of Grutere Lord of Direxland The second was conducted by the Lord vander Delft and the Lord N. de Roules And the Lord Iohn of Egmont carried the banner with the Armes of the Marquisat of Terueer and Flushing The third by the Lord of Sprangen and the Lord Iohn of Oestrum Captaine of the Castle of Woerden And the Lord of Rosuè carried the banner with the Armes of Chalon The fourth was conducted by the Lord Floris Serclays and the Lord Peter of Roon baylie of Putte and the Lord Iasper of Poelgeest carried the banner with the Armes of Diest The fist by the Lord Iacob of Almond and the Lord N. of Raephorst and the Lord Gerard vâ—nder Aa bore the banner with the Armes of Vianden The sixt was led by the Lord of Wijngaerd and the Lord of Linden and the Lord Lancelot carried the banner with the armes of Catzenelbogen The seuenth was borne by Philip vander Aa and the Lord Harman of Outenhorst and the Lord Cornelius de Swete carried the banner with the armes of Nassau The eight was conducted by the Lord Iohn Baex Captain of the Castle of Heusden the Lord Dieric of Dvuenuoord baylie of the Briell and the Lord of Marquet carried the banner with the armes of Orange All these Lords were clad in blacke with long Clokes downe to the foot Next followed the Lord of Mansardt bearing the Cornet the Lord of Rihouen the Guidon and the Lord of Naeltwijck the banner in euerie of which was the Princes Embleme After them followed foure Scutcheons of the Princes foure Signiories viz. Nassau Stolbourg Hessen and Conningstein borne by the Barons of Peterschen and Deure the Lord Wencelij of Botselaer and Iohn of Assendelst Lord of Cralingen The lord Iohn of Egmond lord of Kenensbourg followed bearing his armes with his crest and colors After him followed the Lord Daniell of Botselaer Lord of Mervve bearing the Helme the Lord Duits Captaine of the Gard bearing the sword and the Lord Wolfart of Brederode with the Coat-armor Next the Lord of Brecht and the Sr. of Malderè led the mourning Horse trapped with black Veluet down to the ground The Earle of Ouerstein followed carrying a drawne sword and the Baron of Creange a Coronet of Gold these were attended by three Stewards or masters of houshold to witt the Lords vander Aa Audenfort and Viry with white staues in their hands after them followed twelue men carrying the Beere wherein was the Princes bodie hung with the Princes armes On each side of the bodie went the Lord Iohn of Burgondie Lord of Froymont the Lord Walraue Lord of Brederode the Lord of Merode and the Signior de Soeterwoude After the bodie and Heraulds of Armes followed Prince Maurice of Nassau sonne to the Prince in a mourning robe the trayne whereof was borne by the Lord of Sonsfelt his Tutor On his right hand went the Elector Truxses of Cologne on the left Count Hohenlo After them followed Count William of Nassau Count Philip of Nassau and the Earle of Solms each of them going alone They were followed by my Lords the generall States the Councell of State the States of Holland the Presidents and Councellors of the great Councell and of the prouinciall Councell of Holland with their Secretaries Next them the Pretor Burgomasters and all the Magistrats of Delft after them followed ministers the Princes Captaines and Officers confusedly attended by multitudes of people These funerals were solemnised with incredible sorrow of the whole towne of Delft There was nothing seen heard that day ouer the whole citie but sighs teares and lamentations for the death of this good and vertuous Prince the people beseeching God to preserue and defend these Countries from greater daungers and difficulties which by this Princes death seemed to threaten them At what time Prince Maurice of Nassau receiued the gouernment of these Countries MY Lords the States of Holland Zeland Friseland and Vtrecht well weighing the good faithful seruice which my Lord the Prince of Orange had done to these Countries both by his counsell and actions in no sort sparing his owne person but had alwayes beene present at sundrie daungers and difficulties the better to effect his designes considering besides that the sayd Prince had not onely spent all his substance in those bloudie wars but all his brethrens wealth and not alone lost his owne life therein but also three of his brethren viz. Counts Lodwicke Adolph and Henrie gaue the gouernment of these countries with the Admiraltie of the sea to his sonne Prince Maurice of Nassau in recompence and acknowledgement of all his merits appointing Philip Earle of Hohenlo for his Lieutenant So as in the yeare 1584 my Lord Prince Maurice of Nassau of the age of seuenteene yeares succeeded my Lord his father in the gouernement a Prince whom God haâ—h made an instrument to reuenge his fathers cruell death vpon the bloudie Spaniards and their adherents and to let the world see that it is he alone who with the father lie eye of mercie beholding these wretched and oppressed Prouinces hath freed and set them at libertie and that it is he which derideth all our enemies enterprises and determinations who thought that when this illustrious and valiant Prince was dead they should easily subdue these poore afflicted countries being then as they supposed without a Head and with their bloudie hands ruine it But their hope was vaine for from this goodlie tree which was cut downe God hath raised a plant which as a man may say is sprouted vp to heauen so as the accessaries to this murther haue by experience seene the contrarie of their vaine imaginations For the whole world knowes and I hope to shew it in this description what victorious blessings God hath giuen and granted to these countries by meanes of this Gedeon Before the Earle of Leycesters arriuall whom the Queene of England sent to be Gouernour my Lords the generall States gaue an instruction to his Excellencie Maurice of Nassau concerning the gouernement of Captaine-Generall and Admirall of Holland Zeland and Frizeland but on condition to carie all respect to the Gouernour Generall whom the Queene of England should send which hauing accepted he honourably discharged In anno 1586 vnder the commaund of the sayd Gouernour he went accompanied by Sir Philip Sidney Gouernour of Flessigue with two or three thousand men into Flanders to Ter-Neusen as well to diuert the Prince of Parma from the siege of Nuys as because la Motte did sore oppresse the towne of Ostend hauing made a sort in S. Katherines churchyard vsing meanes by secret intelligence to make himselfe master thereof which by corrupting and drawing diuers by money to his partie he had almost effected But his Excellencie made another attempt vpon the towne of Axel in this maner The taking of the towne of Axel in Flaunders THe sixteenth of Iulie anno 1586 his Excellencie and Sir Philip Sidney with their souldiers and prouisions did
meane time shewed himselfe before Hulst yet he attempted nothing Those of Bruges and other townes in Flanders craued that they might be vnder contribution to those of Zeland because that the Zelanders garrisons made great incursions vpon them the like did those of Ostend Axell Hulst the Fort of Ternheuse They likewise made meanes to trade in the towne by paying customes as they did in Antuerpe and the State of Gaunt But the Duke of Parma wold not suffer it notwithstanding that the Zelanders continued their incursions who in Iune went towards Gaunt where they did beat three hundred Spaniards and Walons and tooke ninetie prisoners The same moneth they made an other road with greater forces but nere to Newport they found resistance so as in stead of getting bootie they were beateh and retired towards the Sea shore vnder the defence of the Flushingers men of warre and lost some 30 or fortie men The news of Prince Maurice entrance into Flanders was brought to Antuerpe at the same time that Parma lay there whom the towne did feast and giue presents to Mondragon Captaine of the Castle did presently assemble all his forces and made vse of the Prince of Parma as a meanes to moue the Spaniards that lay at Diest and other places to doe some notable seruice to the king in so needfull a time the which he did both by words and promises He did likewise there obtaine a voluntarie loane of money a great summe of the Spanish Portuguse and Italian Merchants Mondragon went into Flanders where he stopt Prince Maurice his forces from making any further incursions into the land of Waes ¶ The siege and taking of the Towne of Nimmeguen on the 14 of October 1591. HIs Excellencie of Nassau beeing animated and encouraged by his former victories and loath to omit any meanes to vanquish his enemies whom it seemed God deliuered into his hands perceiuing likewise that Mondragon went about to stop his further passage into Flaunders and hauing notice that many things were in readinesse for his attempt on Nimmeguen he resolued to quit the land of Waes notwithstanding that many profitable and hopefull enterprises offered themselues in sundrie places Forts of Flanders whereupon those of Zeland did earnestly solicit him for the better extention of their bounds The canon being againe speedily embarked foureteene small boats by too much hast were sunke which they were enforced to quit so as the Spaniards at a low water burnt them Prince Maurice with his men and ordnance leauing Flaunders was kindly welcomed and entertayned in Zeland from whence he presently made hast to goe to besiege Nimmeguen hauing intelligence that Verdugo made incursion into the land of Iuliers and was too weake to raise the siege of Nimmeguen part of his forces beeing gone into Fraunce and the other halfe called away by Mondragon for the reliefe of Flaunders Hee had likewise sound aduertizement of the State of the Towne by Hugo the Secretarie who had a long time beene prisoner there These things hastened his Excellencie to besiege that town before winter where with all his forces he arriued on the foureteenth of October making a bridge presently ouer the Waell which was broken by the canon from S. Huberts Towers so as he was enforced to make it further off from the Towne where Captaine Rols and others were slaine By meanes of this bridge he soone approched the towne by his trenches and planted foure canon nere to the gate called Hoenderport and at the foot of the hill called Hoendenberg in a place termed Oye sixteene and in the Betuwe opposit to the tower Lappentorne twelue more to make a breach betwixt the Court called Valckenhof and Hoenderport where he supposed to haue most aduauntage and best meanes to hinder them from repairing Those of Nimmeguen hereby terrified sent to Verdugo sor ayd there were three strong companies of foot in the towne but verie few horse commaunded by Henrie Kieboom alias Neuse who had betrayed and sold Geertrudenberg to the Duke of Parma who so soone as motion was made of parley did on a sodaine leaue the towne and passed through the campe to the Zelanders quarter The Townesmen perceiuing the canon planted did mure vp the gate of Hoendenport and intrenched the voyd place betwixt the riuer and castle diuiding it from the towne by a rampier which they made in which men women and children laboured to the end that if that place were taken the town might yet hold out omitting nothing which valiant men might performe The canon planted and the towne summoned to yeeld they aunswered That Prince Maurice was a young louer and that Nimmeguen was a Virgin to whom he made loue which he could not so easily win and therefore it behoued him to take more paines But when they were hopelesse of ayd the towne being much annoyed by the canon especially from Knodsenbourg fort whence many thousand shot had beene made vpon it the Burghers ran to the State-house complaining that the king had forsaken them for whom they had a long time spent their goods bloud and hazarded their liues that they had too often sent to Parma who still had other matters in hand so as at last they resolued to capitulate and on good termes to compound and Prince Maurice sending once againe to let them know that hope of succour was vaine and that his canon was readie to play vpon them they sent their commissioners to the campe on the twentieth of October requiring to haue the excercise of both religions That the Magistrat might continue in the same state he then stood that an easie garrison might be giuen them with diuers other requests which they could not obtaine And therefore the next day they sent the Burgomaster Flemming with ample power to capitulate by whose meanes they obtayned many of their demaunds as the disposing of the Church goods power to giue regall offices and other matters but concerning religion they were of force to conforme themselues like to other Countries and townes of the vnited Prouinces They should likewise receiue sixe ensignes of footmen and two Cornets of horse and the Magistrat should be altered at the discretion of his Excellencie and my Lords the States In this manner the souldiers departed to the towne of Graue Fiue and twentie brasen cast pieces were found in the Towne and twelue of Iron Thus was the towne of Nimmeguen yeelded on the two and twentieth of October and was annexed to the vnited Prouinces Count Philip of Nassau sonne to Count Iohn was made gouernour and Gerard the younger gouernour of Knodsenbourg was appointed his Lieutenant This done his Excellencie sent his troopes to garrison hauing in a short space and in lesse than fiue moneths woon the Fort and Towne of Zutphen the Towne of Deuenter in the Prouince of Ouer-Ysell the Fort of Delf-zijll and many others in Frize-land He enforced the Duke of Parma to raise his siege from before Knodsenbourg and defeated his Cauallerie He did afterwards
prisoners and wounded men that all the victuals were lost in the battaile and that they could get none by reason that the boats were gone marched with his whole armie towards Ostend to refresh it sending the wounded to places where they might be cured discharging his souldiers of the enemies prisoners He brought his armie to S. Maries Church neere to Alberts fort and himselfe went into Ostend where he presently caused publike thankes to be giuen to God for this notable victorie himselfe and whole Court being present at it He remayned certaine daies at Ostend to order matters and to prouide for the better execution of his enterprises He caused all the prisoners to be brought together viz. the Admerall of Arragon D. Lewis de Villars with many other Captaines and officers whom for the most part he shipt for Holland he kept some one hundred and fiftie prisoners still in Ostend and among them diuers hurt men to exchange them for his owne souldiers whom the enemie had taken The glorie of this victorie belongs to God alone who hath not onely beene pleased thereby to maintaine as he hath wonderfully hitherunto done the just and lawfull cause of the vnited Prouinces for the conseruation of his Church but hath likewise pleased to abase the hautie and insolent courage of the Spaniards learning them to feele his mightie arme and letting them know how daungerous it is to kicke against the pricke To this onely God the Lord of hosts who in the battaile hath taught his Excellencies hands to fight and so admirably exalted his countenance that day be honour praise and glorie for euer To conclude we must of necessitie hereunto add that which certaine Historians mention how that justly vpon the same day the second of Iulie 1600 some three hundred and two yeares before viz. in anno 1298 one of the Archduke Alberts predecessours called Albert of Austria like him had with his power defeated one of Prince Maurice of Nassaus predecessours called Adolfe of Nassau Emperour of the Romans whereby we may see how that by this meanes the house of Nassau hath reuenged the wrong done to it by that of Austria This is a matter worthie of note and we may be well assured that though God deferre for a time yet he can and will aid and assist those that put their trust in him ¶ The Lord Iohn of Duyuenvoord Admerall of Holland fighteth with the Gallies of Sluce and puts them to flight WHilest Prince Maurice his armie marched in Flaunders there were some fortie or fiftie flat bottomed boats and and other vessels loden with munition and victuals which on the fiue and twentieth of Iune did set saile from Zeland toward Ostend these had a man of warre for their conuoy whose Captaine was called Adrian Baucker he being come before Blauckenbourg was becalmed the gallies of Sluce perceiuing it foure of them came forth and assailed the fleet and tooke twentie of the boats but most of the men escaped some of these vessels they burnt and carried the rest away with them The man of warre made what resistance he could but the calme made him like an vnplumed bird The Gallies approached the ship but did not boord her thinking to sinke her with their shot or else enforce her to yeeld she was in sundrie places shot thorow and began to leake and without the helpe of men and women that came aboord her from other boats and with scuppets tubs and their verie hats emptied forth the water she would haue beene in danger of sinking by this meanes she was kept aboue water and when the gallies came neere her she plaied so terribly vpon them with her ordnance as they were enforced to giue backe The ship hauing at last lost three and twentie men among whom was Captaine Baucker and most of the rest wounded the men cried out desperatly saying That rather than they would yeeld to the enemie they would blow themselues vp and set the ship on fire Hereupon the gallies left her and with great harme and losse of men returned to Sluce with a good bootie and the ship went backe to Flushing The next day being the sixe and twentieth of Iune the Lord Iohn of Duyvenvoord Admerall of Holland with sixe ships of warre called Cromstevens or Smackseylen all well prouided sailed from Zeland towards Flaunders to conuoy one hundred and fiftie vessels laden with ordnance and warlike munition for the armie This fleet being come before Sluce and the wind verie calme foure gallies came forth and presently the wind rising the men of warre came so neere them as they did not onely anoy them with their ordnance but with their small shot whereupon they were constrayned by force of oares to returne backe againe against the wind one of the gallies was shot vnder water and did for a long time lye vpon one side till the leake was stopt A certaine Turke of Constantinople a verie valiant and skilfull man being a slaue in one of the gallies had his chaine wherewith he was fastened broken a sunder by a canon shot himselfe not hurt and perceiuing that he was loosse leapt into the Sea with a piece of his chaine and with great daunger of his life for they shot terribly at him swam to the Zelanders ships and in swimming shewed his chaine whereupon the ships tooke him in being aboord he acquainted them with the gallies intent and losse They afterwards clothed him and presented him to prince Maurice who askt him if he would serue but he hauing great meanes at Constantinople craued a passeport vnlesse they would make vse of him for a Patron of a gallie to command the Spanish slaues which charge he had in former time taken vpon him But the Netherlanders hauing neuer vsed to imploy any infidell would not then begin but gaue him a passeport for England whither he went and from thence to Barbarie and so by land to Constantinople where by the way he acquainted Princes and Kings and the great Turke his Lord with the wars of the Christians ¶ The Admeralls ship of Antuerpe and seuen other ships are taken by the Captaine of the Blacke Gallie on the 29 of Nouember 1â—00 MY Lords the States and his Excellencie perceiuing the great losse they sustained by the gallies of Frederick Spinola which lay at Sluce resolued likewise to build and set forth certain gallies and with them to anoy their enemies Whilest they were making readie the gallies of Sluce came not abroad wanting slaues to row for the Zeland ships had slaine most of them many of them likewise were dead in winter with extremitie of cold and those prisoners of the vnited prouinces whom they had taken and made slaues could not suddenly be brought to handle the oare They likewise sent into Hungarie to buy Turkish prisoners but they knew not by what meanes to transport them into the Low-Countries Whereupon the foure Estates of Flaunders were about to buy the sayd Gallies and slaues of Spinola and to build
Excellencies and Count William of Nassaus quarters intending as it seemed there to breake in and attempt to put forces into the towne But considering that his Excellencie stood on his gard and that all his men were in armes hee presently retired in great feare and attempted nothing leauing certain ladders and tooles behind him which our men tooke and brought to their quarter This attempt beeing vayne the Admerall without sound of trumpet or drum departed thence in the night and marched towards Cuyck which his Excellencie perceiuing the next morning would presently haue followed him but was staied by a thick mist which arose whereby the enemie had sufficient time to get far enough After his departure a rumour was spred how that hee was gone to Rhynberck whereupon Count Ernest was sent thither againe the second time and yet nothing ensued for the enemie remained neere Venlo attempting to put a garrison into it which the townse men for a time refused in regard of the disorder which souldiers vsually doe commit where they once are masters The ninth of September the Generall States whose names here follow departed from the Hague and on the eleuenth day arriued at his Excellencies Campe before Graue The Lord Iohn of Renesse Lord of Wulp the Lord Iohn of Oldenbarneuelt Lord Temple Cornelis Frans Wittes Burgomaster of Dort Arent Meynertsz Burgomaster of Harlem Iacob Vander Dussen Burgomaster of Delft Gerart Keg eling Burgomaster of Ter Goude Bartholt de Vloswijck Burgomaster of Rotterdam Nicolas Iacob Simons Burgomaster of Horn Albertus Ioachimi of Zealand the Lord Hottinga of Frizeland Doctor Scherf of Ouer-yssell Iohn Reingers ten post of Gronningue and the Ommelands Corneillis Aerssens the Register And of the Councell of State Iacob Boelejz of Amsterdam Ferdinand Alleman of Zealand Ecko Everts Boners of Frizeland Lauwijck of Ouer-yssell George de Bie Tresorer and Christiern Huygens Secretarie After the enemies departure our men on euerie side approched the towne the counterscarp being euen with his Excellencies quarter so as our men partly by galleries made ouerthwart the dikes and partly by vndermining mounted the chiefe bulwark in Equall height with the towne Rampiers From Count Williams quarter the galleries stretched to the middest of the chiefe towne dike and the English were come as far as the enemies fortification on that side beeing readie to assaile it and make themselues masters of the chiefe dikes Those in the towne perceiuing this and considering that succours failed them did on the eighteenth day send a drum to craue a parley whereupon hostages were sent from both sides and on the 19 day an accord was made in forme following FIrst that the Gouernour Captaines officers and souldiers both horse and foot together with sick people shall come forth of the town with their horse armes baggage and goods Enseignes displaied drum beating match in cocke and bullets in their mouthes Secondly for better carying away of their baggage sick and wounded men his Excellencie shall lend them one hundred and fiftie wagons as farre as Diest 3 They shall leaue two Captaines as hostages for assurance of the returne of the said wagons horse and wagoners 4 His Excellencie will giue them passeport and conuoy to carrie them safely to Diest 5 Those souldiers which haue in former time serued the States shall enioy the benefit of this treatie like other souldiers of the sayd garrison 6 That all prisoners shall be released on both sides of what estate or condition soeuer in paying their charges 7 The Kings officers both of war and justice shall freely depart with their baggage such as cannot follow the troopes it shall be lawfull for them to tarrie longer in the Towne and at their departure boats shall be lent them to Mastricht Prouided that they giue caution for them 8 That all officers of victuals warlike munition and ordnance shal be bound to deliuer the sayd victuals munition and ordnance to such Commissioners as his Excellencie shall appoint to receiue them without diminishing or wasting any of them or else this treatie to be broken 9 The Gouernour shall promise to be a meanes to their Highnesses that what the Magistrates and Burghers of the sayd Towne haue lent to the sayd gouernour Captaines and Souldiers may be presently repaid 10 The said Gouernour Captaines officers and souldiers shall depart the next day which if it cannot be so soone the sayd Gouernour shall suffer two thousand men whom his Excellencie will appoint to enter the Castle and Bulwarke behind it Granted in the Campe before the Towne of Graue the nine twentieth of September 1602. According to this agreement the enemie on the twentieth of September went his way and gaue place to our men their number was eight hundred beside two hundred that were hurt The Church being clensed and purified from superstitious images diuine seruice and a Sermon was made there after the manner of the reformed Churches with Prayers and thankes giuing to God in the great Church in presence of his Excellencie the generall States and other Lords on the two and twentieth of September being Sunday Vpon the eight and twentieth of the sayd moneth a solemne Sermon and exhortation was made in the same Church about the inauguration and reception of his Excellencie as Lord of the towne of Graue and land of Cuyck the which after the sermon was presently solemnized in the market place before all the people And after that order was taken for keeping of the towne whereof the Baron of Sidnisky was made Gouernour and for the gouernment and fortifying thereof the Campe was dissolued on the last of September his Ex. returned to the Hague and the souldiers were sent to their garrisons A supplication together with the points and articles of reconciliation of the towne of Graue with his Excellencie Count Maurice of Nassau as Lord of the towne and generall of the army of the vnited Prouinces His Excellencie hauing wel viewed and considered these points together with the Lords generall States of the vnited Prouinces hath granted and disposed of them according as is here noted vpon euery article FIrst a generall Pardon of what soeuer is past from his Excellencie and the said Lords States in behalfe of the Burghers and inhabitants of this towne both those that are gone away from thence and those that remaine still as well for matters of religion administration of offices as otherwise without any exception no man to bee punished or taxed for any thing heretofore done And therfore his Excellencie in qualitie abouesaid shall take the burghers and inhabitants of this towne aswell ecclesiasticall as ciuill into his protection and as their Lord vse them with all loue and gentlenesse His Excellencie grants this demaund Secondly confirmation and continuation of the townes priuiledges in the same manner as before the troubles and afterwards during the life of my Lord the Prince of Orange of happy memorie his Excellencies father and Lord of the towne His Excellencie doth likewise grant his request
Castles belonging to the Marquis of Berghen but at that time a nest of theeues for the garrison did continually molest boats that went from Holland and Zeland being alwaies vpon the water to espie if any vessell were wind-bound or be-calmed They had their shallops hidden in diuers places on the waters side with which they assailed such vessels taking the merchants and mariners prisoners enforcing them to ransome themselues and boats thereby doing great damage to the Countrie His Excellencie on the eighteenth of May did with wonderful celeritie plant his canon and battered the Castle those within it slew certaine of our gunners but fearing to be surprised and doubting that the Archduke would not send forth an armie to releeue them they yeelded the Castle vp to his Excellencie on the three and twentieth of May wherein were eightie fiue men among whom were certaine raskals of the number of those that sold the towne of Gertrudenberg to the enemie who according to the proscription were all condemned to be hanged but the Marquis of Brudenbourg interceded for them Spinola likewise did execute some of those that had deliuered vp the Castle and by this meanes those of Holland Zeland were freed from this mischiefe Marquis Spinola in the mean time had assembled all his forces neere Antuerpe and was quartered at Mercxen and Dam his horsemen lay at Berchen and Wilrijcke by which meanes Antuerpe was well garded Hee likewise made a bridge ouer the Scheld euen from the Key of Antuerpe into Flanders on which he might passe ouer his forces from Brabant and Flanders at one time if need were Prince Maurice hauing woon Woud Castle did on the second of Iulie imbarke his armie and crossed the Scheld to goe to Isendike in Flanders leauing the forts vpon the riuer well prouided especially Lillo it seemed that he meant to besiege the s'Tas or else the towne of Bruges and maintaine war in the enemie countrie but his Excellencie could not attempt any siege being stil followed by Generall Spinola by meanes of his bridge before Antuerpe This did the Prince before then foresee would come to passe being of a contrarie opinion to the generall States for it was thought more profitable for them to haue gone towards Rhyne whereupon his Excellencie the better to secure the Towne of Sluce Isendike Ardenbourg and other forts encamped at Watervliet because it was reported that the Archduke together with Spinola would besiege Sluce and with a second armie which they expected the towne of Bercke and would haue besides a running campe to bring victuals from all parts yet all this was but words His Excellencie strongly fortified himselfe at Watervliet Spinola with his forces encamped in a wooddie place so that the two armies could not well come at one another by reason of bankes but fortified against each other still seeking some aduantage and yet did no great matter ¶ A true rehearsall of a fight at Sea in the road before Gibraltar betwixt the king of Spaynes mightie Armada on the one side and the States men of war of the vnited Netherland Prouinces on the other done on the 25 of Aprill 1607. THe king of Spaine hauing set forth a mightie fleet of sundry great gallions and other warlike ships wel manned and prouided thereby as much as in them lay to annoy the inhabitants of the vnited Prouinces my Lords the generall States the better to daunt the Spannish pride and especially to free their subjects from their cruell tyrannie did likewise set forth a fleet of 31 ships viz. seuen and twentie men of war and foure victualers Then they entreated Master Iacob Heemskerck of Amsterdam a man whose experience wisdome courage loue and loyaltie to his Countrie was well knowne to the world to be Admerall of the said fleet In anno 1604 hee had been the second time Admerall of the East Indie fleet where hee had made proofe what he was able to do for meeting with a great Portugall Carack which came from China neere to the streit of Syncapura richly laden and well prouided hauing eight hundred men in her though in comparison of her hee was but weake hauing in all but two small ships and in them no more but two hundred men Yet by his wise conduct and inuincible courage hee did in a short time take her and brought her home to Amsterdam with all her treasure Moreouer that voiage is worthie of perpetuall remembrance which was made in anno 1596 and 97. when the ships of Amsterdam went so far to the Northward and Noua Semla as neuer any till then had done seeking a passage through the ice to the rich kingdomes of Cathay and China where he likewise was as Committee generall and shewed no smal desire to do good seruice to his countrie The Lords States hauing motioned this matter vnto him his answere was That if hee might doe any profitable seruice to his countrie he was verie readie and willing to doe it and so accepted the charge not for any hire but for loue and affection to his countrie The fifteenth of March in anno 1607 he departed from Tassell with sixteene men of war verie well prouided and rigd of which ten were of Amsterdam videlicet the Admerall called Eolus with her captaine William Verhoof of Amsterdam the second the black Beare and her captaine Adrian Roest of Amsterdam the third the white Beare whose captaine was Cornellis Peter Madder otherwise called Den Noyen Boore or the faire contriman the next the golden Lyon with her captain Pan of Amsterdam the Griffon and her captaine Cleynsorgh of Tergou the golden Star commaunded by captaine Iacob Iansz of Edam Henry Iansz otherwise called long Henry was captaine of the seuenth of the eight Simon Iansz of Edam the ninth by captaine Copdrayer the tenth by captaine Herman Beside these there were foure others which carried victuals for the fleet together with some souldiers From Euchuysen there were three from Hoorn as many and from Harling came the Pinnace of Frizland commanded by captaine Theunes Wouters making vp in all three and twentie ships The seuen and twentieth day they came to Wight an Island on the coasts of England where they found three ships more of Zeland and 5 of Rotterdam with captaine Cleuter on an other Brigantine of Amsterdam From Zeland came captaine Lawrence Iacobs Alteras the vice-Admerall in a ship called the red Lion of Zeland captaine Marinus Hellart of Flushing in a ship called the Sea Dog and captaine Cornellis Faes in an other In the fourth ship of Zeland captaine Peter Calis commaunded who as he entred ran on ground so as his men victuals and munition were bestowed on the other ships From Rotterdam came captain Lambert Henry the rere Admerall or night Scowte in a ship called the Tigre Harpart Matsy was captaine of the Leopard and in the other two captaine Sieuert and captaine Schreuell commaunded so as in the whole fleet were twentie and seuen men of warre and foure
the commissioners of the illustrious Lords the States of the vnited Netherland Prouinces made in anno 1609. TO conclude the description of all the aboue mentioned victories which almightie God the author of all goodnesse hath granted to these vnited Prouinces vnder the valorous conduct of his Excellencie of Nassau I haue likewise thought it fit to adde hereunto the articles of truce and cessation of armes agreed vpon and concluded at Antuerp on the 9 of Aprill 1609 for the terme of twelue yeares for if I should set downe at large the beginning and progression of this treatie viz. how the Archdukes themselues sued for it by meanes of the Lord Vander Horst Father Ney and other deputies and commissioners what propositions were made and reasons alledged both to my Lords the States his Excellencie and others to moue and persuade them thereunto and the States answers thereupon and then afterward what was done on either part the articles deliuered on both sides the reasons and difficulties which ensued together with all the dependances therof it would be a labour long and tedious and if any bee desirous to see these things at large wee refer them to the Chronicles of Emanuell Demetrius and other bookes and will onely here set downe the articles agreed vpon and concluded by the commissioners on either side THe illustrious Princes Archduke Albert and Isabella Clara Eugenia hauing on the 24 of April in aâ—no 1607 made truce and cessation of armes for 8 moneths with the noble Lords States of the vnited Netherland Prouinces in qualitie and reputing them for States Prouinces and free countries to which they pretend no claime this truce was to bee ratified with like declaration by the Catholike Kings Maiestie so farre forth as it might concerne him and the said ratification and declaration was to be deliuered to my Lords the States within three moneths after the said Truce which was done by letters patents of the eighteenth of September in the same yeare and speciall procuration was moerouer graunted to the sayd Archdukes the tenth of Ianuarie 1608 as well in his Maiesties name as theirs to doe whatsoeuer they should thinke fit for procuring a firme peace or truce for many yeares By vertue of the said procuration the Archdukes by their letters of Commission bearing date the seuen and twentieth of the said moneth had named and appointed deputies and Commissioners to treat in name and qualitie as abouesaid consenting and agreeing that the said Truce should be prolonged and continued at sundrie times as namely on the twentieth of May till the end of the yeare 1608. And hauing often met with the Commissioners of my Lords the States who had also Commission and Procuration from them dated on the fifth of Februarie the same yeare yet for sundrie great difficulties which arose they could not agree on peace Hereupon the Embassadours of the most Christian Kings of Fraunce and great Britaine of the Princes and Palatines of Brandenbourg Marquis of Ausbach and Lands-grave of Hesse sent into these parts from the said Kings and Princes to further so holie a work perceiuing that they were readie to depart and dissolue the treatie had on certaine conditions propounded a peace for many yeares which conditions were set downe in writing and giuen from them to either partie requesting and admonishing them to conforme themselues thereunto And as other difficulties arose hereupon in that regard the Lords whose names hereafter follow did on the 9 of April 1609 meet together The Lord Ambrose Spinola Marquis of Benaffro knight of the order of the Golden fleece Councellor of State and warre to his Catholike Majestie Campe-Master and Generall of his armies c. The Lord Iohn Richardot knight Lord of Barli Councellor of State and first President of his Highnesses priuie Councel c. Iohn Mancicidor Councellor of warre and Secretarie to his Catholike Majestie The reuerend Father Frier Iohn Ney Generall Commissarie of the order of Saint Francis in the Netherlands and the Lord Lodwick Verreycken knight Audiencer and chiefe Secretarie to their Highnesses by vertue of Letters Procuratories from the said Lords Archdukes on the one side to treat aswell in their own names as in that of his Catholike maiestie with William Lodwick Earle of Nassau Catzenellenboghe Vianden Dietz c. Lord of Bilsteyn gouernor and captaine generall of Frizland of the towne of Groninghen the Ommelands and Drenth c. The Lord Walrauen lord of Brederode Vianen Castellain of Vâ—recht lord of Ameyde Cloetinge c. The lord Cornellis de Gent lord of Loenen Meynerwick Castellain and Iusticer of the Empire and town of Nimmeghen The lord Iohn Oldenbarneuelt Knight lord of Temple Rondentijs c. Aduocate and keeper of the great seale charters and registers of Holland and East Frizland The lord Iames Maldere knight lord of Heyes c. the chiefe man representing the Nobility in the States and Councell of the Countie of Zeland The lord Gerard de Renesse lord Vander Aa Streefkerck Nieuleckerland c. Gellius Hillama Doctor of the laws ordinarie Councellor in the councell of Frizland Iohn Sloeth lord of Sallick Drossart of the Countrie of Vallenho and Castellain of the lordship of Cuynder and Abell Coenders of Helpen lord in Faen and Cantes in names of the said lords States in vertue likewise of their letters of commission on the other part These by the mediation and aduice of Peter Ieannin knight Baron of Chagni and Montheâ— Councellor to the most Christian King in his Councel of State and his extraordinarie Ambassador with the said lords States and the lord Elie de la Place knight lord of Russy Castellain of Machault Councellor likewise in the said Councell of State and ordinarie gentleman of the kings chamber baylie and captaine of Vitrie le Francois and his ordinarie Ambassador resident with the said lords States Sir Richard Spencer knight ordinarie gentleman of the king of Englands priuie chamber and his extraordinarie Ambassador with the said lords States and Sir Ralph Winwood knight the same kings ordinarie Ambassador and Councellor of State to the said vnited Prouinces all these made an agreement in manner and forme following I FIrst the said Lords Archdukes doe declare as well in their owne names as in that of the king of Spaine that they are content to treat with the said Lords generall States of the vnited Prouinces in qualitie and reputing them for free Countries Prouinces and States to which they pretend no claime and to make with them in the names and qualities aboue said as by these presents they doe truce on these conditions hereafter mentioned II. Namely that the said truce shall bee of force firme and inuiolable for the terme of twelue yeares during which time there shall bee a cessation from all hostile actions in what manner soeuer betwixt the said Lords King Archdukes and generall States both by Sea and land and fresh riuers in all their kingdomes countries territories and dominions and for all their
subiects of what qualitie or condition soeuer without exception of place or persons III. Each of them shal continue seised of and sâ—all effectually enioy those countries townes places territories and lordships which he now holdeth and possesseth without any molestation whatsoeuer during the said truce in which is to bee comprehended the boroughs villages hamlets and champaine countrie which depend thereon IIII. The subiects of the said Lords King Archdukes and States shall in friendlie sort haue good correspondence with one an other during the said Truce without resenting forepassed iniuries They may likewise frequent and reside in the countries and dominions of each other there in all safetie vse trafficke and commerce both by land sea and fresh riuers This neuerthelesse the said Lord King vnderstands to bee restrained and limited to the Realmes countries territories and lordships which he possesseth in Europe other seas and places whither the subiects of hiâ—â—eighbor Kings and Princes doe trade vpon sufferance And for those places townes ports and hauens which hee possesseth forth of the abouesaid limits the said Lords States and their subiects shall not trade thither without expresse permission of the said Catholike king Yet if it seeme good vnto them they may trade in the countries of all other Princes Potentates and common wealths which will permit them so to doe namely forth of the said limits without any let molestation or impediment from the said Lord King or his officers and subiects 5 V. And because a longer timâ—s required for giuing warning vnto those that are abroad at sea with forces to desist from all hostile actions it is concluded that the truce shall not beginne till within a yeare next ensuing Alwaies prouided that if aduertisement of the said truce may bee giuen sooner that then hostilitie shall cease from that time forward but if after the said terme of an whole yeare any hostile actions shall be vsed the losse and harme shall be restored without delay VI. The subiects of the said Lords King Archdukes and States trading into one an others countries shall not bee tied to pay greater duties and impositions than their owne subiects and those of friends and allies which are least charged VII And the subiects of the said Lords States shall likewise haue the same assurance and libertie in the dominions of the said Lords King and Archdukes as hath beene graunted to the King of great Britaines subiects by the last treatie of peace and secret articles made with the constable of Castille VIII Neither shall merchants masters of ships pilots mariners their ships wares and goods belonging vnto them bee seased vpon and staied by vertue of any generall or particular mandate or for any otâ—er cause whatsoeuer nor yet vnder colour to make vse of them for the preseruation and defence of the countrie yet it is not meant that goods seased vpon by ordinarie way of Iustice in regard of debts bonds and contracts of theirs on whom the said seasure hath beene made and wherein it hath been proceeded according to right and reason shal be herein comprehended Ix. And as for the trade and commerce of the low countries and taxes and impositions which shall be raised vpon merchandise if it bee afterwards found that any excesse is vsed therein vpon first suit made thereupon by either partie commissioners shall bee appointed to order and moderate the matter and though the businesse cannot bee agreed vpon yet shall not the truce therefore bee broken X. If any sentences or judgements haue beene giuen betwixt persons of sundrie sides either for ciuile or criminall causes they shall not be executed vpon the parties condemned nor on their goods so long as the said truce lasteth XI Letters of marque and reprisall shall not be granted during the said time vnlesse vpon just cause and in cases which are permitted by the imperiall lawes and constitutions and according to the order by them established XII None may arriue enter nor continue in the Ports Hauens and Roades of each others Countrie with any number of ships and souldiers which may giue cause of suspition to him vnto whom the said Ports Hauens and Roads doe belong vnlesse they be cast in by tempest or inforced to doe it vpon necessitie and for auoyding daunger at Sea XIII Those whose goods haue beene seazed and confiscate by reason of the warre or their heires shall enjoy the same goods during the truce and of their owne priuat authoritie shall take possession of them by vertue of this present treatie without being inforced to haue recourse to justice notwithstanding all incorporations fiscal engagements gifts treaties agreements and transacts or whatsoeuer renouncing hath beene made in the said transacts to exclude part of the said goods from those vnto whom they are to belong on condition neuerthelesse not to dispose of nor diminish them during the said time vnlesse they be permitted so to doe by the said Lords Archdukes or States XIIII This likewise shall take place to the profit and aduantage of the heires of the late Prince of Orange concerning their right to the Salt pits in the Countie of Burgondie which shal be restored vnto them together with the woods thereon depending And concerning the suit of Castelbelin commenced in the life time of the late Lord Prince of Orange in the Court of Malines against the Catholike Kings Atturney generall the said Lords Archdukes doe sincerely promise therein to doe them justice within a yeare without any delay according to right and equitie XV. If the publike treasurie hath sold any part of goods confiscate those to whom they are to belong by vertue of this present treatie shall tie themselues to be satisfied with the interest of the price and to be payed it euerie yeare during the truce by those that possesse the said goods otherwise it shall be lawfull for them to resort to the land or inheritance that is sold. XVI But of the said Sales haue beene made by order of law for good and lawfull debts of theirs vnto whom the said goods did belong before the confiscation it shall be lawfull for them or their heires vpon cause to redeeme them in paying the price within a yere accounting from the day of this present treatie after which time they shall be no more receiued and the said repurchase being made by them they may dispose thereof as they shall thinke good without further permission XVII Yet is not this repurchase to be in force for houses seated in townes and sold vpon this occasion in regard of the great discommoditie and notable losse which the purchasers should sustaine by reason of change and reparations which may be made in the said houses the examination whereof would be too long and difficult XVIII As for reparations and improuements bestowed vpon other goods that are sold whose repurchase is permitted if they bee sued for the ordinarie Iudges shall therein doe justice vpon knowledge of the cause the inheritance remaining engaged for the summe
secretly in the night depart from the sort of Ter-Neuse towards the towne of Axel in Flanders a mile and halfe distant from Hulst and foure miles from Gaunt It is a small towne and not altogether encompassed with walls which by passing secretly oner a wall they tooke without any great slaughter there were foure companies of souldiers in it Within a few dayes after they tooke all the forts round about it and for the safer keeping of the sayd towne they broke downe the causies so as the whole towne was enuironed with water The taking of Axel did somewhat trouble them of Flanders and Brabant fearing some greater mischiefe would ensue so as they forthwith wrot to the Prince of Parma lying before Nuys entreating him to come from thence to ayd them sending him vvord That it vvas more honourable and necessarie to preserue their own countrey than to besiege and vvin an Imperiall citie forth of the jurisdiction and limits of the Low Countries The Prince notwithstanding would not quit the siege but sent la Motte Gouernour of Graueling to besiege and recouer the sayd towne of Axel but his labour was lost the towne being as hath beene said all enuironed with water The Earle of Leycester leaues the Low Countries and goes into England Maurice of Nassau is made Gouernour Generall AFter that Robert Dudley Earle of Leycester in the later end of the yere 1587 was gone into England leauing the Netherlands in great troubles and dissention and that Sir William Stanley had on the nine and twentieth of Ianuarie deliuered vp the towne of Deuenter to Taxis and Rowland Yorke the fort of Zutphen the generall States were much perplexed fearing that the English which lay in other townes and forts would doe the like following the example of the French in Brabant in the Duke of Anjous time did in an assembly at the Hague on the sixt of Februarie establish and declare by prouiso by vertue and according to the Soueraigntie belonging vnto them Prince Maurice besides his Admiraltie in generall and place of Gouernour of Holland Zeland and Frizeland Gouernour generall in the sayd Earle of Leycesters absence with charge and instruction of the preheminences rights and priuiledges for the profit and conseruation of the countries townes and inhabitants to maintaine and defend the exercise of the reformed Religion to administer justice by aduice of the Counsellors and Presidents with authoritie to change Magistrats to chuse Burgomasters and Sherifes according to the auncient custome in a word to doe whatsoeuer a Gouernour Generall might doe and all this by prouiso c. joyning with him because of his youth Count Hohenlo as his Lieutenant Hitherto we haue briefely set downe how and when his Excellencie attained the gouernment of these Prouinces wee will now come to the description of the victories which it hath pleased God to grant him The towne of Medenblicke is enforced to submit it selfe to his Excellencie and to my Lords the States ALthough the Earle of Leycester had resigned and deposed himselfe from the gouernement of these vnited Prouinces according to an Act granted at London on the 17 of December 1587 to my Lords the generall States yet they likewise caused it to bee published and proclaimed in forme following The Estates generall of the vnited Prouinces of the Low Countries to all those to whom these presents shall come greeting As it hath pleased her Maiestie of England to conferre with the Commissioners and Embassadors of the said Prouinces and in the end to make a certaine Treatie bearing date the tenth of August 1585 Whereby on either side it was concluded That during the warre against the enemies of the said countries as strangers malecontents and their adherents her Maiestie will at her owne cost entertaine beside the garrisons of the townes and forts promised to her Maiestie for assurance of repaiment of such summes of money as she shall disburse to releeue and succour the sayd Prouinces and maintaine them in the true christian religion their franchises priuiledges laws the number of six thousand foot and one thousand horse conducted by a Gouernour Generall being a Lord of name and qualitie and of the reformed Religion together with other good Captaines on condition that the sayd Prouinces generally and euerie of them in particular shall be bound and obliged to repay vnto her Maiestie the sayd summes by a certaine limited time after the warre and for assurance of the said perfect and entire paiment the townes forts of Briell Flessingue the castle of Rammekens should be consigned to her sayd Maiestie the which by her or her successors the said payment once made should without any difficultie or claime to them be restored to the aboue mentioned States and Prouinces without deliuering them to the King of Spain or other enemies of the said countries or to any other Prince or Lord but should in the meane time be kept for her Maiesties assurance and profit of the States of the said countries The which Gouernour with two other men of note sent from her Maiestie and being her subiects should haue place in the Councell of State of the vnited Prouinces together with it to manage the affaires concerning the common defence vnion of the said countries According to this Treatie the foresayd towns forts being consigned to her Maiestie it hath pleased her to send hither with Commission of Gouernor Generall of her troupes the illustrious and mightie Lord Robert Earle of Leycester Baron of Denbigh c. And we haue besides thought good to require accept and make him Gouernour and Captaine Generall ouer all the vnited Prouinces townes and associated members thereof which place his aboue named Excellency hauing accepted with reseruation of his homage and fealtie due vnto her Maiestie all Gouernours of Prouinces townes and members thereof likewise all Officers Iustices and Souldiers were by oath bound vnto his Excellencie as Gouernour and Captaine Generall of the Low Countries both in generall and particular But as it hath pleased her Maiestie to call home his said Excellencie to imploy him for other seruices in her owne kingdome so as vpon this occasion he being no longer able to gouerne these countries or accomplish the tenor of his Commission according as the present necessitie of these countries doe require hath discharged and vnburthened himselfe of the said office of Gouernour and Captaine Generall of these vnited Prouinces and from the Commission which we gaue him and deliuered it vp againe to vs as appeares by an Act signed and sealed with his owne hand made in the citie of London and dated the seuenteenth of December 1587. That it hath likewise pleased her Maiestie by Commission dated the foure and twentieth of the said month to appoint Peregrin Lord Willoughbie c. Gouernor Generall of her troupes in these countries And considering that in the present state and necessitie of these countries they cannot but be greatly endangered wanting a Gouernour Generall
Therefore it hath pleased vs in regard of these aforesaid reasons and after sound and mature deliberation to make it knowne to all men by these presents That his aboue named Excellencie hath accordingly quitted the sayd Commission And we according to her Maiesties and his Excellencies pleasure holding him displaced haue taken vnto our selues the generall gouernement of the sayd countries in matters which concerne the common defence and vnion thereof that we may obserue the Treatie made with her Maiestie in the administration of the Councell of State of the sayd countries to the end that all matters concerning the common defence and vnion thereof against their common enemies may be managed and conducted by the aboue mentioned Lord Willoughbie Gouernour Generall of her Maiesties forces The Gouernours of the respectiue vnited Prouinces and the two Counsellors chosen by her Maiestie being her owne subiects brought in or yet to be brought in to that end into the sayd Councell according to the aboue named Treatie and likewise the Counsellors of the vnited Prouinces whom we haue appointed or may hereafter appoint Therefore we certifie all Gouernors and Captains of Prouinces townes and members thereof all Admirals Vice admirals all Colonels Captaines and souldiers both by sea and land and moreouer all Presidents Counsellors Officers Treasurers Receiuers Bailifes Scouts Marshals Iustices Magistrats Gentlemen Vassals Bourguers and other subiects and inhabitants of these countries of what estate or condition soeuer they be that they are all together and euerie of them in particular acquitted freed and discharged from the oath made to the Earle of Leycester his Excellencie concerning his authoritie in these countries straitly commaunding them by these presents to account themselues freed acquitted and discharged the oath neuerthelesse continuing still in full force and power as they haue respectiuely made it and thereby obliged to continue loyall to the aboue mentioned vnited Prouinces States Townes and members thereof and to be obedient to those superiours whom wee haue appointed ouer them or may hereafter appoint The which oath we commaund them faithfully to keepe and discharge euen as they will answer before God and these countries And for want of doing hereof we will proceed against the transgressors according to the laws of marshal discipline And as these countries haue not otherwise treated concluded or determined with her Maiestie of England than in the maner abouesaid and that we likewise are assured from her Maiestie by sundry declarations that she pretends no further claime or title to these countries townes members thereof nor craues nothing more of them but the obseruing of the aboue mentioned Treatie which we likewise for our part haue euer and still doe desire faithfully to accomplish in euery point and to her Maiesties good content who hath likewise at sundrie times expresly declared That it would be much against her good wil meaning if any dissention breach or disunion should vnder her name be caused or made This notwithstanding we find that sundrie inhabitants of the said Prouinces being badly informed of the aboue mentioned Treatie imagining matters that are not and forgetting their duetie haue done diuers bad offices to the preiudice of the quiet and vnion of the said Prouinces both in generall and particular and that vnder this colour sundrie other malicious persons for the most part strangers and come hither from other Prouinces hauing little or nothing to lose here haue gone about by their turbulent disposition and desire tending to sedition by secret practises and false pretence to seduce the inhabitants of the said countries to disunite others and to stirre them vp to rebell inciting the souldiers paid by the countrey to mutinie and after that to commit treason falsely therein vsing her Maiesties name and authoritie That diuers likewise borne in other countries haue calumniated the state of these Prouinces townes and members thereof discoursing of it as if they were naturall subiects according to their owne rashnesse and seditious affection and as if it were lawfull for them there to enterprise any noueltie not considering that they more than any other ought modestly to containe themselues and to remaine quiet enioying the protection and defence of these countries in as ample manner as the naturall inhabitants and all this vnder colour of her Maiesties name and authoritie who is highly offended therewith the same being cleane contrarie to her intent and meaning all which is like to procure the generall ruine of the said Prouinces For the conseruation whereof all good and loyall inhabitants and subiects of the said countries who being driuen forth of other Prouinces for religion are retired hither haue indured much liuing peaceably vnder their lawfull Magistrats both in prosperitie and aduersitie So that now by these presents expresse prohibition is made to euerie one of what nature or condition soeuer he be henceforth neither by words secret practises writings or deeds to enterprise any alteration noueltie or sedition in the state of these countries among the Burguers inhabitants and souldiers seruing by land or water be it vnder colour of her Maiesties name and authoritie or that of the Earle of Leycester his Excellencie or to attempt solicite or performe it by any other on paine that wee the States of the respectiue Prouinces or Officers Iustices and Magistrats of the countries and townes will proceed without respect of persons or any fraud or dissimulation against them according to the lawes and customes of the countrey ordained and obserued against disturbers of the publike peace that they may serue for example to others And because no man herein shall pretend cause of ignorance wee expresly commaund That this present Declaration be proclaimed and published in all accustomed places that we will proceed and cause to be proceeded against the transgressors hereof and adiudge them to punishment without any fauour or respect of persons The which we haue found to be expedient for the preseruation and vtilitie of these countries Giuen in our Assemblie at the Hague vnder our Seale the 12 of Aprill 1588. Egmond And a little lower By decree of my Lords the generall States And signed C. Aerssens All this hauing beene thus done diuers and sundrie persons in these countries which did affect and depend vpon him wisht for his returne or that his resignation might be delayed and for the better hindering thereof did by these and other meanes raise great dissention in the countrey and townes stirring vp the souldiers to mutinie against my Lords the States and especially at Geertrudenbergue Medenblick Narde Worcum Heusden Braeckel and in many other places which the said Lords States and his Excellencie did by all good meanes seeke to preuent both by faire promises and constraint But they could not preuaile with General Senoy whom the late Prince of Orange had made Gouernour of North Holland neither by faire meanes or mediation of sundrie great Lords so as he could not be brought to giue obedience to his Excellencie as Gouernour Generall nor
imagination on no sure ground his Excellencie did againe send some of the most eminent persons of the countrey men verie zealous to the reformed Christian Religion louers of their countrey to bring him to some reason and to persuade him to doe whatsoeuer was needfull for the good of the countrey and maintenance of the true reformed Religion together with the rights priuiledges franchises and laudible customes of the said Prouinces and to diuert him from any sinister conceit of his Excellencies true meaning who desired to perfect the worke begun in these countries by my Lord his father of happie memorie and to proceed no otherwise with the Generall but in louing iust and friendlie manner promising to forget all former vnkindnesses And though the said Generall vpon the remonstrance of these Commissioners did not absolutely condescend to that which his Excellencie required of him for the seruice of the country because he said that he had aduertised the Earle of Leycester thereof whose answer he daily expected yet in regard hee had by prouiso both by word of mouth and writing declared that he was sorie for denying entrance to his Excellencie of Nassau into Medenblick vnto whom and to the States of Holland and West Frizeland he confest himselfe to be much obliged and that therefore he would not deliuer the towne of Medenblick to any without commaundement from his Excellencie and my Lords the States But concerning the acceptance of his Commission and taking the oath which his Excellencie commaunded hee therein craued delay for a time So that his Excellencie and my Lords the States wrot vnto him That they did relye vpon his aboue mentioned Declaration and were willing for a time to deferre that which they had required of him so that vpon mature deliberation he would make a more ample Declaration thereupon He was moreouer requested to continue his loyall seruice and not to charge the townes and citizens of Medenblick with too great garrisons which would breed confusion in the state of the countrey Two monethes after this the Generall made no farther Declaration and in the meane space the truth of that came to light which his Excellencie of Nassau and my Lords the States had long before doubted namely that the good of those countries by the apparent losse of the true Christian and Reformed Religion together with the rights and franchises were in great hazard by a determination held to treat with the enemie Whereupon his Excellencie and my Lords the States thought good being well and amply informed of the said apparent danger to aduertise the sayd Generall thereof by a man verie trustie and zealous of true religion and verie inward with him and to intreat him That he would weigh the sayd dangers and at last resolue vpon that which they hadso often craued of him for the good of the countrey or else that he would come to the Hague to his Excellenie to conferre with him concerning these affaires to the end the said dangers might be preuented The Generall vpon his Excellencies word and promise being come to the Hague was by him so louingly entertained and respected as if none of all this had euer beene And being fully instructed concerning all matters and of his Excellencies intention he continued his former Declaration and promise requiring for the rest that they would delay it for a while longer promising that he would make suit so soone as the Earle of Leycester should returne to be discharged of the Commission which he had giuen him And thereupon his Excellencie of Nassau and my Lords the States gaue him free leaue to returne wishing him to haue a care for the good of the countrey and not to ouerburthen the towne and citizens of Medenblick and that in so doing he should be well assured of his Excellencie and my Lords the States affection as well to the common good of those countries as particularly to himselfe The Earle of Leycester returning afterwards into these countries his Excellencie and my Lords the States did for many monethes expect the true performance of the Generals promise but as nothing ensued thereupon but on the contrarie diuers things so handled as there was great likelihood that misprisions breaches and diuisions would ensue and so by consequent the ruine of those countries rather than the preseruation of them The States and his Excellencie did at last request the Councell of State and the Earle of Leycester as he from whom be had receiued his Commission openly to declare what they were to expect of that which for an whole yeare had been held doubtfull and vncertaine Whereupon the sayd Councell declared That the Commission granted by the Earle of Leycester to the said Generall was repugnant to the authoritie and Commission of his Excellencie of Nassau and contrarie to the vnion and customes of the countrey Whereof they likewise hauing written to the Earle of Leycester they thought good to send for the said Generall to conferre with him thereupon and to that end gaue him all assurance But the Generall making a slight excuse to the Councell would not come himselfe but sent William Mostaert in his stead vnto whom the said Councell declared That they vnderstood that the Generalls Commission was contrarie to his Excellencie of Nassaus authoritie and that he was alreadie discharged thereof by his Excellencie the Earle of Leycesters owne Declaration dated the foure and twentieth of Nouember That the said Generall was likewise bound to receiue his Commission from his Excellencie of Nassau and to respect and obey him Whereupon the said Mostaert made a Declaration in the Generalls bebalse how that he doubted not but that the Generall would be well pleased so to doe prouided that the Commission might be made to his own content And as the Councell commaunded the said Mostaert to set downe in writing vpon what points the Generall would haue his Commission made he deliuered them as they are hereafter inserted wherein as likewise by that which hath beene added to it may be seene how vnreasonable a matter it was In the meane time the generall States the Councell of State his Excellencie of Nassau as Gouernor and Captain Generall of Holland Zeland and West Frizeland together with the Gouernours and Commaunders of other chiefe Prouinces for the assurance of the state of the countries had giuen order for the munition of the frontire townes and forts wherein to preuent all outward confusion it was among other matters thought fit that the towne of Medenblick should be ordinarily manned with an hundred and fiftie souldiers and no more And because the Generall kept fiue or six hundred souldiers there contrarie or at least without the commaundement of his Excellencie and Councell of State and that the Councell of State had oftentimes commaunded him from the Earle of Leycester his Excellencie to send the souldiers ouer aboue the two hundred that were there forth of the towne for the countries seruice hee thereupon made an impertinent answer how that
the countrey and inhabitants thereof which had louingly receiued him and inriched him with their meanes had shewen so great obstinacy rebellion therein in continuing one whole yeare vttering proud and swelling speeches to the preiudice of the house of Nassaus Princelie reputation and against the state of these countries which he threatened with ruine and destruction making vse of the souldiers appointed to serue the countrey for defence of his owne person disarming the good citizens of Medenblick whom hee ought to haue defended afflicting them with seruitude and intollerable burthens The which Generall spurred forward by his owne auarice and ambition from one sinne to another shall by Gods assistance be brought to shame and confusion so that all good souldiers which loue Gods word and their countrey will detest the obstinacie rebellion rashnesse and malicious proceedings of the said Generall and for that cause will againe take vpon them the defence of their deere countrey as in former time and we verily hope that the souldiers of Medenblick being well informed That Generall Senoy by his proceedings hath none other intent but onely to shew vnder these two false pretences namely of an oath made to her Maiesty or to the Earle of Leycester in her name and that he would be a meanes to procure them the full paiment of all arrerages his hatred and ill grounded quarels against the countrey and house of Nassau by which from a poore estate he was made rich will not consent to any thing against their countrey and house of Nassau and will not hazard to their owne shame and dishonour of their friends the losse of their honour and reputation nay of their own liues Especially seeing that by quitting Generall Senoys priuat and vniust quarell they may be reconciled to their countrey and his Excellencie of Nassau and preserue their liues goods honour reputation and whatsoeuer be which hath nothing but what he hath gotten by these countries and the house of Nassau doth deceitfully promise them Generall Senoy likewise did on the one and twentieth of Ianuarie 1588 present certaine Articles to the Councell of State in forme following to euerie of which in particular my Lords the States added their answer Articles presented in behalfe of Generall Senoy to the Councell of State by his deputie William Mostaert FOr as much as General Senoy hath done many good trustie and notable seruices since the beginning of these warres vnder the commaund of his late Excellencie the Prince of Orange of happie memorie and likewise since his death to the aduancement of Christian Religion and libertie of the Countrie especially in the parts of North-Holland And that the sayd Generall Senoy for the aboue mentioned causes doth rather merit encreasement of his Commission and authoritie if need should bee than diminution thereof Generall Senoy for his seruice done hath beene as honourably and to his owne profit delt with as any other that hath done seruice to these Countries which is very well knowne to himselfe In vvhich regard it is just and reasonable that his Excellencie Count Maurice should by his Commission suffer the sayd Generall Senoy to vse the title and authoritie of his Excellencies Lieutenant and Gouernour Generall in the parts of North-Holland as my Lord his father had done In as much as my Lords the State of Holland Zeland and Westfrizeland did in anno 1577 make a Decree for the preseruation of the vnion and gouernement of the sayd Countries that there should be but one Gouernour in Holland Zeland and West-frizeland to wit my Lord the Prince of Orange of happie memorie and that all particular gouernements should cease which hath beene alreadie practised for the space of tenne yeares according to the auntient custome and manner of the Countries It is not reasonable that the sayd resolution for any loue to the Generall contrarie to the Laws and vnion of the Countrie should be altered That the sayd Senoy vvill keepe good correspondence with his Excellencie of Nassau concerning all difficulties which may arise and to preuent them in time as need shall be We vnderstand that the Generall ought to be bound to doe more than keepe correspondence with his Excellencie otherwise he must needes be his equall That he will remayne in those parts and take care for the vvell ordering preseruation defence and assurance thereof against the power secret practises and enterprises of the enemie We neuer meant to call the Generall away from those parts To this end he will still keepe the regiment of souldiers which he now hath and bestow them in the Townes and Forts which till now haue beene committed vnto him according as he shall thinke fit for the safe keeping of them and seruice of the Countrie Our meaning hath beene that the sayd Senoy should commaund all the souldiers in the Townes and Forts vnder his commaund in qualitie of Generall And concerning the changing of Garrisons the Generall is to behaue himselfe therein according to his Excellencies commaundements Retayning authoritie to change the Garrisons when and after what manner he shall see to be expedient And if the necessitie of the Countrie require to haue some companies drawn from thence for the Countries seruice that his Excellencie shall write to him thereof as hauing authoritie so to doe that he may leuie and send them according as opportunitie will permit him We meane herein to vse our owne discretion and not to graunt the Generall the prerogatiues belonging to the Gouernour and so by consequent to his Excellencie He will likewise vse all speciall care and diligence for the aduauncement of the reformed Religion ouer all his gouernement prohibiting all Popish false doctrine and will haue a care that no Ministers shall be brought in or suffered contrarie to the order of the reformed Churches or without permission admission of the Congregations from whence they come and will also prouide that the sayd Ministers shall be well and duely payd Because that according the resolution of my Lords the States the disposing of matters heretofore mentioned belongeth to his Excellencie as Gouernour to the States Commissioners to the President and prouinciall Councell and other ordinarie officers of the Countrie His Excellencie giues him to vnderstand that he will himselfe take order therein according to the necessitie of the affaires for the aduauncement of Gods word and good of the Countries He will likewise haue a warie eye on all Schole-masters that none be admitted or receiued but such as are of the reformed Religion who shall teach no other doctrine in their Scholes nor any Bookes contrarie thereunto He will in like manner as much as in him lyes prouide that in all townes Colledges and places of his gouernement good officers Magistrats and Regents be established who stand well affected to the reformed Religion and to the good of the publique affaires and to this end shall hereafter be appointed committed and
continued by himselfe Forasmuch as officers and Magistrats are appointed in Townes and places according to the prerogatiues respectiuely giuen to the Lords Townes Villages by the Princes of these Countries In this regard we cannot violate them But his Excellencie for the better seruice of these Countries will prouide that the Magistrats and officers bee honest and well qualified people And for that which concerneth the establishment of Counsellors Commissioners of Townes and Colledges His Excellencies meaning is to conferre with the States about these matters as he shall find it to be expedient for the seruice and commoditie of the Countrie He will likewise giue order that the Townes and Forts of Block-zijl and Cuyndert shall be fortified maintayned garded and prouided of all necessaries He will by all meanes preuent and hinder that no sedition arise among the inhabitants This belongs to the Gouernour of the Prouinces and to the ordinarie officers and Magistrats thereof And because the Commission for Captaineship of the Castle of Medenblick was by his Excellencie graunted onely by Prouiso he intreats his Excellencie to giue and confirme it absolutely vnto him Forasmuch as the Captaineship of the of Castle Medenblick is an ordiofficenarie of the Countrie which according to the priuiledges therof cannot be administred but by any such an one as is born in the Low countries his Excellencie cannot graunt it contrarie to the sayd priuiledges seeing that the Generall was not borne there Done by aduice at the Hague the 21 of Ianuarie 1588 and subsigned By me William Mostaert All this thus done those of Medenblick continued obstinat the souldiers mutined and would not depart till they had receiued the arrerages They disarmed the Burghers and caried their armes to Gouernour Senoys house and enforced them euerie weeke to giue them pay My Lords the States sent the Lords of Famas and Swevenseell Peter Kyes Burgomaster of Harlem and Master Adrian Antonie Burgomaster of Alckmaer to them who presented the arrerages to the mutinous souldiers and greater pay than to any other that serued the States but they would neither giue audience to these Commissioners nor to other which were sent after them but went a boothaling vp and downe the Countrie constrayning the Boores in hostile manner to pay them their entertainement which to speake truely was a matter of great consequence and might easily haue ruined all North-Holland if my Lords the States had not in time preuented it who resolued by force to master these mutines giuing ample power to his Excellencie to put it in execution who together with the Marshall Villers who was newly set at libertie from his imprisonment brought certaine companies of souldiers Burghers of neighbour towns and some ships of warre before the Towne who did in such sort besiege and nerely presse it as those within it began to remember themselues and so to consider the present daunger as they began in some sort to change their minds And perceiuing that the Earle of Leycester had wholly giuen ouer the gouernement and had surrendred into the generall States whose authoritie by their resolution did dayly increase and that they could not but expect some great mischiefe in recompence of their obstinacie the matter was at last so handled by meanes of Sir Henrie Killegrew the Lord Willoughby and other English Lords as those of Medenblick hauing beene besieged till the Moneth of Aprill the Generall Senoy and his soldiers made an accord with his Excellencie and deliuered the Towne into his hands The Generall and souldiers went forth of the Towne with passeport which his Excellencie and his troopes entred where he ordered all matters necessarie for the better assurance of the Towne Generall Senoy went to Alckmaer where with sundrie reasons hee would haue excused himselfe Those of Medenblick and others did greatly endammage him in his goods whereupon in anno 1590 he went into England to make his complaint to her Maiestie who in the yeare 1592 propounded his case to my Lords the States by her Agent Thomas Bodley on the fist day of Iulie which propositions were by them amply resolutely answered to the Agents satisfaction During these ciuile and intestine troubles as well in Holland Zeland and other Prouinces by certaine innouators and some English who sought their owne particular profit more than their Queenes honour newes was brought that on the twentie ninth of May 1588 the dreadfull renouned mightie and inuincible Spanish Armada lanched forth of the hauen of Lisbone and sayled towards the Groyne to execute her King and Councels Commission And because it was so extraordinarie and potent a fleet as to speake indifferently thereof it was sufficient to haue destroyed and subuerted whole Kingdomes and Countries we will as well as we can make a description thereof which we haue taken forth of the most autentick Authors to the glorie of God who looking vpon these countries in the middest of their troubles with the eyes of his mercie did free and preserue his seruants from so mightie a fleet and from so many bloudie hands thereby shewing how weake humane strength is when it is not fortified and supported by his strong and mightie arme who beeing Lord of all creatures can onely by his winds and tempests ruiue and ouerwhelme the hautie and proud resolution together with the King of Spaines whole power So as verie few ships of so potent a fleet returned safe home into their Countries A true description of the most mightie Armada set forth by Philip the second King of Spaine which being assembled in the Riuer before Lisbone the chiefe citie of Portugall sailed towards the Low-countries the 29 and 30 of May 1588 vnder the conduct and commaund of the Duke de Medina Sidonia appointed by the King of Spaine as Captaine Generall thereof PHilip the second of that name King of Spayn hauing with small aduantage made war in the Low-countries for the space of 21 yeres did with his Councel resolue once more to inuade those Countrieâ— by sea supposing that notwithstanding he had in former time attempted to make himself master therof by sea had bin euer enforced to retreat because he had not attempted it with power sufficient for this cause he was desirous at once to imploy all his forces the rather because England was his enemie so as he resolued first to inuade England which Escouedo Secretarie to D. Iohn of Austria some other malitious Spanyards together with some rebellous Englishmen supposed would be sooner won than Holland Zeland maintaining it to be more profitable for the king to inuade England and the Low-countries by sea than continually to entertaine a mightie fleet for defence of the voyages to the East West Indies against the English and Hollanders For execution of which resolution each of the Kingdomes in Spayne for their part haue rigd and mand as many gallions galleasses gallies other vessels as the King and his Councell
likewise taken in Scotland that small aide should be giuen them there and that Norway could yeeld them but bad assistance they tooke certaine fisher boats in Scotland and carried away the men to serue them for pilots and fearing to want water they threw all their horse and mules into the Sea so sayling with a faire wind they passed on betwixt the Orcades the farthest part of Scotland landing in no place bent their course Northward to the height of 62 degrees still keeping 80 leagues from land There the Duke of Medina the Generall gaue commaundement that euerie ship should direct her course towards Biscay and himselfe with twentie or fiue and twentie of the best ships prouided with all necessaries sayled more to Sea ward and so arriued in Spaine but the others to the number of fortie saile or more with the Vice-Admirall bent their course towards Ireland hoping there to take in water and to refresh themselues But the God of Armies who abateth the pride of great ones raiseth vp the humble and hath all authoritie ouer his creatures who commaundeth the Seas windes and tempests caused the Sea to swell and a terrible tempest to arise on the first of September from the South-West which dispersed them for the most part into sundrie places of Ireland where many of them perished and among others the Gallion of Michaell of Oquendo one of the great Galleasses two great Venetian Argozies the Ratta and the Balanrara with diuers others to the number of 38 saile and all their men Some of them with a Westerlie wind came againe into the English Seas some others into England and other some were taken by the Rochellers One great Galleasse the tempest carried into Fraunce to Newhauen where they found ships full of women who had followed the fleet There remained two likewise in Norwey but the men escaped To conclude of one hundred foure and thirtie saile that came from Spaine some three and fiftie of all sorts returned home to wit of foure Galleasses and as many Gallies there returned of each one of ninetie one great Gallions eight and fiftie were lost and thirtie three returned of Pinnaces seuenteene were lost and eighteene returned So that in all fourescore and one Galleasses Gallies and other Ships great and small perished Two of those Gallions that returned home lying in the Hauen were by casualtie set on fire and burnt and others since then met with the like mischiefe Of 30000 men that were in the fleet the greatest part of them were slaine or drowned and most of those that returned home died by reason of the miseries they had indured The Duke of Medina Sydonia being a braue Lord and well experienced vpon whom they had imposed that burthen much against his will laid the fault vpon his Pilots and on want of the Duke of Parmas forces which were not readie He was suffered to goe home to his own house but not to come to Court where it was thought he had much to doe to purge him selfe from the calumnious accusation of his enemies Many other noble men died soone after as D. Iuan Martines de Ricaldo D. Diego de Valdez Michel Oquendo D. Alonso de Lieua D. Diego de Maldonado D. Francisco Bouadillo D. Georgio Manriques all of the Councell of warre Diuers were drowned as among other Thomas Perenot of Granuell of Cauteroy nephew to Cardinall Granuell D. Diego Pimentel Campe-master and Colonell of thirtie two Ensignes remayned prisoner in Zeland with diuers others taken in the same ship D. Pedro Valdez a man much respected in his Countrie was prisoner in England with D. Vasco de Sylua and D. Alonzo de Sayas Many Gentlemen were drowned in Ireland and many slaine by the Irish. Sir Richard Bingham Gouernour of Conach had receiued two hundred of them to mercie but vnderstanding that a troope of 800 of them were landed and in armes he thought it fit for his owne better safety to kill the 200 of whom some escaping carried tidings to the 800 who were likewise going to craue mercie as they sayd but thereby despairing they returned and made readie an old decayed vessell in which they put to Sea where they were all drowned and many Gentlemen with them Yet D. Alonso de Luson Colonel of thirtie two ensignes of the Tertios of Naples with D. Rodrigo de Lasso and two noble men of the house of Corduba were from thence sent into England who were deliuered to Sir Horace Paluicin by them to set the Lord Odet of Teligin at libertie who had beene taken nere to Antuepe and lay in prison in the Castle of Tournay In a word therere was no noble house in Spain which in this fleet lost not either a son brother or kinsman There were aboue 1200 souldiers and mariners prisoners in sundrie places in England with 30 Gentlemen and commaunders whom the Queene released for meane ransome Those ships which escaped from the English and Hollanders and from the Irish rockes and tempests of the Ocean being few in number did after much labour miserie and daunger returne into Spaine leauing behind them as hath beene alreadie sayd so many ships of sundrie sorts so many Lords of note Gentlemen braue souldiers good mariners and others such store of ordnance and warlike munition money plate jewels and other wealth which if it should be seuerally reckoned would amount to an incredible summe of money But by how much this fleet was great strong and potent by so much more likewise was the victorie great and greater occasions haue these two countries to be thankefull to that great and inuincible God to honor and serue him all the dayes of their life for preseruing and defending them from so great daunger In this regard the Queene of England and my Lords the States of the vnited Prouinces did whilest the fleet houered vpon their coasts appoint sundrie dayes of prayer and fasting beseeching God to turne away so great imminent danger from them and their countrie and not to looke vpon their sinnes which had deserued such a punishment but to aide and assist them for the glorie of his name and for or Iesus Christs sa ke seeing it was his owne cause which the Pope and King of Spaine sought to exterminat And because these praiers were made to Gods glorie and in praise of his inuincible power he therefore heard them and graunted their requests And a good while after the fleet was gone namely vpon the 19 of Nouember the Queene in England and my Lords the States in the Low-countries appointed a solemne day for thanksgiuing which was spent in preaching praying and hearing the word of God The Queene of England for so great a deliuerance made a Christian triumph in the citie of London and went with all the Lords and officers of her Kingdome in solemne manner vpon a triumphant Charriot from her Palace to the Cathedrall Church of Saint Paule where the Spanish ensignes and banners were hung vp The
of them fled away they were enforced to take the water where they were all drowned And as those which were in the water striued to passe ouer their fellowes who stood vpon the causey on Brabant side shot furiously vpon those of the Island yet they slew but one of our men which was a common soldier of Berchens companie but the enemie lost 200 men When the enemie first offered to passe ouer there were scarce fortie of our men to oppose them but within a while after Captaine Lagro of Tholen came thither with his companie And though those of the Island had fortunatly repelled the enemie yet they thought not themselues free from daunger knowing that he had not idlely made that attempt but that he intended to surprise the Isle of Tholen thereby to molest those of Berghen together with all Zeland assuring themselues that it would not bee long ere he returned againe and perhaps the next night following And because they wanted men to furnish all places they requested those of Berghen to send Adrian Guillaume and George Brissaulx with three hundred men vnder their commaund to them This Adrian Guillaume had in the first wars of Zeland beene Admirall of Ziericzee and was then Lieutenant General to Count Solms ouer al the forces of Zeland Brissaulx was son to Iames Brissaulx a verie good religious man who in former time had bin Burgomaster of Bruges These two were sent from the States of Zeland to Berghen so soone as they vnderstood that the enemie meant to march towards the Towne The nineteenth of September the Drossart returned from Amsterdam where he had bought great store of planks and other necessaries fit for fortification For besides his place of Drossart which next to the Marquis is the highest degree in Berghen the fortifying of the towne and sorts was committed to him His name was Elias Lion sonne to Doctor Albert Lion a verie learned man who for the space of foure and twentie yeares had beene chiefe professor of the ciuile law at Louayne and was at that time Chauncellor of Guelderland and chiefe Counsellor to my Lords the generall States of the vnited Prouinces The night following being the 20 of September the enemie came to Raberch and about noone returned to Wouwe Nothing at that time was done on either side for it rayned all that night and likewise at noone after the enemies departure The Magistrats sent certaine commissioners into Holland and Zeland to my Lords the States to acquaint them with the state of the Towne and to craue aid Cornelius Iohn the Townes sherife went to Zeland and Adrian Guillaume the Secretarie into Holland The two and twentieth of the said moneth by day break there was an alarme the trumpets sounded drums were beaten and the alarme bell was rung For the gouernour had assembled a troope of souldiers to reenforce the morning gard because the enemie was wont to make his attempts about that time when the gard is most drowsie wherewith hee had not acquainted the horsemen who had the gard vpon the market place Some of them going through the streets met with these souldiers and demanded who they were and whether they went but one among them giuing a discourteous aunswer they returned to their officers acquainting them therewith they not knowing the matter and thinking all was not well did presently giue the alarm The gouernor tooke this in bad part and complained to the Captaines of the wrong done vnto him therein seeing his soldiers were assembled by his commaundement The Captaines of the horse answered they were ignorant that it was done by his commaund and that they ought to haue beene made acquainted therewith in regard of the state of the Towne Thereupon proclamation was made that none should dare to ring the alarme bell without expresse charge from the gouernour The next day the souldiers spoiled Generall Fremins baggage He had beene gouernour of Wouwe Castle and about a certaine quarrell that arose betwixt him and a Merchant of the same Castle came into Holland to complaine to my Lords the States to haue him cassierd and likewise to make prouision of all necessaries for keeping of the sayd Fort. The States had giuen him great store of musket and faulconet bullets match and barrels of powder But before the said Fremins returne the Merchant had alreadie driuen all those sorth of the Castle which tooke Fremins part and had secretly made an accord with the enemie Within a while after about the seuenteenth of Ianuarie 1589 he sold the castle to the enemie for 20000 crownes and himselfe retired into Fraunce Vntill then Fremin had carefully kept all these things But as he was readie to depart and had shipt all the souldiers who had an inckling thereof thinking they had found a just cause of excuse because it was against the law of Armes to carrie away such things forth of townes besieged seised on all the munition together with his owne goods and made bootie of it beeing neuerthelesse enforced to restore backe the greatest and best part thereof The next day after the enemie was discouered vpon the highway from Wouwe marching directly towards the towne Our horse and foot made a sallie vpon him but as they approched the Downes of Berghen the enemie turned vpon the right hand and went along the sandie way towards Riselberg and Nortgeest where he incamped And because the water of the channell which some did improperly terme the riuer of Zoom was kept in by the sluces of the womens gate and that of Steenberghen all the fields betwixt Wouwes gate and that of the women were drowned so as none could goe from Wouwes gate to the North quarter Our men returned againe to the towne and fallied sorth at Steenberghen gate with displayed ensignes alluring the enemie to fight who had enclosed himselfe in his campe The morrow after he encamped towards the South extending his camp from S. Gertrudes hill as farre as the vale therein comprehending Burghvliet Zudgeest the Raberg and part of Berghens wood which lies Eastward from the towne The Raberg is so termed because that Rat in the Dutch tongue signifieth a wheele whereon malefactors are broken and executed and vpon that hill execution was commonly done The enemie within a day or two alter his arriuall burnt the gallowes vpon the hil Southward from the towne as yee goe towards Antuerpe S. Gertrude is worshipt by superstitious people because as they say she preserues them from rats and mice In former times she was patronesse of the town and it is said that she was Ladie of the whole countrie of Berghen Her chappell which in time past stood vpon the hill nere to the drowned countrie of Southland gaue it that name The vale is part of the arable grounds which lie betwixt the wood towne and champaine countrie extending it selfe partly towards the West and in part towards Wouwes gate The Southgeest is an high place and Burghvliet was a village where a castle
stood which was burnt by the French as hath been said Those of Tholen had placed thirtie men in the castle of Halteten which tooke it name from the village not that they thought them strong enough to resist the enemie but onely to serue for Sentinels to those of the Island and to giue them notice of the enemies approch The souldiers being threatned by the enemie yeelded vp the castle on safety of their liues and goods The same day two horsemen were slaine with the canon from Reigers-tower one of them was a man of note and was afterwards buried at Antuerpe with 800 torches About the same time we receiued supplies from all parts My Lords the States notwithstanding that the Isle of Tholen was to be prouided for sent vs great numbers of Hollanders and Scots Those of Flushing Briell and Ostend sent vs store of choice souldiers There came likewise fourescore men from Gertrudenbergh conducted by an English captain called Brock these men had forsaken the States pay and serued among the English Besides all this sixe ensignes of foot came to vs from England about the first of Nouember So that the number of soldiers which at the beginning of the siege were in all both horse and foot but one thousand fiue hundred as appeared by the muster rolls did before the enemies departure amount to fiue thousand The Captaines of the horsemen perceiuing the enemie to be encamped thought it necessarie to make some sallie forth vpon him whilest they might doe it telling the gouernor Sir William Drurie that it behoued them now at first to giue the enemie some affront and that it would greatly disgrace them if they should not make some proofe of their valour But others of a contrarie opinion sayd that euerie victorie was vncertaine and that if they should chance to be vanquished by the enemie it would greatly endaunger the Towne and that if themselues should ouercome the enemie might easily beare that losse that they had to doe with a mightie and victorious enemie that it was true that sallies are commonly thought prejudicious to the besieged but it was only in such places where the enemies were few in number and where the besiege might in such sort be shut in by the enemie as he could not easily receiue new supplies but our numbers were great enough and we might daily receiue fresh supplies from the vnited Prouinces by meanes of the commodiousnesse of our hauen Captaine Paule Bacx made answere We likewise are not ignorant quoth he how it behoues vs to deale wisely therein we know verie well that the enemie hath a mightie and victorious campe and many men we likewise haue often made triall what souldiers they are But if it shall not please the gouernour to graunt the demaunds of the Captaines of the horse for my part let this mightie and victorious enemie make his approches and at last for I will vse his owne words come and draw vs by the eares one by one forth of the towne into his campe This speech being not allowed of by many he went his way without any further talke But the gouernour called him backe together with the rest that were there present and said seeing your request tends to the good and preseruation of the Towne I will no longer denie it Then euerie man went and armed himselfe no drum was beaten nor trumpet sounded to call the troopes together but each man gaue notice to his fellow of the sallie and forthwith at the houre appointed they were all readie together A Gentleman of Holland whose name was Vchtenbreck cornet to captaine Paule Bacx was sent forth to draw the enemie into the field betwixt the camp towne he was seconded by 14 or 15 harquebuziers who went altogether towards the campe Nere to the towne dikes there is a low way which stretcheth from Steenberghen gate as far as Helst point and it is ouerlookt by the hill of Varigobart which ends nere to this point and there makes a vallie The Lanciers went this way towards the sayd vallie holding downe their lances keeping them from the enemies sight who was encamped on the Rijsselberg and Northgeest The Harquebuziers of Marcelis Bacx kept themselues close to the Lanciers Captaine Paule Bacx and his brother led the vantgard being followed by the lord Willoughbies cornet captain Parker The enemie hauing descried this small troope comming with Vchtenbroeck sent certaine musketiers to encounter them In the field where Vchtenbroeck and his soldiers lay there were many hedges which diuided one field from another these did the sayd musketiers make good and whilest they skirmished with Vchtenbroeck our men which were behind Varibogart hil perceiued it being verie glad of so faire an occasion rod a full galop vpon the enemie sound their trumpets and with their swords and lances euery man did his best The musketiers were beaten from their shelter and were enforced to quit their armes and to craue that they might be taken prisoners many of them were slaine and many taken for they were so encompassed by our men as they could not escape The enemie taking pitie on his people sent three cornets of horse to rescue them who were soone put to rout by the two brethren Bacx that led the vantgard and enforced to retire to Rijsselberg from whence they saw their musketiers slain and taken prisoners During the fight certain prisoners were sent into the towne among whom was a young gentleman Nephew to that Groesbeke who in former time had beene bishop of Liege surnamed Amsterode and was Lieutenant generall to a Regiment of Almans who had receiued a great wound in the face Our men determined to returne backe to the towne so soone as they should haue executed some notable enterprise vpon the enemie not meaning to tarrie till the whole force of the campe shold fall vpon them being too weak to resist and to speake truely they had woon honour enough and might freely haue returned with their prisoners in triumph which they had done but for captain Parkers couragious resolution who could not be satisfied with the flight of the enemies horse which at their ease beheld the vsage of their owne men so as charging them in a place where they had great aduantage he repulsed them once or twice but as himselfe was likewise constrained to retreat to the hil where the enemie stood to driue them thence where the whole campe was by this time in armes and the enemies cauallerie receyuing both new aid and courage making a fierce charge vpon him he and his troope were in danger either to haue bin oppressed with multitude or to haue been taken prisoners thrice did the enemie lay hold on Parker and thrice did he free himselfe from them and brauely defended himselfe with his sword The brethren Bacx and captaine Poolie perceiuing the daunger wherein captaine Parker was and being spurd forward by a desire of honour galoped into the thickest throng of the enemies making more account
he that carries it should aduaunce it as high as he could and although the enemie was not far from them vpon S. Gertrudes mount yet the lord Willoughbie wold not return ere he had from aboue wel viewed and considered the depth of that way where he found no markes or signes of any Mine The ninth of Nouember the Earle of Northumberland and generall Norris came from England with a gallant traine of gentlemen At their arriuall all the ordnance great and small was discharged and the great Bell was rung The Earle came to see the Low-countries and Berghen-op-Zoom Generall Norris was by her Majestie sent to my Lords the States to procure some aid for D. Antonio King of Portugal for the Queene prepared a mightie fleet to re-establish D. Antonio in his kingdome from whence he had beene expulsed by the Spaniards Vchtenbroeck with fiue or sixe horse galoped forth of the gates towards the Sautwech before the enemies campe and there tooke two horsemen prisoners and a victualler with a waggon laden with beere who in despite of the enemie and before his face they brought to the Towne And to giue some delight to the Earle the English did the next day determine to make a sallie the footmen sallied vpon the enemies campe by the Mine at the powder gate for in hast they had made a Bridge ouer the Dike These at Holweghen did skirmish with the Italians that lay vpon Saint Gertrudes mount the horse sallied at Wouwe gate Parker stayed vpon Wijngaert hill and Poolie in the plaine towards Bourghvliet The brethren Bacx were not there for they had no warning of the sallie The Almans which were encamped on the Rabergh came downe into the plaine at the foot of the hill and made a stand not farre from Wijngaerts hill many retired behind the hedges and bushes others allured our men to come forward Captaine Veer with some thirtie souldiers driues away the Almans from their place of aduauntage Parker assailes and pursues them as farre as the Rabergh and suffereth few of them to escape A young Gentleman Captaine of a foot companie beeing on horsebacke and charging together with Parker was taken prisoner being carried by the furie of his horse into the middest of the enemies campe and was afterwards exchanged for D. Iuan de Mendoza both of them being almost of one age All prisoners that were taken did constantly affirme that the Duke of Parma determined to raise the siege On the eleuenth of Nouember a generall sallie was made on Steenberghens side by all the horse and foot some few excepted who here and there garded the gates and the Rampiers Generall Balfort with sixe hundred choyce souldiers both Dutch Scotch came thither at the same time from Tholen Captain Veer conducted the free booters that were to begin the skirmish Captaine Marcelis Bacx with his harquebuziers marched directly towards the enemies camp Balfort embattailed his troops on the highway of Steenberghen Those of the towne stood in the plaine on the right hand of that highway towards the West The Lanciers went somewhat on the one side towards the Sand-Wegh The footmen which went before with captaine Veer shot furiously vpon the enemies who shewed himselfe open aboue from their fortifications Certaine of the enemies horse made a braue sallie and were as brauely saluted with small shot and forthwith enforced to returne to their campe with losse of some of their horse In this manner was the time spent the enemie still continuing himselfe in his trenches which were too strong for vs to breake into Our men returned into the Towne thinking they had woon honour enough in that for two houres space they had dared the enemie to fight and in a manner halfe assayled their Campe. Of Captaine Veers souldiers foure were slayne and 12 hurt with the enemies shot On the twelfth of Nouember the enemie did set fire on the North part of the campe he likewise burnt the castle of Halteren and the next day about tenne of the clocke before noone they depart from Riselberg and Northgeest where they stood a long time in battaile till their lodgings were burnt and their baggage carried away to the Southward In their march nothing was seen but their ensigns tops by reason of the said hils But comming nere the Ball on the high way called Habergue which leads into Berghen wood there they discouered themselues openly There were they grieuously tormented by the canon from the rampier of the woodden gate It was delightfull to behold how their battaile was broken at euerie shot our canon made so as at last they were enforced to breake their order and to diuide themselues All the night following nothing was heard but the noice of drummes and trumpets to fauour the retreat of the wagoners which brought away the baggage Before day breake the campe towards the South was likewise seene all on fire the enemie retired towards Calmthoudt placing sentinels on diuers hils to giue them intelligence if the townesmen sallied forth So soone as it was day the Lord Willoughbie went forth at Wouwe gate with one and twentie ensigne on foot and all the cauallerie taking two falconets along with him The enemies sentinels seeing this doe presently retire our men doe speedily seaze on the enemies trenches and campe the fanterie makes a stand on the Raberg the cauallerie galops after the enemie and fell in vpon the rereward mocking scoffing them to prouoke them to fight But al this being in vain they returned for it was enough for them to haue reproched the base retreat of so great a Kings campe which was no better than a manifest flight some straungers that were found in the campe were slain two or three women excepted whose liues were saued The Lord Willoughbie assembled all the horse and foot companies captaine Marcellis Bacx excepted who was absent pursuing the enemie with part of the cauallerie whom he sent to seeke intending to honour him among the rest for his valour But being not found and the intended ceremonie not to be delayed because he would performe it in the enemies view the Lord Generall turned towards Veer Knollis Parker and Poolie his countriemen and likewise towards captaine Paule Bacx a Dutchman speaking thus vnto them Seeing it is an auntient and laudable vse that those who haue behaued themselues valiantly in the warres should receiue some acknowledgement of their valour and for that mine owne eyes are witnesse of your prowesse whereof I take the enemie to witnesse who hath often to his great losse made triall what souldiers you are Our illustrious Ladie the Queenes Maiestie of England whose Lieutenant Generall I am and whose commaundement I will now performe doth honour each of you with the order of knighthood and touching all of them gently with his sword vpon their shoulders he sayd Receiue from her Maiestie this remembrance of her good will and affection which all of you by your valour haue deserued
his soldiers to another Corps du gard nere to the Castles great plat-forme where sixteene souldiers more made some resistance who were all slaine This done and a signall giuen Count Hohenlo two houres after came to the Castle with his Excellencies vangard but because the vttermost gate of the Castle could not be opened by reason of the yce his suoldiers entred nere to the Sluce by breaking down a pallisado Hohenlo being entred young Lansauecia made an accord with him to go his way himself soldiers with their liues Within a while after Prince Maurice and his souldiers both horse and foot arriued and with him the Earles Philip of Nassau and Solms Sir Fraucis Veer who commanded the English the Admiral Iustinus of Nassau the Lords of Famas Verdoes and other Captaines And as Count Hohenlo had exhorted the Burghers to returne to the obedience of their auncient Lord and Prince Maurice had giuen order to enter the towne at two gates they sent a drumme who craued leaue that some of the Burgomasters might come and parley who in lesse than an houres space made an accord that the Burghers should redeeme themselues from spoile by paying two moneths wages to the souldiers the summe amounting to 97074 florins In this manner their armes being throwne downe Prince Maurice sent the Lord Vander-Noot Captaine of his gard to seaze vpon the State-house and other places The same night that the first alarme was giuen in the Castle the Marquis of Guasto his horse companie and fiue other ensignes of Italians being affrighted did in disorder breake downe a gate and basely fled forth of the towne notwithstanding that the Burghers who feared the spoile of their goods promised them all ayd and assistance if they would tarrie and defend it but in vaine This was a great disgrace to so noble a Nation which the Prince of Parma reuenged by reproaching the Spaniards some of whom he imprisoned and beheaded certaine captaines among others Caesar Guitra Iulio Gratiauo Guastos Lieutenant whose name was Turlantino and the corporall who had so slenderly searcht the boat The towne and castle of Breda were miraculously taken without any great losse of bloud one onely man being lost who by reason of the darkenesse fell into the water and was drowned of the garrison in the castle fortie were slaine For this victorie all the vnited prouinces and townes gaue publique thankes vnto God in their Churches made bonefires and in memorie thereof coyned pieces of gold siluer and copper with this superscription on the one side how that the towne of Breda had beene on the fourth of March 1590 freed from the Spanish bondage by the conduct of Prince Maurice of Nassau and on the other side was the Dike with the turfe boat which carried the souldiers with this circumscription Readie to win or die and then The reward of an inuincible courage Prince Maurice by the consent of my Lords the States gaue the gouernement of the Towne Castle and Countrie of Breda to captaine Herauguieres with ample commaund to Captaine Lambert Charles the office of Serjeant Major and to other particular Captains and soldiers some of the sayd pieces or medâ—ls in pure gold with sums of money with promise of aduauncement according to euerie mans qualitie and merit the shippers were likewise aduanced and well rewarded The towne was forthwith prouided for according to the Lord of Oldenbbarvelts direction with all kind of muniâ—ion and victuals from Holland for a yeare and a halfe and before ten dayes were expired foure hundred horse and twelue ensignes of foot were sent to lie in Garrison in the towne the Burghers were likewise diuided into fiue companies to keepe good watch And in this manner by Gods assistance the towne is till now preserued from the enemie ¶ Count Mansfelt batters and assaults the Fort of Nordam and is brauely beaten thence on the 14 of May 1590. THe Duke of Parma perceiuing that his Excellencie of Nassau had by a cunning surprisall taken the Towne of Breda from him did for auoyding a greater mischiefe before March was expired said Count Charles of Mansfelt with 40000 men towards Breda to hinder their incursions and secure the Countrie who presently seazed on all the places round about it as Oosterhout Tering and other townes wherein he placed souldiers hee likewise tooke Seuenberghen and other towns where he vsed great crueltie At Terheyden which is a village betwixt Seuenberghen and Breda seated on a little riuer called the Mercke he caused a great Fort to be built with a bridge ouer the riuer thereby to keep victuals from Breda and lay there encamped till the worke was ended thinking thereby to oppresse Breda In May following he besiged the fort of Nordam which my lords the States hold nere to Seuenberghen seated nere the water commaunded by Captaine Mathew Helt who was in the Turfe boat at the taking of Breda And the thirteenth and foureteenth of May the sayd Count Mansfelt battered it with seuen canon made 1200 shot vpon it and gaue a furious assault They did likewise at ful Sea bring a great barke before the Fort mand with good musketiers to anoy the defendants they had bridges likewise wheron to martch to the assault They twice assaulted it and were still repulsed with the losse of two Italian Captaines the one named Horacio Fontano of Modena and the other Giouan Francisco Pageno a Neapolitan with diuers others of name and marke Six or seauen hundred of the enemie died there for by often shooting they fired the barke and as many as were in her were burnt whereupon they were enforced to retire to the great commendation of Captaine Mathew Helt who thereby purchased much honour The vnited Prouinces in the meane time had sent a small Armie into the field vnder the conduct of Prince Maurice and Count Hohenlo with which in May they went to a place called Ouer-Betuwe or High-Betuwe encamping right ouer against NimmegueÌ„ where they built a strong Fort on the banke of the Riuer Waell the better to auoy the Towne they did it likewise to diuert Count Mansfelt from Nordam and to draw him forth of Brabant But Mansfelt not thinking himselfe stong enough came nere to Nimmeguen and hauing intelligence that Prince Maurice his forces began to make a Fort on the further side of the Waell nere to the State-house he marched towards them with his canon beating them thence and ouerthrew the worke new begun an afterwards the better to prouide his armie of victuals he went and encamped on the Mase in the Land of Cuyck So as Prince Maurice tarried there all the Summer to finish his Fort in view danger of the canon of Nimmeguen which with the help of Count Mansfelt plaid furiously vpon the towne Notwithstanding all these difficulties the Fort was made defensiue towards the later end of Iulie and was called Knodsenbourg or Maces-bourg in disdaine of those of Nimmeguen called Knodsendrages which
take the Towne of Hulst in the view of Mondragon and those of Antuerpe And now in winter Nimmeguen the chiefe Towne of Guelderland making the Waell her frontier He had another enterprise vpon Geertrudenberg in December and departing secretly from the Hague with one thousand sixe hundred men they mounted the wall by Scalado but they were repulsed with losse of two Captaines A certain place called Alpen was likewise surprized by the garrison of Nimmeguen the same yere 1591. My Lords the States made gold siluer and brasse coyne in perpetuall memorie of these victories and taking of Zutphen Deuenter Hulst Nimmeguen and other Forts attributing the whole honour and glorie vnto God The towne of Steenwijck is besieged and taken in anno 1592. HIs Excellencie of Nassau hauing woon the towne and fort of Nimmeguen reducing them vnder the States obedience after that he had rested all winter did again march into the field departed from the Hague on the 10 of May 1592 accompanied with the Earles Hohenlo and Solms his Councell of war were the Lord of Barchon as Marshall of the campe Count Philip of Nassau Generall of the horse the Lord of Famas master of the ordnance Captaine Craiessonier Serjeant Major with other commanders and Colonels as Sir Frauncis Veer Floris of Brederode Morney Dorp Groenevelt and other Captains of great experience The Lord of Gryse was Prouidator generall There were beside certaine counsellors of State and commissiones of the prouinces whether the armie was to march all seruing for direction and ordering of al necessaries belonging to the ordnance ammunition treasure and victuals with their dependants The armie consisted of 6000 foot and 2000 horse with which his Excellencie departed towards Steenwijck with all his prouisions where he encamped on the 28 of May. Steenwijck is a towne in the prouince of Ouer-Yssell standing vpon a small riuer called Blockziell which nere to Meppell a mile from Steenwijck emptieth it selfe into Zuidersea it is a passage into Frizeland seruing for defence to a great extent of ground being verie strong in rampiers it was verie well manned for there were 16 ensignes of foot certaine troopes of horse in it The gouernour was a braue and well experienced Captaine his name was Antonio de Quocquelle there were diuers other Lords and Earles in it as Count Lodwick yonger brother to Count Berguen the Lord of Waterdijke with omen of note The towne was well prouided and wanted nothing but powder whereof a great quantitie was sent forth of Germanie which passing through the Countrie of Munster was seazed on by the inhabitants in recompence of a certaine bootie which the Duke of Parmas souldiers had taked from them Before we come to the siege of Steenwijck we will speake of a certaine enterprise which was intended vnder colour of this siege The Spaniards and those of Steenwijck thought to haue surprized the towne of Enchuysen by meanes of a certain mariner that dwelt there who was lately come from Spaine where he had spoken with the king and had receiued a good summe of money both of his Majestie and Duke of Parma as well for his owne seruice which he was to doe as to win other Captaines and souldiers to embrace the enterprise But this Burgher bewrayed all to my Lords the States and to his Excellencie of whom he receiued such instructions as he persuaded the Spaniards that the best way was to attempt the Hauen and to that end they should send a thousand men from Steenwijck which was not farre off which should be shipt in a night in the beginning of May whom he without any suspition would conduct hauing alreadie woon the captaines and chiefe of the towne who wrote v pon their credits all things were sure And the better to colour it and to blind those of Steenwijck this Burgher offered to remaine as hostage among them and to vndergoe all manner of punishment if he should deale otherwise than faithfully with them or if matters succeeded not well according to his direction And in the meane space Prince Maurice should be at the same time in Enchuysen to surprise the surprisers which might easily be done because that the Hauen is drie at low water and hauing taken them all prisoners he should presently send his armie before Steenwijck to besiege it and threaten them that vnlesse they would presently deliuer this Burgher he would hang vp all his prisoners but somewhat croft this businesse so as the enterprise went not forward yet Prince Maurice went on with his armie to besiege Steenwijck From the thirteenth of May till the ninth of Iune his Excellencie was busied in making of trenches and finding out solid and fast ground whereon to plant his canon he made a Cauallier of 19 foot high on which he layd three pieces wherewith to beat down their defences and lay them open fortie fiue pieces being planted on the thirteenth of Iune the towne was battered yet at that time they did no great matter for they could hardly batter the curtains notwithstanding they discarged many thousand shot They shot wild fire into the towne which at first did terrifie them but it was soone quenched His Excellencie perceiuing that the canon was to smal purpose and that those in the towne did not greatly regard it resolued to shoot no more but made two mynes towards the Counter-scarp which likewise did no great matter they digged till they came vnder the Counter-scarp which he woon from them and in a certain place at the foot of the pallisado discouered how they within laboured in the dikes so as to giue an assault wold be but lost labor vnesse those within were beaten from thence and therefore they brought certain pieces into sundrie places in the dike to beat down the fortification at the foot of the pallizado being protected by their canon they came into the dike where they shadowed themselues so well as the townesmen could not hurt them so as by that means they possest the foot of the rampier of the principal Bulwark on the East side where they digged 23 foot vnder the ground ere they came to make any chambers they spent to daies in this work du ring which time the besieged made 2 sallies in the first they tooke an ensigne defeated certaine Englishmen in the 2 they slew captaine Olthof who in the former siege had bin in the towne defēded it with certain others of note part of those which had the gard in that place Our mē cold neuer take any of the besieged prisoners On the 23 of Iune the besigers batered one of the towns rauelins when those within perceiued the battery they forsooke it From the 24 till the 27 of Iune our men were busied in making a woodden tower on wheeles which in Dutch is called Lijmstang in English discouer Pot it was inuented by captain Iohn Corput of Breda This Tower was square and made of Mastes fastened together by yron vices there were nine
in the time of winter in anno 1593 assembled his forces vnder the conduct of his sonne Charles vpon the frontiers of Fraunce nere to Guyse sending them into Fraunce there to employ them In the meane time my Lords the States of the vnited Prouinces sent Count Philip of Nassau into Luxembourg with foure thousand horse and foot hoping to take some townes there as S. Vit and others which he effected not but caused all the garrisons to be drawne forth of Brabant For so soone as the news of his being there came to Bruxels all the horse and foot both Spaniards and Italians were taken forth of the townes of Liere Malines and other places and were sent in great hast to the Countrie of Luxembourg conducted by Count Barlaymont Count Philip hauing notice thereof retired and in the meane time burnt many villages in the Countrie and likewise leuied great exactions in the countrie of Limbourg bringing many places vnder contribution sacking the town of Hanuijt in Brabant and hauing got much money horse and a great bootie they returned to their Quarter In the meane time the States of the vnited Prouinces resolued to besiege the town of Geertrudenberg a dependant on Holland though seated in Brabant nere the Mase on a riuer called the Douge This towne in ann̄ 1589 was by certaine traitors sold to the Duke of Parma for 15 moneths pay notwithstanding all honest and reasonable offers made vnto them whereupon they were all as traitors to the countrie condemned to be hanged wheresoeuer they should be caught most of whom were executed The sayd States had of a long time on sundrie pretences kept victuals from thence by way of licence and in Februarie did cut off a Conuoy of all necessarie prouisions that was going thither and hauing intelligence that the gouernour was gone forth to meet the Conuoy and that two did striue about the gouernement they thought this occasion might greatly profit them and thereupon gaue commission to Prince Maurice to enuiron and shut in the towne with his Cauallerie which he did all the forces being returned from Luxembourg and the captaines hauing re-enforced their companies and on the nine and twentieth of March he begirt the towne both by land and water at such time when the Spaniards most doubted the siege of Sertoghenbusk or Graue And because this siege is verie memorable and famous we will relate the most remarkable matters for the towne was strong manned with more than a thousand old souldiers and well prouided of all necessaries His Excellencie lying before the towne did at first quarter himselfe on the West-side thereof with the regiments of Count Henrie his younger brother of Count Solms Groenevelt and Balfour Count Hohenlo encamped towards the East in a Village called Raemsdone beyond the riuer Douge towards Oosterhoude with the regiments of the Lords of Brederode Lokres and others euerie regiment presently fortifying his Quarter The Spaniards had a Fort abroad within musket shot of the town vpon the causey of Steelhof which secured the passage to the town Count Hohenlo did presently intrench before it brought the channel of the riuer into those trenches and with great danger of his life tooke the free accesse of the fort to the towne from the enemie and planted the canon in an Island opposit to the conuoy and fort Whereupon the captain and garrison perceiuing themselues to be cut off from the towne yeelded the fort on the sixt of Aprill and for their labours were imprisoned by the Marquesse of Varembon The Fort being woon his Excellencie made two bridges ouer the riuer the one on boats verie strong and broad and the other vpon masts that the two campes might helpe one another which by reason of the marshes lay a good mile from each other On both sides the bridges before the towne he placed ships of war to keepe continuall watch For the riuer was as a dike defending a great part of the camps trenches there being diuers water mils and sluces to keepe the dikes of their trenches continually full of water but by reason of the high tides they were often hindred in their workes On the waters side they enclosed the town with an halfe moone made with boats of warre lying at anker made fast by cables and supported by small boats wherein watch was kept Without the said halfe moone ships of warre went too and fro keeping good gard Within it certaine small boats stood sentinel beneath the towne these tooke a Spaniard swimming that carried letters from Count Mansfelt and others his Excellencie gaue him his life and sent him backe to the enemies to tell them how he was intrenched Without the halfe moone towards the West and East of the towne the boats that brought victuals lay and were shrowded from the enemies canon The campe on the water was a German mile in length euerie campe hauing his boats of ammunition and victuals The mariners had likewise their campe apart and behaued themselues valiantly by carrying wodden canons and emptie boats by night nere to the shore and Key to cause the besieged to bestow their powder in vayne whereof they had great need His Excellencies campe on land was enuironed with high rampiers and deepe ditches without with foure great and strong Bulwarkes on each of which lay two canon Such was Count Hohenlos campe extending it selfe two miles in circuit and fortified with trenches bulwarks strong rauelins and broad dikes Without the campe many stakes were pitched in the ground and in each of them an Iron pike called Turkish ambassadors so nere to one another as a man could hardly put his knee betwixt The chief high waies were fortified with strong forts and rauelins stored with ordnance so as an hundred canons were planted there vpon the waies caltraps were laid and deepe pits made stuft full of powder Being thus intrenched abroad against the enemie they likewise began to fortifie themselues against the townesmen bringing their trenches vnder the Towne-walls they planted their canon and made galleries vnder whose couert they might come to the towns rampiers The besieged beside their rampiers and caualleries had two strong rauelins on the Land-side opposit to which lay the Zelanders and souldiers of Vtrechts batterie which did so oppresse the towne as euerie house almost was shaken especially the Prince of Orange his Palace which was vtterly ruined For making of these great workes and fortifications the States had sent certain hundreds of boats prouided of al necessaries and though the boores wrought in euerie place for pay yet most of these great workes were done by souldiers according to the manner of the auntient Romans not by constraint but for daily hire and those dayes they were not vpon the gard each of them was imployed in what labour he best liked getting tenne or fifteen souls a day by meanes whereof they wrought so hard as they made themselues inuincible against the kings power which came to relieue the towne So great good order
time felt the commoditie thereof notwithstanding they had much to doe both with the Indians and Portugals of which if any one desire to haue further knowledge I refer him to the descriptions thereof which haue beene written and published ¶ The taking of the towne of Huy in the countrie of Liege on the eighth of Februarie 1595. CHarles of Herauguier gouernor of Breda the better to aduance the enterprises on the countries of Luxembourg and Namur went forth of Breda on the last of Ianuarie with twelue ensignes of foot and foure cornets of horse and marched towards the towne of Huy which stands vpon the riuer Mase in the countrie of Liege it is a fine towne and hath a bridge ouer the Mase and a Castle and is the ordinarie aboad of the prince and bishop of Liege In the Castle was a weake garrison 24 or thirtie of our men were hid in a little house vnder the castle which stands high vpon a rock ouer this little house was one of the Castles windowes these thirtie men with a ladder made of ropes got vp to the window which they brake and entred some among them knew euerie corner of the castle so as in the Morning when the chiefe of the castle went forth of their houses thinking to goe to Masse they were on a sodaine taken by the throat bound and layd in a dungeon which done they tooke the castle and gate and some moued the towne to yeeld The Burghers ran to armes thinking to defend themselues but perceiuing Herauguier to come forwards with his troops they compounded and suffered him to enter with three ensignes of foot and two cornets of horse on the 8 of Februarie Herauguiere fortified the towne and castle reducing the enemies countries neere adjoyning vnder contribution The Towne was verie well seated for our men to make an offensiue warre it beeing a passage into the countries of Namur and Brabant neere to the confines of Luxembourg where they supposed to obtayne great victories vnder the conduct of the duke of Bouillon count Philip of Nassau Herauguieres troopes of horse did at the same time neere to Montmedy meete with seuen wagons laden with rich Italian Merchandize as veluets and silke stockings which were going towards Antuerpe and were worth three hundred thousand florins which they tooke and diuided amongst themselues But part of this Cauallerie belonging to the garrisons of Breda and Berghen in Brabant being desirous to returne home met with certaine of the enemies ordinarie bands conducted by generall Schets Lord of Grobbendonck who not farre off had tenne foot companies whereof our men hauing intelligence diuided themselues into 3 troopes one of which was assailed by the enemie and being ouerloden with bootie were beaten and 70 of them slain and taken prisoners among whom were two Lieutenants The taking of Huy belonging to the Bishop of Liege who liued as a Neuter was thus excused namely our men borrowed that towne but for a place of retreat without any hurt to the inhabitants which so soon as the war should be ended they would willingly surrender that the Bishop permitted the like to the townes of Berck and Bonne which were his and yet were detained by the Spaniards But the Bishop complained to the States of the wrongs done vnto him and of the breach of the neutrallitie crauing to haue his town redeliuered and therein imployed al his friends but because small regard was had of his complaints hee implored the ayd and assistance of the Archduke Ernestus who presently sent forces thither to free the countries of Namur and Brabant from incursion with commaundement to ayd the Bishop these troopes notwithstanding Ernestus death besieged the towne of Huy because they perceiued it could not easily be relieued Herauguieres with Captaine Balfort le Vos and others did shut themselues into the towne and yet the waters were risen ouer the whole countrie by reason of the great snow which was melted by a continuall raine so that they had small hope of aid for all the riuers and especially the Rhyne had so ouerflowed their bankes as in the memorie of man the like had not beene seene for all the countrie round about was drowned many thousands both men and cattell perished In Guelderland and Holland the Isle of Bommell and others were drowned as the Betuwe and the countrie neere to Vtrecht and Ammersfoort euen to the gates and suburbes of Vyane three thousand persons were drowned so as it was a great and just punishment of God Diuers skonses and Buâ—warke were borne away so as the souldiers had much to doe to secure the countrie and with great cost to repaire the forts Fuentes la Motte Barlaymont and other captaines considering that the States forces were cooped vp by water and that small reliefe could come to them did on the one side of the Mase besiege the towne of Huy and the bishops forces on the other side and at last on the thirteenth of March tooke the towne by force slew many of the garrison and tooke diuers of them prisoners the rest fled to the castle which was battered with two canon and vndermined by al the myners in the countrie so as in the end the castle was by composition deliuered to the Lord la Motte and vpon the twentieth of March our men departed with their armes and baggage At their departure the Spaniards would haue murthered them but la Motte and Grobbendonck sent them safely away Herauguieres by this meanes lost much credit being taxed for yeelding the castle so soone seeing that neere to Coloigne forces were readie to relieue him as also because the breach was not sufficient for the enemie to come to an assault but others judged the contrarie and said that he had done discreetly so this enterprise did smally profit the vnited Prouinces ¶ The taking of the Island and towne of Cales-Males in Andelusia in Spaine in the yeare 1596. IN the yeare 1596 the Queene of England did set forth a mightie fleet of sixteene or seuenteene of hir great ships royall in twelue or foureteene of which were three or foure hundred mariners in euerie ship beside fortie other English ships of warre with fiftie others which carried souldiers and prouisions The Lord Charles Howard Baron of Effingham and now Earle of Nottingham was Admerall generall of this fleet The Lord Thomas Howard now Earle of Suffolke was Vice-Admeral and sir Walter Raleigh knight and captaine of the Queenes guard was rere-Admerall My Lords the States of the vnited Prouinces did at her Majesties request set forth eighteen great ships of war each of them being manned with one hundred and thirtie men beside sixe others loden with victuals and ammunition and in each of them fortie men the Lord Iohn of Duvenvord Lord of Warmont Admerall of Holland was by the States made Admerall of this fleet Iohn Gerbrantsoon of Enchuysne was Vice-Admerall the rere-Admirall was Cornellis Lensen of Flushing but they were tied by agreement
Most of the baggage was pillaged and the dead bodies stript More than two thousand were slaine vpon the place for the countrie people reported that they buried aboue 2250. The Lieutenant general La Bourlotte with most of his captaines and officers were slaine there and not aboue eight of the victors among whom was captaine Donck who died of his hurt together with captaine Cabilleau of Flanders This gallant victorie was gotten by eight hundred horse but not without great daunger if the enemie had beene discreet and wel aduised There was one thing worthie of note A certaine Roman gentleman whose name was Septimius Fabius who deriued himselfe from the noble and auntient familie of the Fabij in Rome hauing some commaund among the Italians was deadly wounded and lay among the dead those that stript him perceiuing some life in him and that he seemed some man of note notwithstanding that he was much disfigured with his owne bloud and that of others did in compassion take him thence and halfe dead as he was laid him on a horse and carried him to Turnhout where visited by skilfull and carefull Chirurgians he recouered his health and was afterward for ransome set at libertie There were foure or fiue hundred prisoners taken among whom was a young Count Mansfelt Hieronimo Deutico one of Count Varacx his Councel the Marquesse of Treuico his Lieutenant colonel and Serjeant Major Aboue one hundred prisoners died of their wounds And thus his Excellencie returned towards Turnholt and the runnawayes held on their course toward Herentals where some three hundred of them arriued The Generals dead bodie was by his Excellencie giuen to his seruants who carried it to Malines where his wife and children remained and with them sent a letter to Cardinall Albertus where he offered to deliuer the prisoners if he would keepe good quarter But the Cardinall being too long in sending backe an aunswer Prince Maurice threatened to hang or drowne the prisoners if he did not ransome them within twentie daies whereupon he constrained the villages of Brabant to contribute towards it The boores of this countrie called Tielsche-Heyde did after the defeat gather vp all the armor and weapons which they found and laid them vp in a Church those of the towne of Diest commaunded them to bring them thither and as six carts were loden with them some of the garrison of Breda hauing notice thereof tooke them away by force and brought them into the towne on the three and twentieth of Februarie for a greater testimonie or trophee of their victorie The earles Hohenlo and Solms sir Robert Sidney and sir Frauncis Veer whose horse was slaine that day vnder him were highly honoured for their wisedome and valour as also other captaines and commaunders that had valiantly behaued themselues especially Bacx and Edmonds with all their officers and souldiers That night the campe rested at Turnholt where the canon was left the next day the castle was battered and after some eight or tenne shot those of the garrison commaunded by captaine Vander Delft yeelded it on condition to haue their liues and goods saued The castle being strongly manned euerie one returned to his garrison His Excellencie passed through Geertrudenberg and the 8 day after his departure from the Hague he returned thither againe whether he brought 38 of the enemies ensigns and one of their cornets which were hung vp in the great hall and in all places caused thankes to be giuen to God for this victorie ¶ The first siege and taking of the towne of Rhin-Berck in Anno 1597. MY Lords the States of the vnited Prouinces hauing made great preparation for warre did together with his Excellencie and Councell of State resolue and conclude though it was something late to send an armie that Summer into the field and to that end commaunded the horsemen to arme themselues after another manner without launces appointing the light horse or carabins to carrie a Petronel of three foot long others Pistols of two foot in length and to be beside armed downe to the knees inflicting penaltie vpon such as shold want any part of their armes their horse were to bee full fifteene handfull high and the men to weare cassaks The Councell of State allowed 300000 florins monethly for the armie There were two hundred foot companies and one and twentie cornets of horse in the States pay But the fanterie lying abroad in garrison his Excellencie sent but for sixtie and eight ensignes and the cauallerie commanding them to meet on the 5 of August vpon the Rhyne at a place called S Gravenweeert for the Councell of State had determined and concluded to besiege the towne of Berck to haue a more free passage vpon the Rhyne According to this Decree his Excellencie with his trayne and most of the nobilitie went from the Hague on the first of August towards Vtrecht there to prepare and assemble wagons for his journey and on the fourth of Augâ—st arriued at Arnham whether count William of Nassau and his troops came vnto him The counts Hohenlo and Solms came thither likewise with the earles Ernest and Lodwick of Nassau together with young Count Henrie Frederick brother to his Excellencie who was desirous then to trie his first fortune in the warres From Arnham they went to S. Grauenweert where they found thirteene ensignes of English footmen twelue of Scots fifteene of Frisons nine ensignes vnder the commaund of Count Solms eight vnder the Lord Floris of Brederode and 6 commaunded by the Lord of Duvenvoord with some twentie or one and twentie cornets brauely mounted Thither likewise came great numbers of boats loden with ordnance and other necessaries for a perfect campe His Excellencie on the 6 of August caused part of the foot and horse in boats to crosse the riuer of Rhyne and Wael commanded them to tarrie that night at Cleverham not farre from Carcar making a bridge of boats the next day ouer the Waell to passe ouer his wagons with the residue of the armie so as his Ex. arriued the same day at the Cloister of Marienbourg leauing three companies of the regiment of West-Frizeland commonly called the regiment of North-Holland with the boats which in great numbers did the same day set saile and went vp the riuer On the eigth of August Prince Maurice with his armie and certaine field pieces marched before the towne and castle of Alpen commaunded by captaine Bentinghs brother which he summoned This place seated vpon the way would haue stood the enemie in great stead and on the other side haue much annoyed his owne campe It forthwith yeelded Hee committed the keeping of the castle to captaine Schaef with fiftie souldiers and the sayd Bentingh with six and thirtie souldiers departed thence with their armes and baggage so as part of the armie arriued that Euening before Berck The towne of Rhynberck both by nature and art is exceeding strong and not easily to be taken and was at that time beside
towne being taken the commissioners of Coloigne by vertue of their letters of credence would haue had our men to haue left it to them saying it was theirs this could they neuer obtayne of the Spaniards though it had beene promised with oaths But in regard it was woon with so great cost to the vnited Prouinces and that neither his Excellencie nor commissioners of the Councell had any authoritie to graunt their demaunds it was flatly denyed and they were referred to the Generall States The next day after the towne was yeelded which was the one and twentieth of August Count Herman came to Gelder with 2000 foot and eight cornets of horse the fanterie was conducted by D. Alonzo de Luna gouernor of Liere the cauallerie by D. Francisco de Padiglia their intent was to haue put succors into Berck but vpon intelligence that it was yeelded he returned to Arsen neere the Mase which he crost still thinking on the defeat at Turnholt he sent foure hundred men to the towne of Meurs beside the 200 whom he had alreadie sent thither from Maestrecht two dayes before And the better to secure the sayd Garrison hee comaunded Captaine Arnult Boecop Lieutenant to the gouernour to abandon Camillos fort and to retire with his men into Meurs which the sayd Boecop did with such hast on the 15 of August at night as hee left three pieces of ordnance behind in the fort viz. one canon a demie canon and one field piece ¶ The taking of the Towne and Castle of Meurs in Anno 1597. PRince Maurice hauing intelligence that Count Herman and his forces had crost the Mase did on the six and twentieth of August goe to view the town of Meurs with 12 cornets of horse and some tenne thousand foot and returning by Camillos fort he resolued to assault the towne of Meurs and to that end the cauallerie being returned which conuoyed Count Hohenlo and his wife the Countesse of Buren towards Germanie he commaunded the boats to go vp the riuer towards Camillos fort and himselfe with all his forces on the 28 of August marched towards Meurs hauing 60 foot companies and 21 cornets of horse and the same day quartered two camps before the towne one and the greatest before the gates of which one was called the Kerck-port the other Hâ—enport where himselfe lay with 49 ensignes of foot and all the horse the other before the gate of the new town where the lord of Clotting lay with 6 ensignes of his owne regiment 5 ensignes of the regiment of Frizeland vnder the commaund of Generall Duyvenvoord At their arriual were some skirmishes before the church without the gate which the enemie kept till night when as 2 companies of Scots came to releeue the Frizons The next day they intrenched themselues and at night they began the trenches with 15 foot ensigns viz. 5 of the Frizeland regiment 4 English ensignes foure Scotish two of count Solms regiment the Frizons lay before the gate called Steen-port the Scots with count Solms his ensignes before Kerck-port and the English betwixt the two gates The same night Captaine Waddell the Scot was slayne in the trenches His Excellencie had brought twelue canon with him which on the last of the sayd moneth hee caused to bee planted and the next day began the batterie The night following the trenches were brought from the Frizons quarter to the verie brinke of the dike which was narrow and nothing deepe And for that in regard of the raine and foule weather they were not come so forward in other places therefore the canon plaid not on the 2 of September his Excellencie thinking to haue quartered himselfe vpon the verie dike and by fauour of the canon and helpe of bridges to passe ouer the dike to the townes Rampiers But before this could bee effected the Gouernour of Meurs a Spaniard whose name was Andrea de Miranda beyond all expectation wanting powder sent a drumme in the afternoone to Prince Maurice crauing to haue hostages sent in exchange of those whom hee would send to surrender the towne and castle to him His Excellencie sent the Lord of Gistelles thither who was Lieutenant Generall to Count Solms together with Captaine Ingelhauen who conferred with the townes commissioners which were Captaine Muchet and Captaine Boecop Lieutenant to the Gouernor and after long disputation about graunting three dayes respit which the besieged craued to expect some succours they at last concluded to deliuer vp the towne and castle The next day which was the third of September after that the Gouernours wife was come for whom Prince Maurice had sent a trumpet to a place called Lint in the countrie of Couloign with certaine wagons they went their way according to the accord being eight hundred and thirtie men among whom were certayn Spaniards and likewise an Ensigne-bearer of the castle of Antuerpe with their ensignes armes and baggage and a small piece of ordnance belonging to Count Meurs his Excellencie hauing graunted them fortie wagons for which Captaine Boecop was caution Sixe pieces of ordnaunce were found in the castle 4 of batterie one canon of an extraordinarie weight one demie canon and two field pieces Foure great cables made at Couloign were likewise found in the Storehouse of eight thousand weight which were for seruice of the ferrie boats In this manner did his Excellencie in a moneths space win three townes and three Castles from the enemie videlicet Alpen Berck Meurs and Camillos Fort with all the boats vpon the Rhyne and in the sayd places found aboue fiftie and foure canon among which were eleuen for batterie and the rest of different bignesse as hath been sayd The siege and taking of the townes of Groll and Goor on the 28 of September 1597. AFter that Prince Maurice had spent some time in repairing the dikes and rampiers of the town of Meurs and in leuelling the trenches he went thence with his whole armie on the eighth of September he had sixe thousand foot and one thousand fiue hundred horse beside mariners and others that attended the ordnance and a great traine following the armie Hauing in hast made a bridge ouer the Rhyne of one hundred yards in length the armie crossed the riuer the same day and lodged that night betwixt the Lippe and Rhyne The next day crossing ouer the Lippe he marched by Wesell and went to Bruynen in the countrie of Munster From thence on the tenth of September he passed along by Boecholt lodged that night at Alten neere to Brevoot which hee sent to view But vpon intelligence that Count Iohn of Limbourg and Stierum lay in Groll with twelue ensignes of foot and three cornets of horse his Excellencie went thither the next day And on the eleuenth of September hee quartered his campe in a square forme towards the West end of the sayd towne which was fortified with fiue Bulwarks so as it seemed his Excellencie would haue enough to doe yet he made
that gallant opportunitie His Excellencie in the meane time hauing intelligence of the enemies arriuall in the Isle of Bommell made hast thitherward with his Cauallerie and certaine foot companies where he arriued on the sixth of May and gaue order for all things necessarie in the towne commaunding the Burghers still to abide there who by his comming were so encouraged as they alone thought themselues strong enough to withstand the enemie The seuenth of May the Spaniards forsooke the town of Emmerick and joyned with the Admerall who was then marching towards the Isle of Bommell It was supposed that the Admerall had an intent to haue seazed on Heusden a verie strong Towne and seated within an houres journey of Bommell But his Excellencie like a prouident prince went thither on the 11 of May with tenne foot companies and caused the Isle of Hemert to be fortified and intrenched round about The Admerall perceiuing that Heusden was too well prouided did with all his force assault the Fort of Creuecoeur which by reason of the smalnesse was not able to hold out against him Whereupon the garrison yeelded it vp and departed thence with their ensignes and armes His Excellencie hauing intelligence thaâ— Creuecoeur was yeelded returned speedily to Bommell and caused it to be enuironed with many trenches halfe Moones and such like workes By these fortifications the Towne of Bommel in mans iudgement was made impregnable and as many as saw the height and bredth of those workes were amazed for it is almost incredible to see what they wrought in view of the king of Spaines mightie armie Beside these fortifications a farre off the bulwarkes of the Towne which had bin begun were finished and the walls closed vp the Towne being well furnished with ordnance and other prouision in places of most necessitie The Admeral in the meane time lay with his campe at Creuecoeur where he was busied in making a bridge ouer the Mase and a halfe Moone on Heels side thereby to secure the riuer The 13 of May the enemie made shew as if he would haue returned to Heusden whereupon his Excellencie sent 31 ensignes mo thither But he marched towards Rossem hoping to enter into the Isle of Tiell called Tielche-weert to enclose the Isle of Bommell on all sides but Prince Maurice sent ordnance thither and caused batteries to be made thereby hindering the enemies passage The 14 of May Count Frederick brought the most part of the armie before Bommell hauing first run vp and downe the Countrie and done nothing but warned those of Bommell and Voorn to fortifie themselues and giuen them time to doe it He came and sat downe on the West-side where the Towne had beene most open there beginning his skirmishes hoping to enter it but those within it did brauely repulse him During this skirmish the enemie thought to haue entred the Isle of Rossem but all things being there well ordered his attempt had no good successe Then he began to besiege the towne seating his campe at a place called Oensell aboue the Towne and made his trenches at the causey called Oensen-Dijke that he might lie safe from the Towne shot Prince Maurice perceiuing that the enemie meant to set vpon him with his whole power did likewise breake vp his campe which lay in the Betuwe and brought it to Bommell making all preparations for defence sending for all sorts of munition and making sundrie batteries His whole campe being assembled he diuided it verie skilfully and fortified all necessarie places He manned Bommel with eight ensignes belonging to the Lord Peter de Dorp eight ensignes of the Lord Vander-Noot foure ensignes of Suesse and the Lord de la Noiie with seuen French companies and himselfe with his youngest brother Count William and Count Lodwick retired thence He quartered the English at Haesten the Gards at Tuyll the residue of the French at Wardenbourg at Opinen the rest of the Frizons at Hessell Count Ernestus with the Almans the Scots with Edmonds regiment at Voorn and all the horse in the Isle of Tyell and so from thence as farre as Gorcum to keepe continuall watch along the Riuer The Admerall Duuenvoord likewise went vp the Riuer Waell with fifteene men of warre which lay from Opinen as farre as beneath Haeften On the sixteenth of May all things being thus ordered by the States armie the Admeral of Arragon came at last to his campe so as al the power on both sides was assembled nere to Bommel The Spaniards were in number 26000 foot and 4000 horse the States forces consisted of 16000 foot and three thousand horse most of them old souldiers and had a long time bin trayned vp in war and purchased great experience The same night that the Admeral came to his campe he made a furious assault vpon the townes furthest fortifications towards the gate called Oensche port which were scarce finished but he was brauely beaten backe with great losse of his men and among others La Motte was taken prisoner who died at Bommell of his hurt together with Alfonso D'Aualos who was grieuously wounded yet within a while after recouered his health Prince Maurice caused the causey called Oenschen-Dijke to be vndermined that he might blow vp the enemie if he returned to assaile the fortifications This was his last assault vpon Bommell for afterward he kept himselfe verie quiet standing rather on defence than offence His Excellencie on the contrarie was not satisfied in defending the towne of Bommell but did likewise with all his might assaile the enemie shooting on euerie side into his campe and visiting him often in his trenches The workes and fortifications did daily encrease round about Bommell and a bridge of boats was likewise made ouer the Waell before the Towne fiue pace in bredth and foure hundred and fiftie in length There were ten great boats and eight and twentie lesser ones a verie great Ferrie-boat seruing for an opening to the bridge when need was By his Excellencies commaund all mariners that were in the States fleet came into the towne of Bommell to ayd the souldiers to make a furious assault vpon the enemie who was aduertised thereof by two French-men that fled from our side whereupon the mariners were sent backe to their ships The 18 of May Count Lodwick with 8 cornets of horse was sent on Brabants side to surprise the enemies gards but returned without any effect On the one and twentieth at night our souldiers being for the most part English and French did fiercely assaile the enemie in his trenches and slew aboue six hundred men and would peraduenture haue troubled the whole armie had not a quarrell arose betwixt the two Nations whereupon they returned to the Towne bringing Captaine Aldeno prisoner with them with some other souldiers And on their side lost two Captaines and some others who for the most paâ—t were slayne by themselues The enemie at that time was verie busie in his fortifications making platformes and sundrie batteries from
subdued and by what meanes they fell to the Crowne of Spaine is not certainly knowne this only cannot be denied that Forteuentura Fero Lancerotta and Gomera were the first that were taken and the Grand Canarie Palma Tenerifa were long after that Pagans The valour and crueltie of these Islanders their discommodious hauens and dangerous sea coasts caused them so long to hold out against the Christians whom they haue often repulsed with great losse The Fleet directed it course towards the Canaries forcibly to inuade the Grand Canarie and Gomera according to the appointment of my Lords the States The Admerall sent for al the Captains Commanders Pilots to consult with them about the commodities of the said Islands He likewise distributed the Marriners vnder new Captains 130 men vnder euery Ensigne gaue order for all things instructing the captains how to behaue themselues on shoare And because the fleet did daily approach the line comming to the hottest part of the world where too much eating and drinking is very dangerous causing sundry diseases and commonly death the Admerall did verie descreetly moderate his souldiers diet commanding euerie man strictly to obserue it He likewise sent for all the land and sea Captaines to aduise him in what manner to assaile the enemie and towne The 24 of Iune the wind was still North-North-West they went South-South-East so as toward euening they descried Lancerotta and bending their course thither-ward they went East to the South-ward The 25 of Iune in the morning they came neere to Lancerotta and Forteuentura which they might descrie and after noone they doubled it going towards the South-East along the Westerne coasts and about Euening descried the grand Canarie whereupon they struck saile and tarried till the second watch then did againe set forward directing their course Eastward toward the grand Canaries which stands in the height of 28 degrees on the hither side of the line and 155 German leagues to the South East towards the South of Saint Vincents Cape in Portugal being in compasse 260000 paces amounting in all to 26 German leagues On the East side of this Island stands a small town called Allagona wherein are aboue foure hundred houses It is the chiefe Towne of all the Canaries and there the Iudges Courts both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill with the Inquisitor of Spaine and the gouernor of the Islands for the King doe reside Through the Town runnes a small shallow riuulet which descends from the neighbour mountaines and emptieth it selfe into the sea is in no sort capable of shipping The hauen of the grand Canarie lies foure hundred paces towards the North-North-East of Allagona and is of an indifferent breadth and depth For defence of this Hauen the King of Spaine had caused a strong Castle to be built called Gratiosa All the forts of the grand Canarie were prouided of strong Garrisons munition and other necessaries The 26 of Iune the fleet with a North-East wind entred the Hauen of the grand Canarie and all of them together came to an anker beneath the Castle Gratiosa Thereupon the Spanish Gouernor came with seuen Spanish Companies to the Sea side placing gards vpon the hauen planting three small peeces of ordnance behind certaine bankes to hinder his enemies landing vpon the fleets arriuall the Gastle Gratiosa playd furiously vpon it but the Admerall vice-Admerall and those ships which carried the biggest ordnance drew neere the Castle and requited it with the like Two Spanish ships rode neere the Castle one of which was sunke and the other together with a small barke was brought to the fleet By this meanes the Castle was much weakened and those within it began to be discouraged leauing off their furious shooting notwithstanding that they had alreadie torne some ships and slaine certaine mariners Thereupon the Admerall did presently man his boats and landed his men those ships that could not reach the Castle bent their ordnance vpon the shoar driuing the enemie thence These boats rowed altogether to land-ward where for a while they fought with the enemie The Admerall perceiuing that the enemies would not remoue and that the water was shallow leaped vp to the middle in the Sea and with his men marched brauely against them By this means the Spanish troupes after some slight fight were beaten from the shoar flying towards Allagona together with the Kings Gouernor who lost his leg many were hurt and some 36 of them slaine Of our men the Admerall at his first landing was hurt in the legge with a pike and was in great danger but he was rescued by one of his souldiers who brauely slew the Spaniard that had hurt him The Admeralls Lieutenant Generall was shot into the throat and another Captaine in the head and beside these some 20 souldiers were slaine and wounded The Admerall hauing woon the shoar sent all the boats back againe to the ships to fetch more men to the number of 24 Ensignes which were diuided into seuen troups and marched in order of battaile 21 in front Those in the Castle kept themselues quiet discharging no one shot after our men were landed making signes as if they intended to yeeld which the Admerall vnderstanding went thither with certain Captains and souldiers and at his arriuall without any capitulation at all they yeelded on discretion There were 138 men in the Castle many had bin slaine and some fled thence there were likewise 9 cast peeces in it and 6 of yron with all sorts of munition These 138 men were brought prisoners into the ship which was taken 3 captains except whom the admeral kept nere him to be by them instructed concerning the affairs of the Countrey In this manner Graciosa the strongest Castle not onely of Grand Canarie but of al the other Islands was easily taken which was presently manned with 80 souldiers who threw downe the King of Spaines ensignes and displaied that of Prince Maurice Two Moores were at the same time brought to the Admerall which were taken in the mountaines who because they were found sleeping could giue no certaine aduertisement In the night 24 ensignes went towards Allagona where they diuided themselues into foure troups the first placed themselues beneath the towne the second vnder the neighbour mountaines the third vpon the shoare and the fourth made the rereward These foure troupes stood all night imbattailed and the 27 of Iune by day breake they came all together before Allagona But the townesmen defended themselues and shot fiercely from the Castle which stands on the North side not without some losse on our part Thereupon our men retired behind the neighbour hills where they began to intrench themselues and by that means secured themselues from the Canon Those of Allagona perceiuing our men to be intrenched brought six small Falconets vpon the hills which they charged with woodden bullets and did vs much harme because they had so well planted their peeces Tenne or twelue of our men went vp the
of the enemie wanting all necessaries as money garments c. so that necessities had enforced them to reuolt besides they had done their dutie in holding out six weeks expecting aid and other necessaries and yeelded not so long as there was any hope of reliefe and in recompence of their good loyal seruice were to looke for nothing but losse of their pay and arrerages wanting money and meanes to cloth themselues and because the losse of the place should not be imputed to their mutinie nor themselues reproached for it they therefore resolued to serue the States of the vnited Prouinces Neither had they done as they said like to those of Geertrudenberg who sold the towne to their enemie for tenne moneths pretended arrerages and fiue moneths present pay being in no want of money nor apparell for they caused boats vpon the Riuer and the Champaine Country to pay contribution being neither besieged nor pressed by the enemie nay their Lords vnto whom they were sworne would haue maintained and defended their honour and loyaltie giuen them pardon and pasport yea whatsoeuer in equitie they would haue demanded yet all this was to no purpose with them but prouoked by their enemies they did in hatred enuy and couetousnes sell the towne to them whereupon they were in derision termed merchants and banished both by name and surname rewards being proposed to such as could take them and were euery where punished by the gallowes to serue for an example to others In this manner Saint Andrewes great fort which had cost so much money and before with so great an armie had layen a long time encamped fell into the hands of his Excellencie and vnder commaund of the States of the vnited Prouinces a fort which had put the enemie in great hope to haue bin able from thence in winter time vpon the yce to conquer Holland The cause why it was so easily taken proceeded from the Spaniards too much profuse large expence of money who vndertooke more than their treasure could performe and in making a bad account did in that Prouince build a mightie fort to command and bridle their own countrey so as the Archdukes reteined nothing of all their two yeares conquest but only Berck and the vnited Prouinces on the contrary had taken Emmerick which was more profitable to them than Berck to the Archduke yet these two townes belonged to neither of them his Excellencie and my Lords the States did within a while after restore Emmerick to the Duke of Cleues ¶ A Description of whatsoeuer was done from day to day in Flanders in the army of the most Illustriuos Prince Maurice of Nassau Accompanied by the noble high and mightie Lords my Lords the States of the vnited Netherland Prouinces in An. 1600. the 17 of Iuly THe enemie of the vnited Netherland Prouinces with sundry forts hauing blockt vp the Towne of Ostend being master of all the sea coasts of Flanders and thereby for the space of certaine yeares done incredible hurt to the loyall inhabitants of the said Prouinnes and other neighbor Realmes trading by sea my Lords the generall States after the yeelding vp of this great mightie fort of Saint Andrews neere to Rossem in the Isle of Bommell being desirous to pursue the victorie which God had so fauourably giuen them there and elsewhere in the beginning of this yere after mature consultation therupon with the Illustrious Lord Prince Maurice of Orange Count of Nassau Catzenelboge Marquis of Vere and Flushing c. thought it fit by common consent to transport their whole Armie and power into Flanders there to trie their good fortune vpon the enemeie and if it were possible to execute their determined proiects for freeing the sea Coasts with this resolution that the said Lords for the better aduancement of their affaires would in person assist his Eccellencie in this Armie and new expedition The 17 of Iune after that 2000 great and small vessells were rigd forth of diuers places and Hauens of Holland and Zeeland to transport the Armie with victualls warlike munition wagons Horse for draught and all other necessaries His Excellencie went from the Hague to Rotterdam so to Dort from whence he caused all the fleet to saile to Rammekins in Zeeland which was the Rendezvous The 18 of Iune my Lords the Generall States viz. The Lord Iames of Egmont Lord of Kennebourg Schipluy and Maeslant Iohn Oldenbarneuelt Lord of Tempel and Groynenelt Aduocate and keeper of the seale of Holland and West-Frizeland Iacob Huygens Vander Dussen Bourgomaster of the towne of Delft Master Nicasius Sille Doctor of the Lawes Councellor and Pentioner to the towne of Amsterdam M. Geraert Coren Bourgomaster of the Towne of Alkmaer M. Iacob Boellenssz Burgomaster of Amsterdam and Counsellor of State M. Iean de Santen Counsellor and Pentioner of the towne of Middelbourg M. Ferdinand Alleman Counsellor of State M. Nicolas Hubert Burgomaster of the towne of Ziriczee M. Gerart de Renesse Lord of Vander Aa M. Abell Franckena Doctor of the Lawes M. Egbert Alberda Burgomaster of the towne of Gronningue M. Cornellis Aerssen Register to my Lords the Generall States of the vnited Netherland Prouinces All these with their traine departed from the Hague about fiue of the clock in the morning and came to Rotterdam where they imbarked themselues and sailed the same day to Saint Annes-Lant where they came to an anchor tarrying for the tide The 19 day because the wind was contrarie they could that night but reach to Armuyde and because the tide was spent they were therefore enforced to cast anchor there likewise The twentieth about fiue of the clocke in the morning the said Lords landed at Armuyde and from thence went to Flissingue to visit his Excellencie who lay at anchor before Rammekins where so great an armie and such numbers of boats lay as no man liuing euer saw the like together at one time The same day a consultation was had before Rammekin how to transport the army safely into Flanders for execution of the determined proiect and all things being well maturely considered after that sundry matters were propounded in regard the wind was contrarie and for other difficulties which might arise at sea they at last resolued because they would not long bee idle nor put the countrie to vnnecessarie expence nor yet giue the enemie time to fortifie himselfe in those quarters to land the whole armie at Philippine and from thence to march thorough the Countrie betwixt Gaunt and Bruges towards Ostend According to which resolution his Excellencie on the 21 day departed with the armie towards Philippine a fort which the enemie yeelded vpon the first summons to Count Ernestus of Nassau who commanded the fleets vantgard The two and twentieth of Iune about noone his Excellencie ariued with his Armie at Philippine the vantgard hauing alreadie taken the fort from whence the garrison to the number of thirty or fortie were departed without
of Nassau his Quarter but not so fierce an one as that of the day before and was presently repulsed with losse of Commanders and souldiers The 14 and 15 wee were busied in making three small forts there where our batterie was to be made thereby to assure the Canon and in the meane time the ordnance that was landed was againe sent to the ships My Lords the States perceiuing their presence at Ostend and in those parts to be to no great purpose made all things readie for their departure the next day and to this end the Aduocate Barnenelt went to his Excellencies Campe after dinner to confer with him once more returning the same night to Ostend The sixteenth of Iuly in the morning the Admerall of Nassau came to Ostend from his Excellencie propounding new difficulties to the States for continuance of the seege whereon hauing consulted they wrot back to his Excellencie that they wholy referd it to his owne discretion to proceed therein as he should find it most profitable for the Countries seruice and if he did breake vp his Campe to giue carefull directions for the timelie imbarking of the munition ordnance and other necessaries for preuenting of greater mischiefe with this answere they dismissed the Admerall About fiue of the clock in the Euening my Lords the States being embarked in the hauen of Ostend and word brought them that his Excellencie was come thither in person accompanied by my Lord his brother Barneuelt the Lord of Santen and others were set on shore and had some conference with his Excellencie which done they tooke their leaues and returned to the ships His Excellencie had shewed them sundry reasons why he thought it not fit to continue the Armie any longer before Niewport and therefore resolued to depart thence and to lead it before the forts about Ostend and first to assault Isabelles for t and then the rest The States hauing taken their leaue set faile about six or seuen of the clocke the same euening and arriued on the 17 day in the Morning at Middelbourg where they resolued to goe to Berghen-op-Zoom and there gaue audience to the commissioners of the generall States of the Prouinces on the other side assembled at Bruxels viz. the lord Gerart of Horne Earle of Bassingeri Philip of Pentinck lord of Vicht the Drossart or Magistrat of the land of Montfort and Master Henrie de Coâ—t pentioner of the citie of Ypre and to this end sent them passeport writing vnto them to meet at Berghen-op-Zoom on Thursday the 20 of Iulie these letters were sent in post to gouernour Bacx that he might send them away by a Trumpet with commaundement to make readie the Court against their comming and to prepare lodging for both parties The eighteenth and nineteenth of Iulie the States tarried at Middelbourg taking order for whatsoeuer was necessarie for the Common-wealths seruice Letters likewise were brought from Ostend certifying them that his Excellencie had on the 17 of the same moneth begun to breake vp his campe had brought his armie neere to Ostend to besiege the fort of Isabella The 20 of Iulie early in the Morning the generall States departed from Middelbourg to Berghen-op-Zoom where they arriued the same Euening whither the commissioners of the other side likewise came the same night within an houre after their arriuall being in number 23 who supped that night in the companie of the said Lords at the gouernours house The 21 day they deliuered their letters of credence and commission and after dinner an answer was prepared for them At night the commissioners supt with the said Lords whither the gouernour and some of the Magistrats were inuited and hauing receiued their answer in an enclosed letter whereof a coppie was giuen to each of them they departed thence on the 22 day verie early in the Morning The Magistrats of Berghen did that day at dinner feast my Lords the States who in the afternoone embarked themselues and sayled till they came before Saint Annes-land where they came to an ankor tarrying for the Aduocat Barnevelt and the Burgomaster Vander Dussen who were goneto a place called Saint Martins Dike to visit Count Hohenlo who was sicke meaning to returne the next day to the States The three and twentieth day the said lord Barnevelt being returned they weighed ankor and set saile but hauing a contrarie wind the said lords landed in the countrie of Putte and by crossing certaine passages arriued the same night about tenne or eleuen of the clocke at the Hague leauing their baggage with the ensignes and cornets woon at the battaile of Niewport to follow after which were brought the next day in the afternoone to the Hague The said ensignes cornets and some Trumpets were on the eight and twentieth of Iulie hung vp in the great hall of the court for a perpetuall remembrance of so famous and notable a victorie graunted by God to these countries ¶ A true description of the bloudie battaile betwixt Prince Maurice of Nassau and the Archduke Albert of Austria woon neere Niewport in Flanders the 2 of Iulie Anno 1600. THe Archduke vpon intelligence that his Excellencie lay before Niewport did speedily march with his armie towards the Downes the verie same way that his Excellencie had gone intending to passe on directly to Niewport His Excellencie vsing all meanes possible to hinder his comming and to win time did on the 2 of Iulie by day break send his cousen count Ernest of Nassau forth of the armie with 2 foot regiments Scots Zelanders 4 cornets of horse vnto whom the States according to his Excellencies direction added certaine companies of the garrison of Ostend to stop the enemies passage ouer the bridges lying vpon a water on the high way towards the Downes neere to Alberts fort But the enemie before their arriuall had alreadie taken the bridge passed ouer his chief force our men being too few to hinder his passage to the Downes and our regiments being engaged by the enemie too weake to make resistance against their whole armie yet after a braue fight like valiant souldiers they were at last put to rout the whole losse falling on the Scots who lost all their Captaines and commaunders and 800 of themselues were slaine vpon the place among whom were eleuen Captaines many Lieutenants and other officers vpon this victorie the Archduke wrot to Bruges that he had defeated Prince Maurice his vantgard and so engaged the rest of his Armie as he could not escape whereupon Bells were the same day rung at Bruges and afterwards in other townes as though they had already wonne all but to their great losse they soone perceiued the contrarie This ouerthrow did greatly perplex the States and others that were in Ostend considering the great danger the Common-wealth might haue sustained if any mishap had befallen our Campe which lay on both sides the Hauen diuided one from an other And because in such extremities when human helpe seemeth
others hoping to moue the Archduke to goe and besiege Ostend to free Flaunders from daily contributions and expence it was at for entertainement of so many garrisons and forts vpon passages and to that end offered the Archduke a great summe of money The States of Holland did with all possible speed build a great gallie at Dort to make head against those of Sluce in length eight and fortie paces so soone as it was readie it was in September sent into Zeland it carried fifteene brasse pieces many Bases it was mand with rowers and souldiers the rowers sat vpon benches and were shrowded with a defence which was musket proofe it was called the blacke gallie of Dort the Captains name was Iacob Michielz it was presently sent to Sluce and there recouered a ship taken by the enemie On the 29 of September the Admerall of Zeland and Captaine Legier with this gallie well prouided and certaine shalops went towards Antuerpe and in the night passed by Ordam Fort the garrison supposed they were boats which went to victuall Hulst About midnight comming before Antuerpe they there found the Admerals ship a goodlie great vessell called a Smackseil or Cromsteven so big and strong as the Hollanders had none such it was of the burthen of one thousand eight hundred tunne or more it carried sixteene or seuenteene brasse pieces beside those of Iron and the Bases it had three tier of ordnance one aboue another Captaine Maes the Admerall was then absent this vessell lay opposit to the new Towne towards Flanders point The blacke gallie stemd this ship with her yron beak so forcibly as they could hardly get it out againe but with great danger were faine to saw it off the souldiers in the meane time became Masters of the ship some of them that were in it were slaine others leapt into the water and escaped by swimming The ship being taken our souldiers enforced the two ship Boyes whose liues they saued to tell them where the sailes and other tacklings were which done they fell downe the riuer with the Tide They likewise took two new vessels which daily carried prouision to Bruxels and Malines each of them carrying foure brasen pieces and others of yron with fiue other vessels called Smackes which by chaunce they tooke the same night and with these eight vessels fell downe the riuer towards Lillo hauing gotten aboue fiftie pieces of ordnance a bootie more worth than the gallie Those of Antuerpe hearing the shot th' alarme was presently ouer the Citie and the sooner because our Trumpets vpon the Key sounded the song of William of Nassau so well knowne wherein they recorded the commendation of the late vertuous Prince of Orange Within a while after the Admerall and Count Arenbourg came to Antuerpe to punish the negligence of the Admerall Maes and others and to preuent the like affronts he likewise caused a Fort to be built vpon the Key to defend the ships by night ¶ Captaine Cloet winneth the Castle of Cracow on the 9 of Februarie 1601. THe Castle of Cracow and Lordship thereof being by the last will and Testament of the Countesse of Meurs giuen to his Excellencie as a Lordship vnder the jurisdiction thereof the Duke of Parma in ann ' 1586 had giuen it to Salentino Count of Isenbourg in regard of certaine claime he laid vnto it since when the said Earle had still possest it and placed a certain fellow for captaine there who was called long Huben with 15 or 16 souldiers to gard the Castle which by nature was strong being seated in a fennie soile But Prince Maurice being desirous to enjoy his owne and vnderstanding that the Dikes were frozen in winter commaunded Captaine Cloet a braue and valiant souldier to make an attempt vpon the said castle with three hundred horse of Nimmeghen and certaine foot companies from Watchtendonck The said Captaine according to his Excellencies commaund came to Niewkerke nere to Wachtendonck on the eighth of Februarie whereof the gouernour of Stralen hauing intelligence followed him with fortie horse and 500 foot who in the Morning by day breake did so fiercely assaile Cloets souldiers as 40 of them were surprised ere their fellowes knew it who at last turned backe and perceiued that those of Stralen retired through a certaine narrow way verie aduantagious for footmen against horse the enemy hauing by this time taken 30 of Cloets horsemen prisoners most of whom being of his Excellencies companie were soon released for Cloet thereby incensed took another way by which he intercepted their passage and incountring them at their comming forth of that way vpon a plaine he assailed the Gouernor of Stralen in front behind and ouerthrew many of his horse and foot the rest escaped into a house which he presently encompassed enforced them to yeeld on composition and on condition to pay ransome He freely sent away three hundred and seuentie souldiers and onely detayned the Generall Dulchen gouernour of Straelen prisoner with Captaine Golstein and seuen officers as caution for the rest Cloet lost sixe or seuen men and many of his men and horse were hurt After that the foot companies of Wachtendonck came to Cloet and went forwards towards Cracow and arriued there on the ninth of Februarie at night the horse men alighted and went ouer the yee into the first Court of the Castle thereupon those within it began to shoot but Captaine Cloet shot so terribly vpon the Gate as those within it durst not abide there and then he caused his men to crosse the dike to let downe the draw-bridge and to plant the Perard at the Gate which presently brake it open Whereupon those within yeelded themselues and Castle by day breake Captaine Cloet left his Lieutenant there with fortie men 20 horse til his Excellencies further pleasure were known and returned againe to his garrison hauing performed that which was enjoyned him and by this meanes his Excellencie became Master of this Castle and Lordship ¶ The second siege and taking of the Towne of Rhynberg in Anno 1601. RHynberg is a towne belonging to the Bishopricke of Collein seated on the Southward of the Rhyne eight miles from Collein it is rather small than bigge and fortified with double rampiers well seated both for warre and traffique taking great toll of all goods and Merchandise which come downe the riuer During these warres both parties haue sundrie times fortified it and first in the warre of Collein betwixt the two Bishops it fell into the hands of the vnited Prouinces which a long time held defended it against the atteÌ„pts of the Spaniards freeing the riuer both from the prince of Parma who after the taking of Nuis in anno 1586 did furiously assaile it on the 13 of August and wâ—â— enforced to raise his siege hauing lien three moneths before the towne which he left blocked vp with many Forts as also from the Marquesse Varrabon who pursued continued the said siege in
thence to the Bulwarke on the East-side which he began to vndermine in three seuerall places The dayes following he likewise woon with the time the rest of the intrenchments which were without the towne partly by force and Mynes and partly because the enemie quitted them And on the two and twentieth of Iulie his Excellencie came altogether before the Towne hauing beene kept from it by his workes without The next day he sent his Trumpet to Rhynberk who receiued this aunswer That they thanked his Excellencie for his offers but that they could not as then intend to yeeld seeing the Towne had beene besieged but one day whereupon his Excellencie the day following summoned the Towne the second time because all his Mynes were readie to play There the Townesman began to hearken vnto it crauing that they might first send some speedie messengers to Guelders to request ayd which was denyed them Whereupon at last after some treatie with the Trumpet on the one and thirtieth of Iulie they sent Captaine Botberg and Francisco Nello the Italian to the Campe about sixe of the clocke in the Euening who graunted to yeeld vp the Towne to his Excellencie on these conditions following FIrst his Excellencie is well pleased that the Gouernor of Rhynberck all the souldiers both horse and foot and all those which haue serued in the ships of warre with their Captaines and officers without exception shall freely depart with displayed ensignes armes kindled match bullets in their mouthes and drumme beating their wiues familie stuffe wagons horse and other things thereunto belonging without examining any one for matters done and namely the person of Iohn Peters-Thas Captaine of a Ship who certaine yeares before yeelded both himselfe and ship to the enemie 2 The gouernour shall carrie away with him two field-pieces such as his Excellencie shall thinke fit with two barrels of powder and fiftie bullets 3 His Excellencie shall lend them two hundred horse to carie the sicke wounded men and baggage to Guelders and shall giue a safe-conduct for the souldiers and their baggage to Maestricht and if any of those that be hurt are vnwilling as yet to depart they may remaine in the towne till they be healed and may afterwards goe their way with the gouernours Passeport 4 That the Lord Evert de Ens his wife and children with their writings stuffe and goods may freely depart as also the Councellor Westendorp Nicholas de Houe the receiuers of the reuenew and contributions with their writings and stuffe as hath beene said and namely Goswijn de Manen the customer his officers who may depart either by land or water vnto whom his Excellencie will giue a passeport as likewise to all Commissaries and officers belonging to the king of Spaine or the Archduke without any refusall who are not to be detained for any cause or pretence whatsoeuer 5 That the Gouernour shall satisfie the Magistrate and Burghers for all such debts that he oweth since the siege with the goods belonging to his Highnesse arising of booties taken and Merchandise confiscat and found vpon the riuer Rhyne contrarie to the Placard 6 That the Gouernour shall send for all those whose cattaile haue been taken from them during the siege and giue them letters of assignation to procure satisfaction from their Highnesses because it was done in their seruice 7 That the prisoners expences by reason of contributions shall be presently payed according to the treatie made with the Admerall of Arragon and confirmed by his highnesse 8 That the receiuer Iohn le Bruni may freely depart with his writings and stuffe in giuing a coppie of the moneyes remayning behind hand of the reuenewes of the Countie of Zutphen and Countrie of Ouer-Yssel 9 That all horse taken on both sides during the siege shal be redeemed euerie one at the rate of twentie liures 10 That all victuallers and Merchants following the Campe belonging to the king together with his Highnesse souldiers may remaine in the towne till such time as they haue sold their wares and afterwards depart with the gouernours passeport 11 That all Burghers who are willing to leaue the Towne and dwell elsewhere may sell their goods and horses within the space of â—ixe moneths 12 That all religious persons men and women may freely and safely depart 13 That prisoners on both sides shall be released According to this treatie the gouernour D. Hieronimo went his way on the first of August in the Morning with sixteene ensignes amongst whom were sixe companies of Almans thirtie horse eightie sailers accompanied with two hundred and nine wagons full of stuffe and hurt men leauing the towne verie ruinous and more than one thousand two hundred of his souldiers deâ—d there fiftie barrels of powder and victuals for two moneths The States of the vnited Prouinces and Prince Maurice did after this manner win the towne resoluing to keepe it both for the serâ—â—ce of the Countrie and for their neighbours and allies of â—â—e sacred Empire vnto whom it importeth much to haue the Riuer free that no foreine armies may crosse it a towne deseruing to be kept at the Empires common cost so as they determined to fortifie it caused a great fort to be made in the Island standing in the riuer before the towne for finishing whereof a bargaine was made with certaine men for a round summe of money the gouernement of the towne was giuen to Colonell Gystâ—lls The Nobilitie the States of the Countrie of Ouer-Yssel perceiuing that their Countrie and the riuer Rhyne was free causâ—d a placard to be published on the eight and twentieth of Iulie forbidding to pay any contribution to the enemie appointing good gard to be kept in euerie village and parish on great penalties as to the officers on forfeiture of 25 crowns and the Boore one crown as often as they should be found faultie therein They were likewise commanded to be readie with their armies so soon as the alarme bell should ring prohibiting on paine of life that no man should harbour any of the enemies souldiers and he that could take any of the enemies souldiers dead or aliue in the Countrie should receiue fiue and twentie florins of the Countries money If any Merchant trauailing by the way should happen to be taken or hurt by the enemie those of the Countrie or place where it was done shall be bound to pay his ransome and satisfie his losses and it shall not be lawfull for any man to hold any correspondence with the enemie with many other points necessarie for the countries preseruation ¶ His Excellencie takes the towne of Meurs on the 16 of August Anno 1601. BEcause the towne of Meurs was garded but by certaine souldiers called Hanevederen which lay there in garrison seruing the Duke of Cleues for whom they kept it Prince Maurice pretending claime to that Earledome as giuen vnto him by the Countesse of Walbourg did on the sixt of August send Captaine Cloet and Colonel Edmonds thither
27 day they set saile and made towards the Portugal fleet shooting fiercely one at another On the East side of Bantam towards the farthest Island lay two great gallies who seeing the Hollanders betooke themselues to flight thinking to escape but two of our ships the one called Vtrecht and the other la Garde assailed them Diuers Portugals got vp into the Vtrecht thinking to saue themselues but our men being in feare of their multitude called the Brigantine to their aid at whose arriuall most of them leapt into the sea The Captaine of the one gallie was called Francesco de Sousa sonne to Iohn de Teues Contador Major of Lisbone In this gallie were 23 Portugals and 60 Indians among whom the said captain with certaine Portugals were saued the rest were for the most part slaine In the other gallie which our Brigantine la Garde assailed and tooke was an old Captaine who had faithfully serued the king of Spaine in those parts for the space of 32 yeares his name was Andrea Rodrigues Palhota he refusing to yeeld was strucken throgh the bodie with a pike They tooke foure brasse pieces out of the said gallie afterwards burnt them both notwithstanding that they were laden with Rice and other victuals And because by certaine prisoners we haue learnt the particulars of that fleet it shall not be impertinent to speake somewhat of them First there were fiue gallions of Goa of which Andrea Furtudo de Mendoza was Admerall the Vice-Admerall Thomas Zuza de Reucha Francisco Silua de Menesee Antonio Zuza Faleud and D. Lopes dâ—Almeyda were Captaines There were two ships of Malacca whose Captaines were Traiano Rodrigues de Castel-Bianca and Ioza-Pinto There was one gallion of Cochin whose Captaine was Sebastiano Swarco These are the Captaines names of the eight gallions There was moreouer one Gallion and eighteen foists which departed likewise from Malacca came to Seylao and went on no farther one of them excepted which our men tooke whose Captaine was Francisco de Zuza Toues From Nimar and Seylao came two foists and as many gallies whose Captaines were Andrea Rodrigues Palhota slaine by our men Andrea Guiedes de Carnalco Diego de Melo and Manuel Dias From Malacca came two gallions commanded by these Captains Gonçalo Vus de Castel-Bianco Andrea Pessoa And beside these two other vessels called Ioncques commanded by Captaine Francesco de Maris and seuen Brigantines with oares It was likewise reported that there were aboue eight hundred Portugals in the fleet beside the sailers which were all Indians That foure other ships and one Brigantine lay at Achea and that the fleet expected none other supplies but onely those which in Aprill were to come from Goa The eight and twentieth day the wind blew hard so as they could beare no saile each side being enforced to lye still The nine and twentieth and thirtieth daies they remained quiet on the West of Iaua a little beyond the point of Bantam The Portugal fleet had gotten the wind of the Hollanders but durst not come vp to assaile them which our men would haue done if the time and wind would haue permitted them yet because they would not be idle they did set fire on 2 of their gallies meaning thereby to inforce the Hollanders to retire but they were burnt ere they could come neere them they did likewise sinke two of their Foists neere to the shoare The one and thirtieth day the Hollanders weighed ankor setting forward with an intent to charge their enemies notwithstanding they had a faire wind who perceiuing their meaning hoisted saile and the wind beginning to slacken the Hollanders strooke saile and tarried for them because the Portugals should not thinke that they meant to runne away they let fall their ankors which they seeing did the like not daring to assaile them The first of Ianuarie 1602 in the Morning the Admerall of Holland Wolfart Harmanz weighed ankor clapt on all his sailes and directed his course towards the Portugall fleet who with full sailes came likewise towards them so as at first euerie man imagined they would haue fought but when they came nere one another the Portugals turned backe being afraid of our ordnance Their Admerall in vain displaied the banner for the fight his men hauing no deuotion to it Whereupon on the third day the Hollanders returned towards Bantam where they were most kindly entertained Their losse was small they were greatly honoured ouer all the whole Countrie They lost but one man yet many of them were hurt the harme done to their ships was repaired ere they departed froÌ„ Bantam where to that end and likewise to refresh their men they continued till the 12 of the same moneth And notwithstanding there was freight enough at Bantam yet they were desirous to pursue their voyage to the Molucques where on the 17 of Febr. the Admeral arriued at Terrenata finding our men that had biâ— left there to be in good health The king did with singular loue and affection entertaine him being exceedingly grieued that the gathering time of Cloues had been for certaine yeres verie vnseasonable so as he could not furnish the fleet to their content yet he hoped ere long to giue them full satisfaction promising that none should buy any Spice in his Dominions ere our fleet were sufficiently stored Not long after our other ships arriued likewise at Bantam and there tooke in their burthen all of them retiring into the Low-Countries richly loden We cannot be thankefull enough to God for this victorie the benefit whereof was by time more manifested For we haue not a little daunted the Portugals pride ouer-weening and reputation and augmented the valour of those who from hence trauaile to the Eastern Indies For as the Reader may perceiue by the aboue mentioned enterprise of Cunall the Portugals thinke three hundred of their men good enough for fiue thousand Indians what rumor then will bee spred in India how that fiue of our merchant ships did put the great fleet of Portugal to flight But it is God that encourageth his seruants to attempt great matters brauely to execute them and to come off with honor To him be glory for euer ¶ A description of the horrible bloudie and vnheard of siege of the towne of Ostend besieged by the Archduke Albert of Austria in the yeares 1601 1602 1603 and 1604. SOme will peraduenture thinke it strange that among the victories of the vnited Netherland Prouinces wee set downe the famous siege of Ostend seeing it was not Prince Maurice but the Archduke of Austria that besieged and tooke it with great losse of humane bloud incredible expence and to the smal profit and aduantage of his countries Yet if any man will well consider this siege and the sequence of the Historie reading it to the end hee will find and confesse that this siege hath giuen to the state of these countries not one but many victories both in that this towne was so well defended and thereby
much hurt done to the enemie forces as also because during this siege they haue wonne from the Archduke the townes of Rhynberck Graue and Sluce each of which is as much worth and as commodious for these countries as Ostend euer was or could haue beene On the other side seeing this siege was so notable as wee neuer read of the like and that the honour of our gallant Captaines and souldiers in defending it together with their braue exploits do manifestly therein appeare we should do them wrong to paste them ouer in silence Before we come to the description thereof we will first briefely speake of the situation of the towne and the duke of Parmas sundrie attemps vpon it and lastly what moued the Archduke to besiege it for it would be ouer tedious to set downe euerie daies actions there we will only touch the principall occurrences and whosoeuer is desirous to know more wee refer him to a Iournall that hath beene Printed thereof Ostend not long since was a small contemptible towne fortified at first against the enemies incursions with woodden gates and Pallisadoes sixe yeares after videlicet in an 1572 the States of the vnited Prouinces hauing wel considered the scituation and commodiousnesse thereof caused it to be so strongly fortified as the duke of Parma by reason of alteration in the gouernement hauing woon the townes of Dunkerke and Niewport comming before Ostend could not take it for considering with himselfe that he should lose much and winne little by tarrying there after some 5 dayes lying before it he departed thence in anno 1583. Since that time Ostend continuing vnder the States gouernement they haue omitted nothing necessarie for the fortifying and assurance thereof and in anno 1600 it was so well fenced not onely within by renewing and heighthening the bulwarkes and rampiers but likewise without by new dikes and counterscarpes as we may rightly number it among the most impregnable places of Europe for the rampiers within were verie high and diuided by a deepe ditch from the counterscarpes without which tooke all hope from the enemie of being able to force or hold them Beside it seemeth that Nature by this Towne was willing to shew the world some raritie for within these few yeares the Sea hath made it more impregnable than before by a new rupture on the East-side of the towne which they terme the gullet it is in breadth aboue one hundred foot and within the land the depth of two pikes euen at low water and in the Sea where it takes it originall it is not halfe fathom deepe It cannot be denied but it hath euer had a Hauen but the old is not comparable to the new for the old Hauen euerie six houres at an ebbe leaues to that which encloseth the Towne a free accesse and meanes to fill it vp so as no boats can that way enter without great danger The generall States for the better defence of the towne hauing caused the sand hils on the East-side which are neere the Gullet whose height command it to be leuelled the sea at euery Tide doth so fill the leuelled place as the seemeth vnto mans judgement that no meanes can be found to take that Hauen from the towne for commonly at euerie Tide the Sea riseth so high as it extendes it selfe 1200 paces beyond the Towne and at full sea a league into the countrie so as the whole land round about is filled with water together with many dikes and ruptures so that without great daunger a man can hardly passe In a word whatsoeuer might serue for the strengthning and assurance of a towne hath not beene omitted or spared for any cost whatsoeuer for Ostend stands so as it can keepe a great part of Flaunders euerie way vnder contribution whereupon the Flemings haue still gone about to make it theirs and since that the Prince of Parma was enforced to giue ouer his seige before it they haue by all meanes sought to surprise it on the sodaine or otherwise and among others La Motte gouernour of Flaunders in anno 1585 hauing along the sea shore surprised the old towne which was onely fortified with a Raueling and Pallisadoes attempted to fortifie and intrench himsefe there but hee was driuen thence with great losse of men among whom fortie of his Captaines were slaine Againe in anno 1596 after Archduke Albert had taken Calais the States of Flaunders did earnestly solicite him to imploy his forces in besieging Ostend and to that end promised to giue him beside the ordinarie allowance of three moneths three hundred thousand florins to which motion his Highnesse in part seemed to encline taking certaine summes of mony before hand yet hee onely shewed himselfe before the towne and hauing viewed it presently went thence This attempt beeing vaine and perceiuing that stratagems and sodaine surprisals made the souldiers of Ostend more vigilant they watched a time till the Archdukes armie enuaded the fontiers of Holland amusing the States of the vnited Prouinces thereby to diuert their forces from Flaunders and Brabant and then they built seuenteene or eighteene forts about the towne therein following the direction of a reuolted corporall who had a long time serued in Ostend knew what would most annoy them this they did to stop the incursions of those of Ostend and to cut off the contributions which they raised in the countrie But time and experience taught them that the intertainment of the Garrisons which they were to keepe in the said forts amounted to more than the contribution which the townesmen raised vpon the countrie and besides that the roades of them which lay in Gartison in the forts were more hurtfull than the contributions so as at last they were so earnest with the Archduke shewing him the necessitie of the matter and how hee ought to lay hold on that occasion his Excellencie lying then before Berck with diuers other reasons which they alledged as his highnesse was moued to enterprise and beginne this siege and to this end on the fift of Iuly 1â—01 hee sent Count Frederick Vanden Bergh thither as marshall of the Camp with foure regiments of souldiers who encamped on the downes Eastward from the towne and the next day plaied with foure canon vpon it to giue them notice of his arriuall and the same day after noone D. Augustino de Mexia gouernour of the castle of Antuerpe came thither with 5 regiments making vp the number of 8000 men and foure Cornets of horse who encamped on the West side of the town that hee might lie betwixt the forts of Isabella and Albert but those of the towne shot so at him as with losse he was enforced to retire to the downes from whence by little and little hee made his approches with entrenchments and so planted his canon In the towne were one and twentie camps of souldiers of sundry regiments and one companie of Burgers it was well stored with ordnance munition victuals and all necessaries the Lord
the Almans promising them great rewards and though Mynes were made on both sides yet he was desirous to get the Sand hill whereupon he gaue an assault by part of the Almans of the regiments of Biglia and Barlaymont and as those that went formost were blowne vp into the ayre by the Townes Mynes and they that followed retiring thereupon hee enforced them to march againe to the charge saying that there were no more mines which they found to be true and so without any resistance took the Sand hill and highly recompenced the Almains hee vsed like meanes against the other forts for all the besiegeds defence consisted in sallies wherby they often draue the enemies forth of those places they had gotten The besieged by meanes of their Ingeneers and by Rafe Dexter the English man who had a long time serued in these countries had behind the bulwarks of the Sand hill and Helmont made a new Sand hill and Helmont which done they diuided the towne in the middest with bulwarks and flankeers a thwart the towne and behind it they likewise intrenched more than a quarter of it towards the Gullet and new hauen with bulwarks and flankeers for their latest retreat naming that place new Troy hoping still to hold out for a time But all these new works being not stedfast and firme could not long resist the Canon for the enemie had alreadie brought his ordnance vpon the Rampiers and battered the new town Whereupon the besieged perceiuing that the Sand hill was lost and that the enemie vndermined the towne neere to the old Church and that it was likely that high tides with an North-east wind would do much hurt because the old towne was their best defence against the Sea they aduertized the Generall States and Prince Maurice who were assembled at Sluce of their condition Their Lordships and his Excellencie considering that by the conquest of Sluce and other places they had now gotten footing in Flaunders and thereby were able to inuade the enemie in his owne Countrie which they had a long time desired and that now Ostend would stand them in no great steed it beeing enuironed and blockt vp with so many of the enemies forts and also a place from whence the Archduke could not annoy them and might easily bee by them recouered so long as they were Lords at Sea These and such like reasons beeing well weighed The States gaue authoritie and leaue to the Lord of Marquet Gouernour of Ostend to capitulate with the enemie for his most aduantage seing themselues were out of feare of the Archdukes forces before Sluce that winter Thereupon the Lord of Marquet with his Councell of war fearing least winter would impaire his composition began to ship away his ordnance munition remainder of victuals and all those whom he supposed might haue hindred the treatie as Preachers Ingeneers Gunners c. Then hee sent two Captaines forth of the town to treat with the Marquis about surrendring it the enemie likewise sending two hostages into the towne At last on the twentieth of September 1604 after much contestation about the ensuing articles the accord was made betwixt Marquis Spinola in name of their highnesses on the one side and the Lord Gouernour Colonels and Captaines in Ostend on the other FIrst that all Church men with their goods and mouables may freely and without impediment depart thence 2 That the Gouernour Colonels Captaines and souldiers of what qualitie or condition soeuer as well within the towne as abroad in the forts the Captaines of ships of war with their officers mariners and souldiers may freely depart with all their vessells loaden or otherwise to Flushing with all their armes ensignes displaied drumes beating match in cocke and bullets in the mouthes together with all their baggage and if they shall want boats for transporting their baggage and hurt men time shall bee graunted them to procure such according as wind and weather will permit which boats shall likewise freely returne 3 That the said Gouernour Colonels Captaines and souldiers may take four peece of ordnance with them and no more without any powder And to this end for better assurance of his Highnesse Captaine Wingaert Lieutenant of the ordnance shall make a reuiew thereof not vnloading any of the boats in the hauen And for conduct of the said boats the Master of the ordnance Gentlemen Conductors Gunners Carpenters Pioners horse and whatsoeuer depends thereon shall freely depart 4 All Officers and Commissaries which haue managed accounts and souldiers pay others may freely depart with the goods armour horse and other things belonging to their office 5 That all Commissaries of victuals and other the States Officers may do the like 6 That the two Captaines Lantscroone and Gystels that were prisoners with all other Officers and souldiers shall be freely released as likewise all Captaines Officers and souldiers belonging to his Highnesse who are prisoners in Ostend Alwayes prouided that the prisoners on either side shall pay their costs and charges 7 That all Burghers victuallers and others in pay or out of pay may likewise freely depart with their armes mouables boats and baggage 8 That the said Gouernour Colonels and Captaines shall this present day deliuer vp to such as the Marquis shall appoint all the old towne with the small plat-formes called Moyses Table and foure hostages in whose stead the said Gouernour Captaines and Colonels shall retaine those whom they haue alreadie 9 The said Gouernour Colonels Captaines souldiers and officers are all of them bound to depart on the two and twentieth of this moneth because it is not possible for them to doe it sooner by reason of foule weather as for sicke and hurt men they may follow after with the baggage 10 If by reason of a contrarie wind the Gouernour Colonels Captaines and souldiers can not depart at the time appointed they shall then be bound to goe their way by land and to that end such wagons as are needfull shall be lent them 11 And for securitie of their persons and boats if foule weather should happen to delay their departure yet that this Article may not be infringed hostages shall be giuen them for their Highnesses who when the boats shall depart shall be safely sent backe to Ostend as also those Hostages giuen by the Gouernour Colonels and Captaines to his Highnesse shall remaine as caution for the aboue said wagons till their returne and shall afterwards be sent safely to Sluce In this manner did the famous siege of Ostend breake vp which continued three yeres and fourescore daies a siege which will be spoken of so long as the world lasteth and will seeme incredible to after ages The accord thus made the enemie entred the old towne and our men into their intrenched workes called New Troy till the two and twentieth of September and then they went away by land according to the capitulation crossing the gullets in sloops and Ferrie-boats Gouernour Marquette the Colonels Captaines and others
were by Marquis Spinola inuited to a banquet whilest the troops were putting themselues in order to march They went along the Sea side after this manner the French led the Vauntgard the Dutch the battaile and the English and Scots the rereward they were in number three thousand all lustie able men they caried foure peece of ordnance with them towards Blanckenberg and the next morning arriued at the camp where Prince Maurice and all the Lords did courteously welcome them taking them by the hand saluting them all as they rode through the troops thanking them for their faithfull seruice done to the commonwealth Then their Quarter was appointed where they should rest the captaines officers and braue souldiers being preferred to good places and largely recompenced Most of the Burghers likewise went their way to Sluce The Baylie of Ostend was made Baylie of Sluce and none taried in Ostend but a few old people Diuers notes were found of the number of those that died at this siege one of Spinolas souldiers that was slaine before Sluce had a note about him of all the colonels captaines officers and souldiers which died before Ostend An Alman gentleman that was at Ostend saith that during the siege there died 15 Colonels seuen Marshals of the camp 19 Sergeant Majors 560 Captaines 322 Enseignes 4911 Sergeants 1166 Lieutenants 9166 Corporals 56366 souldiers six thousand and eleuen Mariners one thousand one hundred nintie sixe women and children amounting in all to 76961. All these died from the beginning of the siege to the last of Iuly 1604 not accounting those that died since This number is great and incredible vnto which the sick and wounded which were sent abroad to the Hospitals may be added Some haue likewise set downe the number of the besieged which was verie great but I think it impossible truely to number them for those that were sicke or hurt were presently sent away but the number of the enemies was far greater yet the besieged had more plentie of all things endured lesse miserie than the Archdukes souldiers who lay 3 whole winters in so cold and moist a place and therefore it is likely that very many of all nations died there Ostend was afterwards visited by diuers men of all sorts who found it an heap of stonss sand there were few houses but many cabins much munition and some 11 peece of ordnance which were vnseruiceable with certain morters and other engins and an infinite number of bullets The Archdukes went thither to see the town which they wonderfully admired perceiued that they had spent consumed huge sums of money time and men onely to wyn an heape of sand and finding it ruinous and inhabitable they gaue order to haue it repayred From thence their Highnesses went in pilgrimage to our Ladies neere Dunkerke to whom many attributed the victorie they gaue order that the houses and Church should bee reedified and the towne fenced against the waues of the Sea and the better to drawe people to dwell there they gaue great priuiledges and immunities to it but the first yeare fewe came thither and at this day they haue neither fishing nor nauigation ¶ A description of the Generall States armie marching through the Dutchie of Brabant vnder conduct of Prince Maurice of Nassau in Anno 1602. THe Estates generall of the vnited Prouinces together with his Excellencie Prince Maurice of Nassau considering that the Archduke of Austria went about by all meanes to reenforce his troopes which hee alreadie had in the low Countries with a new and mightie armie from Italy and with it not only to continue the siege of Ostend but to inuade the said vnited Prouinces were likewise desirous for their parts to shew their fatherly care aswell for defence of their owne subiects as for abating the pride of the haughtie Spaniards and preuenting all his determinations did in the beginning of Iune 1602 with great expence set forth a gallant armie of horse and foot which on the 17 of the said moneth passed master at Elten in the Isle of S Gravenweert at Pauderen and places neere adioining it consisted of more then 5000 horse and 18000 foot with 1930 wagons not accompting those of victuallers 6047 horse of draught General fasts praiers being made ouer the whole countrie the army crossed the Rhyn Waell vpon two bridges made ouer those riuers and marched towards Nimmeguen and from thence to Moocke where his Excellencie as Generall of the army caused some of his troops to passe the Mase and the same night reposed his armie at Moock from whence without any stop hee passed his forces ouer the Mase and lodged at little Linden brauely determining to go and seeke the enemy and to offer him battaile who had alreadie receiued his Italian forces and if God should grant him the victorie hee then hoped to bee able to relieue Ostend which had beene besieged eleuen moneths or at least if hee could not sitly meet with him yet to dare him who seemed to desire nothing more than to meet with his Excellencie vpon his owne territories to reuenge his losse at the battaile of Niewport in Flaunders The whole armie beeing in Brabant the Generall States of the vnited Prouinces made a declaration and caused it to be printed wherein they shewed the causes why they had prepared this army the effect whereof was thus For as much as the Generall States of the vnited Netherland Prouinces haue by Gods grace and assistance of Princes and and Potentates their friends done their vtmost for the serious aduancement and profit of the Netherlands this present yere to free them wholy from the tyrannie of the Spainards and their adherents And because it is iust and reasonable that all prouinces townes villages parishes and inhabitants of the low Countries that groane vnder the Spanish yoak should presently aide and assist them In that regard the administrators of N. N. are intreated and warned for the first and last time to deliuer within three daies after sight hereof into the hands of the deputie of the receiuer Generall of the vnited Prouinces resident in our armie the summe of N. N. in abatement of the contributions wherewith they haue been and still are charged for the freedome of the low Countries vpon sight hereof the said administrators shall send two hostages into our camp for the said paiement with commission to treat with our commissioners as wel in regard of reasonable contributions as for their owne defence that they be not molested by our souldiers wherein these presents shall serue for their safegard and passeport otherwise for default of accomplishing the tenor of these presents we will therin proceed which we shall be verie sorie to doe by way of armes Giuen in the assemblie of the said Lords generall States at the Hague the 7 of Iuly 1602. Here de Hotting a vidit and subsigned C. Aerssens The said Lords did likewise cause this ensuing placard or inscription to bee
printed that the Countries might seriously looke to what they were to doe To the high illustrious honorable noble learned wise and discreet Lords good freinds and neighbours the Prelats Princes Earls Lords Gentlemen and Cities of Brabant Flaunders Artois Hainalt Valenciennes Lisle Douay Orchies Namur Tournay Tournesis and Malines representing the bodie of the Netherlands vnder the Spanish or Archdukes gouernment To all of them in generall and to euery of them in particular MY Lords wee doubt not but that your Excellencies do still remember the louing remonstrances and exhortations which we haue often made vnto you wherein we intreated you maturely to consider and well weigh the determination and end of the Spaniards and their adherents enemies to the State lawes priuiledges goods and persons of the Netherlands viz. their originall and rooted determination which is so base and hurtfull as it wholy tends to the entire ruine of the Inhabitants of these Countries We know very well notwithstanding that the said determination is likewise among you held indubitable that some of your Excellencies haue beene drawne thereunto partly by your owne good natures and partly by persuasions that matters might bee redressed and amended by meanes of the Archdukes and presence of their Highnesses But because we are well assured of the Spaniards and their adherents continuance in their determination for ruine of the Netherlands and subiecting them for euer to the Spanish yoake that they might beare rule ouer the consciences bodies lawes and goods of the inhabitants thereof and that the Archduke can no way helpe it this is the reason why wee cannot bee of your opinion And not to precipitate your Excellencies nor our selues into a certaine continuall and irreparable ruine we haue found out this to be the best remedie still to continue with a constant courage in the laudable resolution taken from the beginning by the chiefe persons and members of the whole Netherlands of all estates and conditions and beeing assured of the aide and assistance of God and that of Kings Princes and Republiks with whom wee are in league as also on the equitie of our cause wee doe patiently expect good successe especially by your Excellencies directions and discreet gouernment and will voluntarily vndergoe all difficulties daungers and expences requisite for maintenance of so holie commendable honourable and necessarie resolution Nor can the base and deceitfull conueyance of the low Countries made to their Highnesses euer moue vs to any alteration we hauing in that regard after the said conueyance seriously by letters and word of mouth conferring with your commissioners requested and exhorted your Excellencies to bee carefull on your side for the managing and gouernment of affaires of State and war both within and without the Countrie wee are well assured that if it bee duely considered and not with a passionate spirit that none will iudge otherwise but that the said deceitfull conueyance doth vndoubtedly tend to the assured ruine of all the Netherlands and the inhabitants thereof Your Excellencies doe perceiue vnderstand and effectually feele what is past and may easily iudge of that which is still likely to ensue so as wee think it needlesse to writ more amply vnto you of it onely we louingly intreat exhort and earnestly request your Excellencies to remember the laudable reputation purchased by your predecessors certaine hundreds of yeares past which they haue left vnto vs as a rule which is to bee Protectors and defendors of the liberties and lawes of the Netherlands in common and of the members townes and inhabitants thereof in particular and to consider whether the contents of the said idle and vnworthie conueyance and of the treatie which ensued it doth agree with the duetie wherewith your Excellencies are tied to your houses estates posteritie and especially to your Countrie Yf so which wee by no meanes think wee will pray vnto God to enlighten your Excellencies and to giue you a better and cleerer iudgement But if your Excellencies perceiue that the said pretended conueyance made for necessitie and to auoide a greater mischiefe bee deceitfull and dishonorable and as an infamous blot to the Netherlands if likewise yee vnderstand that the Spaniards and their adherents proceedings which haue ensued thereupon and are till now growne from bad to worse both in affaires of state and war as wee know that the most of your Excellencies do are preiudicious and intollerable and so by consequence your Excellencies are not bound and tied to them as repugnant to the common good the lawes and priuiledges of the Netherlands If your Excellencies doe likewise consider that all forcible extremities all prohibitions of trade and commerce all deuises and practises to entangle the Majestie of England and the vnited prouinces doe more and more come to light and are not onely repugnant to this resolution but bring forth cleane contrarie effects That the treacherous attempts on the Townes and Castles of the French king giue great occasion to take speedie reuenge That libels and rimes wherewith they seeke to make the French King and his affaires odious to the common people and call in question the rightfull successions of the Crownes of France and England are but vain propositions only tending to incense their Majesties and that they goe about in vain to raise tumult sedition amongst the people of the Low-countries considering that whilest they are at quiet and liue vnder obedience their condition thanks be to God is an hundred times better and more safe than that of the common people vnder the king of Spaine and Archdukes and that they haue no occasion to distrust their lawfull superiors or their actions but on the contrarie the Spaniards and Archdukes subjects perceiuing that all their affaires doe daily impaire that the authoritie of the States Prelats Princes Lords Gentlemen and townes of the Prouinces both in general and particular are without any respect trodden vnder-foot that they defend themselues onely with strangers in contempt of all good Patriots and that not onely in the chiefe garrisons townes and forts but generally in all matters some few excepted they seeme to proceed formally and in apparence the which without all question they will soone leaue off if they were once absolute Lords so that the Prouinces and people should not be onely without trade wealth and nauigation but euen the third part of the Inhabitants would bee depriued of necessarie meanes to liue the chiefe cities made Doue-coats the Countrie villages ruined and the people eaten and consumed to the verie bones by souldiers who are so badly payed as mutinie in one place is no sooner quieted but two worse than it breakes forth in another so as it is to be feared that in the end all will become desperate In which regard we intreat your Excellencies effectually to embrace the necessarie remedies and so to handle the matter as their Highnesses may be persuaded to depart from the Netherlands and to procure themselues a more quiet and certaine portion
he made many shot and suffered them to passe on thinking it rashnesse and indiscretion to suffer himselfe to be boorded with so many gallies at once The foure Hollanders followed them faire and softly and being come neere Graveling about tenne of the clocke at night Gerbrant Iansz-Sael of Horne with his ship of foure hundred tunne encountred one of the gallies called la Lucera which with full faile he boorded on the larboord side so as the poore slaues were in water vp to the middle crying out for mercie not making any resistance then the said Sael discharged two demie canon carrying bullets of foureteen pound weight with which he flew and hurt many A French Pilot being in the gallie whose name was Iohn Evout borne at Niew-Hauen did vnseene get aboord the Hollander and so saued his owne life In this incounter the gallie lost her sailes and oares and had her Helme broken in pieces whereby she became vnseruiceable Captaine Sael vsed all meanes to cleere himselfe from her fearing to be ouer prest with the multitudes that were in her and in the end came cleerely off hauing lost some of his saile Then did Captaine Hartmans ship boord the said gallie the second time thinking that he was the first and saued some fortie of the men and then fell off After this Captaine Sael boorded her againe sending fiue of his men aboord but perceiuing by the lamentable cries of those that were in her that she sanke he tooke in his owne men and for feare of farther daunger would saue no more of them this was about midnight and they continued neere the gallie till they could no longer see her mast aboue water Iohn Adriansz Cant the Vice-Admeral did likewise encounter the Gallie called Padilla which he ouerran and drowned and did great hurt to an other Captaine Gertsz Everts and Iacob Peters Niele with other ships that kept gard hearing the report of the Canon made vp towards them likewise and boorded this Gallie and the rest but fearing to bee endangered by them they onely saued some few to the number of two hundred and no more The rest of the Gallies beeing neere the shoare made no resistance but sought all meanes to escape The Admerall ran on ground neere to the land of Schouwe beeing pursued by a ship beyond West Cappell which gaue her ouer thinking it would perrish by foule weather But Generall Spinola that was in her behaued himselfe so courageously flinging many things ouerboord and promising freedome to the slaues as at last hee arriued with his Gallie at Dunkerke an other came safely to Calice whose men ran away two others that were fore brused by the canon ran on ground on the coasts of Flaunders and there perished Those two which were encountred by the Admerall Cant and Sael perished Cant made relation of what hee had done in Holland Gerbrant Sael of Enchuysen and Hartman did theirs in Zeland to Lord Iaques Maldre who examined the French Pilot and others sending them into Holland where honour was alreadie done to the Captaine that first brought the newes The English Captaines likewise were much discontented for that they had no share in the honor saying they were the first that had discouered and endaungered the Gallies chasing and bringing them vp to the Hollanders Of these eight gallies belonging to Spinola wherewith hee thought to haue tormented these Countries two of them were burnt in Portugall two were drowned and foure ran on ground Herein wee may consider Gods iudgements for these Gallies were the selfe same to which diuers mariners of the low Countries had beene condemned There is one thing among others worthie to be noted how that in Captaine Saels ship who first boorded the Gallie called Lucera the French Pilot saued himselfe who was a verie honest man and had beene three yeares a slaue in that Gallie and others in great miserie and wretchednesse comming with his ship into Spaine which together with his goods were confiscate and himselfe and men put into the Gallies and shauen like Turkish slaues This Pilot had here experience of Gods vengance for all the miserie he had endured seeing the gallie wherein hee had beene a slaue to sinke and Captaine Callido who had tirannized ouer him to haue both his leggs shot off of which hurt hee died in Captaine Hartmans ship This Pilot was a proper man tall and strong and could not bee set at libertie for any ransome till the accord made with the Admerall of Arragon to exchange prisoners on each side at which time hee was freed in companie of others D. Frederico Spinola saued the greatest part of his treasure which was thought to amount to two hundred thousand Ducats which hee presently caused to bee coined at Antuerp with the Archdukes stamp and with it paid the remainder of his souldiers ¶ A rehearsall of what passed betwixt Spinolas Gallies and certaine of the States men of war on the 25 of May 1603. Don Frederick Spinola Generall of the gallies hauing vndertaken to chase away the States men of war which garded the mouth of the Sluce came forth with eight gallies on the sixt and twentieth of May in the morning by day breake anno 1603 the wind beeing West and sailed Eastward betwixt the sand shelues called Pol Francis and the firme land and from thence Westward of the said mouth Certaine of the States men of war did vsually keepe gard thereabouts viz. the vice-Admerall of Zeland Ioost le More who commaunded vnder the Admerall the Lord of Holtain with his ship called the golden Lion and Captaine Logier Pieterzs with his his ship named the Sea Dogge there was likewise the black gallie of Holland commaunded by Iacob Machielz together with the gallie of Zeland called the Arrow commaunded by Cornellis Ians of Gordum A little further off vnder the wind lay an other ship whose master was Crijn Henrick of Ziriczee called the old Sea Dogge commaunding as Captaine In the vice-Admeralls ship and Gallie of Zeland and in either of them were 18 English musketeers of Flushing but in the 2 other ships black gallie of Holland were no musketeers but only their ordinary men Spinola in his 8 gallies and other Fregats besides his ordinarie men had great numbers of musketeers sent from the camp before Ostend These ships of Zeland with the two Gallies perceiuing that Spinola came forth did presently set saile bearing vp against the wind towards the West Spinolas men had a Westerlie wind and the sun for aduantage and passed on to the Northward athwart the Zelanders comming to Wieling where by fiue a clocke in the morning both sides diuide themselues and so the Gallies in good order and with great cries approached the Zealanders two Gallies in one of which Spinola was boorded the vice-Admerall Ioost le More foure other Gallies did the like to Captaine Logier Peters and the Gallie of Holland was set vpon by the rest of the Gallies Hauing thus for a while fought with their
D' Essinga their Lieutenaunt generall and with him the Lord of Termes and some fortie French gentlemen with diuers English and French companies vnder Castillions commaund who made such resistance as Spinolas men were enforced to retire some two hundred of them beeing slaine and of them many men of note among others were Count Feltri the Marquis of Renty sonne to Count Solre his wife of the house of Lalayn sonne to that renowned Lord the Lord of Montigni and the Marquis of Renty newly come from Italy D. Alonso Borgia young Mantenon a French man beside a Colonell and many others slaine and wounded whom they carried away in carts this was done on the seuenteenth of August the enemie beeing reenforced with the squadron of the mutineers who were newly reconciled to the Archduke and did helpe to encrease the number of the dead The eighteenth of August those of Sluce hauing intelligence of the defeate of their supplies began to talke of an accord and sent to craue cessation of armes till they might know the Archdukes pleasure which was not graunted then they craued leaue to carrie away the gallies ordnance and slaues but they receiued this answer that they should haue three daies respite the first day to depart with their armes and baggage the second day only with heir swords and if they tarried till the third day they were then to expect all rigor whereupon the next day they were content to depart on these conditions following FIrst That all Ecclesiasticall persons might safely depart with the ornaments of their Church goods and moueables 2 That the gouernour Serrano all Captaines officers and souldiers together with all Captaines of Gallies and mariners should with their baggage armes and ensignes drumme heating and match in cocke depart to Dam and in giuing hostages should haue boats and shalops 3 That the gouernour and Aurelio Spinola shall deliuer to his Excellencies commissioners all the gallies barkes and Fregats ordnance powder and munition without any deceit 4 That all slaues without exception shall be set at libertie and may goe whether they please 5 That all prisoners on both sides shall ransomlesse be set free the gouernour and Aurelio Spinola shall vse meanes that Captaine Say and other mariners in prison at Sertoghenbusk Captaine Iohn de Raet and his men prisoners in Woud Castle likewise three mariners of Breda prisoners at Gaunt shall all of them be released in paying a moneths meanes and for performance hereof the sayd Spinola shall oblige his owne person to returne againe his prisoner 6 None shall be molested for debts which the gouernor or others owe to the Burghers but the said gouernour shall promise to make full payment and satisfaction to them at Bruges 7 That all officers and surueyors may likewise depart with their writings the townes Registers excepted 8 The Commissaries of victuals and those of the Admeraltie c. may doe the like 9 The gouernour shall the same night deliuer vp the Castle whither his Excellencie will send two hundred men to keepe it 10 That the garrison shall the next day leaue the towne Giuen in the Campe before Sluce the nineteenth of August Anno 1604. The twentieth of August the Spaniards left Sluce beeing in number three or foure thousand men well armed and one thousand foure hundred slaues most of them Turkes who were all set at libertie some of them tarried with the Spaniards many went into Fraunce and England but such as returned from thence into Holland were for the most part sent home in a Ship of Barbarie many of them had eaten no bread in Sluce of a long time but fed on old shooes boots parchment and on an herbe called Soutenell whereof wee haue heretofore spoken dogs cats mise and rats were good meat There were found in the towne threescore and ten great peece of ordnance both of brasse and iron beside those in the forts also ten or eleuen gallies and all their furniture which was no smal victorie The Generall States and his Excellencie made Count Henry of Nassau youngest sonne to the Prince of Orange of happie memorie Gouernour of all their conquests in Flaunders and appointed the Lord Vander Noot for his Lieutenant who went and remained in Sluce The said States did presently giue order for the fortifying of their new conquests as well at Sluce as at other places neere adioyning some were rased and other fortified they resolued to make nine forts neere to Coxie S. Catherines Oostbourgh and Weeld Castle and before Sluce an halfe moone and three bulwarks before a channell which comes forth of the Sea At Isendike they likewise caused fiue great bulwarks to be made and there enclosed a great quantitie of ground which they meant to make impregnable and as big as a towne or an other Ostend Count Lodwick Gunther of Nassau who had maried the widow of the Earle of Valckensteyn and Broeck fell sick at Sluce and died there hee was sonne to old Count Iohn and brother to the Earles William and Ernest of Nassau hee was but a young Lord and yet had done braue seruice to the vnited Prouinces hee was much lamented His Excellencie and diuers others fell sick there likewise The vnited Prouinces hauing woone Sluce and thereby gotten meanes to war in Flaunders and to transport it into the enemies Countrie thought that the losse of Ostend would not bee so hurtfull as before and therein they were not deceiued for all the world knowes how greatly the enemies haue wronged themselues and profited our countrie by attempting to win that town by force for now in steed of one entrance the Lords States thanks bee to God haue gotten three ¶ The taking of the strong Castle of Woud in anno 1605. HIs Excellencie on the three and twentieth of May 1605 went with great numbers of horse and foot to Berghen-op-Zoom and appointed Count Ernest of Nassau to come from Zeland by boat with fourescore foot companies and to saile vp the Scheld that both of them together might make an attempt vpon Antuerp but the Earle hauing a continuall contrarie wind could not land there where his Excellencie had appointed him If the Earle could haue landed his men at Clapperdijke he might happily haue obtained his desire but the wind was so contrarie as it was impossible for him to doe so but hee was enforced to land them neere to Oosterweel and so went forward towards his Excellencie by land who◠lay with his armie at Eeckeren sending back the boats which had brought the souldiers which at their returne shot at the forts of Ordam and Peerle and among others shot the gouernour of Ordam This enterprise hauing no good successe his Excellencie resolued to goe with his armie and besiege the Castle of Woud and thereupon departed on the eight and twentieth of May from Eeckeren Woud Castle is strongly fortified with Bulwarks and seated within a mile of Berghen-op-Zoom in a fenny place and therefore naturally strong It is one of the chiefest
her men those which remained perceiuing that our men made towards them did ten and twentie at a time leape into the Sea thinking to escape by swimming but our men in their furie slew most of them so as the whole bay was full of dead carkasses The fight began about three of the clocke in the afternoone and in lesse than foure howers all was ended and the victorie by Gods goodnesse fell to vs. This braue exploit was chiefely begun by Admerall Heemskerck and was for the most part continued and ended by ten or twelue ships onely The next day in the morning the Spanish Admerall was run on ground but those of the town went and cut down her masts and then fired her thereby sauing our men a labour who meant to haue done it It was a fearefull thing to behold the flame and burning of the gallions especially when fire tooke the powder for it made such a noice as though it had thundred from heauen couering the land and sea with a thick smoake which made an vniuersall darknesse for a time Beside the Admerals gallion fiue more were burnt together with a great ship of war an other ship which the Spaniards had taken and the aboue mentioned vessell of Lubeck An other of the gallions was sunke the other two ran on ground and were made vnseruiceable A French man likewise ran on ground with two ships the one of Rotterdam and the other of Enchuysen all the otheâ— Spanish men of war did the like vp and downe the coast and by Gods assistance were destroyed The prisoners confessed that there were foure thousand men in the fleet and that halfe of them had not escaped among whom as letters into Spaine doe testifie was the Admerall with manie other gentlemen and captaines Among the prisoners was D. Iohn Aluares the Admerals sonne who was brought into Holland Wee onely lost the noble Admerall Heemskerck who was lamented of all men together with some hundred men and threescore that were hurt On the six and twentieth day our fleet came to an ankor in the roade of Gibraltar the ordnance of the towne and castle playing vpon them but did little or no hurt at all there did they looke to their sicke and hurt men as well as the time would giue them leaue and during their aboade there they saw great numbers of horse and foot vpon the shoare going to the towne of Gibraltar for the Spaniard thought verily that our men would haue assailed it and there was such amazement and confusion in the town as euerie man packt vp all he had intending to be gone the like feare possest those of Cales who thought that our fleete would come and visite them The seuen and twentieth day our ships departed forth of the road of Gibraltar those of the castle shooting after them and because the shot did no hurt our men reputed those peales of ordnance to bee done in their honour and so directed their course towards Barbarie going so neere Senta which belongs to the Spaniards as those of the towne and other places of the Countrie shot at them but our men passed on thorough the Streit towards the coast of Barbarie came into the road of Tetuan which is a strong towne within 5 miles of Senta to the Eastward belonging to the Turks and Moors there trimmed their ships which had bin spoiled by fire and the enemies canon When they came before Tetuan they were kindly welcomed The Gouernours selfe with many Turkish gallants came aboord our fleet offering vs all friendship and assistance both for our ships and men bringing vs all manner of refreshments as oranges and other restoratiue fruits seeming verie ioyfull for the victorie which God had giuen vs ouer the proud Spaniards our men likewise went ashoare and had great honor done vnto them euerie where The Gouernour made an offer vnto our men that if they would make any attempt on the towne of Senta hee would aid them both with horse and foot but wee intending other designes gaue him manie thanks for his courteous offer All things beeing repaired the vice-Admerall Alteras was made Admerall and Peter William Verhoof vice-Admerall there they consulted what was best to be done and what course to take for better annoying the enemie at last they resolued to send some towards the Islands of Flaunders to remaine there namely the vice-Admerall Captaine Iacob Iansz of Edam Captaine Harman the pinace of Frizland and Captaine Cleuter to trie if they could meet with any good aduenture there The rest videlicet Admerall Alteras with the greatest part of the fleet should keepe along the coasts of Portugall not farre from the riuer of Lisbone others along the coasts of Barbarie towards the Canaries and round about the Cape of Finistere and Bayonne two of the victuallers were to â—arry with the fleet and the other two were appointed to carrie home the bodie of Admerall Heemskerck which the Surgeon Major had embalmed together with the hurt and sick men and Harpert Marts Captaine of the baâ—ke was commaunded to conuoy them these returned homeward and on the fift of Iune arriued at Amsterdam with the Admerals bodie The eight day following his funerals were solemnised according to his worthinesse and the bodie was carried to the old church after this manner First before the bodie marched 2 companies of souldiers in mourning habit trailing their armes ensignes and drums couered with black according to the custome of war after them his helmet armour and scutcheon of armes were borne his armes were a Lion argent in a field azure Foureteene Captaines carried the bodie which was on euerie side hung with scutcheons and on the top of the coffin his guilt sword was laid After the bodie his chiefe kinsfolk went next them followed the commissioners of the Councel of the Admeraltie and after them the Scout Burgomasters Sherifes and thirtie six of the Councell of Amsterdam then followed the Colonels the councell of war captaines all the officers nobilitie and harquebuziers of the towne After them the gouernors committees of the East Indie companie followed in order and after them great numbers of citizens and merchants amounting in all to the number of 800 persons beside souldiers and infinite multitudes of people that filled the streets The generall States did in memorie of this worthie man commaund an honourable monument of a kind of blew stone to bee erected ouer him towards the East his armes were hung and to the Westward ouer his head a black stone was set vp on which in golden letters all his voiages and noble actions were engrauen this did they for a perpetuall remembrance of this worthie person to after ages And thus by the help of God was this mightie Spanish fleet destroyed and brought to nothing vnto whom wee ascribe all honour ¶ Truce for twelue yeares concluded and agreed vpon betwixt the the deputies and commissioners of the high and excellent Princes the Archdukes of Austria c. And
since the conclusion of the said treatie shall bee of no validitie and likewise such as haue beene made before contrarie to the agreement made with certaine townes in particular 13 The owners shall bee satisfied for goods imployed in fortifications publicke workes or hospitals according to the 19 article of the treatie 14 Houses of particular persons which haue beene or are to be restored according to the said treatie cannot bee reciprocally burthened with garrisons or otherwise more than those of other subiects of like condition 15 If in any place difficultie bee made of restoring goods which are to bee restored the Iudge of the said place shall presently see it to bee effectually performed and shall therein take the shortest course and the restitution shall not bee delayed vnder colour that the tax hath not beene paid or otherwise contrarie to the contents of the 13 article of the treatie 16 In those places where it shall bee found that all the goods of any one of either side haue bin confiscate so as he hath had no meanes left to pay the interest of his debts owing before the confiscation hee shall not onely be free from all charges and rents according to the said treatie but likewise from the generall and personall charge of rents and interests befallen in the said times 17 It is meant that vnder disinheritings made by occasion of the warre are likewise comprehended exhereditations made in regard of any thing proceeding from warre and which doe depend thereon 18 None shall be molested on either side directly or indirectly for changing his dwelling in paying such dueties as are to be payed and all impediments since the concluding of the treatie shall be really and in deed remoued 19 It is likewise meant that vnder restitution of goods and lands graunted by the treatie lands lying in the Counties of Burgondie and Charrolois shal be likewise comprehended and that which according to the Treatie hath not yet beene restored shall euerie where on either side be faithfully and speedily performed by the owners their heires or such as lay claime to them 20 The said Lords Archdukes and States doe promise faithfully to accomplish and cause to be accomplished all and euerie of the aboue mentioned points to which they bind themselues according to the obligation contained in the principall Treatie and in the manner as if these points were therein likewise mentioned 21 Lastly it is concluded that all and euerie of the points and articles of the aboue mentioned Treatie of the ninth of Aprill past which haue not beene expresly altered nor more amply explained shall euerie of them continue in full force without beeing prejudiced and nothing of that which hath beene propounded in this treatie by writing or word of mouth shall tend or in any sort be interpreted to the profit or disaduantage of any one and that either directly or indirectly But aswel the said Lords Archdukes the generall and particular States as also all Princes Earles Barons Townes Colledges Lords Gentlemen Burghers and other inhabitants of the Prouinces on both sides of what qualitie or condition soeuer shall continue in their rights and priuiledges according to the contents of the said Treatie and the said Lords Archdukes and States shall agree together within a moneth next ensuing this treatie and shall deliuer vp to each other their letters of agreement in due forme Thus agreed and concluded at the Hague in Holland the day moneth and yeare aboue mentioned In witnesse whereof these presents haue beene confirmed by the signature of the Commissioners on either side and was signed by B. de Robiano Verreicken I.B. Masuis Hen. Van Brienen the elder Iohn Oldenbarnâ—velt I. de Malderee Iustus de Rysenbourg T. v. Oennama Ernst of Ittersum Ab. Coenders After mature deliberation we haue accepted approued confirmed and ratified and by these presents doe accept approue confirme and ratifie the same points and articles promising sincerely to obserue and cause them to be obserued in euerie point as if our selues had made and promised them and will neuer doe or suffer any thing to be done to the contrarie in any sort whatsoeuer either directly or indirectly and for performaÌ„ce hereof we bind all our own goods and lands with those of our successors In witnesse whereof we haue caused these presents to be sealed with our great seale and signed by our Register in our assembly at the Hague the nine and twentieth of Ianuarie 1610. Paragraphed by I. Magnus Vt. And a little lower by appointment of my Lords the generall States signed C. Aerssens FINIS ¶ A Table of the most memorable exploits contained in this booke SAint Andrewes fort yeelded vp to the States 253 The Admerall ship of Antuerpe and seuen other taken by the Black gallie of Holland 283 Armada of Spaine an 1588. 50â— Portugall gallions there 51. Fleet of Biscay 52. Pinaces 52. Fleet of Castile 53. Ships of Andeluzia 54. Fleet of Guipuscoa 55. Fleet of Leuantiscas 56. Fleet of Vrcas 57. Pinaces and Zabras 58. Galliasses of Naples 59. Gallies of Portugall 59. The generall account of the whole fleet 59. The Colonell Regiments and number of men vnder euerie Regiment 61. Victuals 62. Axell taken 26 BErgen-op-Zoom besieged by Parma in vaine 81 Bommell beseeged the seege raised by his Excellencie 219 The captaines du Bois and Bacx defeat certaine bands of the enemies men 351 The generall States armie in Brabant 334 Breda taken 111 The towne and castle Breuoort besieged and taken 211 CAdsand taken 359 Cales-Males in Andeluzia in Spaine taken 185 The Canaries inuaded by the Netherlanders 233 Coeuoerden taken 142 Coeuoerden freed from siege 157 The Court of Holland described 12 Cracow castle woon 285 Creuecoeur taken 122 DElfziel skonce taken 128 Deuenter besieged and taken 126 Deuticum taken 249 ELshout taken 123 Enschede besieged and taken 213 THe armie of his Excellencie in Flanders and their exploits there 260 THe blacke Gallie of Holland takes the Admeral ship of Antuerp and seuen other ships 283 Geertrudenbâ—rg besieged and taken 149 Genealogie of the Prince of Orange 14 A sea-fight in the road of Gibraltar between the King of Spaines armada and the States men of warre 372 Graue in the Land of Cuyck besieged and taken 343 Sundrie forts in the land of Groeninguen besieged and taken 126 The siege and taking of the towne and countrie of Groeninguen 161 The ag◠〈…〉 â—on there 172 Groll and Goor besieged and taken 209 THe Hague described 12 Heel and Homert taken 122 The Court of Holland described 12 The Admerall of Holland puts the Gallies of Sluce to flight 281 The Hollanders vanquish the Portugals in a sea fight at the East Indies 294 Hulst besieged and taken 13â— Huy taken 182 THe fort of Imitill woon 128 KNodsenbourg besieged by Parma in vain 130 Earle of Leicestâ—r leaues the Low countries 27 The towne and castle of Lingen taken 215 The Netherlanders in Luxembourg with an armie 351 MAnsfelt beaten from the fort of
Nordam 119 Medenblick yeeded to his Excellencie 27 Meurs and the Castle there taken 207 Meurs againe taken 293 VVIlliam of Nassau Prince of Orange his genealogie death and funerals 14.15.16 c. Prince Maurice of Nassau receiueth the gouernement of the Netherlands 25. 27 Netherlands described 1 The Netherlands set forth ships towards Noua Zemla and the East Indies 174 The enterprises of the Netherlanders on Spaine and the Canaries 233 The Netherlanders in Luxembourg with an armie 351 The Netherlanders at truce with the Archduke for 1â— yeres 383 The battaile of Niewport woon by his Excelleâ—câ—e 270 Nimmeguen besieged and taken 134 Nordam fort battered and assaulted in vaine by Mansfelt 119 OAtmaersen taken 142 The same taken againe 213 Oldenbourg burnt and sackt 122 Oldenzeel besieged and taken 213 The fort of Opslach woon 128 The prince of Orange 〈◊〉 gâ—â—â—alogie death and funerals 14.15 c. Ostend besieged by the Archduke Albert to his great losse 302 The same fiercely assaulted 7. Ianuar. 1602. 317 The same againe assaulted 13. of April 1603 327 PArma defeated in the Betuwe 129 RHinberg besieged and taken 201 Rhinberg a second time besieged and taken 265 Rosendall taken 122 A Sea fight between the States men of war and the Spanish gallies 353 A Sea fight betweene the king of Spaines armada and the States men of war 372 Generall Senoy his articles presented to the councell of State 45 The gallies of Sluce put to flight by the Admerall of Holland 281 Sluce besieged and yeelded vp 359 Spaine inuaded by the Netherlanders 233 Spinolas gallies fought with by the States men of war 357 Steenberghen taken 122 Steenwijke besieged and taken 137 TErheyden taken 122 Tilemont taken and sackt 110 Turnholt taken 123 Truce for 12. yeares betweene the Archduke of Austria and the States 383 VIctorie got by his Excellencie on Tielsche-Heyde plaine 197 THe towne and castle of Wachtendonck taken 250 Westerloo taken 123 The strong castle of Woud taken 370 YSendike taken 359 ZVtphen besieged and taken 123 FINIS The originall name of the Low Countries Her situation It is diuided into 17. Prouinces and their names Why they aâ—e â—alled 17. Prouinces Her circuit The number of townes and villages How many Towâ—es and Villages there are in euerie Prouince Vnder what countries the Romans comprehended the 17. Prouinces wherefore they were called Belgia How highly the Romans esteemed this Nation and their ancient names The forme of the Countrie and fertillity thereof The originall of some Riuers which runne through the Countrey Holland and Zeland surpasse all other Prouinces in shipping Commendation of the Netherland women Commendation of the Dutch Tongue The Netherlanders louers of Liberty The Princes of the Low Couâ—tries haue done many valiant deedes How the Low Countries haue beene reduced vnder one Lord Margaret daughter to Lewis de Male marieth Philip the Hardie on whom he begat Iohn sans peur He marieth the Eâ—rle of Hollands daughter and begets Phillip le Bon. How Phillip le Bon obtained the possession of the whole Low-countries He that first instituted the order of the golden fleece marrieth Isabell of Portugall by whom he had a sonne called Charles the Warrior who is acknowledged for lord of the Low-countries and makes a purchase He goes about to make the Low-countries a kingdome How and where he dyed His daughter Marie of Valois marrieth Maximillian of Austria by whom she had two children Maximillian goes about to reduce some of the Low-countrie Prouinces vnder the Roman Empire Philip his sonne is acknowledged Prince and marrieth D. Ioan of Spaine How the Prouinces are at this day diuided and who possesse them Countries vnder the Archdukes Brabant Malines Limbourg Valckenbourg and Namur Luxembourg Haynault Artois Flanders Countries vnder the States gouernement Holland Zealand Frizeland Vtrecht Ouer-yssell Gronninguen The vnited prouinces flourish more than any other Conclusion Description of the Hague Her beautie number of houses Description of the Court of Holland By whom and when it was built The princes court A place dedicated to Law and iustice By whom the 〈◊〉 councel was transseâ— to the Hague The Councell of Brabant Description of the Parke at the Hague The Prince of Orange his Titles 〈…〉 Where when he was borne His first wife daughter to Count â—â—ren His second wife daughter to the Elector of Saxonie His third wife daughter to Duke Mompensier His fourth wife daughter to Count Colligni The manner of the Princes death The Prince of Orange slayne by Baltazar Gerard who nanamed himselfe Francis Guyon The Prince of Orange his last words He died on the 10 of Iulie 1584. 〈…〉 The murderers 〈◊〉 confession 〈…〉 in writing Parma by Assonuille encourageth him to this diuelish enterprise Senâ—ence pronounced against Baltazar Gerard the 14 of Iulie The execution and death of Baltazar Gerard A description of the Prince of Orange his funeral 's What moued my Lords the States to make Prince Maurice Gouernour His Excellencie goeâ—h into Flanders His Excellencie takes the towne of Axel The Earle of Leycester goes forth of the Low Countries into England The generall States make Prince Maurice Gouernour Generall Article Answer Artic. Ans. Ans. Ans. Artic. Ans. Artic. Ans. Artic. Ans. Artic. Ans. Artic. Ans. Artic. Ans. Artic. Ans. Disorder in Medenblick The States send Commissioners thither who doe no good Medenblick is besieged It yeelds to his Excellencie through the intercessioÌ„ of some English Lords Senoy goes into England to com plaine to the Queene Parma makes preparations to ayde the Spanyards The Queene of of England prepares a fleet The Spanish fleet set sayle on the 29 of May. The Spanish Armies proiect The fleet abandons D. Pedro Valdez his ship which bad spent her most on the 31 of Iune The 3 of August The 4 of August The 5 of August The sixt of August they came to an anker before Calais The stratagem of the English on the 7 of August to driue the Spaniards from an anker The Galleasse of D. Hago de Moncada vppon the sands before Calice Fight before Graueling on â— the 8. of August The English receiue smal losse Peter Vander Does takes D. Diego Fimentell prisoner carries his ship into Zeland The 8 of August the Spanish fleâ—◠〈◊〉 on fight The English on the 12 of August giue ouer pursuing the Spanish fleet The Spâ—nish fleet in dessaire Montigni attempts to enter the land of Tertholen An officer so named for which we in English can giue no proper name Those of the towne make a sallie vpon the enemie Certaine of the enemies musketiers are defeated The Queene of England makes Morgan gouernor of Berghen The strength of Parmas Campe. Eight of Bacx his horsemen take three captaines prisoners The enemie attempteth to surprise the North Fort. The enemie enâ—eth the Fort but to his small aduantage Grimston the victualler escape The enemie flieth Those of Berghen gâ—ue God thankes for the dissiâ—ation of the Spanish fleet The enemie forsakes the
yet to my Lords the States as chiefe Lords Whereupon they were constrained to vse force because that to reduce him to obedience did greatly import the countries And for that we wil set downe euerie thing according to truth we will adde in this place in manner of an introduction the reasons which moued my Lords the States and his Excellencie so to do euen as it was printed by their owne Printer in anno 1588. It is knowne to all men that the most illustrious high and mightie Lord the Prince of Orange of happie memorie was so affectionat to the wealth and commoditie of the Netherlands and especially of Holland Zeland and West Frizeland vnder his owne gouernement as he hath for the conseruation of those Prouinces offered and exposed not onely his own substance and that of his kinsmen but euen his owne person and those of my Lords his brethren and others of his kindred so that the said Lord Prince being pursued by the King of Spaine by all hostile meanes for the cause abouesaid and by the Duke of Alua during his tyrannie in the Low Countries perceiuing the state of these countries to be wonderfully opprest he hath shewed so many honourable commendable and heroicke markes and testimonies of his affection to the good of these Prouinces as during his absence from thence the inhabitants thereof and namely the countries of Holland Zeland and West Frizeland did mutually determin to free themselues from the tyrannie of the said Duke of Alua to embrace the Christian and reformed Religion and to liue free vnder the lawfull gouernement of the abouesaid Lord Prince And for the maintenance of the sayd resolution he did at the beginning of the warre appoint and send into sundrie parts and townes of the afore mentioned countries vnder his gouernement such persons as himselfe thought fit for the seruice of the countrey with such Commission as the affaires of the time then required and among others sent the Generall Senoy into North Holland and West Frizeland who vpon his Excellencies commission was willingly without any contradiction receiued there the inhabitants of the said countries hauing no respect to the person of the man who was a stranger vnknowne and borne forth of the countrey but onely for loue which they bare to the said Lord Prince and for that they were there desirous to shew what honour and respect they did beare to his commaundements It is a matter likewise knowne that euer since that time the sayd Generall hath beene verie honourably respected by his Excellence of happie memorie and by the countrey as also that after the lamentable death of his said Excellencie the States of Holland and West Frizeland and the high and mightie Lord Maurice Prince of Orange Earle of Nassau and Marquesse of Vere Fiessingue c. son to the aboue named Prince after that he had receiued the gouernement of Captaine Generall of the countries of Holland Zeland and West Frizeland haue continued and maintained the said Generall in the same office and authoritie in the sayd place as he had before his Excellencies lamentable death And although the sayd General ought to haue acknowledged these benefits receiued from the countrey at the least not to enterprise anything contrarie to the lawes thereof or to his Excellencies Commission as Gouernor general of Holland Zeland and West Frizeland especially seeing that the sayd gouernement was solemnely giuen to his Excellencie vpon sound consideration partly in signe of acknowledgement of the good and commendable seruices done by the late Lord Prince his father Neuerthelesse meanes hath bin made by some men for the most part borne forth of the countries badly affected to them and vngratefull to the house of Nassau that the said Generall hath obtained a certaine ample Commission from the Earle of Leycester whom the generall States had made Gouernour Generall of the Low Countries vnknowne to the States of Holland and West Frizeland or to his Excellencie of Nassau absolutely to commaund in all matters concerning the state and gouernement of the countries and townes of North Holland and West Frizeland as Gouernour and Lieutenant to the sayd Earle of Leycester And besides this hath likewise obtained other Commissions directly contrarie to the priuiledges and lawes of the sayd countries and authoritie of the Gouernour thereof By vertue whereof hee hath likewise begun to appoynt new Receiuors of the reuenewes of the countrey vsing forcible meanes to commit them into the possession of their pretended Commissioners Of which the States of Holland West Frizeland being aduertised they haue according to the charge of their calling for the defence and confirmation of the vnion and lawes of the said countries as also of the gouernment and authority of his said Excellency written to the sayd Generall to acquaint them with the sayd Commissions and not in vertue therof attempt any thing without the knowledge of his Excellencie and States But all this being to no purpose with him the States of Holland Zeland and West Frizeland complained to the Earle of Leicester concerning the graunt of the sayd Commissions as hurtfull to the lawes and customes of the said countries and to his Excellencies authoritie and by consequence repugnant to the oath made by the said Earle of Leycester crauing a reuocation thereof Whereupon the said Lord Earle at his first departure into England on the foure twentieth of Nouember 1586 did vpon mature deliberation and knowledge of the matter declare That he was content if the Commissions of the sayd Generall were preiudicious to the countrey and to the authoritie of his Excellencie of Nassau that the States should take order therein Which Declaration be subsigned with his owne hand Hereupon within a while after the States and his Excellencie of Nassau wrot to the sayd Generall to come and bring those Commissions to the Hague that order might be taken therein for the conseruation and vnion of the customes and priuiledges of the countrey as also for his Excellencies gouernement and authoritie Vpon this commaundement the sayd Generall in Ianuarie 1587 came to the Hague to his Excellencie and my Lords the States and deliuered his Commissions aswell concerning the sayd gouernement as Captaineship of the Castle of Medenblick into the hands of his Excellencie Which Commissions being well perused were directly found to be contrarie to the customes of the sayd countries and townes tending to dissention and disunion and likewise contrarie to the authoritie of the Gouernour and Captaine generall of Holland and West Frizeland His Excellencie and certaine chiefe Lords appointed to administer iustice in the sayd countries and verie zealous in the true Christian and reformed Religion together with many Noblemen of the countrey and townes of Holland did acquaint him with the loue and affection which his Excellencie of Nassau and my Lords the States did beare vnto him and that they were desirous to continue him in the same authoritie and commaund which he had had ouer the troupes now