in Normandy and dividing his Forces into three Bodies he marched into the Country and took several considerable Towns In the French Army were 60000 men of whom 3000 were Barons Knights and Gentlemen The Duke d'Alanson led the Van The Earl of Savoy commanded the Rear and the King of France himself was in the main Battel But the English Army was brought up the Vanguard by the Prince the main Body by King Edward and the Rear by the Earls of Arundel and Northampton the Lords Ross Willoughby St. Albans and Multon In the French Army some remarkable passages happened in the beginning of the Fight which gave a great discouragement to the French Forces They had in their Army 1500 Cross-Bows Genoueses stout and valiant Men. These had beeen placed in the front of the Duke of Alansoas Battel by a wise Commander in the Army but the Duke envying the Honour of that place to those Strangers caused them to be removed to another This discontented these Italians and made some disorder to be in that Battel which being taken notice of by King Edward he immediately commanded the Prince to advance and charge which was performed with that resolution that the French were routed King Philip seeing his Brother worsted by the English came into his Assistance with his Body The Fight was fierce bloudy and doubtful a great while till Philips Horse being killed under him he was conveyed out of the Battel This disdiscouraged all the rest and put them to a retreat When the Prince was engaged in the midst of his Enemies he sent to King Edward to come in but the King refused and bid him expect no help which made the English fight more desperately so that 30000 French were killed of which about 12000 were of great quality with the King of Bohemia and the Earl of Flanders After this great Victory King Edward besieged Chalice and took it In the same year the Queen obtained a great Victory over the Scots commanded by King David 15000 Scots were there slain with many Earls and Lords of Scotland After the winning of Chalice the King understanding the Governour intended to betray the Town for a great sum of Money goes over receives the Money and marched out to encounter with the French Forces in a disguise He was twice dismounted by one Ribomount who being taken Prisoner the King for his Valour released him without ransom CHAP. XXXIX Of the Famous Battel of Poictiers THe English Skill and Courage in War never appeared more in any Fight than in this of Poictiers The Prince had in his Army 2000 Horse and 8000 Archers with some Auxiliaries drawn out of the French Provinces with these Forces he marched out of Bourdeaux towards Poicton and Berry to draw King John out of Normandy When he heard of the Princes March he went to meet him with 30000 Horse and Foot The English wisely entrenched themselves amongst the Vineyards and might have been in time starved there by the French who with their numbers were able to inclose and besiege them round but the Kings Courage and the French fury could not suffer the sight of so small a party without a present Assault 300 of the ablest men of the French Army were ordered to begin and draw the English to a Battel but their defeat encouraged the English to encounter with three Bodies of the French Army the right Wing was commanded by the Constable the left by the Dolphin the main Battle was conducted by King John of France All three Battels were overthrown one after another 5000 were slain The King himself and his Son Philip were taken Prisoners honourably entertain'd and carryed to Bourdeaux and from thence into England The Wisdom and Courage of the Prince was here very remarkable in chusing such a ground to fight as rendred the French's chief strength of Horse useless in sending seasonable Supplies to such as were overpowred and in the disorder of the French Army in falling on with his whole strength How Glorious did the English Valour appear to all Foreign Nations when our Princes and our Gentry were so nobly employed in Foreign Countries and with such wonderful success that two of the greatest Monarchs of Europe commanding over the most Warlike People were at one time taken Prisoners and forced to submit to the Crown of England CHAP. XL. The brave Exploits of Robert Bruce King of Scotland AFter the death of Alexander King of Scotland Baliol and Bruce were Competitors for the Crown To save the Christian Blood the difference was left to the Arbitration of King Edward of England lately returned from the Holy Land Edward minding the encrease of the Honour of the English Crown more than the justness of the Cause grants the Royal Dignity of Scotland to King Baliol upon condition that he would do him homage for it When Baliol had yielded to this he was Crowned at Scone But Bruce with his Party held out in opposition to him and would by no perswasion quit his claim Baliol after his Coronation being discontented with King Edward upon an affront offered to him revolts from the English and takes up Arms but being overcome and taken Prisoner King Edward subdues most part of Scotland and resolves to unite it to the Crown of England The Scotch were soon weary of a Foreign Government they joyn themselves therefore with Bruce and encourage his Title that they might shake off the English Yoak Bruce begins with a small Party but finds Victory and Success which quickly drew to him all his discontented Countrymen John Cuinin Earl of Buchan first gathered an Army to oppose him but durst not venture a Battel which made him desire a Truce shortly after Bruce fell sick and Earl Cuinin taking this opportunity resolved to recover from him what was lost and to fall upon his Army Bruce though so weak that he could not sit on Horseback without being supported by two Servants encourageth his Men by his presence and Conduct for the sight and courage of a chief Commander is of great moment in War Bruce's Forces were so animated by the Kings presence though sick and weak that fearing no danger they fought desperately and routed their Enemies at Ennerury After this Victory Bruce recovered the Country of Arguile and all Galloway with all the Forts held by the English in Scotland and then invaded England from whence he carryed away much plunder and spoil King Edward to be revenged provided an Army of 100000 Men with which he marched into Scotland and at Bannocharn two Miles from Sterling met King Bruce with 30000 Scots The English had some discouragement the day before the Battel for they sent 800 Horse to Sterling but 500 Scots commanded by James Dowglass met with them and overthrew them The night before the Battel the Scots digged many pits and holes in the even ground which was design'd for the Field where they were to fight and in the Pits fixed sharp stakes headed with Irons covered them over with
were fled and had left behind them their Ordinance Bag and Baggage they took the plunder of the Field This great Victory obtained at Podelvitza near Lipsick caused many Towns of Franconia to yield to the Conqueror Another Battel was sought at Rottenburg but the Imperialists were worsted Then did the King take all the Towns between the Baltick Sea and Mentz in one year The distressed Prince Palatine of the Rhine embraceth this favourable opportunity to recover his forfeited Estate and begs the Assistance of Gustavus who employs all his Forces to relieve him and by this means he got possession again of his Countries which could never be obtained by all the Treaties Leagues and Correspondencies of his Friends in Europe Francfort Ausburg Monachium and many of the chief Cities of Germany were surrendred to the King who met with no resistance till Wallenstein Duke of Fridland and the Duke of Bavaria with a great Army encamped near the Swedes about Noremburg The Kings Army was 50000 strong the Imperialists more but the Swedes wanted Provisions which they took by intercepting such Convoys as were going to the Emperours Army and by surprizing Friestad a Magazine The King sends Tupatelius a Swedish Collonel with a party of Dragoons in the Night They clapt a Petard to the Gates and entred the Town took the Corn and the Cattle that were there and because the Enemies Army lay not far off the King sent a strong party to relieve his Men placing an Ambush for the Imperialists who failed not to fall into it to their great loss Both Armies thundred one against another many days with frequent Skirmishes but the want of Provisions forced them to part after a hot Encounter The Imperialists marched towards Saxony to be revenged on that Duke With the Dread and Terror of Fire and Sword they opened the Gates of many strong Towns till the King hasting to the Assistance of that miserable Country at the fatal Town of Lutzen the 6th of November 1632. he meets with the Imperial Army and resolves to fight them As soon as the Sun was up he implored the Assistance of the Almighty and set his Army in order he himself led the Right Wing the Duke Bernard of Saxon Weymar had the Left The King was desired to put on his Armour but he refused to incumber himself with so great a Weight In the heat of the Battel a certain person belonging to the Regiment of Piccollomini sees him at a distance he rid furiously up to him and as he was turning about his Horse he shot him with a Brace of Bullets in the Back to the great grief of all his Army but not to their Discouragement for when they heard of his Death they fell so resolutely on that they beat off the Imperialists and recovered the Royal Body In the Left Wing Duke Bernard had put the Enemy to a Retreat but at that Instant Papenheim an Imperial General came into the Field rallyed the disordered Troops and with his own Forces endeavoured to snatch the Victory from the Swedes but he sound them ready to receive him The day was too short for that Fight it continued some part of the night but Papenheim ended there his days in the Bed of Honour leaving the Swedes to rejoice for a dear bought Victory with the loss of an excellent King who dyed in the 38th year of his Age. When he saw how fond and confident his People were in him he desired them not to trust in him whose Breath was in his Nostrils but in the Lord Jesus who had promised to be with his Church till the end of the World Though the Swedes here lost their King they prosecuted the War under the command of Duke Bernard Kniphus and Horn being assisted by the Dukes of Saxony Brandenburg the Lantgrave of Hesse the Duke of Lunenburg CHAP. XLVI How Prince Maurice got into his Power the Town of Grolle in Gelderland GRolle was a well fortified Town possessed by the Spaniard Prince Maurice had laid Siege to it but was forced to depart without his purpose He studied therefore how to obtain by subtilty what he could not get by force Sometime after he calls together his Troops and declares that his design was to sit before Guelders a Town not far distant from Grolle As soon as the Spaniards understood it they furnished Guelders with all manner of provisions and Ammunition for its defence and took out of other Towns Soldiers and all necessaries to supply that but chiefly out of the Town of Grolle The Prince having notice how naked they had left it suddenly surrounded it the second time and by reason of its want of the Ammunitions and Provisions sent to furnish Guelders he quickly became Master of it Such pretences are very useful to deceive an Enemy and to surprize him unawares and unfurnished for a defence This policy was often practised by the Renowned Duke of Parma in the taking of several Towns in the Netherlands If therefore a Commander be free to discover his design upon any place the Enemy may understand thereby that this is only to deceive him and that the real intent is kept secret for Wise Generals will not suffer their inferiour Soldiers and sometimes their greatest Officers to know their purposes CHAP. XLVII How Scanderbeg with a Handful of Horse and Foot overcame the Turks numerous Forces of Cavalry and Infantry SCanderbeg that Renowned General and Champion of the Christian Faith in a certain Battel in which he was forced to engage and fight with the Turkish Army which exceeded him much in number of men made use of this policy He drew up his Army in such Streights and places as that he could not easily be surrounded And to strengthen his Horse against the fury of the Turkish he lined them with some of his best Foor commanding them at the first onset to charge in the distances between the Horse which was performed with that Gallantry and Courage that the Turkish Horse having both Foot and Horse to encounter with at once gave back and were forced to retire in disorder upon their Foot so that without any great Loss he routed and defeared that vast Army with a small number of Men. CHAP. XLVIII How the Duke d'Alve was wont to strengthen his Army in a Camp against the sudden Attempts of the Prince of Oranges Horse THe Duke d'Alve was a subtile Commander of his days and so renowned a General that his Prince Philip the 2d pitcht upon him to lead his Army to conquer the Kingdom of Portugal though he was then in disgrace and bannished the Spanish Court. When the Prince of Orange entred Brabant with a brave Army well provided with German Horse this Duke d'Alve had in his Army almost all Foot therefore to prevent any surprize d'Alve used to fortifie himself round with Waggons and Carts chained together and beyond them to cast up a Trench round his Army He caused also his Carts to be lined with Musketeers
procured the Duke of Parma the favour and esteem of all the Spanish Army But as the chief skill of a General consists not only in knowing when and how to overcome an Enemy but also in understanding how to preserve his Army and saving it from a dangerous post or drawing it out of the unexpected Ambushes of a powerful Enemy this was performed by the Duke of Parma at the Battel of Mechlin for John of Austria the Spanish General having suffered a considerable part of his Army to fall upon the Enemies they retreated to their great Guns and had encompassed the Spaniards round so that they had been all cut in pieces had not Parma secured their Retreat which he did by placing behind the Hedges some Companies of Musketiers to stop the pursuing Enemy and causing some Troops of Horse furiously to charge whilst he gave a private sign for a Retreat and drew away the Body of Foot in danger to be lost into the narrow ways lined with his Musketeers In the mean while orders were given to the rest of the Army to keep their Ranks and to stand ready to shelter their Fellows at their return for fear the Enemy following close at the Rear should disorder and rout the whole Army as it hath often happened in such like cases When John of Austria was dead Alexander succeeded him in the Government of the Netherlands and in the chief command of the Army Maestricht was first besieged by him where he so cunningly enclosed in the Town with Forts and Works by Land and two Bridges over the River Mosa that it was not in the power of the Prince of Orange and of his Army either to relieve the Town or force him in his Trenches At last after a notable Siege the City was taken and miserably plundred by the Dukes Army By his Policy and Valour he recover'd the most part of the Netherlands defeated the Troops of Casimirus the Saxon Prince who with his German Forces assisted the Prince of Orange and the States He compelled several great Towns to yield to him Tourney Aldenard Dunkirk c. He drove the Duke of Alanson out of the Netherlands and often beat the French Auxiliaries after their unhappy endeavour to surprize Antwerp and the chief Towns which they assaulted at noon day by the orders of the Duke of Alanson who attempted to take and plunder Antwerp by Treachery But Parma's excellent skill in War never appeared more than in the famous Siege of Antwerp With ten or eleven thousand men he beleagur'd that great City full of People defeated all the Auxiliary Forces sent to relieve the Town and at the same time compelled Five other strong Cities to yield to him Gant Brussels Mechlin Nimeguen and Teneramund In this Siege he built a Famous and most Ingenious Bridge over the River of Scala This Bridge was in part blown up and broken by Ships let down the Stream from Antwerp by a notable Ingenier but such was the diligence and Courage of the Duke of Parma that he caused some Beams Planks and Vessels to be laid in that Breach and Drums and Trumpets there to sound to blind and deceive the Holland Vessels that were coming up the River the next morning to relieve Antwerp with Provisions so that notwithstanding this discouragement and the loss of his Soldiers killed in the blowing up of the Bridge he continued the Siege until the Citizens were forced by Famine to yield up their City He reduced the States of Holland to the necessity of imploring Queen Elizabeth's Aid She sent sent the Earl of Leicester with a brave Army but the Duke of Parma proceeded on in the Conquest of the Netherlands and the taking of several Towns both from the Dutch and English But no Action of this Prince deserves more the admiration of Men than his expeditions into France The first was for the relief of Paris besieged by Henry the IV. The Duke was ordered by the King of Spain to march thither with his Army Henry was forced to call together all his Troops and rise from the Siege to meet the Duke with an intent to fight him But when he understood that Paris was supplyed with Provisions he entrenched himself in such an advantagious Post that the King did not dare to beat him from thence He afterwards retreated back into the Low Countries and in view of the French Army far more numerous than his stormed and took the Town of Lagny and though the French followed him close at the Heels yet he ordered his Retreat so subtilely that they could never fight him The next expedition was for the Relief of Rohan besieged by same King Henry the IV. The Duke of Parma with an Army of about 15000 Old Soldiers Spaniards and Walloons and 8000 French under the Duke of Mayenne went to Rohan and obliged King Henry to depart with his Army Parma at the request of the Citizens assaulted Caudebeck and took it In the mean while King Henry had gathered together his dispersed Forces and finding himself as strong as his Enemies resolved to pursue and fight them They were then about Tuepot in the Chalky Country of Normandy having the great River of Seine between them both The Dukes Army was much distressed for want of Victuals and had received some loss by the French Army in Skirmishes and King Henry had taken great care to cut off all provisions from them But the Duke of Parma in one night deliver'd his Army from the danger both of the Enemy and of Famine He caused great Boats covered over with Beams and Planks to fall down the River from Rohan to his Camp where he caused two Forts to be raised with some Redoubts to favour and defend his passage over the River which in this place is half a League over Upon these Boats he conveyed over all his Cannon and Carriages his Bag and Baggage with Horse and Foot so that the next day when the French Army was preparing to assault the Spaniards in their Tents they saw only Prince Ranuse Farnese with 1500 Men with the rest of their Canon going over to the Dukes Army on the other side and it was not in the Kings power to follow him for want of Boats or a Bridge By this means the Duke returned back with leisure into the Low Countries relieved two great Cities against a powerful King and without venturing his Army to the great wonder of all Europe performed what he had undertaken CHAP. XLIII How the Marquis de Monte defeated five Companies of Foot and Seven Hundred Horse with Seventy Lances and Twenty Five Carabins THis excellent Commander by the Duke of Parma's order marched out of Lovain where he was Governour towards Maestricht to discover the Enemy and by chance met with five Companies of Foot and Seven Hundred Horse At the first sight his men began to fear the in-equality of the number but the Marquiss finding himself too far advanced and so near that he could not well
escape by flight resolved to encourage his small party to stand the encounter For that purpose he caused his Carabines to march up to the top of the Hill in sight of the Enemy and there to stand ready for a charge whilst he divided his Lances into three parts which he caused at a signal given to ride from three several places furiously towards the Enemy When they saw from divers places several Troops of Horse riding up to charge them and hearing the sound of the Trumpets which the Marquiss caused to be sounded in the Vallies as if there were a greater Body of Men coming up to charge them they all run away and gave an easie Victory to the Marquiss who in half an hours time killed a great many in the pursuit took three Colours two hundred Horses and and one hundred Prisoners Thus by the mistake and deceit of the eye-sight was this party routed and when fear causeth Men to fly away a small number is sufficient to continue the chase and hinder them from rallying CHAP. XLIV Of Henry de Lorain Duke of Guise and how he defeated the great Army of Germans in France THe Protestant Princes of Germany being sollicited by the King of Navar sent abouut five and twenty thousand men under the command of the Baron de Dona and the Duke of Boillion to his assistance The Duke of Guise with a flying Army of four or five thousand men waited upon them from the borders of Lorain to cut off Provisions and at all advantages to ruine and destroy them In their march towards the fruitful Country of Beauste the Germans came near Mountargis and the Baron with a strong party of Horse quartered at a small Town called Vimory The Duke having intelligence of the disposition of the Enemies Army marched out of Montargis by night with his small party through a long Plain and arrived at Vimory before day The Duke of Guise having divided his Infantry into three Battalions of about a thousand men apiece under the command of these Captains St. Paul Joannes Cheurers and Pontsenac and his Cavalry into four Squadrons led by the Dukes of Mayenne de Elbeut and Aumale The Duke of Guise led the fourth which consisted of 300 Horse When they were near to Vimory they sent four Horsemen to discover the entry in of the Village and found neither Scouts nor Guards nor Perdues nor any Baricado to hinder the Assault of an Enemy so secure these Germans lay Therefore the Duke of Guise entring the great Street of the Town which was full of Carts and Waggons belonging to the German Army soon overpowred those that first made resistance and then setting Fire to the Houses burnt and killed above a thousand Germans and took from them a great deal of Plunder with 1200 Horse But when the Baron de Dona had rallyed his Troops to make resistance the Duke of Guise fearing to be surrounded retreated back to Montagis with rich Spoils and much Honour This Loss though it was not great yet destroyed the whole German Army by breeding a discontent between Officers and Soldiers and causing them to distrust the capacity of their General who from Vimory led them into Beauste to the Town of Anneau where there was a Castle which a certain Captain had undertaken to defend against all the German Army The Duke of Guise with a very small party pursues them and resolves to beat up their Quarters once more And for that purpose having agreed with the Captain of the Castle to receive in by Night his Infantry he with all his Cavalry round about the Town stood ready to cut in pieces those that should offer to save themselves by Flight The Infantry at break of day sallying out of the Castle into the Town surprized the Germans unprovided kill'd about 3000 of them took five hundred Priseners with their Bag and Baggage and their Waggons and Plate The rest of the Army that quartered in the Neighbouring Villages were so discouraged that they sent to agree with King Henry the 3d. to suffer them to return home into their own Country So that of this great Army scarce 4000 were left alive for in their return they were destroyed by the Country People CHAP. XLV Of Gustavus Adolphus King of Swedeland and his brave Actions in Germany and Poland THis Prince has been successful in all his Wars first against the Muscovite and Polander for the King of Poland claimed the Crown of Swedes as his natural Inheritance The War continued very fierce many years but the Swedes for the most part had the Victory and took several Towns from the Poles Newburg and Straisburg were taken by a new Invention of a certain Ingineer named Elias Tripus who shewed the King how to shoot great Shot with Leathern Guns to batter the Enemies Walls During this War between the two Kinsmen the Kings of Sweden and Poland the Emperor of Germany gave Assistance to the Poles and made War against the Swedes from whom he took divers Towns Therefore as soon as the peace was concluded with the Polander the Swedish King proclaims a War by his Manifesto against Coesar who in Favour of the Roman Bishops had abridged the Protestant Liberties all over Germany taken from the Prince Palatine his ancient Inheritance plundred the Lutheran Cities invaded the Countries of Saxony and other reformed Territories and joining with the Spaniard resolved to promote and advance the Popish perswasion with Fire and Sword The King of Sweden a rigid Lutheran as he found himself engaged by many Obligations in this War against Germany he met with great Assistance and Encouragements from divers Princes and Cities who had been harassed and plundred upon the account of Religion In the year 1630. he entred the Isle of Rugia Stetin the chief City of Pomerania yielded to the Swedes so did the Castles of Wolgasten and Damgart and the Towns of Ribbenitza Winshem Colberg Griffenhage and all Pomerania Gustavus proceeded on in his Conquests and restored several exiled Princes to their Patrimonies in Saxony The Elector himself being grievously impoverished by the Imperial Army entreated Assistance from the King who at Lipsick joins with the Duke against Count Tilly. A furious Battel was here fought The King had the leading of the Right Wing the Duke of Saxony governed the Left At the first encounter the Imperialists had the Advantage of the Sun and Wind but the King of Sweden cunningly wheel'd about and got that benefit from them and to strengthen his Troops of Horse he caused some Ranks of Musketeers to be mingled amongst them which did notable service in that Station The new raised Forces of Saxony gave ground but they were soon relieved by General Horns Foot who were placed in Ambush in a little Wood. The Fight was obstinate and bloudy fifteen thousand lay dead upon the place but the Victory inclined to the Swedes and Saxons who the next day prepar'd again to Fight but when they understood that the Imperialists
so that the Prince was never able to force him to a Fight And when all his Forage and Provisions were spent he was driven by that means to the necessity of departing out of the Country into Germany again CHAP. XLIX Of certain times convenient to fight an Enemy and other times wherein it is Wisdom to refuse a Battel IF an Armies Reputation depends wholly upon a speedy success as in many cases If the Enemy be gathering together greater Forces and expects a speedy supply of Horse or Foot If the Country be so at his devotion that the longer he delays the stronger he grows or if Victuals or Money begin to fail then a General should seek all fit opportunities for a speedy Encounter while the Enemy is not too strong and his own party in a condition and resolution to give Battel But if a General hath more Forces coming into him or if he knows that by delaying he may shorten or cut off his Enemies Provisions or if Sickness and Diseases do daily lessen the number of his Enemies then by delaying he may do as much service as by venturing a Battel At the Isle of Rhee the Freuch Army would never offer to fight with the English till they perceived them in a confusion by reason of their orders to Embark But they always followed them close at the Heels till this opportunity was offered to them and then with all their Forces of Horse and Foot they fell furiously upon the English and cut off a great many Likewise in the War between Don John of Austria and the Estates of the Netherlands he endeavour'd to fight the Army commanded by Count Bossute because he understood that Duke Cassimire with 5000 Horse and 6000 Foot with other Forces were coming into the Earls Camp within a few days But the Earl would by no means suffer his Men to venture out of their Trenches CHAP. L. How Lewis King of France stopt the Assistance which the Dukes of Burgundy and Britany were going to send to the Duke of Normandy THe French King understanding that these three Dukes had made a League Offensive and Defensive against him their common Enemy and having an intent to assault and fight them single When he led his Army into Normandy he feigned Letters from that Duke to the Duke of Burgundy signifying that he was loath to run the hazard of a War that he had accepted of the Kings offers and concluded an agreement with him for 60000 Franks and therefore he desired him to forbear sending of his Forces to his Assistance as had been formerly promised These Letters the King caused to be sent by an Herald to the Dukes of Burgundy and Brittany who though they suspected them to be false yet because they received a confirmation from the Contents from other hands but by the procurement of the King they caused their Armies to be speedily disbanded By this means the King obtained by policy what otherwise he could not well get by Force without the hazard of his Army for he having thus weakned his Enemies made with them what agreement he thought convenient and they were forced to yield to his Terms of peace CHAP. LI. A Policy used by a French General to destroy the Neapolitan Army strongly Encamped WHen there was a dispute between Ferand King of Naples and Charles King of France about the Crown of that Kingdom Ferand understanding that the French Army was too potent for him to encounter with only with his faint-hearted Neapolitans resolved to entrench himself between certain Hills The French General finding him in that advantagious Post that he did not dare to meddle with him divided his Army secretly in the night and sent a strong Party round about to assault King Ferand behind whilst he in the Interim with small Parties skirmished and kept them in continual play At last when the party of Men which were to surround the Neapolitan Army and to fall upon their Backs were come to the appointed place the French assaulted the Enemy behind and before entred their Trenches and routed them Xerxes in the same manner recovered the Streights of Thermopyle in Greece defended by a handful of Lacedemonians under Leonidas their Captain CHAP. LII How Prince Maurice took the Town of Gertrudenberg WHen the Prince of Orange besieged Gertrudenberg by Sea and Land he understood by a Prisoner taken from the Enemy that once every day the Governour with the chief Magistrates were wont to go up privately to take a view of the Hollanders Trenches and of the Country round about that they might see for an opportunity to sally out upon them immediately he took advantage of this Information and secretly ordered a Gentleman of his Army to run away to the Town under pretence that he had murdered a Man and therefore fled to save his Life The Gentleman according to appointment discover'd to the Princes Army by playing upon a Pipe when the Governour was in the Steeple The great Guns being then ready and waiting for the purpose were all immediately discharged at one time and battered down the Steeple killed the Governour with the Magistrates which as soon as the Prince suspected he caused a sudden assault to be made and carried the Town for want of a Governour and Orders to defend it For such a Consternation that must needs happen at the unexpected destruction of a Chieftain either in an Army or in a Garrison the Soldiers Hearts must needs be broken and before orders can be given to supply his place by another the Enemy hath a great advantage upon the party that he commands CHAP. LIII How the States of Holland took the Town of Breda by surprize THey hired a certain Master of a Boat who was wont to carry into the City Provisions of Bread and Beer and other necessaries for maintenance of the Garrison In this Boat they stored a Company of Stout and Valiant Gentlemen and covered them over with Turves and other things The Boatsman according to his custom brings strong Liquors upon the Guard makes them all drink plentifully till they were drunk whilst they were in that Condition he passeth the Guard and enters into the Town with his Company of Men who immediately gave notice to their Friends without by casting up a Ball of Wild-fire to fall on A Gate was broken open for them then did they disperse themselves about the Town killed all that resisted and mastered the Guard Such surprizes have been made with Carts full of Corn Hay c. wherein have been hid Soldiers and sometimes a Cart hath been purposely broken and out of order at the Gate of a Town to hinder the shutting of it and a party of the Enemy hath then set upon and entred the Town CHAP. LIV. How the Garrison of the Skonse at Zutphen was surprized THe Spaniards to strengthen the more the City of Zutphen in Gelderland had built a very strong Skonse in such a place as hindred any Enemy from making their approaches