his troupes were in order aduancing with all speed towards Roueres Notwithstanding Roueres and his braue Captaines especially his Caualerie retyred with small losse into the Cloyster where Poyet was readie to receiue them in order without in such sort that Vitelly pursued no further At this Camisado the enemie lost six for one of the Nassawians by reason Roueres had forced their guardes before the rest were in armes The next day toward night Duke d'Aluaes vantguard was in sight of the Towne but before his rereguard came to their quarter it was nine of the clocke the next morning by reason they marched very slowly and not without reason For they haled with them two and twentie pieces of batterie besides some other field pieces with all the munition belonging vnto them Duke d'Alua being arriued incamped on the riuer side betwixt the meadowes and the hills from the wayes towards Valentia downe to the Cloyster Along this riuer he made strong trenches which assured his armie towards the fields towards the towne he made large deepe trenches impossible to be entred This man would commonly assure himselfe with trenches although the enemies were lodged three dayes iourney from him Now before Mounts hee entrenched all his quarters as though hee meant to bee besieged and not without reason hauing intelligence how Mounsieur Ianlis marched for their succours with seauen thousand Frenchmen and the Prince of Orange making ready a mighty armie in Germany After his arriuall the next day hee prepared to beate the Cloyster vnto which place hee brought sixe pieces of Cannon Mounsieur de Poiet resolued before not to keep the place but to winne time in forcing them to place the Cannon This Cloyster was so neere the towne that none could encampe betwixt it and the towne by reason of the townes artillerie and of wet meadow grounds which could not be entrenched Wherefore Mounsieur de Poyet did most brauely abide this whole dayes batterie and in the night set the Cloyster on fire with a traine and so retired himselfe and his troupes safely into the towne leauing nothing behinde Within few dayes Duke d'Alua beganne to make his approaches in such sort that hee assured the towne from sallying sauing their secret sallies through the rampier bul-workes before he mounted his pieces to beate the forts and defences The towne plagued him greatly with their counter-battery and besides they often sallyed and annoyed them with sundry attempts on their artillery and trenches With much ado after receiuing great losses he made three platformes The middest did batter the port of Hauery the two others the flanks and parts of the Curtaines on both sides On these three platformes hee placed two and twentie Cannons with which and with his Culuerins that did beate the defences he discharged during his siege aboue 24000. shot The furie of all batteries are past at the first I meane within two dayes yea commonly in one For the defendants knowing the place and the successe of the furie will re-enforce their breaches re-entrench themselues in such sort that the assailants can doe small hurt with their approaches The second day they battered and hauing made their breach reasonable as they thought they prepared to the assault The poynt fell by lot to the Tertia of Lumbardy led by the valiant Mounsieur of the Campe Iulian Romero who was seconded by the master of the Campe Don Francisco de Baldesso and his Tertia de la Ligue after him the regiments of Wallons of the Marquesse of Hauery Count Barlemount Messieurs de Ligues and of Capers So were all the rest of the armie in battaile ready to second one another according to their direction with their whole Caualery in order of battaile some quarter of a league from their trenches Diuers had leaue to dismount themselues who accompanied Iulian at the poynt The Count re-entrenched himselfe ouerthwart the breach with a halfe moone Himselfe and some two hundred horsemen stoode at the mouth of the great lane towards the breach the rest of his horsemen were in three troupes making Patroiles rounds we call it from place to place round about the towne As one troupe came vnto him hee sent another out Mounsieur de la Noue stood with the armed men in the midst of the halfe moone Mounsieur de Poyet stood on the one quarter of the moone with halfe the shot Mounsieur de Roueres on the other with the rest At euery corner of the moone they placed diuers pieces of Ordinance laden with nayles small bullets and stones which flanked the mouth of tbe breach Iulians Captaines would not giue place one to another more then the Collonells but by lot After knowing who should lead and the breach discouered saultable Iulian commanded the poynt to the assault which were suffered to enter But being in the middest of the moone they were murdered like dogs in such sort that happie was hee that could retyre first Notwithstanding Iulian aduanced with all courage with his seconds but being on the breach and hauing discouered their trenches and workes within he caused his troupes to retire not without losse For all their small shot playd incessantly vpon his troups At this assault the Spaniards courge was quailed from assaulting any more Iulian escaped with great danger hauing sundry Harquebushes on his armes His Lieutenant Collonell was slaine with fiue of his principall Captaines and the brauest part of his souldiers besides many aduenturers as well horsemen as footemen which were not of his regiment The Count escaped not freely for diuers of his best men were slaine especially Mounsieur de Roueres shot in the head with a musket Duke d'Alua perceiuing the valure and conduct of Lodowicke and his men resolued not to force his breach but cunningly attempted them often with alarmes and counterfeit assaults in such sort that hee spoyled many of the defendants with his artillerie in presenting themselues on the breach At this instant Mounsieur Ianlis was marching with his succours in number as I said before seauen thousand French all footemen sauing some foure hundred horsemen Being arriued hard by Valentia Duke d'Alua sent don Frederico with his Martiall Chiapine Vitelly accompanied with one thousand fiue hundred horsemen and foure thousand footemen himselfe remained in strong trenches with all the rest in armes who being all together were about one and twenty thousand footemen and three thousand horsemen Mounsieur Ianlis although he was a most gallant souldier at this re-encounter shewed small discipline Vitelly hauing intelligence of his march and order Don Frederico being arriued at Saint Gellane some two leagues from Mounts hearing Ianlis was in march and that he meant to passe that way within tenne howers Vitelly desired him to leaue all his men in ambush in that place in troupes on both sides of the high waies Hauing finished his orders
for want of masters to keepe them and to complaine of their guests abuses seeing also they could not carrie away the one quarter of their goods the most part resolued to stay Desiring the Counts leaue to signifie vnto their friends in Antwerpe aud Brussels how they were constrained to stay perforce in the towne meaning by that meanes to excuse themselues vnto Duke d'Alua whom they feared aboue all the world Euery day some of Lodowickes horsemen ranne vnto the ports of Brussels and vp and downe the Countries as pleased them spoiling and wasting what they listed Often they had great skirmishes but alwaies they defeated their enemies with halfe their numbers in such sort that d'Aluaes Captaines made ambushes for them fiue hundred at a time and the others would passe through them being scarse halfe their numbers This continued some time but d'Alua hauing gathered his forces dispatched Chiapin Vitelly with the most of his Caualrie and certaine regiments of footmen giuing him charge to inclose the towne in such sort as the garrison could not sally forth Being approached Mounts Lodowicke sallied accompanied with the Lord of la Noue and Poyet Sir William Morgan and diuers other aduenturers of good qualitie with all his horsmen halfe his footmen leauing Mounsieur de Roueres in the towne well accōpanied with the rest Being past his Counter scarfe he left Mounsieur de la Noue who gaue order vnto fiue hundred Harquebusiers to hide themselues close in the high wayes some hundred score from the gates Poyet and la Noue stood with two squadrons of horses a little before them either squadron being of an hundred and fiftie the rest the Count commanded to go to ingage the enemy to skirmish Mounsieur de Roueres caused diuers pieces of artillerie to be transported from other Mounts vnto the Mounts that commanded the field towards the enemie The enemie aduanced brauely both horse and foote at which sight Lodowickes Curriers encountred theirs with sundry Cornets But they forced the Nassawians to retire and double their pases towards la Noue and Poyet At this sight la Noue aduanced desiring the Count to giue order to Poiet to stand and the Harquebusiers to keepe close telling him I know the enemy will repulse mee notwithstanding I will charge with your leaue in my retreit let the ambush of shot discharge their voles then Poyet may charge the better cheap The Curriers being hard at hand la Noue aduāced crying to his company Courage turne bridle And withall charging some 400. Launciers Herguleters gaue thē the retreit into our squadrons which aduanced to re-encounter la Noue At whose sight la None retired bringing the enemies full vpon the ambush of shot which gaue them such a salue of Harquebushes that happie was hee that retyred first Withall Poyet charged very couragiously in such sort that the enemies doubled their pases towards their battell At whose retreite the Count wisely retyred his footmen into the towne with his horsemen in good order In the meane time Mounsieur de Roueres forgot not to plague them with his artillery The Generall of the horsemen and Vitelly aduanced their battaile remained halfe of horse foot in armes vntill their quarters were entrenched which they did in a short time For they were furnished with a great number of pioners and all necessaries in such sort that in lesse then fortie howers they assured the one halfe of the towne from salying forth Notwithstanding the ports towards Valentia and Hauery were cleare There stood an Abbey or Cloyster some halfe an English mile from the towne on a little riuer which ran frō the towne to the Cloister The place was not strong nor able to abide the Cannon Neuerthelesse it was necessarie to be kept for betwixt it and the Towne there was good store of grasse and corne with other necessaries to feed horses and cattel Besides they were assured the enemie would attempt this place first Therfore to winne time it was most necessarie to be kept Into this Cloister Mounsieur de Poyet desired to goe with some eight hundred Harquebusiers Although the Count and the rest were loath to hazard his person Notwithstanding the other alleaging himselfe to be but the third person in the towne desired and perswaded them that halfe their footemen should not goe to keepe any place without the company of a principall Chiefe To fulfill his desire it was granted him referring all vnto himselfe being entreated not to engage himselfe further then he might well retyre and assured that Lodowick the rest would quite the towne and all to follow him although they were sure to perish Mounsieur de Poyet hauing possest the place and furnished with about tenne dayes victuals vsed all meanes to strengthen himselfe By this time Vitelly had made the quarters towards Brussels very strong in such sort that two thousand were sufficient to guarde it against tenne thousand For he made there good forts about a quarter of a league one from another with strong trenches that ranne from fort to fort that no horsemen could sally ouer them And their footemen durst not passe those guardes for feare of the Counts horsemen Vitelly dislodged with all his horse and foote sauing the guards which he left in his forts and remained in battaile betwixt the ports of Valentia and Hauery vntill he erected a large fort like vnto the others Hauing left two regiments of footmen in it hee retyred with his Caualrie and the rest of his footemen vnto the next Village some halfe a league off leauing neere halfe his troupes in guard that they might be sure vntill the arriuall of Duke d'Alua Who beganne to set out from Brussels with the rest of his armie artillerie munition and baggage that night about two howers before day The towne and cloyster hauing intelligence sallied out from both quarters some eight hundred footemen with all their horsemen to giue a camisado vnder the conduct of Mounsieur de Roueres Being met in one place they gaue furiously into Vitellies quarter and forced his guardes into their place of armes Mendoza being lodged apart with most of the Caualrie gathered presently his horsemen in order and gaue resolutely into Vitellies quarter which was in danger to be runne through with this Camizado Mounsieur Roueres like a discreete souldier had left one of his best Captaines short of the enemies quarter with some three hundred of his best shot and a hundred and fiftie horsemen for his retreit which saued him and the most of his troupes Mendoza charged Roueres in such sort that happie was he who could returne first Comming vnto his ambush they peppered Mendoza and his horsemen with a salue of Harquebushes that turned them backe vpon the other At which instant the hundred and fiftie horsemen charged them on their backes By that time Vitelly and the most of
the said Vorst with diuers others Hereupon Mounsieur de Barland and Vorst resolued to lay hands on Pacheco and to seize vpon the towne Being respected and greatly beloued of the popular they made diuers acquainted with Duke d' Aluaes practises and how Pacheco was the man that should execute his determination Presently they gaue order to make good watch at the water-port to preuent the entry of the Spaniards who were hard by it with their armes in their hands ready to enter Withall they assembled all the Magistrates and Burgesses into their Towne-house whether they sent for Pacheco making him belieue they would obey all his directions conditionally that hee would shew them his authority Pacheco being arriued amongst them Mounsieur de Barland asked him for his Commission Pacheco shewed it Withall Vorst layed hands on him saying Shellum Spaniard thou hast more directions then these Pacheco striuing with Vorst Vorst and his companions threw him downe giuing him and his followers store of good blowes Rifling Pacheco they found about him all his directions whereby diuers of them were to be executed Presently they carried Seignior Pacheco to the gallowes where they hung Duke d' Aluaes Scutchion at which they hanged Pacheco with his Commission about his necke although Pacheco offered them assurance of tenne thousand Duckets to haue his head strucke off They hanged also some fiue and twenty of his followers beating them with stones and cudgels all the way as they passed to the gallowes Mounsieur de Beauoir arriued at the gates towards Middleburgh with some foure hundred Wallons within two howers after the executing of Pacheco The Flushingers resolued to resist his entry Beauoir being a white-liuered souldier retyred into Middleburgh Without doubt had he shewed any valour he might haue entred For at that instant Flushing was nothing fortified to speake of sauing towards the water The rest was a lowe greene rampier without Flankes Parepet or Ditch but such as men of any resolution might haue entred or any pieces mounted towards the land vnlesse it were some paultry rusty olde Clinkes which a man would as readily choose in a maner to stand before as behinde at their going off Presently the Flushingers fell to working night and day on their rampier and drew diuers pieces of Ordinance out of their ships and mounted them thereon They dispatched also letters into England and France for succors with a few crownes Flushing was in those daies God knowes a poore beggerly Towne of Fishing in respect of that it is now without Towne fort fortresse or Village to friend in all that Countrey As God would there were diuers followers of the Prince of Orange and of his brother Count Lodowicke Some were Sea-men named by the enemies Freebotters but some of them were resolute gallant Gentlemen namely Mounsieur de Lambres de Skonuall Batelentia Ruchable c. These were Sea-Captaines rouing out of their Countries where fortune serued them best in the Prince of Oranges name There were also diuers Wallons and Flemmings which kept the woodes of Flaunders not knowing how to escape namely the Captaines Barnard Ely Ambrose Duke and others Hearing of the reuolt of Flushing they marched directly thither and at a place named Meerchauen they made a strong trench In which place they remained not three dayes hut the Flushingers sent their boates to fetch them The Captaines Barnard Ely and Ambrose Duke being entred Flushing with some foure hundred Wallons and Flemmings well armed did something assure the towne Some of these had good vnderstanding in the warres principally in fortificatiō they did helpe the townsmen greatly in such sort that they mounted their pieces in good order and mended their fortifications Captaine Thomas Morgan comes to Flushing which was the first English band that serued the Neatherders against the Spanish King AT this time there was a faire muster of Londoners before the Queenes Maiestie at Greenewich Amongst the Londoners were diuers Captaines and souldiers who had serued some in Scotland some in Ireland others in France And hauing nothing to doe with the countenance of some great men who fauoured the cause and the small helpes of the deputies of Flushing Captaine Thomas Morgan leuied a faire company of three hundred strong amongst whom were diuers Officers which had commanded before with many Gentlemen at the least aboue one hundred amongst which my selfe was one This band was the first that serued the Neatherlanders I meane since Duke d'Alua came to be Gouernor and Captaine generall of the Neatherlands Captaine Morgan and his Company arriued in good time For at his arriuall Flushing was in distresse For Duke d'Alua had sent forces of Wallones and Spaniards vnder the conduct of Don Ruffello to second Mounsieur de Beauoir who had commaund to entrench themselues on the Dike towards the Rampkins Had they done it the towne could not haue cut the ditch as they did afterwards and Duke d'Alua was to second them with all his whole forces But hearing how the English were arriued in greater numbers then we were indeed Duke d'Alua staid to march in good order and with great meanes For he wanted a number of sea prouisions Also Beauoir and Ruffello hearing of our arriuall made no haste to march In the meane time there arriued from Rochell three faire Companies ledde by the Captaines Henry Tristan and Vtiran of which one was leuied for Mounsieur de Saras who was appointed Gouernour of Flushing by letters from the Prince of Orange These troupes beeing arriued wee thought our selues assured in the towne Belike Duke d' Alua was offended with Beauoir and Ruffello not without reason For no two Captaines could doe their Generall worle seruice then they did For without doubt they might haue lodged on the ditch before the arriuall of Captaine Morgan besides the cowardliness of Beauoir for not forcing the towne when Pacheco arriued Perceiuing Duke d' Alua to be in choler they to repaire their fault resolued to attempt the ditch And to doe it the better they thought good to mount certaine Culuerings on a forced hill I meane made with mens hands which stood some halfe a mile from the towne betwixt the way of Middleburgh and the dike I meane the fourth dike from Flushing to Middleburgh Beauoir kept some 200 Wallones in a strong house halfe way betwixt Middleburgh and Flushing This place was guardable without batterie Into this place Beauoir and Ruffello brought their forces which might be some 2500 Spaniards and Wallones Out of that place they aduanced at midnight leauing their great troupe hidden out of the high-way within a quarter of a mile of the said hill At the break of day they sent some 100 shot towards the hill The garrison perceiuing their meaning sailed with about 700. English French and Wallones who were desired commanded by Saras to digge downe the hill According to
direction the garrison aduanced and beeing approached the enemy retired Our men beeing at work the enemy aduanced some 400 shot which entered into hot skirmish Ours followed them so fast that their ambush was faine to discouer themselues for their safeguard at whose sight ours retired in good order by reason halfe our men made a stand for the retreit of those which charged After this skirmish Saras discouering the number of enemies retired the garrison into the towne not without reason For hee thought hee marched to besiege vs and knew no other but that the most of their army might be at Middleburgh or there abouts Our men so behaued themselues at this skirmish that the enemy lost three for one notwithstanding the enemy tarried in the place and after dinner made as though they would take the hill The morning skirmish liked our Captaines so well as they desired the Gouernours leaue to sally Which earnest request was granted vpon condition not to engage themselues too farre Whereupon the Gouernour and the Captaines mounted on the Rampier to direct their fight Hauing resolued Captaine Morgan and our Englishmen had the vantguard To make the skirmish the more honourable we sallied with our Ensignes the French-men were to second vs the Wallones and Flemmings last The whole were in number some 800. Captaine Morgan beeing arriued within a great musket shot from the enemy made a stand and aduanced his shot forwards giuing them commandement to stand also vntill hee commanded them or the enemy forced them Hee placed his armed men on both sides of the bridge leauing a ditch betwixt them and the enemy and stood himselfe with a troupe of gentlemen on the Causway before the bridge The two troupes of French-men and Wallons placed themselues in meadowes on both sides of the causeway leauing their few armed men right against Captaine Morgan They placed their shotte in ditches a little before their armed men sauing some 100. whom they directed to enter into skirmish when the English began Our order was scarce directed but the enemy charged our men very hotly in such sort that all or the most part of both parties shotte were by the eares Notwithstanding that theirs were twice so many ours quit theÌ„selues very valiantly vntill a great squadron of their armed men aduanced which forced our English shot to retire by reason that most of the English shot skirmished on the causeway hard by it on both sides where the enemies could ioyne with them At this sight Captaine Morgan and his armed men aduanced resolutely to the push of the pike and so did the French and Wallones shot flank amongst them their vollies that they plagued them greatly in such sort that the enemy aduanced no further To say tâ—oth they could not ioyne with ours by reason ours kept the ditches and bridge Perceiuing they could not force our quarter the enemy retired but stood fast within a great musket shot of the place Saras perceiuing the enemies minde thinking they would charge againe and fearing wee had lost more then we did sent vnto ours to retire which they did with good order into the towne with small losse in respect of the skirmish which endured very hot and almost the space of two houres In which time our men came twice to the push of the pike Once the enemy had holde on Captaine Morgans Ancient which was rescued brauely by George Browne and diuerse other young gentlemen Master Mackwilliams Bostock with other gentlemen were slaine with some fifty English souldiers and as many or more hurt of the French and Wallones So they killed and hurt some 100. of which were many gentlemen and officers Some prisoners were taken on both sides By the enemies own confession they had slaine and hurt aboue 400. whereof some were of good account The surprize of the Brill in Holland by Mounsieur de Lumay Count de la Marke AT this instant Mounsieur de Lumay otherwise called the Count De la Marke being on the coast of England with the Prince of Oranges directions finding the Sea-men named before I meane Lambert Batelentia Rouchable and Skonall they made a partie betwixt them to take the Brill in Holland True it is the Prince of Orange had intelligence with most townes in Holland but not with the Brill that euer I could learne At this time there were but few Spaniards in Holland in the Brill some hundred in diuers other places so many or fewer Hereupon this Count de la Marke and these Captaines gathered into some eight sayles the most Fly-boats seauen hundred Wallons Dutch some English and Scots all Mariners Arriuing at the Brill they landed hauing Drummes Trumpets and Ensignes with them sufficient to haue furnished thrice their numbers At their sight the simple Spanish Gouernour thought himselfe betrayed iudging that these troupes would neuer haue come thither without intelligence with the townesmen The rest of the Spanish made proude faces as though they meant to abide their furie and siege Notwithstanding they signified a feare vnto the Burgesses in sending their baggage and women towards Roterdam The Count and his Captaines approched with courage and withall landed three Pieces out of their ships with straw pitch and wood He approched the gate and put the same soone on fire In the meane time the Spaniards escaped towards Reterdam Thus was the Brill wonne without blowes in such sort that all Holland reuolted sauing Amsterdam but diuers townes would accept no garrison Notwithstanding the Prince politickely wrote vnto the Count to vse them withall courtesie agreeing with their humors suffering them to doe what they listed as well for religion as for gouernement whereby he gained all their hearts For at that instant the most of the popular were Papists The Count De la Marke had almost marred all with his gouernement For albeit hee was valiant and liberall yet was hee lasciuious wilfull and obstinate in such sort that he would enioy and wench or woman that pleased him Also hee called an Abbot and his Fryers into a Chamber where hee forced them to denie their Masse and to preach against it in case they would not be hanged Besides these he committed many other disorders So as his insolency had almost thrust the Prince and his faction out of Holland The Flushingers growe in iealousie against Saras their Gouernour offering his place vnto Captaine Morgan who refused it for loue hee bare vnto Saras otherwise he had small reason in doing it THe French Wallons and Dutch which were in Flushing had beene for the most part in the warres before and diuers of the basest sort would take any thing they could carry away and liued at farre greater charges to the Burgesses then the English did For indeed the English at that time were rawe and looked for no more then bare victuals lodging and promise of pay
speed to enclose Alkmer So did the Duke followe with the rest in all speed In the meane time the Prince and States of Holland had sent into the towne fiue or sixe expert Captains especially the Scottish men Smith and Cornelleys who entered the towne with some foure hundred souldiers The most of these Captaines had been in Harlem and saued the towne for a long time next vnto the Almighties will The vanguard being arriued they soone ingaged the towne so as none could either sally or enter Duke d' Alua being arriued with the rest prepared great pontons or bridges with other necessaries to plant his battry which hee could hardly doe by reason of the marish and wet rotten grounds whereon the towne stood Notwithstanding with his expert Captaines cunning Enginers he mounted eighteen peeces of Cannon with som six Culuerings in a marshie ground against reason impossible to be done as the defendants thought These peeces did beaâ—e crosse on two platformes a weak bulwarke and a Curtaine some eight score off Hauing no other flanke by reason the ground serued not they could not bring the battry within lesse then eight score wherefore their fury was the lesse To say troth all batteries ought to be placed within lesse then eight score if it be full seauen score it is very farre to doe any great hurt In case the defendants be in any great numbers within hauing store of earth to rampier and entrench themselues Notwithstanding I heard some of the best defendants in that towne say in their iudgements the feare of the people and of most of the souldiers within was such that had not the enemies enuironed the towne round about as they did but left any place voide the best of the defendants would haue quitted the place and shifted for themselues But beeing streightly enuironed and no waies to escape remembring their cruelty at Harlem they resolued to fight by reason the souldiers which had been in Harlem did importune the rest especially the Captaines who were assured to perish comming into their enemies hands After some 7000 shot the breach was reasonable as the assailants thought But in troth it was not for aboue foure foot of the ground of the rampier was nothing battered but falsely couered with the ruine of the parapet and the earth that fell from the highest parts of the breach Also they were faine to giue their assaults on Pontons such Engines which they had made against reason to aduenture men against a place defended with any valour For a breach be it made neuer so assaultable hauing many hands to defend it with any valour lightly is neuer entred In case they within be of any iudgement as I said before and hauing earth to entrench themselues But the fury of Duke d' Alua and his Commanders was such that they aduanced to the assault attempted it with great courage Being twice repulsed notwithstanding they aduanced the third time to their folly and deare costs For at those assaults they lost diuers of their best Captaines and at the least 1600 of their brauest souldiers The next day the raine fell in great aboundance in such sort that they raised their siege in few daies and lost diuers peeces of battry which they could not hale out of the marish At this towne did the famous Duke d' Alua lose the greatest credite that hee did in any place since hee carried armes which he had done sixty yeares For fifty yeares the least commandment hee had was Generall of the horsemen which place hee had in Germany when Charles the fift ouercame Duke Iohn Frederick of Saxony and his confederates But had the Duke marched streight to Delfs hauen and taken it Mayston-sluce when he marched to Alkmer which places were vnfortified to any purpose by all reason he had carried all Holland in a short time I am sure the most men of warre who knowe the seate of the Countrie will confesse no lesse then my selfe Mounsieur de Poyet surpriseth Gertrudenberg WHilest Duke d' Alua was busie about his enterprise of Alkmer Mounsieur de Poyet who had bin with Count Lodowick in Mounts being newly arriued out of France was chosen Lieutenant of the warre to the Prince of Orange Hauing conferrred with the Prince they gathered certaine Companies of English Scottish French Flemings at Dort in Holland which they embarked with petardes ladders and such Engines of warre Mounsieur de Poyet vsing great diligence landed his troupes in the night on the dike towards Seauenbrooke some halfe a league from the strong towne of Gertrudenberg in Brabant situated on the water side next vnto Dort After placing his troupes in order hee sent before him a valiant French Captaine named Malion accompanied with a dozen resolute souldiers amongst whom were two or three of the countrie souldiers who had been often in the towne and knew all the rampiers as well as the inhabitants theÌ„selues Whilest Malion spent som howr in discouering the place they meant to scale Mounsieur de Poyet aduanced his troupes towards the towne Beeing within a quarter of a league of the towne hee staied vntill about an houre before day Hauing conferred with Malion he deliuered vnto him some two hundred of his best souldiers giuing him charge to scale with all courage assuring him to second him with the rest Malion and his troupes entred the ditch of a small raueling ioyning vnto the rampier where hee placed his ladders After the passing of the round notwithstanding that the sentinels gaue the allarum Malion and his troupes recouered both raueling and rampier before any great troupe came to encounter him The garrison being gathered together in reasonable numbers charged Malion resolutely at the push of the pike but being seconded by Mounsieur de Poyet and his troupes they were quickly content to quitte the fury and also forced to runne into the market place whither the assailants followed them in the taile Notwithstanding being entred the market place the Gouernour with his fresh troupes turned vpon vs and gaue a hot charge at the push of the pike but our many hands soone ouercame them giuing them the retreit in rout Some took themselues into the towne-house which they kept a little while and then yeelded to haue their liues saued Diuers ran ouer the rampier towards Breda More then halfe were slaine The Gouernour with a few recouered his house which stood on the rampier out of which hee escaped ouer the wall vnto Breda leauing behinde him all that hee had sauing what hee carried vpon him Thus was the strong towne of Gertrudenberg surprised with lesse then 1200 men hauing in it at the least 600 souldiers besides Burgesses with the losse of foure and fifty persons of our side to the great griefe of Duke d' Alua not without reason For considering his losse and disgrace