manner of gouernment then did hee by his letters that were written in cyphers and with double instructions plainely and euidently shew that he attended but some more conuenient and fit meanes to vse his extreame rigour against the Netherlands as it appeared by his instructions sent to Dom Iohn and others It was likewise found by example and many histories That such kings and mightie potentates as he neuer or very sildome let their countries escape vnpunished when time and oportunitie serued although for a time they seemed to winke thereat For which cause king Salomon giueth vs warning saying That the kings wrath is a most certaine dore or entry vnto death as it appeared not long since in Fraunce whereas neither the peace of two yeres the deliuering ouer of all the townes forts and castles nor yet the mariage of the kings owne sister could moue the king to refraine from taking reuenge vpon the admirall and so great a number of gentlemen and other persons of diuers estates and qualities whom he caused to be murthered without compassion And in the Netherlands they themselues had seene That the emperor Maximilian grandfather to the deceased emperour Charles the fifth notwithstanding the peace which had been made by meanes of the princes of Germanie who had signed and sealed the same and Maximilian himselfe had bound it by an oath yet neuerthelesse hee was so reuenged vpon Bruges and thereby satisfied his humor as euery man that heareth therof yet vnto this day is stricken with feare and terror and yet Maximiltan was one of the most mild courteous princes that had liued in many hundred yeares What then was to be expected from the king of Spaine that would not hold nor keep his promise vnlesse it were to assure the countrey in time to come and not to fall again into such great costs and charges as all potentates vse to do when they feare a reuolt especially when as they thinke they haue receiued any disgrace or vndutifull seruice at their hands as the example of Gant in Anno 1539 well witnessed Besides that it was euidently knowne to euery man That all the proclamations promises contracts and oaths c. that could or might be deuised might be broken and disannulled by the Popes Bull as long as it was a certaine decree That no faith nor promise was to be holden with heretickes as he accounted them all to be And that in their gouernment it is holden for a Maxime or an vndoubted rule That whatsoeuer the king should promise and graunt vnto his subiects that were reuolted from him he was not bound nor tyed to obserue nor fulfill the same for that they were not esteemed nor accounted to be right and lawfull enemies but rebellious peace-breakers and as they call them traytors with whome according vnto the lawes of nature no man is bound to obserue any promise as those who at this day write against vs beeing both Diuines and Lawyers sufficiently declare as Cornelius Calidius Chrisopolitanus Iohannes Leuseius Cunerus bishop of Leeuwerden and many others And if it were so that the king were content to keepe his faith and promise yet it is manifest that the Pope of Rome and the Inquisition of Spaine would not suffer him but still would put him in feare of conscience and compell him to root out and vtterly extirpe all heretickes as it is well knowne that they brought the king of Fraunce thereunto so that without all doubt the massacre of Paris was first hatched and inuented both in Spaine and Italie Besides all this it was to be considered what thing had mooued the king vnto such wrath and bitternesse against the Netherlands for that if it were meerely of his owne nature and disposition then there was no hope of any better to be expected for that there is no suddaine action of man but that nature can expell it but if he be naturally giuen to be gracious peaceable mild and gentle as some men report him to be then it might be that hee was mooued thereunto through zeale of Religion or by the counsell and prouocation of those that are enemies vnto the Netherlands as the Pope and the Inquisition of Spaine If it were zeale of Religion that moued him thereunto then the same zeale was not diminished because hee was persuaded that Religion was the onely ground and foundation of all the rebellion but had rather attained vnto the highest degree Whereby from thenceforth it was apparent what was to be expected from him for that those that had persuaded and incited him thereunto were then more exasperated against the Netherlands and bare more hatred and malice vnto the same than euer they did esteeming the inhabitants to bee reuolters rebels heretickes peace-breakers and mutinous persons What securitie what freedome of the countrey and priuiledges and what libertie of conscience and Religion were there then to bee hoped for of the king and what the king might do in a countrey where he yet had so many townes vnder his commaund and so many adherents and well-willers the example of Dom Iohn had sufficiently declared when as hee might easily haue made himselfe master of the land if he could haue behaued himselfe somewhat closer and secretlyer for a while or that his letters by great fortune had not fallen into their hands or if that in steed of going to Mechelen he had gone to the castle of Antuerpe and had taken it Now it was to be examined on the other side if that those points might bee found in the duke of Aniou or not As for him he should haue much lesse meanes he being a stranger and suspected of the inhabitants hauing no correspondence in the Netherlands as also that he had neither towns forts nor any of the chiefe noblemen of the land at his commaund nor would not lightly vndertake any bad enterprise out of his owne countrey vnlesse he were better assured Touching his power it was alreadie declared concerning his will it was easie to be perceiued that it would stand him more vpon to win the hearts and good wils of the inhabitants of the Netherlands than to bring them into distrust or hatred against him and as he should be brought in by the good and well minded he should alwayes haue cause to bee fauourable vnto them as hauing no cause of bitternesse or reuenge against the countrey And touching the Religion hee was sufficiently accustomed to see the exercise of both the Religions in France yea and that in his owne house hauing diuers of the Religion that were his seruants and causing the religious peace to be obserued in his owne countrey so that both in matters of Religion and in politicke gouernment all securitie was to be expected at his hands in regard that good conditions contracts should be offered vnto him which by no means could be done with the king of Spaine Touching his nature and disposition he was reported to be peaceable and courteous hauing behaued himselfe in
the Romish catholike religion wherewith they did shadow their rebellion That whilest the King made open profession of the reformed religion those of the contrary faction being far more in number would follow the duke of Mayene and house of Guise who through the fauor of the Pope and the King of Spaine would finde meanes to entertaine the fire within his realme the which said they was worth a paltry masse neither would it be lost for a few ceremonies Although that these aduises were incountred by notable aduertisments from other councellors yet it seemed the King was somewhat inclined therevnto and that the deputies of the Princes and Noblemen of his Councel conferring with them of the league to preuent the election of a new King put them in hope of it and to attaine therevnto with the more ease they procured certaine learned Prelats to assemble in whose presence this businesse should bee debated at large Wherevpon the King directed his letters to many bearing date the 18. day of May appointing them the 15. of Iuly to come before him assuring them that in so doing they should finde him readie and tractable to do that which was befitting a most Christian King who had nothing more deere vnto him then the zeale of Gods seruice and the maintayning of the true church This action did not greatly please the heads of the league Whilest the Deputies assembled to conferre of religion and that the Estates of Paris proceeded in their affaires whereas the heads of the league had their generall designes in regard of the election of a new King yet all tending to one end which was to enteraine the warre in France the court of parliament at Paris meaning to disapoint all these practises and to chase the Spaniard out of France pronounced a decree on the 28. of Iune as followeth Vpon a declaration made by the Kings attorney general and the matter being debated in Court all the chambers being assembled hauing neuer had any other intention but to maintaine the Catholike Apostolike and Romish relligion in the Estate and crowne of France vnder the protection of a most Christian Catholike and French King Wee haue decreed and do decree that warning shal be giuen by the president le Maistre being assisted by a good number of the court vnto Mounsire de Mayne Lieutenant generall of the Estate and crowne of France in presence of the Princes and Officers of the crowne being now in this cittie that no treatie bee made to transfer the crowne to any forraine Prince or Princesse That the fondamentall lawes of this realme shal be kept the decrees made by the court for the declaration of a catholike French king shal be executed And that hee imploy the authority which is committed vnto him to the end that vnder the pretext of religion the crowne bee not transferd to any against the lawes of the realme and to procure as speedely as may be the peoples quiet being reduc'd to extreame necessity and moreouer we do at this present declare all acts which shal be hereafter made for the establishing of any forraine Prince or Princesse to bee voide and of no force as made to the preiudice of the Salique law and other fondamentall lawes of this Realme The Duke was much discontented with this decree seeing all his designes crost wherevpon he grew into some high tearmes with the President who answered him and other leaguers very resolutly In the end after many meetings letters and answers betwixt the deputies of the Kings part and them of the league according vnto the conference which had beene appointed in despight of the duke of Mayene and the heads of the league the perswasions of such as desired the King should make profession of the Romish religion preuailed so as the king who since his retreat from the court of France aboue 15. yeares before had made open profession of the Protestants reformed religion against the aduise of his ministers and others went to the masse in great solemnity to Saint Denis church the 25. of Iuly and from that time he went vsually to the exercise of the Romish religion whereof he did aduertise his Parliaments by his letters the same day which did much amaze them of the religion yet did they not forsake their profession The duke of Mayen and his chiefe assistants seeing a part of their designes crost by that which had happened and that on the other side the Spaniards sought to entertaine the fire of diuisions by the election of a new King whome they would marry with the Infanta who as duke Charles of Bougongne with his daughter Mary entertained all the Neighbour Princes serued for a Leure for the King of Spaine to draw vnto him all the petty Kings of the league To the end they might giue some collour to their affaires and frustrat al the practises of Spaine they began in Iuly to negotiat a general truce so as after some iorneys to fro it was concluded in 22. articles at Vilette betwixt Paris S. Denis and proclaimed the first of August both in Paris and S. Denis Notwithstanding this generall truce the heads of the league and Estates at Paris did not forbeare to pursue their designes And as they had before opposed themselues at Rome by the means and fauor of the King of Spaines Ambassador against the negotiations of the Cardinall of Gondi and the Marquis of Pisaui deputies vnto the Pope in the behalfe of the catholike Princes Noblemen of France before the said 25. of Iuly In like manner they resolued to worke so as the King of whom they spake very odiously should not be receiued but they did contradict him as much or more then before by the rayling and seditious sermons of some sorbonists by declarations made to the contentment of their adherents by secret attempts and by sinister practises at Rome to crosse and hinder the duke of Neuers voiage who went thether in the Kings name to make his submission and acknowledg his obedience vnto the Pope wherein the ambassador of Spaine and the chiefe of the Iesuits procured him great crosses and lets as appeeres by a booke which was set forth of the sayd dukes ambassage and of the crosses he receiued in the Kings name As for the Sorbonists and other seditious preachers of the league as well in publike as in priuate both before and after the truce their discourses were nothing else but that the masse which was songe before the King deserued the name of a ballet or stage-play that it wasmpossible the King should be conuerted that the Pope could not make him a catholike againe with other such inciuill and strange propositions In regard of the declarations made by the chiefe of the league to recomend themselues vnto their partisans to make a secret attempt vpon the Kings councellors that were least affected to the catholike religion and to ingage the realme in greater troubles and calamities then euer
to commend their enemies neither yet thinke it light or dishonest to praise them vpon good occasion whom in some places they haue iustly blamed for it is not credible that they of whom we write haue alwaies done well nor continually erred wee must therefore in our censures iudge grauely and vprightly of mens actions seeing that truth is the life and soule of a historie without the which how goodly a glosse soeuer it carries it is but a fable To comprehend then the moderne with the auncient they shall find here not that I will put antiquitie out of question beeing impossible for the better vnderstanding of the historie of these prouinces a particular deduction wherein we intreat of all things as farre as we could recouer that haue past in the said prouinces whereby they shall receiue a great contentment comparing the auncient with the moderne times I haue begunne with the first institution of the earles of Holland by king Charles the bald where wee will set downe orderly the genealogie and acts of the said earles since Thierry or Theodoric of Aquitaine the first earle instituted in the yeare 863 vnto Iohn of Henaut the race of which Thierry hauing successiuely continued from father to sonne for the space of 563 yeares ending with Iohn of Holland the twentieth earle sonne to that Floris who was slaine by Gerard van Velsen to which Iohn of Holland dying without issue succeeded the said Iohn earle of Henaut his cousin sonne to Alix sister to William king of Romans great aunt to the said Iohn of Holland who died in the yeare 1300. And from the said Iohn of Henaut vnto cont William of Bauaria the fift of that name surnamed the franticke sonne to the emperour Lewis of Bauaria and to Marguerite of Henaut sister to William the fourth who died without children which house of Henaut ending in the said Marguerite it fell to that of Bauaria and had but foure heads all which together ruled the said countries of Holland Zeeland and Henant but fiftie and one yeares In which familie of Bauaria comprehending the said William the franticke and the countesse Iacoba or Iaquelyne who died also without children there were fiue heads which gouerned in all 82 yeares vnto Philip called the good duke of Burgoignie cousin to the said Iaquelyne whose gouernment with duke Charles the warlike his sonne and that of Marie daughter to Charles wife to Maximilian archduke of Austria continued but fortie fiue yeares After which that of the said Maximilian then emperour as father and guardian to Philip of Austria his sonne of the said Philip hauing maried Iane Queene of Castile of Charles the fift emperour and of Philip king of Spaine last deceased vnto the yeare 1582 when as Philip for the causes specified in this historie was declared by the generall Estates of the vnited prouinces to be fallen from the soueraigntie and gouernment of the said earledomes and countries of the vnion are ninetie three yeares and since the said yeare 1582 vnto this yeare 1608 Arthois Henaut and other prouinces beeing voluntarily fallen from the generall vnion the said prouinces of Holland Zeeland and others haue gouerned vnder the authoritie of the said generall Estates and the priuat gouernments hauing vnited vnto them Gueldres Zutphen Vtrecht c. of William of Nassau prince of Orange c. and of prince Maurice his sonne All which worke we haue proportionably diuided into sixteene bookes and continued it vnto these times as you may see by the course of the historie from out of which besides the contentment thereof the reader may gather good instructions as well for matter of religion and gouernment as for exploits of warre and most necessarie for all sorts of men to know at this present time especially for such men as are imployed in the managing of any of these three estates For seeing that men do iudge of al things either by rules and precepts which are taught in schooles or by examples and presidents which hystories do furnish precepts without examples making no deepe impression nor mouing the affections it shall be alwayes good yea and verie necessarie to confer in the managing of affaires the examples of things past with the present time that we may learne by others what wee are to do or not to do to imbrace or auoid in the whole course of our liues For as the poet saith Happie is he that learnes to gather wit By others harme yet neuer feeleth it For this consideration a hystorie was called by the antients The testimonie of time the light of truth and the mistresse and myrrour of mans life for that in the person of another shee giues instructions to all those that will vuderstand how to gouerne themselues well They are well worthy of commendation which haue endeuoured to register the memorable acts of time and to impart them to posteritie And although that this age hath much restrained the libertie of writing which did shine in the antient Chroniclers Froisart Monstrelet Comines c. yet will I neuer abandon my selfe to flatterie nor feare two plagues in a hystorie and torments to the mind but will make my discourse free and true I must confesse that in some actions which are to be blamed I giue my censure as in like maner I spare not to commend those actions whereas vertue religion and valour do shine but in matters which are indifferent I suspend my iudgement rather than to ingage my selfe among so many difficulties for there must needs be a confusion whereas passion rules Truth is my North star and yet it may be that some now liuing and posteritie hereafter will not giue credit to some things which we write the which in another age better I hope than ours will be held too cruell barbarous and inhumane the which notwithstanding were most true yea more execrable and abhominable than we haue described them desiring rather to moderat with modestie than to aggrauat any thing In the progresse of this hystorie I do not follow the Dutch Chronicle the difference of the stile and the maner of writing French in matter of hystorie disagreeing much from the Dutch will not allow it besides there are so many idle and ridiculous things in it more like the Romant of the Rose or the Legend of Lyes than a true hystorie as I haue purposely omitted them and as I heare they are rased out of the last impression of the antient Dutch Chronicle And whereas they shall find the deeds of so many braue old warriours earls of Holland with other noblemen and knights so barely related in regard of those at this day and as the modern French writers describe them they must not accuse our diligence who haue searcht for them as curiously as we could but the negligence ignorance of antient writers who haue shewed themselues idle and too too carelesse or else the iniurie of the time which hath supprest them or it may be the wars which haue wasted and
put his sonne according to the ancient customes and preuiledges of that towne in possession of the saide Duchy and to take the oth required in that case the which he did in the Emperors hands as the like was done afterwards in the towne of Brusselles The thirteene of the saide moneth it was done in Gand for the Country of Flanders then in the citty of Arras for the Earledome of Arthois and after that at Mons for the Conty of Henault from thence they went to Bins in the same country whereas the Queene of Hongary did vsualy keepe her Court where were great feasts maskes torneys and other sports the which continued from the third of August 1549. Vntill September and then hee departed to goe to Antwerp to take possession of the ◅owne and of the Marquisate of the Holie Empire whereas there wanted no pompe at his reception The last of May 1550. the Emperor parted from Bruselles with the Prince his sonne to returne into Germany to an Imperiall Diet which should be held at Ausbourg leading the duke of Saxony prisoner with him leauing the Landtgraue in prison at Macklin The cheefe intent of his going was to labour to make his son Emperor after him as you shall heare The 29. of Aprill this yeare there was a most rigorous Edict published by the Emperor throughout al the Netherlands in the Dutch and French toungs tending to bring in the Inquisition of Spaine and other extraordinary matters After the publicatiō of this Edict many were much amazed especially the marchants of Germany England which did traficke ordinarily in those Prouinces especially at Antwerp whose resolution was that either they must moderate the said Edict or else they would seeke some other abode and many to auoyd the danger had resolued to shut vp their shoppes and to departe The Senat of Antwerp and especialy the Bourgeses seeing the losse and preiudice that would come vnto them were in great perplexity And therefore when the Inquisitors were ariued they opposed them-selues with all their power and going to the Queene of Hongary their Gouernesse they layed open vnto her the losse and preiudice that not onely they but the whole countrie should receiue if it were put in practise for the tenor of the Inquisition conteined an ample power ouer all Iudges and Magistrates what-soeuer Where-vppon she caused the execution thereof to be surceased in the said Towne the which was done in consideration of forraine nations which were strong and mighty there The Queene went vppon this occasion to the Emperor her Brother into Germany to moue him to moderate this Edict that otherwise Andtwerp which was a Towne of the greatest trade in the world and most frequented would loose her trafficke and credit Besides there would bee a generall sedition if this Edict were put in execution The Emperor in the end yeelded but with great difficulty and changing that which concerned marchants strangers hee razed out the word Inquisition so odious to all men commanding that the rest should be obserued and entertained In the meane time the Emperor did much afflict them of Magdebourg by reason of their relligion causing Duke Maurice of Saxony to besiege them And for that the Princes of the Empire sought to make their peace he prescribed them such hard conditions as they would by no meanes yeeld vnto them but maintained this siege valiantly euen vnto the end being forced by a composition to suffer them in peace The Arch-duke Maximillian of Austria sonne to King Ferdinand and sonne in law to the Emperour being chosen in his absence King of Bohemia came at that time out of Spaine to Ausbourg being called by his father who had then a great controuersie with the Emperor touching the succession of the Empire for the deciding whereof they said the Emperor had caused his sister the Queene of Hongary to come for the Emperor knowing that the vniting of Germany was necessary for the augmentation of his estate desired to settle his sonne who after him should rule and command ouer so great and diuers nations and countries vppon so mighty and firme a support Ferdinand who tended to the same end was resolued not to suffer himselfe to bee frustrate of this goodly expectation as well for him-selfe as for his children Prince Maximillian who was of a good disposition well seene in diuers languages but especially indued with a singular grace in his behauiour was very pleasing vnto the people The Princes and States on the other side considered well that this great aduancement of the King of Spaine would not bee very profitable for them and although they shewed them-selues somewhat inclyning vnto the Emperor yet all was but for feare obseruing well his actions past and the end wherevnto hee had alwaies tended vnder a coullor of the Romish relligion which hee would so amplie maintaine finally after that hee should haue wonne and supplanted by the meanes of the Ciuill warre which hee nourished and entertained there all the Princes and States of the one and the other relligion the which hee had continnued more and more by his sonne hee would make him-selfe and his successors absolute Monarcks and all Germany slaues to his house These considerations made the Princes and States to incline more touching the succession of the Empire to Ferdinand and to his sonne Maximillian who had their portions and all their successions in Germany then to the Emperor or to the Prince his sonne And the rather for that they had obserued part of the humors of this Prince beeing borne nourished and brought vp in Spaine and wholy possest by the Spaniards and by the Bishoppe of Arras sonne to Granuelle whose carriage beeing a high Bourguignon did nothing please the Germaines Beesides this Prince beeing ill instructed vnderstood no language but his naturall Spanish What was concluded wee shall hereafter see The Towne of Magdebourg freed from siege by a friendly composition with Duke Maurice hee beeing now receiued into the Towne spake it openly that it should cost him his life or hee would set the Landtgraue his father in law at liberty Hee had before sent his Ambassadors with the King of Denmarke and many Princes of Germany to the Emperor for his deliuerance beeing resolued vppon his deniall to attempt it by force hee hauing already entred into some treaty with the French King The seauenth of Iuly William of Nassau Prince of Orange married the daughter and onely heire of Maximillian of Egmont Earle of Buren the onely heire of the house of Launoy the marriage which was the first which the said Prince had of foure was celebrated in the Castell of Buren by whome hee had Phillip of Nassau now Prince of Orange and the Lady Mary widow to Philip Earle of Hohenlo brother and sister by fathers side to Count Maurice of Nassau commanding at this day in Holland Zeeland c. This yeare the Emperor set a taxe of fiue florins
and that the one might traffique and trauell freely and peaceably in the others countries and kingdomes all customes of reprisals should be abolished all priuiledges confirmed and either of them restored vnto his owne againe That all the old treaties and contracts of peace should be renewed and confirmed as farre as that treatie did allow and permit That both the kings should with all earnest zeale hold and maintaine the holy Catholicke Romish church and religion and be a meanes that the generall counsell might be holden That the King of Spain should deliuer S. Quintins Han and Chastelet to the French king and the king of France should deliuer him Theonuille Marienbourgh Iuois Damuilliers and Montmedi such as they had taken one from the other without breaking the fortifications and each of them might take his owne Ordinance and munition out of the same againe That Terrowane should be restored againe without wals as it was and Iuois on the other side should be defaced and should not be fortified againe nor any fort made within a thousand paces thereof Hesdin and his territories as old patrimonie belonging to the king of Spaine should be his and not claimed by France in any wise Many questions touching the borders of Burgonie Artois c. were put to deciding of certaine Commissioners on both sides with other such like doubts The king of Spaine should haue the earledome of Charlorys restored to him againe Whatsoeuer both the kings possessed and held in Montferrat should be restored againe to the duke of Mantua Bouillon should be yeelded to the bishop of Luyck the Island of Corsica to the Genouois and Valencia in the dukedome of Millan to the king of Spaine And as it was first propounded that a marriage of the eldest daughter lady Elizabeth of France should be made with Charles prince of Spaine to the end that further friendship and vnitie might be had it was agreed That the king of Spaine himselfe should marry her who as then was a widower and to haue with her 400000 crownes and she to haue a dowry of 50000 crownes yearely and that if he died before her there should be a third part of the 400000 crownes paid backe againe That the duke of Sauoy should marry with lady Marguerite the king of France his sister and with her should haue 300000 crownes besides the dutchy of Berry wherof she should receiue the inheritance during her life That the king of Fraunce should restore all the lands that hee then withheld from the said duke of Sauoy except the towne of Thierin Pignoral Chyras Ouer and the new towne of Asti which he should hold in his hands for the space of three yeares vntill order should be taken about the right that he pretended to haue therein That the duke of Sauoy should remaine as neuter on both sides That the king of Spaine should keepe Asti and Vercelles in his hands vntill the king of France did deliuer the 5 towns of Piemont aforesaid vnto the duke He that first should make deliuery should chuse four persons out of the others for sureties and should keepe them till the rest be performed That each king should comprehend his friends in that treatie of peace as the princes potentates and countries adiacent That the Dolphin of France and Don Charles prince of Spaine and the states of France and the Netherlands should confirme that peacâ—… onely the king of Spaine would not consent to comprehend the Earles of East-Friseland in that peace whether it were for any cause of actions that he pretended against them or for the reformed religion That all the goods of the vassals of either king should be restored vnto them againe and amongst the rest to William prince of Orange to whom should be freely deliuered his principalitie of Orange according to the contract made in Anno 1551 and also his lands in Dauphinois as Derpiere Tresluys Monbrison Curby Parriewe Nouois Cay Sauxcy Vayrume Beaurepair and Auxonne and that hee should haue law for his pretence and title to the earledome of Escampes Tonnere and Chaury with the foure baronies c. also the duke of Arâ—…chot the earle of Egmont and others as you may read at large That the bailiwike of Hesden should remaine to king Philip and the earldome of S. Paul to the lady of Tonteuille duâ—…ches of Longeuille excepting the right of both the kings the soueraignty remaining to the king of Spaine touching the restitutions aforesaid the K. of France offered to be the first chusing for sureties the duke of Alua the duke of Arcos the prince of Orange and the earle of Egmont which presently rid into France This peace was concluded as aforesaid in April 1559 subscribed by the Commissioners aforesaid as the duke of Alua the prince of Orange the prince of Melito Antony Perrenot and president Vigilius and on the other side the Cardinal of Lorrain the Constable Montmorency the marshall of S. Andrewes Moruilliers and Aubespina secretarie to the king In this peace the French king deliuered vp vnto the king of Spaine and the duke of Sauoy 198 townes castles and forts that were held with garrison whereupon Monsieur Mouluc marshall of France writeth That it was the most shamefull peace that France could euer haue made It is to be noted that this lady Isabella eldest daughter to the king of France was vpon the 19 of Iuly in an 1551 conâ—…racted in mariage to Edward the sixt king of England as then dead vpon condition that when she was 12 yeres of age within a month after she should be conueied into England there to be openly solemnly maried to the king vpon forfeiture on both sides of 50000 crownes with 200000 crownes to her mariage and that if she out-liued him to haue a dowry of 6666 l. 13 s. 4 d. yearely as long as she liued and that if king Edward out-liued her he should keep her mariage money as his owne This peace made many men to reioyce and all the countries throughout made great triumphs for the same specially in Antuerpe where from the 9 to the 18 day of Aprill they made fires throughout the towne shooting off their Ordinance casting fire bals playing and making diuers shâ—…wes in euery place of the same the high tower of our lady church was hanged with 300 lanternes burning with candles from the bottome to the top all the strangers resident therein as Florentines Genouois Lucans Dutchmen Easterlings Spaniards and Englishmen made diuers triumphant arches images castles other sorts of firing and fire-workes wine was let run in the streets whole oxen rosted hogges killed by men blinded great mastes set vpright that were greased and costly prizes set thereon for them to take that could fetch them downe and prizes for women that could run fastest and euery one for the best and the fairest For the accomplishing of this contract of peace the king of Spaine gaue the duke of Alua and others full power to fulfill the ceremonies
to consider of this businesse without passion according to equitie and right to the aduancement of the townes good graunting them a fit and conuenient place to that end offering to signe this petition by as many men as they should thinke good to appoint On the other side the magistrat of Antuerpe seeing how they of the reformed religion increased daily and the auditors of Romish Catholikes decreased visibly considering also that the people murmured by reason that they had deposed two curats of the parish of Kyel by the towne preaching to the great content of the people one being chased away and the other imprisoned It was therefore resolued by the said magistrat that it was their best course to allow them some ecclesiasticall preacher that was pleasing vnto them to draw them from strange preachers to whom they were wholly inclined Whereupon they called home the curat that had beene chased away charging him to preach as he had done before in his parish but with modestie who beeing held to be of the confession of Ausbourg the multitude increased wonderfully yea more than of those of the reformed religion who hauing a greater respect to the generall tranquilitie and quiet went not to their preachings armed with such libertie knowing that it was against the will of the magistrat and that in the beginning their ministers were forbidden The prince of Orange according to the charge which he had from the duchesse at the suit of the burgesses of Antuerpe beeing come into the towne he conferred presently with the magistrat from whom he vnderstood the pitiful estate of the towne and perused certaine articles which they had drawne for the ordering thereof and to maintaine it in the kings obedience and its antient beautie and prosperitie where he promised them al fauour and assistance Then hauing called together the other members of the bodie of the towne as the old aldermen the masters of the quarters the deanes of trades the sworne companies the nations of merchants the clergie and some priuat persons after that he had heard them hee found that the distrust which was among them was one of the principall causes which put the towne into that combustion for the magistrat did put no trust in the bourgesses and much lesse in them of thereligion On the other side the inhabitants in generall of what doctrine soeuer distrusted the court fearing the garrison which they wold giue them and much more their magistrat who seemed to incline thereunto all whose actions were suspected Then they of the religion feared and distrusted not onely the court and magistrat but also all the members of the towne and which is more they were in iealousie one of another they of the confession of Ausbourg of the one side and those of the reformed religion of the other Hee found also that those of the religion were in wonderfull great numbers and armed who according to the weake gouernment that was in the towne might haue made themselues masters thereof if they had listed or if their designes had beene other than good The which made him to thinke that for the seruice of the king and the safetie of the towne it was necessary to take from them these distrusts as much as might be and that they should worke by all good meanes so as they of the religion should carrie no more armes to their preachings And as the prince gaue the magistrat to vnderstand that it were too great a toyle for him and for them to go for the smallest occurrents sometimes to one sometimes to another as to the members the nations of merchants the consistories yea to some priuat persons to confer with them It were therefore requisit to haue some man of qualitie appointed that were acquainted with affaires sworne vnto the towne Whereupon the magistrat named Wesenbeeâ—… their orator vnto him whom he accepted To begin then to settle an order in Antuerpe and to suppresse all growing troubles the prince caused it to be deliuered to them of the religion to their ministers and consistories That it was not seemely nor fit that their sermons should be held and maintained by armes vsing many reasons to that purpose and therefore they should lay downe armes Whereupon they answered That they were readie to lay them downe hauing the princes word the promise of their magistrat and the assurance of the court that no force nor violence should be offered them in their preachings On the other side to assure the towne from all inconueniences and from any sodaine inuasion the prince thought it good that with the consent of the members of the towne there should bee some twelue hundred men chosen out of the bourgesses which should be armed entertained and placed vnder captaines like men of warre the which the magistrat did also find requisit And to take all distrust from the commons which might hinder their consent the prince caused the great counsell and all the members of the towne to assemble to consult with them what course were fittest to be taken for euerie mans securitie At which assembly he laid open vnto them the chief cause of the merchants feare and retreat and of the richest of the towne whereof some were alreadie retired and others had packt vp all to be gone the which proceeded for that in their opinions the towne was not sufficiently guarded and assured against all oppressions and sodaine inuasions as in truth it seemed not to bee with many other allegations which were exhibited in writing And comming to touch the point of the leuie and inrolment of twelue hundred men drawne out of the bourgesses and of the surceasing of the preaching and assemblies of them of the religion seeing that as wel the members as magistrat and the prince himselfe had found the mildest way to be the most expedient it was said that they should inquire of them of the religion with what assurance they might persuade them to surcease their preaching vntill that his Maiestie with the aduice of the generall estates should otherwise prouide Whereupon there was a day of aduice and deliberation demanded by the commons and a copie giuen of the writing that was exhibited Whereunto they answered That the leuie of those souldiers was not fit in a towne of such traffique but that they were readie to subiect themselues to those duties which such souldiers or bourgesses inrolled should obserue so as they should haue the like seruice from them and with lesse trouble and charge And as for the preachings they would do their best endeuours to diuert euery one and that the mildest way seemed the most safe vnto them so as in their opinions a generall pardon for them that had been at these preachings should be verie necessarie But aboue all they did insist that as the assembly of the generall estates was the true remedie they should presse to haue them presently called to apply a generall remedie to a generall sore and that in the meane
time the said prince would aduise of some gentle meanes fit for the present which they required to be communicated vnto them And as euery member gaue his answer and his meanes in writing whereof the copies were sent to court the offer was accepted of by prouision which they made to subiect themselues to the guard of the town And as for the preaching that they would make report thereof vnto the court intreating them in the meane time to diuert and retire them as much as was possible As for the conuocation of the generall estates they caused it to be required by their deputies but that point was referred to the kings resolution And as during these actions they had so wel laboured with them of the religion as they began to forbeare the carrying of armes and that it was to be hoped that soon it would be wholly left it happened that the Drossard of Brabant which is as much as a Prouost Marshall hauing some horse and foot and a commission as the brute was to fall vpon their assembly to apprehend the ministers antients and deacons and by that meanes to disperse the preaching passing the 19 of Iuly at night along the ditches and before the towne gate he was discouered and knowne the which put all the commons presently into suspition that hee came expresly into those quarters with other people which he had in the village of Mercxhem where his dwelling was not far from Antuerpe to fall the next day vpon their assemblies which were made without the towne Wherefore the people being moued more than before tooke their armes againe resoluing to resist the Drossards attempts by force The prince of Orange fearing this disaster sent presently to court requiring that before the next day morning which was Sonday commandement might be giuen to the Drossard not to attempt any thing but to retire himselfe from thence seeing that one of these two points was to be feared ither they of the religion would make themselues so strong and so well armed as they should haue no occasion to feare the Drossard who should get nothing but blowes or if they found not themselues strong ynough it was to bee feared that they would seize vpon some place within the towne to keepe their preachings without being in danger of him wherein there was such diligence vsed as the same night the gouernesse writ vnto the Drossard commanding him to retire which letters were deliuered him early on the Sonday morning wherewith the people were somewhat pacified but from that time the preachings were more carefully guarded and with greater strength than before the which they continued for that the Drossard was many times seene on the Saterday about Antuerpe About that time came certaine aduertisements that duke Erick of Brunswick continued stil to leuie men by the kings commandement and that about Linghen there were some readie to enter into the countrey the which bred new alterations And wheras moreouer vpon the pursutes made in court by the deputies of Brabant the Gouernesse had the 23 of August giuen a resolution vpon certaine points the commons receiued contentment by the one part and discontentment by the other for whether it were that shee had pardoned some repenting Anabaptist except his abiuration and accomplishment of penance at the suit of some of the town made vnto the prince and the magistrat who were intercessors for him vnto the said lady this did somewhat content the people as also for that the said lady was content to pardon by proclamation all those that had beene at their preachings and assemblies but to the conuocation of the generall estates which was required she made no other answer but that they must attend his Maiesties answer to whom she said she had written and for that she had refused to inlarge one of the reformed religion which was apprehended in his house against the priuiledges notwithstanding that in other places some of the like had beene set at libertie the people tooke it ill and were greatly moued seeing that all the merchants they of the religion in generall yea the prince himselfe and the magistrat to auoid some greater scandall had beeâ—… intercessors for him to the Gouernesse yet would she neuer yeeld to his deliuerie vntill that afterwards he was freed in despight of her by a mutinie all which serued as prouocations to incense the people more considering how the said lady contemned the earnest requests of those that were suters for the prisoner We haue said before that the nobles confederat intreated the earle of Egmont who sent vnto them from the Gouernesse to carrie her their answer vpon the ambiguities which shee desired to be explained the which they promised to doe The said answere and explanation was as followeth Madame the earle of Egmont hath giuen vs to vnderstand That your highnesse desired to be satisfied of some points set downe in certaine articles presented by vs vnto your highnesse the which in our opinions are plaine ynough and that the rest will be but tedious yet Madame to satisfie your commaundement wee haue thought good to make this declaration which followes to the end that our iust intentions may be thereby the better vnderstood and that hereafter they may haue no cause to interpret them sinisterly And to answer first vnto the third article of our answer Whereas your highnesse requires that we should set downe in particular in what townes the prisoners bee and the occasioâ—… wherefore and that your highnesse pretends that it is not come to your knowledge Wee say Madame that in Tournay Lille Mons Aire Bethune At h Bruges Gand and other plaâ—… there haue beene many prisoners apprehended for religion by vertue of the edicts as will appeare vnto your highnesse by the informations which you may call for As for the 4 5 and 6 articles that we should make apparent how wee haue discharged our dueties conteining the people and hindering the preaching Wee say that your highnesse may send into euerie prouince to the consistories and ministers of the religion to vnderstand our endeuours both in generall and in particular and your highnesse shall find that all will bee conformable to that which wee haue giuen you to vnderstand As for the point of the fourth article where there is a question of the manner that hath beene held at the assembly of the prouincial states in some parts against the ordinarie custome Wee answere That it doth not concerne vs any thing to prooue it for that they bee the peoples allegations who say that they haue been accustomed to assemble the states of Flanders before them of Arthois and that in the proceeding of most of the other estates they haue sent for some that were not accustomed to be there and others who were woont and ought to assist were not sent for or at the least they sent the letters so late as the states were assembled before they receiued them And they haue told vs moreouer
vpon vrgent causes to be sometimes absent out of the towne as well to goe to court as to Duffel to the confederat noblemen on the behalfe of the Gouernesse The masters of the quarters and deanes of trades of the towne of Antuerpe intreated the prince that he would be a sutor vnto the Gouernesse that during his absence shee would substitute the earle of Hochstraten fearing least for want of a commander those that were mutinous might attempt something which would bee preiudiciall to the good of the towne and publike assurance Moreouer they required him to take a lieutenant to assist him to beare the toyle of the gouernement seeing that the bourgmasters and other officers were sufficiently charged recommending the seigniour of Straelen vnto him a gentleman that was verie pleasing vnto them of the towne Whereof the prince aduertised the Gouernesse but she delaied to grant it In the meane time the prince did insist all he could to the end that they of the religion should forbeare carrying of armes to the preaching at the least within the towne going and returning sending to the ministers and consistories to that end who promised to gouerne themselues accordingly so as they might be assured that neither the Drossard nor any other should offer them outrage the which was promised them and notice giuen to the Drossard in his house But this hope and assurance which they expected continued not long turning into distrust and so great bitternesse as they were much troubled to pacifie it yea it proceeded so farre as they of the religion tooke an occasion grounded vpon foure occurrents happening at one instant to hold their preachings from that time forward within the towne of Antuerp The first occurrent was That the masters of quarters receiued letters of aduertisement from Brussels of the thirteenth of August of a certaine resolution concluded betwixt the Gouernesse and the deputies of the towne being in court to massacre all those that they should find at the preaching The second That the Drossard of whom they were alwayes in feare caused about that time certaine wagons laden with armes to passe through the towne to goe to his house one of the which beeing stayed by the people and released by the magistrat who fauoured the Drossard did much distemper the commons Thirdly for that they were aduertised That the Drossard was neere vnto the town with 1000 horse lodged here there and a good number of foot in the neighbor monasteries attending but the ringing of a bell to fall vpon the assembly and to murther them during which exploit the lawyers should keepe the towne gates shut that no man might enter in so as not any one should escape The fourth reason was That they were aduertised by one of their assembly whom his companion persuaded to inroll himselfe to bee readie against them of the religion when as the great bell should found and would haue led him to the Arcenall of the towne to chuse what armes he could best vse saying That the same day there had beene fourescore inrolled in that quarter These foure points bred a terrible alteration and put the towne in danger and although the greatest trouble were pacified yet they of the religion resolued to haue their preaching in the towne The prince of Orange being desirous to hinder them sent the orator Wesenbeek vnto the ministers and two gentlemen of his houshold to the chiefe merchants of the religion to aduise them to forbeare this presumption or else he would seeke to hinder them by all meanes yea if it were by force and that they should attend the regents resolution the which she should giue to the confederats petition Although the princes gentlemen vsed al the means they could to persuade them yet they of the religion persisted in their resolution notwithstanding the same night late they sent certaine merchants vnto the prince with a writing containing a iustification of their resolution which they said they had taken to auoid greater mischiefs considering the foure occurrents the doubts and fears and other occasions which caused the people to murmure promising to make them forbeare carrying of armes at their assemblies as they had been often prest by him beseeching the prince that hee would not take it in ill part protesting in all things else to be obedient vnto him and to keepe good guard that for their parts no insolencie should be committed and if hee were not pleased to accept of their excuses and iustifications they had rather though to their great griefe to haue his ill wil than to incurre the indignation of the people who feared that many things were practised by the magistrat of the towne without his priuitie The prince not satisfied with these excuses the deputies of the merchants persisting in their resolution offering notwithstanding to doe their best to diuert the said preachings he sent vnto the magistrat to put all the sworne companies in armes the next day by fiue of the clocke in the morning with an intent to hinder the beginning of their assemblies by policie But in the morning the deputies returned vnto the prince declaring vnto him That for his onely respect they had forborne their preaching within the towne yet by reason of their doubts feare of danger and the time of Winter drawing on it should not be possible to conteine themselues long if they were not assured that no outrage should be done them abroad whereof the prince aduertised the court by his letters of the 15 of August The earle of Egmont in the meane time was for his part much troubled in his gouernment of Flanders to containe the people who began to be much moued and the more for that they heard of no answers to the confederats petition whereby they thought that the nobilitie had abandoned them and that they had bin won by the regent And wheras in stead of moderation of the edicts which had been so often promised they found that they were daily augmented but vnder another pretext and vnderstanding that the gouernesse the court tooke the petition and the actions of the nobles in ill part the people were generally much altered and the Protestants of the religion went to armes fearing as they said to be opprest and that the officers would disturbe their assemblies for there was no meanes now to make them leaue their preaching and the exercise of their religion being thus armed and well fortified to defend their ministers and their wiues and children being at the sermon and to resist all violence In the end it happened that some of the bafer sort meaning to shew an inconsiderat zeal vnto their religion and that they were deadly enemies to al that did impugne it aduanced and incouraged one another to beat downe images and crosses set vp in the high waies then they went to out chappels and so to churches and monasteries in the countrey and in the end to townes the beginning of all which was in the
auoid many inconueniences and to set strife and contention betweene them of the reformed Religion While this was done in the towne of Antuerpe the like breaking of Images was done in other places In Mechelen certaine of the people began to doe it in the Friers church and other cloysters but it was soone stayed In Lier the people going about to doe it the magistrates of the towne to shun the same and to hinder the ransacking of the churches commaunded all the Images and other things to be pulled downe and the church to be emptied of such trash which done they shewed it vnto the deputies of the Image breakers The like was done in many other places of Brabant At Hertoghenbosch Breda and Berghen vp Zoome they indured the like destruction of Images and other things that they in Antuerp did The same did they in Gaunt Ypre Oudenard and many other towns in Flanders as also at Valentia Dornick and other towns in Waesland and at Vtrecht Amsterdam Leyden Delft the Hage Briel and other places in Holland At Middleburg Campuere Vlishing and other places in Zeeland at Groning Leenwerden and other towns in Friseland at Campen Deuenter Swol and Ouerissel at Arnhem Ruremond Nimmeghen Veulo Harderwike and other places in Guelderland and all abouts in the small townes and villages without number At Middleburg notwithstanding that both the magistrates and the shot of the towne stood two daies together but all in vaine to stay the furie of the people when all the Images and altars were pulled downe they were not content therewith but made meanes both vnto the bishop and the magistrates beeing assembled in great multitudes that such as were imprisoned for religion should be deliuered out of prison and giuen vnto them for which cause to shun the danger of great tumults and sheding of bloud they were compelled to set one and twenty persons freely out of prison otherwise they wold haue broken downe the prison and besides all that they were forced to suffer them to preach within the church At Delft they were not content that the magistrat had pulled down al the Images but they would proceed further and went and brake down all the altars notwithstanding the great watch holden by the townes-men tooke the friers cloister for them to preach in In the Hage a goldsmith went vnto the counsell and the magistrats requesting thē to haue leaue to pull downe the Images who being asked where his commission was he strucke his hand vpon his brest and told them that it was there The magistrats thereat beeing abashed desired M. Hippolitus Persin president of Vtrecht being as then with them to giue them his aduice and finding that the request was not well to be refused nor denied the trouble being so great in euery place they appointed certaine serieants of the towne to goe with the sayd goldsmith to keepe the church dores that no tumult should arise and the Images should bee taken down without any hurt or trouble They compelled likewise all such as had any Images in their houses either to deliuer them vnto them or els to breake them At Dorcht Tergone Harlem and Rotterdam the Images were preserued and kept from breaking by means of the magistrats as also in other townes when at the last they saw and perceiued that theeues vagabonds souldiers ruffians whores and knaues were mixed with the actors therein and in the end the greatest doers and not many of them of the reformed Religion although at the first they were very zealous and earnest therein But those rascals emboldened themselues vpon those of the religion who rather wondered at the action as being a wonderful work of God than praised or commended and in the end did themselues let and hinder the breaking down of the Images both by force and with their sermons The newes of this breaking downe and destroying of Images comming to the eares of the Regent and the counsell in Brussels strucke a great feare and doubt in their hearts so that both the court and all the towne were vp in armes to keepe them from doing the like within that place This notwithstanding the Regent would goe to Bergen Henegowe fearing to bee in danger of her person and to that end desired the gouernors of the prouinces and the knights of the order of the golden fleece to conuey her thither who sought by all the meanes they could to dissuade her from it alledging many great and weightie reasons to the contrary But when word was brought her by the president Vigilius That the townes-men had seized vpon all the gates therof and would not suffer her to goe out she was content to stay there that day vpon promise made vnto her by the lords that they would helpe to get her out of the towne if need were or els die for it Thereupon she willed Peter Ernest earle of Mansfield to take the charge of the gouernment of the towne vpon him who the next day summoned all the townes-men to assemble together into the towne-house and going thither took with him the prince of Orange the earles of Egmont Horne and Hoochstrate which shewed them That the Regent stayed there in the towne vpon their words and promises vpon condition That they should be carefull that no preaching nor breaking downe of Images should bee done within the towne which they likewise desired them to be carefull of and to be obedient vnto the earle of Mansfield as gouernor appointed ouer them and to aid and assist him in al things whatsoeuer Whereunto they of Brussels made answere That they would liue and die with the lords and not suffer any preaching nor breaking of Images within the towne and likewise to be obedient vnto the earle of Mansfield Which made the Regent somewhat quieter vntil euening that news was brought her That the same night the Images shold be broken down the barons of Arenbergh and Barlamont slaine and her selfe taken prisoner Whereupon the lords had worke ynough to doe to dissuade her from that opinion alledging That they of Brussels had not the power to doe it as long as so many noblemen and gentlemen were in the towne This feare caused the Regent to write vnto the king saying That she was betrayed by the prince of Orange the earles of Egmont Hoochstrate and that his Maiesty should eyther come thither or els send an army of Spaniards into the Netherlands The like also was written by the lords of Barlamont Norcarmes and the president Vigilius The next day the Regent perceiuing the great troubles and apparent generall reuolting and ouerthrow of the Netherlands at the last by aduice of the gouernours of the prouinces the knights of the order of the golden fleece the counsell of estate and the priuie counsell was resolued as touching the preaching after the reformed manner to be content partly to permit it in such places where it had bin at other times giuing the lords that by her commandement were appointed
married before his departure in Spaine but one daughter that died very young After his death his wife maried the lord of Floyon of the house of Barlamont and after earle of Barlamont who after her death maried with the onely daughter and heire of the earle of Lalaine These lords manner of life and Religion could not escape the Spanish furie although they were most earnest and good catholickes the marquesse of Berghen being so earnest therein that he commaunded all catholicke offices to be performed within his gouernment and caused the children of those of the reformed Religion to be baptised againe neither yet could the intercession of the emperour the princes of Germany and others preuaile any thing therein Touching the liues actions and seruices of these lords done for the king and the benefite of the Netherlands many men in other countries round about were of opinion that they only were the principallest instruments both by counsell and action of the kings good and prosperous proceedings victories and greatnesse and that his affaires through his father the emperours crosses in Germanie and his weakenesse of bodie being at an ebbe were by theirs and other Netherlanders means so much furthered and aduanced that thereby they brought Fraunce to graunt to so good and an honourable peace in his behalfe But it was their euill fortunes that they were too well beloued and fauoured of the common people and by their vpright and good seruices together with other Netherlanders had gotten ouer-great credite and report in euery place whereby they had not onely mooued and enticed the people to yeeld great tributes taxes tallages and honours vnto the king but also procured great seruices to be done for him in other countries as in Germany c. And when the king with his counsell in Spaine had fully resolued to bring the Netherlands vnder full obedience and subiection by the Inquisition and other strange deuices brought into it and other countries whether it were of zeale vnto the Romish catholicke Religion or that he ouer-much desired his owne profite and greatnesse hee sought and expected from those lords that they should and would vse and put in practise their authoritie and power aforesaid among the common people as they had done before wherein they did not acquite themselues so well as the vnexperienced counsellors in Spaine concerning the affaires of the Netherlands desired and expected they should haue done which the said lords esteemed to bee cleane contrarie vnto the kings seruice and the profit of the Netherlands as also thinking it to bee a thing vnreasonable for them to withstand and contrary their owne friends kindred countrey lawes and priuiledges knowing better than they of Spaine wherein the profit and commoditie of the Netherlands and consequently the aduancement of the kings honour and seruice chiefely consisted esteeming it vnpossible to hold and maintaine a people that had alwaies liued in freedome in peace and quietnesse by such odious kind of rigour as the proclamations and the Inquisition brought in and inflicted vpon them For which cause they seeing the proceedings of their neighbour countries sought to procure and induce the king to a necessarie kind of altering or moderating of his pretended course by diuers and seuerall meanes for the maintenance and preseruation of the catholicke Romish Religion which otherwise stood in great danger to be ouerthrowne which disliked and much displeased the king and his counsell and was the matter of Treason as the Spaniards supposed for the which they must die others measuring their actions by another way esteemed and iudged them both by God and mans law to haue iustly deserued to die for that in so good 〈◊〉 cause wherein so much consisted the honour of God Religion the countries welfare and the kings profit they were not more vigilant carefull prouident and earnest than they had beene but through feare and suspition of the kings carelesnesse beeing badly informed by the enemies of the countrey suffered themselues to be easily carried away and to let such cases of importance as the abolishing of the proclamations for the assembling of the States and such like priuiledges graunted in times past to be taken away from the Netherlands by prouiso whereby they made the other lords and gentlemen become faint hearted and partly holpe and assisted to persecute them contrarie to their owne promises wils and consciences seeing and knowing wherein the honour of God the Religion the countries welfare and the profite of the king most consisted better than any other counsellors about him did as time it selfe hath sufficiently made manifest and declared Some others argued to the contrarie excusing them That they thereby hoped to pacifie the kings wrath when he should see and perceiue the obedience of his subiects and the weightinesse of the cause together with the daungers therein consisting and so might be mooued to a softer and more conuenient remedie Wherein also they were much deceiued which the prince of Orange and others had sufficiently foretold them as that they would bee the bridge and onely instrument vpon the which and wherewith the Spaniards would enter into the Netherlands counselling and aduising them rather to kepe all strangers out of the land vntill the king by aduice of the generall States should be better counselled Generally euery man esteemed that the king could reape no good nor profit by the rigor and crueltie that he had vsed against those earles and other noblemen and gentlemen but be a meanes to breed much hatred euill will and desperation among the people towards him which since hath cost many mens liues and consumed a great masse of treasure These were the common and generall opinions of all well experienced persons in matters concerning estate in other princes countries and courts touching their deaths Cont Lodowic of Nassau hauing gotten the victorie against Cont Arembergh and the Spaniards diuided his armie into two with the which he went to besiege Groningen a great and mightie towne in the countrey of Friseland not without great admiration of all men how hee durst with so few men and so little munition attempt such a towne whereas the earle of Meghen was with eighteene ensignes of Germanes and a thousand Spaniards and Curio Martinengue with three hundred horsemen The besieged made many braue sallies and among others one on the two and twentieth of Iune in the which the earle of Nassau lost aboue two hundred men seeking to hinder them from building of a fort betwixt two riuers In the meane time Chiapin Vitelli marshal of the campe to the duke of Alua gathered together what men he could with the which he aduanced whilest that the duke prepared to rayse the siege Chiapin camped on the one side of the towne not farre from Cont Lodowics Protestants who sent to offer him battaile but he excused himselfe The duke of Alua sent to entreat the emperour in the king his masters name that he would commaund the earle of Nassau to leaue the siege
which is the strongest part of Antwerpe by reason of the chanels that do enuiron it where they thought to fortifie themselues yet they continued there idle vntill the next day at noone that the snips of Holland and Zeeland began to shew themselues which struck such a terror into the Germaines as leauing the Towne they fled away Foucker to Berghen vpon Zoome and Frunsberg to Breda On the other side the Lord of Champaigni Gouernor of Antwerpe went with his Regiment to incounter the companies of Cornellis van Einden the which hee defeated and kept them from ioyning with them of Breda Don Iohn being much troubled with this vnfortunate crosse writ to Collonell Foucker the eight of August complaining of this misfortune yet he reioyced that the Collonell had escaped out of Antwerpe with his life commanding him to remaine in Berghen vntill hee had seene further order and after the date of the sayd letter hee writ vnto him to goe to Namur to command all the Germaines by reason of the indisposition of the Baron of Frunsbergh But Collonell Fouckers men hauing receiued this great disgrace at Antwerpe did mutinie against him and the tenth of September following tooke him prisoner and deliuered him to the States with the Towne of Berghen The States being freed of all feare of the Towne and Castell of Antwerpe seeing the Germaines thus disperst they assured them-selues of Liere two leagues from Antwerpe dooing that which any man of spirit and resolution that hath his life honour wife children goods and countrey in any recommendation is bound to doe for the preseruation and libertie thereof discharging them-selues faithfully in all things that were committed vnto them for the publicke good of the countrey for they did see plainely that this hatred which Don Iohn had conceiued against them was not newly growne vpon any occasion which they might haue giuen him but had taken roote from his first arriuall and reception to the gouernment as appeareth by those letters that were intercepted And that at the same time when it began to bud out and to shew the fruites by all effects of hostilitie GOD by his grace did so fauour the States as to discouer the first originall by the interception of the sayd letters Whereby they did finde that there was small hope of any redresse and lesse reason to suffer them-selues to bee any longer abused with good words and faire promises Iohn of Bourgongne a Knight Siegnior of Fromont being after the death of the Lord of Barlaimont appointed Gouernor of the countrey of Namur by the States a Gentleman of great age wise and vertuous hauing let Don Iohn vnderstand his error and that those countries were not to bee so gouerned nor abused as hee thought to doe and seeing that all his reasons and admonitions preuailed not and fearing on the other-side that the states would not yet seeke to preuent it by armes meaning to aduertise them to bee carefull of their affaires hee left Don Iohn and came into Brabant to ioyne with the States The Duke of Arschot and the Marquis of Haurec brethren by whom Don Iohn thought to bee assisted and supported waying well all his practises and desseignes and what might in the end happen vnto them and that no perswasions nor admonitions might preuaile to diuert him they made some difficultie to enter any more in councell with him Don Iohn fearing to loose them and to bee abandoned set watches ouer them and held them as it were prisoners yet not-with-standing his good garde hauing caused their horses to bee lead out of the Towne of Namur they slipt away vnknowne to him and without their traine Beeing come to Brussells like good Countrey-men they consulted with the States of the meanes to preuent the danger and to cure this new wound which Don Iohn had made Thus were the States forced against their wills to enter into a new warre against Don Iohn who madde with rage for such vnfortunate successe of all his desseignes did nothing but practise by what meanes hee might bee reuenged continuing his accustomed dissembling And to iustifie his actions after that hee had made his complaint by letters which hee had written to the States hee insisted vpon two points which were the maintenance of the Catholicke and Romish religion and the obedience due vnto the King Saving that hee pretented no other thing and that hauing receiued satisfact on therein hee would aboue all things seeke the good and quiet of the countrey And as for his retreate to the Castell of Namur it was onely for the safetie of his person against the conspiracie which he maintained was practised against him But if hee would haue confessed the truth of this retreate hee must haue sayd it had beene for two reasons the first was to preuent the danger of beeing stayed prisoner beeing at Brusselles or Macklyn and to haue all his desseignes discouered if this attempt vpon the Castell of Antwerpe should faile whereof hee was freed being in the Castell of Namur The other was to haue alwayes a back-doore open hauing the countrey of Luxembourg at his deuotion to drawe as many strangers into the Netherlands as hee pleased Hee did also complaine much of the retreate of the Duke of Arschot and the Marquis of Haurec who beeing aduertised of this practise of the Castell of Antwerpe had abandoned him as wee haue sayd And although sayd hee hee had noted such and the like indignities and affronts which had beene done him yet hee desired to gouerne himselfe according to his first contract seeking nothing more then to haue all things well ordered Hauing to that end intreated the Bishop of Liege to goe to Brussells to conferre with the States the which hee was ready to performe if hee had not beene countermanded in all hast by them of Liege In the meane time the States began to take heart and to gather their forces together whereof at that time the Lord of Champaigni had the charge with the which hee went to besiege the castell of Wouwe beeing held by certaine Germaines of Collonell Fouckers Regiment But seeing they could not maintaine it they yeelded the fourth of August the like did Steenberghen the ninth of that moneth and the Towne and Iland of Ter-tolen in Zeeland the nine-teenth The Queene of England hearing that the King of Spaine did conceiue sinisterly of her proceedings with the Estates of the Netherlands she sent Maister Wilks into Spaine to giue hiâ—… satisfaction and aduice withall for the pacefying of the Netherlands as you may see by this letter A declaration sent to the King of Spaine contayning a iustification of her Maiesties proceedings with the Estates of the Netherlands By Maister Thomas Wilkes THe Queenes Maiesty being giuen to vnderstand of diuers faulse and very scandalous reports giuen out touching her actions and proceedings with the Estates of the Netherlands tending as it were to make her the motiue and chiefe supporter of the
their should bee published a lawe of amnesty or forgetfullnes to take away all doubts and that euery man may bee the more assured and content to the end that their hearts might be vnited and mutuall loue entertained These articles were approued by most of the Bourguers and Magistrats who intreated the Prince that hee would perswade the companies of trades and the members of the towne there-vnto that no man might make any difficulty for as for that which they pretended that two religions could not subsist in one towne that had beene sufficiently discoursed of in a petition touching liberty of religion exhibited by the protestants themselues in the moneths of Iune and Iuly going before vnto the Archduke Prince and States by the which they craue nothing more but that they might freely exercise their religion which free exercise being allowed them of Gant it was reason that therein they should agree with the Romish Catholikes whereby euery one might serue God according to his conscience and as he will answer at the day of Iudgment for the helth of his soule As for the transporting of the prisoners out of Gant to Antwerp or any other place where they pleased that they should make no further difficultie seeing the towne drawes no proffit thereby but only great charge and trouble to keep them the which they were not resolued to send into any neuter place without good caution and fideiussory bonds To induce the Ganthois therevnto the Prince alledged vnto them first the duty wherevnto they were bound the inconueniences that were like to growe if they were not vnited the neighbourhood of the Wallons Malcontents who practised a priuate reconciliation with the Spaniards the oppressions which the lesser townes of Flanders were forced to suffer to contribute besides their ordinary taxes to these wallons so as they of Oudembourg had for a long time paid eighteene hundred florins a day That the other members of Flanders would not depart from the obedience of the Archduke the Prince and States that the other Poruinces as Brabant Holland and Zeeland might abandon them in danger of their enemies who would soone bring them vnder to their totall ruine In the end so many goodly perswasions and reasons were made vnto them by the Prince and others well affected to their country as the sixteene of December they agreed and the free exercise of the Romish Relligion was established By reason whereof certaine Churches were restored to the Catholikes for their deuotion and seruice and liberty to go in procession within the Churches onely and to carry the Sacrament in the streets without bells or other ceremonies The religious men were restored to their Cloisters and couents but if any would not returne by reason of their consciences then the Magistrats should appoint them reasonable maintenance And that for the greater ease and releefe of their poore the foure orders of their begging friars should be excluded some other cloisters and monasteries were made Colledges and scholes for both religions none of the said religions might molest disquiet nor scandalize the other in word nor deed The Protestants might not enter into any Church of the Romish Relligion if they would not behaue and gouerne themselues as the rest vpon festiuall daies limited none should doe any worke publikly nor open any shoppe In regard of opening of the butchery and selling of flesh therein they should obserue the auncient Statutes and orders of the towne The subiects of both relligions should take an oth vnto their superiors to bee obedient and to helpe to punish the wicked especially the breakers of this decree And according to the same the Archduke Prince and States shall hould them vnder their defence and protection All commanders collonels captaines and officers present to come shal swere to entertaine al these points and articles as also the cheefe of trades and companies with the ministers those of consistories clergimen chapters colledges and couents shall also sweare the same As for the prisoners not any thing was determined but that nothing should be attempted against them without good knowledg of the cause After this accord the clergy-men returned euery one into the possession of his goods dignities Monasteries and Churches but this good vnion continued not long as we will show All things being thus reformed in the towne of Gant the Arch-duke Prince and States thought it good to treat and make an agrement with the Malcontents and Wallons that were at Menin wherein they imployed some noblemen and gentlemen whome they knew to haue some credit and authority among them with the best perswations they could deuise to pacifie them and to draw them to some good accord But nothing was effected for those that were the cheefe motiues of their alterasions for the kings seruice as they said that is Damp Iohn Sarasin Abbot of Saint Vaast of Arras the Seignior of Capres William of Vasseur Seignor of Valhuon and some others tending to desiunction as we haue said alleding that by this liberty of Religion graunted by the former articles the pacification of Gant and the vnion which had followed it were violated and were directly repugnant vnto them whereby they began to discouer that these alterations of the Malcontents sought some other subiect or collour to disioyne them from the generality then the payment of their entertainement which they had alwaies made great shew of The Marquis of Haurec and the councellor Meerkerke were sent vnto them but nothing preuayled and this mischeefe so increased as by little and little the said Abbot and others with the Seignior of la Motte woone sometimes one and sometimes an other And in the end the Vicont of Gant fearing to loose his gouernment of Arthois which he knew the Seignior of Capres Gouernor of Arras did affect ioyned with them The Earle of Lalain gouernor of Henault hauing suffered himselfe to bee perswaded thought also to draw his Brother the Seneshall of Henault vnto them being afterwards Prince of Espinoy The Ganthois on the other side imputing all these actions of the Malecontents where of the Seignior of Montigni Heze Capres la Motte and Alennes were the cheefe to mere ambition priuate profit desire of rule and hatred to the Protestants religion and for their parts hauing tasted the sweetnes of ecclesiasticall goods which they had formerly seazed on the which to fall to some agreement with the Malcontents they had left seeing the practises of these gettlemen to continue that moued them to stirre vp the comons againe against the clergy to breake and beat downe Images more then before and their insolencie grew so great as to breake vp tombes and to open the sepulkers of Princes among others that of the Queene of Denmarke sister to the Emperor Charles the fift to haue the lead she was wrapt in troubling the rest of the dead who lay for a time vpon the pauement without sepulkers Then they began to chase away all Preests Monks
they of the aforesaid Romish religion certain yeres past vpon smal occasions had forbidden the exercise of the reformed religion namely in an 1566 and many times after for many other causes which the aforesaid magistrats thought not conuenient as then to be declared The said magistrats therfore command that euery man shal gouern himselfe according to their resolution aforesaid and that euery one should behaue himselfe peaceably without vpbraiding or crossing one another for any forepassed action in what sort soeuer it had been done for that the magistrats by their said proclamation did decree a generall forgetting and forgiuing of all actions on both sides receiuing and taking euerie one of what religion soeuer they were into their safegard and protection except three or foure that were the chiefe motiues of the last tumult of Ruyskenueldt aforesaid And if after that any man were found to haue proceeded against any part of the said ordinance wherby the common peace of the said towne as also the authoritie of the said magistrats might bee hindered or disturbed they should bee punished as common breakers of the peace and enemies to the welfare of the towne And that noman might pretend ignorance therein the said magistrats had appointed the same to bee published Dated in Brussels the first of May in the yeare 1581. In the end of May captaine Iames of Rensy hauing first acquainted them of Ypre in Flanders with his enterprise surprised the castle of Douxlieu vpon the riuer of Lys neere to Esteres belonging to the seigniour of Vendeuille whereof hee was made gouernor by the foure members of Flanders the which he fortified against them of Arthois and the Chastileine of Lille which did much trouble them in their nauigation vpon the said riuer so as in the end la Motte went to besiege it with foure peeces of ordnance and the place was yeelded vnto him vpon hard termes the said Rensy going forth not without great feare after that he had seene seuen or eight of his souldiers hanged who before had held the Spanish partie hee himselfe doubting that he should not haue so well escaped The 7 of Iune M. Iohn Scheyf knight chancellor of Brabant died in Antuerpe hauing a little before his death resigned his place to the seignior of Lysueldt counsellor of State He left a little booke in forme of an Apologie which he had written for his iustification against the slanderous and infamous letters written against him by the cardinall Granuelle In the same moneth they of Gant had an enterprise vpon Lille thinking with the helpe of some intelligence which they had to surprise it earely in a morning with bridges and ladders but they were discouered too soone and all their designe turned into smoke for the which one Iohn Drumez a notable merchant of the said towne was accused with some others Drumez being found guiltie by his own confession was beheaded others were hanged and some lesse guiltie were banished About the same time there was beheaded at Mons in Henault M. Iohn Gilles register of the king of Spaines Exchequer a reuerent old man hauing a little before resigned his place to Cronendal his sonne in law Hee was accused to haue written letters to them of Brussels aduertising them of some designe which the prince of Parma might haue vpon their towne The warre was mannaged somewhat strangely at that time in Brabant for want of discipline and good pay whereupon the Scottish men did mutine at Viluoerden chasing away their colonell Stuart so as they had much adoe to pacifie and content them The like happened in the fort of Villebrouk the which they could by no meanes appease so as in the end they were forced to bring the canon from Antuerpe The like fell out at Berghen vpon Soom so as for want of money the Estates and the prince of Orange had so smal authoritie and commandement ouer the men of warre as it was a pitie to see And although the king of Spaines souldiers were not much better paid yet was he better obeied for that hee endured the insolencies and oppressions which they committed in all places where they came as well in the champian countrey as in good townes and in their garrisons without any respect which on the other side was the cause that inhabitants went away towns were vnpeopled and all trades of merchandise and traffique decayed True it is that there came great aboundance of treasure out of Spaine for the king as well in readie money as by letters of exchange but it came but slowly and with great charge besides that the warre which hee had in Portugall to assure that kingdome was of an excessiue charge Wherefore as the meanes were small of either part it made them of Brabant Flanders and Friseland to maintain themselues with small means and small forces all the yeare 1581. In May some troupes of base Flaunders vnder the commaund of colonell Moriant borne at S. Omer hauing an enterprise vpon some places of Arthoys demaunded passage by Menreuille a great Borough vpon the riuer of Lys confining vpon the countrey of Laleuwe three leagues from Bethune the which being too indiscreetly refused they forced a passage by the sword the towne was spoiled and then burnt and some which had saued themselues in a church were there rosted You may see what the wilfulnesse of fiftie or sixtie men preuailed to defend a turnpike or a paltrie barricadoe against fiue or six hundred men which was the cause that goodly and rich place was quite spoyled Those troupes passing on by the village of Wattou their designe vpon Arthois beeing discouered by their long stay at Menreuille where they thought to force some souldiers of the male-contents which had fortified themselues in a church hearing that succours both of horse and foot came vnto them they abandoned it marching towards Dixmuyden where they were pursued and ouertaken before they could recouer the towne so as they were charged and put to rout and some were burnt in a barne whither they had retired themselues with their horses so the burners were themselues burnt The male-contents in Iune seized vpon the castle of Baerle in Campeigne which they caused to bee fortified by the neighbour villages they lodged in the meane time at Hoochstraten and Tournhout vpon the passage of Breda The seigniour of Stakenbroeke gouernour oâ—… Breda deuised how hee might take it againe and to that end went to besiege it with some troupes and two peeces of artillerie but he had not made fortie shot for a triall to see if they would yeeld or not and seeing no shew thereof he retired After that the Estates of Brabant sent the seigniour of la Gard a French colonell with his cornet of horse and foure or fiue hundred foot to seize vpon the castels of Hoochstraten and Tournhout the one he tooke by composition the other by force which made them of Baerle quit the place and burne it La Gard marched
Chimay who was their gouernour and of Iohn Heren his Minister who was become an Apostata and afterwards ioyned to the Iesuits sect hauing written against his first profession did oppose themselues against the Estates party so as there fell a diuision among the bourgers the Catholickes being the stronger who after long contention sent their deputies to the prince of Parma being at Tournay to desire to be reconciled to the king in renouncing the vnion which they had with the Estates In what manner this diuision passed in the towne of Bruges and by what meanes the Catholickes became the masters we will shew it succinctly beginning to describe what the prince of Chimay was being called Philip of Croy sonne to the duke of Arschot This nobleman in his youth had beene well instructed and was of a quicke capacitie the which he afterwards applyed ill beeing thrust on by an ambitious spirit to make himselfe great he left the party which his father held which was that of the Spaniard first vnder the cloake of Religion whereunto he shewed himselfe wonderfully zealous the issue of his designes hauing since shewed what his heart might be he let not a Sermon escape but he was at it receiuing the Communion oftener than any other yea he did write a small pamphlet in praise of the Protestant Religion extolling the duke of Aniou to the heauens to the blame and suppression of the Spaniard whom he disgraced all he could so as if it had not beene that his mother was issued out of the house of Halewin a sworne enemie to the Religion to the prince of Orange and to all them of the house of Nassau he might haue attayned vnto the marriage of the prince of Orange his eldest daughter But hauing vnder this maske of Religion married with the lady Marie of Brimeux Countesse of Meghen widow to Lancelot earle of Barlamont a lady much affected to the said Religion he went first to Bruges where hee was presently made gouernour and not long after blinding the world with this goodly shew of Religion he in like manner got the gouernment of all Flanders during the which and especially after the duke of Aniou his retreat matters being thus confused throughout all Flanders in the which he was an actor his courses began to bee suspected vnto the prince of Orange whom all his counterfeit zeale could not please who did once write vnto him that hee should otherwise gouerne and moderate the deuotion which he seemed to carry vnto God the affection vnto his countrey and the respect vnto his owne honour the which had small credit and wrought lesse effect with him as it appeareth by a small discourse which was dedicated vnto him and printed at Dusseldorpe in the which all his actions are orderly set downe vnto him among others his practises thereby to deliuer all the countrey of Flanders to the Spaniards the meanes which he had held to ouerthrow the resolution to receiue in the duke of Aniou againe That hee had beene the cause that the townes of Dixmuyden Nicuport Furnes and others had beene yeelded to the Spaniard That by his meanes the marshall of Biron with the Suitsers and the rest of the duke of Aniou his French troupes had beene mooued to retyre That the towne of Dunkerke had not beene succoured That that of Menin had beene abandoned by the Scottishmen That the dikes were not cut which might haue drowned the Spaniards campe That he had ill informed the Estates of duke Casimire his succours to exclude the duke of Aniou That he had left the garrison of Alost in such extreame pouertie and miserie as the Englishmen were mooued to yeeld it vnto the Spaniard who did thereby seize vpon all the land of Waes with many other practises wherewithall hee is charged If the actions and dealings of the prince of Chimay were suspected and odious vnto the prince of Orange they were no lesse vnto the Seignior Iaques de Grise great baylife of Bruges to Kasenbroth bourgomaster to Maximilian of Horne to the Seignior of Lorkeren and many others who were resolued to seize vpon his person for the effecting whereof although they had the companies of the bourgers at their deuotion yet they thought it good by the aduice of the prince of Orange to impart it vnto the colonel of the Scottishmen and to require his assistance This colonel whose name was Bloyde did presently and willingly offer them his seruice but soone after vpon the tenth of Ianuarie 1584 a little before it should haue beene executed he went and discouered all to the prince of Chimay who presently sent for the Seignior of Grise and the bourgomaster Casenbroth telling them what he had heard of their enterprise accusing most of all the Seignior of Lockeren whom as being no bourger of the towne but a meere stranger he put in prison not daring to attempt any thing against the rest who were in great credit and authoritie with the people but hee complayned much of them and did taxe them before the magistrates of the towne and of Franc whereby hee tooke greater occasion to aduaunce the reconciliation with the Spaniard as secretly as hee could The Seignior of Grise being no lesse perplexed than the Seignior of Lockeren he retyred himselfe out of the towne and after that he had conferred with the Estates he resolued to returne with fiue hundred men through the fauour of the good bourgers but as the trecherie of colonel Boyde was well knowne vnto him and that he durst not trust in the garrison although that captaine Balfour and others had alwaies carried themselues faithfully in the Estates seruice hauing also taken the aduice of them of Zeeland and of the Seignior of Groeneuelt gouernour of Scluse this second enterprise was likewise discouered to the prince of Chimay who finding himselfe the more grieued caused all them that were acquainted with this exploit to bee put in prison Then hauing grieuously accused the magistrates before all the people he tooke occasion thereupon to displace them and to chuse new after his owne fantasie whom he knew to be at the Spaniards deuotion by whose assistance he did easily induce the people to this reconciliation so much affected by him yea he drew them of Franc and of the towne of Dam to his partie and to doe as they of Bruges did the which caused many good countreymen and Protestants to retyre some vnto Scluse others to Oostend where there was a good garrison so as the prince of Chimay and his new magistrates were in great doubt seeking all meanes both by promises and money to draw vnto them those garrisons but they preuayled not for the finishing of this negotiation of the reconciliation with them of Bruges the prince of Parma sent the duke of Arschot father to the prince of Chimay thither to the end hee might also draw vnto him them of Scluse and Oostend which were of farre greater importance vnto him than Bruges and on the other
fiftie thousand souldiers if hee might haue approched neere him hee would haue done it yea and would doe it againe beeing very sorrie for that they made him so beleeue that hee was not dead Hauing asked if hee were not hurt they told him yea whereupon hee replyed That he was very glad thereof for he could not escape but must needs dye Afterwards being in prison hee confessed more wherein hee persisted vntill his execution as followeth First besides his former confession he voluntarily declared and without torture That he had not seene the sentence of the princes proscription and libertie to kill him where they could but fiue moneths before yet hee had heard it spoken of and that some such thing had beene proclaymed in the Netherlands Hee sayd moreouer That in May last he had not beene eight dayes in these parts but he sought to execute his designe if he had had the meanes or any hope to escape That after the death of the duke of Aniou he presented his seruice vnto the Seignior of Caron that in carrying his letters hee might doe that which he had proiected That hee had neuer imparted this deed vnto the Seignior of Caron whom he knew to bee too sincere nor made any creature liuing in those parts acquainted therewith That he had resolued to doe it the day before at dinner time but seeing no likelyhood to saue himselfe he durst not attempt it That this day not able to delay it any longer he was fully resolued and determined to doe it notwithstanding any danger whatsoeuer yea had the prince beene in the middest of fiftie thousand men That he was very sorry that the prince was not dead but not that hee had done his best endeauour and if he were a thousand leagues off from thence he would passe mountaines riuers and all other difficulties whatsoeuer to come and effect his purpose As for the Iesuite of Treues he persisted in his first confession And moreouer talking vnto the standers by he sayd That being in Fraunce he enioyed no rest day nor night hee was so tormented with an extreame desire to performe and execute this fact yea he had quarrelled with the other seruants to the end hee should take an occasion to send him away and if he could not haue effected his designe at this voyage that at his returne into Fraunce he would haue beene of the reformed Religion in some Church and would haue carried himselfe in such sort as he would haue gotten accesse into the Consistorie and procured letters of recommendation to haue returned into these parts and so to find the better opportunitie to finish this proiected murther Before he was put vnto the torture he confessed That he had acquainted M. Gery doctor of Diuinitie guardian of the Franciscan Friers at Tournay with this enterprise in March last past in which confession he persisted being from the racke and being brought vnto it againe he sayd That for that he was a poore companion and to get some helpe or meanes he had made the prince of Parma acquainted therewith who commaunded the counsellor d' Assonuille to treat more amply and at large with him This counsellor laying before him the dangers that might be in the execution of so great a fact sayd vnto him That hee should doe a great seruice vnto the king of Spaine but in case hee should happen to be discouered hee should not in any sort name the prince of Parma And telling him of the hard accesse that he should find into the prince of Orange his court he answered That he would call himselfe by the name of Francis Guyon of Besanson sonne to Peter Guyon sometimes executed for Religion and lost all his goods and that he being but a poore companion would faine himselfe to be very zealous to the reformed Religion and that he would goe into Holland to the princes court where to haue the better reception he would present those flying seales wherewith d Assonuille was well pleased persuading him to perseuere in this resolution and to effect it entreating him as before not to make any mention of the prince of Parma for that it would auayle him little or nothing and would be a matter of great consequence and turne to the dishonour of the said prince The next day hee confessed moreouer without any torture that the day before hee came vnto the court to see if the prince were come out of his chamber to dinner and finding him set at the table he went home to his lodging and charged his two pistols and hung them at his girdle on the left side suffering his cloake to hang downe vpon his shoulder that they might suspect the lesse He sayd moreouer that d' Assonuille after that they had conferred together of this businesse promised to make report thereof vnto the prince of Parma the which he hauing done he told him that the prince liked well thereof and that if he could effect it he would be a meanes he should haue the reward which was promised by the proscription That d' Assonuille did propound vnto him againe some difficulties but finding his courage and resolution he sayd vnto him Goe my sonne if you performe this deed the king of Spaine will accomplish and performe all that he hath promised and you shall purchase an immortall name Whereupon hee answered That hee would counterfeit himselfe so well of the Religion as hee might get into some Secretaries seruice and by that meanes watch an opportunitie to present some letters vnto the prince of Orange for him to signe in doing whereof hee would stabbe him into the bodie with a dagger Being taken from the racke hee sayd againe That hee did nothing repent him of that which hee had attempted against the prince of Orange and that hee would doe it if it were now to be done againe although it should cost him a thousand liues The foure and twentieth of the said moneth he confessed moreouer That d' Assonuille had promised him That the prince of Parma would bee a meanes that hee should bee satisfied of that which the king had promised by the proscription and that hee had vndertaken this fact to make himselfe rich That d' Assonuille had shewed the sayd flying seales vnto the prince of Parma who deliuered them backe againe vnto him saying That he was very well content that he should make vse of them and that the earle of Mansfeldt should alter his seale and change it into another manner or fashion That d' Assonuille had charged and commaunded him that comming into Antuerpe if hee should bee brought before the Seignior of S. Aldegonde that hee should boldly shewe those seales vnto him and that when he should enter into the towne he should hide them in some place before he came in and then fetcht them againe That the said master Gery hauing heard his resolution said vnto him that seeing hee had vndertaken such a thing that hee should finish it and gaue him
his blessing promising to pray vnto God for him the which the Iesuite of Treues did in like manner promise assuring him that in case hee died in the execution of this designe that he should be put in the number of the holy glorious martyrs the name of which Iesuite he did not knowe but as he was called the regent of the colledge hauing a redde haire who imparted this fact to three other of his brethren According to which confessions wherein he persisted vnto his death he was condemned the tenour of whose sentence followeth Whereas Baltazar Gerard borne at Fans in the franck countrie of Bourgogne belonging to the king of Spaine beeing at this time prisoner hath confessed that to murther the famous and mightie prince of Orange earle of Nassau c deceased hee came out of the said countrie of Bourgogne into Luxembourg where putting himselfe into seruice with the secretarie of the earle of Mansfeldt gouernour of the said countrie of Luxembourg and there had printed vpon paper a great number of the said earles seales and learned to counterfeit his hand thereby to get accesse vnto the prince of Oranges court which resolution of his hee had in March last imparted vnto the prince of Parma in writing beeing at Tournay who appointed him to treat of that businesse with the councellor d' Assonuille who had promised vnto the said prisoner that if he could effect his designe and execute the king of Spaines proscription against the said prince that the king should paie him that which was promised by the said sentence and among other points should giue him for recompence fiue and twentie thousand ducats That the prisoner hauing consulted with d' Assonuille touching this execution had agreed and concluded betwixt them that the said prisoner should goe into the princes court and call himselfe Francis Guyon sonne to Peter Guyon of Besanson in former time executed for religion and forfeited his goods That vnder colour to haue beene zealous to the religion for the which he had lost his father and goods vnder this borrowed name and with these seals and blanks he should seeke and endeauour to haue accesse vnto the said prince According vnto which resolution the said prisoner belying his name and calling himselfe Francis Guyon had come vnto the said princes court and the ninth day of the moneth had bought two pistols and on the tenth daie espying the said prince at dinner in his hall had gone backe vnto his lodging or Inne where hee charged the said two pistols one hee charged with three bullets and the other with two and then he returned backe vnto the court with his pistols hanging at his girdle on the left side hidden vnder his cloake that on the right side he had let his cloake hang off his shoulder that hee might not seeme to haue any thing hidden vnder it And that dinner beeing done as the prince went out of the hall to goe vp the staires to his chamber the said prisoner had discharged one of his pistols charged with three bullets through the bodie of the said prince with which shotte to the great griefe and sorrow of all good countrimen he had beene slaine which fact as a most execrable crime and abhominable treason committed vpon the person of so famous and renowned a prince as the prince of Orange was ought in no sort to remaine vnpunished but rather with all rigour to be made an example to future ages Wherefore the commissioners of the generall and prouinciall councell together with the bourgmaster and shirifs of this towne vpon the examination and confession of the said prisoner all beeing duely weighed and considered haue condemned and doe condemne the said Baltazar Gerard prisoner at this present to bee laid vpon a scaffold in the market place of this towne before the towne-house there first to haue his right hand with the which hee did commit that execrable mutther torne and pincht with two hotte burning yrons then to bee pincht in sixe seuerall places of his bodie with burning pincers as vpon his armes thighes and other places where there is most flesh the which being thus burnt his members shall bee pulled off and in the end quartered aliue beginning belowe and so goe vp his bellie then to haue his heart pulled out and cast at his face and his head cut off and set vpon a pole behinde the princes lodging vpon the watch tower and his foure quarters to be hanged vpon foure gibbets vpon the bulwarkes of the Hegeport Oostport Ketelport and Waterslootscheport in this towne declaring his goods to be for feited to whom it shall appertaine Pronounced vnto the prisoner of Delft vpon the foureteenth of Iuly 1584 signed Vander Meer The same day the houre of his death was signified vnto him that hee might prepare himselfe for the next day At the first he was much amazed cursing the houre that he had euer learned that wicked practise at Dole wishing that hee had rather beene a poore mechanicke trades-man than to haue fallen into that disaster much lamenting his death yet in the end he sayd That seeing hee had done and committed the folly hee must now suffer for his folly And the next day after he was executed according to the sentence Being there a spectator among many others that went to see this execution I will shew you what I obserued therein This murtherer although hee had his feet scortched and swolne with the torture yet he went firmely betwixt two hangmen He was of a small stature hauing the hayre of his head beard and of all his bodie shauen doubting least hee had some inchantment about him which might be the cause that during his torments hee cried little or not at all Beeing tied vpon the scaffold hee might visibly see the princers and fire which should serue to that vse hee might behold the table whereon hee should be quartered with the kniues and the axe and yet all this did not mooue him And as the two hangmen were busied to breake the pistoll wherewith he had shot the prince vpon an anuile one of them striking with his hammer it flewe off the handle close by the others eare whereat the people laughing this wretch could not containe himselfe but that hee smiled Hauing his hand betwixt two burning irons so as it seemed a furnace he lifted it vp as if hee would say and shewe behold this is the hand that hath done the deed And after that hee had beene tormented with burning irons the hangmen carried him betwixt them to lay him vpon the table some sillie woman said vnto the assistants Why do they thus torment this poore creature when all is done hee hath killed but one man and yet he must endure a thousand deaths The bourgers hearing the woman to vtter these speeches thrust her backe with reprochfull words Those that were something farther off hearing a noyse and not knowing what it was began to murmure some crying to armes and
the dountrey hold a streight hand ouer the people and doe not allow euery man to speake of a peace at his pleasure but reserue the authoritie and determination thereof vnto themselues they haue meanes to gouerne the helme and not to suffer themselues to bee violently carried away with the inconstant humours of the giddie multitude And therefore in this towne of Antuerpe I was of opinion to punish those that did but speake of any accord and to expressely forbid that no man should talke priuately thereon but in the meane time I thought it fit that the magistrate and the counsell of the towne should consult alone of that businesse and manage it with all the wisedome and discretion they could And so it happened that the magistrat after the defeat of Coesteins dike seeing how we were distressed for victuals munition and other necessaries did make the first motion but this businesse was handled priuate in counsell with great alterations for a moneths space before it was vented to the multitude the which did auayle vs much for the accord but the error was that it was not propounded vntill we were so bare of victuals and other meanes as what hard conditions soeuer the enemie had offered vs we must haue beene forced to accept them If happily we had spoken before we had tryed the fortune of the fight wee should eyther haue obtained a more easie and fauourable accord or had a more happie successe Wherefore I thinke that our example may well serue for an instruction Aboue all wee must consider Quid ferre recusent quid valeant humeri and gouerne the affaires of our countrey with wisedome and discretion and not to stand vpon popular opinions My meaning is not to giue you counsell herein for that were presumption and rashnesse but falling vpon this subiect I thought good to discourse on both sides as it commeth often into my mind I would I were a fit man to serue my countrey eyther for matter of counsell or action eyther in warre or peace But seeing that my misfortune will not permit it yet it hath beene some ease and comfort vnto me to discharge my thoughts in the bosome of my friend whom I hold to be wife circumspect and zealous to true Religion and the good of his countrey If there be any thing worthie of consideration you may make vse thereof and impart it to your discreet friends if not in casting my letter into the fire our dispute shall bee ended In the meane time wheresoeuer I shall be you shall haue a true friend a good kinsman and a faithfull seruant c. Ph. de Marnix This Summer there were many attempts made against Groning and the Hollanders and they of West-Friseland meaning to bring it to extremitie maintayned and kept certaine shippes of warre continually in the riuer of Ems for that they of the towne of Groning fetched their victuals and all other their prouision from the towne of Embden hauing also intelligence that the prince of Parma sought to make himselfe master of the riuer of Ems intending to make vse thereof for the reliefe of his armie and to get the command of the towne of Embden into his hands which lay in the king of Spaines way and crossed his designes as much as Collen Leege Aken Wesel and many other townes did The Estates shippes of warre lying vpon the riuer of Ems would not suffer any shippes to passe vp to Embden whereupon the earle and the towne of Embden sent vnto the admirall of the fleet whose name was captaine Knoop and also to the Estates of Holland and West-Friseland complayning of the great wrong and iniurie that was offered vnto them but finding no redresse thereof but onely good words and many delayes vntill their enterprise had taken effect they armed and sent out six shippes of warre and some small pinnaces and for that there were at the least fortie shippes of their towne laden with marchandize which were kept out and hindered from entring into the said riuer of Ems by the Estates shippes vpon the second day of the moneth of Nouember they went out of the towne demaunding leaue of the Admirall for the Estates to haue their shippes passe vp the riuer to the towne of Embden who being then gone downe with all his shippes vnto the mouth of the riuer entring into the sea and lay at Berchum for his best aduantage made answere vnto them That as yet hee had no direction nor commaundement from his superiors so to doe But whilest that the Embden shippes returned this answere vnto the towne and attended their directions vpon the fifth day of the said moneth of Nouember there suddenly arose so great a storme of winde and tempestuous foule weather as all the Hollanders shippes were dispersed and in great danger the Admirall for the Estates was sunke into the sea Knoop escaping hardly into another shippe the admirall of Embden was forced to cut downe her maine mast and so did many other shippes The Hollanders shippes beeing thus scattered by the handie worke of God the marchants shippes got free passage vp the riuer to goe vp vnto the towne of Embden and their shippes of warre with them who by fortune tocke a gentleman of Embden called Onne van Ewesten prisoner who serued vnder the Estates and carried him with them to Embden which tempest through the prouidence of Almightie God preuented a great quarrell which otherwise had fallen out betwixt the Estates and the towne of Embden yet the Summer following the Estates sent their shippes thither againe and stayed the comming of the Embden shippes as they had done before but vpon the foure and twentieth of Iune there was an agreement made by the meanes of certaine Englishmen who were dealers in it and yet many times after they fell out againe ELIZABETHA ANGLIAE REGINA Elizabeth Queene of England France and Ireland Defendresse of the Catholicke Faith and Protectrix of the libertie of the vnited Prouinces of the Netherlands When God by grace had me aduanc't vnto my regall state Which till this time I ruled haue in peace most fortunate To serue him and my subiects good to seeke it was my care And those that forced were to flie by meanes of bloody warre 'Gainst them by Spaniards made I did most willingly relieue And with a feruent zeale to them all aid and comfort giue And by what meanes I could deuise my mind I alwaies bent Their imminent decay and danger great for to preuent And to that end protectrix of their countrey I became Defending them with all my power to my eternall fame Wherein no feare of Spanish force ere could my courage quaile Nor in my resolution good make me in ought to faile THE XIII BOOKE The Argument THe Queene of England hauing taken vpon her the protection of the vnited prouinces sent the earle of Leicester to be her Lieutenant They receiue him with pompe and acknowledge him for gouernour The Spaniards prosper in
being intrencht with Cartes and Wagons and hauing two field peeces yet the Spaniards went to charge them in their trenches and as at the first charge the horses which were in the carriages were amazed and terrified at the great noyse of the shot being vnacquainted with it they began to run and breake their fort wherevpon the Spaniards charged them verie furiously and put them to rout whereof part of them saued themselues in the Church of the village and afterward yeelded vpon ransome Of the Protestants there died in this charge fiuehundred fourescore and sixe and about some three hundred taken prisoners Of the Spaniards verie fewe some sayd but fiue and twentie Amongst the which Olswald one of the Earles of Vandenbergh lost his life in the flowre of his age Captaine Hendricke van Delden a braue souldiar was also slaine Among the Protestant prisoners was captaine Stein Malte a Dane Lieutenant to Count William of Nassau who was then at the Hage at the reception of the Earle of Leicester This Gentleman had bin sent for by his King and had taken leaue of the Estates and was richly rewarded by them so as hee was now vpon his departure but by reason of the Earles absence the Spaniards being thus sodenly entred into the country ouer the yce he was intreated to doe this seruice the which for the loue honor and respect of the said Earle he would not refufe At the same time Collonell Martin Schenck being in Venloo he sallyed forth vpon eighty Spanish horse hauing past the riuer of Meuse whome hee defeated yet withsome losse of his oâ—…emen A little before he had defeated some forty Italien horse of the company of captaine Appio Conti of the which eighteene were slaine and twenty two prisoners The King of Spaine hearing of the succors which the estates had gotten from the Queene of England sent more mony by diuers meanes to the Prince of Parma for that as then his soldiars began generally to mutine And at that time also the King sent downe the Marquis of Guast and of Pescara the last being of the house of Aualos with many others this Marquis was by the Prince of Parma made Generall of the horse The seauenteene of Ianuary they of Antwerp appointed a day euery yeare of sollemne procession for the expelling and killing of the French three years before the which they called the day of the French fury in perpetual remeÌ„brance of the Duke of Anious ouerthrow being at that time Duke of Brabant in the which action the Catholiks did challendge the greater honor but they of the reformed relligion gaiâ—… said it In the beginning of February some soldiars of the garrison of Nuys went disguised like marchants to the towne of Zybrich these men hearing that their troupes approched went vnto the castle knowing well that the captaine was not there and intreated his wife all the country as they said being full of Freebooters to giue them a gard to conduct them vnto Cologne the which being refused they stayed a while betwixt the ports looking of euery side then being resolued they slue the Porter and seased vpon the Castell The captaines wife seeing that they were enemies cried out murther They to giue a signe to their men to make hast hung an enseigne out of one of the towers And being busie to open them the castell behind the Bourguers being in armes came running thether the vndertakers quitting all defence fled into an old tower to make some defence But they of the towne fearing that their long delay might be hurtfull vnto them they set fire of the said tower and forced the soldiars to yeeld They had with them a glasier of the same towne and his sonne who were carried to Bonne and there quartred About the end of February Collonell Schenck and captaine Cloet who commanded within Nuys past the riuer of Rhine with certaine troupes of horse and foot marching towards West-phalia to make an enterprise vpon the towne of Werel On the 27. day being come by fower of the clocke in the morning before the towne they set fire of a house ioyning to the port the which flew into the towne The townsmen ran thether from all parts to quench it on the other side Schenk with his men gaue a sodaine scaladoin one part farthest of from the castell and hauing past the rampar they went to the port the which they opened so sodenly as their horsemen were vpon the market place before the Bourguers did knowe the towne was taken There was with in the towne a castell which Herman van Weda some-times Bishop of Cologne had caused to be built to keepe them in awe The Bourguers fled with such feare towards the castell and in such a throng as the garrison fearing that the Protestants would enter pel-mel with them shut the ports against them letting none in but Gerard Brandt the bourguemaister and the Lieutenant of the Castle The towne being thus taken was kept very straightly that none might come in nor get out to carrie news thereof The castell was sommoned but the Gentleman that held it called Iohn Verminkhâ—…uysen refused to yeeld This place was of great importance whereon depended the preseruation of all the country of Westphalia The Captaine sent a messenger withall speed to Cont Euerard van Solms Marshall of the country of Westphalia giuing him to vnderstand the estates of the towne and castell intreating him to send him some succors for that hee wanted men to maintaine a long seege and also to haue some victualls and munition for warre The Marshall sent him presently certeine wagons conducted by two hundred and fifty foote the which entred into the Castle without any incounter Whereof the Captaine retained onely a hundred and sent backe the rest In the meane time the Marshall made all the speed that hee could to raise men in the countrey and to get the Nobility to horse-back as it is their manner when they are interressed so as hee made a little armie the which he brought and conducted neere vnto the Castle of Waterlap halfe a league from Werell whereof the greater part of them were footemen and all in a manner peasants with soâ—… which were the fewer part horse-men Collonell Schinke and Captaine Cloet knowing their enemâ—…s to bee so neere would goe with all the speed they could and skirmish with them on the Sonday the second of March putting their horse-men into three seuerall squadrons which went and charged them of Westphalia which were but three score horse at the most who hauing with-stood the first charge wheeling about according to their customes to récharge their Pistols the peasants thinking they had turned their backs to flye and that they must pay for all fledde away presently as fast as they could among whom Schincks horsemen fell and made pittifull slaughter of them among the which there were thirty souldiers harguebuziers of the garrison of Arensbergh the which carried them-selues very valiantly
Netherlands and declared openly that he did not accoumpt it a neutrall towne whether the fugitiue Netherlanders should fly for refuge and inioy their lands and possessions in the Netherlands as was graunted vnto such as did dwell in neutrall places wherefore he commanded them to depart and leaue the said towne of Aix and either to returne into his dominions and there to liue like good Catholikes or else to goe and inhabite in other places and that within the space of foureteene daies after the publication of the said Proclamation within the townes of Antwerp and Mastricht vpon paine of forfeyture of the said graces and preuiledges and all their goods moueable and immouable commanding all his Officers to see it presently published proclaimed and put in execution This proclamation was made at Bins the tenth of December in the yeare of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred eighty nine And in the beginning of the yeare it was signified vnto them of Aix The Maior and Sheriffes which were fled seeking by this meanes to ouerthrow the authority of the great Councell of the towne had beene first sutors for it to the Emperor and the Duke of Iuliers as one of the Protectors of the aforesayd towne whose Councell and among the rest one Shynckern Amptman of the towne and Castell of Iuilâ—…ers did solicit it with the Bishop of Liege who procured it from the Duke of Parma in the King of Spaines name to whome the Emperor both in this many other things referred much The reason was that after the retreat of strangers whose goods and reunues did lye most in landes in the Low-countries through the ayd of their Partisans they might returne and dispossessing the Magistrates of the reformed religion settle them-selues in their places but for this time they were disapointed of their expectation yet afterwards in the yeare 1598. they addrest them-selues vnto Cardinall Albert of Austria who vndertooke it This proclamation did spoile many of the chiefe of the straungers for that they began to ceaze vpon their lands goods in the Netherlands which dwelt in Aix wherefore some retyred to Cologne others into the country of Iuilliers Such as went to Leege were presently chased away some continued there still and some redeemed them-selues for money purchasing safeguard from the Duke of Parma at a deere rate for a yeare or halfe a yeare more or lesse being forced still to renue them still at the same price the which was held mechanike and dishonorable in such a Prince The of Aix made petition vnto the Princes Electors at an Imperiall Diet held at Spires and to the Emperor to haue their priuiledge confirmed By reason of the warres in France in Anno 1589. the Estate of the Netherlands was then much altered for that the Prouinces of Arthois Henault Luxembourg Namur and others bordering vpon France were then to defend them-selues from the inuasions of the French in regard the King of Spaine as head of the holy League tooke vppon him to aid and assist the rebels of France giuing the Duke of Parma charge to haue a care thereof for the which in the beginning of this yeare 1590. hee assembled an armie vpon the Frontiers of Arthois which he sent into France vnder the commaund of the Earle of Egmont by which meanes the vnited Prouinces had some time and respight to breath after their long miseries and intestine warres which they had indured against so mighty an enemie And for that the gouernment of many is most tedious and dilatory but wise and prouident in resolution so in the two yeares last past they had spent their time to aduance their affaiers first appeasing all factions betwixt the Estates and the English and the mutinies of their garrisons great wisdome policie money and discipline beeing thereto requisite and necessary the Queene of England being well pleased they should gouerne among them-selues as wee haue formerly declared Concerning religion whereof the gouernment of the country much consisteth they had alwaies an especiall care to follow the necessary resolutions of the generall Estates in the time of the late Prince of Orange making a religious peace and hauing a dislike that men should iâ—…gine their consciences should be forced otherwise then by good instruction good liuing and by prayer And finding them of the reformed religion the most zealous to defend the liberties wel-fare of the Netherlands in regard they had bene many times persecuted for religion by the Spaniards to bee wel vnited togither they therefore grounded their foundation vpon the greatest number and for that the Estate and gouernment consisted of so many heads and opinions they sought to reduce this diuâ—…rsitie of mindes and opinions into one vnitie and consent for the good wellfare of the country whereof they had an especiall care in regard of their continuall wars in which vnity their only support maintenance consisted as by their common seale wherein standeth a bundle of Arrowes bound togither appeareth and for that consideration they neuer forced any mans conscience but only seditious Sectaries as certaine Anabaptists and Munsterians and such as were il conceited of the Magistrates for that they punished Malefactors with the sword of Iustice to them they allowed no open assemblieâ—… other sects whereof God amend it there haue bene to many for a long time they thought good to suffer them for the present time to reclaime them if they could by preaching and sermons made in the reformed Churches with commandement to liue in brotherly loue and to win them with loue and charitie the reformed vsing to that end in their Churches a certaine Christian discipline to auoyd scandall and ill speeches Those of the confession of Ausbourg which seeke to diuide themselues from the reformed religion were allowed to haue preaching and exercises with carefull ouersigh in certaine townes The Catholikes also had no publike exercise of their religion allowed them the which was done in pollicie because of the warres attending a time vntill it should bee otherwise prouided for and resolued by the countrie or generall Estates after an assured peace The Catholikes made no great question about their baptizings and burialls and touching marriages it was decreed by a publike proclamation that all such as were not of the reformed religion after law full and open publication comming before the Magistrates in the towne-houses were orderly giuen in marriage one vnto an other And to shew that their onelie care was for vnity religion and libertie this yeare they caused certaine counters to bee made hauing on the one side two hands griped fast together and holding sixe arrowes bound together with this inscription Deo iuuante On the other side was a strong piller standing vpon a great square booke called religion and vpon the piller was a hat which signified libertie This pillar was fast bound by sixe strong armes noting the sixe Prouinces of Gelders Holland Zeeland Friseland Oueryssel and Vtrecht with
violence by murthering spoyling burning and other execrable actions against the territories and subiects of the empire as also in changing and altering of lawes policies and religion which proceedings should be displeasing vnto the archduke yet they keepe still the townes of the empire in their possession and bragge that they haue gotten a great victorie against the forces of the empire as it may be sufficiently prooued hauing no intent to yeeld vp the said townes so vsurped but to hold them for their owne vse and commoditie Moreouer it was neuer more apparant than at this present that the Spaniards and their adherents designe is perpetually to disturbe and subuert the Estates rights and priuiledges of the Netherlands and vtterly to ruine them to the vnspeakable preiudice of all neighbour kings princes and common weals but especially of the Estates of the empire whom they seeke to ouerrule to keep the archduke with the Infanta their heires in perpetuall subiection not allowing them authoritie to yeeld any thing vnto the petitions of the Netherlands and the inhabitants thereof concerning the Catholike religion and other principall points belonging to the wel fare of the same We shal not need to speake of the letters by the which it is agreed that alwaies foure or more of the chiefe townes or forts in the Netherlands shall haue Spanish garrisons in them nor yet of the secret aduice giuen by the late deceased king of Spaine vnto the king that now is shewing by what meanes hee may alwaies take occasion to regaine the Netherlands but it shall suffice to produce the said pretended donation whereby the archduke the Infanta and their successors haue for euer promised and bound themselues by oath to follow the wills and appetites of the Spaniards not onely in regard of the freedomes rights and priuiledges of these countries but also for the disposition of the succession of the Netherlands the protection and bringing vp of their heires by the Spaniards and the power and prerogatiue which the kings of Spaine will haue to dispose of them and their childrens mariages or to giue in mariage to whom they please to hold the Netherlands of them in chiefe and to restraine them from their free nauigation and trading by sea and all and euery of these points vpon forfeiture of the same adding hereunto that they and their heires shall be bound to hold and maintaine the catholike Romish religion vpon the like penaltie as doth plainely appeare by the articles of the said donation hereunto annexed so as there is small reason for the emperours Maiestie the empire or these prouinces if they will maintaine their respectiue freedomes priuiledges and religion to enter into any treatie of peace with the archduke considering the late rigorous proceedings both in the Netherlands and vpon the frontiers of the empire And it is manifest that the treatie not long since made betweene the Queene of England the Spaniards and the archduke was according to their old manner vnder colour of a treatie to effect some further designe as the armie sent of late yeares out of Spaine to inuade England doth sufficiently witnesse as also in August last the like should haue beene done if almightie God by his grace had not diuerted that pretence forcing them to employ that fleet to follow our ships of warre which were then sent out vpon the coast of Spaine Besides the archduke and the Infanta haue such great spirits as notwithstanding they cannot pretend any right to the vnited prouinces by the said gift or by any other title yet by their proclamations they publish hold them for rebels actions vnworthie of so great princes the which can neuer bee forgotten Touching the second point wee hope not onely by presentation but actually to haue made manifest our iust and true intents vnto the emperours maiestie the princes electors and the Estates of the empire so as it seemeth strange to vs wee should be further molested and troubled for that wee seeke to bring our common enemie to reason and to abate his pride By these and many other reasons it may be thought vnnecessarie that for the preseruation of the honor of the emperors maiestie and of the whole empire your lordships should come hither to treat of the said points which wee also thinke not fit wherefore wee haue not sent you any pasport to that end hoping that the emperour and the Estates of the empire hauing seene these our letters will conceiue our meanings herein which is that wee hereby desire to ease your lordships of the paines and trouble which you may indure in this iourney humbly beseeching the emperours maiestie and your honours to haue a good conceit of vs and to aduance the cause of the Netherlands wherein the welfare of the emperour the seruice of the empire and our good consisteth and we will not faile alwaies to acknowledge and requite the same vnto the honours c. Dated in the Hage the seauenth of December 1599. This letter beeing deliuered to the emperours embassadours they returned an answer on the 8 of December as followeth Right honourable wee haue receiued your letters and vnderstand by the contents therof that you are informed ex relatione aliorum of our comming and of the effect of our embassage wee must confesse that touching the restitution of places belonging vnto the holy empire and the dammages receiued thereby we haue especiall charge to sollicite both parties in all friendly manner but concerning the other point it is not intended that we by the emperours commandement should enter into any new treaty of peace with you but onely for the furtherance of a treatie which was begun at Regsensborgh in the yeare 1594 the which the princes electors and the electors of the Estates of the empire referred to some other conuenient time And concerning the other points contained in your letters and copies touching the doubts risen betweene the kings Maiestie of Spaine and the Netherlands to the great dishonour and preiudice of all Christendome experience hath taught vs to iudge thereof as time and occasion shall serue And although wee haue commission from the emperours maiestie our gratious lord and soueraigne prince to treat with either partie yet you may assure your selues the emperours maiestie the princes electors and other Estates of the empire know how to remedie the wrongs done both by the Spaniards for their parts and by you of the vnited prouinces not to free the empire but also the oppressed members thereof from all vnneighbourly force and inuasion yet his Maiestie at the earnest request of the princes electors and Estates of the empire hath thought good to impose this commission vpon vs as your honours at our comming shall vnderstand more at large And although according to these our instructions gratiously giuen vs by the emperour we may not as it seemes by your letters be heard at this time nor allowed to shew thē vnto the general Estates yet we
in the Netherlands which the archduke and the Infanta hold to be their owne proper inheritance wherewith they may deale as they thinke good they shall haue the libertie of religion allowed them or thinke you that the duke in his voyage to Spaine hath altered his mind or that the pope of Rome with whom he spake at Ferara hath inspired him with a more peaceable spirit or that the Spanish Inquisitors and Iesuire counsell haue turned his heart Beleeue the contrarie without al doubt and that al these do stil counsel him vnto a more strict seuere course It may be some wil say That haply he hath receiued other counsell and aduice from his brother the emperor But looke into the emperors actions where you shall see that the towne of Aix which by vertue of the lawes of the empire had long enioyed the exercise of both religions was abandoned by him in prey vnto the enemy and who also did looke on and said nothing to the admirals proceedings who vsed so great force and violence against all right and reason vpon the territories of the empire Examin the actions of the rest of the house of Austria how the archduke Ferdinando not long since hath by force banished the religion out of Styrmarke and Carinthia which had bin allowed therein since the time of the emperor Ferdinando his grandfather making no account of the complaints protestations of the Estates of the countrey but esteemeth them as wind which is an introduction to a ciuile war and a meanes to lose the whole countrie wherin neither the authoritie of his grandfather and father the bloudy wars in France and the Netherlands nor yet the neerenesse of the Turke that bordereth vpon him can moue him to any tolleration touching religion neither will he once remember how vnreasonable a thing it is to force and restraine his subiects in that which the Turke himselfe permitteth vnto his which example agreeth with the answer made by the K. of Spaine to Charls archduke of Austria for that when as the emperor Maximilian a peaceable prince and no persecutor of the religion but temperat in all his actions sent his brother Charls archduke of Austria into Spain to moue the king vnto the like temperance setting before his eyes the commendable example of the emperor Charls 5 his father who had allowed the religious peace in Germanie and willed all men to obserue it before that the common people were brought into dispaire and were quite fallen from him He made a full and a resolute answer That he would rather lose the countrie for euer than endure the least wrong that might be offered touching religion You know well also in the peace of Cologne in an 1579 what fauor he granted to them of the religion which was that he would neither burne nor hang them but that they should be banished out of the countrey and must seeke for harbor and protection like the Iewes misbeleeuing Heathen in other countries This is the meaning of all the house of Austria at this present all moderation and mildnesse dyed with the emperor Maximilian and his sonnes haue suckt a bitter hatred out of their Spanish mothers brest against the religion and by their daily conuersation with the Iesuites are more more confirmed therin This is that which in the contracts of mariage made between the archduke the Infanta and was openly sold in Brabant so as there is no doubt of the authoritie therof was so firmly set downe That they shold make no alteration in religion vpon paine of forfeiture of the said countries which in such a case the king of Spaine may lawfully seize into his hands againe shewing without all doubt or dissimulation how firmely they will hold with the Inquisition of Spaine touching that point so that it would be a ten fold blindnesse and madnesse in any man to thinke that the archduke the Infanta in regard they haue a vain hope at one time or other to be masters of Holland Zeeland would conforme themselues in religion and grant them any libertie therein for the prophesie saith That necessarily the last Monarchy must be erected in Spaine as in the beginning the one succeeded the other out of the East into the West that is out of Asia into Grecia from thence to Rome the which is so imprinted in the hearts of the king and the Spanish counsell as they esteeme all meanes of accommodation to be needlesse and do constantly beleeue that they shall be masters ouer all and at last in spight of al the world shall satisfie their desires And they are persuaded that by means of such accommodation in religion they should break all correspondencie with the pope and thereby ouerthrow all hope of their expected Monarchy Neuerthelesse if according to the necessitie of the time hee seemeth to be any thing conformable therein and granteth some libertie to religion it will be no other thing for you but for a while to saue you from ruine the which shal be broken againe when as the Spanish and Iesuiticall counsell whereunto he is so strictly bound shal thinke the necessitie past according to the old canon That they are not bound to haue any faith or promise with heretikes which they name rebels who as the Spaniards say haue falsified their faithes both to God and to the king Look what doctor Ayda a Spaniard auditor generall of the prince of Parma's armie writeth in his booke of Martiall Law printed in Antuerp saying That all contracts and treaties made betweene the prince his subiects that beare armes against him are of no force nor power and that the subiects cannot helpe the same but they shall do wisely by humble petitions to craue pardon at their princes and lords hands and to commit their cause to his discretion Which Spanish doctor you ought heartily to thanke for his so true round and vpright dealing with you and to gouerne your selues thereafter if not at some time or other you may wrongfully complaine that you were deceiued for that doctor Ayda can plainly tell you that he had warned you thereof before and that you despised his counsell But to returne to our former matter Marke what good meanes they haue on the other side to deceiue you and to make al promises with a grace and faire shew to be of no effect for that when you shall haue obtained any freedome in religion which neuerthelesse shall neuer be the duke of Brabant may plainly say thus vnto you Seeing I haue let you enioy the freedome of your consciences because you haue alwayes said That God onely ought to rule ouer the same yet at the least shew me obedience in other worldly matters And so if he can by your simplicitie attaine thereunto to place all the officers judges and magistrats in towns and prouinces that he may haue the forts and strength in his owne power and become master of the whole then assure your selues to haue the
nobility in mindâ—… of that which you once haue done and that you will attempt to do it againe at someother time counseling them therefore by preuention so to shorten and clip your wings and to put such a bit into your mouth as they may be assured and out of doubt thereof These arguments and naturall reasons grounded vpon mutuall care cannot by any meanes be taken from you for say that the Emperor the Pope the King of France England and other Princes make promises and bind them-selues that the Articles concluded shall bee truly and fully obserued and kept what will that helpe you you must neuer the lesse lay your head in your reconcled ennemies lap you must liue vnder his fauor and at his deuotion but when soeuer you are executed or other wise oppressed and haue no meanes nor power to helpe your selues which of these cautions will you charge with his promise before what iudge wil you plead your cause who shall serue execution vpon the principall debtor or the suerty paraduenture you thinke that if the Pope warrenteth the contract and put his seale there-vnto with declaration that the old cannon which is not to hold any faith with heretickes in that respect shall bee of no force that as then you are well assured but say that the Pope that now is did it who shall assure you that his successor will confirme it may he not say my predecessor erred I haue the the power to breake as being voyde and of none effect what so euer is done against the Catholike Religon let it bee done by whome soeuer it will but bee it that the Poope saith not so may not the King of Spaine him-selfe maintaine and say that vppon many waighty reasons hee being a soueraigne monarch who is not subiect to any iudge what soeuer may discharge himselfe of his contract and dispence there-with according to the argument of Docter Ayala aforesayd as in effect the King that last died brake and recalled al his contracts made for certaine years with the Italian marchants and thus you shall finde your selues intrapped on euery side wheresoeuer you turne you As touching the securitie of Princes and Potentates it is meere follie once to thinke that any sureties will beginne or vndertake for to make warres in your behalfe no man halteth for an other mans lamenesse the charges and the troubles of warres are so great as no man will take them in hand for the loue or profit of strangers yea men feare to enter thereinto although they should thereby reuenge their owne wrongs Looke into the Articles of peace made betweene the Kings of France and Spaine in the yeare of our Lord 1598. haue not the Spaniards by taking of townes vpon the confines of the Empire by ouer running Cleaue-land and other neighbour countries and by ransaking spoyling and offering of a thousand wrongs broken the same and yet France will not make any warres in the behalfe of those countries looke into the example of the Queene of England of famous memorie late deceased that although the King of Spaine sought by many practises and open force to inuade her crowne and countrie yet how vnwilling shee was neuerthelesse to assaile him with a iust offensiue warre but was content to defend her owne notwithstanding that by your aide and with halfe charges shee might haue assured her Estate What hope haue you then to expect that any forraine Prince when soeuer you shal be oppressed and that the charges must onely fall vpon him will reuenge your wrongs To speake of the Emperor it is needelesse for that no man is so simple as not to conceiue that there is more partialitie then trust to bee expected at his hands But you say the Emperor and the Princes of Germanie yea and the whole Empire doe of themselues offer to imbrace our cause and as good mediators will procure vs a good peac shall wee distrust both enemies and friends and heare no mans counsell I answere that you haue more then to many reasons to suspect all whatsoeuer that commeth from the Emperor not onely in regard of his neerenesse of bloud vnto the King of Spaine and the Arch-duke but in respect of his owne actions and proceedings against them of the Religion of Aix and namely against his owne subiects in Bohemia Hungaria Austria Slesia and other his countries hauing also winckt at the Admirall of Arragons actions and left the oppressed subiects of the borders of the Empire comfortlesse As touching the Empire and the Princes thereof although that many of them are well to be trusted yet diuers of them depend vpon the Pope and consequently on Spaine In the yeare of our Lord 1598. you saw the bad agreement that was amongst them and the slowenesse they vsed in helping and comforting of their oppressed members togither with the badde gouernment of their affaires by reason of the great number of diuerslie affected leaders All of them togither by their Ambasages and admonitions seeke to procure a peace for the profit and commoditie of the Netherlands but much more for their owne perswading themselues that by the Netherlandes warre they receiue some hurt and preiudice and fall into many extreamities seeking and desiring therefore to cease them let the Religion and your preuiledges doe as they may And whensoeuer artciles should bee broken they will doe much lesse for you then they haue done for their vnited companions and members of the Empire negligently ouerslipping the great daunger that approcheth them as soone as the Netherlanders which God forbid should bee brought into subiection and they that vnderstand the same as there are some will neuer giue you counsell to liue vnder the Spaniardes subiection but will humblie thanke you that you still continue as a stronge bul-warke for them and turne awaie the warres Touching other Princes of Christendome there is no hope to be had in regard of their weakenesse Therefore beloued Netherlanders helpe your selues and God will help you be not deceiued by cunning practises seeing you haue by armes maintained your cause so long put not your trust in any man but in the vprightnesse of your cause and Gods assured aid who for these 37. yeares in strange alterations and feareful accidents hath vpholden defended and brought you to this present estate from henceforth by his mighty hand shall lead and conduct you if you hold fast by his word and will follow his starre of direction as the wise men in the East did thinke often vpon things past set former actions before your eyes and therein as in a cleare glasse you shall rightly learne to know Gods mercies shewed vnto you were not the first beginning of these troubles wonderfull and strange In anno 1566. there rose such a zeale in the chiefe Noblemen of the Netherlands to defend the liberties of their natiue country as they bound themselues there-vnto There was such an assemblie of the common people in all townes by thousands such a