shoare where the Commendador stoode many were fast on the sands diuers were burnt the rest made all the sailes they could to recouer the riuer of Antwerpe Amongst these was Santio d'Auila notwithstanding he had grounded his own vessell in seeking to come to fight The Nassawians followed them into the riuer of Antwerpe defeating and taking many as they ranne away By the Spaniards owne reports they lost in this battaile aboue threescore saile of all sorts forty seauen ensignes aboue sixe hundred brasse pieces of which aboue 200. were taken out of the Cittadle of Antwerpe slaine and taken aboue six thousand souldiers and mariners Few were saued that came to their hands but all or the most that were taken were slaine or drowned Amongst many of their Commanders and men of good account their Admirall Beauoir was slaine valiantly at the push of pike So was Santio Dauilaes vice Admirall The victorious escaped not scotfree For their Admirall Boiset lost his right eye with the blowe of a pike the Admirall of Holland sore hurt with a shot in the thigh Boenyre Boisets vice Admirall was slaine with many other of good marke besides at the least sixteene hundred souldiers and mariners Thus was tke battell of Romers-wall begunne and ended Perhaps some will say because there was no greater slaughter and confusion it may not be tearmed worthy and comparable vnto diuers others But in troth I heard diuers report besides the Commendador who had been at Lapanta and heer that the fury there was nothing comparable vnto this number to number For my part I neuer saw any thing so furious I may well speake it for there are some of good quality yet aliue can testifie the same But for Iulian Romero himselfe I had bin blown vp with his Alfere yet I escaped with as great hazard as any other of his followers But I will dispute against any souldier that no fight hath been comparable vnto it by sea these fiue hundred yeares sauing that before Sluce fought by our famous King Edward the third against the French King and the Earle of Flanders and that of Lapanta FINIS The Spanish counsaile touching the Lowe Countries Duke D' Aluaes commission The intelligence of the Prince of Orange His policie Cardinall Granuill taketh a boxe vpon the eare Count Egmonds nature The Prince of Oranges fauour popular The Kings letters Peter Maunsfelt and the Lord Barlemount will not signe Count Egmond repenteth Is pacified Combination of the Nobility with the Prince Egmond offended Charles Maunsfelts councell concerning Egmond To take the streights against Duke D' Alua. The forces of the Lowe Countries The disposition of the Neatherlanders Egmond draweth all to the Spaniard The Prince of Orange seeketh conference with Egmond His aduertisement Egmonds answere The Kings dissembling letters The Princes reply The Protestants at Antwerpe Their ouerthrow at Osterwell The Prince of Orange his Ouersight Hee openly taketh part with the Papists Perswadeth the Protestants to quietnesse A pitifull Captaine The Prince of Orange into Germany Duke D' Alua arriueth in Loraine Count Maunsfelt vpon his guarde Duke D' Alua courteth him Duke D' Alua surpriseth the chiefe of the Nobility Count Charles Maunsfelt flyeth Duke D' Alua pursueth him Duke D' Aluaes trechery against Count Maunsfelt The Prouost of Arden the instrument Charles Maunsfelt meets the Prouost Killeth him Goeth into Fraunce Count Lodowicke into Frizeland Count Arenburge and Count Meguen sent against him Bracamount master of the Campe. The pride and insolency of certaine spaniards Lodowicke a braue commander Lodowickeâ— forces The order of the Spaniards Lodowickes order to traine out the enemy The Spanish discipline Lodowicke besiegeth Groning Vitelli in ayde of Groning Is dared to battaile by Lodowicke Refuseth and yet giueth hope thereof D' Alua approcheth Lodowicke retyreth Fortifieth himselfe at Iemming Seeketh to stop the enemy Relieueth his Curriers His Germans cryed for guilt and are payed by the Spaniards His braue resolution in greatest distresse The valour of Count Adolfe Count Lodowicke defeated Adolfe slaine The cause of Lodowickes dating Vitells The Prince of Orange towards Brabant Commeth to Liege D' Alua sendeth to Liege Liege enemy to the Prince Sendeth forces to affront the Prince The garrison there annoyeth the Prince Louaine refuseth a Spanish garrison But yet yeeld him money victuals The Prince retyreth His policy to keepe his army from mutinie He commeth to Valentia Auoydeth the danger of his mutinous souldiers Biddeth d' Alua battaile Hee hanged one of the Trumpetters Refuseth to fight Vitelly persuadeth to fight The danger of the losse of the battaile to the Spaniards The Prince marcheth to the place assigned Count Lodowicke hath the vantgard and beats in the Dukes guards Counselleth to force his tents D' Alua followeth Vitelly cutteth off straglers Is forced to run by Lodowicke D' Alua retyreth The Prince in Fraunce The causes of the Princes bad successe What townes are defensible The Duke D'Aluaes error in not building fortifying the the Cittadle of Flushing England Scotland Fraunce Germany Mercenaries Italie Venice Genua The great houses Clergy Portugall Denmarke Sweden The Hauns townes Poland D'Aluaes pride The massacre of Paris Lodowicke craueth ayde in France Obtayneth the Kings consent The French humors M Secretary Walsingham Lodowicke dispatcheth his instruments to Mounts The stratagem for gaining the towne The surprizing of Mounts Lodowicke entreth the town Assembleth the Magistrates He speaketh to them The Papists perplexed The spaniolized Mountâ—is depart with good leauâ— The King of France his aduertisement to Duke D'Alua D'Alua distrusteth the FreÌ„ch Lodo wicke disarmeth such as he distrusted Hee giueth theÌ„ leaue to depart They choose to stay and for what causes Lodowicks horsmen spoyle the Country Chiapine Vitelly encloseth Mounts Lodowicke sallieth and in what order Poyet and la Noue in ambush Roueres left in the towne The first medley La Noue chargeth Retyreth to draw the enemy to the ambush The ambush sheweth it selfe Poiet chargeth Lodowicke retyreth his footemen into the Towne The enemies order for entrenchments The holding of an Abbey without the towne For what cause Fortifieth the place Vitelly finisheth his worke begunne Maketh a new for t D'Alua setteth forth Roueres salyeth vpon Vitellyes quarter Mendoza succoureth the quarter Roueres order for retreit Roueres retyreth Duke D'Alua arriueth Entrencheth himselfe Battereth the Cloyster Payet abydeth one dayes battery and retyreth by night Battereth the towne The furie of the batterie A breach made Preparation to the assault Iulian Romero hath the poynt Preparation of the defendants The assault The retreit Iulian Romerees danger losse The Counts losse Roueres slaine D'Alua will no more assault The ouerthrow of Ianlis Duke D'Aluaes forces Chiapine Vitellies ambush to entrap Ianlis His order to traine him to it The order put in execution The French fall into the ambush The disorder of the French march Mouy escapeth I anlis prisoner Executed at Antwerpe D'Aluaes order against his arriuall
that it was a place not worthy to be kept meaning not sufficient to withstand so great an enemy any long time If that bee true we were not very great Captains at that time for then without fellowe hee was accounted our chiefest souldier By this time the Prince had gotten a sure footing in Holland so as all places of any importance were his Duke d' Alua assieges Harlem where many disasters fell on both sides which siege may be called the tediousest dearest and painfullest of any in those daies DVke d' Alua seeing the people generally ready to reuolt with the lest shew the Prince could make resolued to gather his forces and to charge the Hollanders with all fury swearing to his Captaines and souldiers that the spoile of Holland shold be theirs vpon condition they would execute all they found Hauing prepared a mighty army with all necessaries hee dislodged out of Brussels towards Holland Beeing arriued at Newmegen hee passed the riuers of Wale and Rhyne in the dead of winter and against all reason marched from Arnam towards Vtrick His high Marshall or Master of his Campe generall was Chiapine Vitelly Don Iohn de Mandosa was Generall of his horsemen his Generall of the artillery Mounsieur d' Cressoneir his masters del Campe were Baptista de Mounte Dorkus Iulian Romero Iohn Francisco d' Baldeso Lanchio Auila and Mondragon There were with him also many other of Nobility and Gentlemen of quality as well Italians Almaines Burgonians and Netherlanders as also of Spanish Being arriued at Amsterdam he commanded his sonne Don Frederick Chiapine Vitelly and Mandosa to march with the vanguard and to engage the towne of Harlem In such sort that nothing could passe from it to Leyden or to any other place by land Hauing placed foure regiments of Almaines and Wallons well entrenched in the wood hard by the towne and in the waies towards Leiden Don Fredrick placed himselfe with a Spanish Tertio or Regiment well intrenched in a village and a strong house betwene the towne and the sea and so lodged the rest of his companies that the towne sallies were cutte off sauing on the one quarter which was meadowes marish towards the Meere In the towne were the most of the Princes best Captaines namely Mounsieur d' Saras Steuen Butch Balford Smith with diuerse others of the Scots French Almaines and Wallons Amongst whom were some 200 English in sundry Companies without any Ensigne of their owne The garrison in the whole might be some three thousand souldiers They caused also about sixe hundred Burgesses to carry armes besides two thousand and more of all sorts of people sufficient to supply the place of pioners of which were some three hundred women all vnder one Ensigne The womens Captain was a most stout dame named Captaine Margaret Kenalt Hauing diuided the towne into quarters and giuing charge of euery quarter vnto a principall chiefe they fell to working in great numbers on the weakest parts of the Citie and mended continually some part of the fortifications In such sort that within one month their towne was three times stronger then the first houre the enemy encamped before it They kept also two small sconces on the mouth of the water that ranne from the towne into the meere which assured the passage that waies by which meanes they receiued daily all manner of commodities that pleased the Prince the States of Holland to send them The Prince kept at Delfe in Holland He chose for his Lieutenant of the wars the Baron of Battenburgh for Generall of his horsemen and Marshall Mounsieur de Carlon for Admirall of the Meere for that seruice one Noris Brand. By reason of the Spanish long delaies in their resolutions about their martiall affaires the Prince dispatched away his chiefes with some fiue thousand souldiers and about sixty boyes and cromsters of which sixe were galliots and friggats This army arriued at the Cage within three leagues of Harlem a place inuironed with waters where because the Spanish could not attempt by reason the Prince was master vpon the waters the Baron Battenburgh furnished Harlem at his pleasure with all necessaries There stood in the mayne right against it on the Meere side a village named the Sase where hee landed and entrenched very strongly In that place he encamped with some six hundred horsemen and the most of his foote-men At the Cage there was no danger wherefore he anchored his shipping hard by the shore leauing for their guard six hundred souldiers with the Admirall and one Ashilers By this time Duke d' Alua arriued before the towne with his whole forces artillery and munition amounting in the whole neere to thirty thousand of which might be some thousand fiue hundred horsemen He needed no great cauallery by reason he was assured there would bee but few against him Also those grounds did not serue for great troupes of horsemen to fight in After viewing the strong seate of the Baron of Battenburgh and perceiuing no good could be done vpon his troupes to affront him hee aduanced Iohn Battisto del Mounte with fiue Cornets Italians who entrenched strongly with sixteen Companies of footmen in a village called Hellingham halfe the way betwixt both our companies Afterwards he began to make his approaches carefully sparing neither pioners nor cost to spare his souldiers Before hee planted his battry the towne made many braue sallies killed a great number with small losse to themselues Once they carried diuers Ensignes out of their enemies trenches nayled sundry peeces of battery After placing his battry and playing furiously he gaue two sharp assaults which were defended worthily by the besieged to the enemies great losse of whom a great number of quality were slaine and hurt and amongst others the braue master of the Campe Iulian Romero lost his eye with a hargabushado The enemy often possest the breach but beeing entred their halfe moone I meane the trench which the defendants made ouerthwart the breach within they were murdered like dogges The defendants had diuers fowlers and other peeces loaden with nailes and small shot which they placed on the corners of their halfe moone Those were discharged full against the enemies being entred vpon the breach Also they had placed a great number of small shot in houses both high and lowe full of Cannoners who flanked the halfe moone and besides the halfe moone was double manned with Musketiers Calliuers Duke d' Alua his losses were so great that perceiuing the braue resolution of the defendants hee gaue ouer his assaults and began to myne and to approach carefully with sape and other stratagems Sometimes he would mount Cages on masts made with plankes and such deuices of musket proofe In those hee would place diuers musketiers who by reason of their height did beate into the trenches of the halfe moone
at Alkmer it did equall at the least his victory at Harlem Baldeso sent by Duke d' Alua into Holland entreth the Hague attempteth Delfe and other places without successe WHen Duke d' Alua aduanced to besiege Alkmer hee sent the Master of his Campe Don Francisco de Baldeso with his Tertia De la Ligue with fiue Corners of horsemen and some twelue companies of Wallons out of sundry regiments commanding him to aduance into the bowels of Holland to relieue his troupes in the rich Villages where he thought best betwixt Leyden Delfe and the Sea-coâ—st as farre as the riuer of Mase and the town of Brill Charging him to attempt nothing without his aduice and consent vnlesse it were with sure intelligence with some of the townes Baldeso being entred the faire and rich Village of Hague without any resistance found it a place sufficient to lodge double his troupes all in couert and most in beds This Hague is counted the fairest Village in Europe and the place of the generall assembly of all the Neatherlands next vnto Brussels I meane the seauenteene Prouinces since they were vnited vnder the house of Burgundy where the King hath a faire Palace and diuers of the Nobility houses with a great multitude of Lawyers This Hague is such a Village that Charles the fift being requested to fortifie it answered hee had rather it should remaine the fairest Village then a reasonable faire towne But I perswade my selfe both hee and the Countrey would haue fortified it but that it standeth more then halfe on sandie grounds which can neuer bee made strong by the earth it selfe by reason of the loosenesse of the sand The Prince of Orange tryed to doe it but could not to any purpose so as it might be kept with any garrison against an army without a reasonable army to defend it Baldeso after lodging a fewe dayes in the Hague caused all the Villages to bring him such necessaries as pleased him Then he aduanced certaine of his companies to a Village called Riswike in the way towards Leyden from Delfe which he entrenched and baricaded Likewise he entrenched his first guardes at the bridge halfe the way betwixt Delfe and the Hague where often our troupes and theirs had many a hot skirmish both neere vnto the guardes and sometimes hard by the ports of Delfe Colonell Morgans regiment and diuers companies of French men were lodged in the Villages betwixt Delfe and Roterdam safely from the enemie by reason both the townes couered them behinde and before with great ditches on both sides not to be passed with troupes hauing any guards to defend them These troupes serued alwaies ready to thrust into Delfe Roterdam Delfe hauen or Mayston sluce where the enemy would haue attempted first In Leyden was Mounsieur de Lorges sonne to that braue Count of Mongomery with a faire French regiment and other companies of Scots and of the Countrimen and Burgesses well armed In Delfe was Captaine Chester with two hundred English-men whome afterwards the Prince aduanced to be Colonell of those troupes by reason of some sting against Colonell Morgan There were in it also three faire companies of French-men besides the Burgesses well armed In Roterdam were some bands of Scots and of the Countrimen besides the Burgesses At Delfs-hauen was Mounsieur de Maysonflure with sundry bands of French Scots and of the Countrey In Mayston-sluce was Mounsieur de Saint Alagondy and Terlon with some 1200 most of them Countrimen a great number of Peasants and Burgesses Besides the garrisons wrought continually to fortifie both Delfs-hauen and Mayston-sluce in such sort that both the places were strong and guardeable with reasonable defences Especially Delfs-hauen was verie strong not to be wonne easily hauing necessaries that belong to a fortresse The garrison of Delfs-hauen had fortified the Village of Ouerskie halfe the way betwixt Delfe and Roterdam where they kept a strong guarde Mounsieur de Poyet for the better assurance of Leyden being the neerest place engaged and enuironed with enemies thrust himselfe into it Baldeso practised all he could with Leyden and Delfe once by treacherie of some who kept the towne-port towards Vtricke Baldeso prepared sundry Turfe-boates in which hee lodged good troupes of souldiers Once being entred the ports with the resolution of the garrison and the good conduct of Poyet they were repulsed where Baldeso lost many of his men Another time hee had intelligence with some in Delfe but being discouered to the Townesmen and garrison diuers of our bands which lodged hard by entred in the night but either some of the Townesmen or Baldesoes guardes discouered our arming so as he gaue ouer his enterprize when he was ready to attempt in the like order as he did at Leyden But had he come we were ready at the least 1000 souldiers besides the Burgesses at the water-port where he should haue entred and â—ad bent sundry pieces of artillery loaden with nayles haile-shot and such deuices Had hee presented himselfe his troupes could not escape without great murther among them with no danger to our selues After these attempts Baldeso aduertized Duke d'Alua of his affaires shewing him that no good could bee done without an armie and the furie of artillery To that end hee requested more troupes or meanes or leaue to retyre himselfe with those troupes he had Duke d'Alua retyreth out of Holland sendeth Iulian Romero Mounsieur de Capers and Fronsperge to assist Baldeso Verdugo Gouernour of Harlem THe Duke remembring his disgrace at Alkmer fearing his armie would mutine if hee would ouercharge them with paines and trauel hauing no treasure to content them resolued to retire to Brussels But before he departed he sent the master of his Campe Iulian Romero to his armie which was lodged in the Country by Vtricke and Amsterdam giuing him charge if hee could to procure his Tertia of Lumbardy of which Iulian was Colonell to march into Holland to ioyne with Baldeso He sent also Mounsieur de Capers commanding him to procure his regiments of Wallons to do the like Also the regiment of Fronsberke the Almaine These Colonels were directed to the Campe to procure their regiments to march willingly and not perforce He commanded Mendoza generall of his horse-men to send with them sixe of the best Cornets After that these Regiments and Cauallery were contented to enter Holland and had sworne to obey their Colonells in all manner of seruice Duke d' Alua gaue the chiefe charge vnto Iulian and the next vnto him was Baldeso He placed Colonell Verdugo Gouernor in Harlem with his regiment of Wallons and one Cornet of horsemen with three ensignes of Almaines out of Frunsbergs regiment Himselfe departed out of Amsterdam with his sonne Don Fredericke Chiapin Vitelly Mendosa and all the rest of his armie towards Brabant resoluing not to