to send a Commander in chief thither with a foreign army They said that the King would find greatest obedience they sought to honest as much as they could the Covenant and the Petition and though they detested the popular insolencies against the Church yet they would make it be believed that it was done out of ignorance or levity but not out of infidelity That therefore the King should come himself in person and that imitating his father and his fore-fathers in his benignity he might expect answerable effects in their obsequiousness from the Flemish The King himself had long nourisht this opinion of his going into Flanders and such a speech was spread abroad in Spain and such was the preparation of ships which were built in Biscay to make that voyage as it was given out as all Europe did firmly believe it and to say truth the aforesaid reasons being well considered it could not be judged but that the King had some such thought but oft-times those councels which are advisedly taken are out of necessity past by The consequences which made against it being therefore put into the contrary scale it appear'd almost impossible for the King to resolve upon such an action And first to keep a long time aloof off from the heart of his Monarchy bore with it those important considerations which were toucht upon in the beginning when it was shewed for what reasons the King resolved to make his residency in Spain And a double fear did still continue as well of the Moors who were spread thoroughout all those Kingdoms as also of some dangerous infectious heresie which might be brought amongst those people But suppose the King had been free of those suspitions how should he have gone into Flanders by sea or by land with or without forces by sea he must depend upon storms and wind and upon the meer will of fortune which useth to make her greatest sports of the most eminent amongst mortals And the King himself not many years before had experienced the danger of sea-voyages in his return from Flanders and had not his own example been sufficient that of his Grandfather Philip was yet very fresh who by the violence of the winds was thrown upon England and detained by force many days in that Kingdom Upon which occasion he notwithstanding received all fair entertainment and Courtly hospitality from Henry the seventh which the King could not exspect from Queen Elizabeth who did rather conspire with his enemies to his prejudice On the other side the journey by land seemed very difficult for the King was of necessity to pass through the Countries of several Princes and would depend with too much danger upon their wills The King of France would peradventure consent that he should pass through his Kingdom and would perhaps have received him with no less friendly demonstrations then King Francis had done the Emperour Charls the fifth but the hereticks wherewith all the parts of that Kingdom were then almost infected would have opposed his journey and would doubtlesly have made the event prove dangerous It remained then that he must land in Italy and afterwards take his way either through Savoy or by the Switzers so to enter into the Country of Burgundy and Lorain and from thence into Flanders On both which parts he was likewise to pass through the Countries of strangers and to coast so near upon France and Germany as he must needs be subject to many sinister accidents which easily might have befaln him These were the difficulties which were taken into consideration if the King were to pass into Flanders either by sea or by land with only his Court attendance But how much greater were to be feared if he should pass with an Army since carrying with him so great a â—ne as the occasion would doubtlesly require all States would be jealous of so great Forces and peradventure would have raised Forces likewise and instead of friends have become enemies lest that which was termed a passage might turn to an oppression Then the Councel of Spain not thinking it fit that the King should go himself in person into Flanders for the aforesaid reasons it remained to see whether it were better to send some warlick Commander thither with an Army or laying aside all asperity endeavour to compose the affairs by fair means The King was much at variance within himself upon this point He was naturally given to love quiet he loved the Flemish and would rather have been beloved then feared by them knowing very well how much securer the Garison is which Princes have in their subjects hearts then those of Citadels or Cities moreover that he might be very uncertain of what the event of his forces would be against a people by nature so fierce so far remote from all the rest of his Dominions and who were invironed on all sides by the Crown of Spains greatest enemies and enviers But on the contrary he saw how little good fair means had done as yet since the authors of the begun disorders had rather been incouraged thereunto then otherwise by too much tolleration and might likely if unpunished grow worse and worse Nor were the Kings Councelless at a stand then the King The Councel of Spain was then full of many eminent personages Amongst the rest Ferdinand de Tolledo Duke of Alva and Gomes de Figheroa Duke of Feria were in great esteem both with the King and Councel Feria chiefly for Civil affairs and Alva for Military actions who was so excellent therein as the first place in the profession of Militia was unquestionably given to him by all Spain These two were of differing opinions Feria thought it better to reduce the Flemish to their duties by fair means and Alva by force Upon a certain day then when the King himself was in Councel to resolve what was to be done in this so important business The Duke of Feria spake thus The cure of an evil most glorious Prince lies chiefly without all question in knowing what it is Cities and Monarchies are born and die grow sick and are cured as humane bodies are so as if diligence be used in the private indispositions of one onely man how much more necessary is it to be used in the publick maladies of whole Kingdoms To provide then for the evils wherewith Flanders is afflicted 't is very necessary first to know their causes And this without all doubt ought chiefly to be attributed to the terror which the Inquisition and the Edicts have infused into that Country The Flemish have apprehended and do apprehend now more then ever to have their consciences violated by such ways and to undergoe all other greater affliction and misery and this it is which hath made them fall at last into so many and so hainous outrages That under which Flanders doth at the present labour is if I may so call it a Frenzie of fear which is fomented by such as are ambitious and turbulent that they
always had the same end they have not so soon been entred but they have been beaten out to their slaughter and shame and to our everlasting glory and honour And upon all these occasions experience hath sufficiently shewn how much valour exceeds numbers order before confusion and what advantage th y have who fight out of the zeal of honour over those who bear arms only for rapines sake The same will certainly be seen in this present conflict since our conditions and the conditions of our enemies are not the same Ours by being bred so many years in the wars and the knowledg how to defend a good cause being added to the favour of the cause which we defend and that of the Enemy in bringing new men to all military actions and in basely maintaining wicked causes under rebellious Captains The narrownes of the place makes much for our advantage which will not suffer their Horse which are more then ours to have too much the better of us and yet ours shal be so well fenced by Foot as that advantage shall supply the other default And that weak Trench which the Enemy have raised for defence of their Foot what doth it argue but an abjest fear in them an evident desire rather of flight then of fight We on the contrary shall assault them with our wonted resolution and undauntedness shall assuredly have the like success as formerly in overcoming and they in runing away This Speech of Avila's was received with great acclamations by the souldiers Whereupon he with the other field-Officers disposed their orders thus For the more safety-sake he placed the foot towards the River on the right hand and divided them into proportionable squadrons lining the Pikes with shot where it was most convenient He divided the horse likewise on the left side into divers squadrons and munited them toward the field-side with a good wing of Spanish and Walloon musketiers the better to break the enemies greatest force which was to be expected on that part The Camp-masters Consalvo di Bracamonte Fernando di Tolledo and Christopher Mandragone who had brought with him his Walloon Regiment which did remarkable service that day had the chief command of the foot And the chief places in the Cavalry were supplyed by Bernardino di Mendoza and John Baptista de Marchesi del Monte with whom were other Captains of try'd valour The German Harquebusiers under Schinck were placed in the front together with those of other Nations and after them the Lanciers which made up the greatest body of the horse and this was so executed as if the enemies Rutters should charge upon the Harquebusiers the Lanciers might charge them To boot that the wing of Musketiers which flankt the Kings horse on the outside might be of great use to break their first violence as hath been said The enemy this mean while had not omitted any thing which might make for their advantage in the battel Lodovick had his brother Henry with him who had likewise a warlike spirit But Christopher one of the sons of the Prince Elector Palatine was of great preeminence in their Army He commanded all the horse and the whole Government of the Camp was almost equally had between him and Lodovick They left some foot-companies to defend the Trench which hath been spoken of and which lay nearer the river on the left hand On the right hand they composed a great squadron of the other foot in good order and extended their horse towards the hill as far as the narrowness of the place would permit them and made thereof one choice squadron apart wherein were the two Generals and Count Henry Which made it be doubted whether they did this to be in that part of the battel where victory was most to be hoped for or in case they should be worsted so to make their way sooner through the enemy and joyn with Orange who was already come with great forces to Niminghen The two Generals as they ordered their squadrons were not wanting in encouraging their souldiers They affirmed that this was the day which must free the Flemish from slavery the Germans from jealousies and which would throw a thousand rewards upon them the souldiers for obtaining the victory of which no doubt was to be made That the new Spanish Governour trusting little in himself and peradventure less in his men would not be in person where the greatest danger was That he was constrained to draw his people out of their Garisons almost by force who howsoever came rather with a mind to mutiny then to fight and were so lessened in their numbers as they were able to make but a very weak body of an Army How much did they exceed the enemy especially in horse And how great would their storm be That when the victory should be got on this side it would the more safely be had on the other side where the foot would notwithstanding so signalize themselves as they needed no other to assist them in overcoming That the enemy being routed and made to fly Flanders was to be wholly at their disposal And what Laws would not she be ready to receive having the Prince of Orange with his forces on one side theirs on the other or when they should be all joyned together Holland and Zealand invincible Provinces in the defence of their Country would certainly share in the fruits of so happy a success as also every other Province which would cordially joyn with them in the same Cause That in such Provinces as would prove refractory the sword should do what fair means could not effect and as they should be joyfully received by those so should they find rich pillage in these That every souldier should therefore enter the combate with firm resolution of being victorious And that adding one incitement to another every one of them should think they were looked upon by the eyes of both the Germanies which expected by means of their valour that day the one to recover what she had lost the other to keep what she had feared to lose When both Armies were ordered in manner aforesaid they began to skitmish Avila advanced 300 foot part Spaniards part Walloons against those who guarded the Trenches on the other side who coming forth with a proportionable number received the Kings men with much stoutness but these as being more experienced began to get advantage over the others driving them back into their Trenches and endeavouring to fall in with them Here the fray grew hotter and each side received new courage accordingly as they received new succours But the Kings men still prevailing they at last got upon the Trenches and of them Captain Diego di Montesdock was one of the first that was slain Then the chief squadron of the enemies foot began to move Whereupon the others making a stand who before began to give back they fell all again a fighting and for a while did manfully withstand the Kings men whose squadrons
a place of large circuit and greatly peopled and which might have stood out long Wherefore the Councel of War were of opinion That it was better first to possess all the Country which lay about Namures to secure themselves still the more of that passage which lay so opportunely for the receiving of succours from Italy and which would make the other Pass over the Mause at Mastrick the more easie by which Aid in assistance of the King might likewise be brought from the neighbouring parts of Germany Wherefore Don John enlarging his Quarters in the two Provinces of Brabant and Henault that he might receive his victuals with more ease and in the greater abundance re-entred into the Country of Namures and resolved to incamp before Philippaville This is a Town of five royal Bulwarks which the King fortified the better to secure that Frontier towards France and did therefore honour it with his own name The Quarters being distributed according to the diversity of the Nations they began to make Trenches on one side And Don John willing to shew his superiority as well in pains-taking as in command applied himself with great fervor to such Works as were of greatest importance The Prince of Parma was alwayes by his side So as by their example every particular Souldier gave himself to labour hard in the siege When the Trenches were advanced some Cannon and Peeces of lesser bore were planted on that side to bereave the Enemy of defence and the Kings men coming at last unto the ditch began to lodge there But those within were not less ready in making resistance Signor di Glimes was chief Commander over them and with him were five Foot-Colours and one Troop of Carbines on hors-back The people were but few in respect of the need and they wanted many things within the Town for their defence Yet the Enemy seeming as if they would maintain it and encouraged by Orange who promised they should within a short time be relieved they began at first to annoy the Kings Camp with frequent shot and by some sallies endeavoured to hinder the working of the Trenches at least to keep them further off Being come to fight at nearer distance the actions grew hotter the assailants sought how to get nearer the walls and the assailed how to keep them further off But the Kings men did so well shelter themselves and did so advance with their Trenches and Earth-works and by their batteries threw down so great a part of the Wall as they prepared to come boldly on to the assault when the Governour resolved to surrender the Town to Don John Some succour was endeavoured to have been brought in but that failing the besieged were much discouraged It was notwithstanding thought that the Governour was too easily perswaded to surrender being more wrought upon by promises from Don John then by any necessity And his going over soon after to the Kings side turned this opinion into a believed certainty When Don John was rid of this enterprise heresolved to leave Gonzaga with a good part of the horse and some foot upon those Frontiers of Hennault and Artois to withstand some preparations which the Duke of Alanson was making in France against Flanders on those parts And Gonzaga did luckily defeat some Companies of foot who were already entred the Country After this he endeavoured to endamage the Territories thereabouts which were in the hands of the Flemish Rebels by frequent inroads and especially by destroying the corn upon the ground which was then a ripening Don John sent the Prince of Parma at the same time with other Forces to streighen Limburg a Town which gives the name to that Province and lies near the County of Namures being very commodious for the receiving of aid from Germany At the first battery the Town surrendred to Fernese from whence the Governour retired himself into the Castle which is very strong by reason of its situation standing upon a very steep rock wherefore he resolutely prepared to stand out But his souldiers were of another mind for being but very few in number and having but small or no hopes of being relieved they would not run the hazard of punishment assuring themselvs that they should easily obtain pardon as they did for Fernese sufffering the Governor to go out free did not only pardon the other Soldiers but took them almost all into the Kings service This was the proceedings of the Kings Army after the battel of Geblurs This mean while Norchermes Lord of Selle was com from Spain by whom the King had by his Letters signified his plesaure touching the novelties which had happened in Flanders The Contents whereof were That he would not have the Flemish acknowledg any other Governour then Don John For what remain'd in a language which relisht both of the sowre and sweet he commended the States for standing so firm in their obedience to him and to the Church assured them that whilst they should persevere in so doing they should receive all fair usage from him And he refer'd himself to what the same Lord of Selle should represent more particularly in his name touching the composing of the new commotions which were raised in those Provinces But from the time that the States had written unto the King complaining so bitterly against Don John as we then told you the affairs on all sides were so imbittered as there was no means left for any peaceable accommodation For the States declared themselves fully resolved never to acknowledge Don John for their Governour That they had chosen the Archduke Mathias to govern them that therefore they desired the Government might be left to him which if otherwise the fault was not theirs if the service of the Church and King did daily suffer detriment Selle procured a Treaty between both parties but to no end He then endeavoured that the Prince of Parma might negotiate with the States believing that he as son to the Lady Margaret toward whom the Flemish had shewed so great affection might be well received by them and might more easily overcome the difficulties which lay on that side But he proposed that for the Prince his security the Prince of Orange should the mean while be put into the hands of Don John which made them absolutely refuse the Treaty And for this particular which had encouraged Orange and some others they grew very jealous of the Treaty mentioned by Selle At this time the Emperour had likewise interceded with the Flemish to bring them to some good agreement with the King He had joyned complaints with his exhortations saying that they had stoln the Archduke Mathias from him which action of theirs the King had great reason to resent But this intercession of the Emperours did no good neither for the Flemish lent but little ear to his exhortations and as for his complaints they had formerly answered them in their justifying themselves in that point This mean while neither side omitted
either man or woman they should not marry without the knowledg and consent of the King for the time being That if the issue of the Princes of Flanders should fail those Countries should revert to the Crown of Spain That those Princes should be bound to make their Subjects desist from their Navigation into the Indies That when they should come to their succession they should swear to profess the Catholick Apostolick Roman religion And that if they should fail in any of all these Conditions those Countries should again revert to the Crown of Spain These were the chief Articles Neither in this Grant did the King reserve any thing to himself nor to any of his successors save only that they might intitle themselves Dukes of Burgony and retain the Order of the Golden-Fleece The Marriage being agreed upon the King immediately sent the Articles away to the Archduke to the end that he calling together the States-Generall of the obedient Provinces as soon as he could should procure their necessary consent The Assembly was held in Brussels and after some difficulties the Articles were approved of with unexpressible signs of joy Jubile by those people to think that Flanders might hope to return again under its own ancient Principality But it is not to be said how much contrary at the same time the other Provinces which had withdrawn themselves from the obedience of the Church and King of Spain appeared to the sense of these Catholick Provinces They spightfully gave out that this would prove but a naked and vain Principality That the Infanta being already well advanced in years the Spaniards would with specious allurements give a barren Marriage unto Flanders That therefore the new Princes would rather appear as Governors then as Princes That being still to be maintained by Spanish Forces the Spaniards would domineer over them more then ever That in the Articles of Marriage Flanders was spoke of as a Feudatory to Spain and not as a Country depending upon its own Soveraignty to witness which those Articles were full of Conditions whereby the States of the new Princes might soon fall again to the Crown of Spain But that let what will happen the United Provinces would never change their former Resolves nor ever acknowledge any other Empire then their own The Archduke prepared this mean while to go for Spain whether the King was very earnest with him to come But it behoved him first to provide for many necessities appertaining to the affairs of Flanders In particular the mutiners disorders were grown to that excess as the plague thereof infected even the best qualified Garisons It began first to creep into all those Towns of Picardy which the Spaniards were to quit in relation to the peace So as to restore them with satisfaction to the Garisons had cost a vast sum of mony Afterwards in Flanders the Garisons accustomed to be in the Citadels of Cambray Antwerp and Gaunt which were the three most suspicious Bulwarks of the obedient Provinces did likewise mutiny And this Infection in fine was dispersed into so many other parts as one Garison seemed to contend with another in shewing no further inclination but rather a repugnancy to the service of the King of Spain Their want of pay might in some sort excuse them but the corruption was much greater then it needed to have been But at last new monies coming from Spain and the Country having furnished some the Archduke was able to satisfie the souldiery and to betake himself to his intended voyage for Spain In his absence the Admiral of Aragon was to have the chief command of the Militia and in the intire administration Cardinal Andrea d' Austria Bishop of Constance who to this end was already parted from his house in Germany to come for Flanders The King desired very much to see his daughter married before he should die wherefore he renewed his desires to the Archduke that laying aside his Cardinals habit and taking upon him the habit of a secular Prince he should come unto him with all speed Yet could not the Archduke hasten his journey for to boot with the aforesaid reasons the marriage being at the same time concluded between the Prince of Spain and the Archdutchess Margaret of Austria who was then at Grats the chief Town of Carinthia the Archduke was to take her from thence together with the Archdutchess her mother and to carry them both to Spain This mean while Cardinal Andrea came into Flanders to govern those States as you have heard till such time as the new Princes should come The Cardinal arrived some few days before the Archduke went thence And having received full information concerning the affairs of those Countries about the midst of September the Archduke took his journey towards Germany first to visit his brother the Emperour and then to go for Grats as aforesaid But he was not well thereinto entred when he heard news that the King still more opprest with years and sickness died about the midst of that very month Who was then little above 70 years old the last of which had been very painfull to him by reason of the extraordinary torment which he had suffered by the gout Thus after having reigned three and forty years dyed Philip the second King of Spain and Lord of so many other Kingdoms and Countrys He was little of stature but well proportioned of a Noble aspect in all the lineaments and colours thereof Austriacal No age peradventure ever saw a graver nor a more composed Prince He had a capacity in Governing answerable to so large an Empire He was notwithstanding still more inclined to peace then war Wherefore passing into Spain after his last voyage and abode in Flanders he kept continually there issuing out his Commissions from that Center in his Chamber and like an Oracle and governing Wars at all times where it was needfull by his Commanders He had four wives and by three of them he had many sonns and daughters By the first he had Charls whose Tragical end shews with what reason Princes thereunto constrained by just necessity prefer the obligation due unto their States before the love of their bloud And by the last he had Philip the third who hath given another Philip to the Government of the Spanish Monarchy By nature and much more by choice the second was very jealous of his Authority in so much as he inclined to severity nor was he almost ever seen to lay aside that Majestical gravity which he at all times and in all his actions observed both in his speech and countenance He was very easie to give audience nor was he less gratious in tollerating them then in giving them It not being known that he ever interrupted any one how much so ever the speaker might abuse his benignity and patience He spent almost all the rest of his time in business knowing that so vast an Empire required frequency in business In the first place he
Forts which we had taken would have so long entertained the Enemy till the Town being as we know but ill provided might have faln into our hands The Fortune of war alters the condition of affairs in a moment and so she hath dealt with us upon this occasion But we ought to thank her for it because that suddenly altring the face of affairs she hath proved more favourable to us when it was to be feared she might have proved more averse And truly if the Arch-Duke weighing affairs better on his behalf had made his Army stay betwixt Newport and Ostend in what straits should we now be All hereabouts unless it be Ostend is the Enemies Country we should not have been able to have got thither And then being enforced to have retreated by Sea with how much advantage might the Enemy have assaulted us Clean contrary the advantages will now lie wholly on our side They come wearied with marching short in numbers blinde with rage and with the very fury of mutineers Did they peradventure after this mornings tumultuous action think that we either buried in sleep or born away by fear would either not have taken up Arms at all or else have thrown them away without any waies disputing the business Will this be the first time that our Forces shall have beaten theirs Nay I hope this shall prove the most noble victory that we ever got of them Our men are as good as theirs we exceed them in numbers and we will take the most advantagious place to fight upon But still our greatest advantage must lye in our Arms and courage I for my part will be in all places and from this time forward I declare my self unworthy the prerogatives of a Commander if upon this occasion I be not equally forward in all danger with every common Souldier And that there may be no escaping out of the Battel I have given order that all the ships stand off at Sea far from the shore That I might make the Victory certain I have chosen to adde despaire to hope In fine my Souldiers we must this time either overcome or die with our swords in our hands This discourse was received by the Army with joyfull acclamations and all readiness to fight was shewn Then Maurice gave out his Orders He assigned the Van to Colonel Sir Francis Vere the Battel to Count Solme and the Rear to Monsieur de Temple mixing together the Souldiers of all the several Nations He disposed of the Horse of which Count Lodovick de Nassaw was Generall some on the Front and some on the Flanks and kept no particular place for himself resolving to be at his liberty of transferring himself wheresoever the greatest need should require He had with him his brother Henry a Youth of 16 years of age and the Duke of Alsatia the Prince of Henault and Count Coligni Grandchild to the late Admiral of France together with divers other young Gentlemen of great quality who were come a little before from the Heretick Countries into Flanders to be trained up under him in the exercise of Arms would keep near his person The Armies met upon the Sea-shore From thence more towards the Land appears great Hills of Sand which seem to be on purpose placed by Nature to keep the Land from being swallowed up in those low situations by the Seas when they are most tempestuous Those little Mountains of Sand lie all along the Coast of Flanders and are called Downs The Sand is there moveable and is easily raised by the wind which makes them the more troublesom to be dealt with The Tide began to flow when the Armies marched wherefore they were forced still to draw towards the Downs and in fine the Main Battel must be given there To boot with the Catholicks being wearied and fewer in number the Sun was then going towards the West on which side the Enemies Camp was and therefore his beams gave upon the Catholicks faces which were on the East side It was in July and the hottest hours had very much inflam'd the sands and there was then likewise a little wind stirring which raising the sand did much more incommodiate the Catholicks Camp then it did their Enemies Count Maurice placed some Peeces of Artillery between the Downs and the Sea-shore where the high Tide had left way for his better advantage on that part He possest himself of the highest parts of the Downs where on one of the most advantagious sides he likewise placed some Peeces of Artillery And having all these advantages expected that the Enemy should come and assault him Nor were the Catholicks long in coming The Archduke in few words endeavoured still to encourage them to the conflict He put them in mind of their former victories of the service they did to God to the Infanta to himself and to the King of Spain And that as he himself would be an eye-witness of their this dayes behaviour they might with more security expect to be largely recompenced The Mutiniers Horse gave the first assault who led by the Admiral through that passage which remained then betwixt the Downs and the Sea met with a fierce encounter and were quickly very much indammaged by the Enemies Artillery placed with the aforesaid advantage At the same time almost did the Foot fall on on both sides upon the Downs betwixt whom happened one of the fiercest fights that hath any time been known The Spanish Mutiniers were on foot in the Front of the first Catholick Battalion who together with the rest gave miraculous testimony of their valour And the Enemies Van began already manifestly to give ground for Sir Francis Vere who commanded them being wounded and many of their first Ranks slain the rest observed orders no longer But new Souldiers of the Battel coming in to reinforce the Van the latter was sustained by the former and the fight continued more hot then before Their Muskets and other Fire-weapons being discharged they came to closer fight to the push of Pike and managing of their swords Various but equally fierce were the instigations on each side They fought out of Honour and out of Hatred as if what for hope what for despair they had been mad Each side hoped to overcome and as if they had despaired at the same time they would rather die then be vanquished You might therefore see the Squadrons of each side to billow up and down like waves sometimes advancing sometimes giving back the place whereon they fought being full of dead and wounded men and the fighters full of sweat blood and fierceness And by this time all the Forces of both sides were joyned in Battel But the disadvantage on the Catholicks behalf was too great Tired men fought against those that were fresh and the excessive heat of the sand made them more sensible of their weariness they suffered likewise more by the dust and by the sun Yet did they valiantly make good their party when the Catholick Horse