that they Nota bene justly suspected this contrary way of acting and that it gave them an apprehension that the Enemy would thereby be encouraged to propose such conditions to such Deputy which never can nor must be treated of viz. their Religion Freedom and the lawful Government of these Countreys And how the forementioned three points would have been maintained by such a Deputy who is a notorious Atheist a Slave to the Enemy bought to the destruction of our whole Government every one may easily judg Just at the time when this Commission was finished and de Groot yet in the Hague ready on his departure I had the honor to speak with one of my very good friends and a member of the High and Mighty States of Holland who on my curious question of What News changing his countenance as if things did not go according to his mind was pleased to say We shall in short have a Peace but I fear a sorrowful one De Groot goeth to the King of France and hath plien pouvoir When asking amazedly How will it be then His Excellency replied There is a lank Charter to be laid before the King and His Majesty is to write On which I answer'd Then de Groot is a Great Prophet for this morning a certain Lord informed me as indeed it was true that the forementioned de Groot about three Months before discoursing with him the said Lord saying that our Native Countrey was threatned with a great and terrible War De Groot answering said Pish pish I do not see any such great difficulty therein I do believe that the King of France will at the first take some of our Cities which we cannot hinder him from but Nota I I de Groot striking on his breast will make Peace with the King of France in the field about three Months hence And observe the time wherein he received his forementioned Commission was about so long after The Lord hereupon discoursing liberally with me said That he believed the same because de Groot was a person who was exceedingly self-opinionated and that not long ago not naming the time which I guest at by his words he had told his Excellency himself that he should certainly conclude a Peace adding moreover that though we should lose and add a pearl to his Crown by this Peace yet if we examined the prerogatives and benefits which Holland should reap from it we would not account our loss so great Though this Lord would not favour me with an explanation of the aforesaid prerogative yet I suppose in all likelihood that his chiefest aim was that Holland should then be separated from the other United Provinces and freed as it were from that heavy burthen as they are pleased to call it And besides that then they would be freed from all fears that His Highness the Prince of Orange at any time should be made Stadtholder of that Province One would think it strange how it is possible that any men should be transported to such imaginations But Quid non mortalia pectora cogis Auri sacra fames He was always more for the French than the Princes Interest This was the reason why the Council Pensionary in the time of the War with Munster durst propose in a full Assembly to make the Duke of Turenne Captain General over our Militia Ambitious is our Enemy and full of ambition are also those Subjects rather desiring to be governed by a King than a Prince But see how miraculous is the providence of the Almighty Just when our State was in greatest danger and tottering ready to fall down the appearance of our deliverance was nearest at hand for it pleased God just at that time to throw down that Great and subtil Designer which had thus long usurped more authority than ever was aimed at by any of our Princes and immediately caused the Prince of Orange unanimously by all the Inhabitants of those Countreys to be proclaimed Sâ—adtholder of Holland Zealand and West-Friâ—sland and to restore to him all those Dignities which his Predecessors of Glorious Memory ever enjoyed That Great God grant also that as by means of His Predecessors with the expense of their estates and effusion of blood the Body of the United Provinces was framed and as long as they reigned kept in a good order the disjoyned Members may by his valour and conduct wherein we beseech God to assist him and to free him from evil counsel and bless him more and more daily be united again I do certainly believe that many of our Inhabitants and also all good Patriots will judg it convenient to find out all those Governors which are guilty of betraying our Native Countrey and by some severe punishment inflicted on them and their Instruments as Momba D'Ossery and other Governors Commanders Captains and other Officers and make them an example to others But as to the later part I do not altogether approve of their opinion nevertheless with submission to better judgments my sentiment onely is that it would be convenient to make a strict enquiry into the Camp proceeding of the Governors and such as bore the chiefest commands and had the charge of defending Cities and Fortresses as Momba Van Zanten Bassem D'ossery and the like as also those persons whether Officers or others that have been assisting to the Governors in executing of their treacheries and had daily correspondence with the Enemy And by punishing all such persons severely according to their demerits make them examples to others But there ought not so particular a regard to be taken of other Captains and meaner Officers who cannot be said to have had the lest knowledg of their unfaithful Governors designs and would have undoubtedly behaved themselves most loyal had they been encouraged thereto by their Governors and not been deluded to act those things which they were made believe would be for the benefit of the countrey but proved prejudicial for which if any should be punished most of all the Captains and other Officers in what Garrison soever would be lyable thereto And those Captains which should be punished more than others would be unjustly dealt withall or the State constrained to an execution of so many honest people which heretofore have behaved themselves like loyal Souldiers for the defense of their countrey and now onely brought thereto by the trecherous though seeming fair pretences and delusions of their base Governors We have also oftentimes seen that Military persons and other inferior Officers being accused of some committed abuses and freed from their punishments out of a particular favour have taken an occasion in all future opportunities to use more than ordinary endeavours for the good and benefit of the State Of which there are many examples whereof one is manifested at this time in Captain Buket I should also judg that some means might be found out who amongst the Regents is guilty of this High Treason and consequently deserving of punishment Especially if
we consider those Maxims that are used and also necessary in our Government that is That onely a few are to be admitted into the Council for private concerns either one out of every Province or else more or less according as the business requires Besides which persons none may have the lest knowledge of things of greatest consequence especially in times of War when the wellfare of the State doth not a little depend that the Regents designs against the Enemy may be kept secret and not divulged and brought to the ears of the Enemy Which private consultations were well observed by the Council Pensionary who permitted his creatures to be of the Privy Council and excluded several good Patriots who his Excellency judged would oppose him in the carrying on of his wicked designs and those which he could not exclude he wrought so upon that he made them to vote such things as his wisdom thought fit And therefore those loyal Regents which sate at the helm might now easily being under the conduct of his Highness the Prince of Orange find out with what malice their wicked Brother Councellors have ordered all things to the ruine of our countrey and the furthering of the Enemies designs Whether in their ill care for the Fortresses badly storing the Magâ—zins granting of unlawful Passports for the transporting Ammunition to the Enemy bad management and preventing the raising of Levies detaining of our Embassadors and ratifications of the Treaties the ill performance of them moreover in the strange conduct of their appointed Governors Commanders and others and the like base carrying on of affairs For if once the thred be found the bottom will soon be unwound Yet notwithstanding all which my judgment is that the publick inquisitions and the punishments ought to be referred since undoubtedly it will be of a dangerous consequence partly because that by the manifold difficulties which in all appearance would 〈◊〉 true the Loyal Regents Fathers of our Native countrey would be prevented from using other means which in this conjuncture of time are more necessary to oppose the Enemy And partly that when the treason is found out the punishments must necessarily follow Which my forementioned Opinion I leave to every ones serious consideration How it is possible that the executing of the punishments which undoubtedly would be inflicted on several of the supremest Governors which have so long managed the Helm of our Government could be effected without fear of great inconvenience to this State which in this conjuncture must by all means possible be prevented Those that please to read the History of Barneveâ—t will find that it is not to be done without great difficulties which necessarily ought to be diverted and referred till some other and more convenient time when either all things may be buried in Oblivion or else the Traitors condemned to lose their Heads for betraying our Native countrey as the Lords Magistrates shall think fit And therefore is it not abominable that private persons dare daily presume to do Justice nay to inflict sufficient punishments on all and every one whom they do but in the lest suspect to have been concerned in the ill management of Affairs which doth no way beseem them But we will hope that the prudence of the Lord Stadtholder will prevent the same for the future I am very sensible that many Patriots by this delay of punishing the Traitors fear that if the treacheries go unpunished the State will be left in a great Labyrinth and in danger of being wholly delivered up into the Enemies hands because when those wicked Traitors being accused of their Villanies and seeing as it were their punishments before their eyes they will use all means possible to make more and more confusion in the Financie of which there is yet a great complaint and increase all other disorders whereby the Enemy may get footing also in the remaining Provinces in hopes that by that means they escape their deserved punishment which fears of the loyal Patriots are not without some Reasons since an eminent person was yesterday pleased to tell me that if in case the confusion in the Fiâ—ancie and the bad payment of moneys which by the wicked directions of the Compt Governors hath been so long in practise be not suddenly remedied it would prove very prejudicial to the State On which I answered his Excellency wherewith also according to my judgment all Patriots may be satisfied that his Highness was not made a Stadtholder to catch flies and though he did not as yet proceed on an inquisition and sudden punishment of the Traitors yet we might well think that his Highness the Prince of Orange would with the help of many loyal Regents endeavour by all means possible to gain an exact knowledg of that malitious governing which hath reduced our State to so deplorable and sad condition and that also he will take such care that all those Compt Governors shall be bereaved of all publick Employments but especially for ever excluded out of the Privy Council so to prevent all future miscarriages of Affairs and settle all things in such order as shall be most beneficial to the State Let us now think on some means whereby our Native Countrey may be brought to enjoy its former Freedom and to know the Light of the Gospel which in many of the torn off Members of this State is already sufficiently extinguished We have heretofore by establishing that cursed Edict not onely refused to acknowledg our Real Governor and Chief Magistrate of our Countrey to which Nature and the formerly received Benefits obliged and sufficiently might have forced us to but also despised and excluded Him with many Oaths Oh horrid action Do we not see and read that when we despise and disown our just and loyal Magistrates that God sends wicked and tyrannical Regents in their places I gave thee a King in mine anger and took him away in my wrath Hos 13. 11. Did there ever any greater destruction happen amongst any people than those which had shewn themselves ungrateful to their Princes and deposed those to whom they owed their preservation If any where then it may well be said to be here That God being justly incensed hath in his wrath given a great part of our Netherlands to a King God grant that as that sin of Ungratefulness practised by our Magistrates which hath chiefly occasioned a curse upon our Countrey is removed by a Miraculous Providence viz. our Magistrates suddenly revoking that Wicked and perpetual Edict shewing a sincere sorrow of that base act to which they were deluded by the wicked directions of the forementioned Compt Governors he will also be pleased to remove all other troubles from us And grant likewise that our Subjects may repent of those horrid and crying sins of which they are guilty and thereby have incurred Gods just displeasure FINIS
THE Dutch Remonstrance Concerning the Proceedings and Practices OF JOHN DE WITT Pensionary AND RVWAERT VAN PVTTEN his Brother with others of that FACTION Drawn up by a Person of Eminency there and Printed at the HAGUE And Translated out of Dutch August the 30th 1672. LONDON Printed by S. and B. G. and are to be sold by R. C. over against the Globe in Little Brittain THE DUTCH Remonstrate c. Translated out of Dutch EVery one not without Reason stands amazed not being abel to apprehend how it is possible that in less than forty days the King of France should subdue above forty Cities and eminent Fortresses formerly belonging to this State A disgrace to our Nation and a blot so great that it is never to be washed off from the not sufficiently famous Batavians Yet if the Reader pleases seriously to consider the following Relation I doubt not but he will in some measure be satisfied My Opinion then is that the King of France did not make so great a Progress purely by force of Arms but by the concurrence and assistance of some Governors of this Country Oh that they had never been so who being bought thereto instead of Fathers became Traitors of our Native Country which to demonstrate clearly we are to consider That the King of France did no way surprise us but gave us sufficient warning before hand as well with words to our Ambassadors as in deeds with his great preparations made by him beyond any example through his whole Dominions as also by his Majesties erecting several unheard of Magazines as well in his own Realm as without nay on our Fronties at Nuys The preparations whereof were so great that an experienced Officer who hath borne great Commands in the German Wars as also under the King of Sweden Denmark and other Princes coming to Compliment the Lord of Amerongen who at that time was on the behalf of this State at Colen takeing an oportunity to view the forementioned Magazine declared to me at his return that he had never seen nor heard of the like believing it to be sufficient to contain Provision and Amunition enough for two nay three hundred thousand men That he could not see this State was concerned thereat asking moreover if they did not intend to defend their Country because they made such small preparations for the defence thereof that the Ashes ought to be stirred and the Fire extinguished before the flame grew too big I confess that at that time I little regarded this saying because according to my Duty I censured favourably and expected nothing but good and faithfulness from our Governors but I have by the sorrowful event found that I might not without a good Argument have condescended to the forementioned Officers opinion For who knowes not that the first care of a Governor for the defence of his Country ought to consist In erecting sufficient Magazines fortifying of Towns and Castles Furnishing the same Towns and Fortresses with valliant and faithful Governors and Commanders sufficient Garrisons Trenches and Amunition for War and especially to deprive the Enemy of as much Amunition and Men as possible But let us examine whether any of all these things were done with vigor and we shall to our sorrow irreparable loss and disgrace rather find the contrary to have been acted by the wicked strange directions of those corrupt Governors for notwithstanding it was well known that at the beginning of the King of France his preparations for War that there scarce was any Saltpeeter in Europe but what was in the hands of the Netherland-East-India Company and notwithstanding it was proffered the State by the said Company yet they refused the same and rather desired that it should be sent to France and so serve as a knife to cut the throat of the Netherlands at once which was not sufficient for besides that instead of publishing edicts to prevent the transporting of Amuniton to the Enemy which ought to have been their chief care they incouraged and maintained the sending of all necessaries for War to the Enemy of the truth whereof every one may be assured since it may be heard from the mouth of the Lord Jucchen Governor of Wesel yet living in the Hague that his excellency about four or five Months ago being advised in a Letter by a Loyal Subject that four Ships laden with Powder and Shot and other Amuntion for War were coming up the Rhine to pass by Wesel adding moreover the Marchants names that had sold and bought it where it was Laden what Powder-mill the Powder came from and from whom the other Stores c. and that the Master of the Ship had a Pasport for Colen nay that it was to be carried to Nuys into the French Magazine advising him also that by vertue of a certain Order sent to his excellency some years ago that if the Bishop of Munster should make any Invasion he would please to stop the said ships whereupon going himself to the Rhine ask't whether any persons had seen such ships pass by as were mentioned in his Letter of advice because this is a very remarkable business I think it will not seem amiss to give an account of the circumstances thereof when one of the standers by answering said that two such like ships were past by and gone up higher that they were laden with Powder Shot and other Amunition which instead of being unladen at Colen according to the Pastport were carried and put into the French Magazine at Nuys that he had this account from one of the Masters of the Vessels that were returned from thence very much discontented that he had been forced to unlade contrary to his Pastport The Governor hereupon sending for the forementioned Master of the Vessel and having understood the truth according to the forementioned relation from his own mouth moreover that there was a third Vessel laden with the same sort of goods was yet below Wesel and coming up the Rhine Whereupon staying till the evening and not seeing the said ship the Governor fearing that she might pass by in the night sent some Musqueteers thither strictly Commanding them to enter and stay in the Vessel till it should come up to the City and be searched by his Excellency Who on the following day examining the said Ship found the same to be laden as before when taking the Pastport from the Master he immediately caused it to be exactly Coppied and keeping the Original sent the Coppy with the Post who went away that day or else an express had been sent to the State or Counsel of State whom he informed in a letter all what had happened and therefore desired speedy order how he should Govern himself in this affair There was at that time but little Powder and sâ—ot in Wesel so that the Governor was not a little rejoyced hoping that by this opportunity the City would be well provided at a small charge to the Country But instead that
the said ship should unlade there the Governor received an order signed by the Secretary that he should not only free the Vessel which he had stopt but also permit all ships that had such Pastports to pass freely and unmolested on their way which his excellency immediately condescended to Two dayes after past by another Ship that had twice as much Amunition aboard her as one of the former and from time to time several others of the same nature steering the same course Whilest the Governor from that time forward solicited the Counsel that the City Wesel being so considerable a Town and of such great consequence to the State ought to have 6000. men in Garrison and sufficient trenches and Amunition all which the Governor often times requested in his Letters to the Counsel of State who at last gave orders for the making of Trenches about the said City and furnishing the same with all manner of necessaries But instead of putting a Garrison of 6000 men into the same they drew immediately thirteen Troops of Horse and twelve Companies of Foot all stout and able men out of it and put a few Companies consisting the greatest part of unexperienced youths in the stead of which the Governor hath often complained and to secure this considerable City the more to the Enemy they under pretence that the Governor Jucchen should come and give their High and and Mighties an account in Person in the Hague put in another Governor and how honourably he hath carried himself in the defence of that City appears by the event Exitus acta probant The like pretence they had to turn out other Governors as appears chiefly by Colonel D'ossery an Irish man and a Roman Catholick whose Villanies and Traiterous actions have been manifested formerly in his ser vices under other Princes And one whose correspondence with the Enemy and notorious Treasons concerning the business of Rynberk are at large related in a certain paper delivered by the Captains Vytenbogaert and Clark to his Highness the Prince of Orange and the Counsel of State and also in a certain apology of the Governor Bassem and a Comment on the letter from Tondlemonde all extant in Print to which I refer you wherein also you have an account how that the Garrisons of the City Rynberk notwithstanding it was so considerable a fortress to this State were not sufficient to defend half the Countersharps and therefore might easily by the Treachery of D'ossery and the falsness of the Governor Bessem be conquered by the Enemies And indeed this D'ossery following forsooth the examples of the Honourable Lords and Overseers of this forementioned work in their counterfeit fatherly care behaved himself no doubt so honourably in the defence of this City that he well deserved a triumphant Gallows of a considerable height not only his own falsness but because so many Loyal Officers which undoubtedly were in Garrison there were deluded by his base designes and treacheries to their utter ruine And for the better carrying on of these Traiterous courses three Regiments more were sent to Mastricht after it was sufficiently provided so that in all probability the Enemy finding that place so fortifyed should pass by there and come first to Rynberk and Wesel At the same time when the newes came to an Assembly of a Province now in the Enemies possession that there were three Regiments more put into Mastricht it was said that his Highness the Prince of Orange had writ in a letter that he did much wonder that such an extraordinary care was taken for that City only when as it would be more necessary to look after other Towns which were of as great consequence to the State this I was informed by a person whose fortuneit was to be present at that Assembly I also heard at that time that a certain Governor being exceedingly troubled said what doth all this tend to I do not like the carriage of affairs for we are like to lose our Country for want of men having 25000 short of what is absolutely necessary And what was the Reason They made a great show of raising men but they acted all things contrary For notwithstanding the first levies were made with great trouble out of the country and we were assured that by the many men that were likewise raised there by others the Governors of those places had taken an occasion strictly to forbid the same insomuch that we knew there was not one place nay not one foot of Land out of our own Dominions left where we were permitted to levy any forces yet nevertheless under a pretence for the good of the Country it was strictly forbid by an Edict not to raise any men within our Dominions but in such places where we knew before there was not a man to be had Nay these Officers which for the most part were Roman Catholicks knowing the unwillingness of men to stay with them were forced to raise two or three times the men that otherwise would have served to the great exhausting of the publick Treasures and their own Estates and yet they could not keep so many of them together as to make up halfe a Company at their place of Randesvouz Whereupon the Captains making a complaint to the Governors that it was a common practise of the Soldiers to take their mony and afterwards to desert their Colours and desiring that these things might be remedied they shrunk up their shoulders saying it was not in their power to help it These disorders whereupon of beating of Drums within the Country was left off and the discourse amongst the Officers being that Holland had mony enough and consequently might have men at all times The other great Leavies and Treaties with the Forraign Princes viz. Brardenburgh Lunenburgh and others were appointed to be against that time when they hoped and judged that all things would be lost notwithstanding it might have been sooner accomplished and more effectually the Princes themselves having proffered their Assistance The Ratification of the Treaty being also kept close till the last hour deprived our Ambassadors from making a conclusion We may be informed from the Ambassadors that were sent to Brandenburgh and now Residing in the Hague that they received the Ratification at Hamborough not before the begining of July New Stile The same Lords Ambassadors declare to the whole World that the States themselves may justly be blamed for the so late coming down of the Auxillary Troops That at first his Highness the Duke of Brandenburgh was treated withall as if they would have bought a dish of Fish of him That afterwards his Highness instead of being prest on advised our Ambassador to stir up his Lords and Masters about the furthering of affairs saying moreover my Lord you have Traitors in your Country matters are very ill managed there I am also assured and it may likewise be heard from the forementioned Ambassadors that the Treaty with the Princes of Lunenburgh and Brâ—mswick was broke
the Rhine was opened to the Enemy Et hinc nobis hodiernae illae Lacrimae Now whether that great Favorite of the Enemies can by means of his correspondence free his Brother in Law Momba from the punishment due to him for the horrid slaughter occasioned by his means and for betraying of our Native Country the time will learn us But we hope that his Conscience will so check him for his own Villanies that he will not think of acting any more if it be possible for a Magpy to leave off hopping One of the Lords Deputies of the Feild as I was told by an eminent member of their excellencies the High and Mighty States of Holland being askt how affairs were ordered that such small endeavors were used to oppose the Enemy he answered that he could give no other Reason but that they had no secret correspondence to give them any account of the Enemies designes of which they were altogether ignorant But this Brother and his accomplices had too much knowledge of the Enemies designes and were too much concerned therewith For as I am informed Momba would endeavour to clear himself by the letters from the forementioned Lord And undoubtedly that was the Reason that when his Highness the Prince of Orange was of opinion that the Enemy ought to be opposed sometimes in one and then in another place to which there then presented good oportunities and desiring hereon the advice or order of the Lord Deputies he never could get any thing else from them but shrink up shoulders and many expressions of difficulties never consenting nor absolutely disapproving of his Highness proposals but all things in suspence tyed up as it were his Highnesses hands that he could not do any thing in the defence of our Native Country Every one may justly stand amazed to consider how it is possible that all things should be thus strangely caryed when there were are still so many Loyal Governors at the Helm For my part I can satisfie my self when I think on the wonderful Carriage of Officers and strange Government which hath been of late to consider the power and sway which that Great and I must confess most Wise Pensionary I could wish to God that his wisdome had been imployed for the good of the Country John de Witt bore during the time of his being Pensionary Hath not he under a pretence of freedom brought us into the greatest slavery of the World Were his intentions from the beginning till the last ought else And did his malitious governing tend to any other end then to root out and diminish the lustre of that illustrious house of Orange and Nassaw Is there any one person that can be said to be ignorant thereof Can there be a greater institution of slavery thought on in the World then to force the whole State as it were against their Consciences to suppress the Prince of Orange whose predecessors of blessed Memory may next to God only be said to have brought us to this our freedome with great effusion of bloud and vast expence of mony Nay to oblige themselves thereto by Oath We become slaves when we are deprived of our Liberty but slaves of slaves nay slaves of sin when we are prevented from doing of good and forced by an Oath to do evil No Governors were admitted to the Regency but with taking this Oath and so in the beginning of their Office were forced to make themselves guilty of so abominable and before God and the World horrid sin of ingratitude a sin which not only carries so many unheard of Oaths along with it but is also the occasion of so great effusion of blood in our native Country A sin which can and may be said to have given the Almighty God sufficient reason utterly to deprive us again of our so dear bought freedome And bring us to greater slavery than ever we were in before What man how prudent soever he be can apprehend how it is possible that one man should infect and poyson a whole State wherein there are so many wise honourable and Loyal Regents and Lords to oblige theÌ„selves their successors as much as in them lay by an Oath to such a ruinous and ever crying sin of ingratitude And yet nevertheless it was done for not above 8 or 10 days before the strange Revolution the Pentionary of Harlem was forced at the Court to swear to the forementioned perpetual Edict Thus to renew increase the crying and blood-guilty sin of our Country I tremble when I remember that some years ago I accidentally lighted on a Book wherein instead of mentioning the vertues of the praise worthy and never sufficiently famous Princes of Orange stood written with an accursed and Divellish pen that there were no vertues of the Princes to boast of but their vices as Whoring Adultery Drunkning and the like were at large described and attributed to every Prince Who doth not stand amazed at the hearing hereof and the more when they know that this was not only sold publickly but was also licensed and Printed with Authority from the State The Councellor-Pentionary had sufficiently examined the same and supplyed all the defects and esteemed the writer hereof as a Loyal Subject calling him the defender of the Countries freedome But if any thing in that nature had been done to the prejudice of that long John or ought had been writ of any of his Relations would not the writer thereof have been persecuted with fire and sword and the printed paper or book immediately taken and burnt What hath not this grand designer with the help of his accomplices and hired slaves which he rewarded by giving them several offices done to execute his treacherous and wicked designes See farther No sooner were the keys of our native Country always so highly esteemed and preserved with great care and circumspection villainously given into the hands of the Enemy but we began to help him to open the Gates also Who could ever dream of such actions No Books afford the like example Peter de Groot that perjured and dishonorable wretch is to make Peace To which purpose he had a blank Commission from the whole State without any Instructions according to which he might govern himself to treat with the Enemy and to speak plain to make an absolute agreement for our dear bought Freedom Religion and Native Countrey It would sooner have seemed to me and all the World a Fable than a truth had it not appeared plainly out of the printed Letter sent from the Lords the States of Zealand who manifested their Fidelity and great fatherly care and also declared That not without great reason they could not consent to such an unlimited power as â—e Groot had given him That it was an unheard of thing in the Government of this Countrey ipsissima verba Epistolae to give full power to a deputed person to treat with a Potentate but much less with a publick Enemy Moreover saying plainly
off only upon a difference of 50â—0 Rix dollers But note they would rather want the favour of those Princes and the 8007 men which they would have sent this State What do you think said one of the same Ambassadors to me not long since if all the Auxiliary Troops had come down in May would the French men have gotten into our Country with so much ease as they have done But what shall we say It was designed so Ambassadors were sent to all Princes and Potentates when we were assured that the Army by the unhandsome proceedings of some which shall be nameless were all blockt up and how our Ambassadors managed their affairs in England I shall omit to mention De Groot would also have made no better end of his Embassie in France had he not been seconded by his Brother in Law that honest Patriot Momba One man was not sufficient therefore we must have a second In short affairs were well ordered our Magazines exhausted and the Enemies fil'd Levies were ordered to be raised in such places where we knew it was forbidden and impossible to be performed And where Auxiliaries were proffered and might be had with ease those were slighted and put off till such time as we supposed they would be needless and too late Most of the Garrisons and eminent places were either very badly or not at all fortified Others which shame forced them to strengthen wanted one thing or other to make them insufficient for defence for those that had men enough were unprovided of Trenches and Amunition and those which were stored with Powder Shot and other Necessaries wanted Men. And those Places which we knew the Enemy would not meddle withal were crouded with with more Men than were needfull What shall we judge of the eracination of the Strong City and Fortresse de Graffe and the Contrivance that the whole Garrison marching thither according to Order were surprized by the Enemy who undoubtedly had notice thereof and six and twenty of their Colours taken from them Nay we may justly stand amazed to imagine how it is possible that whole Provinces as Overyssel and Vtrecht should be delivered up in one day And whereon depends that Riddle that the old experienced souldiers which were kept Prisoners in the Churches of the conquered Towns should not be taken notice of and yet beat the Drums daily for new men seeming rather willing to give twenty nay thirty Gueldres for new and unexperienced men than for the old ten or twelve for which they may be ransomed Who thought ever to have lived to see these times in our Provinces That we must go begging from door to door for the Horse men and permit them to go a way for want of mony as hath happened in this Conjuncture in Gronningen from whence I had advice thereof from a person who was an eye witness thereto When God intends to punish a Country he deprives Loyal Governours of their Wisdome and permits the wicked to use the same to the destruction thereof A certain Member of the States of Holland not long before the march of the Enemy discoursing to one of his Fraternity about the condition wherein the Magizines were said that the Magazine of Holland was so well furnished that though the Wars continued two years it was sufficient of it self without any more supplies and now when too late great Complaints were made that there was no place provided every one calling for Powder Shot and other Amunition for War and they were directed to Magizines which from time to time were emptied and consequently had nothing left The said Lord was askt by his Associate Where that great and well furnished Magizine was of which his Excellency had boasted of so much not long before whereupon shrinking up his shoulders he said that his meaning was it would serve to furnish Holland only but none of the other Provinces which this Lord who a few days ago gave me an account thereof recented very strangely Nay that which is more our whole Army being before the Yssel was two dayes before Whitsontide so ill provided of Powder and Shot that in case of an Attacque they would not have been able to defend themselves above twenty-four houres Some of the Deputies upon the Report which was on Whitson Munday that the French had taken Burick coming from Nimmegen to sollicite the Lords Deputies that were in the Feild for Powder and Shot received for answer that they could not spare them any which was also told me at the same time by a Governor of Nimmegen But Kirk Patrik Governor of Hertogenbosh took better care for his Government sending the last week a list to the Counsel of State of all things which he wanted And to shew that his Highness the Prince of Orange used more than ordinary care and endeavours sent the Governor whilst the City committed to his care was blockt up or besieged to fetch Powder Shot and Canon which the said Governor obtained but then could not find a Vessel that either would or could undertake to carry the same thither of which the Governor hath made great complaints here to several persons Not whether this Governor was blinded by the orders of his Master that he could not see the formentioned defects before or whether the Overseers of our Countries welfare judged that it was of small consequence to this State to preserve this Fortress the Magistrates formerly were not of that opinion but the times change Tempora mutantur nos mutamur in illis The King of France needed not to use any force upon the Works which with so much care and labour were made along the Yssel for a far easier way was shown him to come through the River Rhine and so to fall into the heart of our Country To which the Trecherous Momba was no small Instrument who having so well ordered that affair beforehand in France with his honest brother de Groot that by what means I know not he was made chief Commander of that part of our Militia which were appointed for the defence of that Station When this Traitor in stead of charging his Regiment to be careful in defending their Post and incouraging them to oppose their Enemies gave orders to march up within a mile from Nimmegen and so to leave that Station Which when told to his Highness the Prince of Orange who extreamly wondred thereat an express Order was immediately sent that they should instantly draw down to the forementioned Station again and endeavour by all means possible to defend the same But before they could approach the same the Enemy was above half over the Rhine so that our forces which were to keep that Station were as if brought to their slaughter and those of Alva his Regiment most of them slain as a Lievetenant under the Lievtenant Colonel of this Regiment informed me as he was coming along with twenty eight men which he had pickt up from several companies after the passage through