themselves upon Helpen side The same day one of the Porters of the City was executed being accus'd of Treachery because he had left open the Haven Gate a whole night together as also a Country-man of Olde Ampt who had corresponded with the Bishop The eleventh they made their first shot at the City but the seventeenth they began to play furiously upon it endamaging several houses and after Dinner the same day several of the Officers and Townsmen shew'd themselves upon the Ramparts where they made merry and drank several Healths the great Guns going off and the Drums and Trumpets sounding at the conclusion of every one The Eighteenth the Bishop and Arch-Bishop for the Bishops of Munster and Cologn who did not very well agree before had now joyn'd their Forces which caus'd some to say that Herod and Pilate were reconcil'd follow'd their business very smartly They shot their Bombs into the City which did much mischief some of them weighing three hundred some four hundred pound The Shell was about three or four fingers thick fill'd within with Pitch Rosin Salt-peter and Gun-powder Their weight caus'd them to break through the Roofs and Tilings of Houses till they met with Combustible matter enough to set whole Houses on fire In the night time they shot great numbers of Granados into the Town which did very much damage in several parts and quarters of the City They were sluft with all sorts of Combustible Matter that easily took fire and they had within them little small things like small guns about a fingers length which discharg'd several Musket-bullets against those that drew near to quench them They were very terrible at first as having wounded several people that came too near them but let them alone till they had spent their Bullets and they were easily manag'd By this time the Bishop wonder'd very much that the City did not send out Commissioners to Treat of a Surrender after he had thrown so many Bombs and Fire-Balls among them But they had too great a love for their Country and their Religion to think of any such thing Nay somtimes they pay'd him with his own Coyn which he had never met with before Insomuch that the Souldiers in the Trenches would cry one to another They in the City make use of the same Devils that we do The 20. they ply'd the City with their Bombs and Fire-Balls The first of which did much mischief but the latter were easily stified The 22. both the Bishops summon'd the City but their answer was both resolute and surly The same day the Enemy made several Attacks upon the Auwerder Zyl but were valiantly repuls'd The number of the slain is uncertain but they confess'd that those Onsets lost them more men than all their Conquests had done Now though the Citizens beheld the ruin of their Habitations every day yet were they nothing dismay'd for all that but as they met one another in the streets their usual questions were How is your house Mine is almost down to the ground So is mine But let us pluck up a good heart this Bishop of Granados shall not have our City for all this The women were no less couragious than their Husbands They were less troubl'd to behold a Fire ball fall into their houses than they were before to see a Clown with dirty shooes come into their Dining-Rooms A certain woman who had but one house seeing a Bomb rowl through it began to fill her Apron with some trifles and a Silver Goblet and retiring into the street shew'd those that came to help her the Goblet saying Yet will I give this to his Excellency Rabenhaupt if he will but keep the City Another Bomb entring into the ruins of her House she cry'd to those that were with her The beggerly Bishop shall not get in this way I am resolv'd All this while the Bishop plagu'd the City with his Bâ—mbs while the besieged ply'd him as warmly with their great and small shot In some of his Fire-ballâ— which they open'd after thâ—y were quench'd they found a small viol full of a white matter which was believ'd to be rank Pâ—yson an abominable way of making war The Episcoparians also shot powder that made no noise and they made use of Great Guns pickt and cull'd for the purpose It happen'd one time among the rest that the Citizens thought that they had perceiv'd the Enemy preparing for an Assault whereupon the Scholars Souldiers and Citizens shew'd themselves upon the Ramparts the women also preparâ—d themselves to carry powder and bullets to their Husbands and because one among the rest more timorous than her Companions talkt of Surrendring the City they beat her well favour'dly and sent her home The last of July in some of the Bishops great Bombs they found a little plate of Copper one side whereof was full of Characters which could not be read from whence it is thought that he expected some Magical Effect upon which a certain Doctor in a discourse upon the Siege and raising of it made this observation That when the Bishop could not take the Town by the assistance of Simon Peter he endeavour'd to have it by the help of Simon Magus For the Roman Catholicks have more than once made use of such abominable superstitions When the deceas'd Prince of Orange Frederick Henry in the Year 1629. had besieg'd the City Bois le Duc after the Surrender of the place several Papers were found full of barbarous words and Conjurations and in some places the name of God and several Saints were inserted It is thought that the Priests had sold or given them to the Souldiers and Townsmen to preserve them from the Swords and Bullets of their Heretick Enemies But all his Episcopal Magick did him no good nay the more to fret him the Scholars who guarded the Out-wall and behav'd themselves very bravely had invented several nick-names for the Bishop by some of which he heard himself call'd when he came into the Trenches and bitterly storm'd at his new Titles his Officers also laid the affronts of their Captain to heart and vow'd to be reveng'd when once they got into the City The 15. of August the besiegers shooting continually into the Town a Canon Bullet almost graz'd upon a Hoggs back but did the creature no other harm than only singe the Bristles whereupon the Scholars cry'd out from the Out-wall in the night to the besiegers that the Bishop began to shear his Hoggs now he had fleec'd his Sheep The day before the Bishop and sent a Trumpeter to the Town requiring first that they would let him ransom certain Officers which had been taken Prisoners in a Salley or that otherwise they would use them kindly Secondly that they would send some sweet meats for his mony to Treat certain Ladies of the County of Hessen that were come to the Camp As to the first demand answer was made that it was not the custom to release Prisoners of Importance when
time In the mean time the Bishops whole Army arrived before Coeverden which was as it were the Key of the Provinces of Friesland and Groningen It was lookt upon formerly as impregnable by reason of the Marshes and Fens that surround it and which may be easily overflow'd so that there is no coming near the Town but by three narrow passes which were guarded by seven Bulwarks by the name of the Seven Provinces with seven Ravelins seven half Moons and besides that an out-Wall a high Counterscarp deep double Motes two Gates and a Castle Fortified with five other Bulwarks and a deep Moat next the City This noble Fortress after the Peace with Spain was fallen much to decay through neglect as were many other of the Fortresses belonging to the States and beside that it was not over provided with Ammunition The 30. of June the place was invested by 1100 French Horse and six thousand Foot who most unmercifully pillag'd and plunder'd the Inhabitants of the Flat Country some also they put to torture and others they murder'd The seventh the place was summon'd but the summons was rejected The tenth it was summon'd again whereupon the Governour sent out Commissioners and made an agreement The Enemy being enter'd the Town were amaz'd that they should take so strong and so considerable a Fort in so short a time The Commissioners who were sent to capitulate with the Bishop were the Captains Rosiers Bachman and â—er Hâ—eve But here the Bishop that thought nothing in the world so Sacred but that he could prophane and sacrifise it to his advantage and ambition not only violated his word given by M. General St. Paul but also the Law of Nations For he declar'd two of the foremention'd Captains to be Prisoners of War suffering only the third to return to the Town to know whether they were inclin'd to surrender or no. This was not all for contrary to the Capitulation sign'd with his own hand he would noâ— permit the Garrison to go to Harlington according to the Articles but where his fancy thought most convenient The two pieces of Canonâ— which they were to take along with them hâ— would not permit to be stir'd out of the Town Nor would he suffer the Garrison to march oâ— with Drums beating and Colours flying and besides all this several of the Souldiers were plunder'd and constrain'd to take his party The rest were convey'd to Over-Yssel instead of Harlington from whence they march'd to Almelâ— where the Bishop gave peculiar command to the Inhabitants under pain of Confiscation of their Goods and other Corporal penalties not to supply the poor weary Souldiers either with meat or drink though they should pay for it After the Enemy had taken Coeverden they held a great Council of War to consult what was next to be done whether they should march into Frise and besiege the City of Greninger or whether they should Attack the Fortress of Delf-zyl But they were divided in opinion some believing this some that to be more expedient The Bishop would have follow'd their advice who were for the Attacking the place last nam'd had not Schulenburgh and Broersma two Traytors to their party as most Writers call them vigorously persuaded him to besiege Groningen While they were upon the debate the Elector of Cologn came into the Council who demanded smiling what they had agreed upon and perceiving that some were still for Attacking Delf-zyl No no said he we must go to Groningen that City will be ours in five days I have my Confidents there But he fail'd in his assurance Till this time a favourable Gale had swell'd the Sails of the Bishops hopes He had undertaken no enterprize wherein he had not prosperously succeeded No place was so strong or so well fortifi'd but that he made his way through either through the Cowardice or Treachery of the defendants His Master to whom he had Mortgag'd himself had penetrated even to the very Center of Holland So that in forty days the Confederates had taken fourscore Cities Forts and Fortresses from the States General As for the Conquests of the Bishop of Munster he thought himself sure enough of his prey not believing that the Vnited Provinces would ever reunite again but that he should injoy the places he had taken and which still remain'd to be taken Now said he to one of his Counsellers their High and Mightinesses may be callâ—d their Low and Lowlinesses Thus the Hereticks are to be dealt with The King of France is beholden to me for without my Assistance he never could have Conquer'd so fast nor so much At his request he obtain'd of the Pope the Government and absolute Authority to conser all Ecclesiastical Benefices in the Territories by him Conquer'd He constrain'd the Gentry of Over-Yssel to subscribe an agreement wherein they abjur'd the Union of the United Provinces in these words That they both in General and Particular being better instructed do absolutely abjure the Vnion of the Vnited Provinces and that they shall undertake for themselves and their Posterity to be separated from them for ever And that they do acknowledg the Bishop of Munster for their Lawful Soveraign voluntarily and without any constraint that they will never revolt from him but will hazard their lives and fortunes for him and with him as their Lawful Soveraign The King of France never impos'd so much upon the Province of Vtrecht but on the contrary Capitulated with them that the said Province should be comprehended in such agreements as he should make with the States General But the wheel of Fortune if it be lawful for Christians to make use of the Phrase began to turn so that from this time forward the Tide of the Bishops prosperity began to Ebb. It pleas'd God that he follow'd the worst Counsel of them that adviz'd to lay Siege to the City of Groningen and to inspire the Inhabitants of that City with courage and resolution to repel the victorious Bâ—shop and to force him to rise from before their Walls with loss and shame After which he never did any thing that brought him either profit or honor but all his enterprizes prov'd destructive to him Groningen then was the place which he design'd to besiege for by the taking of this City which they imagin'd would have been an easie matter they had made themselves Masters of two Provinces that and Friseland The Place was sufficiently strong but the Garrison was too weak not consisting recruits and all of above one thousand and two hundred Souldiers But the valor of the Townsmen and Scholars supply'd that defect as also the Conduct of the Commanders among whom the Sieur Charles Rabenhapt was the chief The Burgers were divided into Eighteen Companies besides Four Companies of them who had been formerly excus'd The Company of Scholars consisted of a hundred and fifty The 19. of July the Country people brought word that the Enemy appear'd on every side of the City The 20. they shew'd
into the Cisteâ—n when the Bomb was broken and quite out she found that her Neighbours had rescu'd the Child out of the Cistern from whom she took it again sound and safe But to return to the Bishop The Frizous laying hold of the opportunity made an attempt with the assistance of the Men of War that guarded the Zuyder Zee upon the Fort of Block Zyl seated upon the said Zuyder Zee between Wallenhaven Kuynder and Steenwick where are two sluces that give free passage to the overflowings of Over-Yssel and Tuent into the Zuyder Zee in Holland This place was the first that was recover'd by the assistance of the Burgers who kept private correspondence with some of the Frizon Souldiers The Commander for the Bishop mistrusting them would have forc'd them to take an Oath of Fidelity to his Master which they refusâ—d to do Thereupon he threatned them hard but they reply'd They would suffer the utmost severity before they would take the Oath which he exacted from them Although the Frizons landed to the number of four hundred and fifty The Commander made a Sally upon them was rudely repuls'd and he would have reenter'd the Fort the Burgers fir'd upon the Episcoparians kill'd the Commander and open'd the Gate to the Frizons and so the Fortress was reduc'd under the obedience of the States At the same time a certain Mennonite put a fair cheat upon the Episcoparians For in regard he liv'd near the South gate when he saw the terrified Souldiers thronging out of the City he offer'd some of them his house to secure themselves which offer of his was kindly accepted by sixty or seventy of them among which were two Lieutenants and a Priest whom he afterwards deliver'd up all together as Prisoners of War Soon after the Fortress of Kuynder also fell into the hands of the Frizons from which time the Bishop prov'd very unfortunate for he got nothing but lost a great deal In the Old Ampter-Mieden the Episcoparians committed several Insolencies and Rapines and it was fear'd that they would have fir'd the Dams of Munterdam Veendam and Wilvank which would have occasion'd very much mischief the Winter ensuing for prevention whereof several Souldiers were sent to Mieden The Country-men glad to be so guarded were so liberal to the Souldiers that they got drunk at what time being surpriz'd by the Munsterians and not being able to rally themselves into a posture of desence they were forc'd to fly for their lives The Country-men however made a stout resistance for some time but being over-power'd they were all defeated and kill'd except some few that sav'd themselves in the Marshes After that came several Troops of Horse and Foot under the Command of St. German Collonel of the Holland Regiment which got into the City of Groningen during the Siege With these Forces he marcht toward Winschoten having a sight of several parties of the Munsterians by the way who retreated upon their approach and quitted not only Winschoten but also the small Fort of Winschoter-Zyl Wedde-House c. and shelter'd themselves under the Old-Fort and new Fort where they thought themselves safe And indeed it seem'd a thing impossible by force to Attack those two Forts in regard all the Country round was overflow'd However Collonel St. Jerman sent some of his men to the places next adjoyning to the Old Fort otherwise call'd Bellingwolderskans to block it up at a distance At the beginning little good was to be done besides that the Collonel was commanded back into Holland Thereupon his Excellency Rabenhaupt took the business in hand ordering Collonel Eybergen upon the same Enterpize who being strengthen'd with a Reinforcement laid Siege to the place About a thousand and four hundred Episcoparians came out of Westphalia passing through New-Fort to relieve the Old but they were ruggedly repuls'd by two hundred and fifty Souldiers under the Command of Major Neylers a brave and experienc'd Souldier who had so advantagiously posted his men that the Episcoparians having made a second attempt retreated to the New-Fort with the loss of eight hundred men slain after which the Old-Fort Surrender'd Of four hundred Souldiers that quitted the place not above a hundred arriv'd at Coeverden the rest deserting their Colours After the Old-Fort was taken the New-Fort was blockt up and upon the arrival of the Auxiliaries of Curland the Episcoparians quitted Dyler-Fort upon the 16. of November For the preservation of which place the Fort of Bourtang sent a hundred and twenty Musketeers under the Command of Captain Aitzema who was a very young man and wrote to the States of Groningen that if the Episcoparians made any Attack upon him they should find that place guarded by a courage not ordinary But when the Munsterians shew'd themselves near the Fort with three thousand men the Captain quitted his Hold without so much as looking the Enemy in the Face who presently repossess'd themselves of Dyler-Fort and from hence reliev'd the New-Fort insomuch that the Dutch were forc'd to raise the Siege the season being pass'd About the same time two hundred Curlanders having march'd too far into Westphalia to Plunder were totally defeated though the Episcoparians bought their Victory with the loss of more men on theirs than on the other side And now the time was come that Westphalia sufficiently plagu'd and oppress'd by its own Bishop must also tast the bitterness of a Foreign Enemy For the Elector of Brandenburgh having declar'd War against the Bishops of Munster and Cologn and the rest of the Neighbouring Confederates his Souldiers began to over-run the Country Plundering wherever they came and putting the Inhabitants under Contribution They also took some Waggons laden with Cloth Mony Provision and Ammunition Thereupon the Bishop gathers his Forces together withdraws his men out of his new Conquests and falls into the Countries of Bergue and La Marche doing great mischief He also took Lunen the City of Vnna and the Castle of Beda Nevertheless he was soon after forc'd to quit Vnna upon the approach of the Brandenburgh Troops and presently after that all the rest of the Country The King of France finding that the Bishop thriv'd so ill in the Province of Groningen was somwhat jealous lest he should change his side according to his usual Custom and therefore to oblige him to be Faithful he promis'd him the Abby of St. Germans de Esperees so that he kept firm to his Interests In the mean while the Bishops Garrisons of Steenwick and Coeverden committed several extortions and disorders in the Drenthe which those of Groningen were not able to prevent For though they sought every where to meet with them they could never light upon them in regard the Episcoparians being still advertiz'd by their Spies retreated in time to their Forts Nor was there any way to remedy these mischiefs so long as the Cities of Steenwick and Coeverden were in the hands of the Bishop Of the Fortifications of Coeverden we have already spoken
exact Neutrality all the time of the War however they send their Deputies to the place appointed with his demands viz. That the Citizens of Embden should dismiss the States Garrison and receive into the Town for their security two thousand of the Bishops Souldiers To which the Deputies making answer that they could not consent to any such proposal till they had acquainted their High and Mightinesses How said the Bishops Commissioners who are they To which one of the Deputies from Embden replying That the States General were sufficiently known to all the world Yes the other made answer They were so formerly but now the world knows no such sort of men Upon which reply the Deputies from Embden took their leaves and gave their Magistracy an accompt of what had pass'd But they had no such low and contemtible thoughts of the States as the Bishop had and therefore gave him an absolute denyal to his demand In the mean while the King of France was greatly offended at the two Bishops because they had made a Peace with the Emperor and the States Munster excus'd himself by his Agent that he had been constrain'd to make a Peace with the States because that the next Spring he should have otherwise been assail'd not only by the Imperialists but also by the Elector of Brandenburgh and Duke of Lunenburgh But the King was not at all satisfied with this excuse and that so much the less because he had taken the other side and sent all his men to the Emperor who being arriv'd in the parts about Cologn began to mutiny being thereto incited by the French that were among them who persuaded them that if they would serve the King of France he would allow them thirty Crowns a man So that many of the Regiment of Collonel Nagel kill'd their Officers and deserted their Colours But this Mutiny was soon appeas'd by hanging some of the principal Ring-leaders and paying off the rest of the Souldiers As for the Bishop he had promis'd the Emperor by a Collateral agreement to supply him the next Spring in the year 167â— with a body of ten thousand men but he found it a difficult task to be as good as his word in regard that the six thousand that had winter'd in Alsatia were reduc'd to two thousand â—orse and three hundred Foot Thus the King of France lost two Friends but in the lieu of them the King of Sueden instead of being a Mediator shew'd himself an Enemy to the Allies and though to his disadvantage had in a Hostile manner assail'd the Territories of the Elector of Brandenburgh Thereupon the States General assisted the said Elector being thereto oblig'd by their reciprocal Alliance and their own Interest Which caus'd the King of Sueden in February 1675. to send an Embassador to the Bishop of Munster to desire him not to give passage to the Forces which the States should send through his Territories to Bremen In which Affairs the Bishop carry'd himself fairly enough for he made use of no flams or delays either on the one side or the other but gave this plain answer that he should be sorry there should be any War between the Crown of Sueden and the States General or their Allies but if any such thing should happen that he was bound to obey the Orders of his Imperial Majesty And the more to approve himself the Emperors servant in June the same year he told the Sieur Fischer the Emperors Embassador who gave him a visit at Coesvelt that M. Verjus the King of Frances Embassador had earnestly sollicited him with promise of great matters to take his part or at least to observe an exact Neutrality but that he was resolv'd not to lend an Ear to his Enchantments Some applauded him highly for it and look'd upon his refusal as a sign of his Fidelity to the Empire and believ'd he would mend in his Old Age. Though others were of opinion that if his words were true he spake them not so much from the reality of his Intentions as out of fear of being utterly ruin'd for otherwise said they he would never have refus'd the Gold of France which he lov'd so dearly for the mony design'd him was afterwards expended in Italy Portugal and Switzerland for the raising of new men More than that in pursuit of his Allyance with the Emperor he rais'd a body of eight thousand men in the Counties of Rheeda and Rhitbergh with an intention to march with this little Army towards Bremen and to have done the Swedes what mischief he could But in the interim he receiv'd Orders from his Imperial Majesty to march toward the County of Lippe immediately he obey'd carrying along with him several great Guns and put a Garrison into the City of Blombergh He also besieg'd Lemgou for refusing him entrance and took it without any great trouble together with Waerentbolts and when he had so done he made the County pay him a Contribution of twelve thousand Crowns He also did his utmost to draw the Duke of Hanover to his party and to persuade him to quit the French and Swedes so that now he shew'd himself as passionate an Enemy as before he appeared a zealous Friend to the King of France His Enmity to the Swede proceeded from his unhandsome proceedings in that he had publickly taken part with the French contrary to his promises of Assistance to which he was obliged by the Triple Alliance and other Treaties and contrary to the trst reposed in him as having receiv'd several sums of mony to raise an Auxiliary Force For these reasons he possess'd himself of the Territory of Wildeshuysen appeartaining to the Jurisdiction of Bremen he expell'd the Swedes out of the Cities of Telgenbuysen and Verden and being assisted by the Forces of Denmark and Brandenburgh he made himself Master of Otterbergh and Buxtehude In the midst of these Transactions he had also made another Alliance with the Crown of Spain and the States General wherein he had promis'd to supply them with three thousand men for a certain sum of money but that these Levies should remain with the rest of the Munster-Troops to act with the Imperialists against the French or where absolute necessity should require their assistance Or if the States desir'd more men the Bishop oblig'd himself to furnish them with eight Thousand Foot and four thousand Horse provided that they pay'd them in the same manner as they payd the three thousand already rais'd This Treaty was to last ten years after the expiration of the present War And in case that either of the three Confederates were invaded that the other two should assist him that was first assail'd That is to say that the King of Spain and the States should assist the Bishop with two thousand Horse and four thousand Foot and that the Bishop should assist them with five hundred Foot and a thousand Horse But in regard that all which the Bishop acted afterwards was in common with the