the gouernor promising to giue them satisfaction in the towne of Bruges 7 That all muster-masters and other officers which haue mannaged the accounts paying of souldiers may also depart freely with their mouable goods and papers touching their charges not taking away any of the charters or registers of the towne 8 That all officers and commissaries of the victuals of the admiraltie and of the king of Spaines armie shall do the like 9 That the gouernor shal be bound to deliuer the castle this night into his Excellencies hands that he may put 200 men into it 10 That to morrow the garrison shall depart out of the towne Made in the campe before Sluce the 19 of August 1604. Behold how the vnited Estates tooke this towne of Sluce by prince Maurice their great captaine and admirall generall euen in view of the archdukes armie There were found in it eleuen great gallies wherof 7 were verie much shaken but afterwards repaired by them the rest were verie good and new with a great number of other sorts of boats 84 peeces of brasse and 24 of yron with great store of powder bullets and other munition for war the which made them much stronger both by sea and land And with these honourable conditions they departed out of Sluce being about 4200 men almost hunger starued The Estates after this conquest being contented for this yeare with the importance therof spent some time in fortifying Sluce and Isendike the which they did inlarge more than halfe and haue made it a good towne with a capable hauen they fortified Ardenbourg also and other places in the which they haue many Oostends and so much the stronger for that they are neere one vnto another Besides these places are more commodious to make war in Flanders being in the heart of the countrey and neere vnto Bruges and other greater townes than Oostend which is in a remote quarter among the downs and sand hils the which they might block vp with forts and so leaue it as they did since the yeare 1599 whereas Sluce is the key of traffique The news of this losse was soone diuulged the which caused great murmuring and sodaine alterations in the countries thereabouts In Holland and Zeeland there was nothing but giuing of thanks to God bonfiers banquets and ioy yea at Oostend whose end drew neere the souldiers shewed their ioy with their canons and muskets In the archdukes country there was nothing but heauinesse the people murmuring and saying That what they feared was come to passe seeing that Oostend held good after the losse of Sluce Some did imagine that the prince would go with his victorious armie and raise the siege of Oostend and that by meanes of the intelligences which he had in some townes he would strangely shake the archdukes affaires But things fell out otherwise as we will shew The archduke hauing lost Sluce resolued to haue Oostend rather to repaire his honour and losse than to reape any fruits of his three yeeres labour holding that his reputation was not in so great danger as the good of his wiues countrey which he enioyed whereas now there was no practise nor inuention omitted to take the towne And the besieged being encouraged by the victorie of Sluce made a wonderfull resistance there was a generous emulation and miraculous deedes of armes There were diuers mynes made which wrought diuers effects sometimes hurtfull to the besieged and sometimes to the assaylants Spinola hauing made his approches by mine and other deuises to Sandhill he resolued to giue an assault but finding the Spaniards vnwilling and to flye from all seruices for the enuie that they bare vnto him and to the Italians he made choise of the Germane regiments vnder the earles of Folgia and of Barlaimont being most of them old soldiers and of great resolution who after great resistance tooke Sandhill and slue all that had not retired in time the which was a great losse to the besieged it was said that Spinola gaue vnto these soldiers out of his owne bounty fortie thousand gulderns to drinke with great thanks and commendations The besieged expected succours daily but they fayled them as there is nothing more doubtfull than the euents of warre There was great hazard in the reliefe of Oostend the which although the siege had been raised could hardly haue been kept and in the end would haue wearied the vnited Estates especially wanting succours from England by reason of the peace concluded betwixt the kings of England and Spaine besides it might be dangerous for the Estates armie if they should faile in their attempt or receiue any affront whereby there would haue growne an ineuitable mischiefe which was the diuision and weakning of their army the which would haue giuen a great aduantage vnto the enemie wherefore they resolued to fortifie the towne of Sluce with all their armie the importance whereof made them not to apprehend the losse of Oostend The besieged in Oostend hauing attended succors a moneth after the taking of Sluce and had sent often vnto the vnited Estates and to the prince aduertising them in what estate they were and that the archdukes Germanes had taken a part of the towne from whence in short time they might cut off their hauen and depriue them of the benefit of the sea they thought that without doing wrong vnto their honours they might lawfully compound with so couragious an enemy besides they had aduice from the prince to make the most honourable composition they could being of opinion that the Estates should not charge themselues any longer with that towne seeing they had taken Sluce which was held of farre greater importance and so many other new forts conquered the which they must furnish According to which aduise monsieur Marquet gouernour of the towne of Oostend with the councell of warre entred into treaty with the marquesse Spinola and hauing first sent a-away their best ordnance into Zeeland leauing some only for a shew they yeelded the towne vnto the archduke leauing it all ruined and without inhabitants after a siege of three yeeres and eleuen weekes the which hath not been seene these many hundred yeeres in Christendome and departed the 22 of September with their full armes and marching like soldiers in battell with foure peeces of ordnance and munition for tenne shot the most honourable composition that could be and passing along by Blankenbergh they went vnto the princes campe being yet about Sluce busie in his fortifications The archduke hauing Oostend at command would needs goe see in what estate the towne was whereas they found nothing but hils of earth and trenches and heapes of stones of the houses and churches which had been ruined with the canon where they had worke inough to repaire so as he was forced to entertaine his army there all the rest of the summer before he could bring it to any good order and cast downe his trenches with many of the forts For
made any shew he retyred a league off and there encamped thinking that the town was not to be woon without greater force and some artillerie whereof he was then vnprouided This retreat of Saras as despairing to winne it gaue courage vnto the Spaniards who made a sally foorth to charge them in the â—…eward as he made his retreat but they marched in such good order as they could not annoy them Saras hearing of the comming of the Spaniards from Anâ—…rpe and Berghen vpâ—…n Sooâ—… raysed his campe and returned into the Isle of Walchrâ—… But the Flessinguers accusing him of cowardise and of treason in all his enterprises of Bruges Gand and Ter-Goes where they presumed to haue many friends would not receiue him nor any one of his men into the towne but sent them to the village of Soâ—…land where they intrenched themselues sleightly to defend them from all surprises of the enemie The Spaniards of Middlebourg Ter-Goes and other places thereabouts came in the morning by the breake of day and charged them with such furie in this fort halfe finished as at the first they ouerthrew fiftie and forced into the middest of the place The English and Wallons fighting notwithstanding like lyons made them recoyle and chased them out of their trenches The Spaniards madde with disdaine to see themselues thus repulsed resuming new courage and animating one another returned to the charge the which was much more suddaine and furious than the first On the other side the Protestants seeing that to flye would bee both dangerous and dishonourable preferring an honourable death fought like desperate men The Spaniards did striue the more vpon hope of victory and the others desired rather to die in the bed of honour than to flie or yeeld so as the incounter was furious on eyther side vntill that the Wallons discharging a field peece among the thickest of the Spaniards made some to flye in pieces and the rest to recoyle who thought it no reason to runne headlong against the canon and that it was against all warlike discipline to fight against a desperate enemie The Wallons and French especially those of Diepe seeing this grew more couragious than before and pursued them in their retreat being followed by the English and Zeelanders who altogether charged their enemies with such furie as they made them all flye on a heape whereof they slew a part and had many prisoners There was a squadron of those that fled got into a barne where they were all roasted In this charge there dyed some hundred and fiftie Spaniards Of the French Protestants besides the souldiors captaine la Riuiere was slaine there for whose losse they were so incensed as they caused all the prisoners to be hanged the which made foule warres and caused the Spaniards to hang all the Protestants they could take After this victorie Saras returned to Flessingue where the entry was againe denied him yet after that he had wandered vp and downe fifteene daies at the request of the French captaines he was receiued Soone after there were new preparations made to go againe into the Island of Suytbeuelandt and to besiege Ter-Goes situated in the middest of a fertile countrey which yeelded many good commodities of victuals to the towne of Antuerpe It had a strong wall and deepe ditches but no counterscarpe nor parapet vpon the rampier They sent nine double Canons thither which were drawne out of Flessingue The Protestants armie lodged at the first in the suburbes of the towne whereas there were but two companies one of Spaniards and another of Flemings in garrison The Canon was planted in two batteries the one at the port the other within the land that at the port had soone made a breach of fiftie foote wide where the French and the English vndertooke to giue an assault about midnight with a camisado and scalado The first assaylants were sharpely repulsed besides the ladders which Saras had giuen them were too short so as this assault was very preiudicial vnto them being forced to leaue it with shame and losse About that time the fiue and twentieth of August all the souldiors within Flessingue except the companies of captaine Barnard Eloy Morcant and some few others imbarked with them of the garrison of la Vere with a great number of boats hauing a designe vpon the towne of Antuerpe where they had intelligence with some bourgesses the which was done vnder the commaund and authoritie of the prince of Orange but as they were vpon the way about Doel they were aduised by letters from Antuerpe to stay some three or foure dayes by reason of some difficulties and to attend vntill they had other aduertisement wherupon they returned the next day to Byezelingen in the land of Ter-Goes so as this designe prooued fruitlesse for the which some of the said bourgesses were accused conuicted and executed The eight and twentieth of August captaine Claes Claesz with his ship and Broubier with his flie-boat went out of Flessingue and going along the Westerne coast they met with foure pinnaces come out of Scluse to seeke their aduentures vpon the Zeelanders and their allies two of which were chased backe into their hole called the Swyn the third was abandoned by the Spaniards who leaped into the sea wherof some were saued and the rest drowned but before they abandoned it they left a match light which set fire on the pouder as they were carying it to Flessingue so as foure men were burnt the fourth was taken fighting and all the prisoners brought to Flessingue whereas instantly there were tenne hanged The duke of Alua fearing least the towne of Ter-Goes would be lost by reason of the small garrison that was within it by a long siege of the Zeelanders he sent Sancho d'Auila gouernour of the citadell of Antuerpe to succour it with three thousand men causing part of them to be imbarked in good shippes of warre which might force through them of Zeeland who were at sea to stop the passage to Ter-Goes and to prepare them worke of another side he himselfe went by land with the rest and two field-peeces whereof the one was myred by reason of the great raine that fell Those that were imbarked were defeated by the Zeelanders shippes and not one could passe that way Yet d'Auila fainted not but hauing enquired of the best experienced mariners if there might be no way to passe ouer at a low water being told him that there was good meanes yet he would not trust them before he had sent some of his people with them to sound the passage who hauing made their report that it was easie to doe but with great diligence and trauell for that there was about two leagues of passage and some chanels in the way that were good and deepe at a low water D'Auila being glad to haue found this way would make a triall with all his troupe accompanied by colonel Mondragon his assistant who marching first on foot led them both
Page to the Lord of Iselsteyen and after that hee serued the Prince of Orange with two horses but after the pacification of Gant hauing taken the house of Blyenbeek neere to the riuer of Meuse lying beyond the Towne of Graue from his Cousin pretending an interest therein and could get no protection from the Estates hee fell from them and hauing stabd an Ensigne-bearer hee put himselfe into the Prince of Parmas seruice forcing the whole countrie of Gelderland to pay him contribution and likewise the riuer Wherevpon the Estates caused captaine Hogheman to beseege it but the Prince sent both horse and foote to releeue him so as they were forced to retire As the Malcontents in the beginning of their warre had taken a great rich village in Flanders called Menin lying vpon the riuer of Lice which by their chiefe commander called Emanuel of Lalain barron of Montigny was made stronge calling it his first conquest from whence they ouer-ranne all West Flanders and made them giue contribution so they lost it againe in the like manner for that in Menin there was a brewer called Peter Vercruissen who was much troubled and molested by the Wallons for harboring of a preacher in his house so as at the last they ment to proceed against him as a cryminal offender by order of law For which cause he diuised a means to get out of the fort and early in a morning beeing appareled like a countrie-man went out and being to passe by a sentinell hee tooke his halbert out of his hand and slue him with the which also he killed two other sentinells and by that meanes escaped from thence hee went to the Bourguemaster of Bruges called Iaques Broucqsanke shewing him by what meanes hee might free the country from their oppressions which hee esteemed an easie matter to effect and that with very fewe men which the Bourguemaster imparting to Colonel Balfour hauing receiued charge and commission to effect the same from the Archduke and the Prince of Orange the sayd Bourguemaster and his sonnes Peter and Ioas caused a certaine number of ladders to bee secretly made in his garden-house to serue for that purpose and al things being readie prepared vpon the one and twenty of October in the euening Colonel Baulfour went vnto the Scottish companies that lay in Rousselase and the next morning about foure of the clocke went with them vnder the walles of Menin ioyning vpon the stone-way or causie that goeth from thence to Renselase and with them the sayd Peter Vercruyssen At the same time also there came certaine Flemish companies by shippe from Cortrick which set vpon Menin on that side and so on both sides they secretly clome vp to the rampar and there valiantly killing the sentinels forced the gard to flie to saue themselues whereby without losse of men or any great resistance they presently got the fort for that they within knew themselues to bee to weake for that part of their garrison were gon out about the like exploit and therefore they fled and saued themselues by the bridge that past ouer the water to Halewin but it is not to be wondred at for that the Wallon garrisons there-abouts as at Wastene Werwicke Comene and part of those of Menin were all as then by counsell and procurement of the Lord of Erpe gon towards Cortrike beeing led by Monsier d' Allennes in the like sort and at the very same time to take and spoile it the which garrisons beeing before Cortrike and busied to take the depth of the ditches with their halberds and pikes the chiefe Baylife of Cortrike beeing as then in the top of the towers of the castle of Cortrike to heare the alarum that should about that time bee giuen to Menin called vnto the sentinell in the Bulwarke asking him if hee had not heard any thing not knowing that his enemies were so neere wherevnto the sentinell made answere and sayd no wherewith the Baylife sayd that the time drewe neere which words Mounsire d' Allennes hearing suspected that his enterprise was discouered and that those wordes were spoken to that end For which cause hee went to his companie to consult further with them and presently there-withall hee heard the alarum giuen at Menin which made him withall speed to returne backe againe to helpe them and that if Menin should chaunce to bee taken to set vpon them and to take it againe while the souldiers should bee busied about the spoile but aproching the fort and by reason of the darkenesse of the morning beeing not able to iudge whether the pikes hee saw were launces or not hee thought their enemies had some horse-men there so as hee was glad to alter his determination and with his affrighted souldiars to goe to Werwicke whereby the Scots and the rest of the soldiers had the better meanes to take the spoile in Menin and to deuide that which the Wallons in loâ—…g time had gathered togither whereby you may iudge if the spoile were small Vpon those newes the Prince of Orange caused certaine English and French companies that lay in Willebrook other Flemish companies to march thether conducted by the signior of La Noue to preserue their victory who vpon the foureteenth of Nouember came to Werwicke wherein were two of the aforesaid Wallon companies that had insconsed themselues in the Church and two more in the castle that lay on the other side of the riuer thereby keeping the bridge free betweene both those in the Church were inclosed by the French men and shot at by the souldiars that stood aboue in the houses and leueled at them through the Church-windowes they within shooting likewise at them and defended them-selues as well as they could in such sort as they without tooke counsell what they should doe and whether they were best to batter the Church with ordinance for that they within made no signe nor shew of yeelding hoping to bee relecued by the garrisons there abouts for that to the same end there were fiue companies comming out of Halewin but they of Menin hauing inteligence thereof gaue a hot and furious charge vpon them of Halewin putting fire in their Court of guard whereby they were in such a great agonie and feare as they were to send for their fiue companies backe againe and it was aduisedly done For that Mounsire De la Noue vnderstanding that the Wallons assembled them-selues togither at Comene was fully resolued if they entred into the field to set vpon them with his horse-men whereof hee gaue notice vnto all the Flemish companies but perceiuing that they came not forward to loose no time hee scaled the Church with ladders so as about 4. of the clocke in the afternoone hee tooke it where the Flemish soldiars were much commended for their valor especially one that carried a target who at the taking of the Church receiued seauenteene bullets vpon the same at there entry they slue fortie of the Wallons the rest beeing
being freed from the racke had declared and affirmed that by reason of certaine sutes with the inhabitants of Boissiere for the reuenues of his benifice and for that the country thereabouts was all spoyled and ruined by soldiers he had beene constrayned to abandon his charge and to haue serued it by a chaplaine going himselfe to keepe a schoole at Namur and had neuer serued neither the Abbot of Marolles nor the Earle of Barlaimont but that hee was a Priest and Curat of Boissiere and that the enterprize vpon Breda was an inuention of his owne That being knowne vnto the Earle of Barlaimont hauing supt with his gentlemen he was afterwards carried into the Earles chamber who demanded of him why hee liued in so meane estate and spent his time in so base a condition seeing that hee should want no meanes nor good vsage if hee would haue a good and bould courage and aduance him-selfe where-vppon the prisoner hauing presented his seruice the Earle sent for him againe in the end of February last by his Chaplaine calling him from schoole And at night hauing discoursed in the presence of some others of a certaine enterprise vpon the towne of Breda the Earle caused the prisoner to come alone againe into his chamber telling him that he would acquaint him with a matter of great importance if hee would imploy him-selfe in the Kings seruice with promise that hee should be richly rewarded wherevnto the prisoner consented afterwards by the commandement of the Earle he went with him to Brusselles whereas the Earle went often to Court to the Arch-duke But going once among the rest hee commanded the said prisoner to follow him where following him still hauing crost through many chambers the Earle entred into the Arch-dukes chamber whereas the prisoner had meanes to see him by a little of the doore which remained open but the Arch-duke could not discerne him And as he thought to enter into the chamber he could not for that the doore did shutte yet not so close but that he might easily heare the Arch-duke and the Earle discourse sometimes in latin some-times in Spanish vnder standing that at their departure they spake of a recompence And as the Earle went out the Arch-duke being at the doore said Cumulate et largo foenore satisfaciam then the Earle comming into the withdrawing chamber said vnto the prisoner that he had talked with the Arch-duke of their affaires that the Arch-duke would appoint him two hundred Philips Dallors At night after supper the Earle being alone with the prisoner in a chamber said vnto him that he had charge from the Arch-duke to root out or cause to be rooted out by a third person the Earle Maurice of Nassau and that he had a ready some men appointed to put it in execution in case that if the prisoner would also imploy himselfe there in the which he might wel doe that both he and his should be richly recompenced and that he should be saued saying moreouer that he had 15000 crownes to deliuer vpon the first newes to them which had committed this murther Where-vnto the said prisoner answered that it was out of his profession hauing neuer carried â—…es Here-vpon the Earle persisting with many reasons and great promises that it was the Kings pleasure and the Arch-dukes the prisoner vndertooke it promising to doe therein al hee could possibly and demanding how he might effect it Barlaimont said vnto him that Cont Maurice was a young Noble man familiar and of easie accesse and therefore he should finde good oportunitie if he made not too great hast but did mannage this businesse with shooes of lead That being come to the Hage or to any other place where the Earle should bee most resident he should find the rest that were sent to the same end being sixe in number and that the prisoner should be the seauenth that if one failed the other might speed That being here he might buy a paire of good pistols the which he should keepe alwaies as cleane as a clocke either of them charged with two bullets with the which hee should shoote Cont Maurice through the bodie or that hee should murther him by any other meanes hee could deuise as he might conferre thereof more particularly with the rest being arriued there and how soeuer he that did best effect it should be best recompenced that there were other men also which must be made away as Barnuiel or Barneuelt Longolius and Aldegonde And in case the said prisoner could murther any of them he should be highly recompenced Commanding the prisoner from that time to conceale his owne name and to take an other and that he should attire him-selfe like a soldier Then after diuers speeches the Earle of Barlaimont sent for an other man whome the prisoner could not name the which he said was one of the sixe to whome hauing discouered what the prisoner had vndertaken the same man called him his Camerado or chamber-fellow saying that hee would soone follow him into Holland with other speeches Declaring moreouer that since the Duke of Parmas time the said sixe men being all murtherers had bene entertained in the Court as Gentlemen at the King of Spaines charge to imploy them in matters of consequence against his greatest enemies and that in the meane time the said Barlaimont had receiued by his Secretary from the hands of Stephano D'ybarra the summe of two hundred Phillips Dallors the which Secretary did tell them vnto the prisoner in diuers coynes which hee did write downe in a certaine booke that was found about him mounting to the summe of 500. florins That the said prisoner beeing readie to go from Brusselles to Antwerp the other man conducted him vnto the boate and said vnto him that he thought they should bee sent to Leyden The prisoner asking him where it was and to what end Hee answered that Leyden was a Towne and an Vniuersitie in Holland where the young Prince of Orange did liue at his booke and that they should bee sent thether to catch him out of the way and to kil him After that time the prisoner following Barlaimonts commandement attired him selfe in a soldiers habit calling him-selfe Michael of Triuieres and went from Antwerp to Tournhout with the Earle of Barlaimonts letters to Larigon But fearing much that hee was gone hee returned againe to Brusselles from whence hee went with others belonging vnto the Earle towards Lovuain Dyest Herental and Tournhout Wherefore the Councells appointed by the generall Estates of the vnited Prouinces for the examination and Iudgement of this present fact finding it a matter of very bad consequence the which cannot bee in any sort tollerate in a countrie of Iustice without danger preiudice or ruine of the good and publike quiet but ought to be rigorously punished hauing taken councell and aduise therein after graue and mature deliberation doing right in the name and behalfe of the said generall Estates of the vnited Prouinces Haue
signes of fire made to chase spoile kill or at the least to take prisoners all souldiers belonging to their enemies that should aduenture to enter into their territories declaring all quarter to be broken with their enemies without any exception vpon paine to be punished in like manner as the enemies themselues should bee assigning vnto euery one that should in that sort spoile kill or take prisoner any of the enemies souldiers the summe of fiftie gulderns for his paines and whosoeuer should present any one for not obseruing the contents of this proclamation or that had harbored or had correspondencie with the enemie 25 gulderns for a reward This yeare there were three shippes set out of Holland to discouer a mine of gold about Guiney who sailed to all the islands thereabouts and some that were not inhabited which they called the salt islands for that the water which was beat vp by the sea through the heat of the sunne congealed and became hard salt the which is exceeding fine white and very strong and better than any other very fit to make refined salt which costs nothing but the fetching lading and bringing away whereas eightie or ninetie sayle of the greatest shippes of burthen of Holland and Zeeland find their fraight yearely and make great profit the voyage beeing but short for some haue made it in eleuen weekes others were somewhat longer as winde and weather did serue them the which is likely to prooue a great hindrance to Spaine and Portugall especially by the restraint made in Spaine where they were accustomed to fetch their salt whereby the Spaniards were much deceiued supposing that one nauigation would hinder another especially that into the east countries but it hath bin found otherwise for that this yeare in the beginning of April there came vnto Amsterdam at one time sixe hundred and fourtie saile most of them great shippes out of the east countries most beeing laden with corne wood masts sparres deale pitch tarre flaxe waxe c. which altogether brought at the least thirtie thousand tunnes and had one with another foure pounds starling for the fraight of a last which is two tunnes so as by that computation they did earne sixtie thousand pounds starling at the least for fraight whereby it may be truely said that sea-faring fishing and trade of marchadise is the Netherlanders myne This winter the vnited prouinces prepared not onely for a defensiue warre as they had done some yeares before but also to offend the enemie who lay so strong vpon their frontiers with their winter armie as they were forced to raise new regiments and more cornets of Netherland horse men First they gaue to Ernestus earle of Nassau a commission to leuie a regiment of high Dutches of tenne companies euery commission beeing two hundred men the which were raised about Emden Monsieur la Noue had charge to bring two thousand men out of France into Holland of those which had so long serued the king there at their owne charges hoping the king would be the more willing to restore the money which they had disbursed for the entertainement of those men especially the money beeing paied vnto his owne subiects and vassals They also entertained a thousand Suitsers which had serued in France they added nine cornets more to their horse men one cornet beeing vnder prince Maurice his lieutenant was Ioncker Walrauen van Gent sonne to the lord of Oyen two cornets vnder the old and yong earles of Solines and the rest vnder monsieur Timpel Balen Iohn Bax La Sale Cloet and Hamelton a Scottish man The Scottish footmen were also made compleâ—… euery companie consisting of an hundred and fiftie men and the colonels companie of two hundred They would willingly haue had more supplies out of England but they durst not moue the Queen for that she had long before written vnto them for 2000 Englishmen to be sent ouer for her warres in Ireland offering to send 2000 new souldiers in their places which they could not refuse and for that at that time there were 27 companies of English they sent sixe whole companies and out of the rest they chose the worst men they could find to make vp the number which was ill taken in whose places the Queene sent ouer about two thousand new souldiers vnder Sir Thomas Knowles who expected to be colonel ouer them but he could get but a companie and the rest of the men did serue to fill vp the other companies They further made a proclamation concerning their musters for the preuenting of all deceit by keeping their companies full with all other orders necessarie for the warres as first that vnder the Reisters no man might serue but vpon his owne horse which horse should not be lesse than fifteene great handfuls high according to a measure made of purpose The Reisters themselues were to haue a head-piece a gorget a breast and a backe two poldrons a gantlet to hold his bridle a short peece or pistoll the barrell being two foot long and a short sword according to a measure appointed to that end and if any one wanted any of the said furniture he might not passe musters or else he was checked and debarred from some part of his entertainment Some in euery cornet were allowed to haue horses to carrie their necessaries who besides the furniture aboue named were to bee armed with thighes knee pieces and culots which is a piece of armour to defend the reines of the backe with another short piece like vnto the first their armour was to bee caliuer proofe and they were allowed a boy who should carry a piece like vnto the other The horsemen called Carabins were to haue a head-piece a gorget a breast and a backe a sword and a piece hauing a barill three foot long and a good horse At that time they vsed no more launces for that they could doe but small seruice vnlesse they were running in their full cariere but in stead thereof they did vse pistols or short pieces and did weare cassockes or liueries as launciers were accustomed to doe The footmen which carried pykes were to haue a head-piece a gorget a backe and a breast a sword or rapier a pyke of eighteene foot long and that vpon a penaltie and the one quarter of those that did beare pykes were to haue poldrons to their elbowes The musketiers were to haue a head-piece a rapier a musket carrying a bullet whereof tenne would make a pound and a rest And the harguebusiers must haue a head-piece a rapier and a good caliuer bored for a shot of 20 or 25 bullets in the pound euery one hauing pay accordingly Thus much I thought good to obserue that posteritie may know what armes men vsed in the Netherlands in those warres In the end of Ianuarie 1599 certaine cornets of Reisters of the vnited Prouinces with some companies of foot vnder the leading of Edmonds a Scottishman and others made a rode into the countries of Lembourg
artillerie lying neere the towne These forts with the rest cost the Flemmings 100000 florins euery moneth and they offered vnto the archduke 300000 florins a month during the siege and ninetie thousand florins euery moneth for the space of three yeares after it should be taken They obtained also by the archdukes councell of estate the consent of the other owns of Brabant although that the other prouinoes subiect vnto the Spaniard did not greaâ—…ly like of this enterprise for that they held it to be full of danger Many were of opinion that if the archduke had suddainly followed the Estates armie he had vngaged Berke dispersed prince Maurice his troupes and afterwards would easily haue preuailed ouer the towne of Oostend for that his forces were great and many of his captaines had a great will to fight But calling to mind the battell of Nieuport he inclined to a milder course persuading himselfe that the prince would presently abandon his forts and trenches before Bercke to flie though it were too late to the reliefe of Oostend and so with one stone he should giue many stroaks freeing Bercke dispersing his enemie gleaning the Flemmings purses and satisfying the mutined souldiers in Isabella fort who for want of paie had beene ready to sell it vnto them of Oostend So the archduke marching towards Oudenbourg on the fift day of Iuly he sent cont Fredericke vanden Bergh marshall of his campe with about fiue regiments of foot to inuest Oostend on the east side hee was saluted by the ordnance from the towne which slue many of his men There were at that time in garrison in the towne 22 ensignes of diuers nations comprehending one of the inhabitants The seignior Vander Noot a gentleman of Brabant was gouernor of the towne They sent the women and children presently into Zeeland Newes came vnto the prince beeing in his campe before Bercke that Oostend was besieged the which hee would not beleeue making light account that cont Frederick was come thither saying That they were but shewes but when hee vnderstood that Augustine de Mexia Chastellain of Antuerp was also arriued with fiue other regiments and artillerie and that they were making of their campe he was very glad saying In good time let vs leaue him there knocking at the gate for a long time this peece here meaning Rhinebercke shall not escape me This Chastellain went and lodged with his troups betwixt the forts of Albert and Isabella but the besieged did so plie him with the cannon the first three daies after his arriuall as after the losse of aboue 500 men slaine and hurt he was forced to dislodge towards the downes on the west side The mutines in Isabella fort were partly pacified with promises and in the end went forth to Wynoxberghe to receiue money being about fiue hundred men The body of the Spanish armie was some foureteene thousand fighting men who were lodged towards the west downes and there were a thousand or a thousand two hundred left vpon the east downes vnder the command of the seignior of Glaison who began to build a new fort there in the which he lodged his men Then they made their approaches and vpon the west downes they planted twelue peeces of ordnance and moreouer there was a batterie made towards the sea side so as the passage of the old hauen was quite shut vp and after that time the entrie vnto the towne from the sea was vpon the north side by the which the boats entred at a full sea through the sea ditches which were opened to that end Prince Maurice was now well assured that the archdukes campe was planted before Oostend he therefore would not abandon Bercke being resolued to hold it out vntill he were master thereof And to assure the said towne of Oostend he sent Sir Francis Veer genenerall of the Engllsh vnder the Estates seruice with twelue companies of his nation and colonel Westembroucke with seuen ensignes of Wallons with other companies making in all foure and thirtie ensignes all which arriued happily the fifteenth of Iuly and soone after came fifteene hundred Englishmen more Then began the archduke to discouer the vanitie of his counsels but being so farre ingaged he grew obstinat before this towne leauing prince Maurice farre off labouring before Bercke whereas the besieged began to scratch their heads seeing their hoped succours turned another way yet they continued their sallies but with losse rather than gaine Sir Francis Veer being safely arriued at Oostend hee presently went and lodged abroad neere vnto the towne and tenne daies after hee intrenched himselfe in a place called the Red house with an intent to stoppe the boats which brought victuals to the campe but the Spaniards preuented it not without losse of their men All the rest of this moneth of Iuly was spent in sallies and skirmishes in the which they spared neither powder nor shot The archduke lost aboue foure thousand men besides them that were hurt and the besieged had some three hundred men slaine The Seignior of Warmond admirall of Holland furnished them with all sorts of munition So as the Flemings found themselues much deceiued of their expectation for they did imagine that this siege would be sooner ended than that of Berck But the prince hauing prouided well for Oostend and so fortified himselfe before Bercke as he neither feared the besieged nor the archduke hauing taken away all the defences of the rampar blowne vp some mynes with losse to the besieged and hauing other readie to worke their effects the besieged finding that they were vndone if they continued obstinate hauing lost two third parts of their souldiers and the rest beeing tired with continuall toyle in the end they demanded a composition the which the prince willingly yeelded vnto in the beginning of August giuing them leaue to depart with their armes and baggage their colours flying matches burning and two field peeces with fiftie bullets and two barrels of poulder with diuers other articles to the benefit of the besieged They could not desire a more honourable composition But the prince respected not the conditions so as hee might take it hauing continued his siege 7 weekes The day after the composition there went out of the towne fortie fiue horsemen sixteene companies of foot beeing one thousand two hundred fortie and seauen men whole and sound 370 hurt and sicke 78 sailers with a great number of women children which went to Gueldre The archduke had sent the earle of Bergh with two thousand horsemen and fiue thousand foot to relieue the towne and with him the earle of Boucquoy and Nicholas Basta expecting other souldiers which came out of Italie but prince Maurice his campe was so well fortified with strong trenches and good forts wherein he is one of the most expert men this day liuing as they durst not aduenture to offer to force it and they within had want of many necessaries especially of apothecarie
his familie and subiects Whereunto the admirall answered in these couert and doubtfull termes alledging the contracts and mutuall bonds betwixt the king of Spaine and the duke of Cleues for the defence and preseruation of the Catholike religion and the publike quiet in which termes the sayd earle maintaining himselfe according to his duetie he should be receiued with all loue into his protection and honoured according to his merits the which should bee a firmer safegard for him than paper Yet cont Vanden Broek hauing receiued certaine aduertisements that the Spaniards were resolued to force his castle of Broek on the 6 of October late at night hee sent away his wife daughters and gentlewomen meaning the next day to doc the like with the chiefest of his goods the which he could not execute for the next day his castle was wholly inuested some canons planted by the breake of day and battered the same day The 8 of the moneth the earle parled with the Spaniards and made a composition which was That the souldiers that were in the castle should depart with him and be conducted to a place of safetie Whereupon the castle was yeelded and he went forth with his men which were choyce souldiers but he was presently laid hold on by the Spaniards and taken prisoner the souldiers being about fortie were carried into a neere field where they were not onely disarmed but stript naked and then miserably massacred There were yet six of the duke of Iuilliers men who being loth to trust the Spaniard had slipt out of the way vntill the greatest furie were ouerpast In the meane time they did in like maner disrobe the earle whom they would haue vsed as they had done the souldiers if a captaine had not retired him into a chamber apart and by that meanes his six souldiers had their liues also saued yet they stript two of them as naked as when they came from their mothers wombe whom in derision they planted on either side of the earle yet at the earles instant suit they suffered all six to depart In the meane time the earle had a guard of halberdiers in his chamber and not any one of his owne people might come neere him but the seignior of Hardenbergh his cosin and one page The tenth day of the moneth the captaine appointed for the guard of this castle came and told the earle That he might go walke if he pleased Whereunto he answered yea if it might be without danger After dinner he had a desire to walke with the captaine beeing in whose companie he feared nothing as he went he espied much bloud spilt vpon the way and sayd vnto his page See here the bloud of our seruants if they haue an intent to doe as much to me I had rather to day than tomorrow Going on vnto his water mill vpon the riuer of Roer hee was knockt downe with a leuer others say with the staffe of a halberd or pertuisan and layed all along saying onely with his hands lift vp to heauen My God c. and then hee was thrust twice or thrice thorough the bodie and remained there dead vpon the place vntil the twelfth of the moneth Behold how miserably this poore nobleman was murthered yet could not this dead carkasse bee at rest for the Spaniards burnt it to ashes to doe a disgrace to his religion A while after the Spaniards tooke the townes of Burick Dinslaken Holt and Rees in the same countrey of Cleues and all other places and frontier forts thereabouts chasing away or murthering the garrisons that were in them and committing a thousand other insolencies The reason why the admirall did not receiue any presents from Wezel was that hee meant to draw some greater benefit from them After that he had written ample letters vnto them in Latine of a meere Iesuites stile seeking to haue them restore the exercise of the Romish religion hee sent his armie before the said towne and did threaten them in such sort as they were glad to send away their ministers and to receiue priests and Iesuites to say seruice in the temples according to the Romish church And moreouer he forced them to a very hard extortion in so poore and miserable a time which was to prouide him an hundred thousand ricx dollers and a thousand quarters of corne wherewith the souldiers made shew to bee discontented thinking in taking of the towne to become all gold yea they would haue fallen vpon them that had made this taxation The first paiment of the hundred thousand dollers being come the Spaniards would not receiue them but in weighty money that is to say at the same price that dollers had beene coyned in the beginning which differs not much lesse than a third part from that they goe for at this day or else they would breake the treatie of accord which was made with them the which bred a diuision in the towne in the which there were three hundred souldiers of the duke of Iuilliers two thousand bourgesses masters of families and two thousand yong men handicrafts men and workemen so as some of them had rather bee doing against the Spaniards than suffer themselues to bee so opprest by such exactions without any ground right or action But the marshall of the countrey dissuaded them and it was their best course for if the Spaniards had but burnt their suburbes and their countrey houses it had beene thrice more preiudiciall vnto them besides the marshall laid before them That admit they had repulst an assault two or three yet the Spaniard would not haue cared for it but would haue returned so often hauing men ynough as hee would haue carried it and then should they loose all without redemption The dukes souldiers hearing this resolution of the inhabitants and that they were in termes to doe the one or the other beeing in some feare of themselues and making their excuse that their time limited was expired they retired The judge of the towne hearing the obstinat and vnreasonable demaund of the Spaniard sayd openly That if they were not content with the first accord and that it might not bee otherwise that with the helpe of God they would prouide for their owne defence and would rather fire the towne themselues and abandon it and seeke their safeties as they could This resolute answer did coole the Spaniard who was verie glad to haue the money The admirall hauing caused Rhineberck to bee inuested his Spaniards entred into the island which is in the middest of the Rhine both on horsebacke and on foot vpon whom they of the towne played with their canon at their pleasures yet they charged them that were there for the Estates being but lightly intrenched which trenches they won they also planted two peeces vpon the side of the riuer from whence they did shoot against the fort which was in the island which the bullets did pierce thorough and thorough the which the gouernour obseruing he
appointed a sergeant and seuen or eight men onely to remaine in the sort and that the rest should retire vnder the towne where being arriued the said sergeant and his men should follow after they had set fire of their cabens the canon of the towne and the rampars beeing planted full of musketiers fauoured their retreat and so they came safely into the towne quitting the said island whereof the Spaniards not daring to approach presently for feare of some hidden fire seized the next day On the twelfth day the Spaniards hauing intrenched themselues within their campe they made three batteries either of foure peeces at the point of the island to take away their defences they planted two canons more and two lesser peeces before Cassell port and the bulwarke The foureteenth day beeing a mist they approched neerer vnto a sluce neere vnto the Rhine port without the halfe moone which was before the towne Being thus ready to batter it Alphonso d'Aualos caused it to bee summoned by a drumme in his owne priuat name In the meane time the magistrat of the towne persuaded the gouernour to demaund a pasport of the admirall for a messenger which they would send vnto the prince elector of Cologne to see if they might not obtaine that the sayd towne might be neutrall Whereupon and for this summons the captaines and Nicholas Wippart auditor beeing assembled they resolued to hold out vnto the end refusing the magistrats propositions to auoid all doubt and iealousie And although they had receiued instructions from prince Maurice what to answer when they should bee summoned by the admirall yet seeing they were summoned priuatly by a colonell they thought it good to answer the drumme That they would keepe the towne for the seruice of God of prince Maurice and the Estates vnto the last man and that the sayd drumme should returne no more vnto them in that behalfe if hee would keepe himselfe safe from bullets This drumme beeing returned with his answer the Spaniard began to discharge all his ordnance so as about nine of the clocke they set fire of a tower whereas the powder was the which blew it vp into the ayre so as there was no more powder left in the towne but what the souldiers had in their flaskes and what the gunners had by the ordnance This tower was close by the castle neere vnto Rhine port and as all the doores and windowes were well shut they could not iudge but that the fire entred with a shot the wall beeing not aboue a foot thicke and so it fell among the powder Howsoeuer it came there were an hundred and fiftie barrels of powder blown vp so as they thought the town would haue sunk not only carrying away many houses but also a good part of the rampar neere vnto Rhine port Captaine Lucas Hedduic gouernour of the towne had beene slaine and many souldiers which were in the halfe moone the port whereof was carried away The which the Spaniards perceiuing they came to burne the portcullis but they were hindred by fresh men that were sent thither to succour the towne The towne hauing had this great mischance the breaches being not easily to bee repared and the besieged finding themselues in want of powder the captaines beeing assembled with the auditor to conferre what was to bee done they held it conuenient to treat of a composition whereof any delay might bee verie preiudiciall and dangerous beeing impossible to repulse the assaults which might be giuen them wherfore striking vp the drumme at Sant port they required hostages that they might send their deputies to the admirall Whereupon Alphonso d'Aualos sent two Italian captaines and out of the towne there went captaine Loon and Fouillan who in the end agreed to yeeld the towne departing with their armes and baggage but their colours wound vp without any drumme sounding or fire in their matches That all that would might depart with the souldiers and they should giue them fortie wagons with a good conuoy to conduct them vnto Zanten vpon promise that for foure monethes they should not carrie armes against the king of Spaine nor the archduke Albert. And in this maner the towne was yeelded vpon the fifteenth of the moneth vnto Dom Alphonso d'Aualos who shewed them great courtesie in requitall of the good vsage which prince Maurice had giuen him at the Hage when as hee was taken prisoner in the Betuwe when as the duke of Parma did besiege the fort of Knotsenbourg right against Nimeghen and that part of his horse-men were defeated which forced him to rayse his siege and to retire from thence Prince Maurice had the last day of September written vnto the deputies of the inferiour circles of Westphalia being assembled at Dortmont hearing that they were come thither to cōsider of the means wherby the lands of the empire might not only be freed from the Estates souldiers but also from the Spaniards and in like manner how the townes of either partie vpon the territories of the empire might bee deliuered free to their princes and lords the which was verie pleasing vnto him to heare Wherfore he would not conceale it from them how that the worthy prince elector of Cologne had required of the generall Estates of the vnited prouinces to haue the towne of Rhineberck deliuered vnto him The which the said Estates were resolued to performe yea to giue caution that hereafter their souldiers should not attempt vpon any townes on the limits of the empire so farre foorth as the sayd deputies princes and noblemen together with the members of that lower circle of Westphalia would bee answerable that their enemies should in like manner deliuer vp those townes which they held of the empire and would promise not to attempt hereafter vpon any more nor build any forts there so as they should haue no more cause to feare on that side And seeing the sayd Estates haue not taken the said towne from the prince elector but haue wrested it by force from the enemie so as by right they might retaine it yet they were readie vpon those conditions to yeeld it to the naturall lord seeming to them as reasonable that their enemies should deliuer the townes and forts which they held of the empire not vnto the Estates but vnto their princes and naturall lords who by force and contrarie to the lawes of the empire had seized on them and contrarie to their promises For if they should suffer the enemies of the said Estates to make warre against them by the meanes of imperiall townes that the sayd deputies beeing men of iudgement would thinke it no lesse lawfull for them than for their enemies The which for the singular loue and affection they bare vnto the empire they could not conceale being loth thereby to mooue the electors and princes of the empire for that there is not any thing can bee more pleasing vnto them than the prosperitie and peace thereof which they would with