to compose their differences and in the Inter regnum to settle their Government the Male Line of Thierry of Aquitane failing in Floris the fifth's son Iohn the Government fell to Iohn Earl of Henaut Nephew to William King of the Romans and Earl of Holland by Alix his Sister who now the 2 d Earl of Holland gave to his Brother Guy the Seigniories of Amsterdam upon which he conferred many Freedoms Rights and Priviledges with design to reduce Seignior Rhenez of Zealand to Reason with its assistance and this is the first time that Amsterdam gave Law to Zealand who presumed upon the Flemish and Imperial assistance so far as to overrun Holland till William the 22th Earl of Holland Iohn of Henault's son with the Lord of Humpstead's assistance reduced them and with 320 Ships of France confined Guy of Flanders to his own Bruges This good Earl William as they called him having married Charles de valois his Daughters Neece to Philip the Fair of France settled his Brother Iohn of Beaumont in Goud and Schoonborn and strengthened his Uncle Guy Bishop of Vtrech by a Fort he raised at Skellingwerf to bridle the unquiet Frizons adding to Holland the Seigniories of Amstel and Woerden while Charles the Fair of France was buâ—ie with the Flemish and the Emperour Lewis of Bavaria as busie with the Pope which he left to his son William the 23th Earl of Holland and Zealand who being allyed to Edward the 3d King of England troubled France and brought the troublesome West-Frizons 1345 to Reason and dying without lawful Issue returned his Government to his Sister Margaret then Empress and Wife to Lewis of â—avaria who being confirmed in the Earldom by her Husband in a full Diet solemnly taking the Earldoms Homage depute her son William under her Governour of Holland who being defeated by the Bishop of Vtrech and instigated by the Holland Faction of Cabillaux and Hoecks falls out with his Mother who her Husband being dead returned to the Government and after various successes in four Battels with her son gave it him upon condition he should reduce Vtrech and its Bishoprick which had troubled Holland with its pretensions for 260 years together as he did but dying childless left all to his Brother Albert of Bavaria who put the Towns and Castles in good hands reduced Delf and Gelders built Gildenburgh-Castle to secure the Sluices Weakned the Frizons reduced Vtrech defeated the Frizons again brought the Groeningeois to do Homage and Fealty Forced the rebellious Lord of Arleche to an accord married his 3d Daughter Margaret to Iohn Duke of Burgundy Earl of Flanders and Artois by whom she had Philip the good Duke of Burgundy Earl of Holland and Flanders and among many other children Joane Dutchess of Austria by whom came these Earldoms to the Emperour and the King of Spain After his death William af Bavaria his son and the 27th Earl of Holland and Zealand succeeded who was much troubled with the Lords of Arguel father and son and the Duke of Gelders to whom they had resigned their Interest until the Lord of Arguel being taken discovered all the Conspirators and particularly Count Egmond who thereupon yielded up his strong Fort Iselstein and retired till Jaqueline of Bavaria succeeded her father Albert the Factions called home Egmond contrived to displace Jaqueline and put in Iohn of Bavaria and Bishop of Leige in her place till the Pope dispensing with it she is married to Iohn Duke of Brabant by whose assistance she recovereth Gornchom of Count Egmond perswades the Hollanders and Zealanders to refuse Iohn of Bavaria and his pretended Grant from the Emperour insomuch that he was glad to come to termes with her Husband to hold some Lordships in Fee and quit all his Titles and Pretensions who after his death is declared Earl of Holland in right of his Wife in whose right he subdueth the old Faction of Cabillans and Hoeckins strengthneth Harlem takes Schoonhooen and brings the unhappy woman who had married now four times to declare Philip Duke of Burgundy Governour of Holland and after her death Earl which Earldom she resigned to him in her life time to ransom her 5th well-beloved Husband the Lord of Borselle from his hand Philip the first Duke of Burgundy and 20th Earl of Holland succeeding as right Heir by father and mother to the Government of Holland helped the Hollanders and Zealanders to chase the Easterlings now Lords at Sea in sign whereof they bear to this day a little Besom atop of their Main-mast to shew they had swept the Sea of all competitors 1431 and with much adoe composed the Tumults raised in Amsterdam Harlem and Leyden upon an intollerable imposition by the Faction of the Hooks and Cabellans whom at last he reconciled and awed by the institution of a first President the Earl of Nassau by promoting his Bastard David to the Bishoprick of Vtrech by suppressing the factious Family of Brederode By his League with the English and seasonable Resignation of his Government to his discontented son the Earl of Charolois during his sickness who subdued the Ligeois razed Dirvant succeeded his Father and Margaret Sister to Edward the 4th King of England in whose time printing was first invented at Harlem and as he had the name of warlike so he goes on bringing the tumultuous Ganthois to his mercy the mutinous Town of Macklyn to a Ransom the Leigeoix to a submission notwithstanding that it was the French Kings Embassadour that had incited them to rebel upon a promise of 30000 men at a mouths warning for which neighbourly part he was even with that King by assisting the Duke of Brittain against him and taking him Prisoner He resolves to ruine the House of Brederode to which purpose he brings many of them to the Rack He makes the sullen Frizons bring him white Paper wherein he should write his own termes He refuseth to answer King Lewis the 11th of France his Citation 1470 to Paris He brings that King to a Truce gets the Dukedom of Gelders resigned to him defies the Emperour Sigismond at Nevis and brought hâ—m to an advantageous Peace prospering in all his undertaking but that against the pitiful Swiâ—â—â— whose whole Countrey he said was not worth the Bits of his Bridle nor the spurs of his Army After which he was slain at Nantes leaving all his Dukedoms Earldoms and Lordships to his Daughter Mary who the King of France neglecting the marriage of the Dalphin to her was Contracted according to former Treaties in her Fathers life time to Maximilian of Austria the Emperour Frederick's Son by whom she had Phillip Arch-Duke of Austria who undertaking the Government in her Right after an Assembly held at Bruges reduced the revolted Gelders settled such Governours in Harlem Rotterdam Leyden and elswhere as might over-awe Egmond and the ancient Factions of Hoecks and Cabillaux subdued Vtrech and the trajectings as Guardian to his son Philip of Austria with whom he goeth
being chosen King of the Romans to Hungary 1411 leaving Engelbert Earl of Nassau 4th Governour of the Netherlands whom the Emperour assists in the settlement of the Government the Pope seconding his Temporal Power with his own Spiritual who being hired by the distractions between Holland and Flanders about the Sea resigned his Charge to Albert Duke of Saxony who with his Master Maximilian the K. of the Romans went into Holland settling the Towns as they passed making a Peace between them and the Flemins and punishing the Mutiniers at Harlem and Alâ—mar Ruining the Factions by their own fears and jealousies keeping under the Frizons and Gelders by a new Protestate sent thither by the Emperour Maximilian untill Philip the 2d Arch-Duke of Austria was by his Father Maximilian possessed of the Netherlands 1494 under whom the Duke of Saxony defeated the Factions of Friezland by pretended kindnesses whereby he set them one against the other while both delivered to him their strong Holds which he made so good use of that they appeal from him and his Son George to the Emperour who yet stood by his Governour who in return for his Masters kindness brought them of Friezland after some redress of grievances by their Commissioners to pay his Master the 21th penny of all their Estates putting 6 men to govern there while he reduced the Groningois notwithstanding the Protection of the Earl of Embden and the followers of Col. Vyll about which time a child spake in Holland in the Mothers belly and Philip of Austria being now King of Castile dyed and left Charles the 2d of that name the 35th Earl of Holland and Zealand Lord of Friezland Duke of Burgundy and Lemburgh Luxemburgh Shiia Corinthia Earl of Flanders Artois with many other Marquisates and Principalities to which he added Millain Overyssel Gruningen Cambray and Cambresis his Grandfather Maximilian the Emperour being his Guardian and his Aunt Margaret Dowager of Savoy his Governess under whom Ann of Burgundy that had recovered and walled in many lost Islands in Zealand dying Budwyen was taken and razed the Geldrois Groeningois with the Earl of Embden are conquered Prince Charles taking the Netherlands into his own hands from the Dutchess of Savoy and the Duke of Saxony by the assistance of the Lord of Iselsteen under whom he constituted 7 Governours of Justice in Friezland when he went to Spain for that Crown upon Ferdinand of Arragon his Grandfather by his Mother side death and to Germany for that Empire upon his Grandfather Maximilianâ—s decease settling Margaret of Austria Widow of Castile and Dowager of Savoy the 37th Governess of the Low Countries whose Hâ—rring-busses being seized by the Danes they mutiny seize Newport distract Friezland pretend Religion and fly to the Duke of Gelders until the Imperial Forces came down and awed them insomuch that Groningen yeelds to the Emperour as did Dam Weddra Coeuoelden Huttem Megen Vtrecht and most other places the Gelders being not able to hold out against the Power of Spain and Germany Upon the Dowager of Savoy's death Mary Dowager of Hungary and Sister to Charles the 5th is the 40th Governess of the Low-Countries under whom the new Chanel was made between Brussels and Antwerp the Anabaptists were discovered and banished the War betwixt the Lubeckers and the Hollanders was managed by Vander-burch van Comper and the new Haven at Middleburgh was begun 1536 and the notable surprize upon the French ships was acted in this manner There being a War between the Hollanders and the French some French ships rid along their shore snapping up their Vessels and themselves somtimes in bed whereupon 50 tall Dutchmen well Armed hearing of these ships went in a Hoy lying under Hatches and covered with Sacks of Wool out of the Mase towards them who boarded it but when they were busie about the Sacks of Wooll they were entertained so rudely by those 50 men with Fire-works and Granadoes that they all fled and left 6 ships Prizes to one Hoy to be carried to Delph and sold Now likewise the Emperour brought the Geldrois to a muteny that dismantled their Towns razed their Forts and laid the Faction open to their Soveraigns Power who spoiled the Abetters Abeâ—ters of their Conspiracies the French at Sea and brought this unquiet People that rebelled every year for 527 years together to so good a temper that they presented him at Genoa with 15000 Florens of Gold a Province and quietly submitted to the Resignation he made of those Provinces to his Son at Brussels who now by the name of Philip the 2d of Spain and Lord of Austria by Emanuel Philibert Duke of Savoy his Viceroy demanded of the Netherlands Supplies for the payment of his Fathers debts who would allow him none unless forsooth he allowed a Convocation of their general States and then but a moyety neither of what he demanded and was necessary for his settlement And not onely so but notwithstanding that he honoured their chief Nobility as the Lord Horn William of Nassau the Earl of Egmont with the order of the Golden Fleece at Brussels they created such fears and jealousies between the King and the Noblemen that it was reported who were upon the refusal of the Tax designed for the Block who for the Rack and who for perpetual Imprisonment insomuch as that there was a perpetual Feud between the Court and the Nobility till the Government was dissolved all things being represented to the worst especially the Earls of Egmont and Lornes carriage at the Truce between France and Spain at Bruges and at the Treaty between the same two Crowns at Cambray Their King was yet so intent upon obliging them that he appointed them a Council of State for matters of importance as Peace War and Treaties with forreign Princes A Privy-Council for Lawes Pardons Justice c. and a third Council for the Treasury of which Councils they themselves were the major part their most eminent Nobility being advanced as the Earl of Egmoâ—â— Governour of Flanders and Artois The Prince of Orange Governour of Holland Zealand Vtrech and afterwards of Burgundy Jo. de ligni Earl of Arenbergh Governour of Friezland Overyssel Groning and Leagen Charles de Bunen Governour of Gelderland and Zuphten the Mâ—â—morencies and Hornes of their respective Provinces all subject to Margaret of Austria Dutchess of Parma and Sister to the King of Spain when the very first instance of the ungrateful mens Power is a Petition to their Soveraign a Spaniard himself to remove all Spaniards from the Netherlands A Petition the good King easily granted though to the displeasure of many of his Courtiers that had quitted their whole fortunes for employments there diverting his very Army which should have kept them in better obedience to his War in Barbary And when they had prevailed in that they give out that the Spanish Courtiers would be revenged of them and that the chief Nobility of the Netherlands the Subscribers to that Petition were designed
Army was so likely to moulder away for want of pay that she thought fit to intercede for the distressed States with his Majesty of Spain and Don John by the Lord Cobham and Sir Fracis Walsingham and when that failed a Religious Peace as they called it which the States-General consented to was settled which bred great jealousies in the Provinces where many were still stiff for Popery especially at Gaunt till the Queen of England declared against them and promised notwithstanding that Duke Casimer and the D. of Anjou retired in discontent to stand by the Protestant States to the utmost as she did effectually having brought the Estates first to stricter Union and Alliance at Vtrech 1579 than that before at Gaunt and afterwards to erect a Council of State for the management of affairs whose very first debate was a Consultation about the alteration of Government to shorten the War and engage some Person in their defence The next was the taking and demolishing of several strong Holds that had been too serviceable to the King of Spain But their affairs not prospering they resolve upon the Duke of Anjou as their Soveraign upon 27 Articles signed on both sides with Medals coyned whereon were these devices Leonem loris mus li erat Liber revinciri Leo pernegat Pro Christo grege lege Religione justitià reduce vocato ex Gulliâ pacatâ duce Andegariensi â—elgiae Libertatis vindice vos terrâ â—go excubo ponto 1580 Si non nobis saltem posteris And that being dispatched they agree upon Martial Discipline and relieve Steenwich under the conduct of Sir John Norris who victualled it and raised the Siege having given notice of it in Letters which he shot in his Bullets The States-General in the mean time answering the King of Spain's Proscription against the Prince of Orange and providing against the insolences of the Papists by a restraint upon the exercise of their Religion at Brussels and Antwerp declare thus The States General of the United Provinces Guelders Holland Zealand Zuphten Friezland Overysel and â—roeninghen having declared Prince Philip of Austria second of that name King of Spain fallen from the Sigâ—ioâ—y of the said Provinces by reason of his extraordinary and too violent Government against their Freedom and Priviledges solemnly sworn by him having by the way of Right and Armes taken upon us the Government of the publick State and of the Religion in the said Provinces An 1581 having by an Edict renounced the Government of the K. of Spain breaking his Seals Counter-seals Privy-signets for new ones made by them in their stead and entertaining the Duke of Anjou nobly attended from England by the Lord Willoughby Sheffield Windsor Sir Philip Sidney Shirley Parrat Drury and the Lord Howard's son and recommended by the Queen who avowed That what service was done him she esteemed as done to her self and commended to him this one good Rule to be sure of the hearts of the People who invested him Duke of Brabant and Earl of Flanders wherein Dunkirke did import him much to keep a Passage open from Flanders into France as the refusal his Brother made of succour and his entertainment of French Nobility to the discouragement of the Netherlands did him much harm especially since most of his Followers were either men of Spoil or secret Pensioners to the King of Spain and he by their advice lost himself in his Enterprize upon Antwerp so far that had not her Majesties Authority reconciled them the States and he had broken irrecoverably though indeed they never after peiced For the Duke thereupon delivers all the Towns he had taken to the States retyring himself to Dunkirke while the Ganthoes and other troublesom men of the Innovation declared against him and for Duke Casimir And all the Estates humbly beseeched the Queen of England by General Norris to have mercy upon them in this woful juncture especially when the wise Prince of Orange was murthered by a fellow recommended to him by Count Mansfield and serving him three years to await this opportunity having time to say no more but Lord have mercy upon my soul and this poor People And the Spaniards during the States differences and the youth of Grave Maurice of Nassau who succeeded his Father carrying all before them insomuch that the King of France was so afraid to take the Netherlands into his Protection that he sent Embassadors to the Duke of Parma to remove the very suspition of it Especially when the Guisian League brake out upon him and the poor States had now none to trust to but the Queen of England who during their Treaty with France had made them gracious promises by Secretary Davison by whom by the Respective Deputies of their Provinces June 9. 1585 they absolutely resigned the Government to her Majesty who upon sundry great considerations of State refused that yet graciously sent them 4000 men under General Norris 184600 Guilders upon the security of either Ostend or Sluce and promised 5000 Foot and 4000 Horse under a General and other Officers of her own with pay For which the States stood bound giving Flushing Ramekins Briel and the two Sconces thereunto belonging into her hand for security and taking in her Commander in chief with two persons of Quality more of her Subjects by her appointment into their Council of State According to which Contract Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester is made Governour of the Low-Countreys for the High and Mighty Princess Elizabeth Queen of England to whom the whole Countrey did Homage receiving him as their absolute Governour though the Queen disavowed that as being likely to engage her too farr in the Quarrel and the States humbly submitted to her pleâ—sure in which capacity he set out Edicts for Discipline for the Treaty and Traffique which these troublesom people upon pretence of Liberty and Priviledg mutinied against to the great hinderance of the Earls proceedings insomuch that after he had born up their Interest as his entrance into the Government just ready to sink and taken Daventer Zuphten and other places he resigned his Government to the Council of State leaving a Meddal behind him on the one side whereof was engraven his Picture with these words Robertus â—omes Leicestriae in Belgia Gubernator 1587. And on the other side a flock of sheep scattered and before them an English Dogg with these words Non gregem sed Ingratos invitus desero Whereupon Deputies of Estates attended him with a Present a Cup as big as a Man and an humble supplication to the Queens most Excellent Majesty not to forsake them now in their low Estate so low that the King of Denmark thought fit to intercede for them to their own Leige the King of Spain while they in extremity devolve their affairs upon young Grave Maurice and declaring against the Earl of Leicesser's proceedings incensed the Queen so far that she called home General Norr is though yet Sluce had ben lost