and both his horse and foote held for the best Soldiers which the King of Spaine had in his seruice yet for feare hee left his lodging in the night without sound of Trumpet or Drumme or making of any noyse retiring to Herentall foure leagues from Tournhout a towne of the King of Spaines party where he thought to saue himselfe and his men The Prince comming to Tournhout at the breake of day and finding his enemie gone resolues to follow him and to ouer-take him if hee could with his horse commanding his foote-men to follow with all speed A quarter of a league from Tournhout towards Herentall a certaine number of Spanish foote through fauour of a wood kept the passage of a little riuer the foarde whereof was long and vneasie for horsemen the which could not passe but one by one and it was no lesse troublesome for the foote-men hauing no meanes to passe it but by a narrowe planke Wherefore the Prince to make them quitte this passage commanded Sir Francis Veer and Vander Aa Lieutenant of his guardes to charge them with two hundred Musketiers the which they did and chased them away This passage being wonne hee followed and ouer-tooke the enemie a mile from Tournhout vpon a plaine the Regiments marching a hundred paces one from another That of the Germaines was the first Hachicourt next la Barlotte the third and the Neapolitanes the last on the right hand marched their horse-men in three troopes beeing couered on the left wing with the foresayd wood and their baggage was sent before when as the Prince who with halfe his horsemen beeing deuided into sixe troupes remained behinde did see the Earle of Hohenlo whome hee had sent before with the other halfe of the horse-men diuided also into sixe troupes so farre aduanced as hee might charge the Spaniarde in the flanke as hee had commanded him hee sent Sir Francis Veere Sir Robert Sydney and the rest of the horse-men to set on them behinde and hee with the body of the armie stood firme to second and releeue them if they were repulst According to this order the Earle of Hohenloo and with him the Earle of Solms charged the enemy in flanke and the other Commanders fell vpon the reereward with such furie as notwithstanding all their resistance the Spaniards rankes were broken his horse-men put to flight and both his foote and horse which could not saue themselues by running were all defeated and ouer-come There it appeared that pikes were not able to resist long Pistolles which in the countrye language they call Carabins the which are long peeces that the horse-men hauing left their lances carryed in this battaile In the which there were aboue two thousand men slaine vpon the place with the Earle of Varax their Generall who for hee was too simple attired for such a Commander was not knowne There were aboue fiue hundred prisoners taken and among them many that had charge with a yong Earle of Mansfeldt The Prince carried backe seauen and thirty enseignes and one cornet That which made his victory absolute was the small losse of his men for the which many would not beleeue and yet it is true hee lost but nine men in all Whereof Dounck a captaine of horse was hurt and died a while after and a flemish Gentleman called Cabillau were two and verie few hurt After the victorie the Prince went and lodged at Tournhout where hee had left his artillerie with some of his footemen vnder the charge of the signior of Herauguiere Gouernor of Breda Whereas after that the castle had endured three volees of great ordinance it yeelded by composition to depart with their liues and goods which being done the Prince retiring the eight day of February towards the Hage hee sent all his troupes to their garrisons hauing done this happie exploit in so short a time The Cardinall did much grieue at this losse the which disapointed the designes which hee had as well vpon the Island of Tolen as in the countrie of Zuyt Beuelandt After which neither hee nor his did bouge till afterwardes seeking to be reuenged of the French the Gouernor of Dourlans with the Spanish garrison which was in Saint Polin Arthois beeing mutined or at the least making a shew to bee in a mutine made an enterprize vpon Amiens the chiefe towne in Picardie the nineth day of March on a sundaie about eight of the clocke in the morning the which succeeded happelie for him and the towne was taken without any resistance The Earle of Saint Pol beeing within the towne and finding no man to make head against the enemie seeing all lost hee fled away abandoning his wife and all his familie vnto whom the Gouernor shewed himselfe very courteous sending backe the Lady and all her traine and not suffring them to receiue any wrong The towne beeing taken the Spaniard shewed himselfe tractable ynough but sixe daies after making a shew to mutine for their pay they spoiled it and then ransomed the Inhabitants without any respect of Clergie men or others The King had a little before made a Magasin or store-house for the warres there and had sent fortie great cannon peeces with all the carriages and poulder bullets and munition fit for them This was the greatest losse which the King made for the Inhabitants were not much lamented for that they would neuer receiue any garrison although they were within sixe leagues of their naturall enemies within Dourlans The King was fully resolued to haue made hot warre this sommer in the yeare of our Lord 1597. in the countrie of Arthois but the surprize of this important towne and the taking of Calais and Ardres from him by the Spaniard made him to change his designe and turne all his thoughts to recouer the towne of Amiens The sixteenth day of March the Spaniard made an enterprize vpon the towne of Steenwyc in the countrie of Oueryssell after the manner which followeth The daie before some troupes assembled at Ham neere vnto Ommen at a certaine houre of the night from whence they parted by secret and vnknowne waies carrying with them certaine portiue bridges with the which they had meanes to passe and not goe through any villages so they were no where discouered but about two of the clocke after mid-night they came neere vnto the towne and lodged themselues in gardines which are behinde a rampar called Rondeel in their language vntil that the Moone was quite downe which was little after three of the clocke Beeing then darke they gaue a hot alarme at Onighen port and at that of the hospitall with about two hundred men and the sound of trumpets drummes and fearefull cries according to their custome In the meane time about a hundred of them that were in the gardines went closely into the towne ditch carrying ropes hatchets and sithes to cut downe the palissadoe on the North side by the which they go from the rampar to the Church-yard
signes of fire made to chase spoile kill or at the least to take prisoners all souldiers belonging to their enemies that should aduenture to enter into their territories declaring all quarter to be broken with their enemies without any exception vpon paine to be punished in like manner as the enemies themselues should bee assigning vnto euery one that should in that sort spoile kill or take prisoner any of the enemies souldiers the summe of fiftie gulderns for his paines and whosoeuer should present any one for not obseruing the contents of this proclamation or that had harbored or had correspondencie with the enemie 25 gulderns for a reward This yeare there were three shippes set out of Holland to discouer a mine of gold about Guiney who sailed to all the islands thereabouts and some that were not inhabited which they called the salt islands for that the water which was beat vp by the sea through the heat of the sunne congealed and became hard salt the which is exceeding fine white and very strong and better than any other very fit to make refined salt which costs nothing but the fetching lading and bringing away whereas eightie or ninetie sayle of the greatest shippes of burthen of Holland and Zeeland find their fraight yearely and make great profit the voyage beeing but short for some haue made it in eleuen weekes others were somewhat longer as winde and weather did serue them the which is likely to prooue a great hindrance to Spaine and Portugall especially by the restraint made in Spaine where they were accustomed to fetch their salt whereby the Spaniards were much deceiued supposing that one nauigation would hinder another especially that into the east countries but it hath bin found otherwise for that this yeare in the beginning of April there came vnto Amsterdam at one time sixe hundred and fourtie saile most of them great shippes out of the east countries most beeing laden with corne wood masts sparres deale pitch tarre flaxe waxe c. which altogether brought at the least thirtie thousand tunnes and had one with another foure pounds starling for the fraight of a last which is two tunnes so as by that computation they did earne sixtie thousand pounds starling at the least for fraight whereby it may be truely said that sea-faring fishing and trade of marchadise is the Netherlanders myne This winter the vnited prouinces prepared not onely for a defensiue warre as they had done some yeares before but also to offend the enemie who lay so strong vpon their frontiers with their winter armie as they were forced to raise new regiments and more cornets of Netherland horse men First they gaue to Ernestus earle of Nassau a commission to leuie a regiment of high Dutches of tenne companies euery commission beeing two hundred men the which were raised about Emden Monsieur la Noue had charge to bring two thousand men out of France into Holland of those which had so long serued the king there at their owne charges hoping the king would be the more willing to restore the money which they had disbursed for the entertainement of those men especially the money beeing paied vnto his owne subiects and vassals They also entertained a thousand Suitsers which had serued in France they added nine cornets more to their horse men one cornet beeing vnder prince Maurice his lieutenant was Ioncker Walrauen van Gent sonne to the lord of Oyen two cornets vnder the old and yong earles of Solines and the rest vnder monsieur Timpel Balen Iohn Bax La Sale Cloet and Hamelton a Scottish man The Scottish footmen were also made compleâ—… euery companie consisting of an hundred and fiftie men and the colonels companie of two hundred They would willingly haue had more supplies out of England but they durst not moue the Queen for that she had long before written vnto them for 2000 Englishmen to be sent ouer for her warres in Ireland offering to send 2000 new souldiers in their places which they could not refuse and for that at that time there were 27 companies of English they sent sixe whole companies and out of the rest they chose the worst men they could find to make vp the number which was ill taken in whose places the Queene sent ouer about two thousand new souldiers vnder Sir Thomas Knowles who expected to be colonel ouer them but he could get but a companie and the rest of the men did serue to fill vp the other companies They further made a proclamation concerning their musters for the preuenting of all deceit by keeping their companies full with all other orders necessarie for the warres as first that vnder the Reisters no man might serue but vpon his owne horse which horse should not be lesse than fifteene great handfuls high according to a measure made of purpose The Reisters themselues were to haue a head-head-piece a gorget a breast and a backe two poldrons a gantlet to hold his bridle a short peece or pistoll the barrell being two foot long and a short sword according to a measure appointed to that end and if any one wanted any of the said furniture he might not passe musters or else he was checked and debarred from some part of his entertainment Some in euery cornet were allowed to haue horses to carrie their necessaries who besides the furniture aboue named were to bee armed with thighes knee pieces and culots which is a piece of armour to defend the reines of the backe with another short piece like vnto the first their armour was to bee caliuer proofe and they were allowed a boy who should carry a piece like vnto the other The horsemen called Carabins were to haue a head-piece a gorget a breast and a backe a sword and a piece hauing a barill three foot long and a good horse At that time they vsed no more launces for that they could doe but small seruice vnlesse they were running in their full cariere but in stead thereof they did vse pistols or short pieces and did weare cassockes or liueries as launciers were accustomed to doe The footmen which carried pykes were to haue a head-piece a gorget a backe and a breast a sword or rapier a pyke of eighteene foot long and that vpon a penaltie and the one quarter of those that did beare pykes were to haue poldrons to their elbowes The musketiers were to haue a head-piece a rapier a musket carrying a bullet whereof tenne would make a pound and a rest And the harguebusiers must haue a head-piece a rapier and a good caliuer bored for a shot of 20 or 25 bullets in the pound euery one hauing pay accordingly Thus much I thought good to obserue that posteritie may know what armes men vsed in the Netherlands in those warres In the end of Ianuarie 1599 certaine cornets of Reisters of the vnited Prouinces with some companies of foot vnder the leading of Edmonds a Scottishman and others made a rode into the countries of Lembourg
condemned to die and then deliuered by the princes commaundement to them of the fort to be shot to death or to doe with him as they pleased who notwithstanding pardoned him and sent him backe After that the souldiers of the fort had receiued their pay being all gone foorth they were presently imbarked and sent by water into garrison into diuers townes in the said prouinces Behold how this fort which was held impregnable was easily gotten by the Estates and not only the place artillerie munition prouision of warre and victuals which was more in value than 125000 florins but also a great troupe of as braue men as the king of Spaine had of a long time in his armie all choyce men and old experienced souldiers whereof they made good proofe at the battaile of Nieuport as you shall presently heare And although the negligence or want of meanes of the archduke although this place did so much import him as the Spaniards called it the Key whereby to enter into Holland and the other vnited prouinces wheron depended a great part of his honor hauing lost so many men and spent so much money before he could bring it to such perfection as when it was deliuered to the Estates If it were not through want of meanes nor by the archdukes negligence but of his commaunders in the war captaines commissaries or treasorers I know not how they could answer it nor discharge themselues before him and yet it hath not been heard that any one hath bin called in question for it for what could such valiant men haue done more hauing 20 months pay due vnto them being half buried aliue in the earth like mouls enuironed round about with water without any auoidance halfe naked all tattered starued with cold and smoakt vp like red herrings hauing suffered infinitly during the season of a tedious winter and vnto their yeelding seeing themselues in the goodliest season of the whole yeare abandoned of all succors hauing so long attended them in vaine notwithstanding their great indeuors What could they haue done but in the end to fall into dispaire or to do that which otherwise they would neuer haue done For* my part I cannot blame them and much lesse accuse them it belongs vnto them that are interessed but if they will weigh this fact in the iust ballance of militarie discipline and the rules of war it may be they will excuse them They found in this fort 96 barrels of powder certaine thousands of bullets 18 peeces of ordnance and other sorts of arms and munition in great number with a great quantitie of wheat rye corne to brew with and other victuals and prouisions They of Groningue and the countrey thereabouts were this yere discontented for that being behind hand with their contribution for the space of 3 yeres and taking no order for the paiment thereof being at the least 400000 gulderns the Estates of the other prouinces were forced against their wils to vse some forcible execution a bad and vnfit president especially in the time of their ciuill wars giuing the charge therof vnto monsieur Temple with 800 foot and 200 horse who with some other companies of Friseland vpon the sixteenth of March entred into Groningue partly against the bourgers wils who the next day forbad the bourgers to watch and in the end dealt verie seuerely with them and yet William earle of Nassau laboured what hee could to haue them mildly intreated whereof some particular persons were the cause But to preuent all further inconueniences in the end there was a citadell built the Estates pretending that both the towne and the territories of Groningue were in great daunger by reason of their great weekely markets whereas there was so great a concourse of people as the enemie might easily by that meanes attempt something against it so as they were forced to keepe a continuall garrison there of twentie or twentie fiue companies For which cause they resolued not without great dislike and murmuring of many men to build vp a castle the which after long disputation and much contrarietie was begun the next summer at the North end of the towne which the surueyors and workemen said would not cost aboue 70000 gulderns which made them yeeld thereunto the more willingly but in the end they found the charge to be aboue 400000 guldernes the which was more than the arrerages of their contribution amounted vnto so as the surueyors and masters of the worke had small thankes for their labor Gaspar van Eusum was made gouernor therof with 6 or 800 men They of Zeeland complained that they were not able to leuie the generall contribution which they were rated to pay for the further maintenance of the warres both by sea and land laying open all their meanes both contributions and other vnto them of Holland desiring they might be discharged of so great a taxe or else to haue some aid of men and money with other necessaries for their defence the warrelying most vpon them They of Holland and Vtrecht seemed to be well content and promised to pay their rate as they had done the yeare before aduising them to prouide for the defence of the countrey with all the means and speed they could They of Gueldres and Ouerissell seemed also to complaine yet all in generall thought it fit to take the aduantage of the time whilest their enemies souldiers were in mutinie and to make better resistance against the gallies at sea whereupon they resolued to deuise al the means they could to raise money to make a good offensiue war the next yeare Prince Henry yongest sonne to William prince of Orange hauing beene with his mother in France and now returned againe into the Netherlands the general Estates thought it good to acquaint him with the affaires of the countrey where hee was borne and to that end although he were but seuenteene yeares old they made him one of their counsell of Estate that he might see and heare what was done concerning the affaires of the countrey so as vpon the 17 of March was his first sitting The archduke Albertus and the Infanta being installed in most of the prouinces vnder their obedience they now found themselues much perplexed for money so as the Spaniards Italians and other nations fell generally into mutinie and spoiled all the countrey forcing the peasants to pay them contribution so as they feared a greater tumult if it were not speedily preuented for which cause the generall Estates vnder their command were assembled wheras vpon the eight and twentieth of Aprill beeing at Brussels the archdukes both by mouth and writing made these propositions vnto them by the president Richardot and d' Assonville My lords it is not vnknowne to euerie one of you how much you haue longed after this assembly in regard of the great zeale you beare vnto the aduancement of your countries cause which you thinke is too much neglected the like desire
the gouernor promising to giue them satisfaction in the towne of Bruges 7 That all muster-masters and other officers which haue mannaged the accounts paying of souldiers may also depart freely with their mouable goods and papers touching their charges not taking away any of the charters or registers of the towne 8 That all officers and commissaries of the victuals of the admiraltie and of the king of Spaines armie shall do the like 9 That the gouernor shal be bound to deliuer the castle this night into his Excellencies hands that he may put 200 men into it 10 That to morrow the garrison shall depart out of the towne Made in the campe before Sluce the 19 of August 1604. Behold how the vnited Estates tooke this towne of Sluce by prince Maurice their great captaine and admirall generall euen in view of the archdukes armie There were found in it eleuen great gallies wherof 7 were verie much shaken but afterwards repaired by them the rest were verie good and new with a great number of other sorts of boats 84 peeces of brasse and 24 of yron with great store of powder bullets and other munition for war the which made them much stronger both by sea and land And with these honourable conditions they departed out of Sluce being about 4200 men almost hunger starued The Estates after this conquest being contented for this yeare with the importance therof spent some time in fortifying Sluce and Isendike the which they did inlarge more than halfe and haue made it a good towne with a capable hauen they fortified Ardenbourg also and other places in the which they haue many Oostends and so much the stronger for that they are neere one vnto another Besides these places are more commodious to make war in Flanders being in the heart of the countrey and neere vnto Bruges and other greater townes than Oostend which is in a remote quarter among the downs and sand hils the which they might block vp with forts and so leaue it as they did since the yeare 1599 whereas Sluce is the key of traffique The news of this losse was soone diuulged the which caused great murmuring and sodaine alterations in the countries thereabouts In Holland and Zeeland there was nothing but giuing of thanks to God bonfiers banquets and ioy yea at Oostend whose end drew neere the souldiers shewed their ioy with their canons and muskets In the archdukes country there was nothing but heauinesse the people murmuring and saying That what they feared was come to passe seeing that Oostend held good after the losse of Sluce Some did imagine that the prince would go with his victorious armie and raise the siege of Oostend and that by meanes of the intelligences which he had in some townes he would strangely shake the archdukes affaires But things fell out otherwise as we will shew The archduke hauing lost Sluce resolued to haue Oostend rather to repaire his honour and losse than to reape any fruits of his three yeeres labour holding that his reputation was not in so great danger as the good of his wiues countrey which he enioyed whereas now there was no practise nor inuention omitted to take the towne And the besieged being encouraged by the victorie of Sluce made a wonderfull resistance there was a generous emulation and miraculous deedes of armes There were diuers mynes made which wrought diuers effects sometimes hurtfull to the besieged and sometimes to the assaylants Spinola hauing made his approches by mine and other deuises to Sandhill he resolued to giue an assault but finding the Spaniards vnwilling and to flye from all seruices for the enuie that they bare vnto him and to the Italians he made choise of the Germane regiments vnder the earles of Folgia and of Barlaimont being most of them old soldiers and of great resolution who after great resistance tooke Sandhill and slue all that had not retired in time the which was a great losse to the besieged it was said that Spinola gaue vnto these soldiers out of his owne bounty fortie thousand gulderns to drinke with great thanks and commendations The besieged expected succours daily but they fayled them as there is nothing more doubtfull than the euents of warre There was great hazard in the reliefe of Oostend the which although the siege had been raised could hardly haue been kept and in the end would haue wearied the vnited Estates especially wanting succours from England by reason of the peace concluded betwixt the kings of England and Spaine besides it might be dangerous for the Estates armie if they should faile in their attempt or receiue any affront whereby there would haue growne an ineuitable mischiefe which was the diuision and weakning of their army the which would haue giuen a great aduantage vnto the enemie wherefore they resolued to fortifie the towne of Sluce with all their armie the importance whereof made them not to apprehend the losse of Oostend The besieged in Oostend hauing attended succors a moneth after the taking of Sluce and had sent often vnto the vnited Estates and to the prince aduertising them in what estate they were and that the archdukes Germanes had taken a part of the towne from whence in short time they might cut off their hauen and depriue them of the benefit of the sea they thought that without doing wrong vnto their honours they might lawfully compound with so couragious an enemy besides they had aduice from the prince to make the most honourable composition they could being of opinion that the Estates should not charge themselues any longer with that towne seeing they had taken Sluce which was held of farre greater importance and so many other new forts conquered the which they must furnish According to which aduise monsieur Marquet gouernour of the towne of Oostend with the councell of warre entred into treaty with the marquesse Spinola and hauing first sent a-away their best ordnance into Zeeland leauing some only for a shew they yeelded the towne vnto the archduke leauing it all ruined and without inhabitants after a siege of three yeeres and eleuen weekes the which hath not been seene these many hundred yeeres in Christendome and departed the 22 of September with their full armes and marching like soldiers in battell with foure peeces of ordnance and munition for tenne shot the most honourable composition that could be and passing along by Blankenbergh they went vnto the princes campe being yet about Sluce busie in his fortifications The archduke hauing Oostend at command would needs goe see in what estate the towne was whereas they found nothing but hils of earth and trenches and heapes of stones of the houses and churches which had been ruined with the canon where they had worke inough to repaire so as he was forced to entertaine his army there all the rest of the summer before he could bring it to any good order and cast downe his trenches with many of the forts For
drie and then they lay them in garrets and barnes which lie open to the winde and sunne after which they are caried by boats through all Holland Zeeland and into Brabant They haue another kind of turffe which they digge out of the earth in some places seuen or eight foot deepe in some lesse the which being cut square or long they dry vpon heapes as the rest with little labour A third kind of turffe is drawne from the superficies of the earth in the heat of summer out of quagmiers and moorish places and dried with the heat of the sunne the which they cut long thicke and large the two last sorts are in a manner alike in goodnesse but not like vnto the first They make another kind of turffe of their cattels dung mixt with straw or reeds which they drie and cut like the first The nuptiall chastity was in old time so strictly obserued there as if a woman were found in adultery they did not put her to death as at this day how great soeuer the crime bee they put not any woman to death in some parts of Friseland but keepe them in perpetuall prison but in signe of ignominie and reproche they did cut of the tresses of their haire which the women carie at this day vnder their kerchiefes on their foreheads and the virgins bare in great rowles To entertaine this nuptiall chastitie in olde time the priests were forced to marie least they should defile anothers bed they thinking it impossible that any one could liue chastly without a wife Hauing described Batauia according to Petit and set dowee the maners and customes of the antient Batauiens let vs speake something of the scituation of Holland and of the present estate thereof as Emanuel Demetrius hath set it downe in his Hystorie Holland is little for that in length from Marsdiepe to the Meuse it is but eighteene Dutch miles but if you should reckon from Heusden to the lands end called Texel there is not any prouince in the Netherlands so long and it is so narrow as wheresoeuer you be you may go to the confines in halfe a day A third part of it is water for that within the land it hath fiue great waters or seas as Harlem sea Scheermeer Bemster the Waert and Purmeer being all ful of fish This little countrey being most part medow ground is preserued by many great ditches dammes sluces and water mils besides the downes and sands on the shore which haue beene cast vp by the waues of the sea The cost and charges to make and entertaine these ditches sluces and mills is thought to be more than the ground it selfe is worth for in some places the land lyeth much lower than the sea yet notwithstanding although it be well defenced from the sea yet would the countrey be ouerflowne with the raine water which falleth for that as we haue sayd in many places it lyeth lower than the sea and therefore it can haue no passage away if it were not by chargeable water-mills the which by motion of the wind carrieth the water forcibly vp and casteth it through diuers sluces into the sea These sluces are made in the ditches and haue double doores which when the sea ebs do open of themselues and when it begins to flow then they shut againe either by the sea water or of themselues the charge whereof is so great as being set downe no man would beleeue that such a countrey could be able to maintaine so great wars This prouince of Holland hath aboue 30 walled townes and 400 villages in it full of people all liuing by sea faring fishing trade of merchandise seething of salt making of ships ditches nets and all necessaries for sea faring and fishing besides building which is great and costly cutting of turffes whereby many thousand get their liuing They haue the sweetest medowes and fruitfullest cattell in the world all kinds of wildfoule and great store of conies hares and deere They haue not corne ynough growing to suffice the fourth part of the inhabitants The superfluitie of their store they send into all other countries The butter and cheese onely which they send abroad besides their owne store amounteth yerely to aboue an hundred thousand pounds sterling The women being many in regard of the men who are much cousumed by the wars and at sea are so industrious as by their spinning and weauing of Holland cloth and making of nets they are spoken of throughout all the world and besides the women are so politike diligent and carefull as they can buy and sell keepe accounts traffique and trauell from place to place as well as their husbands in their absence without any touch of lightnesse or dishonestie The like of them are not to be found in any countrey being for the most part big tall faire and well proportioned and so actiue as they are more respected than women in other countries whereas iealousie lightnesse and pride raigneth more than simple honestie The Rhine runneth through Holland and Zeeland the which diuideth it selfe into two great armes the Wahal and Leck which run into the sea and the riuers of Meuse and Scheld which come out of France all which riuers these prouinces can shut vp and open when they please with their great number of ships which brings them great profit by the transportation vp and downe of all sorts of wares and merchandise by the said riuers In time of warre they bring in great reuenewes for conuoy and licence money so as those prouinces haue almost as many ships and barkes great and small as there are houses by the traffique whereof they make their townes as it were sellers packhouses warehouses spice chambers and staples for al kinds of wares which they transport in Summer towards the East and in Winter to the West The great number of their ships and sea faring men may partly be gest by this that in the yeare 1587 there were aboue 600 Holland and Zeeland ships arrested in the Sont by the king of Denmarke besides others which went on the Vly for Norway and others that sayled into England Scotland France Portugall Spaine Italy Turkie the Indies and other countries and islands And in the yeare 1588 when as the Spanish fleet came it appeared true by information that within fourteene dayes they were able to set out an hundred good ships of warre to lie in the English chanell and that in Holland Zeeland and Friseland there were found to be 27 hundred great ships from two hundred to eight hundred tuns burthen a peece which without doubt may seeme an incredible number beside the great number of Buisses dogboats and crabbers so called in their countrie the which goe out to the common fishing into the ocean vnder Norwaie England Scotland and Ireland and neuer put into any hauen vntill they returne from whence they went and afterwards the fish and herrings are transported in other shippes
made any shew he retyred a league off and there encamped thinking that the town was not to be woon without greater force and some artillerie whereof he was then vnprouided This retreat of Saras as despairing to winne it gaue courage vnto the Spaniards who made a sally foorth to charge them in the â—…eward as he made his retreat but they marched in such good order as they could not annoy them Saras hearing of the comming of the Spaniards from Anâ—…rpe and Berghen vpâ—…n Sooâ—… raysed his campe and returned into the Isle of Walchrâ—… But the Flessinguers accusing him of cowardise and of treason in all his enterprises of Bruges Gand and Ter-Goes where they presumed to haue many friends would not receiue him nor any one of his men into the towne but sent them to the village of Soâ—…land where they intrenched themselues sleightly to defend them from all surprises of the enemie The Spaniards of Middlebourg Ter-Goes and other places thereabouts came in the morning by the breake of day and charged them with such furie in this fort halfe finished as at the first they ouerthrew fiftie and forced into the middest of the place The English and Wallons fighting notwithstanding like lyons made them recoyle and chased them out of their trenches The Spaniards madde with disdaine to see themselues thus repulsed resuming new courage and animating one another returned to the charge the which was much more suddaine and furious than the first On the other side the Protestants seeing that to flye would bee both dangerous and dishonourable preferring an honourable death fought like desperate men The Spaniards did striue the more vpon hope of victory and the others desired rather to die in the bed of honour than to flie or yeeld so as the incounter was furious on eyther side vntill that the Wallons discharging a field peece among the thickest of the Spaniards made some to flye in pieces and the rest to recoyle who thought it no reason to runne headlong against the canon and that it was against all warlike discipline to fight against a desperate enemie The Wallons and French especially those of Diepe seeing this grew more couragious than before and pursued them in their retreat being followed by the English and Zeelanders who altogether charged their enemies with such furie as they made them all flye on a heape whereof they slew a part and had many prisoners There was a squadron of those that fled got into a barne where they were all roasted In this charge there dyed some hundred and fiftie Spaniards Of the French Protestants besides the souldiors captaine la Riuiere was slaine there for whose losse they were so incensed as they caused all the prisoners to be hanged the which made foule warres and caused the Spaniards to hang all the Protestants they could take After this victorie Saras returned to Flessingue where the entry was againe denied him yet after that he had wandered vp and downe fifteene daies at the request of the French captaines he was receiued Soone after there were new preparations made to go againe into the Island of Suytbeuelandt and to besiege Ter-Goes situated in the middest of a fertile countrey which yeelded many good commodities of victuals to the towne of Antuerpe It had a strong wall and deepe ditches but no counterscarpe nor parapet vpon the rampier They sent nine double Canons thither which were drawne out of Flessingue The Protestants armie lodged at the first in the suburbes of the towne whereas there were but two companies one of Spaniards and another of Flemings in garrison The Canon was planted in two batteries the one at the port the other within the land that at the port had soone made a breach of fiftie foote wide where the French and the English vndertooke to giue an assault about midnight with a camisado and scalado The first assaylants were sharpely repulsed besides the ladders which Saras had giuen them were too short so as this assault was very preiudicial vnto them being forced to leaue it with shame and losse About that time the fiue and twentieth of August all the souldiors within Flessingue except the companies of captaine Barnard Eloy Morcant and some few others imbarked with them of the garrison of la Vere with a great number of boats hauing a designe vpon the towne of Antuerpe where they had intelligence with some bourgesses the which was done vnder the commaund and authoritie of the prince of Orange but as they were vpon the way about Doel they were aduised by letters from Antuerpe to stay some three or foure dayes by reason of some difficulties and to attend vntill they had other aduertisement wherupon they returned the next day to Byezelingen in the land of Ter-Goes so as this designe prooued fruitlesse for the which some of the said bourgesses were accused conuicted and executed The eight and twentieth of August captaine Claes Claesz with his ship and Broubier with his flie-boat went out of Flessingue and going along the Westerne coast they met with foure pinnaces come out of Scluse to seeke their aduentures vpon the Zeelanders and their allies two of which were chased backe into their hole called the Swyn the third was abandoned by the Spaniards who leaped into the sea wherof some were saued and the rest drowned but before they abandoned it they left a match light which set fire on the pouder as they were carying it to Flessingue so as foure men were burnt the fourth was taken fighting and all the prisoners brought to Flessingue whereas instantly there were tenne hanged The duke of Alua fearing least the towne of Ter-Goes would be lost by reason of the small garrison that was within it by a long siege of the Zeelanders he sent Sancho d'Auila gouernour of the citadell of Antuerpe to succour it with three thousand men causing part of them to be imbarked in good shippes of warre which might force through them of Zeeland who were at sea to stop the passage to Ter-Goes and to prepare them worke of another side he himselfe went by land with the rest and two field-field-peeces whereof the one was myred by reason of the great raine that fell Those that were imbarked were defeated by the Zeelanders shippes and not one could passe that way Yet d'Auila fainted not but hauing enquired of the best experienced mariners if there might be no way to passe ouer at a low water being told him that there was good meanes yet he would not trust them before he had sent some of his people with them to sound the passage who hauing made their report that it was easie to doe but with great diligence and trauell for that there was about two leagues of passage and some chanels in the way that were good and deepe at a low water D'Auila being glad to haue found this way would make a triall with all his troupe accompanied by colonel Mondragon his assistant who marching first on foot led them both
baron of Selles his fellow prisoner in the throat as he died thereof so as to bring him againe to his right sences and to comfort him at the suit of the lady Francis of Egmont his sister he was transported into Holland where he was well intreated vntill the king should free him from his imprisonment the which made him recouer his sences which before were much troubled In the end he was set free in the yeare 1584 for the said seignior of la Noue yet vpon promise so much they feared him that during his life hee should not beare armes against the king of Spaine vnlesse it were by the commandement of the king of Fraunce his master with some other conditions vpon paine of an hundred thousand crownes for the which the duke of Lorraine was his caution and pledge and the king of Nauarre his counterpledge This kind of rigorous proceeding in the exchange of such prisoners gaue great occasion to the nobilitie of the Netherlands the kings subiects to murmure at his ingratitude and of the esteeme which hee made of them and of their liues which they so willingly exposed for his seruice The male-contents hauing receiued this affront and losse at Bouchain to bee reuenged thereof they went in August following to besiege it and did batter it with such furie as the seignior of Villers hauing no hope of succours nor meanes the place beeing verie little to rampar or intrench himselfe within either by halfe moones new rampars or otherwise fearing it should be carried by assault and the Spaniard in like manner doubting to come to it he yeelded it by composition to depart onely with their armes And as the accord had been simply made without the reseruations necessarie in the like case the said seigniour of Villers had left a peece of a match secretly burning in a barrel of powder among diuers others which continued some houre or two vntill that he and his men were retired towards Cambray where being neere fire tooke this powder which carried away a part of the rampar did much harme to the towne and slue some thirtie souldiers wherewith the Spaniard beeing iustly incensed sent to pursue them and to cut them in peeces if they might ouertake them but it was too late the seigniour of Villers and his troupe beeing safely and without all daunger retired into Cambray The Estates knowing their owne forces by sea and vpon the riuers and what the Spaniards were at land they resolued by meanes of their ships of warre to hinder the passage and distribution of victuals and munition by the riuers of Rhin and Meuse Wherefore they sent their ships well appointed and manned euerie one carrying eight ten or twelue great peeces of brasse besides the lesse and hauing his pinasse wherewith they held the same riuers subiect and cut off the passage both for men and victuals that were appointed for the country of Groningue The which did much trouble the princes of the Rhin who also manned out certain ships of warre to chase away those of the States But for that they would not incense these princes nor contest against them they caused their ships to fall downe in August the which before were vsually accustomed to mount vp aboue the towne of Cologne to Bonne yea further Macklin beeing reuolted from the States and hauing committed many insolencies this yeare they sent the Englishmen that were in Liere towards Macklyn with their colonell Sir Iohn Norris a valiant gentleman and with these Englishmen the which would not leaue Liere without their pay the Estates sent Oliuer vanden Temple gouernour of Brussels with his garrison and that of Viluoord and Charles of Lieuin lord of Famars with his cornet of horse These troupes came vpon the ninth of Aprill in the morning before the towne where the Englishmen giuing an alarme on the one side in the meane time monsieur de Temples souldiers and the rest climing ouer the Brussels gate got into the towne where they fought a good while before they could force open the gates to let in the horsemen who being entred the bourgers with diuers monks and fryers being in armes vpon the market place defended themselues vntill that manie of them were slaine whereof Peter Wolfe a mutinous fryer who had before drawne them from the States was one who being well armed fought with a halberd in his hand The gouernour Rossignol and Boeskerke the scout with certaine Albanoys got out at the gates as soone as the towne was taken where there was about an hundred souldiers but most bourgers slaine They began to ransacke the towne notwithstanding that the bourgers had made a composition with the English who were the greatest number beeing eight hundred strong to giue them certaine monethes pay but that condition was not performed And although the generall for that the sacke had continued certaine dayes would gladly haue taken some order therein yet he could by no meanes do it This towne was so miserably sackt and spoyled as no towne in all the Netherlands had suffered the like during all the ciuile warres for that the English men who had no measure in their doings spoyled the churches and religious houses without any pitie and compassion for the which the rest of the souldiers were much offended After that the chiefe commanders as monsieur Timpel and the lord of Famars then made gouernour fell out with colonell Norris and would gladly after the sacke haue gotten the English men out of the towne but they being the strongest had gotten the keyes into their hands and for a moneths space did what they would putting the bourgers to ransome and still spoyling their houses sparing not the bells nor the great dyall which was many times forbidden to be touched they tooke likewise the stones that lay vpon the dead and carried many hundreds of them into England by ship At the last the Estates hauing great occasion to vse souldiers for that it was generally thought that for want of those souldiers la Noue had bin ouerthrowne and taken by Inglemunster they persuaded Sir Iohn Norris to leaue Macklin who at that time was fallen into such a quarrel with monsieur Timpel that although they were strangers there hee would not march out first for which cause they were forced to set some bourgers of Antuerpe and of the towne in the market place and else where to guard it vntill that at the sound of a bell they both went out at seuerall ports the which was not without some trouble which happened by misunderstanding by reason of the commanders high minds which was the cause that the Englishmen with much hurt and losse were driuen out of the towne the sixth of May. Monsieur de Famars was left there for gouernor who sought by all the meanes that hee could to restore the towne of Macklin to his former estate and to repeople it againe Henrie of Bourbon prince of Conde hauing with great difficultie retired himselfe out
score yea more altogether whereof by mischance the Spaniards tooke some one in the taile or sunke him the which they had not done but they came with the tyde out of the danger of their forts vnder those which the towne of Antuerpe had built on either side as that of Toulouse on Flanders side that of Austerweel on Brabant side and others True it is that there arriued some daiely carrying men and women whereof some were slaine and others without armes and legges but all this did not stoppe the passage so as there came daiely great store of all commodities And the superiors of Antuerpe whilest they had yet this meanes had done very well if they had furnished themselues with corne which the Hollanders would haue brought them in great aboundance without any respect of the danger if there had beene vent and they might haue gained by it so greedie that nation is of gaines as they sticke not at any perils and whereas they loose sometimes they haue a saying in Dutch the which is in English We must trie againe for one lost two recouered we must seeke it where it hath beene lost Many were of opinion that it had beene better to haue imploied the money of all those forts and of the great preparations to batter the Spanish forts such as was that great and fruitlesse masse of floting wood the which in mockerie was called Elephant and the end of the warre the which cost aboue a hundred thousand florins in buying of corne and other victuals and munition and in the leuie and paiment of more souldiers for it is admirable what money they spent during this siege the which if they had done it may be the towne had not beene lost for the winter after that it was yeelded vp the frosts were so great and there were such heapes of yce one vpon another as with the flowing and the ebbing of the tyde and the force of the winde if there had beene twentie bridges and as many stocados they had beene all broken and the palisadoes tied with chaines cables and anchors had beene driuen away But all this was neglected by them of Antuerpe their confederates were carelesse to hinder the making of the bridge and the stocado and this opinion deceiued them of Antuerpe and their confederates for although it had beene impossible yet should they not haue beene so carelesse to haue neglected or contemned the endeauours and expences of the Spaniard nor the prince of Parma his great diligence and industrie The which falls out commonly to them which haue no regard or make no esteeme of their enemies and hold things impossible which at the length industrie diligence and labour makes possible yea easie as hath beene seene in the prince of Parma his great worke the which hee aduanced as much as might be whilest that hee and a part of his armie lodged at Beueren not farre distant from Calloo and the other part of his armie at Strabrouke neere to Oordam on the other side of the riuer which made the two heads where his bridge should be made to succour them that were in the forts of Calloo and Oordam if the Estates and confederate protestants should seeke in any sort to hinder their worke which they carelesly neglected Besides they of Antuerpe were very improuident in one point that hauing cut the dike beneath Burcht to drowne all the countrie about Calloo they had set no guard at the hole of the said dike or at the least their shippes of warre should haue kept the princes flat bottomed boats from passing at noone daie as wee haue heretofore seene them for if they had onely sunke two hoyes in the breach and no more the two and twentie flat bottomed boats which they of Gant and Dendermond sent to make the bridge had neuer past that way as they did within cannon shotte of the castle of Antuerpe and of one of their shippes of warre who fearing the artillerie of Burcht durst not once approach them to stoppe their passage And when as they were past without any opposition or hindrance and come vnto Calloo which was the place they desired to come to then they of Antuerp sent to build a fort vpon the dike close by the hole called Telignies fort to keep any more from passing but it was too late Afterwards they began to build that great masse of wood in forme of a castle floting vpon the water called The end of the warre of cannon proofe with foure small bulwarks and twentie great cannons planted round about it besides a number of other smaller peeces the which could not be battered so neere the water but there would remaine fourescore musketiers which could not bee hurt beeing lodged lower than the cannon could batter It was very heauie for saile hauing three maine masts and three rudders most troublesome to gouerne and also very vnfit to resist the violence of winde and tyde With which castle they intended to beate downe all the Spaniards forts vpon the riuer from Antuerpe to Lillo There were within it fiue hundred musketiers which were so placed the enemie could not offend them for this fort for so it might well bee called if it had continued alwaies in one place was but two foot aboue the water and could neuer sinke by reason of the great aboundance of corke and emptie barrels bound about with yron hoopes which did support it The rampars were fiue foot thicke and the bulwarks tenne foot thicke filled with rotten nets well rammed in which made them firme and almost impenetrable The top-castles of the three masts were of musket proofe full of musketiers the which might shoot from aboue into the middest of a fort In the end when all was done it was a very chargeable worke and exceeding hard to bee gouerned as the euent did shewe before it began to worke any effect remaining in the enemies power at the first shot as we will shew About this time there was one which spake in the open councell at Antuerpe when as they treated of these preparatiues after this manner Although said he the prince of Parma could not finish his worke and stoppe vp the passage of the riuer doe we not yet see that hee hath made himselfe so strong on both sides as it is impossible to chase him from thence and besides hee is master of the field and can cut off the passages so as nothing shall be brought vs into the towne Hee hath neere vnto him a mightie armie and inuincible for vs hee hath raised his forts and trenches so high aboue the water as the tydes ebbing and flowing cannot annoy them And besides all this the passage of the riuer is so stopped as wee can haue no traffique of merchandise remaining without the which the people cannot liue nor the towne subsist Wherefore all these difficulties beeing well weighed and considered in my opinion wee should seeke in time to reconcile our selues to the king else this siege
the French king should crosse his victorie if hee should embrace the affaires of the vnited Prouinces He had in December before sent one Augustino Graffino an Italian into England but being a subiect of the Popes hee was charged to haue beene acquainted with the prince of Orange his murther so as he had no audience at all And the Spaniards seeing that their practises preuayled nothing in the vnited Prouinces nor in England they bethought themselues of another course to kindle a new ciuile warre in Fraunce by the meanes of them of the house of Guise as you may read thereof more at large in the Hystorie of Fraunce The French king seeing himselfe suddenly assayled by the Guisian league in the which many of the nobilitie of Fraunce gentlemen and good townes were ingaged and carried away vnder a colour of Religion and the publicke weale he had no other helpe or meanes but to flye vnto his Edicts forbidding by publicke proclamation all his subiects and vassales that were vnder his iurisdiction to leuie any men or to serue them without his leaue declaring that this league and confederacie was ill grounded and against all reason But all this auayled him little or nothing being forced for this time to strike sayle and to forbeare to accept the offers that were made vnto him by the deputies of the Estates of the vnited Prouinces of the Netherlands And finding himselfe suddenly oppressed by the league being without any forces and the aduerse partie growne to bee so strong as they might easily haue deliuered halfe the countrey of Fraunce into the king of Spaine his hands he gaue the embassadours and deputies to vnderstand with whom he had begun to treat of the conditions That to his great griefe he could not receiue them vnder his protection or gouernment nor at that time assist them in any sort saying That his shirt was neerer vnto him than his doublet complayning much of the violence which the king of Spaine and they of the house of Guise and the league did offer him entreating them to maintaine and defend themselues as well as they could vntill that he had setled his Realme in peace promising to ayde and helpe them willingly with his fauour and counsell in any thing he could And as the Queene of England had recommended the vnited Prouinces vnto him in like sort hee entreated the earle of Darbie the Queenes embassadour to recommend them vnto her Maiestie that it would please her to succour them and to take their defence in hand making the like request vnto the Queene by his owne embassadours and also to the king of Nauarre the which hee promised by the faith of a king and hath beene euer since well affected vnto the sayd vnited prouinces The prince of Parma to finish his worke and to stoppe vp the passage of the riuer of Antuerpe from them of Holland and Zeeland he sent for all the masters of shippes mariners and shipwrights of Flaunders and Brabant whom hee caused to come to Calloo So as vpon the fiue and twentieth day of Februarie the bridge was fully finished whereby they might passe out of Flanders into Brabant and the passage to Antuerpe quite stopped vp the which was a singular worke and of great admiration to all the world being built after the manner which followeth On eyther side of the riuer hee had caused a mightie fort to be built one at Calloo vpon Flanders side and the other at Oordam on the bankes of Brabant in eyther of the which hee had planted twelue double cannons which shot euen with the water and the workes were aduaunced as farre into the riuer as the foundation would suffer it besides the heads which were made of bridges set vpon pyles of fiftie foot deepe rammed into the ground and well bound together And whereas the depth or the swiftnesse of the streame would not suffer it the rest of the bridge from one side vnto the other was made of one and thirtie flat bottomed boats euery one beeing made fast with two ankers one before and the other behind tyed together with strong chaynes and cables vpon the which were great beames layed crosse and vpon them certaine plankes which finished the bridge so as they might passe on horsebacke or with waggons and carts to eyther side About a thousand foote from this bridge both aboue and beneath there was a floate made of mastes of shippes that were bound together and vpon them other mastes crossed and pointed sticking forth some twentie foote long like vnto stakes and therefore they were called Stocadoes all being made fast in the bottome of the water with ankers like vnto the bridge and on eyther side of the riuer bound with chaynes and cables vnto the heads so as the bridge and the Stocadoes did rise and fall with the tide the sayd bridge beeing two thousand foot long lacking but two from one head vnto another And on eyther side thereof there lay fiue shippes of warre well appointed with men and artillerie to withstand the first assault before they should approach neere vnto the Stocadoes Moreouer there were planted on eyther side of the riuer betwixt the two Stocadoes aboue a hundred peeces of artillerie both great and small the which in truth was a royall worke for the making whereof vnprofitable they must vse other meanes than force or else they should haue foreseene it in time and not suffered them so much to haue aduaunced it for if they had done their endeauours to breake it as they began the worke the which they might well haue done he had not so easily finished it But beeing done and ended they sought to breake it with the force and violence of shippes of warre as well of Holland and Zeeland as of Antuerpe yet before they could get this preparation readie and a faire wind withall as they desired for the which there was aboue a hundred shippes laden with men and munition attending with great deuotion and during all these delayes and expectations the prince of Parma finished this great worke and the riuer was shut vp by this bridge and Stocadoes The which bred a great discontentment and murmuring amongst the common people as well of Brabant as of Zeeland and for the which the Zeelanders did partly blame their admirall Treslon and others which had had the chiefe charge but euery man excused himselfe of this negligence in the preuention thereof in the which there was also some priuate commoditie or aduantage as it is the vsuall custome in matters which passe by many heads and hands yea they did greatly taxe the Hollanders therewith some saying that the prince of Parma could not haue finished this worke without them and it was generally spoken that they had deliuered him cables and ankers wherewith hee had made his worke firme The towne of Nymeghen in the countrey of Gueldres situated vpon the riuer of Wahal which is one of the hornes of Rhin was at that time wauering and it was
Brusselles the which was so rich and stately as if the naturall Prince of the country had bene come with an exceeding great charge in all sorts of splendor by liuely representations try umphant Arches Pyramids tables pictures with other excessiue sumptuousnes the which continued three daies most part of the towne neglecting their worke At the end whereof he called the Estates of those Prouinces which hee was to command to Court to acquaint them with his commission and the authority he had from the King for the gouernment of those countries as his Lieutenant Gouernor and Captaine generall ouer them whereof the letters were publickly read The Earle of Mansfeldt to whome by the death of the Duke of Parma the said gouernment had beene committed by prouision rising from his place deliuered his charge into his hand which done both hee and all the Noblemen and States there present did sweare all fidelitie and obedience vnto him in the Kings name The second of February they of the garrison of Groning through the fauour of the Ice made a braue enterprize vpon the great Fort of Delfziel they came along a causey where there was no ditch at the rampar but what was on that side shut vp onely with a pallisado the which they had pulled downe before that they of the Fort could discouer it or put them-selues in armes so as part of the vndertakers had already gotten to the toppe of the rampar But they were presently so furiously repulst as the combat continued aboue two houres And by very good fortune there was one of the Estates shippes of warre with sixteene peeces of Ordinance which shotte in flanke through them or Groning made a great spoile of them so as they were forced to retire with great losse For at their retreat they carried away fiue and thirty sleddes laden with dead bodies and wounded men Doubtlesse without that ship of warre those of the Fort had bene in great danger to haue bene forced but they escaped with the losse of one Captaine and some fifteene or sixteene soldiers besides those that were very sore hurt The Estates about that time to augment their armie made a leuie of a regiment and some Germaine horse vnder the commaund of the young Earle Iohn of Nassau And in like manner the Queene of England did suffer them to raise a new regiment of English vnder the command of Sir Francis Veer Generall of all the English in the States seruice The same moneth of February the Prince had an enterprise vpon the towne of Boisleduc in Brabant which was too much discouered Yet hee was in those parts with good troopes as if he had more disseignes in hand in that quarter to keepe the Spaniards by that meanes from passing into Friseland to succor Verdugo but hee suddainly fell vpon the towne of Maistricht as we will presently shew In March whilest that the Nobilitie and all the Arch-dukes Court at Brusselles dreampt of nothing but sportes Iusts and Tourneys newes came that Prince Maurice and the confederate Estates prepared to go before Boisleduc Where-vpon the Arch-duke hauing assembled his Councel to resolue what was to bee done all that Sommer following it was concluded to raise two armies one to hinder the Princes entry into Brabant and the other to make warre in France by Landercy whereof the Earle of Mansfeldt had the charge The 19. of the moneth the Estates of the vnited Prouinces published an Edict prohibiting all Libelles paâ—…ils and scandalous writings as well against Religion as against the State inioyning al Printers not to print any thing before it were visited by them that had authority and to keepe their originall coppies to conferre them with their impressions and to see if sence the visitation there had beene any thing added that was worthy of censure and withall to put to the names of the authors And that by the tenth of April following they should appeere and sweare to obserue the orders contayned in the said Edict with a prohibition to all persons residing vnder the Iurisdiction of the said Estates not to make any assemblies where Masse should be said or any exercise of the Romish Religion celebrated vpon the penalities set downe in the edict nor to carry any other then a secular habit vpon paine of confiscation thereof to their benifit to whom the Magistrate should appoint it Moreouer forbidden all schooles which shall not be allowed by the Magistrates Bailiffs or Lords of the place holding heigh and base Iustice or by their officers and Iudges And the said schoole-maisters not to teach their Deciples any bookes contrary to the Christian doctrine and the reformed relligion vpon the penalties conteined in the said Edict In the same moneth on Michael Renichon an Apostat priest being come to Breda was descouered first vpon suspition and commited to prison Being examined be confest that hee was come thether to murther Prince Maurice or his young Brother vpon which confession he was sent by the Seignor of Heraughiere Gouernor of Breda vnto the generall Estates at the Hage in Holland where being conuicted he was condemned to die His whole confession you may read in his sentence as followeth Whereas Michel Renichon borne at Templours and Curat of Boissiere in the country of Namur prisoner at this present hath confest being deliuered from the torture and hath sufficiently appeered that being disguized in the habit of a soldiar he parted from Brussells the fourth of March with letters from Cont Floris of Barlaimont and from thence hee went to Lovuain Dyest Herentall and Tournhout where through fauour of the said letters he had a conuoy to bring him to Breda where being arriued the twelth of the said moneth he deliuered vnto the Gouernor of the said place certaine letters of the Earle of Barlaimonts directed vnto Captaine Langon who had sometimes commanded in the Castle of Tournhout conteining that the bearer was come thether by the expresse commandement of the Archduke Ernestus of Austria The said prisoner declaring also that he had beene charged to descouer vnto the gouernor some enterprize vpon the towne of Breda the which hee did collour with certaine vnlikely reasons wherein he did persist saying that he had beene some yeares secretary to the Abbot of Marolles and that a little before hee had beene aduanced to be Secretery to the sayd Earle of Barlaimont the which he afterwards confest to be but an inuention of his yet would he not declare the causes why he was come thether till that on the first of Aprill being brought to the Hage he had attempted to hang himselfe with his arming points tied to a barre in the prison where he was found halfe dead hauing the bloody markes of a halter about his necke and his speech much impayred And that the said prisoner the second day of the moneth and sence at diuers times had confest as well by mouth as by his owne hand writing And on the twenty day
hee might see the great confidence and estimation we haue alwayes had of him Yet the said prince hauing had small regard vnto his honour and to the othe of fidelitie and loyaltie which hee hath sworne vnto vs as to his Soueraigne Prince and by reason of the said estates and offices hath made himselfe the head author aduancer fauourer and receiuer of rebels conspirators seditious practisers and disturbers of the publike good and quiet As also prâ—…sently after our departure from these countries towards our realmes of Spaine his designe with some others was to vsurpe the whole administration and gouernment of these countries and to that end had many pernitious practises hauing forgotten himselfe so much as to take armes against vs and to exclude vs out of those countries from the which hee had not desisted but for want of meanes doing all offices vnder hand with our subiects to diuert them from the affection and fealtie which they haue alwaies shewed to vs and our predecessours yea which is much more detestable and abhominable vnder the colour and cloake of religion and by false persuasions that our intention was the which was neuer to bring in the Inquisition of Spaine into those our countries so as by his seductions and false impressions many of our said subiects haue risen rebelled against vs. And namely that the said prince had fiâ—…st seduâ—…ed corrupted and incited a great part of the nobilitie so as they haue made leagues and conspiracies and sworne by the same to defend and fortifie themselues against vs and our ordinances the which haue beene alwaies kept and obserued in the said countrey the assemblies being made to that end in his owne house as well at Breda as in this our towne of Brussels And that since hee had receiued the said rebels into his protection and safeguard with promise of all assistance who also haue gone armâ—…d to field against vs in diuers places And that the said prince had counselled and assisted the lord of Brederode chiefe of the said rebels to fortifie the towne of Vianen against vs hauing suffered him to inroll souldiers in our towne of Antuerpe in the view of all the world against our expresse lawes then newly made and published imbarking them for the towne of Vianen with all munition of warre furnishing also the said Brederode with some peeces of ordnance Besides the said prince had forbidden any of our townes and forts to receiue any garâ—…ison in our name and among others in our countrey of Zeeland whither he had sent men expâ—…esly to surprise it and thereby to stop vp our passage by sea And the said prince being sent vnto our towne of Antuerpe to pacifie the troubles and popular tumults had of his owne priuat authoritie and beyond the charge giuen him in that towne suffered and allowed the free exercise of al sects indifferently giuing them leaue to build many temples and consistories for the sectaries whereof haue followed the dangers and inconueniences that euerie man-knowes Suffering leuies taxations and collections of money to be made which should be afterwards imployed in the entertainment of the said souldiers Doing moreouer many other acts which our said Atturney will declare more at large in time and place all tending to his designe thereby to vsurpe vpon our said countries the which is not tollerable but deserues punishment and exemplarie iustice requiring that it would please vs to grant him a commission for the apprehending and taking of the said prince of Orange All which things considered at the request of our said counsellor and atturney generall wee giue you commission and authoritie that with such aid and assistance as you shall thinke fit you shall take and apprehend the bodie of the said prince of Orange in what part soeuer you shall find him in these our countries and shall bring and conduct him vnder a good guard to our towne of Brussels to bee iustified before our well beloued cousin the Duke of Alua Knight of our order Gouernour and Captaine generall for vs in these our countries c. appointed by vs especially to that end and to receiue such punishment for the said crimes and conspiracies as shall be thought fit and conuenient And if you cannot apprehend him you may adiourne him Giuen at Brussels the 18 of Ianuarie 1568. This commission was proclaimed by a sergeant and six trompets and the relation of the adiournement was set vp in the court at Brussels whereunto the prince of Orange after that hee had beene aduertised answered the atturney generall by his letters as followeth Master Atturney I haue receiued the copie of an adiournement the which you haue caused to be executed by a publike proclamation finding my selfe grieued with the accusations contained therein as a noble man of my qualitie ought to doe desiring nothing so much as I hope I shall make it appeare than to haue meanes to contest and answere for my selfe hauing no intent to leaue an impression in the hearts of the ignorant that I haue not discharged mine honour and the duetie which I owe vnto the king and that I haue acquited my selfe ill and vndutifully of those charges estates and offices wherewith it hath pleased his Maiestie heretofore to grace mee but rather I hope by the discourse and relation of my defences to shew that the good long and loyall seruices expence and losses which I haue incurred by reason thereof shall much exceed my bonds and rewards Hauing therefore cause to desire no lesse that they should enter into this calculation than hee that attends a reliefe in his affaires by the conclusion and end of his account But as that which wee desire most is oftentimes the last put in execution proceeding duely and orderly as it is fit For as the Physian or Surgeon doth not seeke to heale and close vs a wound before he hath searched the bottome and disposed the humor neither doth the Architect build a house before he hath laid a good foundation I am by the qualitie of your adiournement forced to deferre the allegation and explication of my said defences vntill that your accusation may bee made before a competent judge and not suspect and in whom there may bee hope that there shall bee such regard had to that which shall bee propounded as shall bee fit and that they will proceed to absolution or condemnation according to the â—…xigence and merit of the cause And in the meane time I must comfort my selfe with the examples whereof the hystories are full of such as hauing with the hazard of their liues expence of their goods preserued and amplified the estates countries and reuenewes of theiâ—… princes and lords haue not onely beene infamously adiourned and proclaimed but in stead of reward haue receiued corporall and exemplarie punishment haue beene chased away banished slaine and executed seeing the fruits and recompences of their seruice attributed to them that least deserued it I find it no lesse strange in our
and Spanish horsemen and Iohn Schenks cornet of Reisters where there were also seuen companies of Spaniards newly come twelue of Landtsknechts vnder George Frousberg and three of the earle of Ouersteyns So as at the beginning of this siege there were in Dom Frederics campe one hundred twentie one companies of footmen which made at the least six and twentie thousand men out of the which some were drawne to put into Schellinckwout and into the shippes to fight with the Hollanders vpon the water The bourgers and inhabitants able to carry armes were found to be thirteene hundred besides strangers that were newly come and countreymen that were fled into the towne which were not many There were about eight hundred soldiers in the garrison for of seuen companies which they had the gouernour Sonoy before the last siege had drawne forth two and afterwards one with two small peeces of Ordnance the which were sent into Waterlandt where he said they had great need The sixteenth of the moneth there fell neere vnto S. Peters tower a piece of the wall the which had begun long before to sinke and now through the burthen of the new rampar that was layd vpon it fell quite downe but the same night the besieged stopped that breach with great diligence so as that wall which had beene built in old time in steed of a rampar for the defence of the towne was now but a trouble and toile vnto them to beat it down and to make a new rampar in the place thereof The same day the Spaniards planted nine Canons against the port of Friseland and seuen at the red tower but for that the ground on the North side was more mierie and lower than to the South both by reason of the rain and by the opening of the sluces of the sea the which the gouernor Sonoy had caused to be done the Spaniards were much incumbred in the planting of their ordnance yet the night following they raised the ground of their first trench the which they approched neere vnto the port hauing an intent to blow vp the bulwarke the which had beene built vpon the bodies and roots of trees bauins and other wood fit to preuent a myne The seuenteenth day the Spaniards shewed themselues in such sort as if they had beene readie to giue an assault aduauncing their plankes into the ditch vpon the North and the South side putting their men in order in the trenches thrusting foorth their forlorne hopes To conclude it seemed by their countenance that they meant instantly to giue an assault The night following there appeared a prodigious signe in the ayre for the Moone which was in her last quarter began about nine of the clocke at night to shine against the course of nature whereas it should not haue appeared before midnight This prodigie was a good presage vnto the besieged and gaue them more courage and so by the grace of God it succeeded better than the lamentable estate of the towne could hope or expect for most of the souldiers of the garrison were yet fresh and vnaccustomed to warre and the bourgers were not so fit for armes as for marchandise and to tyll the land The eighteenth of the moneth the Spaniards began to batter furiously with twenty peeces of ordnance so as they made that day two hundred shot as well in ruine vpon the houses as at the rampar where there were six men of the town slaine The Spaniards hauing beaten down the fronts of the port of Friseland and of the red tower about three of the clocke in the afternoone they began to giue a furious assault making their way at the port by the materials which had fallen and filled vp the ditch and at the red tower by a bridge which they had let downe and to strike the more terror into the bourgers they prepared to assayle the towne at the port of Harlem and at the Salt pits on the one side by a bridge and on the other side by barkes as the Spanish prisoner had formerly discouered But all these preparations did not amaze the besieged of the towne of Alcmar for at the first shot of ordnance as well bourgers as souldiers came resolutely and full of courage vnto the rampar euery one keeping his place and ranke not shrinking a foot but repulsing their enemies as valiantly as might be The bourgers and inhabitants did willingly obey the captaines of the souldiers and not any one did refuse or murmure against that which was commaunded him The women maydens and boyes came thither with such hardinesse as it is not to be spoken some bringing wild fire which they cast vpon the assaylants others boyling water full of lyme baskets with stones and such other offensiue matters so as since the souldiers besieged haue confessed that without that ayde they could neuer haue made it good In the meane time the Spaniards did all they could to carrie it who as soone as they had passed such difficulties as they found at the breach and passed the rampar they were so gently welcommed and entertayned with pikes halberds two-handed swords stones and all other sorts of armes as in the end they were enforced to recoyle backe There was nothing to be heard but the crying and howling of men wounded and dying and the noyse and clashing of armes There was nothing to bee seene but fire and flame here one fell downe there another tumbled from the toppe of the rampar into the ditch To conclude there was nothing else to be seene but fearefull and hideous sights The first assaylants hauing done their charge and beeing repulsed and wearie of fighting there came other fresh men in their places who had no better successe than the first carrying nothing away but blowes and wounds and in this sort the Spaniards were twice repulsed yet they fainted not but sought to force it at what price soeuer comming to the third assault like Lyons who hauing passed the breach and woon the rampar they cryed out Victoria Victoria Of three Ensigne-bearers which came vp to the rampar with their colours two were slaine one of their colours was burned and the other two were torne in pieces euery one striuing to haue his part but it was not knowne what became of the third Ensigne-bearer In the end the Spaniards beeing not able to hold out or endure the skirmish any longer they were constrayned to retyre with shame and losse And so this Friseland port was freed from three fierce and mightie assaults of the enemie On the other side at the red tower they did no lesse The assaylants hauing approached vnto the rampar with their bridges the besieged were much troubled For before they were to encounter the enemie vpon the rampar and to repulse them from the breach and behind they were galled with two peeces which played vpon their backes from the salt pits yet being nothing troubled with all these difficulties they continued firme and repulsed the enemie twice In the end the
cause vpon the 27. of April he sent for all his soldiars fortifying all the bridges entries into the new towne with carts wagons and wool-sacks holding their ships of war with their peeces charged ready prepared on the other side and so sought to defend himselfe being assisted by Hamsted the Vize-admiral his sailors that sought nothing else with certaine Wallons but only to fight being sufficiently assured of the Burgers ayd In the meane time Chiapini Vitelli Mondragon and others went from the one to the other to pacifie them but all in vaine all the Spaniards crying Wallones fuora fuora Villiacos so that at the last the Cōmander to bring them to some better passe cōmanded Champigni with his Wallons to go out of the towne which he presently did so went to Eeckerē and Wilnerdouck where-vpon the mutinous Spaniards placed a gard at euery gate tooke the keyes from the Magistrats still making a great noise and crying about the towne thereby to hasten the Burgers to gather bring in money to pay them who as thē were assembled in the towne-house about the same At which time a spanish Iesuite of great estimation amongst them would haue preached vnto them in the market place to shew them of their insolent behauiour to tell them what a nomber of women they had caused to miscarry being with childe whereof hee said they were the murtherers But they asked him if he had any mony and so with noise of drums made him hold his peace leaue his exhortation Meane time the richest of the Burgers were sent for to the towne-house who were rated euery one according to his ability towards the paiment of the soldiars which done the Electo was willed to appoint a place for them to muster in that the next day they should be paid The Commāder giuing them to vnderstand that their insolencies tended to the deminishing of the kings honor reputatiō willing them not to make such a noise in the night-time as they had done Wherevnto they made answer that in asking of their pay they did nothing but was right reason so to do and that being paid they would be ready to do any seruice whatso-euer promising not to make any more such noise by night in the towne as they had done The 29 of Aprill they being al sent for to come vnto the market place their Electo being a very wise and well spoken man and yet but a common soldier founding before the towne house made an oration vnto them shewing what burthen and charge they had put the Bourgers vnto being not content with that which was set before thē to eate and drinke saying that they ought to behaue themselues honestly and ciuilly Wherewith they all cried that iustice should be done vpon all such disordered persons and that they should passe through the pikes shewing themselues that they should chuse two deputies out of euery company to speake with the Marquis Chiappini vitelli and to shew their minde vnto him by writing which they did saying that they desired to be payd euery penny that was behinde vnpaide vnto them as well for the dead as for the lyuing The Marquis Chiappini vitelli offered them ten monthes pay in ready money fiue months in wool linnen and silkes and for the rest that they should haue the marchants billes of Antwerp to bee payd at two paiements which the deputies refused saying that they would make report thereof vnto the seignores Soldados for which cause they were once againe assembled in the market place and then the Electo leaning ouer the railes shewed them what the Marquis had offered them wherewith they made a monsterous noyse crying out and saying todo todo dineros Y non palabras that is all all money and no words The Electo hauing gotten them to be silent once againe spake vnto them and sharpely reprouing them sayd That they were all rebells vnto the King and that they had all deserued to die First for that they had taken Antwerp one of the Kings townes not as friends but like enemies breaking their walles and fortifications Secondly for that they had driuen the gouernor and the garrison out of the towne that were placed therin by his Maiesty besides many other rebellious actions which his Maiesty could not well leaue vnpunnished all which their insolency notwithstanding the Magistrates of the towne humbling themselues before them made them that offer which they ought willingly to accept and vpon their knees to giue God thankes for the grace and fauour shewed vnto them saying further that if they seemed to bee so obstinate that they would not accept thereof that they might assure themselues that being found guiltie of rebellion as they were they should be punnished for the same as iustice required protesting from that time forward for his part not to be their Electo any longer where vnto they had forcibly compelled him keeping him pirsoner to that end in the towne-house saying that he would not be saued to be the head of their rebellion nor yet speake in the fauour and behalfe of such mutinous fellowes and that if they would not discharge him of the place he praied them presently to shoote him into the body with a bullet protesting to the death that hee would no more bee their Electo But all this would not helpe so that with the great noyse made they would not suffer him to bee heard speake any more crying todo todo todo contynuing still in that manner vntill it was night and that they were weary with crying but when night came they began againe to runne vp and downe the streetes like diuells knocking and thundering at the gates dores and windowes and pulling all the bel-ropes of the houses in peeces shooting in at the windowes causing great feare and offring as much dispight vnto the Burgers as they could still crying fuora fuora villiacos driuing and compelling their companions that hipocritically seemed not to bee of these disordered company to do as they did euery one making shew as if he were compelled thereunto by the strongest part of them that in time to come one might not bee accounted to be in greater fault then they other euery one pretending to be constrained therevnto against his will and when the saw any one amongst them whome they suspected to bee vnwilling to doe as they did They forced them with blowes to call cry and speake as they did and so made it one generall offence The 29. of April the great or cōmon counsel of Antwerp being assembled to take order about the same the Commander asked the towne 400. thousand guilders in ready money saying that he would furnish the rest causing all his plate iewels to bee brought from Brussels which he offered to lay to pawne for money and to pacifie the Spaniards the Burgers were forced to make readie that money euery man agreeing what he would giue that so they might bee ridde
at their first arriuall as well to keepe his soldyars in heart at the beginning as to suppresse the Spaniards a little and with a good and resolute countenance to take from them the desire and hope which they might haue to hinder the Protestants disseine Besides if they had made them with their brauery imbarke againe it would haue bene heard to haue drawne their men forward and more-ouer hauing so few men hee must either hazard them or make a dishonorable retreat But the Spaniards who might haue fortified them-selues with what men they pleased contenting them-selues with the skirmish the which continued not much lesse then fiue houres retired hauing lost ten or twelue of their men besides the hurt The Protestants retired also hauing one soldiar and a marriner only hurt laboring after that time at the breach of the dike From that time the Admirall Boysot made shew as he hath alwaies done in the like occasions of a great desire to fight and to passe on yet going to councell with the Seignior of La Gard the Captaines it was not held expedient to attempt any more with so few men beeing thought a matter of no small importance to haue gotten the possession of Landt-scheydinghe so good cheap beyond the which all they of the country assured the prince that there was no dike nor dificulty vnto Leyden but they were false aduertisments and therein the Prince was much abused as it appeared afterwards but God did so assist them as trying all that was possible by little little without any precipitation they got vnto the place which they desired with as littelosse as euer was seene for so great an enterprise victualling Leyden in view of a royall Army consisting of so many nations which hold them selues to be valiant for in truth the Spanish nation as well as the Wallon hath alwaies beene warlike among other warrelike Nations The Protestants consisting of Netherlanders French Wallons English Scottish Germaines seeing their entrie reasonable good were of opinion to aduertise the Prince Besides they thought it best not to retire from thence but to cause the whole army to aduance the victuals that were appointed for the towne to the end that if they found any passage they might loose no oportunitie The which the Prince allowed of sending vnto them presently foure companies of Wallons for supplies and the rest of the French companies This being concluded they went to descouer a way called the Groenwech by the which they must past taking that course they did see certaine Spaniards walking but they knewe not whether they were lodged there or not but they were soone satisfied for they tooke a peasant who informed them of many things which they desired to vnderstand The Spaniard did see them and beheld them which made them suspect that hee would lodge there but hee did not any thing there but burne two or three houses in the night Hauing sent the daie following to discouer if they were there or not the signior of La Gard went by the breake of day and lodged there with about foure hundred harguebuziers French and two hundred Wallons who was in no sort hindred by the Spaniard beeing vpon an other way a good Musket shot from thence The Protestants trenches were easie to make for the way was cut in many places so as the Spaniard could not come vnto them but by water in small boates And to assure them the more the Admirall Boysot caused the ships of warre to come of either side to flanke the trenches beeing distant one from an other about a harguebuze shot beeing there they must passe on wherein there was no small difficultie for they knew well that all the Spanish forces were there and in the villages of Soetermeer and Wilsueen which they had vpon their flanke not aboue halfe a league off They might see them fortefie vpon a bridge and in houses that were of either side from whence they might annoye them The signior of La Gardâ—… caused many shot to bee made at them from their shippes of warre the which might somewhat trouble them but not force them to leaue their worke And for that the Spaniards did imagine that the Protestants ment to passe that way they caused certaine field peeces to be brought with the which they shot often but hurt not any one Heerevpon the signior of La Garde went to the Prince to Delf to informe him of all things and to deliuer his opinion which was not without many difficulties for that they could not iudge of that which the eye could not see by reason that the water couered all the chanells so as they were verie hard to finde Wherevpon hauing vnderstood his pleasure hee returned the next day to the armie carrying with him foure demie cannons in flat bottome boates which did not drawe aboue two foote of water and some lesse At his returne to the Admirall beeing assembled togither with the captaines to consult what was to bee donne they resolued to leaue a good gard in the trenches of Landt-Scheydinghe and some shippes of warre by them and with the rest of the army they should make their approches by night to batter them at the breake of day and withall to assaile them the which they could not doe so earely for that they were in combred with a multitude of boates which they must drawe into these chanells but about eight of the clocke in the morning they gaue the Spaniards a salue with these foure demie cannons and some three-score other peeces which they had in their boates in diuers other chanells This batterie continued long some shooting at the Bridge others at the houses which they thought to make them abandon but the Spaniards made no shew thereof In the meane time the Protestants labored to approch to land and to force them but they found that their chanells went not so farre but ended within harguebuze shot the which could not bee discouered for that they had gone but in small boates and by reason that the Inondation couered all they could not iudge that there was lesse water at one end then at an other whereby they were much abused To remedie the which they made their pioners to labour and to open them some passage but it was not possible for a day would haue spent before they could haue done it in all places and in the meane time the Spaniards should haue had leysure so to fortefie themselues as all the Protestants attempts had beene but vaine and their time lost which did import them most of all In the end seeing that the day would bee spent and nothing effected and that in the meane time the Spaniards would haue anoyed them much with their field peeces and their musket shot the which notwithstanding they did not it may bee for want of poulder the signior of La Garde retired vnto his trenches and the Admirall went at large with his boats This was the
further in that which hee hath begun to remedy these things And for this effect as the pacification made at Marche in Famine betwixt his heighnesse and the generall Estates of the country was afterwards confirmed by the perpetuall edict and then ratefied by his maiesties expresse authority so in like manner those of Holland and Zeeland should cause it to be proclaymed in their Prouinces and townes to bee ioyntly accepted of them all 〈◊〉 so long as it remaines vn-proclaimed it seemes that they of Holland and Zeeland would hold themselues diuided from the rest and not ioyne in this generall vnion which is the true and only meanes of the safety and preseruation of the country It would be also necessary to cease from fortefying of townes and other places which they not only continue but they build vp new which seemes to contradict the effect of peace for being no enemies and hauing no cause to distrust on another there is no need to fortehe if they will not nourish Ielousie and breed supition of hostility Moreouer as his highnesse hath vnderstood that not onely they doe daily cast new artillery and furnish them-selues with all sorts of munition as if they were still in warre but also they melt the old peeces againe which carried his Maiesties armes and that they graue on them other armes the which is quite contrary to the pacification of Gand and preiudiciall to the article which faith that the generall assembly shall take order for the restitution of artillery munition forts and shippes vnto his Maiesty his highnes would desire that this might be prouided for and that hereafter they would forbeare from any such casting and that they would also forbeare from making of any league or secret allyances with any forraine Princes or neighbour Prouinces seeing it cannot but breed great distrust and nonrish matter of bad intelligence one with an other being also against the duty of obedience which the subiects owe vnto their naturall Prince And besides his Highnes would wish that according to that which had beene concluded at the pacification of Gand and that which his Highnes hath also ratefied and promised for his part they will procure that the generall assembly of the estates may be held as soone as may be as it is conteyned in the said pacification and that to that end they will consider of the meanes whereby they may make them assemble and of the time and other circumstances thereto required The Prince hauing heard this speech after that he had retired a little into the Anext chamber with the deputies of the estates of Holland and Zeeland being returned hee answered Thus hauing heard the points propounded by his Highnes deputies for that there were many articles of importance and whereon they must conferre together hee desired to haue them in writing that they might answer to euery one in particular as it was fit Therevpon Doctor Elbertus Leoninus spake and said that to auoyd prolixitie of writing the which did breed but confusion they thought it necessary not to put any thing in writing and therefore that by way of conference they would answer to the points propounded and endeauor to come vnto that defired vnion and concord propounding also on their parts the points that might seeme to breed any scruple difficulty or distrust that by an amiable conference they might vnderstand one an other and if it were possible procure concord and vnion which is so much desired of all sides where-vpon the Prince answered that he desired nothing might bee treated of but by writing for that other-wise they might speake things of either side which might bee sinisterly interpreted or that might bee denied to haue beene treated of as wee haue seene said he by experience in that sollemne Treaty of the pacification of Gand which they labor by all meanes to make fruitlesse and vnprofitable vnder colour that some points which were debated by Mouth and not so particularly set downe are wrested to an other sence as that of gouernments giuen by commission from his Maiestie the which is a cleare point and yet they seeke gloses and cauelings to obscure the will and meaning of the contractors vppon colour that the name of Vtrecht was not expresly set downe in writing and whereas he said that writing bred confusion the which is not made plaine but by writing therefore hereafter they would not treat other-wise then by writing There-vppon the Doctor replied that they would not make any difficultie therein But that first by an amiable conference they would giue them to vnderstand the points where-with they held them-selues grieued to the end that seeking their content they should demand that which should bee fit for their safety The Prince answered But seeing they kept not that which was so sollemnly promised at Gand and confirmed by oth by most of the Nobilitie and Townes in particular and ratified by Don Iohn and his Maiestie what hope can wee haue that what-soeuer shall be promised hereafter will be maintained and kept Wherein is it said the Seignior of Grobbendoncq that you complaine that the pacification is not intertained The question was of Breda and of his Sonne but the first day of the garrison of Breda But said the rest suppose the pacification bee accomplished for all cannot bee done at one instant Don Iohn hath begun well hee must haue time to finish the rest and matters that are doubtfull must bee debated that it may bee made apparent where-vnto hee is bound For touching the point of Vtrecht it is no wonder if hee hath not satisfied it seeing that hee findes not Vtrecht specified in the pacification and that there lay before him many considerable disputable reasons why hee is not bound to do it Yea said the Prince by this reason you may draw any matter in question neither is there any matter so cleere but it may bee disputed the which was amplified by the Seignior of Saint Aldegond and concluded by his Excellency that they should first fullfill the articles of the said pacification and that then the Estates beeing assembled they would propound of either side the other points seruing for their greater assurance There-vppon Doctor Leoninus propounded that it was to bee considered that the generall Assemblie of the Estates was not without danger for the great number of them that did assist and the diuersity of humors especially of them that are not allwaies iudicious and discreet Producing for example the Assemblie of the Estates of France the which we haue seene to ingender more dissention and cause of warre then there was before And therefore it were fit to consider if by an amiable conference of the points that are in question and whereof there remaines yet some scruple of distrust that we may excuse this generall Assemblie and auoid the danger that might grow thereby Where-vpon his Excellencie answered that there was a great difference betwixt the Estates of this country the Estates of
Friseland Colonel Schencke ouerrunnes the countrie of Westphalia Graue besieged and yeelded to the Spaniard Iarre betwixt the Estates the earle of Leicester who is discontented and they discontented with him Nuys besieged by the Spaniard and taken by assault whilest they are in parle The earle of Leicester recouers certaine places Iealousie betwixt the noble men of the countrie and the English by reason of gouernments that were giuen vnto the English and they reiected whereof the Estates complained vnto him going into England A great dearth of corne in the yeare 1587. Deuenter sold vnto the Spaniard with the great fort of Zutphen Factions increase betwixt the Estates and the English Scluse besieged and in the end yeelded to the Spaniard The towne of Guelder sold. The Estates labour to reconcile the earles of Leicester and Hohenlo Apologies on either side Leicester failes to seize vpon the towne of Leyden Hee is called backe into England and resignes his gouernment into the Estates hands Bonne surprised by Schencke The king of Spaine makes a counterfeit shewe to desire peace with England Deputies on either side at Bourbroue who doe nothing whilest the Spanish fleete aduanced Prince Maurice takes his place in the gouernment after the earle of Leicester retreat The Spanish fleet thinke to inuade England and is dispersed Geertruydenbergh sold to the Spaniards by the souldiers that were mutined without cause The death of Colonel Schencke at an enterprise vpon Nymeghen The death of Moeurs Rhinberck yeelded to the Spaniards The Estates send succours of men and money vnto the French king Breda happily surprised The prince of Parma releeues Paris Prince Maurice recouers many townes and places for the Estates Groning straitly prest ACcording to the accord made betwixt the high mighty princesse Elizabeth Queene of England and the Estates of the vnited prouinces of the Netherlands her Maiestie seâ—… certaine troopes of horse and foot into the countries of Holland and Zeeland vnder the command of sir Iohn Norris knight a gallant souldier who had long done seruice to the said Estates and to the prince of Orange who came to the rendez vous which was giuen them in Vtrecht where hauing past musters they were presently imployed and led by the earle of Moeurs before the fort of Isselloort neere vnto the towne of Arnham vpon the Veluwe where the riuer of Issel comes out of the Rhin which fort had beene taken by Verdugo for the Spaniard long before the earle of Moeurs hearing that Colonel Taxis was gone forth the day before made haste to besiege it and to batter it so as the besieged seeing no hope of succours and fearing to be taken by assault they yeelded vp the fort by composition to depart with their liues and goods Although this siege was not without the losse of some few men yet the earle of Moeurs and the English were so incouraged as passing the riuer of Rhin they went to besiâ—…ge the fort of Berchschooft in the higher Betuwe in the which captaine Turc commanded for the prince of Parma who notwithstanding the weakenes of the place which was shewed him by his owne men would needs endure the cannon but the souldiers mutined against him and deliuered him with the fort into the earle of Moeurs hands for the Estates Colonel Schencke had at that time an enterprise vpon the town of Nymeghen by an intelligence which he had with a bourger of the said towne who dwelt in one of the towers of the rampar This man had in time digged a hollow passage vnder the rampar which went from the foot of the said tower vnto the street and had so vndermined the wall of the said tower within hauing set vp the stones againe one vpon another without cyment or morter as with a blowe with ones foot they might thrust it downe and thereby haue a free passage into the towne for to finish this enterprise Schencke drew forth certaine companies out of the garrisons of Venloo Guelder Wachtendonc Graue and Blyenbeek with the which hee marched secretly the eight and twentieth of September in the night but the night before this bourger hauing let slippe certaine wordes was apprehended with his sonne who vpon the circumstances of the said speeches and his answer vnto the interrogatories was put to the racke with his boy and there confessed the fact whereupon they of the towne put themselues secretly into armes Schencke beeing neere with his troopes hauing no signe from his man and beeing ignorant what place to goe to fearing the matter was discouered he retired The earle of Moeurs seeing that this enterprise had failed resolued to haue the towne by force and planted his campe in the village of Bendt right against it vpon the other banke of the riuer of Wahal where hee did build a mightie fort the which since was called Knodsenborch and placing certaine shippes of warre in the riuer betwixt the towne and the fort to stoppe the passage from this fort where he had planted fiue or sixe peeces of ordnance he battred the towne at random and shot fierie bullets into it to burne the houses but they were suddainely quenched so as there was not aboue two houses burnt In the meane time the garrison of Nuys did nothing but hunt after bootie and spoile running euen vnto the gates of Cologne carrying from thence oxen kyne and other cattell the which did so incense the duke of Cleues vpon whose countrie beeing a neuter they were daily running for that they could not goe into the diocesse of Cologne but they must needs passe through the dutchie of Iuilliers of Berghe or the countie of Marck which are his as he made a proclamation throughout all his territories giuing all them of his countries free libertie to set vpon and spoile the garrison of Nuys wheresoeuer they should encounter them in his countries the which did somewhat restraine the courses of the said garrison The Hans townes of the east countrie fearing that by this alliance betwixt the Queene of England and the Estates of the vnited prouinces of the Netherlands their nauigation into Spaine would be cut off they wrote vnto her Maiestie intreating her to satisfie them of that doubt To the which shee answered the fift of Nouember beeing at Richmond after this manner I beleeue you are not ignorant of the dislike and breach betwixt vs and the king of Spaine what will ensue we cannot yet iudge if matters tend to a peace we will not reiect you as our auncient allies but if it grows to a warre you shall vnderstand as men of iudgement may wel conceiue that we ought not to suffer our enemies to be releeued with victuals nor fortified with munition of warre wherefore you may consider that you ought not to require any thing of vs that may turne to our preiudice and disaâ—…uantage But touching all other sorts of marchandize whereby they of Spaine or Portugall may not be aided with victuals and
Cardinall held it not conuenient to charge him although that hauing put his men in order of bataile with his artillery hee had once or twise made some shew yet hauing no intent to hazard any thing so as the towne was forced to yeeld in September following euen in view of the Cardinal Whilest that the Cardinall was in those quarters of Picardie with the King of Spaines forces the generall Estates of the vnited Prouinces and Prince Maurice hauing staied their armie from going to field vntill August for that they would first see which waie the Cardinall did turne head with his armie doubting not but hee would bee kept verie long there although hee could not raise the King from his siege to serue for a bridle for the French that they should not ouerrunne Arthois In the beginning of August in this yeare of our Lord 1597. the Estates and the Prince hauing resolued for to free the riuer of Rhine the aforesaid Prince caused all his armie with the Artillerie to march as well by land as by the riuers of Rhine and Wahal with three or foure hundred shippes of all sortes towardes Rhinbercke and before hee came there passing close by the towne and castle of Alphen belonging to the Contesse of Moeurs and Nyeuwenart which might anoy his campe he approched only with two peeces of ordinance which hee caused them that were in garrison there for the King of Spaine to see being about 60 men who being sūmoned and offered a good composition if they did yeeld before the Canon was planted finding them-selues too weake to with-stand an armie and beeing loth to loose them-selues through wilfulnesse they yeelded both Towne and Castle into the Princes hands the eight of August departing with their armes and baggage seeing they had not attended any force but onely threats The same day the Prince aduanced with all his armie before the towne of Rhinberck the which was that night all inuested by land the shippes of warre and boates remaining before Wezel in the countrie of Cleues for that they could not easilye mount vp the Rhine but the next day it was in like sorte inuested by water and the towne shippes taken with a little Iland in the middest of the Rhine opposite vnto the towne where the Prince planted some peeces of batterie besides those that were in the shippes of warre from whence hee battered a great Tower in the Bishops Pallace which commanded vppon the sayed riuer vntill they had made it vnprofitable The besieged made not any sallye worthe the writing onely they did importune the Campe with their Canon and among others they shotte once neere vnto the Princes Tent into the Pauillion of the Siegnior of Sonsuelt his Councellor and in his youth his Gouernour the which came close by his head as hee rested himselfe vpon a Mattras touching onely his breeches which hee had layd at his beds head without any other harme wherevpon they made a terrasse the height of a man or more to defend the Princes Tents The nineteene day of the moneth the Prince hauing planted his batterie at the strongest part of the Towne beeing about sixe and thirty peeces hee caused it to play from tenne of the clocke in the morning vntill foure in the after-noone that the wall began to fall and to make a breache the which did so amaze the besieged who were not lesse then a thousand fighting men which beeing resolute might haue endured many assaults that although there were not a sufficient breache yet they required that whereas they were summoned to yeeld to parle the which the Prince did not refuse to giue eare to to spare his men and the effusion of bloud so as they agreed that by the next day the Gouernor Captaines Officers Souldiers and Marriners should depart with their full armes coulours flying Drummes beating carrying away all their mooueables and baggage vppon a certaine number of Wagons with good conuoye to conduct them vnto the Towne of Geldre with whome all men as well Cleargie as Laye men might depart and all the King of Spaines officers vpon condition that what belonged to the King of Spaine with the shippes and also the mooueables of the Countesse of Nyenwenart beeing in the towne should remaine there still and the Bourgers should bee maintained in their freedomes and priuiledges Without doubt it was a speedie and easie purchase of so strong a towne and or so great importance which did so much harme to all her neighbours and especially to them of Wezel for that they make profession of the Protestants religion The besieged might well for their honor haue held it some certaine dayes and endured two or three assaults and the rather for that Cont Herman vanden Berghe marched with goodly troopes of horse and foote to succour them at the least to refresh them with men the which hee might well haue done considering the distance of the guarders one from another in the Princes campe But as it is an ordinary thing the greatest braggers are not the most resolute souldiars so Captaine Snater Gouernour of the towne who with his great words had braued the Estates and the Prince in Nymegen before hee yeelded it was at the first sight so amazed and terrified fearing that his brauadoes would bee remembred as hee presently fainted and lost all courage Hee was in trueth much to blame to haue yeelded it so lightly for the which hee was long in prison notwithstanding his excuse vpon the souldiers who hee sayd would not endure an assault who on the other side layed the blame vppon him Yet I haue not heard that they were in any sort punished but contrariwise the same soldiars mutined soone after in the towne of Gelders This towne being thus yeelded to the disgrace of Captaine Snator and the beseeged the Archbishoppe and Chapter of Cologne of whose iurisdiction the towne is sent there deputies vnto the Prince being yet in his campe and after-wards to the generall Estates at the Hage requiring them to leaue the said towne as being of their iurisdiction free and neutrall but the examples of the townes of Bonne and Nuys with the harme which the said towne did vnto the Estates giuing free passage to the Spaniards to go into Freezland and the robberies and insolencies which were committed by the garrison thereof was the cause that at that time they gaue them small hope to recouer it so easely from them who had spent so much to winne it The yeelding of this towne did so amaze them that were in garrison in that mighty fort seated also vpon the Rhine which captaine Camillo Sachini gouernor of the towne of Maeurs had caused to bee built and called it by his owne name the fort of Camillo being two houres going from Rhinebercke as without attending any seege seeing onely two shippes of warre approch hauing set fire of it they abandoned it with two peeces of Artillery which the Prince seeing he
caused it to bee presently ruined whilst that hee was busie to repaire the breaches and to make plaine the campe before Rhinebercke then hauing viewed the towne and Castell of Meurs the scituation and the country about it for the planting of his campe after that hee had left a sufficient garrison of horse and foote in Rhinberck vnder the charge of Captaine Schaef hee caused all his army to march the twenty sixe of the moneth towards Meurs the which hee beseeged making ready to force it but the seauenth day following which was the second of September before they had endured one cannon shot although both towne and castle were places of a reasonable strength and had eight or nine hundred men in them wanting nothing for their defence especially in the castell yet they were so faint-harted by a soden amazement which tooke them hearing the sommonce that was made to yeeld and thinking of the little or no meanes that was made to succor Rhinberck which was much stronger and of greater importance hoping for no succors when they had done their best being loth to bee scackt they were resolued before they would endure a battery of twelue peeces which weee ready to enter into treaty and to get the most honorable composition they could which the Prince hauing other desseigns and to winne time granted them to depart the next day being the third of September withall their armes horses and baggage their collours flying drums beating bullets in their mouths matches light and besides to carry away one field peece the which had neuer beene vsed during all the Estates warres but to winne time hauing much worke else-where they did graunt them all they demanded More-ouer they had some Wagons graunted them to carry away their baggage and a good conuoy to conduct them to some other place of more better safetie Prince Maurice hauing thus freed the Rhine and cut of the Spaniards passage into Freeseland after that hee had setled a good order in these three townes and Castells the which hee had gotten in one moneth with a little labour or losse hee resolued in like manner to goe and free the country of Freeseland and Oueryssell so as on the eight of September he past the Rhine with all his army at Rhineberck causing his shippes of warre and munition to fall downe the Rhine at Ysseloort into the riuer of Yssel vnto Dousbourg in the Conty of Zutphen being determined to set vpon Grolle the which hauing beseeged two yeares before he left for that the Spaniards vnder the leading of Collonel Mondragon gouernor of the castle of Antwerp came to cut of his victualls before which towne hee came with his army and did invest it the eleuenth of September in the which there were some thousand two hundred soldiars that is ten Captaines of foote and three Cornets of horse vnder the command of Cont Frederick vanden Bergh brother to Cont Harman who then carried him-selfe as gouernor of all Freeseland for the King of Spaine The first thing which Prince Maur ce did after that hee had well intrencht his campe was to drawe the water of the diches and then to make galleries through them euen to the foote of the rampar that they might go couered to the sappe The towne was reasonable strong and could not bee easely wonne without a good battery as well to take away their defences as to make a breach to come vnto the assault wherefore hee planted twenty foure peeces of ordinance so as Iohn Bovuier maister of the fire-workes plaid the diuell in sending forth his firy bullets the which set fire of the towne in diuers places so as the beseeged were much troubled to quench it who in the meane time did their best endeauors to defend them-selues shooting with their great ordinance through the campe and sometimes sallying forth But as the rampar was already vndermined in seauen or eight places and the galleries in a maner finished to go to the sappe and all the artillery redy planted the Prince an enemy to the effusion of humaine bloud being loth to ruine the poore people without ineuitable necessity and desirous to spare his men as much as might be as it is alwaies his custome to batter furiously without intermission vntill he hath made a breach and then presently to giue an assault but he would first sommon Cont Vanden Bergh and the beseeged to yeeld the which hee did the seauenteenth of the moneth promising them a good composition if they did yeeld and not attend the fury of the cannon otherwise if he were forced to take it by assault they should feele the fury of a victorious enemy prouoked by their obstinacy to reuenge The beseeged seeing the Estate of their towne halfe burnt the galleries sappes and mines the great store of ordinance and all things redy to force them hauing little hope of succors and much lesse then the townes taken beyond the Rhine they were willing to yeeld to a good composition and not to attend any further extremity promising to yeeld and to depart the next day with all there armes and baggage leauing their Enseignes and Cornets vppon condition not to serue against the Estates on this side the Rhine for the space of 3. moneths and that they should retire beyond the riuer of Meuse The horsemen leauing their horses at the Princes descretion wherewith hee might mount some of his men if it were his pleasure but vsing of his accustomed courtesie and bounty and to let his enemies know that hee wanted not he gaue them backe againe to one of their Captaines an Italien which begged them rather then to the Earle of Vaâ—…den Bergh although hee weare his Cosin Germaine Brother and Sisters children Hee graunted them in like manner a great number of Wagons to carry away their hurt men and baggage vnto the Rhine Thus was the towne of Grolle yeelded at which seege there was no great losse of men of either side but the losse fell vpon the poore Bourgers who had their houses burnt The Prince hauing layd the trenches of his campe euen and put a sufficient garrison into Grolle on the first of October he went with his army before the towne and Castle of Brefort in the same country of Ouerysel places by nature strong hauing but two approches to them one before and an other behinde but other-wise enuironed round about with marishes and boggs and besides so fortefied by the industrie of man as they seemed impregnable being manned with three hundred good soldiars which were sufficient for the capacity of those places vnder the command of a Lorraine Captaine The Prince the better to make his approches and to winne a passage caused many bauins and fagots hardelles and plankes to bee cast in those places which were most inaccessible vpon the which on either side there were gabions planted with twenty peeces of ordinance to batter the rauelins which couered the two ports on the East
the king of Spaine but also against the authors and practisers of such cruelties I beseech you sayd hee what good can you expect of such incertaine things when as they are worse intreated than the stranger the kinsman and the enemie the innocent and the guiltie the good and the wicked are all held in one ranke And to the end I may discharge my duetie I am resolued to write all these wofull and tragicall practises so preiudiciall to the whole empire and send them to the emperour intreating you in the meane time to take order that such oppressions and outrages may cease that the towns forts and castles belonging to the duke of Cleues may be restored That the troups may bee withdrawne the dammages repaired and that no more occasion may bee giuen of further ruine the which by right and reason ought to be put in execution and would proue honorable vnto you Whereof I wil attend a good and courteous answer From Cleues the last of October 1598. The oppressions committed by the Spaniards whereof the commissary cōplains which were sent by attestation quoted by number alphabet together with all the admirals proceedings were That his men tooke spoyled without any respect of safegards and much lesse of neutralitie betwixt the riuers of Issel Lippe in the duchie of Iuilliers first the castle of Diesfort belonging vnto the seignior of Willich steward by inheritance of the duchie of Cleues notwithstanding the safegard set vp at the gate the which they spoyled with all that the poore countrey men trusting in the sayd safegard had brought in thither for their refuge and succour Item the castle of Billingof belonging to them of Bernsau the which beeing taken at the third assault they slew all they found within it and then spoyled it The castle of Oberenbergh belonging to the seigniour of Marnholt was also spoyled Item after they had robbed the cloyster of Schlenhorst they drew all the Nunnes into a troupe stript them naked rauished them and intreated them tyrannously The castle of Asseldt beeing taken and spoyled they threw the men which they found in it from the top of the tower into the ditches After they had spoyled the castle of Gran belonging the steward of the countrey they carried all away prisoners that they found in it The castle of Hackenhuys belonging to the seigniour of Ilf they spoyled They did not onely spoyle the castle of Impel belonging to the seigniour of Diepenbroek and carried away all the corne cattell and other goods but they burnt the base court and tare an infant out of the mothers wombe beeing readie to bee deliuered Rossau belonging to the seigniour Godd◅rd Williche was wholy spoyled Wenge appertaining to them of Gar and the village Domic spoyled The strong castle of Hynd belonging to the seigniour of Graustein was also ruined and all burnt that was about it The monasteries of Mariendale and Fryet were spoyled And all the villages about the sayd castles endured a thousand outrages and strange indignities which were by them most cruelly executed both against men and women We haue mention before of the castle of Vanden Broeck and what they did there besides they haue entred into the riuers of Lippe and Roer spoyled the castle of Wewenhuys belonging to them of Hueffen and burnt the base court of the castle of Fuert appertaining to George van Syburch Item the castle of Mamich whereof the widow of Capelle was owner burning the base court The castle of Essand belonging to the seignior Wittenhorst spoyled beaten downe and burnt with diuers others And going higher towards the countrey of Munster and Westphalia on the three and twentieth of Nouember Dom Louis de Velasco generall of the Spanish artillerie came before the towne of Dortsen with letters from the admirall requiring the bourgmaster and counsell to open their gates and receiue a garrison Whereunto answer was made him That it did not belong vnto them to open their gates to any strange souldiers without the aduice and commaundement of their lord and prince the elector of Cologne Moreouer they had not deserued any such vsage of the king of Spaine wherefore they required foure dayes respite to aduertise their lord and prince But they replyed That they should not haue an houres respite to take counsell and therefore they should presently say yea or no whether they would open their gates and doe what they demaunded and if they did it not presently they had brought that with them which should master them before night and then they might thinke what would become of them They of the towne insisted to haue but two dayes saying That it had not beene heard of no not in time warre to receiue strange souldiers without the priuitie consent of their prince but they could not obtaine it the messengers retiring who had made this summons there presently approched many troups neere the towne who began to intrench themselues with all speed and to plant nine peeces of ordnance to batter it as if it were an enemies towne The bourgers seeing these sodaine acts of hostilitie not able to preuaile any thing by prayers nor intreatie began somewhat to defend themselues shooting certaine vollies into their campe hoping that the generall vpon better aduice would forbeare but it preuailed nothing the Spaniards continuing their batterie vntill they had ouerthrowne a great part of the wall so as the same night or the next day they had gone to the assault for the which they made a bridge ouer the riuer of Lippe bringing their men at night euen to the foot of the counterscarpe And although the bourgers had rampared vp that which was battered and somewhat assured it against an assault hauing chased the souldiers from the counterscarpe yet the next day they began their batterie againe the which did not onely batter downe all they had rampared but did so teare the houses along the street of Lippe as no man durst shew himselfe at the rampars The Spaniards making preparation to assayle them about noone they shot fierie bullets into the town wherewith the poore bourgers being terrified and abandoned of all succours knowing well that their prince was ignorant of all this and too farre to deliuer them from these attempts being vnable of themselues to resist them in the end they consulted how they might preserue their liues wiues and children so as they sent certaine deputies vnto the Spaniard to offer him the towne vpon the best conditions they could obtaine the which being accorded the generall Velasco entred with thirteene hundred men and demaunded the keyes with all the armes and munition in the towne the which was not done without great oppression of the good bourgers The Spaniard hauing got footing in the iurisdiction of Reckelinhuysen some of his troups marched towards Dortmont whereas they demaunded entrance to lodge one thousand horse all Winter which if they refused they would come so well accompanied as they should haue no cause
Flanders for traffique and handiworks The same day the prince parted from Eckloo hee arriued at the village of Male a league from Bruges The same day the wind beeing come faire to saile to Oostend some fourtie barkes of the fleet which carried baggage being left as we haue said vnder Ramekins set saile being guarded by three ships of warre but as it happens in such cases that some are alwaies more forward than others the gallies of Scluse fell vpon them that were most scattered and could not aduance by reason of the calme so as they tooke eighteene or twentie of them and the ships of warre could not helpe them nor pursue the gallies to rescue the bootie And when as the Spaniards had taken all that was in them with the masters mariners and passengers prisoners not able to carrie away all the said ships they burnt foure and let the rest goe At this encounter captaine Blanckart captaine of one of those ships of warre not able to bee seconded by the other two by reason of the contrarie tide and the calme was set vpon by the said gallies He had fiftie good men aboard who defended themselues couragiously and repulst the Spaniards thrice from off their hatches which they had wonne finally they defended themselues in such sort as after they had lost 22 men and all the rest hurt but eight among the which the captaine was so wounded as within few daies after he died hauing their ship shot through through lost their maine mast and yard so torne as it could not be more those which remained whole refusing to yeeld although they were grapled fast vnto them but threatened the Spaniards wherof the captaine himselfe had giuen charge to one of his men that rather than they would yeeld to set fire of their owne poulder and blowe them vp and so the one should be as rich as the other Wherewith the Spaniards beeing terrified they abandoned it suddainly beeing all torne with the cannon and in this estate it was brought to Flessingue the Spaniards going to their hole at Scluse with the bootie which they had taken from the rest of the other ships among the which was the baggage of cont Ernest of Nassau and the baron of Sidleniskie sergeant maior of the princes armie that of sir Robert Sidney gouernour of Flessingue of captaine Wernhard du Bois of doctor Strabanus the princes physition of two of his surgeons and the rest was belonging to poore victuallers Captaine Blanckart died in Flessingue where he was honorably interred with a militarie pompe In the meane time prince Maurice marching with his armie in battell passing through the country of Flanders he came the 26 of Iune to Iabeque passing almost by the ditches of Bruges at whom they made some shot but did him no harme In the meane time the prince and the Estates wrote letters both to Gant and Bruges and to the villages of their iurisdictions and to other neighbours who could not beleeue that the Estates designe nor their armie had bene so great but that it was a road only made by some aduenturing troups that their intent was not to spoile the country but that their designe and desire tended to the generall freedome of their country and the expulsion of the Spaniards and their adherents requiring them therefore to ioyne with them and to furnish them with a good sum of money to help to supply the charges of this warre the which would turne to their great good and profit But according to their expectation it was but wind and contrariwise the Brugeois who before had bene free from souldiers did now receiue a garrison into the towne the pesants being for the most part retired into the townes leauing nothing in their houses wherewith the princes armie might be in any sort accommodated so as the souldiers endured great wants being forced by reason of the great heat and the small store of victuallers which followed to drink stinking water yet the prince did forbid vpon paine of death first of all fire and then all sorts of insolencies to the pesants and especially to wiues maydens the prince comming the next day with his armie to Oudenbourg the which was abandoned by the Spaniards as in like manner the fort of Snaskerke Bredene and some sconses here and there for that they were not to be held against so mighty an armie The spaniards left in Bredene foure peeces of ordnance The prince stayed two dayes at Oudenbourg with part of his armie sending the Wallons French and Suitsers to Oostend to besiege the fort of Albert vpon the downs within canon shot of the towne toward Nieuport and two other forts more within the country called Isabella Grotendorst that hauing that of Albert he might haue free easie passage betwixt Oostend Nieuport which towne he had resolued to besiege The same 29 day of Iune Ian of Duyvenuoord knight seignior of Warmont admirall of Holland hauing a good wind to get out of the road of Ramekins with 10 shippes of warre some 150 ordinarie barkes laden with victuals and munition of warre beeing come before the fort of Scluse foure of the gallies seeing that by reason of the calme they could not aduance came and charged the fleet thinking to carrie away some part thereof but approaching neere and the wind rising they were so galled with the great ordnance from the ships of warre as they were glad to retire with great losse of their men and one of their gallies was so beaten as had they not laboured very much at the pumpe it had bin in danger of sincking they had very many men slaine for they might see the blood of such as were slaine vpon the hatches run out at the scuppet holes And it was an admirable thing a gallie-slaue Turke as he rowed his chaine was taken away with a cannon shot hauing his garters left on his legges and a peece of the chaine without any other harme so as seeing himselfe vnchained desirous to get his libertie or els to die as such poore soules desire often to die and had rather die than liue he cast himselfe into the sea and began to swimme towards the Estates ships of warre where at the first they shot at him but shewing his garters and the peece of the chaine he was knowne to be a slaue which had escaped so as he was receiued into one of the ships and well intreated The 28 of Iune the prince hauing his camp at Oudenbourg made a iourney to Oostend to giue order for the siege of Alberts fort and to resolue vpon that of Nieuport with the Estates deputies the which being done he returned the next day to his camp that morning they began to batter the fort of Albert with foure canons the which did so terrifie the besiged as about ten of the clock before dinner they yeelded to depart with armes and baggage leauing foure peeces of ordnance in the place The prince at
they were drawne out and persuaded to lye in Wynoxberghen and by that meanes those sconces were secured These dealings made them of Oostend suspect that they meant to besiege them and the rather for that in Aprill the sea being forced in by a strong North-west wind it ouerthrew and carried away one of the ports of Oostend by reason that they had cut off a sand hil which stood in the downs was some hinderance to their fortifications but the archdukes armie was not readie so as they of Oostend soone after repaired it againe Dom Rodrigo de Lasso came this winter out of Spaine with a confirmation from the king of great summes of money to be yearely paid vnto the archduke to aid him in his warres but it came verie late besides there were bils of exchange for great summes of money taken vp in the Netherlands and to bee paid in Spaine returned backe againe and protested And the mutinous souldiers of Weert had an hundred and sixite thousand crownes yet to receiue sending word vnto the archduke That if they were not satisfied by a certaine day they would force others to pay them In March there was a conspiracie discouered betweene the mutinous souldiers of Weert and the garrison within the castle of Antuerpe with whom the garrison of Hulst in Flanders and some others were confederat intending to enter by the castle with 2000 foot and 1000 horse and to sacke the towne of Antuerpe but their enterprise was discouered and on the 14 of March certaine of the garrison of the castle were apprehended in the night whereof some were executed To conclude through want of money there was great pouertie miserie and feare throughout all the prouinces vnder the archdukes command not onely in regard of the enemie but for feare of the mutinous soldiers being also without any trade or traffique which made many of the inhabitants to leaue the countrey as it appeared by the houses and lands in Brabant and Flanders which were to be let and rented out which since the siege of Oostend were let the one halfe or a third part lesse than had been accustomed About the tenth of Aprill there lay fiue or six cornets of prince Maurice his horse not farre from Boisleduc for that monsieur Grobendonc gouernour thereof was to come from Antuerp with money but being aduertised thereof by his spyes he went another way and by that meanes Adolph earle of Bergh fell into their hands with his cornet of horse lying in Boisleduc betwixt Lommel and Postel where hee was defeated and taken prisoner few or none of his men escaping hee himselfe was carried to Breda and was afterwards released paying his ransome The winter being spent without any great exploits done of either side the prince and his counsell resolued what they should attempt In Aprill and May they tooke a view of their garrisons and made choice of their troups for the warre There was diuers bruits spread abroad touching the Estates designe The archduke had a watchful eye which way their army should band to march after them but his great forces of the yeares 1598 and 1599 being much wasted being vnable to make any offensiue warre he was forced to haue patience and to attend the succors which were to come out of Italie and in the meane time to stand vpon his defence Prince Maurice was not ignorant of the archdukes affaires who hauing his armie readie in the end of May makes a shew as if he wold attempt something in Flanders or Brabant vpon some one of their most important places then sodainly beeing satisfied to haue giuen the archduke an alarme who called for ayd he turned head towards Gueldres and on the tenth of Iune he came neere vnto Rhineberck with an armie of seuenteene thousand men the which was inuested within two dayes after There is within the riuer of Rhine right against Berck as we haue shewed in the former sieges a little island thrice as long as it is broad the which was at that time guarded by some of the archdukes souldiers who being saluted with the ordnance as well from the Estates ships of warre which lay both aboue and beneath the island as by certaine peeces which were planted vpon the banks they made no long resistance so as on the 18 day of Iune prince Mâ—…rice was master of the island who hauing no intent to abandon it so easily vnto the Spaniards hee caused two forts to bee speedily built the one at the point towards Holland and the other at the other end looking to Cologne planting certain smal peeces of ordnance in them to shooâ—… into the towne stopping the passage of the Rhine both aboue and beneath that no succours might come vnto the besieged that way The prince hauing summoned the besieged to yeeld the place they refused it hauing a great garrison within the town some said there were 4000 fighting men to defend it he enuironed it with a large and spatious trench from one side of the Rhine vnto the other like a semy circle fortified with fiue great bastions which did flanke one another the which with the island and the shippes closed vp the towne round about There was also an other bastion made somewhat neerer the town and two bridges made vpon the Rhine aboue and beneath by the which they went from one quarter to the other and into the island the prince houlding the besieged shut vp and not able greatly to annoy his camp he made a greater fort and cast vp an other halfe moone farre more spatious then the first hauing in a fit distance made a deep and broad trench a league long one of the endes comming close to the Rhine aboue the towne the other beneath in which trenche almost in equall distance were built 17 square forts which they call Redoutes Betwixt these two trenches were the troupes of horse some companies of foot lodged with good commoditie and meanes to goe in and out both neere and farre off from the towne and could not easily be charged by any ennemy without great danger These trenches and halfe moones beeing finished with great expedition for that the souldiers paied for this worke like pioners performed it with wonderfull and almost incredible speed reuiuing the commendable obedience of the ancient Romane legions In the beginning the besieged whilest the souldiers laboured in their forts and trenches would shew their resolution and valour they had reason for they made fetters to manacle their hands and to restraine their feet from going forth any more to the pickorie and to spoile the countrey they depriued them of all hope of 60000 florins of monethly contribution which they did exact from the countrie thereabouts But in the sallies which they made in Iune and Iuly they got nothing but blowes they lost halfe of their best men in sundry charges they see themselues soone pestered with wounded and sicke men they had the noyse of o cannons
common hatred against the Inquisition as all Christendome spake thereof and made men iudge that nothing could stoppe or hinder the violence of such a streame But by Gods prouidence who would try and proue your constancies confounding all this great shew and hope by the subtile direction of a woman and the fearefull approach of the Duke of Alua which seperated the vnited Gentlemen and caused the common people to flye or to hide them-selues The Duke of Alua comming with a handfull of soldiers in regard of the great numbers of the Inhabitants of the Netherlands without any contradiction did what hee pleased in cutting off heades hanging and burning and building of Castles some of the great Princes fledde the country some did helpe to further and fortifie his cruelties no man durst striue against it or once put forth his hand as if they had all beene bound or sencelesse and as then the hope of any releefe was much lesse then the feare of any opposition and the dispaire more greater then the ioye and content was in the beginning The Prince of Orange with the aid of his friendes in germany and some releefe of such as fledde out of the countrie twise brought a good number of horse and foote with him which without feare might haue gone against the Turke past ouer the Meuze entred into the heart of the country gaue some new hope but his power and your comfort was of as smal continuance as a fire of straw The Duke of Aluaes crueltie especially after the first enterprize was more strengthned then impaired and in the second which was partly grounded vpon the fauor and aid of France the French men soone fell from him and murthered those of the religion whereby the Prince perceiued that hee had leaned to a deceitfull reed that not onely fayled him but thrust him through the hand He was forsaken of the Dutch soldiers and so if there were any hope resting it was soone taken away but when as the case seemed desperate in regard of men God appeared vnto you with some comfort who stirred vp the hearts of them of Holland with a new zeale to receiue the Prince of Orange and to resist and withstand the Duke of Alua to the great admiration of all worldy wise men who esteemed it for madnesse that Marchants Saylers and Fishermen and a nation who in regard of their continuall and long peace were vnaccustomed to armes and as vnfitte as it seemed for the warres as a Cow to daunce esteemed so little of the Duke of Alua as they thought it needlesse for them to put garrisons into their townes durst begin so stout a peece of worke against the power of such a King against the most renowned Generall or Leader of an Armie in Christendome to whome all the other Prouinces which had the greatest part of Noblemen and Gentlemen amongst them and such as had borne armes in the French warres had submitted bowed and kneeled besides that hauing no other support to relye on but a Prince who had beene forced to leaue the field who was abandoned by his soldiers and was refused entrie into any of the townes of Brabant Flanders and others and which is more who acknowledged his owne weakenesse and least they should be deceiued fore-warned many of their townes that they should ouer-rule their zeale and not bee so hastie but first to prouide for money victuals munition and other necessaries make strong their townes and then shew them-selues as enemies sending them word also that if they had not good regard to them-selues they might bee ouerrunne before they could send them soldiers to aid them who can esteeme this but for a wonderfull worke of God who helpeth not when there is least need but sheweth his power in assisting when men are almost in dispaire that they may onely ascribe the glory vnto him and praise and thanke him the more All particuler accidents whereby GOD almighty during the warres in Holland hath shewed his gratious aid and mighty power as when after the losse of Harlem hee sent the spirrit of dissention amongst the Spanish armie that the towne of Alâ—…kmaer had time to breath and to defend it selfe when miraculously hee wrought the releeuing of Leyden when wiâ—…h a short thawe he set at libertie the frozen shippes of war in the Zuyder-Zee and presently againe caused the Riuer to freese when they being vnfrozen were past by Horne with other strange effects which for breuitie sake I will omit it is a sufficient wonder that this weake vnarmed and as vnaccustomed a nation to the wars as any whatsoeuer vnder the cope of heauen without any other Potentates aid could for the space of foure yeares togither withstand the great power of such a Monarch who was so much incensed with bitter hatred and spleene against this small Prouince as he left his great aduantage which the victory wonne by Don Iohn at Lepanto had giuen him against the Turke to reuenge his wrath conceiued against them of Holland and Zealand and to that end hee made a truce with the Turke and maintained peace with all his neighbours thereabouts that hee might heere imploy all his â—…orces and treasor hauing also as great and strong an armie composed of a number of old experienced soldiers of diuers nations as Spaniards Germaines and Italiens and of braue commanders with aboundance of Ordinance Munition Victualls and all other necessaries for the warre as euer was seene in these foure yeares it was seene that by reason of the Kings mighty power and force and the weakenesse of the parties defendants which were not accustomed to armes many townes and Forts were beseeged and taken the rest seeming in a manner to wauer so as they of Holland and Zealand were glad to hearken to the peace of Breda where the country people were offered libertie to sell their goods and to go and dwell in other places out of the countrie where-vppon they chose rather to fight and die valiantly in their owne countrie then to wander comfortlesse in strange Regions But when the enemie after the winning of Ziriczee thought to set his foote vppon their throates and that hee held the victory assured in his owne hands and that some of the neighbours grieued and others laught and thought that as then they should suffer the punishment of their follie To conclude when all the wise men of the world thought Gods helpe to be furthest from them it was neerest vnto them who prouided in such sort as the other Prouinces which seemed to sit vnder the great Kings grace and protection were more impatient to beare the great oppressions of the soldiers their friendes then Holland and Zealand were to indure the bloody blowes and woundes of their deadly enemies vsing a kind of releefe whereon the wisest and sharpest witted of them all neuer dreampt off which was that both Abbots and Prelates with diuers others who had all that time aided the enemie to subuert the religion and