where he was honorably entertained by the noblemen of the contry from thence he went into Holland where hee did likewise inherit the same County and west Friseland The 16. of Ianuary in the yeare 1515. died Don Fernando king of Arragon who was in the right of Isabella his wise King of Castille Leon Granado c. in whome fayled the race of the Kings of Arragon desended from the Berengers Earles of Barcellona which race raigned in Spaine 470. yeares in Sicile 230. He had for his heyre Prince Charles of Austria sonne to the Lady Iane of Arragon and Castill his daughter and only heire Duke George of Saxony seeing that it was impossible for him to maintaine himselfe any longer in Freeseland where he had wasted so much of his owne and of other mens and that the end was worse theÌ„ the beginning hauing this word ordinary in his mouth that he called the contry of Friseland in steed of Fryeslandt Freslandt that is to say a deuouring contry for that it had deuoured most of his meanes but he did not confesse that he was neuer satified and that they had no sooner granted him one Imposition or subsidy but he exacted an other and that the bad gouernment of his officers gaue them still occasions to reuolt the which doth fall out ordinarily where as strangers command He resolued to resigne ouer the interest which he had to some mightier Prince who by his forces should haue means to reduce them to his obedience for he did well foresee that the duke of Gelders in like sort would not long hold it He therfore resolued to resigne the said contry vnto Charles of Austria Prince of Spaine and this resignation was concluded in maner as followeth That Prince Charles should pay presently vnto the Duke of Saxony 70000. Florins fifty thousand in ready mony and 20000. in cloth for his soldiars and besides that the summe of 30000. Florins at three paiements in consideration whereof the duke should paie his soldiars and retier them all out of the contry of Friseland The which duke Henry his eldest brother should also ratefie and renounce all the right which he might pretend to the said contry of Freeseland for the assurance of which resignation to be made by the said duke Henry the contries of Misnia and Turingen should stand bound And in this maner the rule of the Saxons ended in Freeseland This resignation made and concluded the Burguignons that is to say the subiects of Prince Charles made a truce for fower monthes with the Geldrois the Saxons notwithstanding houlding the townes fortresses vntil they were deliuered into the Princes power For the performance wherof Floris of Iselsteyn arriued the 3. of Iune 1515. with the Duke of Saxons commissioners in the towne of Harlingen whereas the fort was deliuered him and he receiued it in his Princes name taking an oth of the Bourgeses The like was done at Leeuwarden the cheefe towne and Parliament of the country touching the Cittadell But they made some difficulty both there and in other places concerning the oth But the Lord of Iselsteyn keeping them in awe with this Blacke troupe which was yet in the country staying for paie in the end they yeelded vnto it and the said Prince was proclaimed in the towne of Leeuwarden with great sollemnity and acclamations of the people and acknowledged Lord of Freesland the Lord of Iselsteyn accepting it and causing peeces of Gold and siluer to be cast about coyned with Prince Charles his name In whose name he made some Gentlemen Frisons Knights promising to suffer them to inioy all their Preuiledges such as they had had in the times of the dukes of Saxony This was the forth time that the Frisons in lesse then twentie yeares did change their Lord and Prince The Lord of Iselsteyn hauing paied the 70000. Florins in siluer and cloth to the soldiars of the blacke troupe thanked them and then they were presently entertained by the French King by one of his Collonels who led them out of Friseland the which by this means was happily discharged This done the Lord of Iselstein beeing in the Castell of Leeuwarden he sent for Bernard Bâ—…chodita Hessel Martua Doctor Kempo Martua Goslic Iongama Tyard Bourinania Tâ—…llinck Botinâ—… Reinick Camminga Reinick Campstra and Gerold Herama To whom in Prince Charles his name hee did commit the gouernment of Iustice for the which they tooke an oth He did also write vnto the Earle of Emdén being at Dockom that
he should leaue the sayd towne and retier with all his men out of the country of Friseland wherevnto he obeyed fearing the power of this Prince more then the dukes of Saxony The country of Friseland beeing deliuered into the hands of the Lord of Iselstein all the Artillery which belonged to the duke of Saxony remained one whole yeare in the castells and forts the which was deliuered by Inuentary with a condition to deliuer them or to paye the value of them within the yeare The Saxons did also yeeld vp the castell of Medemblyck in West-Friseland then all the dukes officers went out of Friseland the which remained for a while in some rest by reason of the truce which was betwixt Prince Charles and the duke of Geldres which was prolonged for three yeares but twise broken by the Geldrois In the beginning of the yeare 1516. Prince Charles being in Holland Ambassadors came vnto him from Francis the first the French King to wit the duke of Vendosme and the bishop of Paris well accompanied to congratulate his comming to the crowne of the realmes of Spaine and to so many goodly estates which hee did inherit by the death of his Grandfather Don Ferdinando of Arragon The Prince being at the Hage there was speech of a marriage betwixt Prince Ferdinand of Austria brother to Prince Charles with the sister of Lewis King of Hungary wherein there was great diuersity of opinions There was also concluded by the aduice of the Emperor Maximilian the mariage of Christerne the 2. King of Denmarke Lady Isabella sister to the Princesse of Austria For which effect the Bishop of Dronten was sent Ambassador for the King of Denmarke into Holland with a great conuoy of ships beeing accompanied with the chiefe Nobility of the Realme to receiue the sayd Princesse in their name according to the treaty of marriage and to conduct her to the King her spouse And to attend on her there were appointed on the behalfe of Prince Charles the Lady of Chymay with a goodly traine of ladies and gentlewomen and for their conuoy at sea Philip of Bourgongne Admirall of the Netherlands the Lords of Faleze Cortgeene Chasteau and other noblemen and gentlemen with a great number of ships oâ—… Holland and Zeland This Princesse with all her fleet had great tempests and a dangerous passage Prince Charles desirous to imitate the ancient custome of his Predecessors dukes of Bourgongne in the conuocation of a generall chapter of the order of the golden fleece wherewith the greatest Kings and Princes of Christendome are commonly honored if they be obseruers of the relligious ceremonies thereof and the most worthy and valiant noblemen as wel vassals of the house of Bourgongne as others And to hold a sollemne feast of the order in the same manner that the good duke Philip of Bourgongne his great great grandfather had instituted it continued by his other Predecessors vnto his time Hee began to hold this feast the 26. of October in his Pallace at Brusselles continuing three daies togither in diuers habits Frederic of Baden bishop of Vtrecht finding himselfe sick and very weake of al his members so as hee could no more gouerne his estate nor defend his subiects from the Inuasions of their enemies the Geldrois and others after that hee had gouerned his bishoprike about 20. years He was perswaded to resigne it as wel by the motion of the Emperor Maximilion as of Prince Charles his councell to some one of the house of Bourgongne pretending in time to make the temporall Iurisdiction of Vtrecht to fall into the house of Austria as it did The which hee did vnto Phillippe of Bourgongne bastard Sonne to the good duke Philippe of Bourgongne and brother vnto Dauid who had beene Bishoppe of Vtrecht before Frederic of Baden Hee was now growne so olde beeing Admirall at the sea as hee left it to bee admitted in the sayd Bishoprike whereof hee tooke possession and made his entrie in the yeare 1516. where hee was honourablie receiued as well by the Clergie as the temporaltie of the sayd Towne and Countrie of Vtrecht Hee was much respected of them and beloued for his peaceable gouerment he like vnto his brother Dauid very curious to adorne the Temles and to repaire the Castells The truce being broken by the Geldrois the spoyles of the Bourguignons were not lesse in those times in the countrie of Geldros then those of the Geldrois in Freezland doing what mischiefe they could But soone after the Geldrois found themselues so oppressed in their owne countrie euen the towne of Arnhem the Metropolitaine of the Dutchie In thâ—…â—…hich the Duke was straightly besieged and so tormented by the Bourguignons as they could not long haue subsisted if the French King had not beene a mediator and procured them a â—…ce the which was granted for six monthes but it lasted noâ—… long for when as they 〈◊〉 to proclaime it in such places as the Duke held in Freezland the Captaines Geldrois did not onely reiect it but committed strange outrageâ—… 〈◊〉 the Captaine of the casâ—…l of Rheeâ—…stick caused him that had brought this treatâ—… to be put into a 〈◊〉 and â—…st â—…to the water Arkelens chiefe of the men of war in the towne of Sâ—…ke cast the â—…essenger in prison that came vnto him and would haue intreated him in this same manner if his father had not beene a dweller in Sneeke and if the inhabitants â—…d not sâ—…ed foâ—… him Goldsteyn captaine of the towne of Dockom forced the messenger to eat and swallow downe the writing of the accord of this truce thâ—… which contained aboue six sheets of paper the which the said Captaines did for that they would not yeeld to any peace noâ—… truce The Geldrois hauing absolutly refused the truce imploied all their best meanes to draw the Frisons to the obedience of the Duke of Geldres And therevpon Arkelens the Dukes Lieutenant caused the deputies of the townes of Freezland to be assembled the tenth of Nouember 1517. producing a certaine letter written by his master letting them vnderstand that it was neuer his intention to abandon the country of Freezland nor the good inhabitans thereof neither at the instant would he leaâ—…e them but rather hazard body and goods to mantaine and preserue them and that whatsoeuer concerning them had beene giuen out and affirmed by the Bourguignons was a meere lie to distract his good subiects by such false practises and that so long as they should remaine faithfull vnto him they should find him well affected vnto them The Cittizens answered that so theâ—…e would and desired to liue his most faithfull subiects euen vnto the last breath The Lieutenant was exceeding glad of this answere and that he had perswaded them therevnto for that he did greatly doubt that the commons would ioyne with the Bourguignon partie The Geldrois hauing twise broken the truce oppressing and molesting the subiects of Prince Charles both
by sea and land without any respect who durst not reuenge themselues in Freezeland Those that held the Princes partie were forced to send for deputies to Vtrecht to an assemblie that was held there Doctor Kempo Martua and Thyart Bo◅ma made knights and councelors to Prince Charles to show vnto the ambassadors and deputies of princes the rebellion and obstinacie of the Geldrois persidious br◅akers of the truce Intreating that noble assemblie to take some course in that behalfe that the Geldrois might obey or else that order might be taken such as they should thinke fittest for their better securitie In the meane time Arkelens went into Geldres to the Duke his maister where hauing staied sometime he was dismissed from his charge Martin van Rosse◅ Seignior of Puydroyen being substituted in his place They came both together into Freezeland being arriued there Rosse◅ called an assemblie in the towne of Sneeke of the states which held the duke of Geldres partie to appeare there the second of August where among other poynts he propounded that the imposts of wine beere such other like things shold be takē away as they were already in those townes which h◅ld the Bourguignon party for that the comodities which did pay a custome to the Geldrois were transported into the townes of the Bourguignon faction to be freed to the great preiudice of the duke and the townes vnder his obedience That the said imposts being taken away they should finde some meanes to entertaine their troopes and to defray other charges of the countrie Vppon which proposition after long consultation it was resolued that the imposts should bee taken away and that they should agree to giue him a yearely summe of money towards the maintenance of his house and state There were also certaine articles propounded by the saide states which they required to haue confirmed by the Duke the which Arkelens carried with him promising to make a good report and to do his best indaeuour to procure the Duke to ratefie them There was a certaine Pirate at sea called Grand-Pierre or great Peter with the Duke of Geldres commission who made as great spoiles at sea as the Geldrois did at land for there were not any ships which past him from North or South Esterlins or others but they were all good prize But aboue all he did seeke to ruine the Hollanders for as many as he tooke he threw them ouer-boord with out pittie or mercy The 28 of September after many great spoiles which this Grand-Pierre had done at sea being 25. ships strong in the which he had 1200. men giuing it out that he went to Harderwycke to the duke he directed his course towards Horne hauing landed his men couertly for want of good guard hee surprised the towne by Scaladoe hauing spoiled it and his men laden with pillage hee retired presently to his shipps At his returne hee met with a ship of Enchuysen the which he borded himselfe and cast the maister and his seruant ouer into the sea for that they were Hollanders After the death of Don Fernando of Arragon King of Spaine Prince Charles of Austria Duke of Bourgongne c. Earle of Holland Zeeland c. receiued letters from Pope Leo the 10. and the Emperour Maximillian his grand-father With others written vnto Cardinall Pimero and the Councell of Spaine by the which they required them to receiue and inuest Prince Charles in the realmes of Castille Leon Arragon c. These letters being red in Spaine some would haue apposed and among others Don Piedro Giron eldest sonne to the Earle of Vrenate who by descent and genealogy pretended to showe that he was the nearest after Queene Iane who was ben◅med of her members to the crowne of the saide realmes thinking this occasion to be happely falne out for him by the death of Don Fernando father to Iane. Cardinall Pimero seeing this beginning of an alteration which might haue turned into a ciuill warre by the aduice of the deceased Kings Councell sent presently for Prince Charles who was then in the Netherlands to come with all speed and receiue the possession of the saide realmes These letters being come to the Court at Brusselles it was decreed that before his departure out of the saide country he should make choyce of some one to gouerne those countries in his absence For the which the Emperour Maximillian his Grandfather was appointed as Curator but for that he was for the most part absent out of those Countries and at that time busied in Germanie and in the warres of Italie he appointed the Lady Marguerit his daughter widdow douager to the duke of Sauoye aunt to Prince Charles to be Regent and Gouernesse of the Netherlands as she had bene in the yeare 1508. The Lord of Cheures his gouernor remaining neare his person The which being thus appointed and all his equipage ready the Prince accompanied with the knights of the order and the states of the Netherlands with many Princes Ba rons Knights and gentlemen parted from Brabant and arriued in Iune 1517. at Middelbourg in Zeeland where he staied till the twelfe of August and then with a prosperous winde he had a short and happy passage comming to the coaste of Spaine about the towne of Tassone in the countrie of Asturia The country-men of the quarter seeing so great an armie at sea feared they had bene the French or some other pirats and enemies so as hauing hidden their wiues and children in the mountaines they presented themselues in armes vpon the sea-shoare Prince Charles reioiced to see them hauing commanded to put forth their standards ensignes banderolls and flags with his armes he caused them to cry Spaine Spaine where-at casting downe their armes they fell vpon their knees receiuing him with great ioy being landed in Spaine he marched by land from one towne to an other where he was honourably receiued by the chiefe nobillity of the realme hauing attended his comming at Valiodolit where he made his entry with a royall and stately pompe The Prince hauing staied there about sixe monthes in February 1518. They beganne his coronation in Saint Pauls Church To this solemnitie came many great Princes strangers the Ambassadors of Kings Princes and Christian Potentates the c◅iefe officers of the crowne of Castile the Princes Dukes Earles Barons and the greatest of all Spaine were there euery man in his ranke and degree The chiefe Noblemen of the Netherlands had followed the Prince to shew themselues at this coronation among others those of the house of Melun of Croy Lalain Egmont Bossu Berghen Lygnel Horne Lanoy and many other Barons and Knights euery one richly attired in emulation of the Noblemen of Spaine both in their owne apparell and in their liueries and the furniture of their horses Wherein they did not onely equall the Spaniards but exceeded them On the 7. of February Prince Charles was crowned with the solemnities and
lord de la Garde and many others And after that the towne was ransackt and great part of it burnt from thence the king sent the earle of Arenbergh with three regiments of Dutch men to besiege Chastelet which was soone yeelded vnto him by the lord of Solignar who afterward being in Paris was for the same committed prisoner who made answere for his owne excuse That hee had but three hundred men therein whereof the one halfe was either dead or sore wounded by the batterie of the canon that brake the stones of the walls in such sort about the souldiers eares that they had no meanes to defend themselues and that the place was too little to hide the souldiers in These two places the king caused to be newly fortified and vnderstanding that the Frenchmen began to assemble new forces and to enter againe into the field he resolued to march no further into France but to besiege Han which after sixteene or twentie hundred canon shot was also vpon the twelfth of September deliuered vp vnto him which hee likewise fortified The meane time also he tooke and burnt Noyon Chandy and other places In Winter time the king returned vnto Brussels againe and there discharged the greatest part of his armie from whence also the Englishmen departed into England At that time Don Ferdinando Gonsaga an Italian died in Brussels being come with the king out of the campe an old experienced souldier and esteemed to be the best souldier in the king of Spaines armie and one that had done great seruice for the emperor Charles In the earldome of Burgondie the lord of Poleville had assembled eight or nine thousand men in the king of Spaines behalfe to inuade the territories of Bresse and therewith besieged Bourg in Bresâ—…e but finding it to be better prouided and fortified than he supposed it had been and hearing that the king of France had sent for his French souldiers out of Italy which were marching against him wherof 2000 harquebusiers conducted by the Vidasme de Chartres were alreadie entred into the countrey hee was forced disorderly to breake vp his siege The king of France in the meane time after the losse of S. Quintines and other places caused another armie of men to be raised in Campeigne by the duke de Neuers and to ioine with them had sent for the duke of Guise with his souldiers out of Italy with charge to take order for all things there in the best maner that he could Whereupon pope Paul doubting some further matter began to hearken to an agreement and to that end sent his legat to the duke of Alua with whom a peace was concluded vpon condition That the duke of Alua in the kings behalfe should do that homage and submission that a deuout son is bound to do vnto his holy father thereby to obtain grace pardon from him and so doing the pope should receiue him into his fauour againe and in regard thereof the king should deliuer the pope all the towns he had taken from him and the pope for his part should recall his curse and receiue all the rest of the princes and noble men that he had aided to make war against him into fauor Anthony Columne and Ascanius de le Cornia only excepted The French army being newly gathered together vnder the duke of Guise determined to enterprise something against Calis which was once before sought to haue beene done by the admirall monsieur Chastillion and then againe attempted by the marshall Strossy and to that end vpon the first of Ianuarie the duke of Guise came before it and presently woon the fort of Newlandbridge a fort that stood in the way betweene Calis and Bullen and lay in a marsh ground and likewise another fort called Risebanke and being master of those two forts the towne hauing but few souldiers within it which by means of the taking of the two forts aforesaid was narrowly beset both by water and by land vpon the fourth of Ianuarie they battered the water gate with a peece of ordnance and the castle with 33 canons so furiously that the shot was heard to Antuerpe being thirtie three Dutch miles from thence whereby they made a great breach and a fit place to giue an assault and at a low water gaue a fierce assault whereby they draue the English men out of the castle that fled into the towne where fir Anthony Ager captaine of the castle was slaine but the English men returning againe when the floud came and that they within the castle could not be aided by them that were without and for that there were but a few French men within the castle set valiantly vpon the castle again thinking to driue the French men out but by the lord of Daudelot the duke of Aumale and the marques Dalboeuf they were expulsed after that they sought by placing two or three great peeces of ordnance vpon the bridge of the castle and by vndermining to win the castle againe but many of them were burnt and blowne vp and being driuen from thence the gate was strongly fortified against them At last the lord Wentworth gouernor of the towne with others of the principall commanders perceiuing what danger the towne was in and that the castle was already woon and they very weake being not aboue 300 fighting men and hauing want of many things and wholy without any hope of reliefe by meanes of a great storme that as then was at sea the wind being North-east whereby no man could come out of England whereby it seemed as if heauen and earth were against them and held with the French men they thought good to parlie and the rather for that they durst not receiue any of the king of Spaines souldiers out of Flanders into the towne although such an offer was made for that they were in suspition that king Philip by that meanes would make himselfe master thereof and for that cause the kings aduice who at his last going out of England passing along by it perceiued the weakenesse thereof sent into England was not beleeued by the counsell there but rather was the cause of more suspition Cardinall Poole and two or three bishops more of the priuie counsell being then in great authoritie in England little knowing the scituation of the place making the queene and the rest of her counsell beleeue that the king of Spaines reputation the common opinion of the strength of the place and of the prouision therein together with the short passage out of England thither to serue the same specially in regard that they were masters of the sea would keepe the French men well ynough from thence as it after plainely appeared at the lord Wentworthes arraignment who being released of his imprisonment in France brauely cleared himself by law which I my selfe heard shewing what aduertisements he had sent ouer from time to time concerning the weakenesse of the place the want of men and the enemies secret enterprises
in greater credit with the king than euer before being in the said countries disguising the affaires peruerting persuading the king his counsell in such sort as he pleased But contrarie to that good reformation which they hoped for expected in December 1565 the duchesse Gouernesse receiued letters from the king concerning his Maiesties pleasure and what he would haue obserued in the Netherlands touching religion the copie of which letters she sent to all the counsellors of prouinces to disperse them in their subalternall iurisdictions containing in summe these three points First touching the edicts both old new made by his imperiall Maiesty or by the king for matter of religion that it was not fit to alter any thing but to haue them executed And that he found that by the loosenesse of some judges this mischief was increased therfore if there were any judge that for fear of tumult durst not put thē in execution that they shold aduertise him to the end he might prouide others that were more coragious that in executing the edicts it was to be hoped that all dangers should be sooner preuented than by any other meanes Secondly touching the Inquisition his Maiesty did charge that the Inquisitors should be fauored in the exercise of their charge for the good of religion being his intention that the Inquisition should be put in practise by the Inquisitors as it had been vsed belonged vnto them by the lawes of God and man Thirdly in regard of the counsell of Trent seeing there remained nothing but to put it in effect by the bishops that the Gouernesse should giue them all assistance and aid for the effecting thereof as it was fit and the good of the countrey required and that she should giue the like charge vnto the noblemen that were about her to imploy themselues therein as his Maiestie did hope This was another song than that which was promised and that they expected with so great deuotion The Gouernesse did accompanie the kings letters out of the which these three articles are drawne with her owne directed to the gouernors and consuls of prouinces as followeth Marguerite by the grace of God duchesse of Parma and Placence c. Regent and Gouernesse c. Most decre and well beloued although that from the beginning of the rule of the king my lord ouer these countries as well by the renewing and publication of edicts made by the deceased emperor Charls my lord of famous memory touching religion ratified and confirmed by his roiall Maiestie as by those which haue been since enacted by him yea at his last departure out of these countries for his realmes of Spaine you might alwayes see his Maiesties good zeale and holy affection to the preseruation of our antient true faith and Catholike Religion and to the rooting out of all sects and heresies in these his countries Yet as it hath pleased his Maiestie for some certaine occasions to put vs in mind of his holy intention by his last letters we haue by his expresse charge thought it good to represent vnto you what he hath written vnto vs The which is in effect That his Maiestie desiring nothing more than the preseruation of the said Religion and the peace vnion and concord of his subiects in these parts and to defend them from the inconueniences which we haue seen fall in many parts of Christendome by the change of the said Religion his Maiesties pleasure is that the edicts and ordinances made by the deceased emperor and himselfe should bee wholy obserued As also his Maiesties intention is to haue all well and duley obserued that is decreed by the holy counsell of Trent and the prouinciall Synods yea euen for the reformation of the clergy without any contrauention that punishing heresies maners may be also reformed He commands also that they giue all fauour and assistance to the Inquisitors of the faith in the execution of their offices and that the Inquisition be done by the said Inquisitors as it hath beene vsed and as it belongeth vnto them both by diuine and humane lawes And according to his Maiesties letters and to obey him in so holy fauourable a thing we would not faile to write vnto you to intreat require and in his Maiesties name to command you expresly to gouerne your selues herein according to his Maiesties decree not contradicting it in any point or article and that you giue the like charge vnto your officers and to them of the law in the chiefe townes of your gouernments that they may gouerne themselues accordingly without dissembling or partialitie vpon penalties contained in the same edicts And the better to attend it you shal commit depute a counselor of your colledge who notwithstanding may be changed euery halfe yere that one alone may not be alwaies in charge who shal do no other thing but haue regard vnto the said countrey vpon the obseruing of the decrees of the holy counsell and to giue you aduertisement of what were needfull to be done according to his Maiesties intention And to the end we may alwaies know the estate of the said Religion we desire and command you that euery three moneths you write the successe thereof particularly vnto vs hauing your recourse vnto vs in all matters of difficultie or to those of his Maiesties priuie counsell to make report vnto vs whereas wee will also appoint some counsellor to haue a particular care and to keepe correspondencie with you and him that shall bee deputed by you And to the end you may vnderstand his Maiesties pleasure therein we haue ioyned hereunto the points of his Maiesties letters other writings concerning that matter that you may gouerne your selues accordingly c. From Brussels the 18 of December 1565. Signed Margareta and vnderneath Ouerlope The prince of Orange hauing receiued the like letters to gouerne himselfe accordingly in the towns and places of his gouernment of Holland Zeeland and Vtrecht thought that this resolution which the king had taken to proceed with all rigor would cause great troubles and the rather for that all men should find themselues deceiued in their great expectation of a better change which the earle of Egmont brought at his returne from Spaine whom they had fed onely with wind and words thought it good to send his aduice vnto the Dutchesse Gouernesse by letters written from Breda the foure and twentieth of Ianuarie 1565 as followeth Madame I haue receiued the letters which it hath pleased your Hignesse to write vnto me and to the Consuls of my gouernment whereby I vnderstand his Maiesties pleasure vpon three chiefe points enioyning me expressely to cause them to bee executed throughout all the places of my gouernment And although Madame they haue not demaunded mine aduice in a matter of so great weight and consequence yet as a faithfull seruant and vassale to his Maiestie moued with zeale and desire to discharge my dutie whereunto I
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
WILLIAM of Nassau DVring these alterations of the Spaniards and the sacke massaker of Antwerp the States of Brabant and other Prouinces of their association making one body of the Generall estates of the maine-land although that in them Luxembourg were not conteiâ—…ed wherof Peeter Ernest Earle of Mansfeldt was Gouernor nor Namur where Barlamont commanded to cut of the course of the Spanish tirany which they practized daily and openly in these townes which they held resolued to make them-selues strong both by sea and land and to make a good peace and generall vâ—…ion with the particular Estates of Holland and Zeeland and their Associats together with the Prince of Orange Gouernor of the said countries To which end the Seignior of Haussy brother to the Earle of Bossu who had beene prisoner at Horne was sent to Flessingue to the Prince of Orange who hauing conferred with the States of the said marine Prouinces hee wrought so effectually as after diuers voiages the Deputies of eitheâ—… part assembled at Goude where an accord of pacification was concluded and made and the assurances giuen in the saied Towne the eight of Nouember the same yeare whereof we haue thought good to set downe the declaration and articles at length aâ—… followeth To all those that these preseâ—… letters shall see or heare greeting As the countries in these parts hauâ—… these last nine or ten yeare fallen into great miseries and calaâ—…ities by ciuil warres and the proud and rigorous command gouernment outrages robberies spoiles and other disorders and Insoleneids of the Spaniards and their adherents And that for the preuenting and ceasing of all further troubles oppressions and miseries of the said countries by the meanes of 〈◊〉 â—…e peace and pacification there was in the moneth â—…f February in the yeare 1574. assembled in the towne of Breda commisioners from his Maiesty and from the Prince of Orange with the States of Holland and Zeeland and their associats by whome there were propounded diuers meanes greatly seruing for the said pacification yet the frute that was hoped and expected did not follow but contrariwise dâ—…ing the hope of this consolation clemency and bounty from his Maiestie the said Spaniards haue sought daily more and more to oppresse ruine and to draw the poorâ—… sâ—…biects into pâ—…rpetuall slauery making many mutines thretning the Noblemen aâ—…d the townes and seazing in hostile manner of many places sacking spoyling and burning them So as after they had beâ—… proclaimed enemies to his Maiestie by them that were appointed to gouerne the said Countries and of the publike quiet the States of these Proâ—…inces with the consâ—… of the saide commissioners haue beene forced to take armes only to auoid and preueâ—… their vtâ—…er ruine And that the inhabitants of all these Netherlands being vnited in a firme League and vnion should ioyntly together chase away the said Spaniards and their Adherents Destroyers of the said Countries and restore it againe to the enioying of their ancient rights priueledges and customes freedomes and liberties whence the negotiation trafficke and prosperity of the Country might insue Wherefore with the like agreation of the said Noblemen appointed to gouerne the said countries according to the conference and pacification begun at Breda this present treatie hath beene made to the honor of GOD and for his Maiesties seruice betwixt the Prelates Noblemen Townes and members of Brabant â—…landers Arthois Henault Valenciennes Lille Douay and Orchies Tournay Tournesis Vtrecht and Macklin representing the States of the said Countries and the Prince of Orange with the States of Holland Zeeland and their Associats by commissioners deputed respectiuely of either side that is to say the reuerent Prelats Damp Iean vander Linden Abot of Saint Geertruâ—…de at Lovnaine Damp Guislani Abot of Saint Peter at Gand Damp Matheeu Moulâ—…rt Abot of Saint Guislain Elect Bishoppe of Arras Iohn de Mol Seignior of Ortingen Francis of Hallewin Seignior of Sweueghen Gouernor of Oudenard and commissioner for the renuing of the Lawes of Flanders Charles of Gaure Seignior of Fresin al knights Maister Elbert Leonin Doctor of the Lawes professor in the vniuersity of Lovuaine Peter of Bieure Councellor to the King our Lord in his Councell of Flanders and the Seignior Quentin Du Pere first Alderâ—…an of Mons in Henault with Iohn of Pennants also Councellor and Maister of Accoumpts to his Maiestie in Brabant their Secretary in the behalfe of the said Estates of Brabant Flanders Arthois Henault c. And Phillip of Marnix Seignior of Saint Aldegond Arnhold Van Dorp Seignior of Tamise William Van Zuylen Van Nyuelt Seignior of Heeratsberghe Squiers Adrian Vander Mylen Doctor of the Lawes and Councellor to his Excellencie and in the Prouinciall Councell of Holland Cornellis of Coinc a Licentâ—… of the Lawes and Councellor to his Excellencie â—…le Buys an Aduocat of Holland Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bayliffe of Flessingue Anthony Vande Zyckâ—…lo a Councellor of Zeeland and Andrew of Ionghe Bourgmaister of Middelbourg in the behalfe of the said Prince Estates of Holland Zeeland and their Associats according to their authoritie and commission inserted vnto the end hereof making and treating betwixt the said parties and countries a firme and perpetuall peace League and vnion vnder the Articles and conditions which follow First that all offences iniuries wrongs and domages hapned by reason of the troubâ—… les betwixt the Inhabitants of the Prouinces comprehended in this present Treatie in what place or manner soeuer shall be pardoned forgotten and reputed as not done so as there shall neuer any mention bee made nor any one troubled nor molested by reason thereof And the said states of Brabant Flanders Henault c. together with the said Prince and the States of Holland Zeeland and their Associates do promise hereafter to entertaine faithfully and without dissimulation a peace and vnion and to cause it to bee entertayned firmely and inviolably by the said Countries And so to assist one an other at all times with aduice and councell and therein to imploy both their bodies and their meanes especially to â—…ell and keepe out of these 〈◊〉 the Spanish soldiars and other strangers and forreners hauing sought against all right to take away the liues of Noblemen and Gentlemen and to appropriate vnto them-selues the riches of the Countrie and more-ouer to hold the common people in perpetuall seruitude For the furnishing whereof and of all that shall offer to oppose them-selues the said Confederates and Allies promise also to bee ready and willing to yeelde to all necessary and reasonable Impositions and contributions Moreouer it is agreed that presently after the retreat of the Spaniards theiâ—… adherents when as all things shall be in safety peace both parties shall be bound to aduance procure a CoÌ„uocation Assembly of the generall Estates in the same manner forme as it was in the time of the high mighty Emperor Charles the 5. when as hee made a cession transport of these
Germany where-vnto the Archduke Mathias and the generall estates sent an honorable ambassage where the Seignior of Saint Aldegond made an eloquent oration before all the Princes of Germanie and the estates and deputies of diuers townes wherein he breefly shewed the miserable estate and condition of the Netherlands the desleigne and intent of the Spaniards and what tirany the Duke of Alua and others as also Don Iohn had vsed there and withall what danger the Empire was to expect thereby touching the Duke of Alua hee shewed perticularly that in a banket made before his departure hee had boasted and did glory therein that within the time of his gouernment in the Netherlands being about sixe yeares he had caused 18600 men to be put to death by the common minister of Iustice called the hang man besides an innumerable number that were consumed and murthered by the vprores tumults mutinies and cruelty of the soldiars in many places of the same not accounting them that were killed in the warres shewing further that by the common accounts of the land it was found that in fifteene Prouinces of the Netherlands the said Duke of Alua and his adherents had spent in making warres against the two Prouinces of Holland and Zeeland in building of castles and destroying of the country aboue thirty sixe milions of guilders besides the spoyle by the oppression and insolency of the soldiers in all places where they came and that they were generally in hope that the King would not so lightly haue forgotten that they were the same Netherlands by whose faithfull seruice ayd goods money and blood the hard and long continewed warre with France was with the Kings honor at the last brought to so honorable an end where-vnto the Netherlands besides all ordinary and vsuall taxes charges and customes in nine yeares freely gaue the King the summe of forty millions of guilders as also what the Netherlands in generall and the townes in particuler had endured vnder the great Commander vnder Rhoda and Don Iohn of Austria and by the mutinous Spaniards proclamed to be both the Kings and the countries enemies that had twise ransaked and spoyled the townes of Mastrciht and Antwerp and yet not once punished he shewed likewise how the Spaniards ment to make the Netherlands the seate of the warres and what danger the Empire and the Prouinces adiacent were thereby to expect putting them in remembrance of the enterprises that the duke of Alua and others had to incorporate and take the townes of the Empire as Collen Mounster Emden and others whereby the fire burning in the Netherlands would soone kindle in Germany That they sought to conquer the Kingdome of England vnder pretence of ayding the imprisoned Queene of Scotland and thereby to obtaine the dominion of the sea and there with the rule of the whole world onely watching time and opportunity Hee desired them to remember the Turkes victories and the ciuill discords of the Christians and that the Spaniards were as well accustomed to the warres as the Turkes seeking the same praise and glory by making great conquests hauing as great yea greater causes or contrariety of religion then the Turkes to further them both in the Netherlands and in Germany generally esteeming the Germanes as the Turkes esteeme the Christians whereof they were to bee aduised that the King of Spaine not long since had made a contract of peace and a league with the Turke and had agreed what tribute bee should haue for which cause he desired them that they would call to mind the ancient frendshippe and League bettweene them hauing trade of marchandise with speech and name common to them all and that many Prouinces in the Netherlands long before the Emperor Charles the fifts time were subiect vnto the lawes of the Empire and that namely by the trans-action made in the yeare of our Lord 1548. they were incorporated with the townes and Prouinces of the Empire at which time the sayd Princes and townes made promise that they would accept and receiue all the Prouinces of the Netherlands into their protection and that they should inioye all the priueledges and freedomes of Germanie in as ample manner as they did that liued in the midst of the Empire and so vnderstood and accounted themselues to bee bound if neede were to protect and defend them against all wrongs iniuries and powers whatsoeuer that should seeke to oppresse them and therefore he intreated that they would thinke feelingly vpon the miseries of the Netherlands and that assisting them they would according to the lawes and ordinances of the Empire commaund Don Iohn to depart out of the same and forbidall men to giue him any aide or assistance by men armes victualls and munition in any sort whatsoeuer and also to call home Ericke Duke of Brunswicke Poluiller and other Dutch Commanders and captaines vpon paine of the losse of all their goods euen this was the summe of his oration which for that it was in Latin I set it downe in shorter tearmes for beuities sake against the which there was an appoligie made and put in print at Luxemburg written by one Cornelis Calidius Christpolitanus The Duke of Aniou hauing caused some troupes to march they entred vpon the frontiers of Henault which was wonderfully opprest by the Spaniard Collonel Combelles with the consent of the whole Estates marched with his men into the countrie and lodged in a village called Balemont from whence the Spaniards thinking to dislodge him where well beaten the eighteenth day of May and forced to retire with losse and shame Don Iohn after the reduction of Niuelle sent part of his armie before Philip-Ville so called by King Philips name father to the King of Spaine that now is who caused it to bee built in the yeare of our Lord 1554. beeing seated vpon the frontiers of France the which hauing beene very longe beseeged battred and assaulted was in the end for want of victualls and munition forced to yeeld by composition the one and twentie day of Maie and amongst other Articles it was agreed vpon that the captaines and companies that would remaine in the Kings seruice should be well entertained haue three monethes paie the rest might retire freely where they pleased Of fiue companies that were in the towne three remained and tooke an oth to Don Iohn the other two returned to serue the States The signior of Florenne Gouernor of the towne continued there still This beeing done Don Iohn returned to Namur diuiding his armie into two whereof the one part was giuen to the Prince of Parma to goe in the countrie of Lembourg and the other to Octauio Gonzague to march towards Arthois The Prince of Parma foure daies after his departure from Philip-ville marched with his warlike troupes towardes the towne of Lembourg which hee thought to carrie vpon his first approch And although the Towne it selfe bee not verie stronge yet is it defended by a good castle built vpon
garrison withall others that haue any Estates charges or Offices of warre or otherwise shall take an oth to maintaine the Catholike Religion and obedience due to vs according to the sayd pacification the vnion which followed the perpetuall Edict and this present treatie And not to receiue change or admit any garrison without the priuitie of the gouernor generall of the Prouince and the aduise of the Estates of euery Prouince or of their deputies Alwaies prouided that in case of vrgent necessitie the sayd Prouinciall Gouernor may haue garrisons in forts whereas they haue beene accustomed to bee hauing taken an oth and being at our seruice in euery Prouince Wee promise not to charge nor cause to bee charged the townes nor countrie of the sayd reconciled Prouinces with any strange souldiars nor with them of the countrie vnlesse they shall desire it by reason of warre or some iminent dangers or that they haue beene vsually accustomed to haue them in which case the garrisons shall bee of the naturall borne of the countrie pleasing to the sayd Estates respectiuely Wee will and ordaine that in all Townes and Borroughs where the Magistrates haue beene renewed extraordinarilie since the beginning of the troubles shall bee restored according to the customes and preuiledges of euery place obserued in the time of the happie and glorious memorie of the Emperor Charles our Lord and father And that order bee giuen the sayd Magistrates bee respected and obeied as is fit for the auoyding of all new inconueniences Wee promise to imploy alwaies in the generall gouernment of our Netherlands a Prince or Princesse of our bloud hauing the partes and qualities requisite for so great a charge wherewith our subiects ought in reason to bee satisfied who shall gouerne with all Iustice and equitie according to the lawes and customes of the countrie taking a sollemne oth to maintaine the pacification of Gant the vnion which followed the perpetuall Edict and this present treatie in all points and Articles and namely the Catholike Romish Religion and our due obedience fore-warning the sayd Estates as wee haue accustomed of our choise meaning that our Nephew for sixe moneths for the great desire which wee haue aboue all things to procure the peace and quiet of our good subiects shall doe his best endeauor to aduance and effect the retreat of the strangers and the deliuerie of places to bee presently receiued in the gouernment generall of our sayd Netherlands obseruing the accustomed sollemnities And for the better satisfaction of our sayd Estates and subiects hee shal be serued by them that are naturall borne in the countrie and by as fewe strangers as may be And the more to gratefie them we desire that hee shall not entertaine aboue 25. or 30. strangers who shall not in any sort deale with the affaires of the country Hauing notwithstanding such a gard as precedent Gouernors Princes or Princesses of our bloud haue beene accustomed to haue of Archers and Halbardiers borne in the countrie or Germaines vnder Commanders of qualitie of the countrie with which our sayd Nephew the Estates shall hold good correspondencie from hence-forth and shall aduertise him of all things that shall passe touching the execution of the sayd treatie and al that which depends thereon all commissions prouisions and Edicts being made by and in our name onely At the end of which sixe moneths if we haue not aduanced to the said gouernment either him or some other of thelike quality to the end that no disorder nor confusion shall happen it shall bee gouerned by the councell of estate attending a new provision Which councell of estate shall consist of twelue men at our choyse as well noblemen gentlemen as lawyers borne in the contry as hath bin accustomed wherof two third parts shall be pleasing to the sayd estates and such as haue followed their party from the beginning vnto the ending Of the which fiue shall haue an accustomed commission from vs and the other three but a simple prouision for three monethes at the end whereof we may if wee please continue them or chose others of the like quality to lâ—…aue a meanes for the Prouinces to reconcile them-selues And with the resolution and aduise of the sounder part of them who shall be bound to take the oth aboue mentioned all dispatches shall be made as in the time of our most honored Lord and father the Emperor Charles which shall be viewed by one of the said councellors to preuent all inconueniences That to all Gouernments which hereafter for sixe yeares to come shall fall voyde in the said prouinces reconcyled we shall preferre such as are borne in our Netherlands or strangers either of them being pleasing vnto the estates of the said Prouinces respectiuely capable fit and qualified according to the preuiledges thereof And as for our priuie councellors of the treasor and other officers of importance we will aduance such as are borne in the country or others to the good likeing of the said estates who before their reception shall be bound to sweare sollemnly this present accord and promise by oth in case they shall discouer any thing that is treated to the preiudice thereof to aduertise the estats of the Prouinces vpon paine to be held periured and infamous We haue also ratified and do ratifie all constituâ—…ions of rents pensions and other obligations assurances and other impositions which the said estates by the accord of euery Prouince haue made or past or shal make or passe to all those that haue assisted or furnished them with mony to releeue their necessities and payment of debts contracted by reason of the warres and troubles past conformable to the eighteene Article of our perpetuall edict And hereafter they shall not bee taxed nor charged in any other sort nor manner then they haue beene in the time and raigne of our deceased Lord and Father Charles the â—…ift and by the consent of the Estates of euery Prouince respectiuely That all priuiledges vses and customes as well in generall as in particular shal bee maintayned and if any haue beene violated they shal bee repaired and restored The sayd reconciled Prouinces shal be bound to renounce all leagues and confedetions which they may haue made since the beginning of the changes and alterations And for that the sayd Estates held themselues bound vnto our deere sister the Queene of England and to the Duke of Aniou Brother to the most Noble and Christian King for the good assistance that they haue receiued from them Wee will send two moneths after that our said Nephew the Prince of Parma and Placentia shall bee entred into the Gouernment generall persons of quality vnto them to doe all good offices and the confederation and ancient amitie with our said Sister shall bee continued reciprocally And to in crease and augment the loue and affection which Princes ought to beare vnto their subiects and that they may bee the better inclined to the respect and obedience
baron of Selles his fellow prisoner in the throat as he died thereof so as to bring him againe to his right sences and to comfort him at the suit of the lady Francis of Egmont his sister he was transported into Holland where he was well intreated vntill the king should free him from his imprisonment the which made him recouer his sences which before were much troubled In the end he was set free in the yeare 1584 for the said seignior of la Noue yet vpon promise so much they feared him that during his life hee should not beare armes against the king of Spaine vnlesse it were by the commandement of the king of Fraunce his master with some other conditions vpon paine of an hundred thousand crownes for the which the duke of Lorraine was his caution and pledge and the king of Nauarre his counterpledge This kind of rigorous proceeding in the exchange of such prisoners gaue great occasion to the nobilitie of the Netherlands the kings subiects to murmure at his ingratitude and of the esteeme which hee made of them and of their liues which they so willingly exposed for his seruice The male-contents hauing receiued this affront and losse at Bouchain to bee reuenged thereof they went in August following to besiege it and did batter it with such furie as the seignior of Villers hauing no hope of succours nor meanes the place beeing verie little to rampar or intrench himselfe within either by halfe moones new rampars or otherwise fearing it should be carried by assault and the Spaniard in like manner doubting to come to it he yeelded it by composition to depart onely with their armes And as the accord had been simply made without the reseruations necessarie in the like case the said seigniour of Villers had left a peece of a match secretly burning in a barrel of powder among diuers others which continued some houre or two vntill that he and his men were retired towards Cambray where being neere fire tooke this powder which carried away a part of the rampar did much harme to the towne and slue some thirtie souldiers wherewith the Spaniard beeing iustly incensed sent to pursue them and to cut them in peeces if they might ouertake them but it was too late the seigniour of Villers and his troupe beeing safely and without all daunger retired into Cambray The Estates knowing their owne forces by sea and vpon the riuers and what the Spaniards were at land they resolued by meanes of their ships of warre to hinder the passage and distribution of victuals and munition by the riuers of Rhin and Meuse Wherefore they sent their ships well appointed and manned euerie one carrying eight ten or twelue great peeces of brasse besides the lesse and hauing his pinasse wherewith they held the same riuers subiect and cut off the passage both for men and victuals that were appointed for the country of Groningue The which did much trouble the princes of the Rhin who also manned out certain ships of warre to chase away those of the States But for that they would not incense these princes nor contest against them they caused their ships to fall downe in August the which before were vsually accustomed to mount vp aboue the towne of Cologne to Bonne yea further Macklin beeing reuolted from the States and hauing committed many insolencies this yeare they sent the Englishmen that were in Liere towards Macklyn with their colonell Sir Iohn Norris a valiant gentleman and with these Englishmen the which would not leaue Liere without their pay the Estates sent Oliuer vanden Temple gouernour of Brussels with his garrison and that of Viluoord and Charles of Lieuin lord of Famars with his cornet of horse These troupes came vpon the ninth of Aprill in the morning before the towne where the Englishmen giuing an alarme on the one side in the meane time monsieur de Temples souldiers and the rest climing ouer the Brussels gate got into the towne where they fought a good while before they could force open the gates to let in the horsemen who being entred the bourgers with diuers monks and fryers being in armes vpon the market place defended themselues vntill that manie of them were slaine whereof Peter Wolfe a mutinous fryer who had before drawne them from the States was one who being well armed fought with a halberd in his hand The gouernour Rossignol and Boeskerke the scout with certaine Albanoys got out at the gates as soone as the towne was taken where there was about an hundred souldiers but most bourgers slaine They began to ransacke the towne notwithstanding that the bourgers had made a composition with the English who were the greatest number beeing eight hundred strong to giue them certaine monethes pay but that condition was not performed And although the generall for that the sacke had continued certaine dayes would gladly haue taken some order therein yet he could by no meanes do it This towne was so miserably sackt and spoyled as no towne in all the Netherlands had suffered the like during all the ciuile warres for that the English men who had no measure in their doings spoyled the churches and religious houses without any pitie and compassion for the which the rest of the souldiers were much offended After that the chiefe commanders as monsieur Timpel and the lord of Famars then made gouernour fell out with colonell Norris and would gladly after the sacke haue gotten the English men out of the towne but they being the strongest had gotten the keyes into their hands and for a moneths space did what they would putting the bourgers to ransome and still spoyling their houses sparing not the bells nor the great dyall which was many times forbidden to be touched they tooke likewise the stones that lay vpon the dead and carried many hundreds of them into England by ship At the last the Estates hauing great occasion to vse souldiers for that it was generally thought that for want of those souldiers la Noue had bin ouerthrowne and taken by Inglemunster they persuaded Sir Iohn Norris to leaue Macklin who at that time was fallen into such a quarrel with monsieur Timpel that although they were strangers there hee would not march out first for which cause they were forced to set some bourgers of Antuerpe and of the towne in the market place and else where to guard it vntill that at the sound of a bell they both went out at seuerall ports the which was not without some trouble which happened by misunderstanding by reason of the commanders high minds which was the cause that the Englishmen with much hurt and losse were driuen out of the towne the sixth of May. Monsieur de Famars was left there for gouernor who sought by all the meanes that hee could to restore the towne of Macklin to his former estate and to repeople it againe Henrie of Bourbon prince of Conde hauing with great difficultie retired himselfe out
Stuper and Berenbroeke to whom there was not much due were well paid But it was to be supposed that want of money was the cause of it Captaine Cornput with the rest of the valiant captains bourgers and souldiers got great honour prayse and glorie amongst all wise men in regard of their industrie constancie resolution diligence carefulnesse labour and dangers considering with what people they had to doe as also what small meanes they had beeing simple people that wanted a gouernour ordnance and horsemen During this siege Sonoy with a few souldiers had besieged both the houses of Vollenhove wherein the earle of Renenbergh had garrison which were soone yeelded vnto him The Englishmen Wallons and Iselsteins souldiers were sent vnto the Kuynder and there besieged the church which within few dayes vpon composition was yeelded vnto them The companies of the Friseland regiment vnder the lord of Merode went before Lemmer and Sloten which being battered yeelded vp and after that the Englishmen and Wallons were diuided into seuerall garrisons The lord of Nienoort went presently into the territories thereabouts wheras they of Groning had besieged his sconce at Winsum which heat his comming thither releeued by the which sconce at Winsum and those at Winsumerziel Warsum Warsumerziel and other places he held a great part of the countrey vnder contribution The earle of Renenberghes souldiers were then come into the territories of Steenwick and lay at Midlesum where the lord of Nienoort thought to hem them in but they beat him from thence and shut two companies conducted by Renoy and Vercken into a church who were forced to yeeld vpon safegard of life and goods because their captaines were absent Oyenbrugh whose reuolt was ascribed vnto the earle of Renenbergh at a skirmish before Loppersum was shot in the leg whereof he died in Groning The earle of Renenbergh himselfe with a companie of souldiers went into Zeeland and tooke the house of Boxburgh fortified Goore and other places and tooke great store of bootie with him Hauing related what was done in the campe before Steenwicke and in other places thereabouts I will now returne and shew what was done in the later part of the yeare 1580. The king of Spaine hauing setled it in his imagination that the prince of Orange was the onely man that crost his designes in the Netherlands and that he could not reduce Holland Zeeland and their associats vnder his obedience for as the secretarie Escouedo had written vnto him he must first begin with the islands hee thought that so long as the said prince should liue he should neuer see an end of those troubles Wherefore seeing he could not attaine vnto it by armes in the time of the duke of Alua and of Dom Louys de Requesens nor by the policie and practises of Dom Iohn whereas the townes of Holland and Zeeland in generall were not at the said princes deuotion nor allied with mightie neighbors as the prouinces of Gueldres Vtrecht Friseland and Ouerissel he resolued at what price soeuer and whatsoeuer shold chance vnto him to practise the meanes to attaine vnto his pretended end and to haue the said prince of Orange dispatched by what way soeuer yet something to colour and excuse the fact and the execution thereof he would vse a kind of forme of proceeding as depending vpon the order of iustice vsing first a proscription or banishment decreed against the said prince whom afterwards he leaues as a prey abandoning him to all the world Of which proscription we haue thought good for breuities sake to set downe the substance and chiefe points being proclaimed by the prince of Parma in two seuerall languages vpon the nineteenth day of Iune Philip by the grace of God King of Castile Duke of Bourgoigne Brabant c. Hee sheweth first how gratiously and fauourably the late deceased emperour Charles the fifth of famous memorie his lord and father had dealt with William van Nassau to procure him the succession of Rene of Chalons prince of Orange his cousin and although hee were a stranger had aduanced and furthered him in all he could as also the king himselfe hauing made him knight of the order of the golden Fleece and gouernour of Holland Zeeland Vtrecht and Bourgoigne colonell of a regiment of horsemen and a counsellor of Estate declaring further all other the fauours that had beene done him And to the contrarie how vnthankfull hee had beene in moouing and procuring the confederat gentlemen to present a petition vnto him bringing in of the reformed religion with the exercise of the same and the casting downe of images rooting out the Catholike Romish religion and chasing away the clergie And lastly bearing open armes against his soueraigne lord and that hee had resisted and withstood all treaties of peace and had broken the pacification of Gant and the perpetuall edict carrying himselfe in most tyrannous manner ill intreating all the chiefe nobilitie of the countrey that hee might rule and dominier more absolutely among a furious and tumultuous multitude the good being chased away And for that all this confusion and miserie which his subiects he said suffered are found to proceed from the counsel persuasion and instigation of that wicked hypocrite by his turbulent spirit who put all his felicitie in the trouble of his subiects For which causes being as he said iust reasonable and according vnto iustice vsing in that regard the authoritie which he had ouer him by vertue of the othes of fealtie and obedience which hee had often made vnto him for all his peruerse and wicked acts beeing the sole author head and contriuer of those troubles and the chiefe disturber of all his Estates he declared him a rebell heretike hypocrite like to Cain and Iudas hauing his conscience obdurat a villaine head of the Netherland tumults a plague to Christendome and an enemie to all mankind And as such a one did proscribe and banish him for euer out of his said countries and out of all his other estates realmes and seigniories forbidding all his subiects of what estate qualitie or condition soeuer to liue or conuerse talke or conferre with him openly or secretly nor to receiue nor lodge him in their houses nor yet to releeue him with meat drinke fire or any other necessaries Giuing all his goods lands life and liuing to them could take it And that it might bee the better effected and brought to passe and thereby to release and deliuer the poore people from his tyrannie desiring to reward and recompence all good actions and to punish and chastise the bad and such as are offendors and transgressors hee promised vpon the word of king and as the minister of Almightie God That if any one would bee of so generos a resolution and so zealously affected to his seruice and the publike good as to put in practise and execution the foresaid edict and decree and to free him from such a plague deliuering him the
ware was about tenne of the clocke at night at one instant set on fire at the foure corners beeing past helpe and past any mans knowledge how it came some imputing the fault to one thing and some vnto another but the French were not freed from blame nor the prisoners without great feare some saying that they had caused it to bee done to be reuenged others spake otherwise and all diuersly but howsoeuer it came the losse was very great for the poore marchants This great fire made the bourgers of the towne to doubt some treason wherefore they continued all night in armes and vpon their guards with the chaynes of the streets drawne In March one Cornellis of Hooghe was beheaded and quartered at the Haghe in Holland tearming himselfe to bee bastard sonne to the emperour Charles the fifth hee was conuicted to haue treated with the king of Spaine promising vpon hope to be aduowed for his naturall brother and so entertained to make the vnited Prouinces reuolt and that he had drawne many to be at his deuotion who when time serued should take armes to make some new broyles in Holland But he was discouered by his owne follower conuicted of his designes and punished according to his merits not for that he qualified himselfe the emperours bastard whereof some doubted by reason of his resemblance but for his apparent practises In the same moneth there was taken in Antuerpe and discouered vpon small grounds a certaine Spaniard called Pedro Dordâ—…igno who confessed that he was expressely come out of Spaine to kill the prince of Orange and that he had treated with the king himselfe although afterwards he would haue excused it saying it was but with his Secretarie Hee confessed that passing by Grauelingue he had conference with la Motte gouernour of that place He did counterfeit himselfe to be a high Germane saying that hee was of Croatia he was expert in the knowledge of many tongues hauing also beene at the sacke of Antuerpe he was redde hayred nothing like a Spaniard there was neuer any man of so saint a courage after his sentence for so great an attempt According vnto his confession he was afterwards strangled and then quartered thanking the Iustice for so mild a death The seuenth of Aprill there arriued in Zeeland the lady Louyse of Coligni daughter to Gaspar of Coligni lord of Chastillon admirall of Fraunce who was murthered at the massacre of Paris in the yeare 1572 and widdow to the lord of Teligni brother to the ladie of la Noue who was also murthered at the same massacre which lady Louyse the prince of Orange married for his fourth wife the twelfth day following in the chappell of the castle of Antuerpe of whom vpon the six and twentieth of Februarie in the yeare following 1584 he had a sonne called Henry Frederic a prince well bred and of a great hope The thirteenth of the same moneth Hans Hanssz a rich marchant of Flessingue was beheaded who for meere hatred he bare vnto the prince of Orange sought to kill him and all those that should be with him setting fire to certaine barrels of gunne-powder in a cellar ioyning to the house where the prince should lodge and thereof hee had treated with the Spanish embassador being in the French kings court He was discouered by another marchant called Anthony Auquema a Frison whom he trusted thinking to haue him his confederat in so execrable an act but God would not suffer it The towne of Eindouen was at this time besieged by Cont Charles of Mansfeldt in the which the lord of Boniuet sonne to the lord of Creuecuaer a Frenchman commaunded with eight hundred souldiers but by reason of the difficulties that were betwixt the duke of Aniou and the Estates although they hoped that the marshall of Biron should goe and relieue him the lord of Boniuet not able to hold it any longer yeelded it vpon condition to depart with their armes and baggage and their colours flying whither they pleased the sayd lord excusing it vpon the want of powder hauing first capitulated That if within eight dayes he were not relieued to yeeld the towne as he did vpon the nineteenth of Aprill seeing no succours come into the towne as he expected for during all the siege the Estates armie vnder the commaund of the marshall of Biron was about Antuerpe with great preparation to goe and relieue it but for want of money the succours could not be readie in time wherein they of Antuerpe were somewhat restie remembring how much money they had voluntarily furnished for the reliefe of Maestricht in the yeare 1579 so as nothing was done at all and the towne was lost for want of a speedie resolution After the losse of Eindouen the marshall lying with his armie before the fort of Versele in the quarter of Liere in Brabant after that he had battered it a little it was yeelded by composition the three and twentieth of the same moneth captaine Wensel who commanded there and his chiefe officers remayning prisoners and the rest of the souldiers departing with their rapiers and daggers At this paltrie siege the Seignior of la Garde a French colonel master of the dukes artillerie was hurt by one of his owne pieces which brake wherof he dyed hauing done great seruices to the prince of Orange and the Estates of Holland and Zeeland in their first warres during the time of the duke of Alua and other gouernors hauing continued there vntill his death His body was carried to Antuerpe and interred in S. Georges church with an honourable militarie pompe He had been one of the most valiant wise modest and most expert captaines in all the vnited prouinces a man of great counsell learned and well red in the lawes and politicke gouernment Hee behaued himselfe worthily at the victualling of Leyden and therefore was much lamented of the prince and Estates After the taking of this paltrie castle the marshall went to besiege the strong castle of Woude a league from Berghen vpon Soom from whence the marquesse of Berghen lord of that place of the house of Gaesbeke was dislodged some few daies before There was in it sixe score souldiers Italians and an hundred and fiftie pesants Hauing spent some fifteene hundred canon shot although there were no sufficient breach made an amazement seized on the besieged so as they yeelded it by composition vnto the enemie the souldier departing with their rapiers and daggers onely the ninth of May and all the pesants retayned prisoners and put to ransome The Italian captaine who had commanded therein at his returne to Breda lost his head for his reward by the prince of Parma his commaundement At that time they of the priuie counsell of the vnited Prouinces whome the duke of Aniou and Brabant had established comming to Antuerpe were declared to be suspended of their offices by an act made by the generall Estates the which was signified vnto them by an vsher
that the list of conuoyes by the generall estates might bee augmented as much as possible might be Lastly touching the nominating of the counsellers of estate they should haue a regard that nothing should therein bee added nor altered to the deminishing of the authoritie that belonged to his Excellencie touching the choosing of one in euery Prouince to sit in the counsell of estate dated in the Hage the 24. of Nouember 1586. This act of restraint did afterwards cause great iealousie and dislike to grow it being once knowne and thereby procured great hurt and preiudice to the Netherlands and to the Earle of Leicester himselfe much disquietnesse as here-after you shall heere Before the Earle of Leicester went out of the Netherlands hee caused his image oâ—… picture at life to be made of pure golde waighing three or foure ounces a peece to giue vnto his friends to weare it in remembrance of him vpon the one side was his picture excellently well made with an Inscription Robertus Comes Leicestrie in Belgia Gubernator 1587. On the other side there was a flocke of sheepe feeding whereof some were scattered abroad and before them a faire English Dogge looking about for the sheepe and many sheepe following him and round about it was grauen Non gregem sed ingratos and vnder the Dog was written Inuitus defero In September Anthonie Perrenot Cardinall of Granuelle first of all Bishop of Arras and afterwards Archbishop of Macklyn dyed in Spaine hauing many riche Abbaies and benefices he was borne the twentie of August 1517. sonne to Nicholas Perrenot Lord of Granuell one of the chiefe Councellors to the Emperor Charles the fift This Cardinall by the quicknesse of his witte being very ambitious would gouerne the Netherlands alone and ouer-rule the Dutchesse of Parma that was Gouernesse and the Princes and Lords of the Kings councell of State at his pleasure whereby there grew iealousies and factions among the great men which were couered afterwards with the cloake of religion so as to redresse it or it may bee to bee better serued with his councell the King called him out of the sayd countries into Spaine where hee did farre worse offices then if hee had remained in the Netherlands for hee did so debase the countrey and disgrace the Princes and Noblemen vnto the King as by his vnmeasured ambition with the hatred hee bare them and his desire to bee reuenged of them hee was to speake plainely the onely Anuill whereon all the miseries of these countries were forged the which doe yet continue vnto this day of whose life and actions wee haue discoursed at large in the eight Booke of this Historie The Earle of Maeurs was gone into Germanie to make a leuie of Reisters which they attended with great deuotion in the Estates campe before Zutphen with the which hee came downe as farre as Bremen in the East countrey whether the Estates had sent a great summe of money for their pay These Reistres beeing come to the Rendez-vous and place of muster the Rytmaisters began to mutine for their pay for the seruice which they had not yet done The Duke of Parma whose father was newly dead hearing thereof sent certaine troupes into the countrey of Linghen to incounter them and if it might bee to doe them an affront At which place some of these Germanie horse went to the Spanish party and the rest disbanded and retired into their countrey so as the Earle was left alone with the Cornet of the Rytmaster Plettenberg and not daring returne into Holland by land being too weake to make his way by force through the enemie being assured that hee should bee charged hee imbarked with the rest of his men Some Princes of Germanie in whose countries these mutines had beene leuied were wonderfully incensed against them for this base act and punished some Gentlemen as well by prison as otherwise by way of infamie and degradation of name honor and armes hearing that they had not wanted any pay seeing there was money sufficient the which was sent back into Holland The Duke of Parma hauing auoyded this storme and disperst these troopes of Germaine horse without fighting which the Estates had expected with such great deuotion hee caused his forces to returne neere vnto Zutphen and commanded to take vp all the corne in the countrey there-abouts and to carry it into the Towne the which was easie to bee done the Earle of Leicester hauing retired all his armie vnto the other side of the riuer vpon the veluwe about the great Fort which hee had taken before right against the Towne into the which hee had put three and twenty companies Wallons and naturall Dutches of the countrey the which were soone after cast and reduced to sixe Ensignes what the cause was I could neuer yet learne All this summer the drought was very great throughout all the Prouinces vnder the King of Spaines obedience which caused an extraordinary dearth of coâ—… for the corne being twise or thrise sowne as soone as euer the blade began to appeare aboue ground it was presently eaten in one night by a kinde of little graye snailes which in the day time hid themselues in the ground by reason of the great heate of the sunne and fed onely in the night the which I haue seene by experience returning in the night time to my house at Tyl in Flanders whereas all the wayes were so full as they caused a loâ—…thing-in them that went vpon them by reason of their slimie viscositie which made men beleeue that it was a punishment sent from God It hath not beene read of in former histories nor seene since that generally in whole countries a measure of wheate waighing two hundred pounds should bee worth forty fiue Florins in the market And as this drought continued aboue a whole yeare betwixt the yeare 1586. and 87. so as in that of 87. they had three pounds of beefe for one of bread many poore people dyed for hunger and want as well in Arthois which is a great corne countrey as in Flanders where the plague was very violent and withall they were much tormented with Wolues which deuoured men women and children by hundreds so as Flanders was afflicted this yeare with famine plague and with sauage and cruell beasts At that time the Estates to keepe the Esterlings from bringing of any graine into the sayd countries hauing aduertisment that there were certaine ships laden with corne at Hambrough to be transported to Dunkerke they sent some ships of warre vnder the command of Captaine Ludt Iacobsen otherwise called the Great Luth of the towne of Medenblyke in West Friseland towards the riuer of Elbe to stop the passage The said Captaine was sent for to Hambrough before the Magistrate where beeing demanded what made him presume to enter into their riuer to stoppe their nauigation and traficke He answered freely that hee had beene sent by his Masters
and were most cast vpon the coast of France The Generall of this mighty armie was Lodouicus Perez Duke of Medina Sidonia and Baron of Saint Lucas a Knight of the order of the Golden Fleese the Marquis of Sancta Cruce who was named for that charge being dead not long beford Iohn Martinez de Ricalde a wise Gentleman was Admirall Don Francisco Bouadille Marshall And for chiefe councellors in the warre Diego Pimentel Flores de Valdez Pedro de Valdez Michael Oquendo Don Alonso de Lieua Don Diego Maldonado Don Georgio Manriquez and many others Don Martin Alarson was Vicar generall of the holy Inquisition and with him aboue a hundred Monkes Iesuites and other religious men There were many Noblemen and aboue one hundred and twentie Gentlemen of good esteeme aduenturers that went at their owne charges to winne honor among the which were the Prince of Ascoly the Marquis of Pennafyel the Marquis of Barlango with many other Marquises and Earles of good account Whilest this armie was in this sort preparing the Duke of Parma receiued commandement from the King to make ready his forces in the Netherlands to ioyne with this armie where-vpon hee sent for ship-writes and worke-men out of Italy to build shippes setting many thousands on worke to digge and deepen riuers especially the riuer of Iperlee to bring certaine shippes from Antwerpe to Gant and so to Bruges where hee gathered together aboue three hundred small Boates lading them with victuals and munition the which hee thought to bring to Scluce and so into the Sea or through the new deepned water of Iperlee into the other hauens of Flanders Hee had also prepared three score and ten flatte bottomed boates which laye in the water of Watene euery one able to carry thirty horses with bridges made to shippe and vnship them There were also two hundred flatte bottomed boates more ready in the hauen of Newport but not so big as the others In Dunkerke they had made ready two and thirty ships of warre and hauing want of saylers hee sent to Hambrough Emden Breme and other places to hire them hee expected fiue ships from Hambrough well appointed with many saylers and had hyred fiue ships that then lay at Dunkerke These shippes hee went to lade with great store of piles of wood made sharpe at the ends with Yron pikes and at Graueling hee had twenty thousand emptie caske which might soone bee made fast one vnto the other with cordes like a bridge with all other furniture to make bridges to stoppe hauens and to pyle vp waters and to that end hee had prouided within Nieuport a mighty great heape of fagots and all other prouision for sconses Hee had shipt many saddles and bridles and other furniture for horses and horses also for carriages with ordinance and all other necessary prouision for the warre Neere vnto Nieuport hee had lying vnder the command of Camillo maister of the campe thirty companies of Italians two of Wallons and eight of Bourguignons euery company being a hundred men At Dyxmewe hee mustred foure score companies of Netherlanders three score of Spaniards three score of high Dutches and seauen of rebellious and trayterous Englishmen vnder the leading of Sir William Stanley and others which were ready to take shippe In the suburbes of Cortricke there were foure thousand lodged and at VVatene nine hundred horse with the Cornet of the Marquis of Guast who was generall of the horse To this great enterprize and imaginary conquest diuerse Princes and Noblemen came from diuerse countries Out of Spaine came the Duke of Pastrana who was sayd to be the sonne of Ruy Gomez de Silua Prince of Mileto but hee was held to bee the Kings Bastard sonne the Marquis of Bourgou one of the Archduke Ferdinands sonnes by Philippina Welserime Don Vespasian Gonsagua of the house of Mantua a great soldier who had beene Viceroy in Spaine Don Iohn de Medices bastard of Florence Don Amedeus bastard of Sauoy with many such like besides others of meaner qualitie Sixtus Quintus Pope of Rome forgot not likewise to send forth his Crusado as hee vseth against the Turkes published by his Bulles for the furthering of this great enterprise with great perswasions the which were Printed in all places The Englishmen and the Netherlanders scoft at these Bulls saying that the diuill was become a theefe by the high way and cared not for such pasports It was sayd hee had giuen the realme of England to the King of Spaine with the title of the defender of the Christian faith commanding him to ouer-runne the same vpon condition that hee should hold it as feudatorie of the Sea of Rome and to that end the Pope should contribute a Million of golde the one halfe to bee payed presently and the other when England or any notable hauen therein should be wonne The Queene hearing of this great preparation in Spaine shee sent forth her shippes of warre with other Marchants shippes the greatest to lye at Plymouth in the West parts vnder the command of the Lord Charles Haward Lord high Admirall of England and of many other Noble men of qualitie and the small shippes being some forty or fiftie sayle kept the narrow Seas betwixt Douer and Calais vnder the conduct of the Lord Henry Seymor sonne to the Duke of Sommerset The vnited Prouinces first of all in regarde of the shallowes and flattes of their coast made prouision of twenty small shippes to keepe all the hauens of Flanders from Lillo in the riuer of Scheld vnto Graueling by Calais putting great garrisons into their sea Townes and when as this great armie of Spaniards should bee ready to come they sent forth Captaine Loucke of Rosendale with fiue and twenty or thirty shippes to ioyne with the Lord Henry Seymor but when as the shippes were forced by a storme to leaue the Flemish coast and to sayle backe into Zeeland it beeing past they put to sea againe and with them Iustinus of Nassau the Admirall and Ioyâ—… Moyer vice-admirall of Zeeland being in all about fiue and thirty ships from a hundred and sixtie to fiue hundred tun burthen a peece very well appointed with great store of good saylers and 1200. old soldiers all Musketiers chosen out of the regements and well acquanted with the sea being fully resolued to fight and to keepe the Duke of Parma from bringing his fleet out of any hauen in Flanders whereon consisted the greatest part of their safety Vpon the nine and twenty day of May 1588. this great and mightie armie of Spaine put to sea and sailed from Lisbon to the Groine in Gallicia where they tooke in more men and munition it being the neerest hauen to England Being at sea they were scattered by a tempest the Duke of Medina entring againe into the Groine with foure score shippes the rest following as well as they could except eight of them which had spent their Maisters Of the foure
maintaineth at the cost of the neighbor countries whereas the estates to obserue good discipline to preuent al disorders in their soldiars and also to free their neighbors from al exaction do continually giue such reasonable pay according to their habilities as it might be doubted in so great and long a warre whether the greatest Potentate in Europe euer gaue better It is true that the Estates to their great charge entertaine ships of warre which lie at ancher not only in the sea but also in the riuers and common passages the which is not done to hinder or preiudice any man but for the necessary safegard of marriners and marchants against the force of the cōmon enemy who also maintaineth much shiping only to roue at sea to spoile passengers The estates haue greater cause to vse this kinde of defence then any other beeing a matter of great importance necessary for their Prouinces And in the meane time the subiects of the Empire and the country people reape no smal commodity by the said ships of war being paid kept in good discipline as they are And seeing that the seas and riuers be Iuris publici all men being allowed to he at anchor therein without offence there is no cause why this action of the Estates should be ill taken for that they only seeke to stop and hinder the enterprise and incursions of their enemies And whereas the Estates towards part of their charges which they are forced to vndergo to free the sea and riuers from Pirats are compelled to raise certaine conuoy and lycense mony vpon all goods and marchandise going out of the country it is done to their great greefe as being more preiudiciall to their Prouinces and the inhabitants therof then to any others wherevnto they would neuer haue giuen consent if necessity had not inforced them for that the prosperity of their Prouinces depended on the trade of marchandise the which si much hindred by such impositions and is as burthensome vnto the Prouinces them-selues as to their neighbors which conuoies and licenses are not vsed in any other places but in their owne hauens and pasages with all conuenient order In the meane time it seemes strange vnto the Estates that any should dislike of their proceding therein seeing that many Princes and common weales liuing in peace and free from all enemies doe without any vrgent necessitie impose the like exactions yet the Electors and other Princes of the Empire may rest well assured that these burthens wil be withdrawne the affaiers of the country being once reduced to their desined end and their necessities ceasing and if in the meane time any disorders shall be committed by the soldiers either by water or by land they shall be seuerely punished And to shew how much they dislike all disorders and spoyles the good orders which they had made in the fort of Sgrauenweerd sence the death of Collonell Schencke do sufficiently witnes where they haue discharged all Tolles and such like impositions which were exacted contrary to their wills Moreouer if any soldiars being in the Estates seruice either by water or by land shall be conuicted to haue slaine beaten or robbed any man burnt their houses or any way wronged their neighbors the Estates will by all meanes seeke to punish such offences as they deserue or will be content that due punishment shall bee done vpon them by the said Electors c. and other their neighbors so as it may be done without partiality recommending therein the mutuall correspondency which ought to bee betwixt friends and neighbors Thus much the Generall estates of the vnited Prouinces being requested by the Electors and other Princes and Estates of Germany thought good to giue for answer once againe desiring the high and mighty Princes Electors and others that they would vouchsafe to bee fauorable and assistant vnto the said vnited Prouinces of the Netherlands who as now stand as rampars and Bulwarks for them against the generall necessity of imminent danger They also intreated the Ambassadors to make a fauorable report of their answer vnto the high and mighty Princes Electors and others hoping that almighty GOD whose powerfull arme had hetherto wonderfully preserued these countries with the aide and assistance of their friends allyes and neighbors will send them a spedy happy and long expected issue in the affaires of their common welfare Lastly whereas the Noble contesse of Nieuwenar c. widow to the Noble Earle Adolph Earle of Nieuwenar Muaers c. complaineth that against the constitutions Lawes and Ordynances of the empire she hath contrary to all lawe and reason bene depriued and is yet of certaine Lands and goods belonging vnto her and lying in the confines of the Empire and vnder the protection of the same The said Estates desired the heigh and mighty Princes Electors of the Empire c. that through their authority order may bee taken for the restitution of the said lands goods and that the said countesse in her sorrofull widoes Estate may be no longer thus wrongfully opprest Giuen in the Hage the thirteene day of September in the yeare 1590. Vnto this answer made by the Estates vpon the twenty fiue of September the Ambassadors deliuered a replication wherein they promised to make a fauorable report of their answer but touching the fort of Sgrauenwert they sayd that they must according to their commission make answer that it seemed very strange to them to heare them pretend that it stood vpon the territories of the Duchie of Geldres whereas they were certainely informed that the sayd Sconse for the space of a hundred yeares beyond all memory of man had beene a certaine issue or current of water which ranne from the towne of Cleues into the Rhine as the land of Alwinch lying in the duchie of Cleues and that the Dukes of Cleaue had from time to time receiued rent for the same as being their owne inheritance and such as had hired it of them did enioye it peaceably without any molestation of them of Gelderland or any others for that before that time it was seperated from the firme land by a small water-mill the which hath beene since eaten away by the riuer of Rhine that at this time the sayd water or riuer is called Vossegat they of Gelderland neuer laying any title or claime therevnto as it also appeereth by a speciall contract made at Brusselles betweene the Emperor Charles the fift and the Duke of Cleaues in the yeare of our Lord 1545. the 2. of Ianuary which treaty was called the confirmation of lands of inheritance hauing in it an Article which maketh mention of the limmits wherein there is no mention made of Sgrauenweert being then in the possession of the sayd Duke as also in the treatie made before Maestricht in the yeare 1549. in October where mention is made of the sayd Sgrauenweert without any question betweene the sayd Princes touching the possession thereof And
Maximilian made King of the Romains New knghits made by the King of the Romains 1485. The 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 deale 〈◊〉 factions The Ganthois and Brugeois mutine againe The Siegnio Lanchals beheaded The Emperor gâ—…es with an army â—…gainst 〈◊〉 Flemings The Flemings accorded with the King of the Romains The â—…mings are 〈◊〉 The Emperor â—…kes the aâ—…ord made with the â—…mings The Flemings alâ—…e thâ—…m selus with the Brabansones against the Duke of Saxony The King of the Romaines comes into Hollands Rotterdam yeelded to the King of Romaines A peace concluded betwixt the King of Romaines and the Flemings The Brugeois 〈◊〉 againe Montfort beâ—… by the Duke of Saxony 1490. An accord betwixt the duke oâ—… Saxony and 〈◊〉 Vicont of Montfort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…umult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The French King makes warre in Arthois The battile of Hinges The Ganthois reuolt Hulst surprized by the Ganthois Dixmuyden taken from the Ganthois Charles duke of Gelders deliuered out of prison 1492. The furie of the Pesants at Harlem The Duke of Saxony comes into Holland He punished Harlem and Alcmar The duke beseeged Scluse Gand submits to the duke The duke ruins the factions in Holland and zeeland The Duke of Saxonie seeks an occasion to oppresse the Fâ—…sons 1493. The Dukes troupes spoile Gelders The Emperor Frederic dies The Emperor sends to pacifie the troubles of Friseland The Groningeois sent to the Emperor The same Commissioner sent into Friseland by the Emperor Maximilian 1494. An Assembly of the States of Friseland A new Potestate chosen in Friseland An Assembly at Bolswaert They refuse to allow of the new Potestate 1494. Philip of Austrias titles Maximâ—…lians second marriage The Archduke Philip put in possession of the Netherlandâ—… A sentence giuen by 4. Electors against Charâ—…es duke of Geldâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Archduke 〈◊〉 The fâ—…ctions oâ—… Fâ—…seland deâ—…d sucâ—… of the Duâ—…e of Saxony A crueâ—…l murther of a kiâ—…sman 1497. Baten-burch surpriâ—…d by Duke Albert. The Duke of Saxony made here ditarie gouernot of Fâ—…iseland Many 〈◊〉 ingaged to the Duke of Saxony for his entâ—…taynment The Frisons refuse Duke Albert for their gouernor The Duke will make vse of the â—…ctions 〈◊〉 â—…iseland The Vetcoopers dravve strange 〈◊〉 â—…to Friseland They câ—…l 〈◊〉 duke of Saxony into Fâ—…sland The duke makes an excessiue demand â—…nell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Duke tyâ—…s ouer the Frisons The fruites of their 〈◊〉 He dies at Emden Duke Henry leaues Friseland to his yonger brother The Frisons complaine to the Archduke Philip. An answere to the Frisons The â—…chduke 〈◊〉 anâ—… his wâ—…e goâ—… into Spâ—…ne They are hoâ—… 〈◊〉 enter 〈◊〉 by the French King The Archduke 〈◊〉 into Germany 1503. Dâ—…h â—…o the Dâ—…e Douâ—…ger of Bourgongne Marguerite of Austria marred to the Duke of Sauoy 1504. The warre reuiued betwixt the Archduke Philip and the duke of Gelders The exploiâ—… of both armies Duke George of Saxony coâ—…s into Friseland He makes a composition with the Frisons 〈◊〉 Dâ—… of 〈…〉 1505. 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 bâ—…sieged by the Archduke 〈◊〉 takâ—…n in 〈◊〉 Diuision in the Duke of 〈◊〉 campe before 〈◊〉 The Grâ—…geois treate with the 〈◊〉 of â—…mden The Eâ—… of 〈◊〉 â—…de Prâ—… of 〈◊〉 The Earle of Emden Builds acittadel at Groninghen The Earle of Emden receiues entertainment from the duke of Saxony The Earle of Stâ—…lburche made the Dukes Lieutenant in Fâ—…eland The Duke of Gâ—…ldres reconcilâ—…d to the King of Castille The King and Queene of Castâ—… gâ—…e into Spaine An 〈◊〉 froÌ„ the â—…nch kinâ—… to the King of Caâ—…ille 1506. The King Queene of Castill in 〈◊〉 at Sea goâ—… into â—…aine They put to land in England The duke of Gelders begins waâ—…re A Comete A childe in Holland crying in the mothers beâ—…y Philip King oâ—… Câ—…stille dies sodenly The Earle of Nâ—…u brings some â—…vvels out of Spains 1507. The Duke of Gelders 〈◊〉 into Brabant Charles his Inheritance 1508. The duchesse of Sauoy gouerneâ—…e of the Netherlands The death of Aâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bourgongâ—… Puydroien tatakâ—… and razâ—…d 1509. The gouernor of Freâ—…eland dies The Duke of Gelders makes warre against them of Oueryâ—…sel War betwixt the Duke of Gelders and the Bishop of Vtrecht 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…f 〈…〉 1512. 1513. A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 thâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…or 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Dâ—… of 〈…〉 The duke of Saxony makâ—…s an vnreasonable dâ—…mand of thâ—… Fâ—…ons Henry duke of Bâ—… slâ—…ne at an assault Dam taken by assault The Groningâ—…ois 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to thâ—… Duke of Gâ—…ldres The duke of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plexed for 〈◊〉 of money The Geldâ—…ois enter 〈◊〉 with an army 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oâ—… 〈◊〉 1515. Prince Charles of Austria takes possession of the Netherlands The Death of the King of Arragon Duke George of Saxony resignes Freeseland to Prince Charles The Lord of Iselsteyn takes possession of Freeseland for prince Charles Tâ—…e gouernâ—…nt of 〈◊〉 committed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Châ—…les The bishop of Vtrecht 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 1527. The Duke of Geldeâ—…s besieged in 〈◊〉 A trucâ—… concluded Outrages done by the Geldrois to breake the truce The Duke writes vnto the Frisons Deputies of the â—…risons of the Bourgongne partie â—…ent â—…o Vtrecht Demands of the Duke of Gelders to the Frisons A notable 〈◊〉 Hoâ—…ne surprised by a Pitat and spoiled Prince Charles sent for to receiue the Crowne of Castile Arâ—…agon c. Prince Charles goes into Spaine Prince Charles arriues in Spaine 1518 The Coronation of the King of Spaâ—…ne The blacke troope defeated The Emperoâ—…s will for the bâ—…rying of his body The death of the Emperor Maximilian 1519. His course life An assembly at Frâ—…cfort for 〈◊〉 choosing of a newe Emperor A commendable thing in the Electors Ambassadors from Prince Charles to the Electors Ambassadors from the French King The electors answer to the Ambassadors The Elector of Mentz his speech The Elector of Treues speech The Elector of Saxonies speech Charles King of Spaine chosen Emperor Charles King of Spaine comes into England 1520. The Emperors entry into Aix Ships of Holland taken by the Danes The Earle of Maeurs sent gouernor into Frisland Nicuport by Schoonhouen taken The Frisons send to the Imperiall diet 1521. The first Edict against them of the religion The miserable estate of Friseland The first cause of the warre The Duke of Bouillon desies the Emperor The Emperors 〈◊〉 inuades the duke of Bouâ—…lons country The French kingâ—… 〈◊〉 Tournay besieged by the Emperors men Sloten besieged by the Bouâ—…gnons Lemmer yeelded â—…wicke taken without any resistance 1523. The emperors second voyage into Spaine The peasants warre in Germanie 1524. The Geldrois begin warre against the Emperor 1526. The duke of Gelders seeks to be reuenged of the Groningeois The suburbes of Groningen burnt The Groningeois giue themselues vnto the Emâ—…or Collonel Schenck reâ—… Groninghen for the Emperor The Duke of Holsteynes troupes defeated Dam yeelded by the Geldrois Wedden yeelded Coeuoerden yeelded A peace betwixt the house of Bourgongue and the Duke of Gelders The
Netherlāds into the hands of the King our Lord to settle an order for the affaires of the country in generall and in particular as well for the exercise of religion in the said countries of Holland Zeeland Bomell and other places associate as for the restitution of forts artillery ships other things belonging to his Maiestie which during the said troubles haue beene taken by them of Holland Zeeland or otherwise as it shall be found fit for the seruice of his Maiestie and the good and vnion of the country wherein there may not of any side bee giuen any contradiction delay or hinderance no more in regarde of the decrees declarations and resolutions that shall bee giuen and made there then in the execution thereof what-so euer they shall be wherevnto both parties doth faithfully and wholy submit themselues That hereafter the inhabitants and subiects of eyther side of what countrey estate qualitie or condition so euer may safely and freely hante frequent passe and repasse remaine and trafficke as a Marchant or otherwise Prouided alwayes that it shall not bee tollerable nor lawfull for them of Holland and Zeeland nor for any other of what countrie qualitie or condition soeuer to attempt any thing in these parts out of the Prouinces of Holland Zeeland and others their associates against the quiet and publike peace and especially against the Catholike and Romish religion and the exercise thereof nor to iniurie any one in word nor deed by reason thereof nor to scandalize them by like actes vpon paine to bee punished as disturbers of the publicke peace to the example of all others And to the end that no man in the meane time shall bee lightly exposed to any apprehension or subiect to danger all the Proclamations heretofore made and published for matter of heresie together with the criminall deerees made by the Duke of Alua and the execution thereof shall surcease and be suspended vntill it shall bee other-wise decreed by the generall Estates Prouided alwayes that no scandall happen thereby That the sayd Prince shall remaine Admirall generall of the Sea and Lieutenant for his Maiestie of Holland Zeeland Bommell and other places associate to command ouer all as hee doth at this present with the same Iudges Magistrates and Officers without any change or innouation without his liking and consent And this in regarde of the Townes and places which his Excellencie doth presently hold vntill it shall bee otherwise decreed after the retreate of the Spaniards But touching the Townes and places comprehended in the Commission which hee hath from his Maiestie the which are not at this present vnder his Excellencies obedience and commandement that point shall remaine in suspence vntill that the sayd Townes and places being vnited with the other S◅ates in this vnion and accord his excellencie shall haue giuen them satisfaction vpon the points Wherein they shall finde themselues interressed vnder his gouernment bee it in regard of the exercise of religion or otherwise to the end the Prouinees may not bee dismembred and to auoide all dissention and discord And in the meane time no Proclamations commandements prouisions nor exploits of Iustice shall haue place in the said countries and townes commanded and gouerned by the sayd Prince but such as shall bee allowed by his Excellencie or by the Councell Magistrates and Officers there resident without any preiudice to his Maiesties great councell in time to come It is also agreed that all prisoners by reason of the troubles past namely the Earle of Bossu shall be set freely at liberty without paying any ransome but onelie the charges of the prison vnlesse before the date of these presents the sayd ransomes were paied or argeed vppon Moreouer it is concluded that the sayd Prince and āll other Noblemen Knights and gentlemen priuate persons and subiects of what estate quality or condition soeuer together with their widows douagers children and heires of either side shall be restored to their good name fame and honor and may also enter into the possessions of all their Seigneuries goods prerogatiues actions and debts not beeing sold nor a◅ienated in the same estate as the goods bee at this present And to that end all defautes contemptes arrestes iudgementes seazures and executions giuen and made since the beginning of the troubles in the yeare of our Lord 1566. as well ◅or matter of Relligion as for the carrying of armes with that which hath followed shal be reuoked voide and of no effect And all proceedings writings and acts which haue beene made to that end shal be razed out of the regesters and it shall not be needfull to obtaine any other instruction or prouision then this present treatie notwith-standing any incorporations rightes customes preuiledges and prescriptions as well Legall conuentionall and customorie as Locale nor any other exceptions to the contrarie the which in this case and in all others concerning the sayd troubles shall cease and haue no place It is also vnderstood that the Countesse Palatin sometimes widow to the Lord of Brederode shal be comprehended herein and enioye the present benifit for as much as doth concerne Vianen and other goods wherevnto shee or hers may pretend any title or right In like sort the Earle of Buren shal be also comprehended so farre forth as it doth touch the towne castell and countrie of Buren to bee enioyed by the said Earle as his owne after the retreate of the garrison And all pillers trophees inscriptions and other markes which the duke of Alua hath caused to be erected and set vp to the dishonor and disgrace of the aboue named or of any other shal be defaced and beaten downe Touching the fruites of the sayd Seigneuries and goods the Courts of arrerages of Dowries fruites farmes and rentes assigned as well vpon his Maiestie as of his countries and townes and all others which before the date of these presents shall be expired and due and yet not paid nor receiued by his Maiesty shewing good cause euery one may respectiuely enioy and make profit of It is to be vnderstood that all that is fallen as well of the said inheritances and rents as of their goods sence the feast of Saint Iohn in the yeare 1576. last past shall remaine to the benifit of those that haue intrest therein not-with-standing that the receiuor of the confiscations hath receued any thing whereof in this case restitution shall be made But if any yeares of the said farmes rents or other reuenews were by title of confiscation seazed and receiued by his Maiesty euery one shall be for so many yeares freed and acquited of all reall charges assigned vpon his goods the which by reason of the troubles past hee could not enioy ratable for the time that he hath beene hindred by the aboue named occasion And for Ghattels and moueable goods which haue beene sold consumed or otherwise alenated of either side no man shal haue any restitution or recouery And as for immouable