Friseland 16 Guilielmus Primus This WILLIAM by great policie did breake the chaine Which crosse the Hauen of Damiet the Sarasins had layne Whereby the Harlemers great honour did obtaine Record whereof within their Towne as yet doth still remaine Two wiues he had whereof one out of Geldre came The second MARY called was a princely English dame Full nineteene yeares he rul'd and peaceably possest His countries and in Rhynsburgh died whereas his bones do rest WILLIAM the sixteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland hauing as we haue said in the time of the Contesse Ada expelled the earle of Loos remained in quiet possession of the said prouinces He had by his wife Alix daughter to the earle of Gueldre Floris who succeeded him in the said Earledomes Otto bishop of Vtrecht and William who was lieutenant of Holland the which was father to the lady Alix married to Didier lord of Brederode and two daughters whereof the one was Abbesse at Rhynsbourg and the other at Delft This Cont William did homage to the Emperor Frederic the second for his Counties of Holland Zeeland and Friseland Afterwards vpon a priuate quarell he went and besieged the castle of Aspren hauing taken it he rased it to the ground Cont Gerard vander Are brother to Didier bishop of Vtrecht in reuenge therof went and besieged the town of Dordrecht into the which he cast wild fire which burnt almost halfe of it Soone after Cont William and the bishop were reconciled together and they made an accord by the which Cont William should pay vnto the bishop a thousand pounds and restore vnto Henry of Craen all that he had taken from him for that as wee haue said before he had once put him in prison by the cōmandement of Cont Thierry his master brother to the said Cont William Item that all the Earles subiects being in the bishoprick of Vtrecht should from that time forth be vassales to the bishop as well as all his vassales remaining in Holland Item that Cont William with a hundred knights attired onely in linnen cloth and bare-footed should present themselues before the Cathedrall church of Vtrecht and being there the Earle should aske him forgiuenesse for that he had before laid hands vpon him and taken him prisoner although he were rescued in the Abbey of Staueren All which articles the Earle did accomplish fearing his excommunication and from that time the Earle and the bishop continued good friends Behold the simplicitie of Princes and the pride of prelats in those daies brauing all the world with their thundering threats At that time died Henry king of Scotland vncle by the mothers side to cont William of Holland leauing no children There was a great nobleman in Scotland who with the helpe of the king of England got possession of the realm The Earle of Holland pretending a title to the Crowne as the neerest kinsman son to the deceased kings sister imployed all his friends for the obtaining thereof and to bring it to effect being imbarked with a goodly armie he landed in Scotland where at the first he tooke many townes and castles In the meane time Lewis earle of Loos knowing Cont William to be absent and that he could not easily come out of Scotland although he had wholly conquered it leuied men secretly to make a new conquest of the Earldome of Holland but Cont VVilliam being aduertised thereof desiring rather safely to enioy his owne inheritance which he had gotten with much paine than to striue to make a doubtfull conquest in a strange countrey and farre off he returned speedily into Holland The earle of Loos hearing of his returne proceeded no further for he feared him much hauing made so good triall of him who afterwards gouerned his countries peaceably during the remainder of his dayes In the yeare 1218 the lady Alix wife to Cont VVilliam died hauing left the children aboue named and was buried in the church of the Abbey of Rhynsbourg Afterwards the said earle maried with Mary daughter to Edmond of Lancaster son to Henry the third king of England by whom he had no children About that time the inhabitants of Ziricxee in the Island of Shouven in Zeeland began to build great shippes for marchandise to traffique throughout al seas as well North as South and to make their towne famous as it was for a time by reason of their nauigation hauing fit and conuenient hauens and rodes the which haue since beene much stopped with barres of sand so as of late the inhabitants of that towne haue made a new hauen going directly to the sea before Noortbeuelandt The Earles of Zeeland who were also Earles of Holland had a palace in the towne of Ziricxee the ruines whereof are to be seene at this day It is the second towne of Zeeland We haue in the life of Cont Thier◅ the seuenth and of his daughter Ada rela◅ed briefely the deeds of this Cont VVilliam the first of that name FLORIS THE FOVRTH OF THAT name the seuenteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland Florentius Quartus My daughter in one day as many children bare As daies within a yeare complete by vs accounted are Twelue yeares I liued Earle Mars durst me not defie But iealous loue was cause that I was murthered cruelly My wife grieu'd at my death and her so hard fortune At her owne charge for women built the cloyster of Losdune VVithout the towne of Delft my sister edified Another which le champ royal she nam'd wherein she died FLORIS the fourth of that name by the death of Cont William was the seuenteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland his brother Otto was made Earle of Friseland in his fathers life and William the youngest was hereditarie gouernour of Kennemerlandt this William had one daughter called Alix the which was married to Didier lord of Brederode who had by her Alfart father to William of Brederode who was General of the Horse to the king of the Romans the eighteenth Earle of Holland Cont Floris had to wife Mathilda daughter to Henry duke of Lothier and Brabant by whom he had the said king William his successor and Floris who was gouernour of Holland then Alix which was Contesse of Henault and Marguerite wife to Herman earle of Henneberg who had that great number of children whereof we shall speake by and by In the time of this Earle Floris there was neere vnto the towne of Arckel a little castle vpon the place of Wolfard belonging to Iohn lord of Arckel about the which there liued some poore fishermen at which place the riuer of Meruve began to ebbe and flow for that the riuers of Meuse and Wahal the which before the towne of Tyel in Gelderland was very narrow and could not enter into that of Linge fell into it These poore fishermen called themselues Gorreckens whereof the towne of Gorrekom now Gorrichom tooke the name This lord of Arckel caused all the houses of
shew themselues but kept in holes or led a rusticke countrey life neither after that day durst any man carry the armes of any of those three houses The Emperour Rodulphus the first of that name had in the yeare 1290 giuen East-Friseland vnto the riuer of Lanuvers vnto the earle of Gueldres to hold it in fee of the Empire but by reason of the ferocitie of the Frisons and their heat and resolution to maintain their auncient liberties graunted them by the Emperor Charlemaigne and other precedent Emperors knowing also that the Earle of Holland pretended an interest thereunto hee durst not aduenture to take possession thereof by force Besides Cont Floris hauing as we haue said before subdued West-Friseland and taken the town of Staueren did much annoy the East-Frisons and withall the bishops of Vtrecht would neuer quit their part who to free themselues from so many lords sent their embassadors to the king of Denmarke desiring him that hee would take them and their countrey into his protection The king being loth to let slip this goodly occasion receiued them and sent one of his noblemen to gouerne the countrey in his name and to be his lieutenant and to the end he should be the more respected and haue the greater authority he gaue him his sister in mariage A while after he came himselfe into Friseland making many lawes and ordinances and imposing a certaine tribute which was reasonably tollerable This done he returned into Denmarke but before six moneths were expired this lieutenant began to oppresse them and to vse them tyrannously contrary to their accord the which did so incense the Frisons against him as they slue him sending his wifebacke being with child to the king her brother in the yeare 1295 who was soone after brought in bed of a sonne who reuenged his fathers death as we shall see hereafter IOHN THE FIRST OF THAT name the twentieth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland 20 Joannes Hollandiae This IOHN the King of Englands daughter had to wife In whose short time the towne of Delft hap'ning to fall in strife VVith him attempted for to kill two of his counsellors Accompanied with WOLPHAR he did enter into warres Against the Frisons and subdu'd them in short space But death when he had rul'd foure yeares his conquest did deface And without heires it was his chance to die VVhose bones intomb'd with his valiant ancestors do lie COnt Floris the fifth being thus murthered as we haue said by Gerard van Velsen Iohn of Holland his only sonne succeeded him and was the twentieth Earle He being absent in England with the king his father in law Didier earle of Cleues tooke vpon him the gouernment of the quarter of North-Holland On the other side Guy brother to the earle of Henault Treasurer Cathedrall of the bishopricke of Liege came and tooke vpon him the gouernment of South-Holland made his residence at Gheertruyden-bergh By the diuisions and factions of these two noblemen there happened great troubles in Holland the subiects being diuided during the absence of their prince Cont Iohn of Henault and Guy his brother were sonnes to the deceased cont Iohn d' Auesnes and the lady Alix sister to William king of Romanes and Earle of Holland who was father vnto the last Cont Floris and so were cousin germanes to Cont Iohn of Holland his neerest kinsmen and more apparent heires than the earle of Cleues and therfore Guy maintained that the gouernment was due to him rather than to the earle of Cleues but Cont Iohns return from England ended all these quarrels William Bertold subrogated in the place of Iohn Zirich chosen bishop of Toul in Lorraine to the bishopricke of Vtrecht hauing an actiue and stirring spirit reuiued the ancient quarrels of them of Vtrecht against the Hollanders went to besiege the castle of Muyden the which he maintained to be part of his reuenues the which in the end he forced and constrained Didier of Harlem to yeeld it vp to haue their liues saued he remaining his prisoner The bishop puffed vp with this happie successe went into West-Friseland after that hee had caused his pardons to be preached for all such as would carry armes against the Hollanders The Frisons according to their auncient manner of doing being still readie to reiect the yoke of the Earles of Holland by the persuasion and encouragement of this bishop besieged the castle of Widenesse which they battered and gaue many assaults so as in the end Baldwin of Naeldwyke for want of victuals and munition of warre was forced to yeeld it vp by composition to depart with bag and baggage and to returne freely into Holland which done they rased it the like they did also to the castle of Euigenburch then passing on they besieged the castle of Medemblycke hauing burnt the base towne Floris of Egmont and other gentlemen that were within it defended themselues valiantly making many braue sallies and skirmishes vpon their enemies they were so long besieged in this manner as for want of victuals they were forced to eat their horses Cont Iohn of Henault hauing newes thereof and that the Frisons with the said bishop of Vtrecht did what they pleased without any or very small resistance tooke vpon him during the absence of his cousin the gouernment of Holland and with an Armie of Hannuyers Hollanders and Zeelanders went into Friseland where he defeated the Frisons raised the siege from before Medemblycke and relieued it with all things necessarie The Seignior Iohn of Arckel and Nicholas of Putten knights of Holland tooke the towne of Enchuysen whence they caried away a great spoile and in their retreat burnt it During the diuisions and partialities betwixt the earle of Cleues and Guy of Henault the which increased more and more in Holland the lords Didier of Brederode Floris Regal Abbot of Egmond Henry Vicont of Leyden and William of Egmond accompanied with some gentlemen of marke imbarked to goe and fetch their prince Cont Iohn out of England and for a strange and new thing they led with them Claes van Keyten where they were graciously receiued by king Edward who hauing rigged forth a goodly Fleet of shippes sent away the Earle his son in law with his daughter Elizabeth recommending vnto the lord of Brederode the gouernment of the said Earle his prince being then very young Being at sea the wind turned contrary so as they were forced to land in Zeeland whereas Wolfart of Borssele lord of la Vere reiecting and contemning the Noblemen of Holland did cunningly seize vpon the guard and gouernment of the young Earle chasing from him all the Nobilitie of Holland to whom the king of England had so much recommended him The Earle being one day at Romerswael by the persuasion of the said lord of Vere sent the lord of Brederode who was a plaine dealing man and nothing malicious to Ziricxee to treat of some affaires and in the meane time the said lord
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
an armie The Duke had also his armie in field of the which the Earle of Estampes was generall who made sharpe warres against the Ganthois in the which they were some-times beaten and did some-times beate the Dukes troopes In the end after a great ruine of townes and destruction of the country of Flanders the Ganthois hauing receiued a great defeate by the succours which the Hollanders sent vnto the duke and afterwards an other where there were slaine 6000. of them vpon the place which was the 23. of Iuly 1453. They sent their deputies the 26. of the said moneth vnto the Duke to aske him forgiuenesse in the name of all the people and the 30. following by the prayers and intercessions of some Noblemen both cleargie and secular they were reconciled vnto the duke vpon certaine conditions who receiued them into grace the warre hauing continued fiue yeares The conditions of this reconciliation by the which the greatnesse of the Ganthois was much impaired and the duke assured for the remainder of his life from their mutinies and all the warres which the Ganthois had had at that time are written at large in the Chronicle of Flanders At that time Adrian of Borsselle Lord of Brigdam Duyuelant Galmeade Somersdyk and Zuyburch married Anne the bastard daughter of duke Philip of Bourgongne by whom hee had one sonne called Cornellis who dyed yong and two daughters Agnes and Anne The Lord of Brigdam was then great Chamberlaine to Duke Philip and afterwards to duke Charles his sonne The 4. of March 1455. died Rodoph of Diephont bishop of Vtrecht hauing gouernd his Bishoprick about 23. yeares After whose death duke Philip sent Cont Ihon of Nassau to the Chapter of Vtrecht intreating them to choose his bastard sonne the bishop of Teroane Arnold Duke of Geldres came in person to sue for Stephen of Bauaria Chanoine of Cologne The Chapter without any respect of the intreatie of two mighty Princes nor of these two competitors chose Ghysbrecht of Brederod their Prouost Cathedral a wise and a vertuous man This election was made ioyntly by them all except Gerard vanden Massche Iohn of Wittenhurst Chanoins who gaue their voice to Stephen of Bauaria yet seeing all the rest were of one minde they yeelded and consented to their election This election did not much please them of the Cabillautin faction in Holland for that those of Brederode were of the Hoekins seeking all meanes to hinder it and sending some of the chiefe among them to Brussels to the Duke of Bourgongne giuing him to vnderstand that if this election were of force and that Ghysbrecht of Brederode remained absolute bishop he was in danger to loose his Earldome of Holland if he did not preuent it by his wisedome For that said they Renowld Lord of Brederode his brother would with his ayde attempt to conquer it vnder a coulour that he vaunts himselfe to be issued from the ancient and first Earles of Holland hauing already purchased many friends in the diocesse of Vtrecht and in East Friseland by whose fauour he might easily seaze vpon the countrie The Duke giuing eare to these false reports beleeued them although that the lord of Brederode was well knowne to be a milde and quiet man who would neuer haue entertained such a thought hauing made it sufficiently knowne vnto his Prince with what loyaltie hee had serued him in his last warre against the Ganthois Vpon these aduertisements the Duke sent the Bishop of Arras to the Pope to presse him to haue the prouision of this Bishoprike of Vtrecht for Dauid his bastard for whom Alphonso King of Arrâ—…gon did also solicite Ghysbrecht the elect bishop had also sent his Ambassadors to desire confirmation thereof whom the Pope held in suspence yet receiuing his annuat or first fruits which was 4000. ducats but hee made them no other dispatch Whilest that these Ambassadors were at Rome the Duke and the Earle of Charolois his sonne came into Holland being resolued to install Dauid bastard of Bourgongne in the bishoprick of Vtrecht by force being at the Hage the Duke kept open court did solemnize the order of the Golden Fleece of the which hee created 26. Knights himselfe making the 27. The Lord of Brederode meant to come vnto this feast but hauing some other lets he went not the which was happy for him for his enemies had laid two ambushes in seuerall places to kill him but his stay disapointed them Another time being come vnexpected to the Dukes court at the Hage his aduersaries laide three ambuscadoes more for him with 500. men but hee departed sodenly and so well accompanied as they durst not attempt any thing returning safe to Vtrecht to his brother that was chosen bishop Those of Vtrecht hearing that the Duke ment to bring his base Sonne into the Bishoprik by force sent him word that their preuiledges and ecclesiasticall orders did not admit a bastard to that dignity The Duke to auoide and make frustrate that obiection obtained a dispensation from the Pope for his bastardise making him legitimate Those of Vtrecht being discontented fortified themselues with men and with all things necessary to resist any attempt Notwithstanding in despight of them and those of the house of Brederode hauing obtained from the Pope prouision of the sayd Bishoprick for Dauid his bastard hee forced Gysbrecht that was chosen Bishop to compound with him and to yeeld vp his bishoprik to Dauid Vpon condition that he should remaine Prouost Cathedrall and Prouost of Oudt Minster in Vtrecht and Prouost of Donas in Bruges and that yearely during his life hee should haue an Annuall pension of 4200. florins of gold out of the bishoprike of Vtrecht and for the charges hee had beene at by reason of his election 50000. Lyons of gold For the performance of all which conditions the duke of Cleues stood bound in the name of the duke of Burgongne who by reason of this accord entred with his base sonne Dauid into the towne of Vtrecht and put him in possession But those of Deuenter and other townes of the contry of Oueryssel which is the high diocesse of Vtrecht opposed themselues and would not acknowledge Dauid for their prince pastor vntil the duke besieging Deuenter forced them thervnto Whilest that the Duke held the said towne of Deuenter besieged Lewis Daulphin of France fell in disgrace with King Charles the 7. his Father beeing much perplexed and doubtfull for a time whether he should retier himselfe to the King of England or not But hee thought it best to goe vnto his couzin Duke Philippe of Bourgongne taking his waie towards Brusselles with a small trayne which made the duke yeelde to a composition sodenly with them of Deuenter that hee might go and receiue him This Prince was so honorably entertained feasted and treated as hee remained fiue yeares in the Dukes Court vntill the death of the King his Father hauing an
married before his departure in Spaine but one daughter that died very young After his death his wife maried the lord of Floyon of the house of Barlamont and after earle of Barlamont who after her death maried with the onely daughter and heire of the earle of Lalaine These lords manner of life and Religion could not escape the Spanish furie although they were most earnest and good catholickes the marquesse of Berghen being so earnest therein that he commaunded all catholicke offices to be performed within his gouernment and caused the children of those of the reformed Religion to be baptised againe neither yet could the intercession of the emperour the princes of Germany and others preuaile any thing therein Touching the liues actions and seruices of these lords done for the king and the benefite of the Netherlands many men in other countries round about were of opinion that they only were the principallest instruments both by counsell and action of the kings good and prosperous proceedings victories and greatnesse and that his affaires through his father the emperours crosses in Germanie and his weakenesse of bodie being at an ebbe were by theirs and other Netherlanders means so much furthered and aduanced that thereby they brought Fraunce to graunt to so good and an honourable peace in his behalfe But it was their euill fortunes that they were too well beloued and fauoured of the common people and by their vpright and good seruices together with other Netherlanders had gotten ouer-great credite and report in euery place whereby they had not onely mooued and enticed the people to yeeld great tributes taxes tallages and honours vnto the king but also procured great seruices to be done for him in other countries as in Germany c. And when the king with his counsell in Spaine had fully resolued to bring the Netherlands vnder full obedience and subiection by the Inquisition and other strange deuices brought into it and other countries whether it were of zeale vnto the Romish catholicke Religion or that he ouer-much desired his owne profite and greatnesse hee sought and expected from those lords that they should and would vse and put in practise their authoritie and power aforesaid among the common people as they had done before wherein they did not acquite themselues so well as the vnexperienced counsellors in Spaine concerning the affaires of the Netherlands desired and expected they should haue done which the said lords esteemed to bee cleane contrarie vnto the kings seruice and the profit of the Netherlands as also thinking it to bee a thing vnreasonable for them to withstand and contrary their owne friends kindred countrey lawes and priuiledges knowing better than they of Spaine wherein the profit and commoditie of the Netherlands and consequently the aduancement of the kings honour and seruice chiefely consisted esteeming it vnpossible to hold and maintaine a people that had alwaies liued in freedome in peace and quietnesse by such odious kind of rigour as the proclamations and the Inquisition brought in and inflicted vpon them For which cause they seeing the proceedings of their neighbour countries sought to procure and induce the king to a necessarie kind of altering or moderating of his pretended course by diuers and seuerall meanes for the maintenance and preseruation of the catholicke Romish Religion which otherwise stood in great danger to be ouerthrowne which disliked and much displeased the king and his counsell and was the matter of Treason as the Spaniards supposed for the which they must die others measuring their actions by another way esteemed and iudged them both by God and mans law to haue iustly deserued to die for that in so good 〈◊〉 cause wherein so much consisted the honour of God Religion the countries welfare and the kings profit they were not more vigilant carefull prouident and earnest than they had beene but through feare and suspition of the kings carelesnesse beeing badly informed by the enemies of the countrey suffered themselues to be easily carried away and to let such cases of importance as the abolishing of the proclamations for the assembling of the States and such like priuiledges graunted in times past to be taken away from the Netherlands by prouiso whereby they made the other lords and gentlemen become faint hearted and partly holpe and assisted to persecute them contrarie to their owne promises wils and consciences seeing and knowing wherein the honour of God the Religion the countries welfare and the profite of the king most consisted better than any other counsellors about him did as time it selfe hath sufficiently made manifest and declared Some others argued to the contrarie excusing them That they thereby hoped to pacifie the kings wrath when he should see and perceiue the obedience of his subiects and the weightinesse of the cause together with the daungers therein consisting and so might be mooued to a softer and more conuenient remedie Wherein also they were much deceiued which the prince of Orange and others had sufficiently foretold them as that they would bee the bridge and onely instrument vpon the which and wherewith the Spaniards would enter into the Netherlands counselling and aduising them rather to kepe all strangers out of the land vntill the king by aduice of the generall States should be better counselled Generally euery man esteemed that the king could reape no good nor profit by the rigor and crueltie that he had vsed against those earles and other noblemen and gentlemen but be a meanes to breed much hatred euill will and desperation among the people towards him which since hath cost many mens liues and consumed a great masse of treasure These were the common and generall opinions of all well experienced persons in matters concerning estate in other princes countries and courts touching their deaths Cont Lodowic of Nassau hauing gotten the victorie against Cont Arembergh and the Spaniards diuided his armie into two with the which he went to besiege Groningen a great and mightie towne in the countrey of Friseland not without great admiration of all men how hee durst with so few men and so little munition attempt such a towne whereas the earle of Meghen was with eighteene ensignes of Germanes and a thousand Spaniards and Curio Martinengue with three hundred horsemen The besieged made many braue sallies and among others one on the two and twentieth of Iune in the which the earle of Nassau lost aboue two hundred men seeking to hinder them from building of a fort betwixt two riuers In the meane time Chiapin Vitelli marshal of the campe to the duke of Alua gathered together what men he could with the which he aduanced whilest that the duke prepared to rayse the siege Chiapin camped on the one side of the towne not farre from Cont Lodowics Protestants who sent to offer him battaile but he excused himselfe The duke of Alua sent to entreat the emperour in the king his masters name that he would commaund the earle of Nassau to leaue the siege
bloudie counsell punish such breach of promise as rebellion and lay their heads at their feet with all such as vpheld and maintained the same and that generally specially to the states of Flanders great fauour had been shewed vnto all the states hauing all deserued no lesse rigour at the kings hands than the earles of Egmont and the prince of Orange had and that in recompence and redemption thereof the king was content to accept the said taxe of the tenth penie but hee might haue gotten a great deale more for the king by confiscations if hee would haue vsed that meanes as hee might well haue done than by the tenth penie caring not for the pretended priuiledges of the particular prouinces and townes specially the Ioyous entrie of Brabant which hee said they as well as those of Vtrecht had forfeited and lost Whereupon some made him answer That the declaration and sentence of depriuation or forfeiture must first bee published and that the attempting thereof would bee dangerous He made answer That hee would rather suffer himselfe to bee cut and hewed in peeces than to endure that the countrey should not hold their promise and that the Sunne and Moone should first loose their light before hee would faile of the tenth penie The states perceiuing the dukes resolution and intent at the last thought it requisit in the beginning of the yeare 1572 each prouince to send one into Spaine in their behalfes vnto the king which he neuerthelesse commanded to come backe again threatning them with death but yet they got through into Spaine but before any resolution was taken therein there happened an alteration in the Netherlands by the taking of the Bryele Flessingue and other places as hereafter shall bee shewed without the which alteration the messengers in Spaine had surely beene in great danger of their liues The duke notwithstanding in the meane time sought to raise the tenth penie in some particular townes appointing his officers to receiue the same and first in Brussels where he thought best to begin but they of Brussels shut vp all their shops and would sell nothing that they might not bee compelled to pay the tenth penie The Bakers nor Brewers woâ—… neither bake nor brew whereby there grew a great confusion and desperation amongst tâ—… people which to preuent the duke intended to deale by force resoluing in March 1572 to hang seuenteene of the chiefe townes men in Brussels that were against him whose names hee had al eadie written in a scroll in the night time before their doores or else hee would make them graunt to sell their wares and to pay him thereafter the which to effect hee had giuen charge vnto the executioners to bee readie with ladders and cords to execute them the next night after the newes came into Brussels that the earle Vander Marke had taken the towne of Bryele which losse of the said towne of Bryle made him see that hee had done better to haue put garrisons into the hauen townes and to haue dealt in milder sort with the people rather than to haue sought to haue his owne wil so much and to taxe the land at his pleasure whereas the Netherlands offered such great summes as that the state of the land could hardly raise Thus by meanes of the taking of the Bryele the raysing of the tenth and twentieth penie was stayed although it hath since beene sought and required They of Amsterdam because they would not absolutely consent to his demaund of the tenth penie were fined to pay the summe of fiue and twentie thousand gulderns towards the buylding of the castle at Flessingue but they excused themselues by their great losse endured by the great flouds and the mending and making of their ditches and aboue all that they dayly indured so great losse by the water Gueux that tooke their fleets comming from the East and West Indies As I said before a great number of banished and fugitiue persons of the Netherlands hauing prepared ships kept at sea and were conducted by certaine gentlemen and others who most by pouertie were driuen to seeke some recompence of their losses and hinderance by force and extremities After that other ioyned with them hauing a further intent to do something tending to the deliuerance and good of their natiue countrey This number daily increasing and doing great hurt vnto their enemies round about Holland as in the Vlie Texel and the Ems harbouring most commonly vnder England in the downes and at Douer and thereabouts amongst the which the prince of Orange as admirall by force of his letters of Mart had his officers that receiued the tenth penie of their prizes The duke of Alua made meanes to the queene of England to intreat her not to suffer them to harbor there alledging that she ought not according to the contracts made betweene England and the Netherlands to suffer the kings rebels to haue so open passage to and from her hauens The queene although shee had cause ynough to dislike of the duke in March 1572 made proclamation That they should all depart out of her hauens forbidding her subiects to sell them any victuals neuerthelesse with this condition That her English rebels should bee driuen out of the king of Spaines dominions Whereby they were constrained to depart and to enterprise something in the countries of the Netherlands whereunto they knew themselues not to bee strong ynough This necessitie compelled them to vse order and discipliâ—… amongst them and to that end they all put themselues vnder the commaund of William earle Vander Marke free heire to Lumey lord of Serrain Borset and Minderleyt and heire of Franchimont c. eldest sonne of Iohn lord of Lumey and of Marguerite youngest daughter of Iohn lord of Wassenare This earle Vander Marke made himselfe admirall and his lieutenant Bartel Entes van Meutheda viceadmirall hauing with him captaine William de Bloys called Threlon the lord of Sweten Lancelot van Brederode Iacob Cabilleaw one of Egmont Iaques Schooneual Antonis Wenthoue Antonis van Rhine William de Graue van Egmont Iaques Metens Nicholas Ruythauer captaine Eloy Iock and Iohn Abels Marinus Brandt Roybol Iaques Hennebert Iohn Clauson Spiegel Iohn Simonson Merten Merous Walter Franson captaine Ielande and diuers others All these together hauing about fortie ships most flie-boats in the moneth of March put out of England and tooke a great ship of Antuerpe laden with Spanish wares and another ship of Biskaie Their meaning was to saile to North-Holland although their enterprise there was as then not fully readie but determined in the meane time to spoyle certaine ships of war belonging to the duke that lay at Amsterdam and Enchuysen but the wind beeing against them they put into the Bryel the island being called Voorn and the town Bryel there to take certaine ships lying in the Meuse readie to sayle to Spaine but they perceiuing them to enter the Meuse hoysed sayle and went vp to Rotterdam whereby the earle
it with our roiall seale Giuen in the yeare of our Lord at Engelshem 868 the 13 of Aprill Gezo vicechancellor in the absence of the archbishop Othelrie high chancellor hath seene allowed and subsigned it Hereby we may vnderstand that from Tournay and higher vnto Vtrecht all that did lie betwixt the two branches of the riuer of Rhine which Ptolomie calles Naualia for that the ships must of necessitie passe there and pay tribute the which since hath bene called Traiectum that is to say a Trauers of traijciendo was nothing but a thicke and fearefull forrest which they called The forrest without mercie By these Letters we may also see that Holland and Zeeland were the furthest limits and frontiers of Germanie the which did extend vnto the British sea towards Brabant and Flanders the one beeing held of the Empire and the other of the crowne of Fraunce and that of forrests woods and desarts they are by succession of time become good and fertile countries and both erected into Earledomes by the donators themselues Thierry of Aquitaine being then by the bountie of the kings of France and Germanie become earle of Holland and Zeeland and lord of Friseland although the Friselanders will not absolutly confesse it by reason whereof they had great wars against the earles of Holland of whom they â—…ue three or foure in battaile was issued from a most noble and antient race that is from the old kings of France descended from the Troians that is to say from the first race of the kings of Franconia issued from Marcomir Pharamond and others their successors kings of France whose discent may thus bee reckoned for this Priam come from Troy being so called by the name of his great grandfather king of Phrygia and of Troy was the first king of Franconia who had to sonne Marcomir that first came into France he had Pharamond Pharamond had Clodion Clodion had Merouë Merouë had Childeric Childeric had Clouis the first Cristian king Clouis had Childebert Childebert had Clotaire the first Clotaire had Cherebert Cherebert had Chilperic Chilperic had Clotaire the second Clotaire had Dagobert the first Dagobert had Clouis the second Clouis had Clotaire the third Clotaire had Childeric the third Childeric had Theodoric or Thierry Theodoric had besides Clouis the third king of France another sonne called Chilperic or Childebert this Childebert had Diedericke duke of Aquitaine Diedericke had Lothaire Lothaire had Didier Didier had Engelrim who died a martyr Engelrim had Sigisbert Sigisbert had of his wife Mathild sister to Cont Haghen of Zanthen and lady Emme queene of Germanie two sonnes that is to say Walger earle of Teisterbaudt and Thierry of Aquitaine earle of Holland and Zeeland lord of Friseland This Cont Thierry carried the armes of his ancestors and for that king Pepin would not haue any but himselfe and those of his blood carrie the armes of France hee therefore gaue vnto Diederic or Thierry duke of Aquitaine other different armes which some say were those of Hector of Troy that is A Lion rampant Gueules in a field Or armed and lampassed Azure And for that the sayd Cont Thierry drew his originall in the right masculine line from the said Diederic duke of Aquitaine he might by right carrie the same armes Hee was also honourably married to Genna or Ienna daughter to Pepin the Bald king of Italie sonne to the emperour Charlemagne who died before his father to whom king Charles the Bald was vncle by the fathers side and she his neece daughter to his brother a very wise and vertuous princesse This Thierry did valiantly suppresse and vanquish the Danes who at that time did possesse the towne of Vtrecht the Wiltes and the Slaues who seeing they could no more set footing in Holland through the valiant resistance which they found in Cont Thierry they made an incursion into Zeeland vpon the coast of Arnmuyden Lewis king of Germanie hauing intelligence of the great spoile which the Danes made in Zeeland sent Lupold thither a braue Franconian knight the sonne of Vrancke duke of Suawbe grandchild to that Lupold which was driuen out of his countrie by Nicephorus emperour of Greece to succour Cont Thierry his nephew who iointly together made good proofe of their valour and forces against the Danes in many a gallant incounter Of this first Lupold are descended those of the last house of Borssele in Zeland for he had to wife Elizabeth daughter to the great Maroth king of Hungarie by whome he had three sonnes that is to say Lupold who was earle of high Hungarie and Frederike duke of Austria from whome are descended those of Walchi which is the noblest house in Austria the third was Vrancke father to the second Lupold whome king Lewis made Lieutenant generall of his armie in Zeeland from whence hauing expelled the Danes he married an heire of the first house of Borssele and was the founder of the town of Borssele at this time drowned After this victorie Cont Thierry liued in peace and rest studieng to beautifie his countries and to furnish them with good lawes so as hauing reigned fortie yeares he died very old to whome his sonne succeeded THIERRY THE SECOND OF THAT name peaceable Earle of Holland and Zeeland and Lord of Friseland Theodoricus Secundus THIERRY the second Earle of Holland by degree I was and twice in two yeares space obtained victorie Gainst Frisons that my fathers bones did take out of his graue And all the sillie virgine Nuns out of their cloisters draue The which my father first for maids did make and frame Of Wood and I of Lime and Stone for men new built the same King Loys daughter Hille nam'd I had to wife And at full foureskore yeares and eight did end my mortall life THierry the second of that name by the decease of Cont Thierry of Aquitaine his father was Earle of Holland and Zeeland and lord of Friseland But the Friselanders at the first would not acknowledge him for their lord but rebelled against him and would liue free vnder the liberties which the Emperour Charlemagne had graunted them This Cont Thierry had to wife Hildegard daughter to Lewis the stuttering king of France and sister to king Charles the Simple by whome hee had Egbert his eldest sonne a deuout man who was Archbishop of Treues and Arnulph or Arnoult who succeeded him in the said Counties and one daughter called Alix or Erlinde Cont Thierry seeing the wilfulnesse and obstinacie of his subiects of Friseland leuyed a strong and mightie armie of the best souldiors he could recouer as well in his own territories as of his friends and allies with the which he entered into the countrie of Friseland and began to forrage spoile burne and destroy it The Frisons knowing themselues vnable at this time to resist so mightie an armie making of necessitie vertue and yeelding to the time and force they submitted themselues to the Earles mercie who
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
Inheritance At the same time which was in the yeare 1077. died the said William bishop of Vtrecht hauing gouerned his bishopricke in bloudie warres in the which he was often victor for the space of two and twentie yeares carrying himselfe more like a Captaine than a Pastor to whom succeeded Conrard issued from the Dukes of Suaube who was installed in the sayd bishopricke the better to defend the Conquest of Holland and Zeeland which his predecessour William had made This Conrard tooke great delight in the Castle of Isselmond whether the Earles Thierry and Robert the Frison marched with their Armie knowing his vsuall residence to be there The bishop Conrard hearing that they came to besiege him and seeing his said Castle inuested sent to his subiects of his bishoprick of Vtrecht to come to succour him and to free him from this siege Whereupon great numbers of souldiers came to him from all parts so as there was a furious battaile fought betwixt the bishops Traiectins and the Hollanders and Flemings of Cont Thierry and Cont Robert the which was long in suspence to whether part the victorie would encline but in the end the bishops men were broken and put to flight of whom there was a great slaughter made beeing pursued vnto their shippes where many were drowned in the prease striuing to get in There died many Nobles of the bishops side among others Garlar Earle of Zutphen Lambert Prouost Cathedrall of Deuenter Volckmar Priest of S. Boniface Chisbrecht and Warembault knights And of Cont Thierries side Iohn of Arckel Euerard of Bockhorst with many other Gentlemen and braue souldiers The bishop hauing lost this battaile and seeing his men quite defeated and without any meanes to rallie them againe together sought to fortifie himselfe in the dungeon of the Castle of Isselmond rampiering vp the base Court But Cont Thierry by the aduice of his Hollanders hauing woon the said base Court forced the bishop to yeeld both himselfe and the place to his mercie and in the end for his liberty to restore vnto him all his country of Holland which done the Earle sent him home honourably to Vtrecht After this triumphant victorie and before that hee dismissed his Armie Cont Thierry hauing recouered his inheritance entred into Holland from the which he had beene long expelled and was there receiued with great ioy and pompe and acknowledged for their Prince Earle and naturall Lord But the Frisons who had so often rebelled were restic and refused the homage which they ought him seeking to remaine free Imperialists although that Egbert competitor to the Emperour Henry the fourth hauing subdued them from the Flie to the riuer of Lanuvers had made them his vassales and giuen them to the bishop of Vtrecht and the said Egbert being vanquished and slaine in a mill by the said Emperours men all the Countrey of Friseland was giuen to bishop William of Geldre and annexed vnto his bishopricke by the said Emperour Henry The Frisons therefore seeing the sayd Conrard vanquished would not acknowledge the one nor the other but onely the Emperour and the Empire relying vpon their auncient priuiledges Thierry seeing their obstinacie attended the oportunitie of a sharpe and violent Winter with some hard frostes which made the foule wayes waters marishes and quagge mires firme and hard as stone Then he marched with all his forces to assayle them the Frisons attended him vpon the yee where a furious battaile was fought But in the end the Frisons not able any longer to endure the force of the Hollanders and Flemings were put to rout and aboue fortie thousand slaine vpon the place Yet the Frisons fainted not for this defeat but hauing gathered together their dispersed troupes and beeing succoured with fresh and great supplies they present themselues to a second battaile The Earle being well accompanied after that hee had encouraged his men went to charge them The encounter was great and fierce eyther partie contending for the victorie the Hollanders fighting for honour and spoile and the Frisons for their liberties liues and goods yet they were charged so furiously by the Hollanders as not able any longer to endure the shocke they began by little and little to recoyle and giue backe and in the end fled so as the slaughter was very great for the Earle was much incensed against them commaunding all to be slaine so as there died aboue six thousand in this second battaile And marching into the Countrey he tooke men women and children prisoners that were vnder the age of twelue yeares putting all that could be taken in the furie to the sword that exceeded this age beeing resolued to ruine and vnpeople the whole Countrey Then he went to besiege the Towne of Staueren and the inhabitants were forced to compound to haue their liues and goods saued paying thirteene hundred Crownes of gold for a ransome and leading with him fortie of the inhabitants of the Towne for hostages causing all strange souldiers that were found in it to be stripped and spoyled Thus Cont Thierry recouered all the Countrey of Friseland and returned a Conquerour into his Countrey of Zeeland where soone after he maried Withild daughter to Fredericke Duke of Saxonie by whom he had one sonne called Floris who was Earle after his death and one daughter named Mathild the which was maried to the Duke of Orleans The said Cont Thierry confirmed by letters of State the donations made by the Earles his predecessours to the Abbey of Egmont Conrard bishop of Vtrecht being as we haue said freed from prison hauing yeelded vp vnto Cont Thierry his Earledome of Holland was not well satisfied that the said Thierry had conquered Friseland the which hee maintained did belong vnto him but with such informations as bishop William of Geldre his predecessor had made vnto the Emperour Henry the fourth he obtained by letters patents bearing date the Ides of Februarie in the yeare 1088. a graunt of the said Countrey of Friseland in the which are specially named the quarters of Oostergoe and Westergoe vnto the riuer of Lanuvers the which the said bishop Conrard did afterwards giue in the yere 1092. to Adolph of Fornenburch to hold them in fee of his bishopricke of Vtrecht This knight Adolph had to wife Anne daughter to the Lord of Ameland by the which he had no children In the same yere Cont Thierry being fallen sicke died the fifteenth of the Calends of Iuly after that the Lady Gertrude of Saxonie his mother from the decease of Cont Floris her husband father to Thierry had gouerned the Countries of Holland Zeeland and Friseland two yeares Robert the Frison his father in law eight yeares Godfrey the Crooked duke of Lorrain foure William bishop of Vtrecht one yeare and he himselfe fifteene making in all thirty yeres from the death of the said Cont Floris his father He was interred in the Abbey of Egmont by whom also doth lye the Countesse Withild
began to fish for herrings at the mouth of the riuer of Meuse and in the Brittish sea along the coast of Holland Zeeland and Friseland the first fishing was about the island of Bryele where as they did fish with small barkes called Sabards Those of Zirixee were the first that did fish and packt them vp in barrels Those of Bierulyet a small island vpon the coast of Flanders the better to preserue them being salted inuented the meanes to gill them and to pull out the garbage or els they would soone corrupt In the yere 1190 the emperor Frederic being in Nicea a citie of Bythynia hauing extreame heat he went into a riuer to bath him but the violence of the streame carried him away he was drowned in the presence of all his people who could not helpe him About which time Floris the third Earle of Holland fell sicke in the armie died in this voyage and was interred by the emperor Frederic hauing gouerned his prouinces seuen and twentie yeares Ada his his wife did suruiue him eighteene yeares and died in the yere 1208 being interred in the abbey of Middlebourg in Zeeland William their sonne hauing accompanied his father as wee haue said at his returne passing through Germanie he maried the daughter of Frederic duke of Suabe whom he enioyed not long THIERRY THE SEVENTH OF THAT name foureteenth Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland 14 Theodoricus Septimus In peace I was most mild in warre both stout and bold And did my brother ouerthrow and Frisons pride controld In Flanders Gelder and Brabant victoriously I ouercame my enemies and Boisleduke valiantly Did enter but by chance there prisoner I was made My wife that was a lady faire to name ALIDE had Irul'd full thirteene yeares and did much fear'd of many For that for courage in my time like me there was not any THIERRY the seuenth of that name and fourteenth Earle of Holland after the decease of Cont Floris his father in Palestina succeeded in all his earledomes He had to wife Aleydâ—… Alix or Adella daughter to Didier earle of Cleue by whom he had notany sonnes but two daughters excreding faire whereof the first called Adella was maried to Henry of Gueldre and died without children ther Ada whom the mother after the decease of her father against the liking and consent of all tâ—…e noblemen of Holland maried to Cont Lewis of Loos who was but of meane calling shee being Contesse of Holland This Cont Thierry hauing after the decease of his father gouerned his countries quietly for the space of fiue yeares the lord William of Holland being returned from Palestina where hee had buried Cont Floris their father vpon some false reports entred into contention with him By reason whereof William retired himselfe into Friseland to the Dreuthers with whom being entred into league he made many roads into Holland On the other side Baldwin earle of Flanders entred with an armie into the isle of Walchren which lay neere vnto him Cont Thierry seeing himselfe assaulted on two sides leuied all the men he could and diuided them into two armies the one he took with himself and the other he left to the Contesse Adella his wife to lead against William his brother and to suppresse the Frisons Cont Thierry imbarked with his armie and landed in Zeeland from whence after a great battaile he chased the Flemings His wife with her troups went from Egmont towards Alcmar to fight with the Frisons The lord William of Holland came to incounter her with his men and presented himself in battaile but as they of Winckel and Nieudorp hauing retired themselues on the one side refusing to fight against their princesse being corrupted with mony the Kennemers did chase the Frisons vnto a certain strait which was a marish ground ful of reeds William seeing his Frisons wauer and readie to Breake incouraged them so wiâ—…words and behaued himselfe so valiantly in his owne person as hauing long defended themselues in the end hee carried them backe into their owne countrey with small losse The Frisons seeing his indeuors and how faithfully William of Holland had assisted them they trusted him more than before making him their head their podestate and their captaine generall Cont Thierry hauing succesfully ended the wars in Zeeland returned with his armie into Holland into the quarter of Kennemerlandt to make more violent war against the Frisons and his brother William But to the end these two brethren should not pollute themselues any more with the bloud of their subiects by their ciuile wars Baldwin bishop of Vtrecht Didier cathedrall prouost of the said bishopricke and Otto earle of Benthem vncles to these two brethren laboured all they could to reconcile them by whom it was concluded That Thierry as the elder brother should remain Earle of Holland and Zeeland and that William should hold of his brother in fee the countrey of East and West Friseland on either side the riuer of Flie vnto that of Lanuvers and moreover should receiue for an annuall pension out of the custome of Ghoervlyet the summe of eighteen hundred liures The Frisons vnderstand not how nor by what title this diuision of Friseland was made wherof there is not any mention made in their Annals yet some writers confesse that they yeelded hereunto in fauour of William of Holland but they deny that it was vpon condition to hold it in fee of Cont Thierry and to do him homage or to any other prince seeing there was neuer any thing more odious vnto them than to bee subiect to any other superioritie than the empire according to their antient liberties freedoms by priuiledges giuen them by antient emperors whereof they haue alwayes been very iealous and strict obseruers euen vnto the death This peace made betwixt the two brethren William returned into Friseland where he was honourably receiued and from that time during his life acknowledged for their prince where he built a castle called Osterzee in the which hee made his ordinarie aboad and residence After the death of Baldwin of Holland bishop of Vtrecht vncle to Cont Thierry being readie to proceed to the election of a new bishop Thierry Earle of Holland Otto earle of Gueldre came both armed into the citie of Vtrecht which was the cause of great iealousie and discord betwixt the chanoims and chapter for that some did chuse Didier cathedrall prouost of Vtrecht brother vnto Baldwin the last bishop and vncle to the Earle of Holland others had chosen Arnould of Isenbourgh prouost collegiall of Deuenter who was supported by the earle of Gueldre and by all those of the countrey of Ouerissel The emperor placed Didier of Holland there by prouision vntill it were iudicially determined by the Roman sea â—…o administer the goods of the said bishoprick as he did but that the earle of Gueldre hâ—…ndred him from the receiâ—… of any thing in the prouince of Ouerissell By â—…eason whereof Cont
his countries thirteene whole yeares in continuall warres In his time there flourished in Holland Didier bishop of Vtrecht Otto Earle of Benthem and Peregrin Lieutenant of the Countie of Holland al three his vncles brethren to Cont Floris who was father to Cont Thierry and Robert also his bastard vncle then William Earle of East-Friseland Floris Prouost of Vtrecht and Robert Earle of Kennemerlandt his brethren Henry of Geldre husband to Adella the eldest daughter to Cont Thierry William Lord of Brederode Hugues Lord of Teylingen and William his sonne Seignior of Leck Robert of Heusden and Altena issued from the Earles of Holland with a great number of knights squires This Epitaph of the said Cont Thierry the seuenth of that name was found in the Abbey of Egmont Terricus iacet hic peperit quem filia Regis Ada Comes Comitem genuit Florentius istum Quiclausus tumulo virtutum pondere micans Siccatur meritâ—…que doles Hollandia tantum Amisisse virum per quem suffulta labores Insidias rabidos sopisti tuta tumultus Quem pietas quem ver a fides probit are magistra Virtutumque cohors tutum seruauit inermem Soluitur in cineres corpus soluitque tributum Carnis antiquae redit ad primordia matris Hic binas nonas voluente Nouembre relinquens Exilium mundi sanctis conregnat in astris And vpon his Tombe were grauen these foure verses Hic Terrice iaces Comes care regia â—…stus Mortetua populus largus discretus honestus Et fortis bellatâ—…r er as victorque mâ—…destus Milite pro tanto fundantur cum prece quaestus ADA CONTESSE OF HOLLAND and Zeeland the fifteenth in the gouernment of the said Earledomes Ada Theodorici Septimi Filia This ADA did possesse her predecessors wealth But'gainst her fathers will did matchin mariage by stealth With one vâ—…worthie her though mother was content But as it after did appeare God seemed discontent And did within one yeare bereaue her of her life Who dead her husband sought to claime th' inheritance of his wife But the Cont WILLIAM with great power did him withstand As heire vnto his neece deceast and draue him out the land ADA daughter to Cont Thierry the seuenth succeeded her father and was the fifteenth commaunding in Holland and Zeeland as Contesse but she gouerned these Countries but one yere and died without children During the sicknesse of Cont Thierry the father Lewis Earle of Loos to whom Ada had beene promised in mariage by the mother was in the castle of Altena where hee attended newes of the fathers death The Contesse Adella presently after the decease of her husband sent to Lewis to come to Dordrecht with al speed the which she did and there he gaue him her daughter in mariage and in steed of a funerall pompe there were feasts and nuptiall banquets deferring the obsequies till after the mariage which being consummated and all the feasts ended the body of Cont Thierry was with small pompe and ceremonie caried and interred in the abbey of Egmont William Earle of East-Friseland hauing intelligence of the death of his brother came vnto Zipe with an intent to assist and mourâ—…â—…e funerall yet would he not passe on before he had demaunded a safe conduct from the Contesse and those of her Councell the which was denied him yet he stayed in that place vntill the funerals were ended which done he returned into Friseland His kinsfolkes and good friends in Holland as Floris Prouost Cathedrall of Vtrecht his brother Otto Earle of Benthem and his sonne Ieams Chastelain of Leyden Philip of Wassenare William of Theylinghen Iohn of Ryswicke Gualter of Egmont and Albert Bauiart knights and other gentlemen well affected vnto him shewed themselues discontented that they should be gouerned by a woman and a poore Earle to whom they held themselues nothing inferior they therefore made a league among themselues not to endure the gouernment of her nor her husband This done they secretly sent a man of marke on their behalfes into Friseland to Cont William giuing him to understand of their resolution and alliance and that without all feare he should come and ioyne with them at the abbey of Egmont where they would attend him Cont William departed out of Friseland as couertly as he could but for want of a good wind to carry him into Holland or it may be the better to informe and assure himselfe of their intentions he put to land in Zeeland at Zirixee in the Island of Schouven where he was receiued and imbraced by them of the countrey and by the Lords of Borsele of Croningen and others who acknowledged him for their prince and Earle of Zeeland In the meane time Gualter of Egmont and Albert Bauiart accompanied with the Kennemers entred the towne of Harlem and tooke armes against the Earle of Loos the lady Adella widow do wager to Cont Thierry whom they forced with M. Ghysbrecht of Amstell to flie by night and to retire themselues to Vtrecht The young Contesse Ada remained there a while but in the end she retired also beeing accompanied by Roger Vander Meer Otto van venzen and many other knights and gentlemen of the Earle of Loos his traine comming all amazed to the towne of Leyden there to maintain themselues against their enemies as in a place of refuge and safetie the Kennemers being in armes with Gualter of Egmont their Commaunder pursued the young Contesse and those of her traine euen into the said towne where also was Philip of Wassenarewho with his Rhynlanders ouer whom hee was captaine besieged the Bourg so straitly as the besieged were constrained to yeeld for want of victuals Cont William who was then in Zeeland hearing that the Earle of Loos and the Contesse Dowager had saued themselues in Vtrecht and that the yong Contesse Ada was staied in Leyden he came speedily into Holland the which by the assistance of his friends he tooke wholly vnto himselfe disposing of their goods that had beene opposite unto his will then he caused the young Contesse his niece to be conducted with an honourable traine and good intreatie into the Isle of Texel vnder his iurisdiction of Friseland The Earle of Loos being thus chased away meditating of the meanes to be reuenged hee inuited to his succour the bishop of Liege his brother Iohn duke of Lembourg and the Earle of Flanders his kinsmen relying much vpon the bishop of Vtrecht whom hee woon with 2000. marks of siluer and a promise that if he remained victor and in quiet possession hee would hold the Earledome of Holland in fee of the bishopricke of Vtrecht the bishop of Liege being his caution for the performance thereof Cont William hauing notice of the forces which the Earle of Loos prepared to recouer Holland he appointed Gualter of Egmont and Albert Bauiart to be chiefe of the Kennemers and Philip of Wassenare and the Seignior of Theylinghen to commaund the Rhynlanders and he
increasing the Cabillautins sent their deputies to duke William of Bauaria Earle of Osteruant the Empresse eldest sonne being then resident in Henault intreating him to come into Holland to vnder-take the gouernment of the country hauing decreed among them no longer to indure the Mothers rule At the first he refused it but they did so importune him as in the end he came secretly to the towne of Gorrichom Those of Delf hearing of his comming went vnto him and carried him by force into their towne making him their head and Captaine generall with whom or by his commandement they issued often forth spoiling the Villages and country houses belonging to the Hoeketins In the end the Townes of North-Holland the Kennemers and the West-Frisons receiued him for their Lord and Prince doing the homage and taking the othe due vnto the Earles of Holland in despight of the Empresse their naturall Princesse his Mother The Hoeketins seeing themselues thus ill intreated by the Cabillautins had their recourse refuge vnto the Empresse whose party they held and began to furnish their townes Castels and Forts with men victualls munition of warre On the other side the Cabillautins went to befiege their places and to batter and beat downe their Castles whereof they did ruine seuenteene in lesse then a yeare The Empresse writte vnto her Sonne that she wondred at his presumption that he would intermedle with her authoritie and command seeming to bee very much incensed against the townes of Holland The Earle answered that the country did belong vnto him by right of donation which she had made vnto him And refusing to giue ouer his course begun the Empresse with the succours which the Queene of England her sister had sent her made a goodly armie with the which she imbarked and went and landed at La Vere in Zeeland Earle William landed with his troupes in the same Iland whereas both armies of the Mother and the Sonne being entred into fight one against an other the combate was furious and bloudie great numbers being slaine and drowned on either side In the end God gaue the victory to the Mother so as the Sonne escaped with great difficulty and fled into Holland This battaile was in the yeare 1351. William of Bauaria being safely returned into Holland made hast to leuie new forces and to raise a greater armie then the first the which consisted of Hollanders Kennemers and Frisons with the succours of many Lords and Knights of Iohn Lord of Arckel Iohn Lord of Calenbourg Iohn Lord of Egmont the Lady Mathilda van Voorne widow to the Lord of Walckenbourg Gerard of Heemskerke Gerard of Harler and many other Knights Gentlemen and good soldiers which came vnto him out of the countries of Cleues Geldres and Germanie with the which armie hee gaue a day and appointed a place vnto his mother to haue his reuenge in open battaile betwixt Bryele and Grauesand The Empresse had her armie composed of good soldiers English Henniuers Zelanders Walcharins accompanied with a great number of Barons Knights and Gentlemen She like a couragious and noble minded Princesse making no doubt of a second victory marched against her sonne and caused her men to begin the charge The two armies at the first incounter charged one another with such animositie and furie as there was nothing to be seene but glaiues broken lances a thicke shower of Arrowes in the ayre breaking of harnesse cutting in sunder of targets and bucklers and heads armes and legges falling to the ground there was nothing to bee heard but the cryes with the lamentable and fearefull groanes of men wounded and dying the bloud ranne ouer the field like a violent streame to conclude there was such murther and spoile on either part with such obstinacie and continuall furie as they could hardly iudge of the issue of the battaile vntill that the Empresse troopes opprest and tired with the great numbers of the Hollanders armie to saue themselues ranne into ditches and riuers where they were drowned so as all the Empresse armie was put to route and shee fled in a small Barke into England The Generall of the English troupes was slaine and lyes buried in the Church of Losdanen where as his tombels yet to be seene in blacke Marble Costin of Renesse Floris of Hamstede and many other Noblemen Knights and Gentlemen were also slaine there with an infinite number of good soldiers There was in this battaile which was in the same yeare 1351 so much bloud spilt as for three dayes after the old riuer of Meuse at a full sea was all redde in that place Finally after that so many valiant men had lost their liues there and whereas the Lord Didier of Brederode and many Knights on the Empresse part were taken prisoners there was an accord made betwixt the mother and the sonne By the which it was agreed that the Empresse should hold the Countie of Henault during her life and Duke William should haue the quiet possession of Holland Zeeland and Friseland After this battaile the Empresse liued yet fiue yeares and dyed at Valenciennes in her countrie of Henault where she was interred Notwithstanding this accord made betwixt the Mother and the Sonne yea after her death when as Duke William was sole and absolute Lord of the Counties of Henault Holland Zeeland and Friseland the factions of the Cabillaux and the Hoecks were not mortified but did continue their hatred aboue a hundred and fiftie yeares after vntill that time of Maximillian the first as we shall shew in its place WILLIAM OF BAVARIA THE 5. OF that name the 25 Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland and Earle of Henault called the madde 25. Guilielmus Quintus This William did obtaine in nuptiall state Mathilda of the house of Lancaster A husband Childlesse and vnfortunate Attempted Vtrecht and did factions stirre Vnder the names of Hamocons and Merlus Distracted in his flowre of youth he grew Since in his age he was vndutious To his graue Mother whom â—…e did pursue With many troubles though she had defects Yet children to their parents still must owe Remission of their faults and 〈◊〉 respects But death doth on his life his rest bestow AFter this cruell and bloudie battaile fought vpon the bankes of the old riuer of Meuse as we haue said William Duke of Bauaria Palatin of Rhine Earle of Holland and Zeeland and Lord of Friseland according to the accord whereof we haue made mention was absolute Prince of the said Prouinces Then after the decease of the Empresse his Mother did also inherite the county of Henault Hee had to wife the Lady Mathilda daughter to Henry Duke of Lancaster in England by whom hee had not any children In the yeare 1355. this Earle by the bad aduise of some of his councell thrust on by their priuate passions sent about S. Martins time in winter to defie the Bishop of Vtrecht
of May in the said yeare 1417. died William of Bauaria Earle of Holland Zeland Henault and Lord of Friseland of a sore he had in his leg which came with the biting of a mad dogge the which being opened by his chirurgeon did so impaire as it was the cause of his death The said Ladie Iaquiline widow to the Dolphin of France succeeded him in al his siegniories Her father recommending her before his death to his most faithfull seruants requiring them to marry her againe to Iohn Duke of Brabant He was interred at Valenciennes in Henault after he had gouerned his countries the space of 13. yeares The lady Marguerite of Bourgongne his wife daughter to duke Iohn of Bourgongne liued long after him and was interred at Quesnoy in Henault This Cont VVilliam was a seuere man against his rebels and enemies and very courteous affable and kinde vnto his friends a iust and bountifull Prince He had two bastard brethren Albert and VVilliam of Bauaria the which was Lorde of Schagen This William was twise at Ierusalem to see the holy Sepulcher and once at Mount Synay or Saint Catherines Mount in which voiages he was knighted and at his returne made Chastelain or Gouernor of Medemblyck Afterwards the good Duke Philip of Burgongne become Earle of Holland gaue him in West Friseland the seigneories of Schagen Bersinghorne and Harynckhuysen which William caused a goodly castle to bee built in the said village of Schagen and made a great circuit of the countrie to be dicked in and recouered from the sea neere vnto Sype and the village S. Martin calling it Nyelant he had to wife Alix the daughter of Iohn of Hodenpil by whom he had besides daughters three sonnes Albert Seignior of Schagen a knight Iohn Escoutette of Harlem and William He was a very famous and renowned knight all his life time for his vertues and valiant deeds he dyed old in the yeere 1473. His eldest sonne Albert of Schagen had to wife Adrian daughter to the Lord of Nyenrode and Velson by whome hee had one onely daughter named Iasine who was first married to VValter of Egmond Lord of Soetermeer and afterward to Iosse of Borssele Count VVilliam had also three Bastards two sonnes and one daughter Lewis and Euerard knights and Beatrix van Vlyet Euerard was the first seigneor of Hoochtwoud in West Friseland where he caused a goodly house in forme of a castle to be built and had to wife the daughter of Flores van Kyesweck by whom he had Anthonie seignior of Hoochtwoud This Anthonie had to wife Sophia the daughter of Iohn seigneor of Polgeest who bare him fiue sonnes Baldwyn seignior of Hoochtwoud a knight William Gerard Cornellis and Euerard who was a Monke in the Abbie of Egmond and one daughter named Iudeth who was a Nun in the couent of Poel by Leyden This Baldwyn sold the said seigniorie of Hoochtwood for that hee had no children to Iohn the first Earle of Egmond Bâ—…atrix the bastard daughter of count William was first marryed to Philip van 〈◊〉 a knight by whom she had no children afterwards she married againe to Iohn of Woerden siegnior of Vlyet by whom shee had Gerâ—…ard of Vlyet Esquire At that time their flourished among the chieâ—…e of the Nobilitie of Holland and Zeeland Williâ—…m lord of Arckell Wallerand Lord of â—…ederode Earle of Genap William of Brederode Iames lord of Gaesbeck Abcoude Wyâ—…k Putten and Streuen Philip vicont of Leyden lord of Wassenare Iohn and Henry â—…is sonnes Iohn of Egmond and William of Yselstein his brother Philip of Leck Wâ—…lsart of lâ—… Vere Henry of Vianen Ameiden Floris of Borssele lord of Seuenbergh Zuylen and S. Martins dycâ—… Faâ—…er to Franâ—… of Borssele the last husband of Iaqueline countesse of Holland Iames of Borssâ—…le lord of Brigdam and Dâ—…yuelandt Costin of Hemestede and 〈◊〉 of Hemestede Iohn of Cruninghen Iohn of Renesse Hubert of Culenburch Didier of Merwe Iohn of Laâ—…geraeck Didier lord of Henckelom Iohn vicont of Montfort Arnold of Lyenburch Henry of Naeldwyck and his two sonnes Wiliam and Albert squires Didier of Leck Iohn of Hodenpil William bastard of Holland first siegnior of Schagen and his brother Adrian both sons to count Albert of Bauaria â—…rard bastard to count William the first lord of Hoochtwoode and Lewis a knight his brother Iohn of Treslon bastard to Guy Earle of Blois Iohn of Vianen siegniâ—…r of Noordeloos Iohn of Woudâ—… lord of Warmoâ—…t and Alemada Iames of Woude his sons Daniel of Poele Clâ—…wer gouernor of S. Ghertruâ—…denbergh 〈◊〉 of Poelgeeâ—…t and his brother Gerrard Bartholomew of Raphorst Iohn of Hemisted siegnior of Beâ—…thusen Iohn of Vlyet Philip of Dorp Iohn Henry and Ghysbreecht of Croenenburch brethren Flores of Alâ—…mada Gerard of Woert Gerard of Zyl Giles of Cralingen Gerrard of Lyesuelt Floris of Abeele Gerard Conrad Iohn and Arnold brethren of Haerlaâ—…r Frederik of Seuenter Berthold of Assendolse Didâ—…er of Beets all knights Then Iohn of Egmond siegnior of Soâ—…termeer an other Iohn of Egmond siegnior of Wateringh Albert of Egmond of Maremsteyn â—…ugh of Alâ—…mada Herpert of Forest Didier of Assendelf Symon of Burcht Floris of Adricom Gerard vuytten Hage Gerard Potter Baldwin of Wietten Floris of Tol. Herpert of Bossche William Egger first lord and founder of the town of Pourmereinde Iohn his sonne Floris of Kyeâ—…oeck Iohn vander Myer Arnold Spyerinck Nicholas of Waterlandt William Nagle with many other squiers and gentlemen which were to long to number and most of all these noble Famylies are at this day extinct IAQVELINE OF BAVARIA THE 28 Gouernesse in Holland Zeeland and Friseland and Contesse of Henault 2â—… â—…acoba Bauariâ—… Foure times in marriage I my fruite did try Yet could I not increase my Progenie Gorrichom I won gainst William of Arckel In which Exploit three hundred English fell Beneath my Conduct while one day did shine My husbands ransome made me to resigne My Contries to the Duke of Burgondie Ten yeares with paine I sat in soueraigntye And now in one Graue with my Grandfather Peace did my bodye to his rest conferre THE Lady Iaqueline or Iacoba as the Hollanders terme her the daughter and onely heire of VVilliam of Bauaria Earle of Holland c. succeded after the death of her father in all his Earldoms and seigniories She was then widow as we haue said to the Dolphin of France being 17. yeeres old keeping with her mother the Lady Marguerite daughter to Iohn duke of Bourgongne father to Philip. Her fathers obsequies and funerall pompe being ended she was conducted throughout all the townes of Henault whereof she tooke possession and receiued the homages of her subiects and vassals By reason of her widowhood and her youth shee had much trouble in the gouernment of her Contries especially of Holland for that the two factions reuiued againe the Hoeckins holding the Countesses partie and the Cabillautins a contrarie one by reason whereof all the time of her
disasters of the said Contesse vnto the death IHON OF BAVARIA CARRYING himselfe as Gouernor then Earle of Holland and Zeeland Lord of Friseland 28 Dn̄s Iohannes Bauariae Thy faith of Dordrect force and thy faiths loss◅ Made thee resigne thy Bishopricke and Crosse By Merlus ayde thy greedie chests to fill VVith great reuenues of thy Neece a Pupill At Luxenbrough thou took'st vnto thy spouse Elisa carlesse of her blood or House In thy Church Order long thou didst not liu◅ An Earle nor marryed One blacke day did giue End to all slipp◅rie t◅ares let fall for thee And to thy short vnstable memorie IHON OF BAVARIA hauing gouerned his Bishopricke of Leige 27. years for whose sake as we haue sayd before so much blood had beene spilt and so many good men lost their liues hauing resigned his Bishopricke into the Popes hands notwithstanding that he was a Deacon obtained a dispenspation to mary taking to wife the lady Elizabeth widow to Anthonie duke of Brabant father to duke Iohn and Duchesse of Luxembourgh his Gossip hauing beene Godfather to a sonne of hers He carryed himselfe at the first as Tutor to the contesse Iaqueline his neece and then Gouernor of Holland c. Then he obtained of the Emperor Sigismond his wiues vncle the Earldomes of Holland Zeeland and Henault the lordship of Frizeland in fealtie and homage as fallen vnto the Emperor by the death of cont William his brother for want of heires male excluding the contesse Iaqueline his neece The which the Emperor being at Constance did intimate vnto the Duke of Brabant his vassall with a prohibition not to challenge any thing to himselfe in the saide countries According to the which Iohn of Bauaria did presse the chiefe townes of the saide Prouinces to receiue him for their Lord and Prince The townes of Holland and Zeland made him answere that they had acknowledged and did acknowledge the said Ladie for their princesse as the only daughter sole heire to cont VVilliam the 6. their deceased prince and that the said Iohn her vncle had also acknowledged her for such and taken vp certaine fees and signiories of her so as they could nor ought not to leaue her Moreouer they said that the said Prouinces had fallen twise before to the female kinde whereof they had imperiall letters and therefore they intreated him to desist Those of Henault sent him their answere and among other pointes they laied open this more pertinently then the other Prouinces maintaining absolutely that the countrey of Henault did no way hold of the Empire in the which the daughters had often succeeded Yet Iohn of Bauaria tooke vpon him the title of Earle of Henault Holland and Zeland and lord of Frizland and was so acknowledged at Dordrecht and at Bryele notwithstanding the promise they had made vnder their oaths and seales with the other townes of Holland vnto Cont VVilliam father to the contesse Iaqueline whereupon Iohn of Bauaria was proclaimed enemie to Holland and Zeland He therfore gathers together all the men he could of what conditio soeuer with the which he made war in Holland Those of Dordrecht and of Bryele doing all the harme they could vnto their neighbors that held the Princesse part The duke of Brabant seeing this reuolt defied Iohn of Bauaria and came with his wife into Holland where with his Brabansons he went to besiege the Towne of Dordrecht lodging his Hollanders vppon the dyke of Papendrecht But this siege was vnfortunate Iohn of Bauaria being then in Dordrecht very glad of their deliuery seazed soone after on the towne of Roterdam whether he went caused himself to be acknowledged Earle of Holland staying there some time he sought to be master of Delfe and of Goude Whereof the countesse being aduertised she fortified them the towne of Schyedam with good Garrisons In the meane time Iohn of Bauaria ceased not day and night to molest the Hollanders and to hinder their Nauigation to the sea by the Riuer of Meuse And for that during this warre many places and castles were dayly ruined the countrey made waste and the mischiefe increasing dayly there was an assembly appointed in the towne of Wandrechom whether came for chiefe mediators betwixt both parties Philip Earle of Charolois sonne to Iohn duke of Burgongne Lewis of Luxembourg Bishop of Teroagne and Peter of Luxenbourg his brother during which treatie a truce was made there also came Iohn duke of Brabant and the lady Iaqueline his wife with the lady Marguerite Douager her mother Iohn of Bauaria sent his Commissioners in the company of a Baron of Bauaria Gerrard of Boel lord of Hemskerke and some others There was an accord made by the which it was said that Iohn of Bauaria should remaine lord of Dordrecht with the appurtenances of the towne of Gorrichom the country of Arkel of Lederdam Schoonwert of Bryele of the contrie of Voern of the towne of Roterdam and the siegniorie of Waerden and inioy them for him and his heires for euer the which hee should hold by fee and homage of the duke of Brabant in the right of the lady Iaqueline Contesse of Holland his wife And moreouer he should pay vnto him within a yeare a hundred thousand English Nobles remaining Lieutenant of Holland Zeeland and Frizeland for the space of three yeares with authoritie to dispose of halfe the officers and magistrates and the Contesse his Neece of the other halfe These conditions were confirmed reciprocally vnder their seales the 19. of Iuly in the yeare 1419. Those of Vtrecht and Amersfort were also reconciled and all acts of hostilitie laied aside both in Holland Zeeland and the Diocesse of Vtrecht yet in all these treaties of peace Iohn of Egmond nor his brother of Yselstein were comprehended nor spoken of About the end of the said yeare 1419. there sprung vp newe warres in Holland and the D◅ocesse of Vtrecht by reason of great robberies and spoiles committed by Iohn lord of Egmond who tooke all he could finde vpon the riuer of Leck comming out of Brabant or Flanders sinking their ships and taking their men prisoners Those of Vtrecht write vnto Iohn of Bauaria intreating him to doe them reason iustice of the wrongs which ths said lord of Egmond had done them but he regarded them not They considering therefore in what estate their affaires were and that they must expect no good from Iohn of Bauaria sent vnto Iohn duke of Brabant and the Contesse his wife to acquaint them with the wrongs which had been done notwithstanding the league which was betwixt Holland and Vtrecht The duke made no account of it and the Contesse being desirous to assist and helpe them had no meanes they therefore adrest themselues to Frederic of Blankenhein their Prince and Bishop and to the Townes of the hye diocesse which is the country of Oueryssel They seeing there would neuer bee any end of
estate and traine appointed him as if he had beene the Dukes owne Sonne In the yeare 1460. died the sayed French King Charles the seauenth called the Gentle The Duke of Bourgongne being aduertised thereof assembled all his Barrons and cheife Nobility to conduct Lewis Daulphine of France and to see him take possession as the eldest Sonne of the deceased King of the Realme and Crowne of France The King being crowned by the helpe of the Duke of Bourgongne being desirous to shewe himselfe thankefull for so great a seruice hauing as it were led him by the hand vnto the Crowne gaue him great thankes and to recompence him in some sort he gaue vnto the Earle of Charolois his Sonne certaine townes and castells in France with a yearly pension The King would haue make an exchange with the Duke of some townes but they could not agree so as many yeares after the King discouered a spleene and dislike which hee had conceiued against the Duke and that before hee had confirmed the donation made vnto the Earle of Charolois of the sayd townes and castells The Earle of Charolois besides his seigneuries of Bethune Chasteau-Bellain Archel Putten Streyen and the Country of Goyelandt receiued in the yeare 1461. by Adrian of Borselle his Atorney in that behalfe the possession of the moeity of the Seigneury towne and castell of Aspren by reason of a certaine murther committed by one William van Buren vpon Rutger of Boetselaer lord of the other moeity And in the yeare 1462. the sayd Earle was receiued lord of the towne of Henkelom being but a quarter of a league from Aspren by the forfeiture of Iohn of Henkelom and Otto his Sonne who in the ende did resigne it vnto him by agreement And so this signeury of Henkelom returned to that of Arckel from whence it issued at the first At that time there fell out great troubles in the Duke of Bourgongnes Court for the causes which followe Iohn lord of Croy had in his youth bred vp a poore boye in his house named Iohn of Koestein whome hee aduanced to be first an assistant and then a groome of the Dukes chamber who carried himselfe so loyally and vertuously as the duke esteemed him very much giuing him great meanes and hauing made him knight hee was his taster for his drinke By which aduancements both in goods and honours hee grewe so proude and arrogant as hee beganne to contemne others yea Barons so gracious hee was in the Duke his Maisters fauour as hee seemed to bee the onely man to mannage his most important affaiers At the same season Iohn of Croy and Iohn of Lanoy Gouernor of Holland conceiued a secret hatred against the Earle of Charolois the dukes Sonne their Prince for that hee had obtained of his Father the countrie of Arckel the which the Duke had giuen a little before vnto the sayd lord of Lanoy and the gouernment of Namur and Boulenois to the lord of Croy who had inioyed it manie yeares for which guifts the Earle had growne in hatred of these two Noblemen who notwithstanding did wholie gouerne and possesse the dukes person who by their means shewed his Son the Earle of Charolois no good coūtenance The Earle finding it left the duke his Fathers Court and retired himselfe into Holland hoping that this dislike would passe and die Some of the cheife Noblemen of Brabant and Flanders came vnto him and furnished him with all that hee had neede of These two Noblemen of Croy and Lanoy full of spight to see his traine so great and the cheife Noblemen runne after him consulted for the better maintenance of them selues how they might supplant and ruine the Earle the which they did impart vnto Iohn of Koestein who fearing likewise to bee disgraced and put from his Offices after the dukes death beeing also wholie bound vnto the lord of Croy for his aduancement gaue ◅are willingly vnto them and tooke the charge vpon him corrupting a poore younger brother a Bourguignon with the promise of a great sum of money and sending him into Piedmont to buy poison descouring vnto him to what ende it was This gentleman called Iohn d'Iuy hauing performed his voiage and brought this poyson to Koestein demanded that which he had promised him the which he not onely refused to pay him but also abused him with iniurious words ◅Iuy discontented at this answere complained to an other gentleman of Bourgongne called Arguenbant and discouered vnto him the whole secret This Arguenbant being wonderfully amazed aduised Iuy to goe speedily and discouer the whole truth of this matter vnto the Earle of Charolois saying that if he went not hee himselfe would goe and accuse him Iohn of Iuy without any farther stay went vnto the Earle and casting himselfe on his knees before him he beseeched him humbly to pardon him the offence which he would reueale vnto him and then layed open the whole truth of the matter The Earle being much amazed thereat went presently to the Duke his Father to descouer vnto him all that hee had heard of this villanous practise crauing iustice of the Author thereof naming Iohn of Koestein The duke hauing promised to do him iustice the Earle went vnto his lodging commanding Iohn of Iuy to goe vnto Rupelmond and to attend him there as he did The next day morning Iohn of Koestein beeing a hunting in the Parke at Brusselles the duke called him commanding him to go with the lords of Aussy and Creueceur to Ruppelmond to make answere to a gentleman that did greatly taxe his honour Koestein answered him proudly after his accustomed manner that hee feared no man liuing whervpon he pulled on his bootes and went to horse-backe with fiue seruants and so went to the lord of Aussy whome hee found on horse-backe with the lord of Creuecaeur with fifteene or sixteene Archers of the Dukes garde Being come to Ruppelmond soone after arriued Anthony bastard of Bourgongne the Bishoppe of Tournay with the lords of Croy and Goulx The Earle of Charolois came also and caused Koestein to bee put into a Tower of the which hee him-selfe kept the keyes so as no man might speake vnto him but in his presence These foure Noblemen made the processe of the sayd Koestein after that hee had beene confronted with Iohn of Iuy declaring him guilty and condemning him to loose his head and his bodie to bee cut in foure quarters Beeing brought to the place of execution which was vpon one of the highest Towers of the castell hee disired to speake with the Earle of Charolois who went vnto him and heard him long in secret which made them presume that hee accused some one namely the sayd lords of Croy and Lanoy the which the Earle dissembled Hee intreated that his bodie might not bee quartered the which beeing graunted him hee lost his head This done Iohn of Iuy was called of whome the Earle demaunded if Koestein had kept his
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
into the towne pardoned all that was past yet at night some vnquiet mutiners stirred vp some of the Bourgeses against their Prince so as the Archduke had beene in danger of his person if his men had not speedily gone to armes and chased away these rascalls whereof manie were committed to prison and executed Then had hee occasion to take from them their preuiledges and freedomes the which hee cancelled and disanuilled and tooke Prince Philip his Sonne and carried him to Macklyn to his grand-mother in lawe the Douager of Bourgongne Soone after there came to reconcile themselues vnto him Adolph of Cleues lord of Rauestein the Earle of Romont the lord of Vere and the lord of Baueren who soone after married with the daughter of the sayd lord of Vere About that time the Emperor Frederic came to Cologne where hee staied eight daies the Archduke Maximilian his Sonne went to him to Aix who had not seene him of a long time and from thence they went togither about Lent to Cologne All difficulties and quarrells pacified betwixt duke Iohn of Cleues and the Diocesse of Cologne in the which the Emperor had inuested Herman Landtgraue of Hessen togither with the Duchie of Westphalen and the countie of Arensbourg The Emperor the Archduke his Sonne and all the Princes that were with them parted on Saint Agathes day from Cologne towardes Francfort to choose a King of the Romans where the 16. of February by a common consent of all the Princes Electors Maximilian of Austria was chosen and proclaimed King of Romains And the Thursday after Easter following they returned all to Aix where he was crowned in our Ladies Church with all the accustomed Ceremonies where as the sayd King did knight many Princes and Noblemen among the which were Philippe of Bauaria Palatin of Rhine Arnold duke of Saxony both Princes Electors the duke Gaspar of Bauaria William duke of Iuliers William Lantgraue of Hessen Albert Marquis of Baden William Lord of Egmont and many others to the number of 200. The feast of his coronation beeing ended the Princes retired euery one to his home the Emperor into Austria and the King of Romains into Brabant Before that the Archduke went vnto the Emperor his Father hee made Engelbert Earle of Nassau Gouernor of all the Netherlands in his absence by vertue of a commission giuen him at Boisleduc in that yeare 1485. whome wee will place for the first Gouernor made by the Prince ENGELBERT EARLE OF NASSAV the first Gouernor Lieutenant and Captaine generall for the Prince in the Lowe Countries ENGELBERTVS COMES NASSAVIVS GVBERNAT BELGII I did first Gouerne of the Nasouien bloud True to my lord of these Low-countries good Where Maximilian of the Romans King Of Austria Duke and the Archduke his son Taking faire note of me did forthwith bring Me vnto place and Eminence but t' was done With a prouiso onely for a space Through which occasion I did tame the rage Of the tumultuous Brugeois which to my Grace Nassau our house at Court can giue good gage IN the yeare 1491. Engelbert Earle of Nassau was by Maximilian the first King of Romains going into Hungary made Gouernor of the County of Flanders and the Baylewiks of Lille Douay Orchies and Saint Omer And afterwards in the yeare 1501. the Archduke Philip going into Spaine he was appointed by him gouernor generall of the Netherlands All this while the factions of Vetcoopers and Schieringers raged in Friseland one against an other In the which the Monks and relligious men delt with their thundring excomunications among others Aggo Albert of Heenlon did excomunicat Iga Galama and his brethren which was the cause of great mischiefe and ruine For the sayd brethren of the faction of Vetcoopers drewe vnto their succors Iohn of Egmont gouernor of Holland who sent them strange soldiars with the which and some Gentlemen Frisons their Partisans they went and besieged the Abbey of Heenlon which the Monkes had fortified the which brought distruction to the sayd Abbey and to many Villages there abouts These factions brought great miseries and calamities vnto Friseland for the Vetcoopers allied themselues to the towne of Groninghen and the Schyeringers called the duke of Saxony into their country which caused the totall ruine of both parties as we will relate succinctly hereafter during the gouernment of Albert and George dukes of Saxony Soone after that Maximilian King of Romains was returned out of Germaine into the Netherlands the Ganthois and Brugeois did mutine againe And therefore the King had leauied 20000. horse and foote for his gard the which being lodged and disperced in the the countrie did much mischiefe to the poore countriemen who seemed to bee worse intreated by them then by their enemies being all high Bourguignons or Hanniuers besides the country was daily surcharged with new impositions more then they could beare al by the perswasion sayd they of Peter Lanchals knight his treasorer Baylife of Bruges whome the Ganthois and Brugeois would not obey wherevpon the King came in February withall his nobility into the towne of Bruges leauing the horsemen of his gard without reseruing some which he held by him with some Landtsknets he made certaine demands vnto the Magistrate which they would not accept Hee being displeased at this refusall by the aduice of the sayd Lanchals marched in armes withall his traine vnto the market place The sworne bands not knowing what this might pretend doubted some treasons and therefore a great number of the Bourgeses went to armes to appose themselues against the King and his followers so as they could not aduance Some Noblemen of his councell perswaded him to retire to his Pallace the which hee did and in this sort was kept vnder good gard by the inhabitans who tooke some Noblemen and gentlemen of his houshold prisoners yea they kept the King so straightly in his Pallace as he could neither write nor receiue any letters without their priuitie and consent Peter Lanchals seeing this disorder beeing well acquainted with the disposition of this people went and hid himselfe The companies which did hate him to the death sought him in all places but not finding him they promised a great summe of money to him that should discouer him In the meane time they put manie of those prisoners to death terming them Traitors and rebells to the cittie Afterwardes they made a third proclamation by the which it was sayd That if any one had concealed him till that time in bringing him forth they should bee pardoned if not all those that had so long kept and concealed him in their houses should themselues and all their family bee hanged before their dores the which did so terrefie them as hee was discouered and presently led vnto a scaffold that was made readie whereas after they had tormented them strangely in the presence of all the people they caused his head to be cut off The King of Romains beeing thus
Nobleman was reconciled and all the riuers waies passages made free as before this last war Francis of Brederode hauing left the towne of Rotterdam to the King of Romanes Squire retired to Sâ—…luse to Philip of Cleues to whom there ioyned many banished men of Holland and other places the signior of Naeldwyk hauing paied his ransom to the Squier was there also whilest that the campe lay before Montfort these two Noblemen of Brederode Naeldwâ—…ke hauing 1800. men imbarked at Scluse and landed in the Iland of Walchren where hauing made a great spoile they went towards Dordrecht burnt certein mills at Suyndreckt and one mill ioyning to the towne and then thy returned to the Iland and towne of Goedereed with an intention to spoile it The Lord of Egmont Gouernor of Holland hauing news thereof at the campe at Monfort parted secretly with many gentlemen and came to Dordrecht from whence he sent for men out of Zeland and from Bergeen vpon Som with the which he did imbarke and pursued them of Scluse hauing found them he charged them resolutly the fight was furious at the first incounter the seignor of Brederode finding himselfe not strong inough to resist long began to retire and presently went to land The lord of Egmont pursuing him there was a new fight in the which Brederode was very sore wounded being taken prisoner was carried vnto the ship and so conducted to Dordrecht where he died soone after The seignor of Naeldwick seeing that all was lost fled with his men towards Ziricxze froÌ„ whence he went safely to Scluse At the same time the Bourgeses of Bruges did rise againe against their Superiors by reason of the base prises of mony which they said were out of reason and had not bin so agreed vpon by the States of the country Besids in the payments which they made in France Spaine Portingall and England coynes were at a higher rate then in the lowe contries So as they feared that the trafficke of their towne would faile On the other side as they of Scluse did much harme by their courses and roads the duke of Saxony put a good garrison into the towne of Dam who did no lesse in Flanders In the meane time Gaunt Yâ—…re and other townes were quiet and did not much care for the coynes and had rated them at their owne pleasure euer a third part higher then in other prouinces wheras the abatement of coines was strictly obserued the which was the cause of great contention among all the Inhabitantes of the saied Countrie wherein the Artisan and the Merchant suffred much as in deede euery one complayned and not without cause for the time was neuer so miserable as then There was not a pâ—…nnie to bee earned no mony to bee taken vp euerie man keeping that which hee had in his cofer vpon hope that it would rise and the best marchandise of returne which marchant strangers made in Antwerp and Berghen vpon Soom was mony not caring to exchange or to buie any other commodities for theirs seeing there was so great gaine vpon the peeces of gold and siluer yet the Earle of Nassau wrought so with the 〈◊〉 and the duke of Saxony as that matter was pacified and the coynes rated as at Gand Ypre and other townes of Flanders and after the same value as it went in the neigbour Prouinces of the Netherlands But those of Scluse did not cease to robbe and spoile at sea so as none could passe from the East countries into Spaine nor goe into the East-countries without verie great daunger which caused a great and generall dearth throughout all the Netherlands especially of come At that time the French King made warre in Arthois pretending that it had beene giuen him in marriage with the Ladie Marguerite sister to Philip of Austria and daughter to the King of Romains In the meane time pettie Salezart surprized the towne of Teroane the which he kept a while for the Bourguignons partie But as the Earle of Nassau and some other Noblemen went to beseege Bethune the lord of Cordes incountring them with all the forces of Piccardie gaue them battaile in the village of Hinges and had the victorie whereas the Earle of Nassau and Charles of Egmont duke of Geldres were taken the Earle redeemed himselfe soone and payed his ransome but the duke was kept long as a prisoner with the French King At this defeate the French recouered Teroane the which they held since vnto the yeare 1554. the which the Emperor Charles the fift tooke by assault and caused it bee razed as it is to this day the soyle remayning to the French All this time Holland was much afficted by the extreame dearth especially of corne through the want of money by newe impositions and burthens and aboue all through the robberies and spoiles done both at sea and land by them of Sâ—…e hauing surprized the Ilandes of Tessell and Wyering where they made their retreates robbing and spoyling the shippes comming out of Ostland There was a great tumult twise in the towne of Alcmar by the countrie-men for the sayd impositions the which they were forced to surcease for a time There was a great assembly in the towne of Horne the which the sayd peasants had seized vpon for their assurance of all the Villages and Boroughs of the countries of Kennemerlandt North-holland and Waterland in the which they resolued ioyntly rather to die all euen to the last man then to pay such exactions seeing that the misery of the time would not beare it On the other side the Ganthois hauing receiued some small affront from the King of Romains people reuolted againe and ioyned with them of Scluse The first of Iulie they surprized the towne of Hulst although there were a garrison Then beganne all things to decline go to ruine in Flanders Many Ganthois that were well affected to the King of Romains abandoned the towne betimes of their owne free-will manie were expelled and banished The Flemings robbing and spoyling at sea continued still and increased daylie the nauigation into the west parts beeing in a manner defended at the least not without daunger The which increased the dearth in Holland Zeeland and Barbant so as the common people did liue a vetie poore and languishing life The Ganthois did not hold this towne of Hulst long for the Earle of Nassau sent pettie Salezart his Lieutenant thether with his troupes the which hee recouered by force in the which many of the towne were slaine among other captaine Wittenhorst who hauing left the seruice of the King of Romains in Holland retyred himselfe to Sâ—…luse from whence hee did afterwardes much mischiefe vnto the Hollanders The Seignior of Naeldwyke being in the sayd towne of Hulst notwithstanding any watch they layd for him both by sea and land escaped in a disguised habit and returned to Scluse where bee beganne to make more violent warre against the Hollanders then euer The captaines 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
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
good to aduertise you by these presents that for the reasons aboue mentioned we hold your adiournement to bee void and of no force protesting expresly of the said nullitie and against all that shall bee done and decreed by vertue thereof considering the apparent incompetencie of the Duke of Alua to whom the commission of this cause in qualitie of Gouernour and Captaine generall of the Netherlands is directed meaning in regard of him and as farre as need shall require that this shall serue vs for an excuse and recusation for that we find by experience that from him for the causes aboue mentioned wee may not hope to obtaine that right which our cause may merit offering to present our selues before the Emperour the Electors Princes States and others of the empire or any other competent judges that are not suspect and that will iudge truely of our merits without partialitie or affection Protesting againe of nullitie of all that by the said Duke of Alua a judge as wee haue said incompetent suspect and recused or those that shall bee deputed by him may bee done said ordained iudged or decreed to our preiudice And this seruing to no other effect but to insinuat vnto you the said declarations offers and protestations that you and others may take such knowledge thereof as is fitting c. At Dilembourg the 3 of March 1568. Signed William of Nassau This answere made by the prince to the atturney generall was accompanied with a letter to the Duke of Alua the tenor whereof was as followeth My Lord As my actions may well testifie that since my youth I haue desired nothing more than to imploy my selfe in the seruice of the emperour of famous memorie and since of the king my master I did hope that his Maiestie beeing aduertised by mee as also the Duchesse of Parma then Gouernesse was that I was come into this my countie of Nassau for certaine vrgent affaires of mine respecting my faith and loyaltie would haue done mee the fauour to commaund mee wherein I might haue done him seruice as I had alwayes offered by my letters or at the least that I should haue vnderstood from you what his Maiesties pleasure had beene that laying aside all my priuat affaires I should presently repaire into these parts as you haue aduertised his Maiesties intention to all other noblemen states and townes And as I haue beene alwayes expecting his Maiesties commaundements I haue beene aduertised That they began to proceed against mee by seizure of my seigniories lands and goods and which is worse by proclamation in the name of the Atturney generall full of false and insupportable slanders and afterwards by the apprehension of my sonne whom I had left at Louvaine that hee might bee hereafter the better able to serue the king and commonweale wherat I was much amazed and it seemed strange to me that they should proceed in that sort against one of my qualitie forgetting so soone the great and notable seruices as wel of my predecessors as mine owne and namely in these last troubles wherefore hauing reasons and iustifications sufficient to prooue mine innocencie and the wrong that hath beene done me in this behalfe the which I reserue for a fit time and place I haue thought it good to answere in hast to the said Atturney generall and before the expiration of the hastie time limited me to shew him the nullitie and other reasons I haue against his adiournement to the end the world may not thinke that I feele my selfe guiltie or that I intend not to pursue my right as I shall find it grounded vpon reason which I thought good to insinuat vnto your lordship sending you a copie of the letter which I haue written vnto the said Atturney to the end that through ignorance there may be no further proceeding against me or mine than may be iustisiable by law c. Signed Your brother of the order William of Nassau During all the duke of Aluaes proceedings and according to the twelue articles concluded in the yeare 1556 by the inquisition of Spaine the said Inquisition pronounced in forme of aduice generally against all the Netherlands the sixteenth of Februarie 1568 and confirmed by the king the six and twentieth following which articles we haue thought good to insert in this place The most sacred office of the Inquisition so often attempted in the Netherlands by his maiestie and hindered vntill this time shall be instituted and aduanced by this manner which is most expedient 1 They must persuade the emperour being gone astray and wickedly confederated with heretikes that he resigne his kingdomes vnto his sonne with the whole administration of the Netherlands 2 That the emperour with his two sisters hauing giuen ouer al affairs leauing the Netherlands shall retire into Spaine to vs beeing assured that they shall neuer returne more to doe any harme 3 These being dispatcht we must also draw the king to vs and keepe him for euer that hee part not and not suffer any Flemings to haue accesse or conference with him 4 That the king write vnto and command the clergie of the Netherlands that with the Inquisition they should accept of 15 new bishops the which should be free from all secular iurisdiction yea in cases of treason 5 The subiects of the Netherlands through their malice and way wardnesse will reuolt and moue seditions and tumults pleasing to all but to our companie 6 The princes and noblemen heads and authors of these factions with the subiects must be taken away and the others reduced vnto reason 7 They shall hire at our charge theeues and spoylers of churches and images whose offences shall be by all the world imputed to the rebels by some subtile meanes and so we shal vanquish them 8 That all commerce negotiation liberties and priuiledges shall bee rooted out and that all bee reduced to extreame pouertie whereby the realme shall be permanent for vs. 9 No man of all those countries except he be of our faction shall be held worthie to liue and finally all to be rooted out and all goods possessions arts and trades and all order to be taken away vntill there may be a new realme and a new people 10 In this action the wise and valiant Duke of Alua shall be imployed in person whereas any other were he of the bloud royal or a prince should be of no esteeme so as being suspect yea in the smallest matters they must be dispatcht 11 No contracts rights promises donations othes priuiledges and solemne assertions of the Netherlands shall bee of any force for the inhabitants as beeing guiltie of high treason 12 But aboue all they must be carefull that in such graue matters of so great importance they proceed not sodainly and with violence but moderatly and with good order to the end that the princes nobles and subiects may mutine and that one may persecute another so as the executioner may fall into the snare for there is not in
king gaue him a good and a friendly answer but yet subtilly and craftily saying that it was far both from him and his nature to haue a bad opinion of one that had bin so good and trustie a seruitor both to his father and him and that the cause why he denied him his pasport was for that he would haue him to goe with himselfe into the Netherlands or els to vse his counsell with many such like words but in the meane time order was taken in all places that no man should let nor sell him nor his seruants any horses which was discouered and perceiued when as before he and the marques of Berghen rode vpon a time to confession to our lady of Guadalupo when as there were forty horses sent after them which secretly attended and watched them After that when newes came into Spaine of the imprisonment of the earles of Egmont and Horne his brother the baron de Selles lieutenant of the kings guard of Netherland archers was commaunded to enter his house and to commit him prisoner with a Netherland gentleman called Nesse being the kings chamberlain and both caried to the castle of Segobia where the baron de Montigni was put into a small high tower with one of his seruants called Arthur de Munter a Luycknaer and eight souldiers appointed to guard him which vsed him most shamefully being thus committed to prison he desired diuers times that he might haue law and iustice as belonged vnto a lord of his qualitie vpon which his request receiuing no answere nor resolution he sought meanes to breake and escape out of prison whereunto he had woon a Spaniard one of his guard to consent and some of his owne seruants as his Secretarie Anthony vander Becque and another gentleman of Pruseland called Iohn Hanowe his steward Iohn le Moyne and his cooke that baked his bread after the Netherland manner those he wrote vnto by letters sent them by meanes of the said Spaniard of his guard and they answered his letters againe which they baked in his bread and so conueyed them vnto him meane time he got files wherewith he filed certaine yron barres and in a cofer had ladders sent him that shut and folded one within the other besides that hee had post horses made ready for him and all other things necessarie and fit for such a purpose to ride away all beeing well and politickely deuised and foreseene but when it came to the point and that the horses stood ready the steward Iohn le Moine neglecting his time to deliuer the last bread being ouer busie and earnest to take his leaue or last farewell of his whore whereby the bread that had the letter in it was not deliuered as it should be but came to the hands of the captaine of his guard which brake or cut it vp and found the letter in it whereby the whole enterprise was discouered for which cause all his seruants were committed to prison and condemned to die and to that end had their confessors often sent vnto them expecting nothing but death But many men tooke compassion on them so that the Spaniard of the guard onely was hanged and the cooke condemned to haue two hundred blowes with a broad thicke peece of leather which was done with wonderfull compassion of the standers by that cried out and said That they as seruants had done nothing but that which was commâ—…ndable seeking their lord and masters deliuerie that had long sought and desired to haue law and iustice whereby they were not put to death but the foure seruants were committed prisoners into a castle callâ—…d Valasco where they continued and liued a long time in great miserie till in Nouember 1567 at which time it happened that the princes of Portugall the kings sister and mother to Dom Sebastian king of Portugall passing by the prison the said prisoners making a great noise both with their chaines and cries she asked what they were and was certified that they were Flemings imprisoned onely because they sought to haue gotten their lord and master out of prison that had long sought for iustice but could not obtaine it Whereupon she promised for the lord of Montignies sake and the innocencie of their small offence earnestly to solicite for their deliuerance vnto the king which she obtained for the which they most heartily thanked God and the princes The baron de Montigni vnderstanding thereof vsed such meanes by secret friends that hee got a certaine summe of money and gaue it them for to beare their charges into the Netherlands giuing them letters to his wife the lady Montigni daughter and sister to the prince of Espinoy and Dauitourgh of the house of Melun that she should allow them euery one according to his place a certaine yearely pention out of his lands during their liues in recompence of their seruice and troubles endured for his sake They being so discharged and come into the Netherlands seeking to obtaine their said reward and to that end making meanes vnto the baron de Noircarmes to bee an intercessour for them not onely to the lady Montigni but also to the duke of Alua that had forbidden her to giue them any thing at the last got nothing but were vpon paine of hanging banished out of Brussels After that the duke of Alua caused the said lord de Montignies processe of life and goods to be made as he had done against the other lords wholly without his knowledge appointing a counsellor to answere for him that neuer spake with the said lord de Montigni nor yet could get any instruction or information out of Spaine from him he himselfe not once vnderstanding thereof And when Annavan Austria the emperour Maximilians daughter passed through the Netherlands to goe into Spaine to marry with the king the Contesse of Horne mother vnto the said lord de Montigni and his wife with diuers others kneeling downe before her desired her to be a meanes vnto the king that his processe might be made and he deliuered out of prison which the said espoused queene promised in most friendly manner that it should be the first request that she would make vnto the king her husband Which the duke of Alua vnderstanding presently sent letters into Spaine and procured the meanes that the said baron de Montigni was remooued from Segobia vnto the castle of Simancas and before the queene got out of the ship to set foot on land he was poysoned by a young page that put poyson into certaine broth wherewith he serued him which page was expressely charged to doe it vpon paine of death as he after confessed vnto his secret friends by meanes of the which broth he fell into a burning feauer whereof hee died in the beginning of October in Anno 1570 his sentence being by the said duke of Alua first published in the Netherlands in March after in Anno 1571 and all his goods confiscate He left issue by his wife whom he had newly
their letters the last of the moneth But all these conferences writings answers and replies of either side brought forth no fruite Don Iohn refusing to be tied to the pacification of Gant which he had sworne and the King approuing his actions and meaning to maintaine him in his gouernment And so Don Iohn made all the preparation hee could for warre and hauing ordred all things in Luxembourg hee came to March in Famine from thence to Hoye in the country of Liege fiue Leagues aboue Namur from whence he went vnto his castell of Namur Being at Luxemburg succors came to him from all parts as to the Rendezuous whether arriued Alexander Farneze Prince of Parina sonne to Duke Octauio and to Marguerite bastard to the Emperor Charles the fift in former time Gouernesse of the Netherlands bringing with him the Spaniards and Italiens of Lombardie whether also was come before Charles Earle of Mansfeld with his French troupes the Germains and Bourguignons were there also so as in a short time Don Iohn gathered together an army of sixteene thousand foote and about two thousand horse Italiens Spaniards French Germaines heigh Bourguignons and Lorrains seeing him-selfe thus fortefied hee published in print the causes and reasons which moued him to take armes against the States which were to maintayne in the Netherlands generally the Catholike and Romish Relligion and the obedience of the King of Spaine inserting many goodly promises to the Prouinces townes nobles Borroughes villages and men of warre that would bee of his party The States made an answer also in print vnto this declaration of Don Iohn At the same time Pope Gregory the thirteene sent a Bull from Rome of the 8. of Ianuary by the which he gaue remission of all sinnes for euer and life eternall vnto all those that after they had beene confest and receiued the Sacrament should goe to warre in the seruice of Don Iohn against the Prince of Orange and them of Holland and Zeeland and al others whom he termed Heretiks But these soldiars would haue bin better pleased with his duckets then with his pardons Wee haue saide before how that the Prince of Orange had often refused the Lieutenancy of the Arch-duke Mathias and that it had bred a iealousie among the Nobility the which appeared by the effects for the next day after that the Prince had taken the oth for this charge all the Noblemen that were in the campe began to abandon the army one after an other being then at Templours in the Countrie of Namur The Lord of Lumay Earle of Marche who had a great spleene against the Prince by reason of his imprisonment for his insolencies committed against Priests was the first that went away leauing his regiment there The Earle of Lalain generall of the Armie who expected to haue the place of Lieutenant followed him then the Vicont of Gant afterwards Marquis of Rouban would goe to see his wife at Beuvrage neere vnto Valenciennes the Earles of Bossu and Egmont and other Noblemen came to Brussels to the marriage of the Lord of Bersselle with the Marquesse of Berghen daughter to the Lord of Merode Valentin de Pardieu Seignior of La Motte Gouernor of Grauelinghe and at that time Maister of the Ordinance fained an excuse to runne to Brussels To conclude euery man left the campe one after another the which wandred vp and downe from place to place First they brought it from about Namur to Gemblours from thence to Templours then to Saint Martins and backe againe to Gemblours to bring it into Brabant At that time there were no other Commanders in the whole Armie but the Siegnior of Goignies Marshall of the Campe the Baron of Montigni Brother to the Earle of Lalain afterwards Marquis of Renty at that time young and vnexperienced in those affaires the Seigniors of Bailloeul and Heure bretheren old Knights And to prooue that this iealousie was the cause of their abandoning the Armie I can truely say for that I did obserue it beeing then a follower to the Vicont of Gant that after the Prince of Orange had taken the oth as Lieutenant generall to the Arch-duke and that the newes thereof was come vnto the Campe they held but once any councell of warre beginning the next day to slippe away and to disbande one after one which was the cause of the route of the sayd Armie As they tooke occasion to drawe it from Saint Martins and Templours to Gemblours Don Iohn the better to discouer it and to see it marche presented himselfe with his troope vpon a little hill that he might view it at his pleasure hauing no thought nor intent to fight with them But seeing their disorder and that the fore-ward was aduanced aboue a league before the reere-ward marching not in an enemies countrey but as it were to take a re-view or muster Hee was aduised to charge them giuing furiously vpon the battaile whose horse-men brake the foote of their reere-ward so as of the battaile and the reere-ward there was a quick dispatch most of the fore-ward sauing themselues in the towne of Gemblours The greatest losse fell vpon the regiment of Collonell Balfour a Scottishman who was hurt there and yet saued himselfe and so did the Lord of Montigny after that he had done as much as possible might bee the Siegnior of Goignies was taken prisoner and from that time fell to serue the Spaniard Those old Knights of Bailloeul and Heure who in all things dealt plainly hauing saued them-selues in Gemblours were soone after made prisoners by the taking of the Towne Don Iohn pursuing the course of his victorie the countrey wauering as if all had beene lost seized vpon the Towne of Louvain the Magistrates going forth to meete him presented him the Keyes then of Arschot Tillemont Diest Lewe and the little Towne of Sichem where hee intreated the Officers and Magistrates inhumainly This defeate made him swell with pride from thence hee sent Cont Charles of Mansfieldt before Bovuines whereas the Seignior of Estourmel commanded who hauing endured some Canon shotte seeing no shew of succours and the Towne beeing vnfit to bee held hee yeelded it by composition And although the losse was not so great in this defeate of Gemblours as the Spaniards bragged the States hauing gathered their men together with all the speed that might bee yet it did drawe away and coole the courage of many of their partie and those that in their hearts were affected and bore good will to the Spaniards began to shew them-selues openly and to retire to Don Iohn The Duke of Aniou being aduertised of this defeat sent the Seignior of Fougeres a Gentleman of his Chamber and one of his Secretaries to the States to condole with them and to offer to ayde them both with his person and meanes which being accepted by them he sent the Earle of Rochepot the Seignior Despruneaux in ambassage to Antwerp with whom the Earle of Lalain
the prince of Espinoy and liues at this day a priuat solitary life in Holland It was then time to fortifie Audenarde lying neerest vnto Tournay of any towne that held the States partie and to man it with a strong and sufficient garrison The which the vnwilling or vnaduised bourgers refused saying they were sufficient of themselues to defend the towne By reason wherof the seignior of Mansard a gentleman of Tournesis who had alwaies followed the prince of Orange being gouernor of the place sought by policy to draw in souldiers for the prince and States Which the bourgers discouering after they had done him many affronts and indignities hauing besieged him in the castle in the end they forced him to forsake the towne with his company of foot refusing to acknowledge him any more for gouernor neither was he The prince of Parma hearing of this mutinie and meaning to make his profit thereof he sent certaine horsemen who approaching neere vnto the towne presented their seruice but they would not hearken to them which made the prince of Parma to goe and besiege them as we will presently shew About the end of this yeare captaine Sale gouernor of the towne of Bourbourg in West Flanders for the Spaniard hauing intelligence with captaine Bouffart of the States partie promised to the prince of Orange and the said States to deliuer them the town to make his peace with them and to purchase his reconciliation Captaine Bouffart with some French men of the regiment of monsieur de Villeneufue were sent for the execution of this exploit who with part of his men past ouer the towne ditch in a certaine place where there was least water the rest which should haue followed him loosing their way by the darkenesse of the night remained behind Bouffart thinking that he had beene followed and seconded by the rest marched on entred the towne where the seignior of la Motte pardieu gouernor of Graueling was at that time At his entrie which was not without bruit Sale and his followers went to ioyne with him giuing an hot alarme la Motte his people comming to incounter them there was a cruell fight whereas Bouffart for want of being followed was slaine and all they that entred with him were either slaine or prisoners Sale was also slaine desiring rather to die than to bee taken prisoner And so this enterprise failed On the fifth of December the seignior of Bersele sonne to the lord of Gaesbeke brother to the seignior of Heze marquesse of Berghen in the right of his wife who was daughter to the lord of Petershem of the house of Merode hauing vntill that time carried himselfe a Neuter and liued in his castle of Woude a league from his towne of Berghen vpon Soom hauing gathered certaine troups together with the seignior of Haurepenne gouernour of Breda they made an enterprise vpon Berghen thinking to wrest it from the States and to reduce it vnder the king of Spaines obedience For the effecting whereof hauing some intelligence within the towne they caused foure hundred men to approach whereof a part entred into the town by a hole ioyning to the Sluce although there was a centinell placed there the which at that time was halfe deafe besides the fogge was so great as they could not discerne three paces off the which did wonderfully fauour their enterprise But two hundred of those vndertakers being entred without discouerie by chance a souldier of the town guard walking vp and down met them and knew them so as he presently cried to armes the which staied the rest that wold haue haue entred finding also some other stop Yet those that were entred marched in good order through the towne vnto the market place bending towards the port of Woude which they thought to breake open by force and to'draw in the horse which were there attending The French garrison which was within the towne of la Gards regiment was at the first much amazed with this sodaine surprise but colonel Allein and captain Durant arriuing they took courage and charged the enemie with such furie as they had no means nor leasure to breake the said port all flying to the rampar to cast themselues downe into the ditch and so to saue themselues Whereof there were some seuentie slaine and about an hundred prisoners among the which was captaine Paulo Boboca captaine la Riuiere was slaine and there were not many escaped but were hurt See how by this enterprise which succeeded not the marquesse of Berghen declared himselfe an enemie to the States and so hee carried himselfe vntill his death which was two or three yeares after In the meane time the affaires of Flanders were nothing pleasing to the prince of Orange for the repairing whereof he was much troubled and yet preuailed little parting in December from Gant he returned to Antuerpe where on the twentieth day of the moneth the generall Estates being assembled he gaue them to vnderstand That by the voluntarie departure and retreat of the archduke Mathias whose lieutenant he had beene in the gouernment of the Netherlands he was in like sort discharged of the said office and therefore they should otherwise aduise for their affaires Whereupon hee was intreaâ—…d by the Estates to continue his charge vntill the end of Ianuarie following when as they attended the comming of the duke of Aniou Whereupon he made answer That seeing for his honour for the good of the countrey and for their seruice they found it conuenient it should be so he would in the meane time put them in mind of things which had happened the yeares past for want of their good gouernement And although said he that the enemie being master of the field had in a manner done what he would which they could not hinder yet God be thanked he had not won all seeing that with all his forces dispersed here and there hee had not much aduanced in Friseland and Guelderland nor yet in Brabant but had been forced to imploy his chiefe power of men and artillerie in Arthois and Henault for the warre which the townes of Cambray and Tournay made him hauing spent a whole yeare about Cambray without whose great endeuours Tournay could not haue so long subsisted and the enemie would haue beene far aduanced in Flanders He said That a yeare before to preuent those losses he had giuen the deputies to vnderstand being then assembled that they must haue three thousand horse and two regiments of foot of increase That they were to render thanks to God and after him to the duke of Aniou for the deliuery of Cambray the which they had no meanes to succour no more than Tournay and all by their own fault for if they had those three thousand horse and the supply of foot with their other troups and had ioyned with the duke of Aniou without doubt they had chased the Spaniard out of the countrey being yet to be feared that by their negligence delayes and
was made earle of Morbeque but he dyed before his letters patents came and his sonnes afterwards neglected it N. of Longueual lord of Vaux sometimes gouernour of Arras was a little before his death made earle of Bucquoy Maximilian of Villain Siegniour of Rassinghem gouernour of Lille Douay and Orchies had his Seigniorie erected into an earledome and afterwards Valentine of Pardieu Seignior of la Morte gouernour of Graueling of a poore gentleman was made earle of Eckelbeque the which hee had bought of a Frenchman The king of Spaine would also haue the marriage to be made and solemnized of the daughter and onely heire of the deceased marquesse of Renty brother to the duke of Arschot with Emanuel of Lalain lord of Montigny so as the king of Spaine did gratifie and honour many of his seruants with vaine titles without any charge The duke of Aniou being newly created duke of Brabant came into the assembly of the generall Estates of the vnited prouinces in the towne of Antuerpe with the prince of Orange to settle some good order for all that did concerne the well gouerning of the countrey and to haue an assured assignation of two hundred florins a moneth for the entertainment of his armie besides those troupes which the Estates entertained in their frontier garrisons and other places Those of Brabant had vpon their charge the garrisons of Liere Macklyn Brussels Herental Diest Villeuorde Hoochstraten Westerlo part of that of Berghen vpon Soome those of the forts of Lillo Willebrouck and S. Marguerite with all the shippes of warre vpon the riuer of Antuerpe They of Flanders had also vpon their charge an hundred and thirtie companies of foot and twentie cornets of horsemen not comprehending the garrisons of Guelderland Friseland and Oueryssell all which beeing vnited in one bodie of an armie and ioyned with the duke of Aniou his forces had beene sufficient to chase the Spaniards and all strangers out of the countrey but all these places must of necessitie haue garrisons for feare of some alterations and reuolts At that time the Estates men being yet in Menin defeated a great conuoy neere vnto a village called Warcoin in Tournesis conducted by two hundred Albanois horse where they had a rich bootie and many good prisoners They of Friseland in the beginning of this yeare by fauour of the yce surprised the towne of Meppel and the castle of Brouchorst which they tooke by force At that time there was a certaine Spanish marchant liuing in Antuerpe called Gaspar de Anastro who seeing his affaires to decline and that he was likely to become bankerupt if he were not presently relieued with money by some other meanes than marchandise his credit beginning to decay he then bethought himselfe of the sentence of proscription giuen by the king of Spaine against the prince of Orange and of the reward promised to him that should murther him Hee being greedie of this prey after that hee had conferred with some of the king of Spaines partie and among others with Valentine of Pardieu Seignior of la Motte gouernour of Graueling to put this proiected murther in execution he first addressed himselfe to a seruant of his who kept his accounts and with teares in his eyes shewed him into what danger he was like to fall and to become bankerupt if hee were not helped with money the which he sayd there was no meanes to preuent but in getting the reward promised in the proscription for the murther hee therefore intreated him as he knew his secrets to vndertake this act The young man pitied his estate and would willingly haue assisted him with all meanes possible but hee excused himselfe saying That he had not the heart nor courage to doe it Then hauing a little bethought himselfe he said that there was not any one more fit for such an exploit than Ioan Iauvregâ—…i whom hee called Ioanille Anastro his boy who might bee easily persuaded and aduised to vndertake and performe it being a most wicked villaine and resolute to doe any mischiefe whatsoeuer Ioanille being called they breake it vnto him and hee vndertaketh it resolutely without any pausing or further excuse hauing concluded when how and after what manner it should be effected this marchant Anastro leauing his people ingaged retyred himselfe out of Antuerpe and went to Graueling to la Motte to assure the fact Being vpon the way he writ to Ioanille That hee should not fayle to put two rounds and to take the measure behind which was that he should charge his pistolet with two bullets and shoot him behind in the head The day for this execution was taken vpon Sunday the eighteenth of March which day there was a feast appointed at the duke of Aniou his court the prince of Orange assisting But Ioanille doubting that the prease would be too great and that he should not approch so neere vnto the prince his person as was needfull to doe the deed he thought it more conuenient to execute it at dinner in the prince his owne house he being at the table This boy being thus desperately resolued a certaine Iacobin Frier called Peter Timmerman came to confesse him in Anastro his house fortifying him in his resolution with many sweet words yet persuading him and making him beleeue that hee should goe inuisible hauing giuen him some caracters in paper and certaine little bones as of frogges which they found in his pockets with many coniurations and such like fooleries written in his tables Beeing thus assured and preserued as he thought he drunke a cup or two of Malmesey and being accompanied with the Monke who went still exhorting and strengthening him therein going towards the castle they came vnto the prince his court whereas his ghostly father hauing giuen him his blessing at the stayres foot left him and went away The prince of Orange was set at dinner with the earles of Laual and Hohenloo the lord of Boniuet with many other noblemen and some of the Estates Ioanille entereth into the dyning chamber who being attyred almost like a Frenchman they tooke him to bee seruant to some of those French noblemen he sought to approch neere vnto the prince his person but hee was so enuironed by his gentlemen as hee could not get neere for to shoot at him behind as hee was instructed yet hee thrust himselfe forward twice or thrice and was still repulsed Dinner beeing done and the prince going to retyre into his chamber this boy fixed himselfe before a window in the hall close by the dore of his withdrawing chamber The prince passing on before hee entred shewed vnto the earle of Laual the cruelties which the Spaniards had practised in the Netherlands the which were wrought in the tapistrie and hauing his face turned on the left side this murtherer discharged his little pistoll thinking to hit him in the hinder part of the head but the prince turning at the same instant the bullet entred in at the throat vnder his right
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
of French wyne and an Aune of Remish wine eight gilders and so vpon corne flesh fish sope gold siluer silks and other things the like orders were made in Flanders and else where And in the Duke of Parmas second voyage into France the Earle of Mansfeldt gouernor in his absence gaue order for the raysing of three hundred soldiars in Brabant for 3. monthes to free the country of Frebuters especially the riuers which were much anoyed and the mart ships and passage boats often spoyled by them and this they should doe insteed of the contribution which they were inforced to pay them the which was to be leuied vpon the country villages woods medoes pastures fishponds c. Wherevpon many of these Frebuters were taken and cruelly executed in diuers places which the vnited Prouinces did little regard for that they harbored them-selues among their troupes and did no seruice vnto the country and therefore they made an order that none should goe forth vpon any exploit vnlesse they were twenty fiue or thirty strong and to bee lead by a Captaine Lieutenant Sargent or some Officer and that they should suffer no frebuters to liue among them whereby the Country was soone rid of these Frebuters to the credit of honest soldiars The mutinous soldiars in Brabant being come into the land of Vase were satisfied by the Duke of Parma so as the forts against Hulst were the more easely built after which they made Sconces against Ostende at Blanckenbergh Oudenbergh and other places where they cōmitted many insolencies for being commanded to march with the Duke of Parma in his second voyage into France they behaued themselues so insolently at Oudenbourg by Sluyes as the Inhabitants were constrayned to fly away with the best of their goods and the soldiars taking what else they found good brought it into the market place before the towne house meaning to sell it there at an outcry to them that would giue most but finding no buyers they brake all in peeces and burnt it They also tooke away all the ornaments of the Churches beating and ill intreating Priests who intreated them in the Bourgers behalfe and so those countries were spoyled not onely by Frebuters but also by their owne soldiars At Sea there were certaine Spanish and Biscaine Freebuters which had gotten Netherlanders to bee their Pilots who taught them the way to saile behind England Scotland into the North seas wher they tooke certaine fishermen which shippes they manned and tooke other shippes with them but the shippes of warre of Holland which garded the fishermen pursued them and tooke them and bringing them to Rotterdam hung 39. of them In the begnining of Ianuary in the yeare 1592 William Duke of Cleaues Iuilliers and Monts Earle of Marck Lord of Rauestine c. died being 76. yeares old in his towne of Dusseldorp hee had beene a quiet and peaceable Prince in his time after that hee was reconciled to the Emperor from the prime of his youth both he and his wife who was daughter to the Emperor Ferdinand were troubled of their sences and in their speech They haue spoken diuersly of the causes of these accidents At his death were present the Duke of Deuxponts his sonne in Law and the Duches of Prusse his daughther pretending in his life-time the administration of all those Dukedomes and Signeures as well for the weakenes of his sences as of Duke Iohn his onely sonne But nothing followed by reason of the oppositions made by the Emperor the Popes legat and the Duchesse wife to Duke Iohn being of the house of Baden and of a contrarie relligion to the Duke of Deuxponts and the duchesse of Prusse who all met the yeare before at Dusseldorp to treat Those of Groning being opprest of all sides by the Estates forces which cont William of Nassau held in many forts there abouts fearing to be beseeged in the spring they sent their deputies with letters to Peter Earnest Earle of mansfeldt lieutenant of the gouernment of the Netherlands in the Duke of the Parmas absence letting him vnderstand into what miserable Estate they were reduced hauing alwaies continued constant in their faith and duties to the King and that their condition grew daily worse These letters being full of greefe and commiseration fell into the estates hands By reason whereof Verdugo Gouernor of the said Towne went thether in person The Earle of Mansfeldt hearing therof vnderstanding the complaints of them of Gronning writ lettes of comfort vnto them greeuing with them for their miserable estate and the rather for that hee himselfe had not meanes to assist and free them from the oppression and violence of their enemies but that hee had written vnto the King and sent their letters beseeching him to haue pitty on them and to giue order for a leauy of men not onely to defend them but also to recouer all those forts which they had lost and to chase the enemy out of the country of which letters he expected a speedy answer And in the meane time for that it should not seeme they would abandon them he sent them nine thousand florins hauing demanded thirty thousand to releeue their poore commons And that hee had treated in Antwerp with some marchants of Hambourg to assist them with some quantity of poulder and that he labored to haue the soldiars which were on the other side of the riuer of Rhine wherin he did persist whilest that Verdugo should remaine in Brabant to sollicit what should be here after most fit and necessary to be done finally he intreated them to continue constant and to haue a care of them-selves and of that which did concerne them and not to suffer the honor which they had pourchased by their fidelity to be now blemished and quencht but that it may bee said of them that the Groningers haue loyally persisted vnto the end in the obedience and seruice of their Prince and King Afterwards they of Groning sent vnto the Emperor to let him vnderstand how that sence the yeare 1536. they had freely and willingly giuen them-selues to the house of Austria vpon condition that they should be mayntayned and defended by them against all their enemies the which in reason they ought to doe and not to abandon them to those dangers where-with they see them-selues daily enuironed And to assure and free them from feare they must not as they had vsually done send small suplyes of two or three thousand men with a little munition but they must imploy a mighty royall army and that the presence of the Earle of Mansfeld then gouernor was very necessary The Emperor sent their griefes and complaints from Prage to the King of Spaine accompanied with his owne letters the King receiued them the twenty of Aprill in his Escuriall by the which hee intreated him to succor and assure this good imperiall towne which was so faithfull vnto him The King did thanke the Emperor for the care
to marry He had to his second wife the daughter of the Lord of Croix of the house of Noyelle of Arthois He was one of the most pollitike although hee were vnlearned and subtill Captaines of his time Mounsier de Villars gouernor of Rouen and Newe-hauen being come with certaine troupes of horse and foote to releeue the beseeged within Dourlans was incountred and charged by the Earle of Fuentes men and put to rout many of his men were slaine he himselfe being ouerthrowne from his horse was taken prisoner hauing his leg broken afterwards the Spaniards stabd him with their daggers in cold bloud for that hee had forsaken the league and reconciled him-selfe to the King Dourlans being in this sort beseeged by the Spaniards and the Castell furiously battered the forts betwixt the towne and the Castell wonne and by the blowing vp of a mine a small breach made the beseeged who thought of nothing lesse then an assault holding the breach not assaltable yet the Earle of Fuentes caused a furious assault to bee giuen with such a multitude as the soldiars thrust one another forward with their shoulders to make them enter the breach such as it was the which they hauing forced at a confused cry of victoria victoria the beseeged grew amazed and abandoned this breach euery one beginning to fly and to saue himselfe as he could And so the towne was taken at this assault the last day of Iune whereas the slaughter was very great but their insolency against wiues and virgins exceeded all measure It is a strange thing that a thousand fiue hundred men which were within it among the which there were so many bragging Gentlemen and of the Nobility could not repell such an assault at so insufficient a breach but it seemed that GOD would purge France of these Lees of the league who had but for faction sake reconciled them-selues vnto the King About that time the Earle of Fuentes vnder coullor to punish a certaine mutinie made of purpose by the Germaines who were in garrison in the towne of Brusselles thought to draw two thousand Spaniards into the towne the which the Burgers discouering preuented So as for spight beeing in like manner kept out of Macklyn and Vittevorde they fell vppon the Champian country of Brabant who by this meanes were more afflicted by their owne men then by their enemies besides the dearth was generally very great which made the poore commons to weepe and to lament their miseries yet knew they not to whome to flie for remedie to relieue their wants For which consideration the Estates both of the Clergie and the Secular of those Prouinces which remained vnder the King of Spaines obedience but especially the Nobilitie were moued of them-selues to seeke some meanes of peace and after diuers conferences togither hauing receiued pasport from the Estates of the vnited Prouinces to send their Deputies into Zealand to the said Estates and to Prince Maurice They deputed the Seignior of Lyesvell sometimes Chancellor of Brabant in the Duke of Anious time with Hartius and Maes Lawiers with a Secretarie of the Duke of Arschot The which on the fourteenth of Aprill came into Zealand where they conferred with Prince Maurice being accompanied by Iames Valck Tresorer general and Christopher Roels Pentioner of the Countie of Zealand requiring that they might bee admitted to propound some way of an Accord betwixt the King of Spaine and his reconciled Estates with the sayd Prince and the confederate Estates of the vnited Prouinces Where-vppon the Prince made answer that the generall Estates confederate had no intent to treat but with the said Estates of the reconciled Prouinces and not with the King of Spaine against whome as their mortall enemie they were allied with other neighbour Princes who were also his enemies and that they had long since abiured him Wherefore they held him so irreconcilably offended as they knew well hee could neuer forget the wrong which hee holds hath beene therein done him But that vppon the first opportunitie hee would be reuenged building vpon the Canon of the Councel of Constance Cum hereticis non est seruanda fides But if the Estates vnder the King would faithfully and sincerely enter into any conference of peace that the sayd confederate Estates of the vnited Prouinces were content to conuert their wars into peace and friendship therewith sending their resolution in writing conteyning foure Articles which they must resolue vpon before they would begin to enter into treaty with them which were 1 First that they should cause all strangers and soldiers to depart out of the countrie and to reduce them-selues into an absolute freedome whereby they might treat of a peace without the King and that the Deputies and Estates of the said Prouinces which should treat of a peace should be appointed by them without the King with whome the generall Estates of the vnited Prouinces would then treat as desiring nothing more then to see those long and bloudy wars conuerted into an assured and firme peace vpon good and tollerable conditions 2 Secondly that nothing should be altered nor changed in religion but it should be referred to the discretion of the Estates of each Prouince and that no man else should deale therein 3 That the Prouinces which were willing to treat of a peace with the vnited Prouinces among other conditions must be content to enter into treaty with the French King and the Queene of England and to vndergoe all the charges of the whole body of the generall Estates all the debts where-into the vnited Prouinces are falne for the defence of their liberties against the Spaniards and other strangers 4 Lastly that peace beeing made vppon those and other conditions the said vnited Prouinces offered all their power and meanes to helpe to maintaine the other Prouinces in their liberties and freedomes and to oppose them-selues against all that should seeke to molest wrong or dismember them In this case the sayd Ambassadours had no other commission but to moue a treaty of peace betwixt the King and his Estates on the one part and the vnited prouinces on the other so as the question betweene them now was whether the king should be comprehended therein or not where-vpon the Ambassadors returned againe speedely and made report what had beene propounded the which was sent into Spaine with the opinion of the said Ambassadors The Articles of the confederate Estates were by some which held the King of Spaines party very ill taken and by others which desired a peace in some sort tollerated saying that they were not altogether voyd of reason and that by a good conference they might be easely moderated And therefore considering the quality of the time which prest them and the pouerty and lamentations of the people they should not let slippe so good occasions without treating and if they did absolutly reiect the said conference of peace it was to be feared that
all that hath bin giuen and granted shall returne as if this donation cession and transport had neuer beene made 6. Item vpon condition that our said daughter the Infanta nor any other called to the said succession shal not for any cause whatsoeuer part nor diuide the said countries nor giue or exchange without our consent of those shall succeed vs in these realmes 7. Item that euery Prince and Lord of those countries shall be bound to marry their sonnes and daughters with our consent of those shall be our heires Kings of Spaine 8. Item that our said daughter the Infanta nor her husband nor any of their successors to whom the sayd countries shall descend shall in any sort whatsoeuer negotiate traffick or contract to the East and West Indies neither shall they send any sorts of ships vnder any coulour or pretext so-euer vpon paine that the sayd countries in case of contrauention shall be forfeited by them And if any subiects of the said countries should presume to goe contrary to the defences the Lords of the said countries shal punish thē by confiscation of their goods other grieuous paines yea with death 9. Item that if the said Archduke Albert our good cousin should suruie our daughter the Infanta leauing either sonne or daughter that he shall haue the gouernment of such sonne or daughter with the managing of all their goods as if our daughter the Infanta were yet liuing And ouer and besides our said cousin the Archduke shall in that case enioy and reape the fruites during his life entertaining the said children according to their qualitie giuing vnto the eldest sonne or daughter the country and Duchie of Luxembourg and the countie of Chiny which shall belong vnto them to inioy it during the fathers life after whose decease that child shall haue all as sole heire Being here expresly declared that this clause of vsufrute shall be vnderstood onely in fauour of our good Cousin the Archduke Albert and not to be drawne in consequence To the end that none of his successors may vrge any president nor pretend right in the like case 10. Item for that it is the principall and greatest bond aboue all others that all the children and descendants of the said marriage shall follow the holy religion which doth now presently shine in them and shall liue and dye in our holy Catholick faith as the holy church of Rome doth teach and entertaine and that before they shall take possession of the sayd Netherlands they shall take an othe in the same forme that it is set downe in the article following And in case which God forbid that any of the said descandants should decline from the sayd religion and fall into heresie after that our Holy father the Pope hath pronounced them so they shall be depriued of the administration possession and propertie of the said Prouinces and that the vassals subiects thereof shall no more obey them but they shall admit and receiue the next that is a Catholick of the same descent which should succeed vnto such a one that is fallen from the faith and that hereticke shall be as if he were naturally dead Ego Iuro ad sancta Dei Euangelia quod semper ad extremum vitae meae spiritum sacrosanctam fidem Catholicam quam tenet docet predicat sancta Catholica Apostolica Ecclesia ◅omana communium Ecclesiarum mater Magistra constanter profitebor fideliter firmiterque◅redam veraciter tenebo atque eam a meis subditis teneri doceri predicari quantum in me erit curabo Sic me Deus adiuuet hec sancta Euangelia 11. Item that for the greater assurance and confirmation of the peace loue and correspondencie which ought to be betwixt the King and his realmes our descendants and successors and the Princes and Lords of those countries being also our successors enery one of thē which hereafter shall come vnto the possession of the said Netherlands and Bourgogne shall aduow approoue and ratifie what is conteined in this article 12. And for a much as our intention and will is that the said articles shall take full effect by their meaens We giue grant quit transport renounce and accord in gift of fee in the best and most auaileable forme way and manner that may be deuifed by law to the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia our most deare and best beloued eldest daughter All our Netherlands and euery Prouince thereof with the Country and County of Bourgogne comprehending that of Charolois therin the Duchies Principalities Marquisats and forts which are in our Netherlands and Bourgogne together with all the regalities and all sorts of iurisdictions which wee might pretend by reason of the same as also all preheminences gards and all other kind of soueraignty whatsoeuer in the same forme they are now or may be ours to haue the full possession as wee haue had without any exception vpon charge notwithstanding that they shall inuiolably obserue all here aboue mentioned the Pragmatick made by the deceased of immortall memory the Emperor my Lord father who is in glory in the month of Nouember 1549. touching the vnion of the said Netherlands without consenting to any separation thereof for any cause whatsoeuer 13. And it is our intention that in regard of this donation our said daughter the Infanta and her future husband the Archduke Albert shall be charged and bound to pay and acquit all debts made by vs or in our name or by his deceased Imperiall Maiesty vpon our patrimonie and demaines of the said Netherlands and of the Contie of Bourgogne and they shall bee also tied and bound to beare and discharge all the rents annuities for life and all other donations pensions and recompences which his said Imperiall Maiestie wee or our predecessors haue made to any persons whatsoeuer And so we do make create and name by these presents our said daughter the Infanta Princesse and Lady of the said Netherlands and Earle of Bourgongne and Charalois We do also grant vnto our said daughter that ouer and aboue the particular titles of euerie of the said Prouinces of the Netherlands and countie of Bourgoigne she may also write intitle and name her selfe Duchesse of Bourgoigne notwithstanding that we haue reserued for so long as it shall please vs for our selues and for the prince our sonne the said title of Duke of Bourgoigne with all the rights that may belong vnto vs together with the soueraigntie of our order of the Golden Fleece whereof we retaine the power vnto our selues to dispose hereafter as we shal think most fit We consent and agree and do suffer our said daughter the Infanta giuing her absolute irreuocable power of her own priuat authority without any further consent to be demaunded by her selfe or by her deputies sent to her future husband to take full and absolute possession of the said Netherlands and of the countie of Bourgoigne
into his house and the towne of Emden which is verie famous of great trafficke and one of the Hans and Imperiall townes This quarrell had his beginning and first motiue in the life time of Cont Iohn Brother to this Earle Edsard a peaceable man zealous to the reformed religion and a great protector of the priuiledges of the towne of Emden and of the whole countrie VVhereas on the other side Edsard prouoked by his wife who was daughter to the King of Sueden and would gladly haue commanded like a Queene in that towne notwithstanding their Imperiall priuiledges sought to change the Estate of religion according vnto the confession of Ausbourg with the constitutions and customes of the said towne as well in matters of pollicy as Church gouernement euen vnto the distribution of the publike almes and other deedes of charitie the which the Earle would haue depend vppon his sole authority Against the which the Magistrates and Burgers opposed them-selues constantly and their heart-burning grew so great on either side as they fell to armes But as the Earle who had his Castle within the said towne demanteled feared some bad euent of this warre their controuersie was referred by a mutuall consent to the arbitrement of the generall Estates of the vnited Prouinces of the Netherlands who sent their Deputies to heare both parties in their fort of Delfziel lying vppon the Dollart and the Riuer of Ems two Leagues from Emden to reconcile them and decide their quarrels as they did by arbitrarie sentence the which was very well accepted both of the one and the other But afterwards it was reiected by the Earle so as they of the Towne were forced to haue some recourse vnto the Emperour and to the Imperiall Chamber where they obteyned a definitiue sentence according to their desires as you shal hereafter here The towne of Ham except the Castle in the country of Vermandois and that of La Fere were then hauing beene before deliuered vnto the Spaniards by the Leaguers in the King of Spaines power The French King had at that time his Armie lying before La Fere the which was a campe ill gouerned and tedious although the King were there him-selfe in person the Earle of Saint Pol and the Lord of Humieres hearing that the Seignior of Gomeron Gouernour of the Castle of Ham was at Brusselles and had agreed to deliuer the said Castle vnto the Spaniards for a certaine summe of money and that he had sent word vnto the Seignior of Deruillers his Brother in law and to his wife to yeeld it vp The said Deruillers refuzing to doe it made a contrary accord with the Earle of Saint Pol and Humieres to giue them passage by the castle to winne the towne vppon condition as the said Gomeron had ingaged him-selfe for the deliuerie of the sayd castle that hee should haue the chiefe prisoners of the Spaniards that were in the same towne deliuered him to redeeme his Brother in law The Duke of Bouillon and the aboue-named two Noblemen beeing entred with good troopes into the castle the twentith day of Iune they of the towne were presently aduertised thereof who intrencht them-selues against the castle so as they must needes attempt it by force The French Kings men hauing beene twise repulst dispayred in a manner to become maisters thereof if the Duke of Bouillon and the Lord of Humieres had not assured and incouraged them to continue so as after twelue houres fight and more they entred the towne with the losse of the Lord of Humieres who was slaine there of Captaine la Croix with some twenty Gentlemen and about sixe score soldiers where there were sâ—…aine aboue seauen hundred Spaniards Italiens French Leaguers and Germaines the rest were taken prisoners among the which were the Collonell of the Neapolitans the Collonel of the Germaines and Marcello Caracio for whome the Seignior of Gomeron was redeemed The King did much lament the death of the Lord of Humieres his Lieutenant in Picardie a braue and valiant Knight who had done him faithful seruice The Earle of Fuentes a Spaniard being then Gouernor by prouision of the Netherlands for the King of Spaine expecting the comming of the Cardinall Albert of Aus tria the Emperors Brother had then sent the Prince of Chymay now Duke of Arschot and of Croy to beseege the towne of Chastelet in the same countrie of Vermandois whilest that he himselfe was with the bodie of his Armie before Cambray Mons de la Grange was within Chastelet with 600. soldiars where he defended him-selfe valiantly but after that he had endured many assaults hee was forced to yeeld it vp hauing an honorable composition And by this meanes the Earle of Fuentes did presse Cambray the more Chastelet being thus wonne the Earle of Fuentes went to beseege the towne and Castle of Dourlans a small towne but well seated vpon the riuer of Anthy Valentine de par dieu Seignior of la Motte gouernor of graueling General of the Artillery for the King of Spaine being neere vnto the Artillery to prepare the battery was shot into the head from the towne whereof he dyed soone after and was carried to be buried at Saint Omer making an end of so many warres and so great seruices which he had done vnto the King of Spaine being now growne very old not long before he had purchased of a French Nobleman the Lordship of Eckelbeke a goodly thing in Flanders which the King of Spaine erected to an Earledome in recompence of his loyall seruices and so he died in the bed of honor and was buried with the title of an earle He was a French man borne a gentleman in the beginning of very smalle meanes both his father and he being young came to serue the Emperor at the Campe before Teroanne at the first hee was entertaynd by the Lord of Bignicourt a Knight the of order where hee had his first aduancement in quality of a Squier to the said Nobleman vntill he was captaine then in the beginning of the troubles besides his company he was Sargent Maior of the Earle of Reux his Regiment during which time he committed great cruelties in Flanders against them of the religion Then he went to be Lieutenant to the Siegnor of Croissoniere gouernor of Graueling after whose death being slaine before Harlem he succeded in the said gouernment and continued vntil his death and had afterwards great charges as well in the seruice of the generall Estates during their generall vnion as of the King of Spaine to whome he did neuer any bad seruice what shew soeuer he made as of Collonel generall of the Artillery Marshall of the campe cheefe and conductor of diuers honorable exployts and enterprises the which for the most part succeded happely with other titles and degrees of honor in the which he gathered together great welth He died without children although hee had one daughter by his first wife the which died being redie