Truce 447. They come to the Hague ibid. their Negotiations 448. They meet in Antwerp 457. those of the United Province to intervene at the Treaty aforesaid 447. their Negotiations ib. Characters of Philip 2. 347. Of Archduke Ernestus 414. Of Verdugo 317 Of Mandragone 331. Of Campmaster Rosne 345 D A Description of Geertruydenberg 299. of Groninghen 305. of Cambray 324 of Calice 336. of Ardres 339. of Hulst 342. of Amiens 353. of Ostend 400. of Sluce 416 of Linghen 422. of Groll 427. of Reinberg 428. of a fierce Assault made upon Dorlan 323. of another made upon Ostend 403. of St Andrews fort 383. of Schincks-sconce and the Countrey about it 377. of the battail of Dorlan 322. of the battail of Newport 396. of the United Provinces and their form of Government 438 A Declaration of liberty pretended to by the United Provinces 437. how interpreted by the Archduke and Spanish Ministers of State ibid. Ratified in Spain 438. the first Ratification therof not admitted in Holland 439. How the second was afterward accepted of 446 Dorlan besieged by Count di Fuentes 323 taken by assault ib. The Duke of Sessa by way of Proxie acts the part of the Infanta Isabella for effectuating her marriage with the Archduke Albertus 372 The Duke du Main recruited from Flanders 296. he takes in Noyon 297. he concludes a Truce with the K. of Navar for three months 298. he endevors to relieve Laon 308. his memorable Retreat 310. he comes to an Agreement with the K. of France 334. His Opinion that they were not to tarry in their Trenches for the Spanish Army 361 E. ELector Ernestus of Bavaria makes suit at Brussels for the recovery of Huy 316. the dammage done to his Estate by the quartering of the K. of Spains Army upon it 375 The Elector Palatine of the Rhine 375 F. A Fight of great consequence before Laon between the K. of France his Forces and the army of the League 310. between Count Maurice and Mandragone 330. between Marshall Biron and the Marshal of Barambone 347. between the K. of Spains men and those of the United Provinces 348 betwixt Marquis Spinola and Count Maurice before Sluce 418. and afterwards at Bruch 424 Frederico Spinola 407. Commander of some Gallies in Flanders wherewith he indammages the Enemy ibid. he goes again into Spain for a greater number ibid. he loses five 408. is slain 410 La Fera besieged by the K. of France 334 Relieved 335. yielded 340 Forts erected by Spinola upon the Rhine 421 Forts raised by the United Provinces upon the banks of the Wael and the Ysel 426 G. SPanish Galleys in Flanders 407 Gaspero Mandragone relieves Lyra 331 The Grave besieged by Count Maurice 408. It is yeilded up to him 409 Groll besieged by Spinola 42â— it is yeilded ib. Count Maurice strenghtneth it 430. It is relieved by Spinola 431 Groninghen besieged by Count Maurice 305. It s description ib. t is yeilded â—07 Geertrudembergh besieged by Count Maurice 299. The description of it ib. It is yeilded up 301 H HAn a Town in Picardy yeilded up to Count Fuentes 319. Recovered by the Marshal of Bulloigne ib. Hernando Teglio Portocarrero Governour of Dorlan 350. He projects the surprisal of Amiens ib. The order in which he disposed of the enterprise ib. His oration to the souldiers 351. He seizeth on the City 352. He craves a supply of men 354. His diligence in defending the Town 355. He sallies out upon the French Camp 357. He is slain 359 The Hollanders and Zealanders put for a shorter navigation into the East-Indies 312. How they got into the West ib. Their ends for the aforesaid navigation 313. The difficulties they met with therein ib. Hulst and its scituation described 342 Besieged by the Catholicks 343. It yeilds 346 Huy a Town in the Country of Liege seized on by the United Provinces 316. Recovered by Count Fuentes ib. I JAmes Maldereo Commissioner for Zealand 452. His oration ib. James King of Scotland succeeds in the Kingdom of England 406. Stiles himself King of Great Britain ib. comes to an accommodation with the King of Spain and the Archdukes ib. His ends in the war of Flanders 441 John of Balen in Groninghen 305. his oration to the Townsmen 306 John Guzman brings relief into Amiens 355. his death 357 John Barnevelt Advocate of Holland and his oration in behalf of the negotiations for peace 444. His opinion prevails beyond that of Count Maurice 446 Infanta Isabella Philip the second his eldest daughter 364. her singular qualities 365. She parts from Madrid 386. comes to Brussels ib. presents her self to the Army on horseback and makes a speech to the souldiers 392 Her constancy in entertaining the Archduke wounded in the battel of Newport 398. She comes with the Archduke to see Ostend 418 Frier Inico di Brizuela the Archdukes Confessor sent into Spain 457. He returns to Brussels 458 The Intelligence that Count Fuentes held in Cambray 328. that the King of France held in Amiens 355 Italian mutiners in Sichen 311 They seek to hold intelligence with Count Maurice ib. Besieged by Campmaster Velasco ib. withdraw into the enemies country 312. come to an agreement with the Archduke ib The Journey of Albertus upon occasion of going to fetch his wife into Flanders 399. Of the new Princes in coming thither 386 K KIng of England see James King of Scotland The King of France declared a Catholick 302. He besieges Laon 308. and carries it 310. comes to an open war with the King of Spain 316. Is fully reconciled to the Apostolick See 326 Besieges La Fera 334 and takes it 340. How much he was vexed at the loss of Amiens 353. He concludes a League with the Queen of England 354 Goes over to the siege of Amiens 355 What Intelligence he held there ib. His affability to the souldier 357 He routs some troops of the enemies horse 360 Enters Amiens in triumph 362. makes a peace with the Catholick King 364 His Interests in the affairs of Flanders 440. His authority with the United Provinces ib. He sends an Ambassador extraordinary into Holland to assist the negotiations of peace or a Truce 441 The King of Spain Philip the second and his ends in the affairs of France 296 He sends the Duke of Feria to Paris ib. He makes peace with the K. of France 364. His intention to marry the Infanta Isabella to the Gardinal Archduke 365. which he puts in execution 368 His death 369. his character ib. The King of Spain Philip the third resolves to make up an Army apart to be commanded by the two Spinolas 410 He approves of the Archdukes designes against the enemie 425. he resolves to give way to an Overture that shall be made for an accommodation with the United Provinces 437 L. ALeague between the K. of France and the Q. of England 354. Between the K. of France and the United Provinces 451 A Letter from Archduke Ernestus to
hath imployed the rest either in the Theory or Practice of Arms and as yet he hath so managed them in Flanders as every day greater additions may be hoped for to your service His loyalty unto your Majesty is answerable to mine nor should he be of my blood if he were not of my opinion To boot that he cannot but be the more like therein of himself in respect of the so many gracious favours which your Majesty hath pleased to confirm upon him The height thereof will now be in your being pleased to leave the Government of these Provinces wholly to him alone and that he may bear the sole weight thereof which is to consist in Arms wherein my company can be of no advantage at all unto him I humbly beg this of your Majesty with as much affection and reverence as I am able Quiet better becomes my age And not being able to doe more I will continually send my wishes from Italy into Flanders and we will both at the same time conspire to serve your Majesty I with my Prayers and my Son with his Forces Nor can we doubt but the one will be heard and the other prospered by God since the war first begun here hath hitherto been continued and is now prosecuted more then ever more for the glory of his Name then for any self-interest of your Majesties The King at last granted the Dutchess her desire Whereupon she returned to her former peaceable condition into Italy and the Prince her Son remained in his former full Command of Flanders The Flemish Rebels had this mean while fixt upon their resolution of changing Prince nor were the Catholicks able to counterpoise the Hereticks Yet to satisfie the Catholicks Orange had procured that the Treaty concluded in favour of Alanson a Prince who profest and who might give hopes of favouring the Catholick religion And to say truth the Queen of England little valued his being preferred before her For she considered very wisely the uncertainty of such a purchase and how certain she had been on the other side to draw upon her the revenge and Forces of the King of Spain Wherefore she in deep wisdom did rather favour the canvasing for Alanson judging that it would make much more for her security that the Forces of France should be wasted bootlesly in the wars of Flanders that the King of Spains Forces should be likewise consumed at the same time and that by the almost necessity of those two Kings going to war with one another it must come to an open feud between them Nor did she despair but that the Low-Countries more involved in troubles then ever the Flemish would at last have recourse to her protection that she might then draw from thence such advantages as time and occasion should offer her When then the Provinces had resolved to transfer their Government upon the Duke of Alanson they failed not to chuse a noble Embassie out of some of their Deputies to acquaint him with the resolution which they had taken the chief whereof was the Lord Aldegonde They began their journey in August and passing into France found the Duke at Tours where they discharged their Commission to him The Duke accepted of his new Dominion and upon the same Conditions which he was to observe on his part if he would enjoy it Which were these That the Belgick States chose Francis of Valois Duke of Alanson and of Anjou with the usual preheminencies and titles for their Prince That in case the Duke should have more Sons lawfully begotten then one the States might chuse which of them they should like best for their Prince and that if he should be a Child they were to appoint him a Governour and that in the interim they themselves should administer the Government of the Provinces That if the Duke should die without heirs it should be lawfull for the States to chuse a new Prince That the Duke should inviolably maintain the Priviledges of the Country and call together the States-Generall at least once every year in whose power it should be howsoever to assemble themselves together upon any needfull occasion That the Officers of War Councellors of State Governours of Provinces and Towns should always be chosen by him with the approbation of the States That the Duke should reside in the Low-Countries and upon any occasion of going from thence should leave some Nobleman of the Country Governour with the participation of the States For what concerned Religion that the Duke should not have power to innovate any thing out should equally protect both the Catholick and the Reformed religion That Holland and Zealand in point of Religion and Government should continue in their present condition submitting notwithstanding together with the other Provinces unto the Duke in point of concurring to the necessity of Contributions and in the coyning of monies That the Duke should procure all help and assistance from the King his brother and from France against the common enemies carrying it so as the War should be made joyntly between them yet so notwithstanding as the Low-Countries should not be understood to be incorporated into France And that the Low-Countries should furnish him with 240000 pounds a year for necessary expences That all former Confederacies should be renewed and that the Duke should not make any new ones nor treat of any alliance without the consent of the States That all foreign souldiers yea even the French should quit the Country when the States should desire it That if any other places of the Country would joyn with the States and be under the Duke they should be comprehended within the present Treaty That such places as the Duke should take by force should be by him disposed of with the approbation of the States That if the Duke should fail in the things promised and sworn unto the States should be understood to be free from all subjection And for what concerned the Archduke Mathias who was called into the Low-Countries and had plaid his part so well the Duke and States should give him all convenient satisfaction Upon thse Conditions the Provinces of the Fremish Union agreed to come under the obedience of their new Prince An obedience notwithstanding which bore with it so much of command as certainly they were much more free then subject In fine the Duke possest almost nothing of Principality but the title Nor could he exercise any other Authority in the Country then what belonged to the bare Governour of a Province to boot that in Holland and Zealand the whole Government was to be in the Prince of Orange apart The King of Spain quarrelled very much with the King of France for this action Who seeming not to blame it excused himself notwithstanding for the aforesaid reasons as not able to hinder it For as for the rest he confessed he very well knew how much the Rebellion of the Hereticks in Flanders might assist that which the Hugonots had so often raised
the greatness of Spain appear the more both in maintaining greater Forces and greater expences where it hath been necessary to increase them and in preserving the reputation of their Arms both by Land and Sea where there hath been any occasion to imploy them But these Navigations of the Hollanders and Zealanders on both sides of the Indies especially in the West Indies have happened for the most part since their having found out the Northwest passage into the East Indies to return to which their resolution was to sail by a nearer cut if they could and to come to the Oriental regions of Cataia China and the Indies steering their course on the right hand and drawing still nearer the Pole In which short Voyage they thought that at some seasons of the year they might find such access into that almost continually frozen Sea as that they might at last get out of it And to this purpose they prepared four ships and furnished them with all things necessary for such an enterprise Then going out of their own seas and having passed through those of Norway and then the others of Greenland and Iseland which are the utmost on the North side most under the Pole they wheeled about to the right hand and came successfully to the Strait which is called Nova Zembla There began the difficulty of the passage which increasing still the more by how much they advanced further it proved so excessive at the last as their trouble to return back was incredible They saw the sea freeze into mountains the skies hidden in thick clouds and amidst those horrors Nature seemed almost wholly to fail Being staid by Ice they were forced to break one of their ships and turn it into Cabins and Cottages Nor were they then free from new dangers They were oft-times set upon by great numbers of white Bears of an extraordinary bigness and were by other necessities reduced to such a point as they oft-times dispaired of life or that they should ever be able to return but at last they did for the chiefest dread being over and the Ice melted they might though not without great sufferings return home by the same way they came Thus did they end this Navigation Of which and of others which they have made into the Indies we have been desirous here to give you this short account For though they may be accounted successes which do in some sort appertain unto the Arms which the United Provinces of Flanders have by all possible means opposed against the Crown of Spain yet being so dis-joyned from those which we describe the making of them known and joyning of them by distinct relations to the others of this History would doubtlesly rather breed confusion then perspicuity At the expiration of this year the Archduke grew to be very weak in body by reason of a lingring feaver wherewith he had been a good while troubled and whereof he finally died not being full 42 years old It was thought that the indisposition of his body was occasioned by the like of his mind finding the affairs of Flanders in so bad condition and by reason of the little hopes of their amendment Nor peradventure was he less troubled for fear left the Treaty of Marriage between him and the Infanta Isabella the King of Spains eldest daughter which had been a good while in agitation might either prove totally vain or by long delays be too long deser'd The time of his Government was not above one whole year He was a religious grave Prince and singularly good and his German candor made him the more acceptable to the Flemish For what remains he was not good at action no Warriour made much more for Peace then for the managing of Arms and who coming with very great expectation into Flanders had better satisfied that expectation if he had not come to the test thereof in that Government He declared at his death that Count Fuentes should succeed in his place till the King should take some other resolution Who afterwards ratified his Government with such necessary Authority as Count Mansfield had divers times formerly exercised it THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Third Part. BOOK II. The Contents It is resolved in France to declare open War against Spain The Duke of Bovillon enters therefore in hostile manner into the Province of Luxemburg and at the same time the United States surprise the Castle of Huy in the Country of Liege Verdugo is sent with considerable Forces by Count Fuentes to chase the French from out that Province wherein he had good success as had also Monsieur de la Motte in the recovery of the aforesaid Castle From hence Fuentes resolves to pass into Picardy His design touching the recovery of Cambray and many difficulties in the undertaking yet Fuentes prepares for it He first besieges Chatelet and suddenly turns from thence in hopes of winning the Town of Han But being deceived he returns to his Siege and quickly ends it From thence he goes to before Dorlan The French come to succour it A field-fight wherein Fuentes hath the victory He therefore straitens the Town yet more and after a fierce assault the oppugnors storm it and commit all manner of hostility in slaughter and sacking Immediately he incamps before Cambray The description of that City and the particular ordering of the Siege Duke Retel enters the Town with a small succour and soon after comes in Monsieur de Vich a valiant and greatly experienced Souldier He makes the Spanish Camp resent his opposition soundly yet Fuentes loseth neither hope nor courage His secret intelligence with the Citizens who are ill affected to the Marshal of Baligni as Usurper of that Dominion He joyns threats to his practices and prepares to storm the walls by assault But the Citizens prevent him and falling into tumults resolve to deliver upthe City into Fuentes his hands Which they doe The Confederate Provinces move this mean while with their Forces but succeed not neither in their Siege before Groll ner in the surprise which they attempt upon Lira Archduke Albertus comes to the Government of Flanders in the name of the King And soon after his arrival Fuentes departs and goes into Spain WE will begin the year 1595 with the resolution taken by the King of France to break into open war with the King of Spain He considered that many Towns in Picardy were under the self Forces of Spain That indeavours were still had to win more And that look how much more the League did decline in France so much the more was it fomented by Flanders his having declared himself to be a Catholick and his having advanced his endeavours of reconciliation to the Church of Rome with the Pope so far not causing them any whit to alter their designe Wherefore thinking that he was already too much injured he resolved not to indure it any longer To the which he was the more
incouraged for that he saw his Authority and power did daily increase in France He therefore proclaimed War against the King of Spain and endeavoured by a bitter Declaration to invite all his Subjects to the War Nor was it long ere another contrary manifesto came from Flanders wherein the King of Spain indeavoured to justifie all that he had done in order to the affairs of France And some other Declarations were added which were requisite upon such an occurrence War being thus declared between the two Kings the greatest designs of both sides were turned towards the Frontiers of France and Flanders The King of France had sent the Duke of Bullion with good Forces a little before into the Country of Lucemburg Wherein the United States did likewise joyn with a certain number of horse and foot on their behalfs Wherefore Bullion having soon won the Towns of Frette Yvois which lay nearest the Frontiers of France he marched further into the Country pillaging and preying upon that Province in hostile manner At the same time the States took likewise the Town of Huy in the Country of Liege that they might advance nearer the Confines of France on that side and in the mutual communication of their designs communicate their Forces also the easilier The Town of Huy lies upon the Mause with a Bridg which expedites that passage and a Castle eminently seated which commands the Town The Town belongs to the Bishoprick of Liege and till this time had always enjoyed Neutrality between the Kings Forces and the adverse party as all the rest of that Country had likewise done Ernestus the Elector of Bavaria enjoyed that Bishoprick together with the Archbishoprick of Colen The invasion being made he applied himself to the United States for the restitution of that Town which was taken But his endeavours proving vain he had afterwards recourse to the Kings forces to which he promised to joyn his also that such a novelty might be the sooner remedied The Archduke was no less moved upon this occasion nor less ready on his part to remedy it And he being dead Count Fuentes appear'd to be of the same mind He therefore and 't was his first action sent Monsieur de la Motte with good Forces to recover Huy which were quickly augmented by those which the Elector added unto them La Motte being come near the Town began to play upon it and within a few dayes took it and reduced the State of Liege into total security He being afterwards sent for back by Count Fuentes to Brussels who intended to imploy him elswhere Colonel Verdugo was sent by the Count with a great strength of men to free the Country of Lucemburg from the excursions made by the French and to recover the Towns which Bullion had taken Verdugo went thither and did so handle the French as making them first forsake the field he made them afterward quit the Country and the Towns which they had taken The King of France his Forces were then chiefly turned upon the Dukedom of Burgony to take it from the Duke Du Mayn To the defence whereof as also of the County of Burgony which was likewise threatned by the King the Constable of Castile Governour of Millan was come with very gallant Forces from Italy Fuentes had thought to have sent Verdugo thither also with some assistance from Flanders But he dying at that time it could not be effected In him the Spanish Nation lost one of the most valiant and best experienced Commanders in War that was then in all those Provinces Wherein he had served the King of Spain little less then â—0 years And passing through all the degrees of the Militia he had still shewed himself most worthy in the last and particularly most in such as required either greater vigilancy in command or greater wisdom in advice He commanded the Kings Forces with great authority a long time on the further side of the Rhine with much variety of acquisitions and losses till that the Spanish Forces being diverted too much in France the Kings own affairs in Flanders were brought to too bad a condition Count Fuentes being freed from that diversion which the enemy had occasioned in the Countries of Liege and Lucemburg and leaving Colonel Mandragone well furnished with forces thereabouts he applyed himself wholly to the Frontiers of Picardy resolving to go thither himself accompanied with a great strength of men and to advantage the Kings affairs there as much as he could Count Charls Mansfield did formerly command the Kings Flemish Forces which were upon that Frontier as hath been often said But he being gon into Germany to serve the Emperour against the Turk in the VVars of Hungary the Archduke before he died had substituted the Marquis of Barambone in his place who was Governour of Artois which joyns upon Picardy VVho being entred into that Province had overrun it in divers parts and taken Anker and some other Towns all but of small importance He afterwards returning into his own Province had sent Monsieur di Rone in his place of whom and whose Military worth mention hath been often made already He was one of the chief of the League of France but resolving at last actually to establish himself in the King of Spains Service he was received thereunto and had a great stipend allowed him and was made Campmaster General of the Army VVherefore the command of those parts being past into his hands he went thither and made likewise some small acquisitions The Spring was by this time over and Count Fuentes did no longer delay to prepare for putting his designs into execution He desired above all things to take the City of Cambray from the French and to reduce it as formerly it was under the particular Authority of the King of Spain In the revolutions of Flanders soon after the death of Don John that City was fallen into the hands of the Duke of Alanson as was then said Alanson at his death left the Queen his mother heir to those parts which he could pretend to by such an acquisition and she had confirmed the Government of Cambray and of the Castle and Territory of Cambresis upon Signor di Baligni who had the same charge whilst Alanson lived Nor did Baligni omit to make use of the present conjuncture of times by becoming as it were absolute Lord of that City and of all that depended upon the Dominion thereof He having always wrought his advantage on both sides during the troubles of France and Flanders had brought that Country into a condition as it were of neutrality Yet upon all occurrences he lean'd much more to the French where his acquisition might cause less jealousie and consequently receive more protection But the King of France his affairs bettering every day in that Kingdom and especially upon that Frontier Baligni had condescended to put the City of Cambray under the direct dominion of the King reserving unto himself the usefull part
will here mention only things of greater moment wherein their differences consisted The King of Spain and the Arch-dukes to shew their ingenuity and the more to honest all conclusion of agreement desired that the exercise of Religion might be left free throughout all the United Provinces towards which I had not been wanting but particularly before the Deputies went for Holland had prest the Arch-dukes much therein and certainly the United Provinces should by all rules of good Government of their own accord have endeavoured to give the Catholicks who were in no small numbers amongst them satisfaction but the hatred to the Catholick Religion prevailing on the one side with the leading Hereticks and the suspition that this was the more to oblige the Catholicks which were amongst them to the Spaniards on the other side it was to be believed they would not consent to any thing in favour of the Catholicks The second chief point was that which concerned Commerce The United Provinces would have had it absolutely free and the King and Arch-dukes would have the Indies excepted and desired that many insufferable Taxes might be taken off to which the Merchandizes were subject in Zealand which were necessarily to pass from thence to Antwerp and which every day much lessened the Traffick of that City The other chiefest affairs consisted in the exchange which was to be made of divers Towns and other places which the one side were Masters of in the others Country in the adjusting of confines in contributions which were paid in several parts by those whose habitations confin'd on both sides to free themselves from Military incursions in the restitution of goods confiscated in the time of War and in other the like things of Justice They treated sometimes of one of these sometimes of another but very leasurely for great difficulties were met withall in all of them without coming to any resolution The point of exchange of places was in particular much argued The United Provinces were possessed of Sluce in the Province of Flanders together with the Island Cassant which is but of small circuit but commodious for the unlading of Goods having in it some Forts They likewise were Masters of Breda Bergen-ap-zome and St. Getringberg all of them strongly scituated both by Nature and Art in Brabant together with some lesser places fortified likewise On the contrary the Arch-dukes had Linghen Groll and Oldensel beyond the Rhine toward Friesland Linghen is a very strong Hold and the other two places of good consideration The Arch-dukes would have desired to have changed these three places with those which the United Provinces had in Brabant and Flanders And because that which was possest by the United Provinces was much the greater and better part it was thought that the Arch-duke to make the change more qual would willingly have quitted unto them all the rest which they were Masters of in Ghelderland or at least the greatest part thereof Long dispute was had upon this Article but to no purpose for it was not possible ever to agree upon it And with the same difficulties and prolixity they proceeded likewise in the other affairs This mean while the time was expired wherein the Commissary was to return from Spain who did not only not appear but not any news was heard of him whereupon the United Provinces grew very jealous and their Deputies began publickly to complain thereof The King of France was all this while very attentive upon the proceedings in Holland and to make the Spaniards the more jealous he was easily perswaded upon this occasion to make a new League with the United Provinces The Contents whereof was That in case the peace now in Treaty should succeed the King of France should be bound to assist the Vnited Provinces with ten thousand paid Souldiers to make the Spaniards the better keep it and that they on the other side should give the King of France five thousand paid foot in case the Spaniards should make war upon him The Spanish and Flemish Ambassadors which were at Paris quarrelled with the King hereupon but he justified it with divers pretences and shewed how that the King of Spain and Arch-dukes should rather be beholding to him therein as a business which might the easilyer facilitate the peace of Flanders which was in Treaty These artifices were not unknovvn in Spain and it was every day better seen that no agreement would ever be made with the Vnited Provinces without the King of France his interposition and authority To the end then that he might obtain his mediation upon this occasion the King of Spain resolved though upon other pretences to send Don Piedro de Tolledo or of the chief Lords of Spain into France And this was thought then the fitter to be done because the King of France at the-same time had sent for President Jannines to Paris with whom advising upon the affairs of Holland and the King resolving upon the forementioned things which might make him desire to see the affairs of Flanders setled he sent him suddenly to the Hague But Jannines grew quickly to dispair of seeing any Peace concluded He found the business more perplext with difficulties then before and the mindes of both Parties more exasperated The United Provinces could not tollerate the Spaniards slowness for the Commissary did not appear at all nor was there any news heard of what he had done in Spain Whereupon their Deputies resolved to know directly the King of Spains final intention touching the Indies which when they should not know presently to break off the Treaty and this they prest upon the Catholick Deputies with much inconstancy who made them this Answer That the King desired a happy end of the begun Treaty and that he would at last condiscend to that renunciation which they desired and in manner as was by them propounded But that on the otherside he expected that in requital of so important an Affair they should forbare going to the Indies and that moreover they should permit liberty of conscience to the Catholicks within their Provinces That the Commissary was already dispatched from the Court with this answer and that they had already received orders to acquaint them the United Provinces therewithal This Answer quite overthrew all hopes of Peace The United Provinces had put on an unalterable Resolution neither to abandon the Indies nor yet to admit the Catholick Religion amongst them Whereupon having heard this they in Writing did presently declare the Treaty broken and presented the writing to the Catholick Deputies The Treaty of Peace being thus faln to the ground it remained to see whether they might the easilyer compass a long Truce The King of England had all this while seemed rather averse then otherwise to the Negotiation in Holland and having the same ends which the Kings of France had to raise jealousie in the Spaniard as hath been said he also made use of the same means In imitation of the King of France and
THE Compleat History OF THE WARRS OF FLANDERS WRITTEN in ITALIAN BY THE LEARNED and FAMOUS Cardinall BENTIVOGLIO ENGLISHED By the Right Honorable HENRY Earl of MONMOUTH THE VVHOLE VVORK ILLUSTRATED With many Figures of the chief Personages mentioned in this HISTORY LONDON Printed for Humphrey Moseley at the Sign of the Prince's-Arms in St Pauls Churchyard 1654. The Translators Epistle To his Countrey-men THE READERS WHILST I was pursuing my Custome of avoyding Idleness the Mother of all Mischief and yet I justly may and thankfully doe say Deus mihi haec Otia fecit Providence threw me upon This Piece for I began it Before there was any appearance at least as I conceiv'd of our falling out with the United Provinces which seeing we have Since done those that are concerned in the Carrying on of That business if they will peruse This Book may thereby be acquainted with the Scituation Strength Government Customes Incomes Expences Havens and Strong holds of That countrey as also with their Manner of Warfaring and Treating Out of which they may Pick something which peradventure may prove Serviceable to them by applying Practice to Theory But this if it shall So fall out is upon the By I challenge no Thanks for it for it was no part of My intention who was never an Abettor of Warr but born and brought up in Peacefull times and wish I may live to see a well setled and Lasting Peace in England between good and honest Men proceeding from the motions of well-weighed Reason illuminated from Above which makes us Well-wishers to one anothers Good and which being nourished by so perfect a Radicall humor may keep still Fresh and Alive as a Tree planted by the Rivers side that bringeth forth Fruit in Due season and it is my Prayer that we English-men may have the desire of this Peace lodg'd in our Hearts so to help towards the returning of our Countrey to her former Beauty Wherein methinks all Goodmen should joyn with Me and say AMEN For such a Peace is the effect of Concord which when she begins to withdraw her self in a Kingdom or Commonwealth Vertue and Justice though they may keep Here and There amongst their Particular friends where they are sure to be well received yet they appear but little in Publique whereas Warr proceeds from Discord which occasioneth Irreverence towards God Disobedience of Magistrates Corruption of Manners Alteration of Laws Contempt of Justice Neglect of Learning no Respect of Consanguinity Forgetfulness of Friendship Change of civil Government and all the Mischiefs that can be done by Fire or Sword Many of which we in the Dominions of England Scotland and Ireland have of Late too Sadly experienced And yet Domestick greatness wonn by Vertue and according to the Laws is Assured and Happy whereas that which is hoped for by Warr is Uncertain and Unfortunate But I will forbear launching farther out into so Dangerous and so High-going a Sea and return to tell Thee my Reader that a Desire to Serve my Countrey and Country-men according to my Ability and that I may not be said to have Totally buryed my Talent was the Cause why first I Penn'd then Publish'd this my Translation of BENTIVOGLIO For which All that I crave of my Readers is that They will turn Translators with Me be it but of my Authors Name and therein say unto Me I WISH THEE WELL Monmouth THE STATIONER TO THE READER IF I say this Book hath been often call'd for you may believe me For none who are not un-read or un-tra vail'd but know what value is paid to BENTIVOGLIO not only in Italy whose Language it weare's and in Flanders which gave it Subject but in France and Spain who by worthy Translations have made it their own 'T is therefore no wonder it hath been so oft Re-printed in French but that it came no sooner into English And the rather because to speak the Author's words Whosoever shall consider the successes of this Warr shall find so many and so illustrious Scenes of various accidents as he shall be compell'd to confess that never any afforded more matter of humane instruction For marvelous it is that a few Fisher-men should fight so long with a Monarch so vast and puissant that the Sun both rises and sets in his Dominions when the opening of a Sluice or cutting of a Damm would drown them and their Countrey How this was done the Rise and Growth the Designe as well as the Action are skilfully and clearly told you in this Book If you ask why 't is call'd The WARRS OF FLANDERS which strictly taken is but One Province of Seventeen and this Book speaks equally the Warrs of all the rest our Author himself Answer 's it Page 2. And if you read but the very first Leaf 't will furnish you sufficiently without farther Preface to the whole WORK It likely may displease you to see him stile the Enemy Heretick and Schismatick but consider 't is the usuall Language of that Church whereof he was a Member and Writers who are of the contrary Perswasion do bestow as sharp Epithets on Him and his Friends But which more becomes my Duty to acquaint you take notice how the Printer according to his Custome hath mistaken a few Figures on the head of some Pages viz. In the first Part pag. 50 for 55. and pag. 129 for 139. In the second Part pag. 193. Book II for Book I. And in the third Part pag. 413. Book VI. for VII Now I hope none will mistake this History for that other Book of his which I lately publish'd call'd HISTORICALL RELATIONS OF THE UNITED PROVINCES which possibly some may do because both have the same Author and the same Honourable Translator and FLANDERS is the subject Matter of both But the former treats properly of the Scituation of the Countrey the Nature of the Inhabitants Form of their Government in particular Provinces and in their generall Union their Interest and Religion the Title and Right of Dominion over them with the Religion and Interest of all their Friends and Enemies Which Book was so wisely and usefully Written that it hath been Translated and often Printed in most Languages of Europe This I now offer is an accurate History of the WARRS OF FLANDERS and is a distinct entire Work of it self The Author wrote this after the former and how he hath perform'd it there needs no Evidence but the word of Learned GROTIUS who in a Letter to Monsieur Du Maurier the French Ambassador at the Haghe say's I confess my Expectation was much deceiv'd in Cardinall BENTIVOGLIO I could not hope from the hand of an Enemy to receive so impartiall a History of our Warrs I doubted not his Ability for I had formerly seen some Discourses of his but this shews he knew what to write and wrote what he knew His Education abroad and long Residence in Flanders enabled him for both My Countrey will by this be a Gainer and a Loser Our Courage
and Diligence was equall to theirs our Swords as sharp but now BENTIVOGLIO hath Conquer'd us with his Pen and will wound us to Posterity Ad Comitem Monumethen sem de BENTIVOGLIO suo FLoribus Angligenis non hanc tibi necto Corollam Cum saâ—is indigenis te probet ipse Liber Per me Roma sciet tibi se debere quòd Anglo Romanus didicit cultiùs ore loqui Ultima quae tellus Aquilas duce Caesare vidit Candida Romulio ûm te duce scripta videt Consâ—â—â—o ut quondam Patriam nil jnveris esto Sed studio cives ingenioque juvas Namque dolis Liber hic instructus arte Batavâ A Belg â nobis ut caveamus ait Horremus per te civilis dira furoris Vulnera discordes Flandria quassa monet Hic discat Miles pugnare orare Senator Qui regnant leni sceptra tenere manu Macte Comes virtute novâ vestri ordinis ingens Ornamentum aevi daeliciaeque tui Dum stertunt alii somno vinóque sepulti Nobilis antiquo stemmate digna facis ED. WALLER To the Earl of MONMOVTH On his Translation of BENTIVOGLIO THose who could rule the ancient World with ease Could strictly govern all yet none displease Were those who cherish'd Learning not because It wrapt in rev'renc'd Mysterie the Lawes Nor that it did the Nobles civilize But rather that it made the People wise Who found by reading Story where we see What the most knowing were or we should bee That only Peace breeds bliss and only they Breed Peace who wisely foolish Pow'r obey Of such importance for the Publick good Is Learning when by th' People understood But those who dress it in a forreign Tongue Serve Meat in cover'd Plate to make them long Whilst those who forreign Learning well translate Feed weak Minds full and at the cheapest rate This you have done my Lord which only showes How free your Mind in publick Chanels flowes But if that good to which some Men are born Doe less then good-acquir'd our Names adorn The ceasless nature of your Kindness then Still ready to inform un-languag'd Men Deserves less Praise if rightly understood Than does your Judgment how to doe Men good Which none can value at too high a rate Judging the choice of Authors you translate WILL. D'AVENANT To the Reader of Cardinal Bentivoglio's Guerra di Fiandra Translated by the Right honorable the Earl of Monmouth THere are who Languages a Mysterie Would make that yet does undiscover'd lie Boasting the Spaniard lofty Toscan sweet And aery-French to dance with gracefull fcet Whose well-tun'd-Layes in Times then Ours less rude By such whose hasty Vanity t'intrude Into the Press having been rendred hoarse Sense and Words massacred without remorse Those by Fantastick prejudice condemn Young Travellers infection root and stem Of all Translations as implicitly As some damn all who on a Scaffold dy But 't is not now as when Squire-Jeffrey liv'd The tongue 's not cramp'd ere it can be repriev'd Words here are facil apt significant Such as not make the Sense too wide nor scant His Pen not racks the Reader as some do But gives us ease pleasure and profit too He is our Understanding's Optick Wee By such a Perspective much clearer see The Mapp of Italy's choice Language here To Brittish-eyes in Landskip does appeare Though that the Garden of the World we do Esteem This is that Garden 's Garden too Where flowers transplanted thus become more fair Fragrant and rarifi'd by such pure air Nor is 't an easie Task since two we see Were fain to joyni'th ' Gallick-Historie His single pains carry's the evener thread And Monarch of Interpreters Hee 's read One answering one in just proportion fits Nor breeds a tumult of dissenting Wits As Bentivoglio then the Peace not breaks When Spaniard French or Dutch his language speaks So the same calm of this smooth-Pen unites And levels to our Dialect their heights The Cardinal's Soul her superstition fled Is so transfus'd in Him should from the dead Pythagoras now rise agen by this Alone Hee 'd prove his Metempsychosis But I presume no praise that fits Him best Who can contain Himself and such a Guest Only in honour to Nobilitie That with some treine it still attended be Though made by Most our Countrey 's sin and shame To help support His state not raise His fame In this Corteggio I a Servant loe Crowd when His vertues in Procession goe R. BAKER To the Right Honourable the Earle of MONMOUTH Upon his Translation of BENTIVOGLIO MY LORD AS their great Letter of Exchange by you The learn'd of Foraign Nations make a true Payment to us of what they wisely thought Fit to Instruct or for example Taught You are the Bank where they address their Store You give it all to us yet make it more For see how much in knowledge we do thrive By reading them in You they doe derive From You so much of Honor and Renown Which makes this Nation love them as their own Now what shall we return my Lord who are Improv'd by You without our Cost or Care We can but wish Your Fact'ry to Increase Your Credit and Employment ne'r to cease Learn'd Correspondents to advance Your gains In honor the Reward of Learned pains That oblig'd Rome may to your Name present But as much Fame as to her Son y'have lent And Belgia when shee on her Reckoning looks Confess her self a Debtor in your Books Your Lordships most humble Servant PH. FROWDE A NEW MAPE XVII PROVINCE LOW GERMAN mended a new in mani Anno 1654 THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO BOOK I. The Contents An Introduction to the History The scituation and Government of the Provinces of Flanders The first occasions of the War described In what condition Flanders was when the Catholick King Philip the second resolved to leave those Countrys and to return for Spain The general States upon his departure are assembled together at Gaunt His Speech to the Dutchess of Parma whom he leaves Regent of those Provinces Concerning the manner of Governing them He departs and goes his journey by Sea Divers difficulties which the Dutchess meets withall at the beginning of her Government and especially in matters of Religion The Nobility begin to stirr and cannot tollerate the too great authority of Cardinal Granville but chiefly the Prince of Orange the Counts of Egamont and Horne Their grievances or complaints they write all three joyntly to the King declaring openly against Granville and desire that he may be removed from Flanders The King will not give way thereunto They are scandalized at the refusal and together with the rest of the Nobles are so much the more incens'd against Granville they come to open contempt of him And finally force the King to remove him from thence THe Provinces of Flanders in former ages were divided one from another almost every one of them had its particular Prince but rather Titular
peace and much more haughty in war long bred up in arms and who thought it always advantagious for him and the King to have them and to make use of them The delay was not long requisite orders were suddenly given for the raising of good store of new soldiers in Spain that they might be placed in the wonted Garisons in Italy and that those who were ancient Companies might be sent into Flanders The chief strength of foot were to be Spaniards the horse were to be composed of Italians Burgundians and High Dutch and some Regiments of foot were to come to Flanders from Germany which by their vicinity might the speedilier be raised Whilst these preparations were a making in Spain Italy and other parts the Regents affairs prospered in Flanders as hath been said Obedience was restored to the King and the Church had almost wholly recovered hers and the Country was on all sides reduced to quiet so as it was expected that the King would change his mind and that no Army should be sent into Flanders But were it that he did think that the tumalts risen in those Provinces were rather husht then quite extinct or that desires to establish his Authority the better there for ever after he would not lose the present occasion of doing it or that he thought he could not without a great body of forces perfectly enjoy the secure possession thereof they being placed amidst neighbours which made him daily more jealous of them he continued his first resolution The Duke of Alva being departed from Spain and come by sea to Genoa he mustered the men spoken of before in the State of Millan which came to near 8000 Spanish foot under four Camp-Masters Allonso Ulloa commanded the Neapolitan Brigado Guellielmo Romero that of Cicily Sancio di Londonio that of Lombardy and the Sardinian Brigado was commanded by Gonsalo di Bracamonte All experienced soldiers and under valliant Commanders He gave the command of the horse which were raised in Italy which might be about 1500. the greatest part whereof were Itallians the rest Spaniards to his natural son Fernando di Tolledo 300 were afterwards added to these in Burgundy and of the Dutch there was but only one Regiment of 4000 foot raised at the present under Count Alberico di Lodrone The Duke would have also divers other Spaniards to be near him who were fit for command and amongst others Sancio d'Avola who was Governor of the Castle of Pavia and who by his valour came afterwards to the chief Commands in Flanders Of the Italian Commanders the chief were Marquis Chiapino Vitelli and Gabrio Serbelloni Prior of the Order of St. Johns of Jerusalem in Hungary Both of them long experienced in the wars of Italy and who had therein won much renown He made Vitelli Camp-Master-General and gave the charge of the Artillery to Serbelloni The Muster being made and the Army marching in very good discipline not meeting with any difficulty either from France or Germany he led it finally into the Province of Lucemberg He made some Brigades of foot advance from thence and quartered them where he thought most convenient the better to secure his entry into the Country and then he himself went to the Regent The Flemish who were much astonisht to hear of these forces were much more astonisht when they saw them Many of them resolved to quit the Country before the Duke should bring them in and the Prince of Orange had already led them an example He being assertained of so great a preparation of forces and that the Duke of Alva was Commander in chief resolved to withdraw into Germany He knew how suspected his actions were in Spain That the Duke of Alva formerly a rival was now become a Superiour and insteed of thundring out contrary opinions in the Councel at Madrid he was to lead a powerfull Army into Flanders That the sore orders were to be put into sorer execution if Count Egmont and the rest would perish through confiding he would secure himself by doing the contrary 't was therefore no longer time to stand lingring 't was better to get into Germany and to be a spectator of the Tragedies in Flanders afar off And how could he with honour be under the Duke of Alva who was but a bare Grandee of Spain whereas he himself enjoy'd the Prerogative of Free States and many other greater in his Family in Germany Let others endure to see the Provinces of Flanders always accustomed to be governed by some of the bloud royal or at least nearly allyd thereunto fall with scorn into such hands Together with him went his brother Lodovick and at the same time the Count of Hostrat went from Flanders Before Orange departed he oft-times incited Count Egmont to do the like and not able to prevail with him he told him You will repent but too late And in other speeches did prognosticate unto him those misfortunes whereinto afterwards he fell THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO BOOK IV. The Contents Divers of the Duke of Alva's cruel proceedings A great many of the Flemish fly to the neighbouring parts The disposition of the confining Princes to foment the revolts of the Low-Countries Orange his particular indeavours in Germany to this purpose He cals a Diet of some Princes and Hans Towns His Speech to the Diet. The Germans resolve to assist the Flemish Their first motion and their defeat Lodovick brother to Orange enters Friesland with an Army Count Aremberg is sent against him by the Duke of Alva They fight Aremberg is routed and slain The Duke resolves to go himself in person against Lodovick To this purpose he gives order for the increasing of his Army Before his departure he causeth Egmont and Horn to be beheaded in Brussels Other severities of his He comes to the Army in Friesland makes an Oration to the soldiers Lodovick retreats but the Duke overtakes him fights him and utterly deseats him THe Reyns of Government being wholly left in the Duke of Alva's hand he apply'd himself with all attention to execute his begun rigour upon the Flemish Soon after that Egmont and Horn were made prisoners in Brussels he sent them both well guarded to the Castle at Gaunt and put in an High-Dutch Garison into it instead of the Flemish Garison which was there before He formed a new Tribunal of Justice by the name of a Councel to sit upon Tumults for the better cognisance of businesses of that weight and all others of that nature and composed it of such as he thought he might most confide in Amongst other he placed a Spanish Lawyer in it and a Burgundian of the same profession and he himself would be the President thereof Then publishing his Authority in Print to make it the more formidable by being divulged and proclaimed all those to be guilty of High-Treason both against God and the King who had had any thing to do in the late actions
and Monsieur de Lumay and some other Flemish of good quality together with many German Commanders of great consideration The Army was well enough furnisht with Artillery and ammunition for war but had not so much mony nor victuals as was needfull This being understood the Duke of Alva resolved to make his Rendezvous at Mastrick the most commodious place upon the Mause that he might oppose Orange where it should be most convenient There were come unto the Duke from Spain at this time 400000 Crowns and 2000 Spanish Foot which being all of them new Souldiers he placed in the Garrisons and drew out from thence the old ones His eldest son Frederick came likewise then to Flanders to whom he gave the command of all the Foot The Rendezvous being appointed the Kings Army was found to consist of 16000 choise Foot to wit 6000 Spaniards the rest all Germans and Walloons and of 6000 Horse some whereof were Spanish some Italian some Germans some Burgonians and some Walloons and those Train-Bands of Flanders which were commanded by Carlo Philippode Croy Marquis of Haure The Duke removed the Camp afterwards from Mastrick to Haren a great Village not far from thence and seated likewise upon the Mause And here he made a Bridg of Boats that he might have free passage overfit at all hours and receive victuals the better from all those parts This place was almost in the midst between Liege and Ruremonde upon which two Cities Orange his designe was likeliest to be Ruremonde is in Ghelderland as hath been said It stands upon a little River called Ruer just where it fals into the Mause 'T is rather a place of great circuit then much people but the situation thereof is of importance by reason of both those Rivers Liege lies upon the same River a little higher The Mause hath not a City upon it of larger circuit nor better peopled 'T is divided by the River but joyned together again by divers Bridges The Bishop governs the Inhabitants there as well in temporal as in spiritual affairs being also Prince thereof though the City enjoy such ample priviledges as the form of Government therein partakes more of a Common-wealth then of a Principality 'T is one of the most Catholick Cities of all the North fullest of Ecclesiastical goods and most devoted to the Apostolical See Orange desired to try Liege first he wrote to the Magistracy omitting to write to Gerardo Grosbech who was then Bishop of the City and a personage of great worth thinking that he adhered too much to the Kings and the Catholick cause But the same mind and zeal appeared to be in the Magistracy for they determinately answered That the City would not receive in any foreign soldiers and that they had men enough of their own to defend themselves against any violence that should be offered them This practising of Orange with the Ligeois and his marching with his Army towards that City made the Duke resolve likewise to draw near it with his But Orange his designe upon Liege proving vain he without trying Ruremond turned suddenly elsewhere with intention to pass the Mause where he might best foard over it The river happened to be very low that year for the climat of Flanders which even in Summer is very rainy and moyst was of some late months more drie then usual Having found the most commodious foard and making use of the night season Orange in great silence past his Army over the river just against Stocchem in the State of Liege Which when the Duke heard he forthwith went thither also and drew near Orange with his Army Their designes were notwithstanding very different Orange would have fought at the very first for finding himself much streigthned in mony and victuals and with men who he was rather to obey then command he thought he could not long maintain his Army And nothing being done as yet in Flanders in favour to him he knew that if he should not have some favourable success by way of battel the Countrie would hardly rise having so powerfull an Army as was that of the Duke of Alva's within its bowels The Duke out of the very same reasons shun'd giving or battel He saw that Orange in losing a battel could lose nothing but his Army whereas he together with the loss of his Army should hazard the loss of all Flanders Resolving therefore rather to coast along by his enemy then to fight him and to vex him so with sufferings as at last he should disband of himself he only kept near him And because it was already evidently seen that Orange his intention was to enter into Brabant the Duke provided the places of greatest danger with all things needfull which were Tilemon Lovayne and Brussels and had an eye also to all other parts where there was any cause of suspition The two Camps being thus quartered Orange moved towards Tongueren a great Town in the State of Liege intending to possess himself of it and there to get victuals for his men But the Duke did so secure it as Orange durst never assault it Getringberg a very good Town in the same Countrie was more easily perswaded to let him have victuals and to receive his soldiers into the Town Which it soon repented by reason of the insolencies which they committed particularly against the Churches and sacred things Departing suddenly from thence for that it was not tenable He quartered upon the confines of Brabant hoping that when his Colours should be seen so nigh at hand the malecontents within the Countrie would likewise display theirs But the Duke flanking still upon him and streightning him now on one side now on another did not afford him one minutes rest Chiapino Vitelli had the particular care of the quarters which he was very diligent in taking and muniting To which purpose he had a great many pyoneers in the Army and upon occasion he would make the very soldiers work within the Trenches In these the Camps approachings one unto the other in their quartering and disquartering and particularly upon occasion of forrage there happened almost continually some skirmishes between the soldiers of the two Armies Nor was there any considerable advantage got on either side for many days But at last one action proved very bloudie Brabant is watered by many small rivolets which fall almost all of them into the Demer which inlarged by their accessions doth at last disgorge it self into the Scheld Amongst other the Geet runs into it Orange being advanced into Brabant he could not pass this river so speedily and with such caution before that a good part of his Reer ere it could re-joyn with the rest was in danger to be assailed upon great advantage by the Dukes soldiers who did not lose that oportunity The Camp-Masters Romero Bracamonte and Bigli advancing with their Spaniards and Walloons gave violently upon the enemy who seeing the danger had tumultuously fortified themselves in a Village upon the
as they could and wisely to prevent greater necessities lest they might unfortunately be prevented to their shame But it was again alleadged on the contrary That upon the success of this siege the consequences of future sieges did depend That it was not to be believed that the obstinacy of the Rebels in Holland was to be allay'd by this alone How much would other Cities be encouraged if they should see the siege basely raised from before this That the injuries of the season were not eternal that the worst weather was succeeded by better And that from the natural humidity of that Climat it might be hoped that some one night the ice would be quite dispersed That new men would quickly come from Spain and new Levies might be sooner made in Flanders That then the siege might be laid closer and care to be had for the advancement of provisions for the Camp That succours being cut off the town would soon fall into their hands neither could the Kings losses be so great upon this occasion but that they might be largely recompenced in future atchievements Frederick represented these different opinions to the Duke his father desirous to know his opinion which he would fully observe The Duke quickly answered in terms which might make it doubtfull whether his paternal or Military Authority swaâ—'d him most That he should be sure to pursue and finish the siege unless he would shew himself unworthy of Spanish bloud unworthy of his bloud and of having the Command of these Forces which when they should have reduced Holland would without any difficulty do the like to all the rest of Flanders That the hardest enterprises were always the most glorious And that in great sieges the number of days was not to be considered but the advantagious consequences That he should now endeavour that by Famine which hitherto he could not effect by the sword and to this end he should use all diligence to keep the town from being relieved from any part That this might be done by new men who should be suddenly sent him That all places must yield at last if not succoured and that in such a case the most obstinate defendants become usually the most abject That the event of this siege would serve for an example to all the rest of Holland And that finally he should set before him a victory wherein it would be questionable whether he â—ould have done more service to God and to his King or won more glory to himself and to his Family Frederick finding himself as well shent as admonished by his Father grew more hot then ever in the enterprise And when the Dukes answer was made known to the Army it cannot be said how all their minds were inlivened Frederick together with all the other Commanders resolved with redoubled diligence chiefly to study how to keep victuals from the City And in the interim Bernardino di Mendosa was dispatched away into Spain to procure Orders from the King to the Governour of Milan to the end that the two old before mentioned Spanish Brigadoes which were in that State should be sent from thence together with some Number of Horse into Flanders as soon as possibly might be This is that Mendosa who did so nobly write the War of the Low-Countries in his own language during all the time that he staid there and who passing from the managing of Arms to the like of Civil affairs was imployed by the King in Ambassies to England and France The affairs of the Siege went on thus when on a sudden about the midst of February the season grew more temperate and the cold turning into moisture the waters returned to their former being and with the change of the weather the whole order of the war began to change At first the ice would not suffer the water to be distinguisht from the dry land and therefore it might be said that all that was done then was done by land But the ice being thaw'd the chiefest future actions were to be done by water by reason of the commodiousness which the Enemy would receive of being relieved by the means of that great Lake before spoken of and of the necessity the Kings men would be put to of hindring them by the same way It was not long ere the events were seen on both sides Hardly was the ice gone when many Vessels might be seen to appear upon the Leyden meer which fell into the Harlem meer and entring from thence into the river of Sparen brought good relief to the City The River where it fals into the Lake forms a little Island wherein the Harlemists had wisely built a Fort which was called the Fort of Fico foreseeing how much it would avail them to be masters of that place Here then as in a safe Haven they received those succours which came usually from Leyden and from another Town not far from thence called Sassene But the Kings men did not defer opposing them Count Bossu prepared suddenly many Boats in Amsteraans and quickly entred the Lake also with a good Naval strength His ships as likewise those of the Enemy were not very deep in the bottom by reason the Lake was shallow Each of them had likewise built some in the form of Gallies which being the easelier guided by Oars were more serviceable to the rest which used only sails Thus the whole balk of the Siege was brought to conflicts by water and to endeavour that way interchangeably to bringin or to keep out succour At first they were but Parties but at last when the Vessels on both sides were increased they turn'd to Battels fortune and valour making the successes alternate sometimes the one side sometimes the other getting the better The Kings party did notwithstanding prevail for the most part which being furnisht from Amsterdam with whatsoever Bossu could desire and he performing his part gallantly the Harlemists began to be in scarcity of victuals Bossu had placed some Forts on the East side of the Lake under the shelter whereof his ships might lie they were not far from the little Island where the aforesaid Fort of Fico stood Here did the skirmishes oftnest happen But the Kings men could not so much binder the Enemy but that some of their ships stealing from the conflicts might get in safety under that Fort and from thence might fall into the River and come afterwards very safely to the City to which purpose the Harlemists had fortified that side of the River which was nearest the Town with other Works The Kings men made then no longer delay they likewise raised some works on the contrary side the better to disturb the passage of the Enemies With how much cruelty of mind most worthy Citizens the Spaniards have begun continued and now ended this siege their actions Have too clearly demonstrated in their undertaking it they made use of false pretences desiring only that obedience from us to the King which was grounded upon the arbitrary
Country free from that violation which had been occasioned in them by Forein Laws That to compass so just an end Holland and Zealand had at last taken up Arms That their success had been alternately various but that yet the greatest part of both these Provinces were in the hands of their own inhabitants That the new Governour was not acquainted with his Souldiers nor his Souldiers with him That his experience in war was not great That he found the Spaniards in mutiny the others but ill satisfied and that monies were very scarce to give them satisfaction That the Empire of Spain by reason of the too great division and largeness of its bulk was so incumbred within it self as it could not furnish Flanders with sufficient Forces to maintain war long Then let the Flemish once resolve to joyn in one and those their neighbours with them who were most interessed in their cause That thus the Country would be soon restor'd to her antient form of Government and her present miseries be turn'd into her formerly enjoy'd Felicity Otherwise how could it be hoped for but that the Flemish divided at home within themselves and forsaken by their friends abroad were shortly to receive all hardest and proudest Laws from the Spaniards Orange gave abroad these conceits as well to incense the Flemish still more against the Government of Spain as also to make the neighbours the more ready to joyn with his brother in his aforesaid endeavours But these practises were chiefly had in Germany and were as usually fomented by the Heretick party of England and France The design of the Nassaw Brethren was That Lodovick should enter Flanders from the side of Germany with all the Forces he could assemble together and that Orange at the same time coming out of Holland should endeavour to joyn those which he had mustered in the Country with the Foreiners To this end very close intelligence was held by both of them in sundry parts of Flanders and by Lodovick particularly in some Cities which were most commodious for him for his passage over the Rivers but of all others he coveted to be master of Mastrick a very fitting place towards the Frontiers of Germany there being a bridge there over the Mause as hath been formerly shewn When Lodovick had got all things necessary for the body of an Army he marched from those parts about the beginning of February not valuing the threats of the season that so he might not lose the opportunity of the Crisis He knew in what straits the new Governour was by reason of the difficulties which were raised against him by Orange and his partakers Having therefore past the Rhine and Mosel he drew near Ghelderland intending as might be conjectured to pass over the Maus and get into Brabant where his brother was to joyn with him 'T was said that he had in his Army 7000 Foot 3000 Horse gathered out of the neighbouring Nations and that his greatest strength lay as it had done formerly in German Souldiers These and all the rest came with great opinion of good success which would prove so advantagious to them as might make abundant satisfaction yea with use for their last unfortunate losses Lodovick had with all industry strove to nurse them up in this belief shewing all which made for his advantage and his Brothers in the affairs of Flanders which might most confirm hope in them both of making large Conquests and of getting the Victory with ease This expedition of Lodovicks was so speedy as the Commendador heard of the effects thereof before he heard of the preparation So as very much troubled at the news and meeting with difficulties on all sides he knew not what resolution to take He saw the Kings men were mightily decreased in their numbers that to muster them together and march towards Lodovick to defend the Land frontiers was to leave all the Sea-side in prey to Orange that to divide his Forces were not to have sufficient to break their designs as it behoved on both sides that to draw them out of the garrisons was not without danger because peradventure they would not be drawn out without receiving their pay at least in some proportion that howsoever it was requisite to make other great Levies shortly which would cost great sums of money that the provisions from Spain were not sufficient to furnish requisite monies for so many affairs and that Flanders was every day more backward then other in contributing thereunto When Rhechesens had advised upon all these difficulties with all the chief of the Army the resolution which was taken was That he and the Marquis Vitelli should not go far from Antwerp where Orange's secret practises did threaten most That leaving a sufficient number of Souldiers in Holland to keep what they had gotten they should only stand upon their defence on that Frontier and that all the rest of the Army being assembled together Sancio d' Avila should lead them towards the Mause to secure the Kings Towns thereabouts and to hinder Lodovick from passing over that River This being resolved upon it was suddenly put in execution Necessary orders were speedily given forth for the making of great Levies of new men in the neighbouring Catholick parts of Germany Burgony and the Walloon Provinces of Flanders But because they were straitned in time they betook themselves to draw the old Souldiers out of the garrisons using all the means they could to satisfie them with hopes since they could not doe in effect This mean-while Lodovick still advanced and halting with his Camp near Mastrick he staid expecting whether he might according to his hopes steal into the City by way of Intelligencer The Commendador fearing this dispatcht away Bernardino di Mendoza suddenly thither with some Troops of horse to which he afterwards added some Foot-companies And the Royalists flocking thither from all parts to make it their rendezvous Sancio d'Avila came thither likewise about the beginning of March who was to be the chief Commander there Thus that City was secured in its obedience to the King and Lodovick was likewise kept from passing over the River on that part He took up his quarters near the Castle of Walchemburg little more then two leagues from Mastrick in divers Villages thereabouts Avila had likewise disposed of the Kings men towards that side accordingly as they came to the rendezvous And in the interim the more to encourage his men and to discover the Enemies courage the better he sent forth Skirmishes almost every day in one of which which proved more bloody then the rest Francisco de Medina who was Commissary-General of the Kings horse was slain the remainder of the loss being equal on both sides But Avila taking his advantage another time took a number of selected Spaniards and Walloons and set upon the village of Bemelen wherein divers Companies of the Enemies German Foot lay and slew above 400 of them the rest sorely confused flying for
thereupon and the thing chiefly resolved on is that all Foreiners shall be expelled the Country FLANDERS was thus consumed with the flames of war when the Emperor imployed his authority to reduce those Provinces to peace Maximilian the 2. was then Emperor To boot with the common Austrian tye he and the King of Spain could not be more nearly joyned in their own persons for the Emperors wife was Sister to the King and the King had taken to wife a Daughter of the Emperors Wherefore Cesar valued the Kings affairs in Flanders as his own And on the other side that fire so near Germany to foment the which the Heretical Faction of the Empire had been so ready kept his thoughts greatly agitated fearing left the fire being redoubled by passing likewise into the German Provinces his house might thereby be set on fire as was the King of Spains in the Low-Countries He therefore well weighing in his Councel what the condition of the affair considered was best to be done and having adjusted what was most necessary for the Catholick Kings interest and honour sent an Ambassador to procure a Treaty concerning it in Flanders This Ambassador was Count Suarzemburg one of the ancientest Counts of Germany and who was no less esteemed of in chose parts for his wisdom then for his bloud He came into Holland about the beginning of the year 1575. he staid some days in Dort whether Orange and some of the Deputies of Holland and of Zealand came to meet him The Ambassador negotiated with him in particular in the name of Cesar and gave unto him a Letter from his Imperial Majesty wherein mingling authority with intreaties he exhorted him to be a means of facilitating the Ambassadors negotiation After this private Treaty they came to the publick management in Breda a Town situated upon the uttermost bounds of Brabant towards Holland and therefore very fit for the intervening of the people on both sides Orange was master of that Town before the troubles began in Flanders but being afterwards forfeited to the King 't was kept as one of the Kings Garisons as we shewed in the beginning Here then met the Deputies on both sides in March following for the King there was Monsieur de Rassenghien the Connt Della Rocta Arnold Sasbout Charis Suys and Albertus Lexino and for the Rebels James Vanderdoes Philip Bernice Bharls Boisot Arnold Dorp and Junius de Giuâ—ge And for their security whilst they were to stay in a Town garded by the Kings Forces the Camp-master Julius Romero and Christopher Maxdragone together with Mihell Cruiglias and Mihell Allentor all four Spaniards were committed into particular custady in Dort as Hostages In the opening of the Treaty the Ambassador in a very grave and gracious manner exhorted the Deputies on both sides that they would set their whole minds and endeavours to procure a happy issue of this Treaty and he laboured the Rebels Deputies apart giving them a Letter which the Emperour had writ to the States of their Provinces They then fell to Treat We told you in the former book that in that Treaty of peace which was then indeavoured to be introduced the Rebels Proposals were chiefly reduced to two heads The first That all the Spaniards together with all other foreign souldiers should be made to leave the Country and that then the General States being assembled Religion and the peace of the Provinces should be established as they should think best The Rebels Commissioners made the same Proposals at Breda As for the first Head the Kings Deputies answered That the Vassals of the same Prince were not to account one another strangers That indeed the Germans French and English were such of which the Rebels made use and that notwithstanding as soon as Flanders should be reduced to peace the King would forthwith cause the Spaniards and all those others that they called foreigners leave the Country As for the convocation of the States General they answered That the whole body of the Provinces which by the troubles of War were now so divided was likewise first to be re-united by peace Which being done the King would willingly and suddenly call such an Assembly would hear their opinions and would agree unto whatsoever they should think fitting After this the Kings Deputies fell to propound such conditions as they thought fittest to effect the desired concord Which were these That in the first place all past effences should for ever be forgotten That the revolted Cities and Towns should be restored to their Priviledges and every other person to their former Honours and possessions That all the Towns Cities strong Holds Artillery Warlike Ammunition and Arms which were now in the Rebels possession should return into the Kings hands That the Catholick Religion should be restored in all places without the permitting of any other Sect. That notwithstanding the King would out of his clemency and goodness permit all those that had followed Heresio to go freely out of the Country and would allow them time to sell such goods as they could not carry with them All business between the Commissioners was transacted in writing The Rebels Commissioners having seen the Propositions proposed by the Kings side answered fully on their behalfs but in so bitter words and in so contrary a sense as it was easie to be seen how little hope there was of bringing the begun negotiation to a happy issue The Papers which were propounded were very prolix and therefore to avoid tediousness we will give you here only a breviat of them The Rebels Deputies in the râ—answers made first rather a long Invective then any complaint against the Spaniards exagerating that they had been the chief cause of all the evils that had befaln those Provinces Then reassuming the head concerning foreigners they repeated the same things over again more at large They said That the Spaniards and all the rest which were not native Flemish were not as strangers any ways to participate of that Government That those foreigners which they on their sides were forced to make use of were meer mercenaries But that the Spaniards contrary to the immunities and priviledges of the Provinces were by violence brought thither and there by violence established That the Government of Cities keeping of Forts chief Commands in the Army were in their hands And that it was they who according to their arbitrary will gave now the Laws That if the King when he went from Flanders was pleased to take away those who were then there he ought much more be induced to do the like now when it was seen by evident proofs how prejudicial their stay there was Touching the Convocation of the States General they stood stiff to their first principles Saying That in making such a peace as might be best for Flanders the King could not be better advised then by those who were best acquainted with her malladies and who knew best what were the firtest remedies for her cure
chief Citizens and Merchants were taken prisoners The number of the dead was said to be about 7000. the most of them Townsmen not above 200 of the Spaniards were slain and one of these was the Mutiniers Elect John de Navarese As soon as they had glutted themselves with blood the Spaniards fell presently to plunder the City Antwerp by the concourse of Poreigners did at this time wonderfully flourish in Merchandise the City abounded in riches and in all those happy accommodations as were to be wished for in so luxurious a juncture of time Amongst other Foreigners great were the number of the English and Easterlings which are those of the Hans Towns upon the Baltick Sea These two Nations had two Houses in Antwerp of such a largeness and capacity as they rather seemed to be Plantations then Ware-houses Luxury the constant companion of Riches made the Merchants not only live handsomly but with a great deal of sumptuousness many of which abandoning all parcimony lived like so many Kings they had got together great store of Jewels Pearls Gold and Silver and their houses were full of all other sort of merchandise How great the gain was which the Spaniards got in these Indus of one City may sooner be conjectured then said The Plunder lasted three dayes And notwithstanding so great Riches not being able to satisfie the insatiable Souldier the houses were heard to sound with outcryes and the streets were full of people that ran away by reason of the violences committed by the Souldiers against the Inhabitants to make them confess where their most pretious things were hid and to make them produce them Thus they proceedrd from Avarice to Cruelty and from Cruelty again to Rapine and thus they continued till weary rather then satisfied and matter to plunder wanting rather then will to plunder they reduced themselves to the obedience of their Commanders Thus did Antwerps misery end the Town remaining so afflicted as if that decay of Commerce had been then Prognosticated which fell out unto her in the insuing years by reason of the Warre and other calamities At the news of this whole Flanders was incredibly astonished The meeting of the States General was already appointed and to this purpose the Deputies of almost all the Provinces were in Gaunt Whereupon the desire of driving out the foreigners exceedingly increasing the Flemish did again bend all their endeavours to re-possess themselves of the Citadel of that City Which at last they did without any great difficulty There were but very few people within it and there was scarcety of all things else as we have formerly said so as the siege was not rendred famous by any important action But that which the Flemish did chiefly aim at was to make a general union of all the Provinces and that the Government being establisht in men of their own Country all forein government might be excluded To this purpose the Deputies of Holland and Zealand met with the other Deputies Nor was it hard for the Prince of Orange who was the chief leader and layer of all these practises in this present crisis of time to agree the diversity of Interests which were between these two Provinces infected with Heresie and the others which kept yet Catholick and to make them afterwards joyne in one opinion The former Treaty of Breda was reassumed and the Propositions which were then made by the Rebels were almost all of them assented unto By a joynt resolution taken in Gaunt many Articles of agreement were established between the one and the other Provinces and peace and union was agreed upon by them all save that of Lucemburg To which the Kings authority was also fully made use of by the Councel of State These were the chief things agreed upon That there should be peace friendship and confederacy for the time to come between the Catholick Provinces on the one part and Holland and Zealand together with the Prince of Orange on the other part and that all past injuries and offences should for ever be forgotten by all their Inhabitants That from that time forward their people should return to joyn the liberty of the former commerce and their respective correspondency That all the Provinces should with a joynt consent drive all the Spaniaras and their adherents immediately out of the Country and take such course as should be needfull to that purpose That the Provinces being freed from this oppression they should all immediately meet in a general Assembly as was done the last time in the days of the Emperour Charls the fist and that then such resolutions should be taken as should be thought best for the re-ordering of the Government and for the reducing of it to its primary true and natural form That in the mean time the so many Laws come forth with so much rigour by the Duke of Alva for the punishment of heresie and tumults should be suspended but that no other religion save the Roman Catholick should be used in the Roman Catholick Provinces and as for the other two of Holland and Zealand they should expect what the States General would determine in that point That concerning the restitution of Cities Places strong holds Ammunition and Arms which was to be made unto the King that should likewise be done which should be resolved on by them That all prisoners particularly Count Bossu should be set at liberty without any maner of ransome That all goods should be likewise restored to their former possessors respect being had to many irreparable impossibilities which the war had produced These were briefly the contents of the chiefest Articles which were agreed upon between the one and the other Provinces many others being by us omitted which related to matter of Justice and touching the restitution of goods so to shun the tediousness of relating every little matter and not to detain you with superfluous prohxities This peace and union being concluded in manner aforesaid the Provinces would begin to put them in execution upon those few Spaniards which were in the Castle of Gaunt the which was surrendred at the same time that the peace was agreed upon and therefore they conducted those Spaniards to the Frontiers of France and so sent them out of the Country and prepared with very great resolution to drive out all the rest also as soon as possibly they could by force THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO BOOK X. The Contents Don John of Austria comes to the Government of Flanders Much diffidence ariseth amongst the Flemish touching his person He endeavours as much as he can to remove them and Orange labours to nourish them An agreement is at last made between Don John and the States But the Prince of Orange with the two Provinces of Holland and Zealand oppose it Don John is received into the Government He useth all means again to bring all the Provinces to be of one minâ—â— but fails therein Hence suspitions
which had happened since the so solemn agreement made between him and the Provinces as if that he had desired to govern rather armed then unarmed and that he believed he might compass some of his own ends easilyer by troubles then by quiet So as by reason of these jealousies which were had of Don John and which had got a little rooting in Spain peace in Flanders was the more desired by the Spaniards Wherefore about the end of August all these Ambassadors met in Antwerp The Count Zuarzemburg from the Emperour President Belliure from the King of France and from the Queen of England Walsingam her first Secretary and with him another called Gobham But it was soon seen that Cesars endeavours wanted authority and the rest candidness For both England and France did sufficiently desire to have the troubles and disorders wherewith Flanders was afflicted continue Nor did this opinion prove vain The meetings were more for shew then substance and their endeavours ended almost as soon as they were begun to boot that in very deed the difficulties which were met with on all sides were very great Each party would justifie all they had done and all that they pretended to Wherefore all Treaty of Agreement being suddenly broken they continued in their former heat of preparing for war The Flemish regained Ariscot and Nevile and tryed but in vain to recover Lovain On the other side the French entring into the Province of Henault besieged Bins and after some assault took it and put it to the plunder But these were businesses of small importance in respect of what the Rebels hoped for from the union of so many Forces which they had received to side with them from all parts Orange laboured more then all the rest to bring them together and herein his adherents used likewise their best diligence Miserable Flanders every where so full of Arms and so lacerated as it was questionable whether she were more afflicted by her own or by foreign Forces and whether those or these in seeming assistance bore the most spetious title Don John this mean while kept with his men within his quarters which he had fortified without Namures to withstand the assaults of the enemy These Fortifications were about two miles and a half in compass and did so much the more shelter the City so as that passage towards Germany and Italy was very well secured and his Army very well provided of all things necessary for the maintenance thereof Wherefore Don John hoped shortly both to receive powerfull aid and to see those disband which the enemy had assembled together for their service These were his designs these were his hopes when in their very hight he fell sick his malady so increasing as he died within a few days When he was near his end he sent for the Duke of Parma and after having in a very affectionate manner recommended the Kings service to him he substituted him in his own place not any ways doubting but that by the so many Prerogatives both of bloud and valour which met in him the King would suddenly confirm him in that Government Thus dyed Don John not being yet full thirty three years old The Emperour Charles the Fifth was his Father and Madam de Plombes a Lady of noble birth in Germany his Mother The Emperour before his death gave the King his Son great charge of him who at first had in his private thoughts destin'd him to an Ecclesiastical life but afterward changing his mind bred him up in the Military profession Wherein by three memorable enterprises he eterniz'd his name In the first he bridled the Moors Audacity in the second the Ottoman Pride and in the third the Fury of the Flemish In each of these his successes did much exceed his years He overcame the Moors when but yet a Youth he abated the edge of the Turk at the very entrance into the flower of his age and he did so master-like suppress the Belgiques as greater skill could not have been shewn by any whatsoever antient and most perfect Commander He had in him very excellent gifts both of body and mind In his aspect Majesty and Grace strength of Body to undergoe labour He was affable with the Souldiery vigilant answerable to his Command wise in the greatest difficulties but having a heart much willinger to encounter then to shun them Many could have desired that he had been less amorous and not so easie to believe reports He was so greedy of Glory as many judged it to be an aspiring after Empire Which made him at last be envied and so far suspected as made his service to the King doubtful as if from being Governour he had aspired to be Prince of Flanders and that to this purpose he had held private correspondencie with the Queen of England and proceeded more secretly to express negotiations of Marriage Which was cause why his death was thought to be rather procured then natural But whatsoever the business was wherein truth might be overclouded by Calumny He dyed with the fame of singular valour and great applause Worthy assuredly to have lived longer and not less worthy to have proceeded from a Conjugal bed and to have commanded rather as absolute Prince then as a subordinate Officer Finis Partis Primae THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Second Part. BOOK I. The Contents The Prince of Parma is confirmed Governour of Flanders by the King The Prince thought first to draw the Walloon Provinces to side with the King by the way of negotiation but in the interim he applies himself with all fervor to the management of Arms. He stands at first upon his defence The Foreign Forces vanish Alanson returns for France and John Casimir for Germany The Prince here upon passeth from the defensive part to the offensive He resolves to besiege Mastrick The description of that place The Royalists endeavours in oppugning it and the resistance made by the Defendants The Royalists at last prevail and the Prince is master of the Town An agreement between him and the Walloon Provinces It is endeavoured to reconcile all the other Provinces likewise to the King but in vain Small successes of War on all sides The Flemish think of choosing a new Prince and to cast off their obedience to the King of Spain This is chiefly fomented by Orange Their Deputies meet together in Antwerp to this purpose and there is much consultation about it Some of the Hereticks are for the Queen of England other some for the Duke of Alanson The Catholicks opinion in this point The Assembly leans much more to Alanson The Deputies depart and return to their own Provinces to make each of them severally resolve fully upon the choise The war continues this mean while on both sides The King would have the Dutchess of Parma return to Flanders and why She is not well come thither when she earnestly desires to go back to Italy which
titular Command and Orange who was wholly taken up with Civil negotiations could not take upon him the Military government So as the management thereof lay chiefly on Monsieur de la Nue a French-man and Colonel Norris an English-man but the authority and estimation of the former was much greater then the others Their Forces being of this condition the military affairs proceeded but very slowly on both sides Each of them could rather withstand then overcome and each of them hoped for better success in time The year 1580. came now in which brought with it one of the most memorable events that ever the war of Flanders produced through the resolution which the Rebels then took of chusing a new Prince and of continuing no longer under the King of Spains obedience The Prince of Orange had driven on this design before now and being between Despair and Hope he could no longer resist their violences On the one side despair assailed him setting before him all the greatest and most dreadful dangers which could be expected from the wrath and power of the King of Spain being then made greater by the accession of the Kingdom of Portugal And on the other side he was highly invited by hope desire making him believe that new greatness would be added to his fortune by a new Principality He argued within himself That at least the two Provinces of Holland and Zealand would be well-nigh wholly at his disposal And wherefore in such a case might not greater good fortunes befall him since it might easily happen that the Flemish being again angry at or weary of a foreign Prince might at last resolve to choose one of their own Nation And if so wherefore should not he hope to be preferr'd before all others He then without any further delay having first prepared mens minds in every Province by his Adherents of which he had great store in each of them He I say caused the proposition of change of Prince be put and made all such things be suggested as might facilitate the business The Rebels had no more weighty affairs at this time then this was Therefore that they might treat and resolve thereof with such maturity and honour as was needfull it was thought necessary to call a meeting of the States Generall wherein they might afterwards come to such a resolution as might be best for the whole Country This advice was chiefly given by Orange and Antwerp appointed for the place of meeting Here then about the beginning of the abovesaid year the Deputies of the Provinces met and Orange was there himself so they began to fall close to the business The Heretick Deputies of which the greatest part of the Assembly did consist such industry and means had Orange used in causing them to be chosen inclined to choose a new Prince as also still to strengthen Heresie Yet they differed within themselves in their votes some of them were for the Queen of England and some for the Duke of Alanson the one holding they might receive more advantages from England the others from France The City of Gaunt in particular was much inclined to the Queen of England which was the chief City of all those that then followed the rebellion of the Confederate Provinces Wherefore James Tayard the Deputy thereof together with some others who represented the peculiar Province of Flanders that is to say the Flemicant part one day when the business was hottest in agitation spake thus When I consider most worthy Deputies how much France is at this time divided and afflicted within it self I confess I cannot be perswaded to preferrre the Duke of Alanson before the Queen of England in the subjecting of our Provinces under a new Principality Every one knows what the unhappy agitations of that Kingdom at the present are it totters on all sides amidst mighty dangers The several Factions strive who shall rend it most The King hath only the shew of a King and is forced to use intreaties much more then commands How often and with what prejudice to his authority hath he been inforced rather to yield to the will of others then to use his own So perverse under the variety of their specious pretences are they sometimes grown who favour the Catholick religion and sometimes they who follow the Reformed in causing one revolt after another all tending to the great diminution of the Royal majesty and splendor France being then in so low a condition what ease or advantage can Flanders expect from thence Our end is to put our selves under a Prince who who may by his Forces strengthen ours that we may the better defend our selves against so powerful and so bitter an Enemy as is the King of Spain Then tell me I pray you what State what Forces what advantages can the Duke of Alanson bring with him that should make him be desired for our Prince Doth he enjoy any thing else in France save the bare Title of being the only Brother to the King with other such Prerogatives much greater in shew then substance Hath not the King treated him sometimes more like a Prisoner then like a Brother hath not the Duke sometime gone from Court in form of a Fugitive endeavouring by all means to protect Faction but rather to receive assistance from thence then to give it To boot his being the Kings only Brother bears with it a condition which we may very well suspect For if he when he shall be our Prince shall peradventure succeed his Brother who is childless in what condition shall we be then what dangers will our Provinces be then again in we shall be under so great a King who peradventure may treat us so much worse then the King of Spain now doth by how much the Forces of France are nearer us and more ready to oppress us From what I have said against France I shall now come to what may be taken into consideration as making for England States doe then most flourish when they are mâ—st quiet which may easily be seen by the happiness which that Queen now enjoyes Her Kingdom enjoyes full Peace and her people strive who shall most witness their obedience to her An obedience notwithstanding which she hath very will deserved of them For what Princess was there ever seen of a more masculine spirit who indued with more excellent vertues She hath nothing of woman but the appearance She is born to Empires and to command those chiefly which require most merit to enjoy them It is confest her Kingdom is â—et a little divided in point of Religion but the Catholicks are so few and 〈◊〉 so low as they can in no sort weigh against the Reformed She maintains these and by these is she maintained her pleasure is that only their Religion shall be profest in England according to the custom of that Country and with this her pleasure hath the Authority of the Estates general met in Parliament often joyned And how much doth this
him to leave us one of his sons to be our Prince in his stead As for Religion every one knows how great a freedom France enjoys therein Wherefore it is not to be doubted but that the Duke will allow a greater liberty therein in Flanders For though our intentions be that the Reformed Religion should be the most prevalent yet it will behove us to allow of the Catholick there being so great a part of our Provinces which is obstinate therein and chiefly the Walloon Countrys to the regaining whereof we must with all our industry apply our selves And as for what authority the Duke may assume unto himself by the example of what the Kings of France enjoy in their Kingdom May not we limit it as we shall please so as he may know he hath the Flemish to Govern and not the French and that he must use our Laws only without any participation of theirs I therefore conclude that all the reasons considered in this present affair make much more for the French then for the English And this is likewise my opinion The which I am not notwithstanding so far in love withall but that I shall be ready to quit it when I shall hear a better None shall be more ready then I to adhere unto the sence of this most vigilant Assembly nor be more willing to endeavour the fulfilling thereof after it shall be maturely advised upon This opinion of Aldegonds bore great weight with it And to enjoy a Prince who was in his own person to sustain the Government and the Interest of the Provinces was a business exceedingly considerable This so important business was not agitated without the Catholick Deputies For though those of the Walloon Provinces were wanting and that there was no respect at all had to the Ecclesiastical Orders yet were there a great many Catholicks in the Provinces who leaned more to heresie wherefore in this Assembly there were divers Catholick Deputies chosen together with the Hereticks The Propositions which were made by the others were generally very ill rescented by these For though they did likewise greatly hate the Spaniards yet they thought it a too desperate business to treat of changing a Prince and almost altogether Religion They shewed How much the King would be irritated by both these That if he would never tolerate any liberty at all of consequence in Flanders how much less then would he suffer heresie to domineer every where And what more unworthy thing could there be then to make Religion subservient to the State the ancient Church to the new Sects and the Piety for so many years professed in those Provinces to rescent Doctrins which had involved almost all Europe in mighty troubles To this injury which should be done to the Church and which certainly the King would own as his own how much would the other add which belonged wholly to himself of bereaving him of his due soveraignty which after so long a succession of his ancestors was past into him and so strictly acknowledged and solemnly sworn unto by the Provinces That therefore it was to be believed he would rescent both these injuries with the whole Forces of his Kingdoms That his Forces had been formerly formidable but how much more now that he had gotten the Kingdom of Portugal That there could no relyance be had upon those of France by reason of the divisions by which that Kingdom was at the present so terribly rent in pieces And say the King of France could he would not assist his brother lest he might thereby draw upon him the Forces of the King of Spain That the Catholick Faction in France held already great correspondency with the King of Spain And now having so justifiable a pretence how much more might that King foment it and how many foreign evils might he add to those home-bred ones That from England they could not receive the benefit of a Prince of their own So as the administration must pass by the hands of Governours And what certainty was there that the English would give better satisfaction then the Spaniards especially in a new Principallity wherein they would never proceed so far by fair means but that they would much more use force That the same King had great commodity of making diversions likewise against the Queen and to incite England to some insurrection either by open war or under-hand practises and much more easily Ireland a Country which was almost altogether Catholick greatly devoted to the Church and well affected also to the Crown of Spain And thus the Provinces having no foreign helps would be wholly exposed to the indignation and forces of a potent and injured enemy from whom they were afterwards to expect the greater punishment in that they had given so just an occasion thereof For these reasons the Catholick Deputies past on to this opinion That above all things an agreement between the Provinces should be endeavoured for that if they were well united their own union might furnish them with sufficient Forces at least to defend themselves That they should never lay down their Arms till the ancient form of Government were first restored by the King That touching Religion the peace of Gaunt should be observed which was so maturely handled and concluded by the full consent of the Provinces That if things should be brought to that necessity as that the Provinces of Flanders must needs be severed from the Crown of Spain they should procure as it was most reasonable a Prince of the House of Austria or one of the Kings sons if he should have more then one or some other body who should marry with a daughter of the Kings upon whom the Dominion of those Provinces might be transferred And that at last if they should fail of all these means the Provinces should take the Soveraignty into their own hands In which case it was not to be doubted but that they should have a much better Cause more justifiable to the world better made good by their people and more favoured by their neighbours But the Hereticks did so far prevail in this Assembly as there was little regard had to this opinion of the Catholicks so as the question remained between the other two But at last that which Aldegonde had maintained in the behalf of Alanson was preferred Orange out of some private considerations of his own to boot with what concerned the Publick leaned more willingly likewise to this side For his Principality of Orange lay in France his wife was at that time of French bloud And great correspondency was had as had always been between him and the chief of the Hugonot Faction in that Kingdom Yet by reason of the weight of the Affair the ultimate conclusion was not at that time taken but the Deputies departed that they might first acquaint each Province with their Opinions and to bring from thence an integral resolution This mean while the business of War past on but coolly on both
sides as hath been said To say truth the Walloons could not shew more willingnesse to defend the Kings Cause but they had not Forces answerable to their wills Wherefore the Prince of Parma made no considerable progress He took Cortray by surprise a Town of some moment in the Gallicant part of Flanders But Count Egmont who had laid the plot was soon after taken prisoner by the enemy who entring by stealth into Nienove where he recided with his wife and a brother of his they seased upon them all and took them into their own power The Walloons took likewise Mortagne and St Amonde places of but small concernment and overrunning the Territories of Torney and Cambrey they endeavoured to streighten both those Cities of victuals that they might the more easily bring them into the Kings power Cambray looks upon the Frontiers of France more towards the extream on that part and Torney lies more inward towards the Gallican part of the Province of Flanders They are both of them principal Cities and Fernese desired very much to recover them for only they two in all that Tract of the Walloons Country adhered to the Flemish Rebels and he feared moreover lest Insy Governour of Cambray might put that City into the hands of the French But the Prince having not as then Forces sufficient to besiege either of them he suffered the Walloons only to annoy them with inroads On the other side the City of Malines fell again into the hands of the Rebels For the heretical part prevailing lately there they brought the enemy in who meeting with little resistance made themselves easily Masters thereof and in hostile manner plundered it They took likewise Diste Sichem and Ariscot in Brabant rather by Treaty then by force But at the same time the Marquis of Rubays who had the chief command over the Walloons much to his praise deprived the enemy of one of their prime leading Commanders He had intelligence that Monsieur de la Nue was gone with a good body of men to surprise Lilla and that failing thereof he returned to his former quarters Rubays not letting such an occasion slip set upon Nue at unawares as he retired and pursued him into his quarters where Nue made what resistance the time and place would permit him But such was Rubays's violence and especially that of the Albanois horse as La Nue was at last forced to yield himself with some other personages of quality and was brought prisoner into the Castle of Limburg where he was kept for many years and during his imprisonment composed the greatest part of those his Politick and Military Discourses which are of such esteem in France For which he receives this praise from his Nation That he knew as well how to handle his pen as his sword and to be as worthy in peace as in war The same Rubays endeavoured under-hand to surprise Brussels but because his practices were mingled with deceit they proved fruitless The Signor di Selle had worse success in his plots against Boucain a considerable Town upon the Scheld between Valentiennes and Cambray For being come near unto the place he was by double dealing taken prisoner together with divers others But the Walloons soon after besieged the Town reduced it to a necessity of surrendring and much to their advantage took it The King as we told you before had it in his thoughts to send back the Dutchess of Parma into Flanders intending that she should have the total administration of the Government and that the Prince her Son should have the particular charge of the Militia And although the King had afterwards confirmed the Prince in Don Johns place yet his mind ran still upon it And resolving at last to doe it he had by his own Letters and by his Agents in Italy acquainted the said Dutchess with his intention herein and had earnestly desired her that she would again take upon her the Government of those Provinces She was much troubled hereat She was beset on one side by a desire to satisfie the Kings pleasure as also to procure new glory to herself and on the other side by her desire of seeing her Son more glorious in the full Government of those Countries But in fine the Kings pressures were so instant as she could not keep from condescending thereunto Wherefore beginning her journy and leaving Italy she came to Namures where she staid and would go no further till she might more fully understand the Kings pleasure She found that the affairs of Flanders were in a very troublesom condition that she herself was well advanced in years and therefore much fitter to desire her quiet then to thrust herself into new troubles that the Prince her Son was in the full strength of his age and had given such proof of his wisdom and valour in this the beginning of his Government as that the like progress was undoubtedly to be expected Her motherly affection was so much the greater in her by his being her onely Son So as setting aside all self-respect she turn'd all her endeavours to the King as so many intercessors in his behalf He went immediately to Namures to meet her and to pay her such affection and reverence as in duty he was bound to doe But being also full of generous thoughts he could not well endure that his Government should be any way diminished after having had so full Authority therein and so prosperously exercised it The Mother thought this her Sons resentment very just which confirmed her the more in her own opinion Wherefore she reiterated her desires to the King and wrote him a Letter the Contents whereof were these How ready I have been to obey your Majesty by returning into Flanders your Majesties self hath vouchsafed to witness by being graciously pleased to like well of it Now that I have obeyed your Royal commands in this behalf I shall for what concerns the Government humbly lay before you again my sense thereof and that the more freely for that it shall clearly appear I aim only at your Majesties service therein I came not long since to Namures as I quickly signified unto your Majesty And though whilst in Italy the troubles of these Countries were not unknown unto me yet I confess I find them now as an eye-witness thereof to be much greater then I had conceived them Which inforceth me humbly again to beseech your Majesty as I did in Italy to consider how little available my service will be unto you in this Government Here is no more way left for fair means all hope of accommodation is lost the Rebellion grows every day hotter This wound must be drest by the sword and cured by fire Since then this Government is wholly to consist of Force your Majesty cannot chuse but see how much fitter my Son is to serve you therein then my self He is in the full strength of his age After having spent his younger years in your Majesties royal Court he
advantages He was not ignorant of these the passions of the Commonalty but knowing very well how to make use of them he was not offended that the vulgar should vent them and maintaining such correspondencie as was needful with the graver sort and minding with them the carrying on of the common designs he slackned not a whit from his fervencie in advancing Alansons affairs When the first Ceremonies of the new Principality were ended in Antwerp Alanson past by Sea with Orange into the Province of Flanders and made his solemn entry first into Bruges and then into Gaunt Here they stayed expecting the Forces which were to come from without and to reinforce those that were within Those Souldiers which were first sent to succour Odenhard were now almost within sight of Gaunt But Fernese being past from hopes to manifest effects had received the Militia which was expected from farthest abroad which consisted of two Brigadoes of Spanish Foot under the Camp-masters Christopher Mandragone and Peter Paze and of two other Italian Brigadoes under the Camp-masters Camillo de Marchesi del Monte and Mario Cardoine together with many Troops of Horse of both those Countries He then delayed no longer but picking 6000 Foot and 2000 Horse out of the Army he went to find out the Enemy His Quarters were as hath been said near the wals of Gaunt in a Village well intrenched At first the Enemy seemed not to refuse battel they drew out in good order but went not far from their Trenches not from the shelter of the wals of the City which were well furnisht with Artillery Yet did not the Royalists cease advancing but skirmisht with the Enemy hoping that as the skirmish should grow hot they might be brought to a full battel But the Enemy making valiant resistance and yet loth to lose his advantage kept still in good order till at last they resolved to draw nearer to the wals of Gaunt as to a place of more safety The Kings men advancing charged the Enemy very fiercely and they facing about and sustaining the Charge with their Horse retreated very valiantly and in good order to where they would be Alanson and Orange stood upon the wals looking upon this action and encouraging their men without and assisting them with the Artillery from within they made their Retreat the more noble and the more secure This Combat lasted many hours being much more then a bare skitmish and much less then a joyn'd Battel The Kings men lost most and of the Italians Ferrante Gonzaga was in particular grievously wounded Of the Enemies amongst others Monsieur de Sansoval and Monsieur de Rochepot won great praise both of them being French Gentlemen that were come with Alanson The Enemy being retreated Fernese did for a while keep his men in good order that he might to their faces taxe the Enemy for refusing battel all that day and challenge them to it again But seeing they did not stir he resolved at last to retreat also and to bethink himself of somwhat else 'T was said that those Forces which were to come from France into Flanders to serve Alanson were a gathering up about Cambray Fernese therefore turn'd his men thitherward to oppose them But understanding afterwards that the said French were resolved to enter by Dunkirk he being more at liberty begirt the Castle of Cambresis and took it He then threatned to besiege Cambray but they were only threats For winter now drawing on hindred him from prosecuting his design and moreover necessity called upon him to oppose the Enemy elswhere who seeing Fernese so far off and hoping thereby to reap some advantage assaulted and took Gaesbeck in Brabant and soon after they likewise took the Town of Mega upon the Mause But Fernese returning speedily upon them he retook Gaesbeck took Nienove and secured Lira which was in some danger Verdugo this mean while continued making further progress on the other side the Rhine He had tryed the Town of Lochem and had lain some moneths about it but not being able to get the Town by siege he easily took Stenwick afterwards by surprise On the contrary the Enemy had stormed the Town of Hasselt situated upon the River Haa and much advantaged their affairs on that side But the whole body of both Armies was reduced to this side the Rhine And now after so long expectation Alansons men were come They were not in all above 3000 Switzers Foot 2500 French Foot and 1000 French Horse Their Leaders had brought them into Flanders by the way of Dunkirk And because winter was already begun 't was fitter thinking of putting them into garrisons then of drawing them into the field Their chief Commander was the Duke of Mompensiere a Prince of the blood-royal and with him was the Marshal Biroun a very gallant Gentleman and who was highly esteemed throughout all France for his valour in war The men were distributed to winter in Dunkirk in Newport in Ostend in Bruges in Dixmund and in Terramonde and in some other part of the Country of Vas all which were garrisons within the Province of Flanders Alanson having been solemnly received in Bruges and in Gaunt was come to Antwerp Here all the other French Commanders that were newly come staid with him But when they saw how little account was made of Alanson that he hardly enjoyed the bare title of Soveraignty that the Government was wholly in Orange his hands that the Flemish did already discover themselves not very well minded towards the French and that in effect they did not pay the Duke the monies which they had promised him for the maintenance of his men nor did adde such men of their own as were needful to his It is not to be exprest how much the Marshal amongst others fretted within himself as also did the other Commanders that were come with him Those who were of best esteem with the Duke and who were come first in with him were likewise sensible of the same shame and anger insomuch as some of the forwardest of them could no longer contain themselves Entring then into a very secret consultation they resolved to perswade the Duke to ground his new Principality upon Arms since the other Form of exercising it which was prescribed him was altogether vain and unworthy Monsieur de Fervaches a Gentleman of a very Noble family very discreet and stout and who during the Civil wars of France was also made Marshal of that Crown was in great favour with the Duke This man easily arrogating unto himself the chief place in this design took upon him the care of propounding it to the Duke and taking a fitting time spake thus unto him How much most gracious Sir had we who have the honour to enjoy the prime places in your Highness his service rather never have come into Flanders then in coming hither find the Royal blould of France so much vilified consider Sir your birth and then fee whether your present condition here
Churches which were ruined either before or upon the occasion of this siege That the City should be fuly restored to her antient priviledges and to all her former liberty and prerogatives of Traffick That in the mean while she was to pay 40000 pounds sterling to help to relieve the Army for the so much pains and expence which it had been at in that siege That the Antwerpians should give way to the receiving into the City and longing of 2000 foot and 200 horse in Garison till it should be seen what resolution should be taken in Holland Zealand and the other confederate Provinces of turning to the Kings obedience which if they should do the Prince promised to free the City of all Garisons and not to remake the Citadel as it was before That prisoners on all sides should be set at liberty except Monsieur de Tiligni concerning whose person the Prince was of necessity to receive some particular Orders from Spain and that the Signor de Aldegonda should promise not to bear Arms against the King of Spain for the space of one year These were the chiefest Articles of the surrender to which many others were added touching the restitution of Goods the restoring of Traffick and Merchandizing to the City and divers other petty interests which respected the accommodation and satisfaction of the Inhabitants This agreement being made the Prince for his greater applause in having made such an atchievement received the Order of the Golden Fleece which the King had sent him a little before The Ceremony was performed in the Fort St Philip accompanied with all the greatest Military celebration of joy and Jubilee and 't was done by Count Mansfield one of the antientest of that Order in all Flanders The Prince entred afterwards solemnly into Antwerp not only as a Conqueror but in Triumph he appeared in stately Arms on horseback many horse and foot in arms went before him and many in the like sort followed him Long files of armed foot were on each side And a little before him was all the flowre of the Nobility on horseback whereof there were very many then in the Army Thus he entred by the Cesarian Gate where he was received by the Magistrate by the heads of all the Orders of the City and by an infinite number of common people He found many Arches many Statues many Colums erected in divers parts with whatsoever else of glory could be shewn upon the like occasion by the conquered to such a Conqueror He then returned all due thanks to God in the chiefest Church and being still accompanied with both Military and City-like acclamations he lighted at the Castle and staid awhile in Antwerp to put in order such things in the City as stood in most need thereof THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Second Part. BOOK IV. The Contents The Cities of Gaunt Brussels Malines and Niminghen return to the Kings obedience The Confederate Provinces are hereupon in so great straits as they offer the Queen of England the Soveraignty of their Provinces that they may the more freely enjoy her protection The Queen accepts not of the offer but takes upon her their defence much more then formerly In lieu whereof she hath some of their Towns deposited in her hands The Earl of Lester arrives in Holland sent by her as Supreme Head of the Confederate Provinces The Prince of Parma resolves to march into the field He besiegeth Graves and takes it He continuing his victories takes Venlo Nuys passes the Rhine and succours Zutfen Lester looking on Distastes between Lester and the United Provinces The Duke of Parma continues his acquisitions takes Sluce a place of mighty importance During the heat of War an endeavour is moved between the King of Spain and Queen of England to accommodate in some sort the affairs of Flanders but the endeavour is thought but artificiall on both sides The King this mean while considers whether he ought to make open War upon the Queen or no. Consultations had hereupon in Spain The King at last resolves to set upon England with most powerfull forces Preparations made hereupon in Flanders and in Spain Preparations made by the Queen The Spanish Fleet begins to move and with an unhappy beginning is detained many days by a great tempest it comes to the English Channel The English Fleet hasts to incounter it The Spanish ships begin to suffer prejudice Fire-boats like those of the siege of Antwerp The Spanish Fleet is afraid of them and grows into great confusion At the same time the sea grows rough and makes the disorder the greater Some of the Spanish ships are lost and the rest at last are forced to return for Spain A horrible tempest ariseth which occasions the loss of many of their ships as they return and their whole Fleet is parted torn and shattered by the fury of the sea THese were at this time the advantages of the Kings Forces We told you before that ere Antwerp was taken Gaunt Brussels and Malines were reduced And not to interrupt the siege of Antwerp we forbore as then to acquaint you with what befell them if at least they may be called sieges For they were taken by only stopping up their Passes and keeping the Cities from victuals on all sides We will now briefly relate the several successes together with what insued in other parts during the siege of Antwerp After that the City of Bruges was faln into Fernese's hands Gaunt began to suffer great scarcities especially of victuals The Confederate Provinces held two places of very great importance on that Maritine Coast of Flanders to wit Sluce and Ostend And because relief might be sent from thence to Gaunt Fernese after the getting of Bruges endeavoured to possess himself of all the Passes thereabouts so as there could no communication be had between Gaunt and those two places and the success was answerable to the designe Those of Gaunt not being able to receive any help from abroad fell suddenly into great necessities yet they continued still to be contumacious And persisting in their opiniatracy against the Church and King they seemed as if they would rather undergoe any thing then submit themselves again to the Kings obedience and to the Catholick Religion On the other side Fernese though already busied about Antwerp ceased not to use all diligence to reduce those of Gaunt to the utmost necessity of Famin. Wherefore scouring the Country round about with his horse and destroying all every where he kept those Inhabitants from receiving any help or security from without their own walls There were not wanting many in the City who were well minded towards the Church and King Famine increasing then every day more and more those that were better inclined took occasion to lessen the obstinacy of the most contumatious which Fernese had formerly indeavoured to moderate by many gratious offers And so finally to keep from falling into greater mischiefs the
Gauntesses resolved to come to an agreement which followed about the end of September the preceding year They obliged themselves to give all due obedience unto the King to admit onely of the Catholick profession as formerly to rebuild the Castle which was slighted on the side which lay towards the Town and to pay twenty thousand pound for maintenance of the Kings Army and Fernese on his part did in the Kings name grant them full pardon they were restored to their former priviledges and those who would not profess the Catholick Religion had two years space allowed them to be gone and to carry away their goods whether they would That in the first place their Provinces did in all integrity of soul thank her for her having been so gratiously pleased to favour them and protect them against the King of Spain 's violence since the very first time that he used any against them That be continuing more then ever to oppress Flanders and those Provinces not being able of themselvs to defend themselves from so powerful and cruel an enemy were inforced to seek for necessary protection elsewhere That therefore they had resolved to fly unto her for it A Princess so conjoyn'd to them in territories so united in religion and so interested in the cause That to say truth they were then in a very low condition that notwithstanding they were yet possest of Oestend and Sluce in the Province of Flanders which were both of them Maratine Towns of great concernment That Holland Zealand and Freisland Provinces which lay all of them upon the Sea were yet wholly free from the Spaniards and that within land there were yet many of the most secure places under their union and a great part of the best of the Country That they doubted not but that so puissant a Princess as she would Patronise their defence much more out of magnanimity then out of Interest so as leaving the first part to her and considering themselves the second they represented unto her how great an advantage the addition of such Provinces and particularly those of the Maritine Coast would be to England And what doubt could it be but that these two Naval Forces being joyned together would give the Law by sea to all the Western yea and Northern parts That they then offered to submit themselves wholly to her Soveraignity so to injoy not onely her ordinary protection but to be defended by her absolute authority as by their Princess hoping that she would be pleased to admit of such an offer under such fair and reasonable conditions as their people were to enjoy according to the moderate form of their ancient Government for what remained she might assure her self that the Flemish would alwayes vye for Loyalty towards her with the English in readiness in concurring to all her greater exaltations and in joy to see all her ends effected according to her own desire This was the substance of their Proposal Having said this by word of mouth they presented it in writing to the Queen who graciously received it and did in as gracious a manner reply That she would with all attention study to send them back as speedily as might be to their Provinces well satisfied That such an offer bore with it matter of great conseqnence and that therefore she would take particular care that it should be diligently discust by her Councel The English had at first seemed very much to desire this But as usually seen things move more then such as are but meerly imagined so when the weight of this affair was seen nearer hand the Councels differed much in their opinions concerning it Some more boldly were of opinion That so fair an offer was by all means to be imbraced That the United Provinces had already lawfully made themselves their own Soveragins out of their so requisite necessity of not being able to suffer the King of Spains so great oppression They might therefore lawfully dispose of that their Soveraignty as they should best please That they had once already confer'd it upon the Duke of Alanson and wherefore might they not now confer it upon the Queen The King of Spain would undoubtedly be scandalized hereat and would peradventure make war again upon England But how oft had he already offended the Queen Were not the Insurrections in Ireland fomented by him had he not a designe to do the like in England Did not he favour the Queen of Scots Cause as much as he might and did not he upon all other occasions shew his ill will to the English That if he would fall into open war with the Queen it was to be considered how greatly her usual strength at sea would be increased by this new Maritine addition of Flanders Let therefore the King of Spain assault England when he should please he should finde it as secure in forces as inexpugnable by situation But there wanted not those that were of a contrary opinion They said It was the common concernment of all Princes that their subjects should keep within their due obedience what a ruine would it be to Principality if the rendering or denying of obedience should be at the Subjects pleasure That hitherto the Queen had favoured the Flemish not as free people but as those that were opprest that she might still without proceeding any farther do the same justly for the future but to acknowledge a Soveraign power in them and then to accept of that Soveraignty offered by them was an action of bad example for other Princes and particularly of very dangerous consequence for the Queen her self How much more just reason would the King of Spain have in such a case to make her taste of the same evils at her own home How great a disposition was there generally thereunto in Ireland And how great in the so many Catholicks which were yet in England By her example the King would doubtlesly pass from fomenting secretly into open invasion To his Temporal Forces the Pope of Rome might likely enough add his Spiritual ones And it would then be seen what would be got by making so uncertain an acquisition in neighbouring Countries when by doing so certain hazard must be run at home in her own Dominions Amidst these two contrary opinions there was one in a middle way between them which was That the Queen without accepting of the Soveraignty or using any other title of Protection should assist the Flemish with a good strength of men That for security of the expence which she should be at in assisting them they should put some good Town of Zealand into her hands and some other also in Holland And that the Forces which should be maintained by the United Provinces should be under his command whom she should send in Chief with her men Thus having gotten footing in those Maritime parts and her Authority likewise being in the above said manner extended further within Land the Queen might wait for what time would produce who is the
best Councellor and whose advantages are infallible to those that can discern and make use of them The Queen inclined to this opinion And because Antwerp was already in very great danger she gave order for the immediate sending over of 3000 Foot into Zealand to facilitate the relief of that City And the Flemish resolved to put Ostend for the present into her hands But this was not performed because the Aid came not time enough Wherefore they past on to the chief Negotiation and these following Capitulations were agreed upon between the Parties interessed That the Queen of England should be obliged to assist the States of the United Provinces with 5000 Foot and 1000 Horse all of them to be paid by her and that she should send a Commander in chief over with them who should have the Government of their Forces and the chief Command over all their Souldiers That to secure the repayment of the monies which the Queen should spend the States should put Flushing and the Ramekins into her hands in Zealand and the Bril in Holland and leave the same Artillery and ammunition of war in them which was at the present That when the war should be ended and the monies repaid the Queen should be bound to restore the same Towns in the same condition as they were now assigned over unto her That the United Provinces should not make peace with the King of Spain nor league with any other Princes without the Queens consent neither should the Queen come to any particular treaty with the King of Spain without the knowledge and approbation of the Vnited Provinces That to boot with the Queens General Governour two other of her State-Ministers might intervene at all the Councels and negotiations of the Vnited Provinces That in the default of any Governour of Province or Town the States should name two or three personages of which one should be chosen by her General Governour with the participation of the Provinces Councel of State That in case war were to be made by Sea for the common service the States should concur thereunto with equal Forces to those that the Queen should therein imploy and that her Admiral should have the chief Command over them all That the General Governour and the other of the Queens Officers should swear obedience not only to her but to the States also That all of them should inviolably maintain the wonted Priviledges of the Country and that there should be no the least alteration of Government made in those Towns whereinto there should any English garrisons be put and that such Garrisons should be suffered to live for matter of Religion according to the manner of England These were the most essential Articles Which being agreed upon sudden order was given for the putting of them in execution The Queen declared the Earl of Leicester for supreme Head of her Forces of whom mention is made in other parts of this our History and many of the Nobility of England prepared to go along with him That year in this interim ended and the year 1586 insued In the begining whereof Leicester being imbarked with all his people arrived at the Hague in Holland about the first week of February where he was received with all the expressions of Honour and joy that the States could make The Places which were assigned over unto him were of very great importance Flushing and the Ramechins were the chief Key of Zealand and the Bril was likewise a Port-Town of very great concernment in Holland The Garrisons being placed according to agreement the States did so very much intreat Leicester that to boot with the chief Command of their Forces he would likewise accept of the general Government of their whole Country as he inclined to yield thereunto At which the Queen seemed to be displeased and sorthwith sent an Express to complain thereof But the States renewing the same intreaties to her she did not any further repugn it thinking perhaps that she had already so highly offended the King of Spain as he would be but little pacified though she should forbear this second irritation Besides to say truth 't was hardly to be believed but that this declaration of the States had been secretly made known unto the Queen and that Leicester would not have accepted of it without her tacit consent But howsoever it was Leicester accepted of the Administration He distributed his own men and those of the Provinces where it was most needfull and prepared to impede the progress of the Kings Forces as much as might be and to doe all that he could expect was to be done by his men Fernese through the acquisition of so many chief Cities and particularly that of Antwerp did verily believe to put an end to the troubles of Flanders either by some way of fair Agreement or by absolute Conquest Wherefore he was wonderfully moved to see this Victory which he had so assuredly fancied unto himself either by the one way or the other taken from him by this English succour and the King thought himself thereby so highly offended as he did not long delay the resenting of it as you sâ—all shortly hear But though the Enemy had received such a succour yet Fernese did not doubt but that as his Forces were far the greater so likewise should his successes be He therefore resolved as soon as the winter should be over to march with his Army into the field The Enemy though they had lost Mastrick were yet masters of two Towns of great concernment in that lower side of the Mause the one was Graves which belongs to Brabant and the other Venlo in Ghelderland It made very much for Fernese to have all those parts at his devotion to the end that he might the better unite his Forces on both the sides of so important a River and that he might likewise with the less impediment carry them on the other side of the Rhine Wherefore he resolved by all means to make himself master of those two Towns And though the winter were not yet over he resolved to send Count Mansfield to straiten Graves at a distance and gave him such men as were requisite for that purpose He gave order likewise for the besieging of Venlo after the same manner And being much prest thereunto by the Archbishop of Colen he likewise sent the Signor d'Altapenna Governour of Ghelderland to make the like preparation against the Town of Nuys where the Enemy had still fortified themselves more and more and still more prejudiced the adjacent parts by their continual excursions When Mansfield was come before Graves be planted two Forts upon the two banks of the Mause that he might have the freer passage over the river and he raised some others more within land towards where the Town stood The River did very much help the fortifying of the Town on the River side and on the Land side the Enemy had likewise very well bastion'd the walls The Souldiers that
Treaty of accommodation in the Affairs of Flanders Which it may be believed she was chiefly perswaded unto thereby to try whether she could avoid the Tempest of Arms which the King of Spain already threatned her withall She thought the King of Denmark might be a fitting Instrument for this purpose wherefore she turned her self to him Nor was he backward therein but readily imbracing it sent John Ronsovio forthwith to Brussels who was well received by the Duke of Parma and was afterwards well approved of by the King of Spain The Schools from whence the negotiations of Princes proceed are always full of deep mysteries And though it be desired their hidden and reserv'd ends either cannot or ought not to be penitrated into It was notwithstanding conjectured that the Queen and King desired interchangeably to delude one another in this kind of negotiation so as those provisions which were making on both sides might be a little slackned The United Provinces seemed most averse to this kind of negotiation For their answer to Leicester who had sundry times made several proposals to them about it was resolutely this That they would never return again under the King of Spains obedience and that though the Queen should abandon them they would not notwithstanding desist from doing what they could in their own defence even till the last gasp But whatsoever should come of it or what ever the end of this Treaty might be the King and Queen resolved to set it on foot and chosing Burborg a little Town between Dunkirk and Gravelin for the place they sent some perticular Commissioners thither to that end In the Kings name there did intervene Count Aremberg Knight of the golden Fleece Mousieur de Campigni Lord Treasurer and John Richardotto President of the Councel of Artois And for the Queen the Earl of Darby Knight of the Garter and two others of her privy Councel whilst arms were handled in Flanders in one part and this Treaty was in hand in another many frequent consultations had been had and were yet had in Spain touching in what manner the King should rescent the injuries done unto him by the Queen of England The King had been provoked long before this by the Queen of England by her continual fomenting the troubles of Flanders yet he thought he might dissemble the offence because she dissembled the injuries But the King was so moved at this last action wherein she had by so many helps so openly revived the rebellion of Flanders when it was almost extinguished as he thought he could no longer forbear shewing how ill he took it by declaring open war against her Yet openly to make war upon England was of great consequence to the affairs of Spain so as the King before he would resolve thereupon would have it very well disputed by his ablest ministers of State Alvaro di Bassano Marquess of Sancta Croce a Personage very much cryed up for Naval Militia was one of those that perswaded him most to this enterprise he bore a great command at this time over the Kings Fleets in the Ocean and by reason of his imploymenr hoped it would fall to his share to be the prime man in this famous expedition Wherefore whilst they were treating one day of this business in presence of the King he spoke thus When I consider most mighty Prince the glory and advantage of the proposition in hand and the hopes of seeing it happily effected I confess I cannot forbear exhorting your Majesty with all the power and efficacy I have by all means to lay hold of it your Majesty may chiefly glory in the August Cognomen of most Catholick and that you have much more made it good in your actions then used it in your Title What greater glory can you then desire then in the first place to restore so great and so noble a Kingdom as is England to due obedience to the Church and to the ancient veneration of the Altars And what greater renown then to beat down Heresie there where her most rebellious ensignes are raised up that Island being made as it were an inexpugnable Sanctuary thereof How much hath Piety and Religion flourish'd formerly in that Kingdom How many Catholicks are there yet there And how do they long to see an end of that bitter persecution which they suffer there And to proceed to the advantage of the proposal It is well known that Spain can reap no greater advantage then in being no longer opposed by England From thence are the Indies infested and your Fleets threatned From thence is the Rebellion of Flanders fomented and the manifest usurpation of the Dominion therefore aspired unto And finally From thence proceeds all the greatest damages which the Crown of Spain suffers at this present and from thence will the greatest evils alwaies derive which shall at any time hereafter befall it And for the happy success of the enterprise why should not your Majesty assure your selfe thereof Your Forces at Sea have formerly been most powerful How much more formidable wil they be made now by the addition of Portugal And your resent succession to that Kingdom does plainly denote that God hath been thereby pleased the more to facilitate this enterprise 'T is then to be beleeved that the Spanish Fleet by Sea will be of that Potency as it will not to be withstood by all the maritime Forces of England though assisted by Holland and Zealand The Army by land which the Duke of Parma hath lately increased in Flanders may at the same time correspond with the Fleet which shall come from Spain When the Channel shall be possest by your Fleet the Army may be easily conveyed over into the Island where when it shall be landed and all your Majesties Forces joyned what shall withctand them from entring suddenly into the heart of the Kingdom For it being an Island nature defends it onely by situation no use being made to fortifie it by industry When this shall be once done and England 's fomenting be ceased it is not to be doubted but that the Rebellion in Flanders will soon cease likewise Fire lasts as long as do the materials where with it is fed when those fail the greatest fires go out and end in ashes John Idiaques one of the Kings Officers most imployed in Court at that time appeared in Councel to be of a contrary opinion Idiaques had been for many years Ambassador first at Genua then at Venice and after his return to Court the King had always imployed him in managing the most important affairs of the Crown He spake thus The first thing that is to be taken into consideration most mighty Prince is in my opinion the difficulties of the undertaking which is now in dispute And to speak my mind freely I think them so great as there is but very little hope of good success England as every one knows is so situated hath such Forces such Inhabitants and is governed after so peculiar a
exceeding great preparations both by Sea and Land He gave the care of the maritime preparations to the Marquis de la Croce and destin'd him to the Naval command As for the Land he would have the greatest Forces be raised in Flanders and that the Duke of Parma should carry that Army which was under his command over into England and that he should have the chief command thereof as also of all the rest who were brought in the Fleet to land in the Island These Orders being given out by the King the noise thereof began to be heard throughout all his Kingdoms each of them strove which should provide most ships greatest store of victuals and warlike ammunition in so great ampleness as so high a design did require Great preparations of all these things were made in Sicily in the Kingdom of Naples and in all the maritime Coasts of Spain and especially in the building of great abundance of ships whereof the Fleet was to be composed Such men as were necessary for the service were also raised in all parts and in fine the resolution was to make an Armado so powerfull in all conditions as the like had never been known at any time to be upon the Sea The Duke of Parma's diligence in making preparations in Flanders in behalf of the enterprise was this mean while no whit less After the getting of Sluce he went to Bruges and kept there as in the fittest place of all the Province of Flanders to dispose of all things necessary for the transporting of his Army into England To recrute it with men the King had given order that Biaggio Cappizucchi in Italy should raise a Brigado of Foot in the State of Urbin and that Carlo Spinulli should do the like in the Kingdom of Naples That the Marquess of Brogaut brother to the Cardinal Andrea d' Austrea should raise another in Germany greater then ordinary That the rest of the German Nation that were on foot should be filled up and that the like should be done amongst the Burgonians and Walloons That a good body of men should be sent from Spain to recruit the old Brigadoes That in in fine the field Army of Flanders should be composed of 30000 Foot and of 4000 choise Horse all of which or at least the greatest part were to be imployed in the expedition for England An infinite provision of things was required to transport such an Army and to provide it with all things necessary to lead on the enterprise successfully on that side They purposed to embarke the men at Newport and Dunkirk and a great number of vessels was necessary to transport them And though these were rather to be for burthen then war and rather low built then high yet the assembling so many of them brought with it both great expence of time and monies and amongst other things a great number of Artificers were requisite to be had to do the workmanship and of Mariners to govern them The Duke of Parma had great scarcity of both these and was likewise jealous of them by reason of such mens being inclined to follow rather the Hollanders and Zealanders in whose Seas they were for the most part born and bred up then the Kings party where their profession was but little practised insomuch as the Duke was glad to send for some from the Baltick Sea and to make provision of them in divers other parts of the lower side of Germany The aforesaid Vessels were most of them built in Antwerp and many in Gaunt Newport and Dunkirk Those of Antwerp were to be brought by the Scheld to Gaunt and from thence to Bruges by a Channel cut by hand which goes from the one City to the other And upon this occasion the Duke cut another channel likewise from Bruges to Newport to the end that the Vessels might fall the more commodiously into the sea and there joyn with those of Dunkirk During the noise of so great preparations made in all parts of Italy Spain and Flanders to assault England that year ended and the year 1588 commenced which was particularly remarkable for this enterprise sake The designe was not notwithstanding publickly declared but the King striving as much as he could to conceal it made it be given out that so great a preparation by land and by sea was intended against the Rebels in Flanders And to keep them likewise in suspence he caused the begun negotiation between him and the Queen touching the accommodation of the Affairs in those parts to be continued Other reports were given out that the King intended a good part of the Fleet by sea for new designes which he had upon the Indies Some times the preparations seemed to cool But at last they grew to such a greatness and so many signes appeared of their being precisely destin'd for England as there was no room left for doubt The Queen seeing her self threatned by so great a tempest betook her self to make all such preparations likewise on her part as might be necessary to withstand it She gave order to Charls Howard Admiral of England a Lord of a very Noble Family and of great imployment that he should powerfully reinforce her usual Fleet and that he should make all other such provisions as were needfull to furnish it with Souldiers Mariners Victuals and Ammunition of War But she gave unto him Sir Francis Drake for a particular assistant herein one that was then the most esteemed amongst all the English for sea affairs and famous likewise thorowout all other Nations for many memorable sea-voyages which he had made and for many enterprises which he with great boldness had effected Such a preparation required great expence and a great inclination of the Kingdom to effect it Wherefore the Queen called a Parliament without the Authority whereof the Kings of England cannot receive any supplies of monies upon any extraordinary occasion The Parliament being met at London the Queen would one day appear there in person and went thither in the greatest glory that might be Where being placed under her cloth of State and having so composed her countenance and other gestures of body as might most take the Assembly she spake thus What a weight of war my Lords and you my beloved of the House of Commons is threatned against me at this time by the King of Spain each of you who know the preparation will easily believe the designe nor is the pretence less apparent That King complains that I have always favoured his Rebels as he is pleased to term them of Flanders And especially with so many forces and so openly in these their last necessities I confess the action and do still more commend the advice given unto me therein by my Councel Since in effect I could do nothing which was more praise worthy for Justice or more necessary for convenience Every one knows the near Confederacies which past between the Kings my predecessors and the house of Burgony whilst
1200 Horse all of them almost Spanish were imbarked in the Fleet amongst the which there were above 2000 Voluntiers all of them of the best Families of Spain Of so great expectation was this enterprise and so much had the King laboured to have it perform'd in the gallantest way that might be The Fleet was to set forth about the beginning of May and to hoyst sail To hasten the which the Marquis of Santa Croce was gone to Lisbon where he was seised upon by so sudden and so fierce a disease as he dyed thereon in a few dayes space A great loss and whereat the King was very much grieved who presently substituted Alonso Peres di Gusman Duke of Medina Sidonia in his place a Personage of a very great Family in Spain but one who had never been out of those Kingdoms and who was no wayes knowing in the maritime profession He made haste to Lisbon to execute the Kings commands but howsoever this change of Admiral retarded the expedition for many dayes insomuch as the Navy could not get from Lisbon in the Haven whereof the rendezvouz was till the end of that moneth John Martines di Ricalde one very much verst in Sea-affairs was next in command under the Duke nor were there wanting other Commanders of very great experience who governed the particular Squadrons into which the Fleet was divided At the same time the Kings Army in Flanders was in a fitting posture for the design on that side All the new men which were expected were come and a great many of the Gentry were likewise come to fight under the Duke of Parma upon this occasion He gave a very honourable reception in particular to the Marquis of Burgaut a Prince of the House of Austria There were come thither from Italy Don Amadeo of Savoy Don John of Medicis Vespasian Gonzaga Duke of Sabionetta together with divers other Italians of very good quality And from Spain the Duke of Pastrana with divers others of very good esteem in that Nation also But to return to the Fleet. As soon as it was well got out of the Haven a great Tempest arose which did greatly disorder and divide it and was cause of the loss of some of their Bottoms that were rowed with oars which could by no means be saved So as it was necessary to gather the Fleet together again which could not be effected till the midst of July at Corugna in Galatia not without great labour and suffering It put forth again to Sea from hence The Generall went in a Gally called St. Martin famous for the Victory which the Marquis of Santa Croce had got in it in the business of the Terzeri This ship was the Capitana or Admiral and from this did all the other ships receive their orders The Fleet advanced with a favourable wind and about the end of July came within ken of England Nor did the adverse Fleet delay appearing which consisted of not above one hundred Men of War all of them very much inferior in body to those of Spain but much superior in nimbleness and agility As soon as the Spaniards were entred into the English Channel Luis di Gusman was instantly sent by the Duke of Medina Sidonia to the Duke of Parma to let him understand of his arrival in those parts and to sollicite him to doe what was requisite on Flanders side The Spanish Fleet desired nothing more then to fight and to grapple with the Enemy wherefore as soon as the English Fleet appear'd the other put themselves in order The Ocean never saw a more glorious spectacle then now The Spanish Navy put it self into the form of a Half-moon there being a huge space between the one Horn and the other The Masts Sail-yards the towring Fore and Hind-Castles which were seen to rise up in such an height and number from so great Piles appear'd a Horror full of wonder and made it be doubted whether it was a Wood upon the Sea or Land and whether of those two Elements had the greatest share in so glorious a sight Thus was the Fleet ordered It came but slowly on even when their sailes were full and the waves seemed even to groan under and the windes to be weary in ruling such a weight Their end was as I have said to come up close up to handy blows with the adverse Fleet thinking themselves much too good for them the difference between their ships and souldiers being considered but the design of the English was clean otherwise they desired to shun all formal battel knowing their disadvantage therein They considered that if they should be worsted England would be lost whereas if the Spaniards should come by the worst all their indamagement would consist in the loss which they should thereby suffer The English therefore resolved to annoy the Spaniards onely aloofe off and to wait till some one of so many great Machines might quit the company of the rest which then they might assault for they thought it impossible but that this might happen among the Spanish ships either by some tempest or change of winde or some other accidents which are usually seen in Navigation and it was not long ere they met with such an occasion for a great Galleoun of Biscay falling on fire it was forced to tarry behinde as likewise the greatest Galleoun of Andalusia the main Mast whereof broke in two Wherefore Sir Francis Drake invironing both the one and the other of them with divers of his ships took them both In the first which was torn and consumed was John di Guerra pay-master to the Fleet with good store of money And in the second Pietro di Valdes Camp-master of a Spanish Brigado and a very valliant souldier This first loss was a great one and did forebode others which ensued In the beginning of August the two Fleets were in sight one of another again it fell out that the Galleoun St. John of Portugal wherin was the Admiral John Martinus di Ricalde was divided from the rest The English did not let slip the occasion of assaulting it and were likely to have â—ane it had not the General himself with his great Galleoun St. Martin come into the aid thereof which for some hours did almost it self alone sustain the violence of the whole adverse Fleet. The English ships had a great advantage as I have said in being so manageable and dexterous they were equally nimble in assaulting and in retreating they tack'd about with all windes they joyn'd and then sever'd again in an instant as it made best for them And their building was chiefly advantagious in that they could easily shun the banks of sands whereof the English Channel is full and all the Sea Coast thereabouts To this was added that their canon shot did seldom or never miss whereas the Spanish ships which were built so very high did still thunder in the air without almost ever touching the English vessels and therefore the two Galleouns of the
less severe in maintaining the power of command The King was more ready in resolving and the Duke more circumspect in ripening his resolutions The King loved battels it being the custom of France so to do the Duke a wel-wisher to industrious advantages according to the manner of waging war in Flanders but in the diversity of action they were notwithstanding so conformable in reputation and in the glory of souldiery as few will be found amongst either the modern or ancient Commanders more famous at one and the same time who in such a difference have continually so much resembled one another The Duke of Mayne had very much prest the Duke of Parma at their meeting that if Fernese could not go then himself in person to relieve Paris he would at least furnish him Du Maine with some men to recruit his Forces in France whereby he might indeavour that succour the which Fernese easily granted and to that purpose gave him a Brigado of Spanish Foot under the Camp-master Antonio di Zunica and another of Italians under Camillo Capizucchi and moreover 500 Horse But Du Maine could never compass his design wherefore the Duke of Parma hastning his departure went from Brussels in the beginning of August The Army which he carried with him consisted of 14000 Foot made up of Spaniards Italians Germans and Walloons and 2800 Hose which were of two sorts the one of the Flemish usual Train-bands and the other of the abovesaid Nations The Prince of Semay commanded the former and Marquess de Renty the others for that Marquess Vasto was not then in Flanders and the Lieut. General of the Horse being likewise wanting George Basti supplyed his place who was Commissary General of the Horse and a gallant souldier With the Duke were the Princes of Ascoly and of Castelvetrano the Counts of Aremberg and Barlemonte with divers other Flemish Lords and Count Charles Mansfield General of the Artilery not being to be dispenst withal in Flanders the Duke had assigned that command over to Monsieur de la Motte one whom he greatly esteemed and who for many famous military acts had won the same opinion of all men Amongst the Camp-masters Peter Cajetan Nephew to the Legat was particularly in very great esteem and Alonso d' Ideaques as well in consideration of himself as for the reputation that John his father was in in the Court of Spain who hath been spoken of before The Duke of Parma being come with this Army to the Frontiers of Flanders towards Picardy he called all the Commanders together and gravely advertised them whether he was going He told them That the Kings Forces were now entring into a Country which did naturally hate the name of Spaniard That those of the League had now invoked the Kings Forces and desired his protection meerly out of necessity of Interest That therefore they were to be reputed of the like nature that is to say soon jealous and therefore apt to change That then out of all considerations as well Civil as Military they were to proceed so in the leading on and in the ordering of this Army as not to hazard any action nor put any in execution without great maturity He desired that if Military Government were ever well observed under him in Flanders it might be now exactly observed in France that therefore he straitly commanded every Captain to be all of them very diligent in the performance of their duties That they should not permit the souldier to do any the least imaginable prejudice unto the Country people That they should always march in as good order as if they had the enemy before them That they should be very accurate in fortifying their quarters That to afford the better commodity for all things necessary he would make short marches That he would be moving by the sun-rising and be in his lodging before it should set Munite the Camp continually well bring it into as little a compass as he could have diligent Gards kept on all sides and especially in safely conveying the victuals which were to serve for the great necessity of Paris For what remained that they should all follow him couragiously That he hoped that France would now prove a Theatre still more and more to confirm the honour due to the King of Spain 's Forces in Flanders that he would not be wanting on his behalf but that he would expose himself to all labour and shew himself no less equal to every one of them in incountring dangers then he was superior to them all in point of command Fernese prest very much the observance of these things and to move others the more by his example after he once began to march he was almost every hour every where and more by night then by day he alwaies marched with his Army in good order which he divided into three parts The Marquess of Renty had charge of the first the Duke himself took the charge of the second and Monsieur de la Motte guided the third after whom followed twenty peeces of Canon In this manner and with short marches the Duke came on the 23d of August to Maux a City not above ten leagues from Paris Here did the Duke du Mayn's Army joyn with him which was about 10000 Foot and 1500 Horse the souldiers of both the Camps were selected men and under well disciplin'd Ensignes Paris was this mean while reduced to the very utmost of necessity after that so numerous a people had suffered what possibly was to be undergon in point of Famine their necessity grew at last so great as they must either dye or throw open the gates to the King of Navar. The Duke of Parma was much troubled at this news for he would by no means be precipitate in his councels and yet found the necessity of hastening the succour He therefore incouraged the Paresians and put them in great hopes that he would in a very short time free them from that siege The Legate incouraged them to sufferance and the Spanish Officers but chiefly the Duke of Nemours who was Governor of Paris and brother by the Mothers side to the Duke du Mayne Wheresore the people overcoming their misery with new constancy did with unexpressible anxiety number the hours in expectation of being succour'd When the Duke of Parma marching from Meos with both the Armies joyned in one came towards Paris The King of Navar was then in his hight of hopes that that City would every day fall into his hands The Seene runs through it and two other rivers accompany the Seene neer Paris the one is the Marne two leagues before the Seene come to the City walls and the other the Oyse a little lower on the contrary side These rivers are the nurses which continually give milk to this vast City to boot with the wonderful abundance of its own Territories The King had possest himself of all the Avenues as well by the rivers as by the land Upon the
according to custome they fell to work upon their Trenches and to prepare for Battery The ground was rather moyst then dry on the one side and therefore they began their works there where the ground would best permit them so to doe The two Camps contended in the making of them and especially in that of Flanders the Spaniards Italians Germans and Walloons strove according as usually to outdoe one another in opening and in advancing the Trenches The besieged made some sallies but with weak forces and weaker courage by which it was judged the City was not in condition to make any long resistance One of their best defences was a Ravelin without the walls built about with good stone and furnisht with a Platform The Batteries were therefore chiefly turn'd upon that Ravelin Nor was it long ere they fell with their Trenches into the Ditch where Mines being joyn'd to the Batteries so great a breach was soon made in the Ravelin as it was now thought fitting to make an assault Which hapned luckily The Spaniards and Walloons did herein particularly signalize themselves and of all others the Camp masters Luis Velasco a Spaniard and Claudius Barlotta a Walloon Barlotta and divers others were wounded and some were slain The Ravelin being taken those that won it lodged there and planted some peeces of Artillery upon it to play upon the Town nearer hand and with the more terror A certain strength of Horse and Foot was still maintained by the Apostolike Sea who were commanded by Appius Conti who plaid his part valiantly But a quarrel arising between him and the Baron Chateaubrain a Lorainer and Colonel of the Germans and falling from words to blows Appius was wounded whereupon he quickly dyed to the grief of the Army which held him in great esteem This occasioned some disorder in the Pontificials for Chateaubrain's German Regiment was maintained by the monies of the Apostolike Sea Yet was the Siege so hotly continued by all parties as those within were within a few dayes reduced to parley and at last yielded upon honorable terms their hopes of succour failing them though the King of Navar had often endeavoured it but more by stealth then openly After the taking of Noyon the Duke Du Mayne went suddenly towards Paris The Catholick States-Generall which followed the League were then met in that City and this meeting was chiefly had for the chusing of a King that would be obedient to the Church and who would preserve that Kingdom in the antient Religion The two aforenamed Officers of State Mendosa and Tassis were then in Paris for the King of Spains service in the business then on foot and a little before Don Diego d'Yvara was come thither likewise on his behalf a man of courege and who was likewise thought very fit for the conducting of that business But to give it the greater reputation and advantage the Duke of Feria was at last sent by the King of Spain to Paris A personage who to the prerogative of his family had the addition of all others which upon such an occasion were to be desired Their chief endeavour was to overthrow the Law Salique which excludes Women from succeeding to that Crown In which case the Infanta Isabella the Kings eldest daughter was to have succeeded as daughter to Queen Isabella who was the eldest daughter to Henry the 2 King of France and who had been formerly wife to the King of Spain And as for a Husband for the Infanta since she could not have one of the House of Austria as the King her Father would have desired but it may be all in vain by reason of the invincible repugnance of the French it was discovered that in such a case the King would condescend to the choice of some one of that Nation and particularly of the House of Lorain upon which the League in France was chiefly built It was foreseen by all the aforesaid Agents how much advantagious it would be for the maintaining their negotiation that the Flanders Forces which entred France in favour of the League should be vigorous wherefore they prest this point hard upon the Governour Mansfield and upon Fuentes who as we have said was next under him But these on the contrary represented That the affairs of Flanders were not to be abandoned that the Enemy began already to move with potent Forces on that side and that it behoved to maintain the Kings cause there likewise as much as might be And yet the event shewed in a short while that the thus dividing of the Kings forces did so weaken and disorder them as that they did little or no good in France and were the cause of very great losses in Flanders And that which greatly increased the disorders was that almost at the same time divers Mutinies broke forth by occasion whereof the King of Spain was more indammaged by his own Souldiers then by his Enemies Now to return to the affairs of Picardy When the Duke Du Mayn was gone from Picardy Count Charls parted from thence likewise and went with his Camp towards the Sea-side into the lower parts of that Province where there were yet some places which held for the King of Navar and especially the Castle of Rue strong both by situation and handy-work as hath been said And because to besiege it would be a business of long time and which did require greater Forces then Count Charls had with him he therefore contented himself with making easier acquisitions Hembercourt a weak place and more within land and S. Vallery more considerable as being seated upon the Some where that River falls into the Sea fell into his hands Here when the Count would have made Further progress he must sheath his sword by reason of a Truce which was at that time made for three moneths between the King of Navar and the Duke Du Mayne Arms being laid aside in Picardy the Count distributed his Army in the parts of that Province which lay towards Artois The expences which the King of Spain was then at in France was excessive wherefore the Souldiers being but slowly paid it was impossible to keep them from rapine so as those parts found more of damage by the cessation of Arms then they had done in the time of war Neither did the mischief rest here licentiousness increasing every day and pillage degenerating by degrees into disobedience at last they fell into divers mutinies The first fell out amongst the Spaniards which being first practised with great secresie was soon after concluded and except it were the Officers and some Souldiers of more respect then the rest it was exactly performed by all others They murmured according as is usual to see their labours so ill requited And to honest their Error they endeavoured to excuse it by Necessity Having then gathered together a sufficient number of men and horse they designed to possess themselves of some of the nearest Towns in Artois and there afterwards to fortifie and
to grant peace and not to receive it and that then his grace and goodness to such wicked and obstinate Rebels would appear to be voluntary and not inforced But how much more arrogant would they become by such an invitation now and into what contempt would the Kings Authority fall The opinion of the Flemish Councellors was notwithstanding followed For the Archduke thought good to give them satisfaction believing that it would likewise be satisfactory to the whole Country But it was soon seen that Fuentes was not deceived For the Letter being received in Holland with but small respect and they that brought it but little listned unto the business was soon at an end and the two Councellors at Law were dispatched away and answer was made by the States Generall to the Archduke by rather a long writing then Letter The answer extended chiefly into bitter complaints against the meanings of the King and Councel of Spain Against the Officers maintained by the King in Flanders and against the Spaniards who had warred and did still wage war in those Provinces In the paper all the most fatall businesses that had happened were rip'd up and all the blame laid upon that Nation They shewed how that all former negotiations of peace had always been fraudulent on the behalf of Spain And finally they concluded That the United Provinces would not listen to any new Treaties lest they might be deceived but that they were resolved to maintain their Cause till their last gasp that they might preserve that Liberty which they did so justly enjoy after being freed from that slavery which amongst so many miseries they had formerly suffered They therefore did not delay drawing out into the field Count William of Nassaw had been before this as we have said on the other side the Rhine with many men and though Verdugo had always stoutly opposed him yet most commonly William got still some advantages in those parts especially in securing those passes whereby the siege which Prince Maurice intended to lay to Groninghen might be made the more easie All things necessary for this purpose being then prepared about the end of April Maurice past over the Mause and the Rhine and made his Rendezvouz at Suol a Town near Deventer in Overisel Here Count William joyned with him and Maurice going soon after from thence with aboundant provisions of all things which concerned the determined siege he went towards Groninghen and with his whole Army incamped before that City Groninghen as it hath been already said lies upon the utmost bounds of that Confine which joyns together the Lower and the upper Germany there is not in that part of the Low-Countries a more noble City then this either for the number of Inhabitants for the quality of buildings or for the frequency of Commerce It formes the body of a Province which lies about this City and which takes the name and almost the whole Government from thence It is seated low well provided of a wall and ditch It hath some works within the circuit thereof after the modern fashion and the rest are for the most part of the antient form It enjoys very large Priviledges And the Citizens thereof desirous out of a sense no less of Liberty then of courage would themselves alone defend the City and would not admit of any other souldiery amongst them And though a little before when they were threatned with this siege they were at last perswaded to receive in five foot Colours which Verdugo had sent them into an outward Borough yet would they not till then receive them into the City John Balen the first Burgamaster and chief Magistrate had the chief Command there both in Military and Civil affairs He and all the rest did shew outwardly a great resolution of resistance but Maurice did not notwithstanding want friends within the Town and many Hereticks being mingled amongst the Catholicks the former did secretly desire a change of Government and it was discovered that they would willingly have assisted therein nor was it doubted but that such intelligence had caused Maurice more willingly undertake this business Yet was the Catholick and the Kings Party much the greater in Groninghen who sent away express Messengers to Brussels to pray succour from the Archduke wherein they were seconded by Verdugo But Count Maurice hoping that the Kings men were not able to send relief at least not so soon and Count William having secured all the Passes better then before he betook himself with greater diligence to the siege He infinitely desired to effect this business by the which gaining so noble a City and a Province so opportunely seated he might at the same time advantage so much the general Cause of the whole Union and his own particular glory He had with him divers valiant Commanders who had accompanied him the year before at the siege of Getringberg to whom he assigned out the chief Quarters and Maurice took up his own quarter where the greatest difficulty of the siege lay He then fell to fortifie all quarters and within a few days the fortifications were such both on the fields side and towards the Town as those about Groninghen being compared with those which were about Getringberg it was not easie to be judged in which of the two Maurice had more signalized himself In so much as not fearing any succour which might be brought by the Royalists from without he applyed himself wholly to perfect his inward works He had great store of Artillery in his Camp with which he infested the City on all sides making the trenches the mean while be the more speedily advanced that he might the sooner come to a formal battery The besieged shewed a ready willingness to defend themselves and the souldiery which were lodged in the Suburbs had very well munited themselves and going whethersoever occasion did most require they were a great help unto the Townsmen who had placed a good number of Artillery upon their walls and by incessant shooting indeavoured to anoy the enemies Camp and to hinder their works as much as in them lay They indeavoured likewise to indamage them by sallies whereof they made divers which proved very bloudy on both sides but being in a short time come unto the ditch Maurice forth with made his batterys by which bereaving those within of their defences he consequently brought them into greater straits They had planted a Counter-battery upon a new Ravelin which they had made the better to shelter one of their gates and had placed thereupon 6 pieces of great Canon Maurice had inforced the siege most on that side which was thought to be the weakest The besiegers saw how much is imported them to be Masters of the Ravelin and the besieged how much it concerned them to defend it in so much as all indeavours being made on both sides to these ends the whole weight of the oppugnation was soon brought to that only place The enemy at the last fell
Ardes So as almost at the same time he loseth the one Town and gets the other He then draws near the enemies Camp with all his Forces and endeavours to draw him out to battel Which the Cardinal avoids and having provided well for the Towns which he had newly taken he retreats with the rest of his Army into Artois From thence he passeth into Flanders and seeming first as if he would make some other sieges sits down before Hulst The description of that place the Country about it and the whole siege with the insuing surrender thereof This mean while the Marquis of Barambone is routed and taken by the Marishal of Biroun upon the Frontiers of Picardy And soon after Barambone's brother the Count Varras is put to flight and slain in Brabant by Count Maurice AT the Cardinal Archdukes arrival in Brussels all mens eyes were turned upon the Frontiers of France and Flanders It being the generally conceived opinion that the greatest heat and chiefest seat of war between the two Kings would be there The King of France not long before the Cardinals arrival was in Picardy He had hoped to establish himself at one and the same time in Burgony and to relieve Cambray not thinking that either Balignie's misfortune would be so great or yet Fuentes his happiness as to end that siege so soon Touching the affairs of Burgony the King had had all good success in those parts for Interest at last prevailing over Arms the Duke du Main had made his peace with him quitting the Government of Burgony and taking in lieu thereof that of the Isle of France together with divers other conditions wherewith he was fully satisfied Wherefore the Constable of Castiel returning to Milan Burgony remained eased of Arms and the King began already to have intire obedience therein The greater advantages he got on that side the more was he displeased with those which Fuentes had obtained in Picardy but he was chiefly troubled that Cambray should be fallen again into the King of Spains hands The King of France had not any great Forces as then yet they were such as he thought he might besiege la Fera and soon take it La Fera is strongly seated for being almost wholly invironed with Marishes there is no access unto it but by two narrow avenues It stands a good way within Picardy wherefore the Duke of Parma had chosen it as one of the best places that were in that Province and whereby the King of Spains affairs in those parts might receive the most advantage There are two avenues whereby access may chiefly be had unto the Town of both which the King did quickly possess himself and having block'd them up with good Forts he fell to dividing out his quarters Alvarus Osorio a Spaniard and a greatly esteemed souldier commanded in chief within the Town he had with him a choice Garison and had sufficient ammunition for war but was so very much straitned in victuals that unless he should receive good store thereof all the sooner it was impossible for him long to sustain the siege The King was not ignorant of this wherefore quitting all thought of assault he resolved to straiten it only by siege hoping that by keeping them thus from succour on all sides and especially from victuals he should soon be Master of it This was the condition of la Fera when the Cardinal Archduke came to Brussels Wherefore the first thing that was taken into consideration by his Councel of War was Whether they were to relieve Lu Fera with all their Forces or endeavour to necessitate the King to raise the siege by some important diversion There were so many and so efficacious reasons which made against the succour as they were not to be answered It was considered That La Fera being situated so far within Picardy it was as it were invironed with St. Quintain Han Guise and Peroune and some other Towns also which were all of them in the Enemies possession and were all very well garisoned and munitâ—â— That therefore if the Spanish Army would approach La Fera it must of necessity leave divers of these Towns upon its back that if so the enemy might at their pleasure scour the Country cut off the ways hinder victuals and especially disturb forage That La Fera was almost unaccessible on all sides by reason of the Marishes That the best Avenues were well guarded with Forts by the King of France That the siege was still more straitned by him on all sides and that new men came in daily unto his Camp which would abound as usually it did especially with choice Cavalry What hopes could they then have either of coming near La Fera or by doing so of introducing relief unless they would at the same time assault the enemy in his own quarters But what hope of good success could they have herein the King was intrenched ready to fight or not to fight according as should make for his most advantage That if he thought his Forces were such as he might buckle with the Spaniards in the field no reason either of war or yet of State would permit that the Spaniards should hazard themselves upon the uncertain event of a battel That if the King should be routed he might easily gather new forces but put the case the contrary should happen what difficulties would the Cardinal Arch-Duke meet withal and what expences would he be at in making new Levies of Spaniards Italians and of other Forraigners of which the chief body of the Kings Forces in Flanders is usually framed And say such a losse should insue what new acquisitions would the Confederate Provinces hope to make These reasons bore with them so much weight to plead against the abovesaid succour as the votes were already for proposing some diversion which might force the King to rise from before la Fera when news was brought that by George Bastie's means that Town was victualled sufficiently for at least two moneths not long before this Basty was returned into Flanders with leave for some short while from the Emperor who had long before imployed him in the wars of Hungary against the Turks he had won very great experience in war by his having spent so much time in the war of Flanders and by reason of the so many noble employments wherein he had served the Duke of Parma in particular in whose last expeditions in France Basti had almost alwaies commanded the Armies horse in which sort of service there was no man held more able at that time then he nor who knew better what belong'd thereunto neither in point of command nor execution He had received orders from the Cardinal that he should endeavour to relieve la Fera with some victuals from the neerest Frontiers of Flanders to which purpose 800 choice horse were in readiness upon the same Frontiers which were to take each of them a sack of corn behinde them and to cause them to
Varras got notice of it He had with him the Marquis of Trevico's Italian Brigado which was commanded by his Serjeant Major Count Sols his new Regiment of Germans and two Walloon Brigadoes of Barlotta and Assicount These Germans and Walloons were also without their Commanders and were Governed by other inferior Officers Nicholas Basti Commanded the horse which were all Spanish and Italian Count Varras having discovered the Enemies march and thinking that he had not sufficient Forces to fight him in the Field knowing also that Turnaut as being an open Village was not a place for defence resolved to go to Herentales a Town which he might easily get unto being but three hours easie march from Turnaut Yet he would retire by day lest if he should have marched by night his retreat might have seemed a running away Thus resolved and sending out his baggage by night upon the break of day Varras left Turnaut and made his men march in this manner He devided the foot into three squadrons in the first he placed the Walloons in the second the Germans and in the third the Italians But that which at their first going out was the reer if the enemy should come upon them was to be the van The horse were placed on the right hand where the field was more free and a great wood served for a sufficient defence on the left hand Maurice hearing of this removal he suddenly advanced with all his horse and with 300 musketiers behind so many Curassiers en Croup and the Curassiers advancing foremost with the musketiers en Croup he gave them order to charge the enemy home in the reer and that they should endeavour to hold them play till his foot should come up With Maurice were the Counts of Hollack and Solm Colonel Vere an English-man and divers other Commanders of great experience and valour The Kings Horse valiantly opposed the like of the Enemies and the Squadrons facing about did likewise sustain the first charge of the Enemy But all Maurice his Horse coming in and soon after his Foot the Kings Horse being no more in number could make no longer resistance So as these being routed the rest were discouraged though Count Varras galloping here and there and in every place shewed all the proofs of valour and undauntedness which could be desired of him upon such an occasion And finally pressing forwards amongst the Italians when he saw their Squadrons begin to flie he was suddenly slain and he failing the Kings men were wholly overcome and the Enemy had the total victory over them The Walloons fought not that day according as they were wont to doe and the Germans made but little resistance And therefore the most that were slain or wounded were Italians In all there were above 1200 slain and almost as many taken There were 37 Colours lost and a great part of the Baggage There were not above 100 of the Enemy slain And Maurice wan such a Victory with the loss of so little blood as made much for the advantage of the Consederate Provinces and for his own Honour in War After this mischance the Cardinal failed not suddenly to provide for the necessities of Brabant by sending in many Horse and Foot He was about likewise to make many great new Levies But the King was in so great scarcity of monies as the Cardinal could not make provisions so soon nor yet so fully as the necessity of the Flanders affairs required and much more those which were of so great concernment on the part of France Nor was it long ere an occasion arose in France which being one of the most remarkable which the wars of France or Flanders hath produced in point of Surprise and Siege you shall have a particular diligent account thereof in the next Book THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Third Part. BOOK IV. The Contents The Spaniards surprise the City of Amiens by stratagem The King of France immediately besiegeth it The chiefest successes thereof and of the Defence are related The Cardinal-Archduke goes himself in person with a powerfull Army to relieve the besieged but being kept off by the Enemies forces the Town returns at last into the Kings hands who presently fortifies it with a strong Castle The Cardinal retreats to Artois and from thence passeth into Flanders Here he visits Ostend but not attempting any thing he returns to Brussels and puts his Army in garrison The acquisitions this mean while made by Count Maurice to the great advantage of the Confederate Provinces are related Nor is it long ere Peace is declared between the two Crowns so as the Kings Forces are now at liberty to attend only the proper affairs of Flanders At this same time great consultations are had in the Court of Spain about a Marriage propounded between the Cardinal-Archduke and the Infanta Isabella the Kings eldest daughter with the giving of the Low-Countries to the Infanta for her portion The King inclines thereunto out of many good reasons and therefore will have it effected The Archduke parts from Flanders to go for Spain and Cardinal Andrea d' Austria stayes in his place The Cardinal-Archduke is not well gone when the King of Spain dyes and his son Philip the Third succeeds him To whom the King had also a little before destined the Archdutchess Margaret of Austria for Wife HErnando Teglio Portocarrero was Governour of Dorlan being left there by Count Fuentes after the taking of that place as chosen by him for one of the best Souldiers that the Spanish Nation had in Flanders Portacarrero not satisfied with the bare custody of Dorlan wherein he was extraordinarily vigilant he oft-times issued out with his Garrison and assaulting the Enemy sometimes in open fields sometimes by ambushes now preying upon their Cattel and then setting their Villages on fire he was almost become the Terror of that Frontier But neither did his thoughts end here He had an earnest desire to doe some great action for the Kings service in those parts by which he himself might likewise acquire reward and glory Amiens is the chief City of Picardy and Dorlan is not above seven leagues distant from it This neighbourhood afforded occasion to Portacarrero to penetrate almost â—â—urly into what was done in Amiens and thereabouts That City had appeared much for the League and being now fallen into the Kings hands it coveted much to have its antient priviledges observed and especially that the City should be governed by Personages of their own Inhabitants and by their own proper Forces Nor would the King the present condition of affairs considered doe any thing to the contrary Thus the City was its own Guardian And though there were a great number of Citizens who had listed themselves under Colours yet were they not any way disciplind according to custom in the handling of their Arms nor were they so vigilant as they ought to have been in guarding their Gates The Country
without was not well surveyed before they opened them and being open they were but carelesly lookt unto and more for form sake then our of duty Portocarrero being fully informed hereof he thought he might by some stratagem surprise that Gate of Amiens which lay nearest Dorlan and 〈◊〉 then bringing in a great body of men he might possibly possess himself of the rest of the City To this end he by fitting means made the Gate be first well surveyed and all the Country and wayes thereabouts whereby with all possible secresie such men might be brought in as were to back the enterprise And this was the order he took to effect it Three Souldiers clad like Peasants of Picardy with sacks upon their backs full of Nuts and Beans and such like stuff were to seem as if they brought this ware into the City After the three Souldiers a Cart was to follow under the same pretence loaded with sacks of Corn but these sacks were to lie uppermost so as the superfices being only surveyed the rest of the body of the Cart should be full only of great Planks His design was to get within the Gate by means of this Cart and by the Planks to keep the Percullis from falling to the ground which otherwise might have been let down and so have kept the Assailants from coming in The guidance of the Cart and horses which were to draw it was given to eight or ten other Souldiers clad as were the other like Peasants who together with the other three were to be the first actors in the surprise The gate being thus got and the sign being given by the shooting off of a Pistol 300 Souldiers were presently to make in who were lodged as near the Gate as was possible and to behave themselves so in getting further into the City as the rest might have time to come up and perfect the work Thus had Portacarrero plotted the surprise and hoping still more and more to see it happily effected he with very great secresie dispatcht away Francesco del ' Arco a Spaniard to Brussels to acquaint the Cardinal therewithall and if he should approve of it to receive such Orders from him as were necessary for the putting of it in execution The Cardinal approved of all that was propounded and such Commissions were given as were requisite to such Commanders whose Garrisons lay nearest Dorlan Francisco del ' Arco being returned from Brussels with these Orders Portacarrero deferr'd the business no longer He gathered together with as much secresie as might be about 2200 Foot and 600 Horse and did so well lay the time and the places as they met all at Dorlan on the tenth of march The Foor consisted of 600 Spaniards of Germans Irish and Walloons all of them about the like number The Horse was composed part of Launciers part Curassiers part Harquebusiers in a like equal numbers of Spanish of Italians and walloons There could not be a more select company of Souldiers nor could they be commanded by more experienced Officers Jerollemo Caraffa Marquess of Montenegro a Neopolitan commanded the Horse But Portacarrero was to have the chief command as author of the design he as who had received ful authority from the Cardinal for the leading of it on Portacarrero was low of stature but of a very strong body and yet stronger soul and capable of guiding any enterprise no less for the maturity of his judgment then for his courage in execution Having then disposed of his men in such order as they were to march he went from Dorlan about the coming on of night and took his way towards Amiens He had not as yet discovered his design to any of them but after they were a little advanced he haulted and drawing aside the Captains both of Foot and Horse he with words full of Millitary vigour acquainted them with the occasion why they were first summoned to meet at Dorlan and wherefore they were now marching towards Amiens He shevved them the Cart and vvished them to speak to their souldiers that vvere to surprise the Gate He further added How great will be our good fortune how great our glory if we coming in with the rest of our men can purchase such a City for our King which is the chiefest of all Picardy and one of the most esteemed of all France How great wil the present plunder be for all of you And how much greater rewards are we hereafter to expect from our King But this action will prove particularly glorious to us the Commanders who making this success memorable to perpetuity shall thereby likewise eternise our own names Amiens is within three short dayes journeys of Paris the Country open without either rivers woods or any other obstacles Amiens may then be made so great a Magazin of Arms and may admit of so numerous a Garrison as may rather be termed an Army then a Garrison and how easily may we then march even to the gates of Paris Infest all the adjacent Country And every day add to our ecquisitions in Picardy So as the King of France will at last have good reason to repent his having chosen rather to make war then peace with our King I confess as there cannot be a purchase of greater importance so must we expect to meet with all â—â—ssiâ—le difficulties therein I know that the nature of a surprisal is and how great the difference is between the framing it in our fancies and the effecting of it I know that Amiens is a great City full of a warlike people and who will speedily make in either to keep us from making our selves Masters of the Gate or to take it from us when we hall have gotten it But I would we had got it as the careless keeping of it may make us hope we shall as for the rest it will be our parts by the vigour of our bodies and the valour of our arms not onely to maintain the entrance but to advance further into the inhabited places and at last to make full conquest of the City I soeake my hopes let us then couragiously pursue our march and let each of us discover the design unto our Souldiers and enflame them thereunto I for my part will rather act then command And whether I shall live or dye How can I live or dye more gloriously Portacarrero was very attentively listned unto for all the Commanders as also all their souldiers desired much to know what enterprise they were led unto at that time of the night and with such secresie The Commanders thought almost it impossible that so negligent guards should be kept in Amiens there being so many Spanish Garrisons neer it and the war being so hot round about They had therefore but small hopes of the surprisal judging that they should meet with much greater difficulties in endeavouring it then was thought upon when it was first designed but Portacarrero did so aver for truth all that he had told them as both they
and their souldiers shewed themselves ready to do what upon such an occasion might be desired of them They came to within sight of the Gate vvhich lies tovvards Dorlan and vvhich is called Montrecurt about the break of day there vvith great silence they possessed themselves of a certain Aâ—â—ey vvichin less then a mile of the City they took likevvise another place yet neerer the City where was a little Hermitage from thence those that were clad like Peasants advanced towards the Gate with their Cart and Sacks full of Apples and such other things as have been spoken of This mean while the Citizens opened the Gate and surveying the Country about with their wonted negligence They stayed in the Court de Gard under the same Gate but the souldiers were so few in number and so unfit for such an office as the Gate could not be more weakly nor more negligently kept It was now Lent and Sermons being usually made in France early in the morning almost all the people were then at Church Francisco d' Arco had the command of those that were clad like Peasants and who were to make the surprise he who as you have heard Portacarrero sent to Brussels to negotiate the business with the Cardinal Baptista Dognano a Milonoise was another chiefly imploy'd and Captain la Croy with particular diligence attended upon the Cart who was a Burgonian The rest were almost all Walloons who by reason of the neighbourhood of Frontier were better known both in the language and fashion of the Peasants of Picardy But were all of them Souldiers of tryed fidelity and valour As they drew neer the gate these mingled themselves with other Country people who entred the Town at the same time either to buy or to sell commodities Wherefore entring more easily with them into the Ravelin which covers the Gate they stayed under the Arch thereof and one of them letting the Sack fall which was upon his shoulders the nuts and things that were in scattered upon the ground those of the Guard ran in and mocking either the simplicity or poverty of the Peasants began to scramble for what was on the ground the Cart came in this interim which being made to stay by him who guided it at the first entrance into the Gate the horses were presently fastned lest frighted at the noise which was to ensue they might run away elsewhere with the Cart. Francisco d' Arco was to give notice to Portacarrero of the Carts being entred by the shooting off of a Pistol which he failed not to do for carrying two under his counterfeit habit he discharged one of them in the brest of one of those that kept the Gate Which when he had done his assotiates did the like and seising upon some Halberts which belonged to the same Corps de Gard they so behaved themselves as they slew or deadly wounded all those few French who had the custody either of the gate or of the ravelin For the better security of the Gate it had two Perculleses which over-hung it they were guarded by a sentinel who let them both down the first was easily kept from falling to the ground by the Cart but the second broke it all in peeces and almost quite shutting up the passage brought the Assailants into great straits when the other who were hid in the Hermitage came in with all speed who securing themselves first of the Raveling without and suddenly taking away all hinderances within made themselves Masters of all the avenues to the Gate The noise was already grown so great as many of the neerest Inhabitants taking up arms and hastning thither began boldly to oppose the assailants who increasing still in number and in courage easily overcame all opposition insomuch as having won the first Avenues to the City and fully secured the Gate as also the contiguous walls they afforded time for the rest of the Foot and Horse to come up and fortunately to perfect the premediated design Nothing is so prejuditial or doth more endanger surprises then giving way to fall suddenly and tumultuously to plunder for in such a case the Townsmen within may either take up arms or the Enemy may come in from without so as the Assailants may be easily supprest by reason of their being disperst and disordered amidst rapine and other military licentiousness For this cause Portacarrero commanded under penalty of the severest punishment that none of his men should dare to fall to plunder the City till the market places chief streets and all the Gates were fully taken and well guarded which being by him performed in great order and the souldiers in much obedience they fell to plunder of which they found such and so great store as few the like was met withal in all the vvars of France and of Flanders Count St. Paul Governour of Picardy vvas in Amiens at the time of the surprisal but he vvas got out as the Assailants first entred providing in great haste for his ovvn safety and leaving his vvife there vvho vvas presently set at liberty by Portacarrero and used with all respect and honour The plunder lasted one whole day and nothing else of cruelty was used nor of dissolute licentiousness There were not above 100 of the Inhabitants slain and three or four of the assailants and some few others were hurt At the news of the surprise and plunder many other souldiers of the neighbouring Spanish Garisons came flying in to partake of the plunder and who afterwards helped very much for the defence of Amiens for Portacarrero would not permit them to go out again Yet for greater security he disarmed the Citizens and with great vigilancy ordering all things every where as best befitted the safety of the City he together with the rest of the Commanders and all the souldiers prepared with all courage to sustain that hard and dangerous siege which he foresaw would soon befall them by the King of France This mean while the King had speedy advertisement both of the surprise so boldly undertaken and of the happy success thereof It is impossible to relate how much he was afflicted at this his mischance and how much he was inwardly tormented in his mind particularly in the point of Honour He seemed to be much offended with himself Had he so quelled the Rebelloin of France and so supprest the League maintained by the Spaniards to the end that breaking into war with them their sole Forces should triumph over his How many victories had Fuentes got the year before sometimes by sieges sometimes by open field-fight and how many other great acquisitions had the Cardinal Archduke lately made was not that of Calis sufficient by open siege but that the other of Amiens must issue by surprise What two other Towns could the Spaniards have desired whereby they might receive more advantage in the affairs of France both by sea and land The way was short and free between the Gates of Amiens and Paris Nor did
Calis afford less opportunity to offend so noble a part of the Kingdom by sea And what would Europe think of a King who contented with his only home-victories should suffer himself to be thus overcome by Forreign Forces How much would the Malcontents of the Kingdom be hereby incouraged to set the League on foot again perhaps which was or too lately supprest or not yet fully extinguished Thus did the King of France with great anger storm against himself for the surprisal of Amiens Being then thus agitated by these considerations he speedily removed from Paris to Co bie a Town standing upon the banks of Some not above three leagues from Amiens Here he together with Marishal Biroun and other Commanders in war resolved immediately to incamp before that City and not to leave any thing undone whereby to drive out the Spaniards and to free Picardy from all their Forces Biroun Commanded the Kings Forces who being naturally very haughty thought it redounded much to his own particular dishonour that the Spaniards should daily make such advancements in those parts The King therefore commanded him that mustering together as many of the French souldiery as might be had from the neighbouring Garisons he should begin to begirt Amiens and to take a particular care that no fresh men should enter into it This order being given and such others as were requisite upon such an occurrency the King went again to Paris to sollicite such Forces and preparations from all parts as were requisite for such an undertaking The River Some runs a long course through Picardy and cutting it as it were through in the middle fals afterwards into the British Sea Upon the Banks of this River stands the chiefest Cities and Towns of the Province But Amiens doth flourish there beyond them all as well for the antiquity of its foundation as for the beauty of its buildings and for the quality industry and number of Inhabitants The Some enters it with many Branches and washing the wals in many places makes the circuit thereof stronger on those sides then on the others it is also well provided of Curtains Flanks and Ditches but that part which looks towards Flanders as being most subject to danger is best fortified And because the Spaniards in likelyhood would have endeavoured to relieve the City on that side and especially from Dorlan the Marishal Biroun did therefore incamp himself on that side and began to break up the ways to possess himself of the Passes and to design out his quarters for the future siege Portacarrero had this mean while sent back Francesco d' Arco to Brussels to advertise the Cardinal of his happy success and to desire him to send some new recruits of men with all speed Great store of Artillery Ammunition and Victuals was found in Amiens Portacarrero did therefore for the present only desire a recruit of men that so he might make good the Town till such time as the Cardinal might come to relieve it with a compleat Army The Cardinal shewed such signes of joy as became such a purchase and sent back the same Francesco d'Arco having first honoured him upon this occasion with a Company of Spanish Foot to assure Portacarrero that he would speedily send him some good succour and that he would forthwith muster the whole Army with which he himself would come in person and undoubtedly raise the siege On the other side the King of France being fully resolved to continue it went perpetually from one place to another to raise what moneys he could what men and what provisions as were requisite for such a purpose A Renovation of League was then in Treaty between him and the Queen of England which he very much desired might be effected And he Treated likewise with the United Provinces of Flanders that they might make some considerable diversion against the Spaniards and that in particular they might send him some aid for the business of Amiens The mean while Marishal Biroun prosecuted the already begun works he had thrown a bridg of boats over the uppermost part of the River between Corbie and Amiens and another over the lower part thereof where the Village Lompre stands to the end that he might have free passage from the one side of the River to the other and might at his pleasure joyn the Kings Forces on either side He drew a Line in compass from the one bridg to the other of well Flank'd Trenches towards the City but of much greater compass towards the field-side All these Works were made on the side towards Flanders as hath been said because the besieged were to be succoured from thence Nor did he forbear beleaguering the Town in such sort as was fitting on the side which lay towards France It is not to be said with what ardency and eagerness Biroun behaved himself adding a rigid imperious command to his innate pride and making it evidently appear in his Military haughtiness that he would bequeath the siege in such a condition to the King when his Majesty should come thither as he should acknowledg the good success thereof chiefly from him Thus had Biroun laid the siege but at the same time he hoped to make so important a surprise on the neighbouring Frontiers of Artois as the Spaniards should be so much the more hindred from the freeing of Amiens To this purpose he did so unexpectedly assault Arras by night which is the chiefest City of Artois with 4000 foot and 1200 horse as he indangered it He planted a Petard luckily his men began already to enter the Gate but the people thereof which are numerous and warlike taking up Arms the French were so on repulst wherein Count Bucquoy's valour did very much appear who being in Arras had the fortune to signalize himself more then any other upon that occasion Biroun being returned to his quarters about Amiens attempted another surprise by sealado against Dorlan but failed therein also So as quite forgoing these secret machinations he applyed himself wholly to the siege which he had begun No less vigilancy was in the interim used on the Spaniards behalf The Cavalier Pacciotto an highly esteemed Italian Ingenier and brother to the other Ingenier Pacciotto who was slain at the assault of Calis was by stealth gotten into Amiens and had brought Captain Lechiuga with him a Spaniard who very well understood the management of Artillery These two applyed themselves diligently the one to better the Fortifications where it was most needfull the other to dispose of the Artillery where they might be of greatest annoyance to the enemy And Biroun not having as yet fully finished his Trenches the Cardinal Archduke had given strict command that some endeavour should be made to put some new recruit of souldiers into Amiens from the Frontiers of Artois Count Bucquoy was to this effect in Dorlan with 4000 Walloon foot and John de Gusman with 300 horse And because it was afterwards feared that such a body of
the Rearguard he made his Army march leasurely and in good order off The French endeavoured more then once to indammage the Rear but the Flying-Squadron facing about and with miraculous discipline now handling their Pikes now their Muskets and being sheltred by the Horse likewise on both sides all the Enemies assaults proved vain Thus they marched for above two houres after which the Cardinals Camp being free from all molestation took up its quarters with all security and was by degrees divided in the neighbouring Frontiers of Artois At the Armies retreat the Cardinal signified to the besieged in Amiens that it being impossible to relieve them they should immediately surrender the City and not lose any more men to no purpose He infinitely praised their pains and promised them reward leaving them to make such conditions as they could at the surrender Which when they came to be treated of were granted them by the King in as ample manner and upon as honourable terms as could be by them desired He highly commended the worth they had shewed in defending themselves which had made the like of his Army appear in oppugning them The Marquis Montenegro marcht out of the Town with 800 sound Souldiers and above as many more that were wounded and was very graciously received by the King at his coming forth as also the other Commanders that came out with him When the King came into Amions he presently caused a strong Citadel to be designed there which was soon after built that it might serve for a greater curb to the people and be a greater safety to the City Then leaving Picardy he went to Paris where he was received with great applause by that multitude of people for his new atchieved glory in having so happily conducted so difficult a Siege for having hindred so powerfull a Succour and recovering a City of so great consequence to the interests of that Kingdom The Cardinal Archduke being retreated to Artois he presently sent some of his Forces to take Montalin the onely Town which remained in the French hands within the precincts appertaining to Calis and from whence Calis was much incommodiated The care of the enterprise was given to the Admiral of Aragon who finding the place not very strong nor yet well guarded took it within a few dayes The King of France was already gone from Picardy nor was it known that he had as then any further end upon that Frontier Wherefore the Cardinal resolved to leave Artois likewise and to give some satisfaction to the Province of Flanders which did very much desire that Ostend might be besieged The Cardinal would therefore go thitherward himself and causing the Town to be well surveyed he thought it was impossible to keep it from being succour'd Wherefore as also because Autumn was already well advanced the Cardinal determined to leave the enterprise till a better conjuncture Nor having any other in which it was fitting to imploy his Army at that time wherein there was hapned a new Mutiny again he resolved to send it to its winter-quarters and came himself with his Court about the end of November to Brussels But the United Provinces lost not the opportunity this mean whiles which offered it self so favourably to them The Cardinal by reason of the siege of Amiens being gone with so many Forces towards the Frontiers of France and having left the peculiar affairs of Flanders in a forlorn condition Count Maurice took presently to the Field And having speedily raised about the beginning of August an Army of 10000 Foot and 2500 Horse together with a great Train of Artillery and whatsoever else was requisite for his designed ends he went to besiege Reinberg a Town situated upon the left side of the Rhine It had but few Souldiers in Garrison and was but weakly provided of all things else Wherefore Maurice coming without any difficulty to the Walls and playing upon them with his Cannon he forced the besieged in a few dayes to surrender the Town From thence he went to before Mures a Town not far from thence but somwhat remote from the Rhine And meeting with the like weak defence he with the like easiness won it He this mean while had thrown a bridg of Boats over the Rhine and passing with all his Army to the other side he sate down before Groll a strong Town both by nature and art He found some greater resistance there yet many provisions being wanting which are most necessary for sustaining a siege having dryed the Ditch on one side and threatening a furious Assault he forced the Defendants to deliver up the Town From thence he turned to Oldensel a weak Town which he therefore soon took And no Town remaining now at the Kings devotion in those parts but Linghen a place well flanked and fortified by a good Castle Maurice incamped before it and besieged it straitly on all sides Count Frederick de Berg defended it which he did very valiantly for many days But that place being but ill provided as were the rest he was forced to surrender it upon very honourable conditions So to boot with Reinberg and Mures all the whole Country on the other side the Rhine fell in a short time under the Dominion of the United Provinces which in acknowledgment of so advantagious successes did forthwith give the same Town of Linghen with the Territories thereunto belonging which make up a very noble Lordship to Count Maurice and to his heirs for ever About the end of Autumn Maurice returned with his men to their quarters and passing himself afterwards to the Hague he was received there with demonstrations of great joy Which afforded new occasions to such Provinces as were yet obedient to the King to complain and grieve considering that for the interests of France which were very uncertain the self-affairs of Flanders were so much neglected And they were more scandalized that to defend the Catholick cause in that Kingdom for the advantage of strangers the same cause was abandoned in the Kings own Country suffering so great a part thereof to fall into the hands of Rebels and Hereticks who by all the most desperate means would implacably maintain their double perfidiousness against the Church and King Thus ended this year and the year 1598 insued memorable for two of the greatest events which could then have hapned The one Peace concluded between the two Kings after so bitter war and the other the Marriage between the Cardinal Archduke and the Infanta Isabella the King of Spains eldest daughter to whom the King her Father gave the whole Low-Countries for her Dowry As concerning the Peace Pope Clement the eight had mediated it awhile before moved thereunto by the same zeal whereby he had already so happily reconciled the King of France to the Apostolick See and afterwards indeavoured to reconcile the two Kings by making such a peace as might conduce to the establishing of universal quiet in Christendom To this purpose having first wisely
And doubtlesly there was not any one of the Spanish Nation who was as then highlyer esteemed in the Military profession This Fuentes opposed himself with all his might to the propounded marriage with the cession of the Low-Countries But on the other side Christoval di Moura Count of Castel Roderigo who was in great authority with the King did stiffiy maintain the contrary opinion Moura was come out of Portugal many years before the devolution of that Kingdom and came to Madrid with the Dowager Princess Donna Jovanna the Kings sister being in a very good place about her and after her death he was suddenly taken into the Kings Court where he was entertained in many noble imployments When the devolution did afterwards happen the King imployed none more then Moura in the occurrences of that so important Negotiation in so much as the differences which were therein met withall were soon overcom by the Duke of Alba with Forces on the other part and by Moura his negotiating on the other part wherby Moura stil increasing in favor merit and authority with the King none shared more thereof then he in these latter times The King being willing therefore to put on his fall resolution touching this business sent for his Councel one day into his own bed-chamber where for the most part he lay in bed by reason of his great years and the gout which he was troubled withall and where ount Fuentes spake thus The advantage is so great most powerfull Prince which those so many members whereof your Majesties Empire is composed do receive from Flanders as to bereave it of so noble a member now cannot in my opinion but be of great prejudice to the rest Wheresoever the run goes it looks upon some one of your Kingdoms But though the world reverence you in so many parts and bow unto you it is notwithstanding seen that your Enviers and Enemies respect your Greatness and fear it more from that of Flanders then from all the rest What and how great the opportunities of those Provinces are none knows better then your self There were you put into the Inheritance of that so glorious Emperor your Father before you were yet his Heir by that his so memorable Renunciation There you began to take the conduct of so eminent and so painfull a Government And tarrying there afterwards about a year you your self had still better occasion to know how much the possessing of those States did import your greatness together with the rest of your Empire By the Arms of Flanders you did then make an advantagious Peace with the King of France with those Arms you have ofttimes succoured the Catholick Cause in that Kingdom and maintained your own with much honour in these last times against the now present King And how oft have you from thence assisted the Catholicks of Germany and in what a terror from that side more especially did you put England not many years ago The world turns round with perpetual vicissitude and is continually producing new things And therefore it is to be believed that by the occasion of past times other the like will arise in times to come insomuch as the Arms of Flanders are likely to be no less necessary hereafter thereabouts either for the good of the Church or of this Crown or of them both their welfare being seldom severed I know not withstanding how much those Provinces are lessened and confess that dangers may daily grow greater there by the obstinate home-Rebellion and by the malignant correspondencie which hath always been had there from neighbours Yet when you shall well weigh the remainder of the yet obedient Provinces of Flanders and shall add thereunto the other Forces which your so powerfull Monarchy will be able to subminister thereunto wherefore may it not be hoped that your Majesties so just cause may be thereby bettered or at least be secured from growing worse If the wars in those parts should cease by reason of this new propounded Principality and that the expences should likewise cease there this Crown would doubtlesly be thereby much eased and in such a case it might the better be without those Provinces But it being to be believed that War will grow hotter there then ever through the love the Rebels have taken to Liberty and Heresie and through the hatred which they consequently bear unto the Austrian blood and especially to this Kingdom from whence the new Principality is to proceed will not the burthen of the Forces and Expences lie still upon this Crown If otherwise To what purpose should a new Principality be erected if it were not to be maintained by the Forces of Spain So the prejudice which would redound to your Monarchy by the one side would not be recompenced by any benefit from the other And so wanting that advantage which it hath always received from the Flanders Forces it might receive thereby such prejudice as might every day peradventure prove worse Let Spain then keep Flanders and let that your Empires Magazine of Arms be preserved Great Empires cannot be without Arms nor can Wars be made without Souldiers nor Souldiers be bred but amongst Arms. And what more flourishing Seminary of Souldiers can Spain desire then that of Flanders which she hath for so many years enjoyed and doth still enjoy My opinion therefore is that your Majesty shall not doe well to mutilate those so important Provinces from your other Dominions Your Majesties greatness and infinite wisdom will not want other means whereby to accommodate the Illustrious Infanta according to her own high worth and her exalted degree But the Count of Castel Rodorigo was of another opinion and spoke thus I should never be of opinion most glorious Prince that your Majesty should diminish any the least part of your Kingdoms and Dominions if I should not think that that diminishing should tend rather to the advancement then prejudice of your greatness The marriage of the most illustrious Infanta is now the business in hand every one know what and how sublime prerogatives both of blood and of merit meet in her Highness Now if out of the immense body of so many States which your Majesty by Gods goodness are Master of her Highness may be endowed with some of them by the parting wherewith the rest may rather be bettered then impaired wherefore should not your Majesty willingly give way thereunto And this being granted it is not to be doubted but that your infallible wisdom will presently point out unto you your Provinces of Flanders They are most remote from all the rest of your Empire the most differing both in tongue custom laws and all things else It is they who more then all the rest abhor to fall under the Government of Foreigners as they term them and consequently do most desire to have a particular Prince of their own Out of all these reasons hardly was your Majesty gone from thence when Heresie began to creep in amongst them
either man or woman they should not marry without the knowledg and consent of the King for the time being That if the issue of the Princes of Flanders should fail those Countries should revert to the Crown of Spain That those Princes should be bound to make their Subjects desist from their Navigation into the Indies That when they should come to their succession they should swear to profess the Catholick Apostolick Roman religion And that if they should fail in any of all these Conditions those Countries should again revert to the Crown of Spain These were the chief Articles Neither in this Grant did the King reserve any thing to himself nor to any of his successors save only that they might intitle themselves Dukes of Burgony and retain the Order of the Golden-Fleece The Marriage being agreed upon the King immediately sent the Articles away to the Archduke to the end that he calling together the States-Generall of the obedient Provinces as soon as he could should procure their necessary consent The Assembly was held in Brussels and after some difficulties the Articles were approved of with unexpressible signs of joy Jubile by those people to think that Flanders might hope to return again under its own ancient Principality But it is not to be said how much contrary at the same time the other Provinces which had withdrawn themselves from the obedience of the Church and King of Spain appeared to the sense of these Catholick Provinces They spightfully gave out that this would prove but a naked and vain Principality That the Infanta being already well advanced in years the Spaniards would with specious allurements give a barren Marriage unto Flanders That therefore the new Princes would rather appear as Governors then as Princes That being still to be maintained by Spanish Forces the Spaniards would domineer over them more then ever That in the Articles of Marriage Flanders was spoke of as a Feudatory to Spain and not as a Country depending upon its own Soveraignty to witness which those Articles were full of Conditions whereby the States of the new Princes might soon fall again to the Crown of Spain But that let what will happen the United Provinces would never change their former Resolves nor ever acknowledge any other Empire then their own The Archduke prepared this mean while to go for Spain whether the King was very earnest with him to come But it behoved him first to provide for many necessities appertaining to the affairs of Flanders In particular the mutiners disorders were grown to that excess as the plague thereof infected even the best qualified Garisons It began first to creep into all those Towns of Picardy which the Spaniards were to quit in relation to the peace So as to restore them with satisfaction to the Garisons had cost a vast sum of mony Afterwards in Flanders the Garisons accustomed to be in the Citadels of Cambray Antwerp and Gaunt which were the three most suspicious Bulwarks of the obedient Provinces did likewise mutiny And this Infection in fine was dispersed into so many other parts as one Garison seemed to contend with another in shewing no further inclination but rather a repugnancy to the service of the King of Spain Their want of pay might in some sort excuse them but the corruption was much greater then it needed to have been But at last new monies coming from Spain and the Country having furnished some the Archduke was able to satisfie the souldiery and to betake himself to his intended voyage for Spain In his absence the Admiral of Aragon was to have the chief command of the Militia and in the intire administration Cardinal Andrea d' Austria Bishop of Constance who to this end was already parted from his house in Germany to come for Flanders The King desired very much to see his daughter married before he should die wherefore he renewed his desires to the Archduke that laying aside his Cardinals habit and taking upon him the habit of a secular Prince he should come unto him with all speed Yet could not the Archduke hasten his journey for to boot with the aforesaid reasons the marriage being at the same time concluded between the Prince of Spain and the Archdutchess Margaret of Austria who was then at Grats the chief Town of Carinthia the Archduke was to take her from thence together with the Archdutchess her mother and to carry them both to Spain This mean while Cardinal Andrea came into Flanders to govern those States as you have heard till such time as the new Princes should come The Cardinal arrived some few days before the Archduke went thence And having received full information concerning the affairs of those Countries about the midst of September the Archduke took his journey towards Germany first to visit his brother the Emperour and then to go for Grats as aforesaid But he was not well thereinto entred when he heard news that the King still more opprest with years and sickness died about the midst of that very month Who was then little above 70 years old the last of which had been very painfull to him by reason of the extraordinary torment which he had suffered by the gout Thus after having reigned three and forty years dyed Philip the second King of Spain and Lord of so many other Kingdoms and Countrys He was little of stature but well proportioned of a Noble aspect in all the lineaments and colours thereof Austriacal No age peradventure ever saw a graver nor a more composed Prince He had a capacity in Governing answerable to so large an Empire He was notwithstanding still more inclined to peace then war Wherefore passing into Spain after his last voyage and abode in Flanders he kept continually there issuing out his Commissions from that Center in his Chamber and like an Oracle and governing Wars at all times where it was needfull by his Commanders He had four wives and by three of them he had many sonns and daughters By the first he had Charls whose Tragical end shews with what reason Princes thereunto constrained by just necessity prefer the obligation due unto their States before the love of their bloud And by the last he had Philip the third who hath given another Philip to the Government of the Spanish Monarchy By nature and much more by choice the second was very jealous of his Authority in so much as he inclined to severity nor was he almost ever seen to lay aside that Majestical gravity which he at all times and in all his actions observed both in his speech and countenance He was very easie to give audience nor was he less gratious in tollerating them then in giving them It not being known that he ever interrupted any one how much so ever the speaker might abuse his benignity and patience He spent almost all the rest of his time in business knowing that so vast an Empire required frequency in business In the first place he
was severely carefull of Piety and Justice And did always imploy his worthiest Subjects in the administration of them both chusing them of himself unexpectedly according as their merits did suggest unto him His so great age and so long Government made him try the more various turns of Fortune and made it the more appear how equal how constant and how much superior to himself he was in all successes And indeed it may be doubted whether prosperous or adverse Fortune swayed most with him For what greater felicity could he desire then to enjoy Spain with so much quiet then to command it wholly every where with the addition of Portugal then to enjoy so peaceably his Territories in Italy and see himself so much respected in those that appertained to others then to have the memmorable victory of Lepanto in favour of the Christians in so great a part attributed unto him then to have so highly maintained the reputation of his name and made the Majesty of his Empire be still so reverenced and feared But he accounted it his greated fortune and glory to be held so great a defender of the Church and that upon so many occasions and in so many parts recourse was had to his zeal for the favouring and protecting thereof These and many others were his prosperities sundry times both in peace and in war On the contrary what greater adversity could befall him then to see Flanders amidst so long and so horrible troubles then to lose so much of that his most antient patrimony then to have his most remotest Countrys of the Indies wounded by that wound Then to have so unfortunately lost that great Armado which was to have assaulted England Nor had his designs in the revolutions of France any ways answered his hopes The domestical events of his own house may likewise be said to have been not very fortunate Having hardly one son by so many marriages The fatal death of the first with the suspitions also of Don Johns death So much more seeming then true are the felicities which the vulgar do so much adore in Princes And so much greater proof thereof do they give who are in highest places with them But in affairs of Fortune as most of these were humane wisdom is not to be blamed For what remains so eminent were Philip the second 's vertues and which made him so memorable a Prince as doubtlesly few like him have been found either in former or in latter times THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Third Part. BOOK V. The Contents The Archduke goes to carry the new Queen of Spain from Germany They arrive happily at the King her husbands Court. The King hath this mean while powerfull Forces in Flanders But great mutinies insue and great sums of money are spent in appeasing them So as for want of pay the Army is wintered in the neighbouring Countrys of Cleves and Westfalia and in other places under the jurisdiction of the Empire The Princes that are interessed are sensible of this Novelty They indeavour to receive satisfaction by way of Treaty which not obtaining they at last resolve to have it by force Yet they move but slowly The Kings Army is this mean while drawn out into the field under the Government of the Admiral of Arragon General of the Horse They advise what to fall upon and by Cardinal Andrea's intervention they resolve to enter the Island of Bomel and to besiege the Town of Bomel which denominates that Island But Count Maurice opposeth them with such Forces as the Admiral is forced to forgoe that design The Cardinal resolves afterwards to plant a great Fort upon a narrow passage of the Island to the end that so he might command the chiefest passes over the Mause and Wahal and cals it the Fort of St. Andrea Great haste is made in the erecting of it and notwithstanding all the enemy could do it is brought to perfection The German Camp begins at last to move It first besiegeth Reinberg but soon retreats with no great honour From thence it goes to recover the Town of Res and rises from thence likewise in great disorder and confusion Great discords happen between the Commanders thereof So as it soon disbands and is afterwards dissolved The new Princes of Flanders part from Spain They come to Italy and pass the Alpes at Turin They come to their own Country An Interview between them and Cardinal Andrea who returns into Germany and the new Princes are received with all solemnity in Brussels PHILIP the second King of Spain being dead the Archduke hastens his journey that he might the sooner bring a wife to the succeeding Philip the third to which purpose the Archduke was gone for Germany as you heard before He came with all speed to Prague where having visited his brother the Emperor he went to Grats and from thence to Italy by the way of Tirol with the new Queen and her mother the Archdutchess Pope Glement the eight was then in the City of Ferrara which together with the Dukedome thereof was devolved the year before to the Apostolick See The occasion of this his neighbourhood was very acceptable to the new Queen and the Archduke that so they might have their marriages celebrated by the Pope Nor was the Pope less glad to celebrate them They therefore passed from Trent with all their attendance to Ferrara where being received as became so great Princes both their marriages were effected by the Pope in the Cathedral Church with such solemnity and magnificence as was most requisite for such an action by such a hand between such personages The Kings part was supplyed by way of Proxy by the Archduke and the Infanta Isabella's by the Duke of Lasse the King of Spains Ambassador in the Popes Court. The Queen departing then from that City together with her Mother and the Archduke they followed on their journey towards Milan where having staid a while they went to Genua and taking ship there they in a few days fail arrived happily in Spain Where we will leave them and continuing to relate the affairs of Flanders we will with all brevity acquaint you with what passed there till such time as the new Princes came thither The Archduke at his departure had left these particular directions with the Admiral of Aragon That he should endeavour to preserve the Army as much as he could till his return from Spain That therefore he should shun all difficult sieges so not to lose his men nor be at greater expences That by all means be should endeavour to get some good pass over the Rhine that so if it were possible he might enter the Enemies Country on the other side and quarter his Army there Which if he could not do that then he should strive to quarter it in the neutral Countries of the Duke of Cleves and others of the like nature thereabouts The Archduke left this last condition in particular to
men with all diligence as they could assemble together they made them all come into the same Province that they might make use of them against the Enemy and oppose all their designs A good part of their men had mutinied as you have heard and therefore they could not make so great a Body nor so vigorous Forces as so weighty an occasion did require The Spanish mutineers who as you have heard were in Diste were contented to come unto the Army with 800 Foot and 600 Horse provided they might serve under their own Commanders and Officers It was impossible to bring the Italian mutineers at Hamont to this because they were not yet wholly agreed nor gone to Verte as you heard before they were to do By reason of these mutinies and for that the Arch-Dukes souldiers did still diminish they could not assemble on their sides above 12000 Foot and 1200 Horse These came marcing apace and before the Arch-Duke's was come to Gaunt Velasco General of the Artillery was already march'd forwards towards Bruges with 3000 Foot and 300 Horse the rest followed under the two other chief Commanders The Admiral of Aragon General of the Horse Count Frederick de Berg who supplyed the place of Camp-master General in lieu of Count Mansfield who by reason of his great age could no longer exercise that place in his own person The Army was made up of Spaniards Italians Germans and Walloons together with some Burgonians and Irish. The way by which they marched led them close by the walls of Gaunt which the Arch-Dukes were well pleased withal that they themselves might appear in Person whereby the more to encourage the souldiery upon this so great Emergency They therefore went out into the field and the Infanta getting on horse-back and followed by all her Court on horse-back likewise she presented her self before the colours where in particular the Spanish mutineers were She was endowed with a Princely aspect and masculine valors and being so long bred up amidst the chiefest negotiations of the world in the School of such a father she was very knowing therein and capable thereof Suffering her self first to be fully seen and the Army being much joyed with her presence she by her weighty and sprightly words did yet more enharten them against the Enemy Saying There were never any souldiers who fought in the defence of a more just cause That many of them had been in Flanders from the very first beginning of the war and therefore knew how oft by all convenient waies the King her father had endeavoured to reduce the Rebels to their due obedience That now they had peculiar Princes of their own separated from the Crown of Spain according to their ancient desire and were notwithstanding still more obstinate then ever in their Rebellion That they warred likewise against God more then against their Soveraigns having opposed from the beginning and still continuing to oppose Heresie to the Catholick Religion That therefore neither she nor the Arch-Duke could any waies doubt but that the souldiers of that Army who were all of them so Catholick so valiant and so Loyal would shew themselves to be the same men in the present occasion as they had alwaies been formerly That to boot with the certain reward that their service which they should do to God bore with it they might also assure themselves to be rewarded by the Arch-Duke by her and by the King her Brother with whom their cause went joyntly hand in hand That they should not doubt of pay For monies were expected from Spain and some large sums were hoped for from the obedient Provinces of Flanders But that if all other waies should be wanting she would make use of her own Jewels to that purpose and of the very Plate she used for her own service These words were received by the Army with incredible applause each souldier striving who should shew himself most ready to dye for the Infanta with his sword in his hand and especially upon this occurrency Nor was the Arch-Duke wanting in adding what he thought fitting to continue the souldiers the more in their present good disposition declaring at last that he would be there himself in person and run the same fortune with them The Army being marched on the Arch-Duke went likewise from Gaunt and about the end of June came to Bruges where the whole Army was mustered The first counsel they took was to regain the Forts which were faln into the Enemies hands in consequence whereunto that of Audemburg was suddenly set upon with such resolution as the defendants either for want of Forces or want of courage did immediately surrender it From thence the Catholicks went and with equal violence assaulted the other of Sneascherch and being withstood by those within the Fort was soon stormed and all the Garrison put to the sword By this example the Enemies did of themselves forgo the Forr of Bredene From hence without any delay the Army marched towards the Fort St. Alberto which was the greatest and best provided and marched towards the Enemies Camp Count Maurice did then send 2000 Foot the most of which were Scots with some Troops of Horse commanded by Count Ernestus of Nassaw to possess themselves of a Pass wherein he thought to entertain the Catholick Camp longer thinking that it would not so soon advance towards his Army These souldiers of the Enemy gave at unawares upon the Catholicks who finding themselves so much superiour in numbers and with such advantage of fresh success soon routed the Adversary and made a bloody slaughter amongst them This happened on the second of July in the morning and they had yet a considerable way to march before they could come up to the Enemies Camp to assault it Wherefore the Arch-Duke desired to know what his Councel of war thought fittest to be done Velasco the General of the Artillery was so far behinde with above 3000 Foot as he could not come up time enough to the rest of the Army when the Arch-Duke would notwithstanding have marched speedily to the Enemy Who were likewise lessened in their numbers by reason of the late loss of the Scots by reason of those that were either lost or left in the Forts for that Maurice at his coming to Ostend had added to the former Garison thereof When the Archdukes Councel of war came to speak their opinions it was variously disputed Amongst the Spanish Commanders Camp-master Gasper Zapena was particularly well esteemed of for his valour and for his long experience which notwithstanding made him always rather imbrace cautious then hazardous resolutions He was clean against falling violently upon the Enemy then He considered That they were to make above an houre and a halfs march before they could come to where they were that the Catholicks would come thither after their journey and their that mornings fight And what military Maxim said he is it that doth teach to fall with blind resolution upon an
out how much would the affairs of the King and Archdukes be thereby advantaged It not being to be doubted but that as the Enemy had done most mischief by Sea so most mischief was to be done to them thereby And for what concerned the place wherein the Gallies were to keep the Haven or Channel of Sluce was thought the fittest it being nearest Zealand capable of all manner of Vessels munited with good Forts in the mouth thereof and having so important a Town on the back thereof as Sluce whither the Gallies might at all times easily come and keep with all safety Frederick having then fully informed himself of the Maritime affairs of Flanders and especially concerning the aforesaid Squadron of Gallies he resolved to go himself to the Court of Spain to propound the business to the King and to get the imployment for himself Marquis Spinola Fredericks eldest Brother joyned in opinion with him desirous to raise his House as much as he could in his Country of Genua and to agrandise it by the way of War especially with the Crown of Spain And though the Marquis being thirty years old had not till then taken upon him the military profession yet he had always had a great inclination thereunto and had parts to make himself famous therein when he should be invited thereunto by any honorable imployment Frederick being come to Madrid he so negotiated the business as the Proposition of the Gallies was fully approved of both by the King and his Councel and the Command thereof with all fitting authority was assigned to him Six were thought sufficient for that time and they were taken from out the Spanish Squadron with intention to increase them if the effects thereof should answer their hopes Frederick having brought these Gallies to Flanders it is not to be believed how much the Navigation of the Hollanders and Zealanders in those parts was thereby incommodated For putting forth for the most part unexpectedly from the Channel of Sluce particularly in Calms when Vessels of sail use not to move he flew boldly sometimes upon one sometimes upon another taking some sinking others and much indamaging others It was notwithstanding found by experience that the six Gallies were not sufficient to carry men enough to in damage the Enemy by Land also and to endeavour some important surprise He therefore went again into Spain where being well received he used such prevalent reasons as prevailed with the King to send eight other Gallies to the former six and to give way that for the service of the whole Squadron he and the Marquis his brother might raise 800â— Foot in the State of Milan and might carry them to Flanders Frederick went with these Orders to Genua and from thence with his Brother to Milan where Count Fuentes was Governour from whom having received requisite authority for the raising of 8000 men the Marquis took the sole care thereof and with the like diligence Frederick returned to effect the aforesaid business in Spain They did both of them act their parts very well To which their own monies did contribute very much for thereby they were a great help unto the King in the monies he was to disburse and they did likewise procure many of their kindred and friends in Genua to doe the like So as what was to be done by each of them was with all speed effected When the Marquis had raised his men which were all very gallant men he departed in the beginning of May in that year 1602. towards Flanders The Levy was divided as we told you into two Brigades The Marquis himself was Campmaster of the one and had for his Serjeant-Major Pompey Justinian an old Flemish Souldier And Lucio Dentici was Campmaster of the other and Augustine Arconato was his Serjeant-Major both of them having served many years formerly in the same war The Marquis went by the way of Savoy and being well come to the Province of Luxenburg he presently went to Gaunt where the Archduke then was that he might receive such Orders from him as he upon such an occasion should think fitting But Frederick had not the like good success in the conducting of his Gallies For tarrying longer in Spain then he needed to have done as he went from Porto Sancta Maria two of his Gallies were taken from him in fight by some of the Hollanders ships and three more in the same manner as he past afterwards through the English Channel so as he could bring but three to Sluce yet most of the men were saved which were all of them Spaniards under the Campmaster John di Menesses a Portuguese who came likewise safe to the same place But to return to the Marquis He came with his men just at the time when the Archduke stood most in need of such a recruit Count Maurice was already marched into the fields and with such Forces as the United Provinces till then had never had greater He had made his Rendezvouz at Niminghen and his Army consisted of 24000 Foot and 6000 Horse with all other abundance of Artillery Ammunition and Victuals 'T was thought that his design was to cross through Brabant and so advance forwards to the relief of Ostend and then to to besiege Newport again All which he might easily have done For had it not been for the Aid which at that time came from Italy the Archdukes could have made no opposition in the field to so many adverse Forces with theirs of Flanders alone The Orders which the Marquis received from the Archduke was That he should presently go with all his men to find out the Admiral of Aragon who with other 6000 Foot and 4000 Horse was marching towards the Enemy to discover all their design and then to disturb them therein as much as he could The Marquis being joyned with the Admiral the Army was brought to Telemone a good Town almost in the heart of Brabant where making their rendezvouz it was resolved that the Army should lie without the Town towards that part where it was thought the Enemy would appear Nor was it long ere Maurice came to St. Truden a Town in the Country of Liege and within three leagues of Tilemone From thence Count Maurice came to within one league of the Catholick Camp but finding the opposition greater then he thought he should have done he resolved to retreat backward And after several false appearances of sieges that he might the better conceal the true one he at last sat down before Graves which as it hath been formerly said lies upon the left side of the Mause It is a Town which belongs to Brabant strong both by situation and art and which commands a Pass of great consequence upon that River On the opposite side there stood a little Redout which served for the better guarding of that Pass Maurice divided his Quarters on both sides and endeavoured particularly to secure them on the outward side which might be easeliest assaulted Antonio Gonsales
together with some other of our writings concerning the Affairs of Flanders and that even since then we had a thought of composing this intire present History of the War which happened in those Provinces till by the Truce Arms were laid down we will therefore here insert the same Relation though it were formerly printed it being a member which ought also to be joyned to this body in this place and which will now fully compleat it The Command of the Catholick Army being past into Marquis Spinola's hands great were those designes as you have heard which he brought with him from Spain to Flanders to make the chief seat of the War on the other side the Rhine and to straiten the enemy the most they could in those parts To this purpose were the extraordinary Forces in the two last fields raised But though great advantages were gotten thereby yet fell they far short of the conceived hopes It was seen that Spain could not continue to maintain so excessive an expence That for want of money a new Mutiny had again happened That another might insue and that one of these disorders did much confound and distort the whole body of the Army Spinola was so troubled with these and some other reflections of importance as he at last fell upon those very considerations which already divers of the gravest and best experienced State-Ministers both of Spain and Flanders had faln upon touching the difficulties and dangers which the Warre of Flanders and the going about to weaken or subdue the Enemy by force of Arms brought with it They discoursed thus amogst themselves That all the good they had reaped by forty years War was their having made the Enemy the more strong more resolute to defend their usurpt liberty more firm in the union which they had established amongst themselves and better united to the forein Princes whho sided with them That Nature's self might be said to have fought always for them by their Bulwarks of Sea and Rivers and their strong scituations in all other parts and that where nature was wanting there industry together wih their so many well munited places did make amends That their power by land was verygreat in all things else and their power as sea so great as that the Crown of Spain had been much indamaged thereby even in the East-Indies and was in danger of being a greater sufferer by them in the West-Indies also What amass of strength on the other side and money must it cost the King to maintain the War of Flanders That doubtlesly his Empire was very large but much discunited Flanders the most disunited member of the whole body of his Dominions both by sea and land That the sea was blocked up by the Enemies ships That their passage by land did depend upon many Princes which alwaies caused great difficulties in their sending of aid and destroyed their men more by their marches then by their bickerings Then how many corruptions and disorders had been rooted in their Army and how could they be remedied during the War they being the effects which so long a War had inevitably produced That instead of obedience strife reigned amongst the Nations That there were now more wives then souldiers more mutinies then years that their own Forces were almost as dangerous to them as those of their Enemies And mutinies growing so familiar now of one now of another Nation and ofttimes of many Nations at once what a sad day would that be when the whole Army should mutiny together a day which would bring the Kings affairs in Flanders to their utmost danger as also the Cause of the Catholick Religion for the defence whereof the War at first was chiefly made and hath been so long maintained by the Spanish side If then by so many reasons and so long experience War against the Enemy were to be esteemed so fruitless is it not better said they to come to some fair agreement with them is it not better to order our Army anew and in the mean time to get strength and laying down Arms except what with time would make most to the Spanish advantage Arms being laid down the King of France already grown old might in this interim die and with him that assistance might chance to cease which was subministred to the Enemy by a Prince of such power and repute That after his death the affairs of France might peradventure change face their King being so young the like might be expected in the affairs of England their King being a new King and a Scotchman but ill looked on by that Kingdom the Enemy having likewise received considerable succours from Scotland And in case any of these things should happen how much would the affairs of Spain be bettered But above all it was to be hoped that even peace it self might turn to a secret war against the Enemy That the fear of the Spanish forces was the bond which fastened their union closest so as this fear ceasing through the enjoyment of quiet some domestick evil might arise amongst them which might break the union and some opportunity in favour of the King and Arch-dukes of regaining some of the Rebelious Provinces by underhand-dealing and of subjugating the others afterwards by force These reasons were doubtlesly very weighty and of great consideration and had been oft-times argued in Spain whereupon the King had at last resolved that if he could not effect his ends by arms all possible means should be used to come by some convenient Treaty of agreement with the Enemy in Flanders and the affairs of Flanders may be said totally to depend upon the King For the marriage between the Arch-duke and the Kings sister proving barren and the Provinces of Flanders being consequently to return unto the King again he had therefore chiefly maintained the War with his Forces and consequently all Treaties ' of agreement were chiefly to depend upon his Authority The Arch-duke inclined also very much to bring things to some accommodation he being a Prince naturally given to love his quiet and full of years and experience might comprehend better then any other the dangerous consequences which the War of Flanders brought with it but it was very hard to find out a way how to treat of accommodation A while since the enemy seemed to be quite averse unto any such Treaty and still swelling with prosperity and success they resolved never to listen to any whatsoever Treaty till such time as the King and Archdukes should first publickly declare that they treated with them as with Free Provinces and States unto the which the King nor Arch-dukes made no claim nor pretence whatsoever wherein the Arch-duke found great repugnancy in himself and foresaw the like in the King He thought that to declare those now to be a free people against whom they had fought as against rebels would be to confess that their former war had been unjust and that to seem now so willing to put an end
the first into Holland the truest and most intrinsecal end whereof was that he might have a share in what was to be done and specially to cause jealousie in the Spaniards and by this means to induce them to make use of him and to make him Arbitrator in the differences The King of France was then in his chiefest greatness and prosperity and enjoying his Kingdom in perfect peace and honour after having arrived thereat through many difficulties all which he had overcome with incredible constancy and valour He considered the Affairs in Flanders after several manners on one side he could have wished that the war might continue and that thereby the affairs of Spain might still be impaired even till at last they might lose whole Flanders On the other side he saw himself well stricken in years his children very young and that in case he should fail fresh troubles might in a short time arise in his Kingdom which might chiefly be fomented by the Spanish Forces of Flanders that the disorders of those Forces were not so many but that if the war should continue very necessity would force them to finde out a remedy nor the danger of their losses such as might not be evaded by the power of so great a Monarch which made him desire to see Flanders without war and the Spaniards without Forces so near at hand Neither did he like that the United Provinces who were already become so formidable at Sea might by their growing too great be as dreadful at Land For the Hereticks of his Kingdom could from no part else be better fomented to rebel The King amidst these various considerations had his eye fixt upon these passages of Flanders and because his authority was very great in the United Provinces he beleeved they would never come to any accommodation with the Spaniards without his consent At the first he seemed to be averse to the affairs in hand though to say truth he did not well know what he had best to do but he did this of purpose to enforce the Spaniards to put the Negotiations into his hands Great dexterity and cunning was requisite to the leading on of these designs He therefore chose for this so important affair the President Jannine a man of great experience and abilities and one who was then chieflyest employed by him in State affairs He sent Mr. de Rosse along with Jannine who was then extraordinary Ambassador into Flanders to continue afterwards his ordinary Ambassador in the United Provinces Having both of them exercised their Offices in the entrance into the affairs spoken of they stayed in Holland Jannine did diligently observe the whole carriages and wrought himself every day more and more into the affairs which still increased the jealousie of the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes who then began to see clearly that it behoved them to have recourse to the King of France his mediation who already had complained to the Commissary General in his return to Flanders that the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes had proceeded so far without his knowledge in the aforesaid business Almost the like passions and artifices appeared in James the first King of England who was newly come to that Crown The same reasons appeared in him for desiring the continuance of the war in Flanders as did in the King of France for the King of England being strong at Sea and confiding in the strength of all his Kingdoms situation as also in the conformity of his ends with those of the United Provinces in favouring heresie he could not much fear their Forces though they should grow greater He was the more secure likewise by having Flushing and the Ramechins in Zealand and the Brill in Holland Sea Towns of great importance in his hands as pawned for monies lent by Queen Elizabeth to the United Provinces and for that their chiefest strength consisted in English and Scottish souldiers who were in their Army He foresaw he should have greater cause to be jealous of the Spaniards if being free from the war of Flanders they might endeavour to molest him in any part of his Dominions especially in Ireland an Island which is almost wholly Catholick well-affected to them and much dis-affected to England Out of these reasons it was believed that the King of England desired the war in Flanders might continue But being a great lover of Quiet and much given to Hunting and to his Book and wholly fixt in warring by writings with the Church it was therefore judged he would not at last shew himself totally averse to see the affairs of Flanders in some sort pacified To boot that not being able for scarcity of Monies to give any considerable succour to the United Provinces his power would be but small in perswading or counselling the continuance of war since he could not much assist it by his Forces Yet it very much imported those Provinces to preserve his friendship were it onely that they might raise souldiers out of his Kingdom Wherefore they entertained his Ambassadors which were sent into Holland at the beginning of this Negotiation with very much respect and treated with them with all confidency The King of Englands end in sending of them was almost the same as was that of the King of France To wit that he likewise would have a share in the business which was in hand and to enforce the Spaniards to make use of him likewise therein The King of Denmark sent likewise Ambassadors to Holland as also the Prince Elector Palatin the Elector of Brandenburgh the Lantgrave of Hesse and other German Heretick Princes who all of them seemed to shew their good affections towards the united Provinces in so important an occasion These businesses which were thus begun grew very hot in Holland every thing was in motion and great was the expectation what the united Provinces would resolve as well touching the second ratification come from Spain as also whether they would continue or break the Treaty But of all others Count Maurice of Nassaws thoughts were most busied at this time His father the Prince of Orange being dead he being yet but a youth of sixteen years of age had got into all his fathers Military and Civil employments with the great good will and approbation of the united Provinces And encreasing no less in valour then in years after so many enterprises and prosperous successes his authority grew daily greater amongst them He had won it by arms and he thought he could best preserve it by arms And by means of the publick trouble of war he hoped some favourable conjuncture might the easilier be opened unto him of making himself one day Prince of those Provinces It is not to be doubted but that his ambition carried him thus high for his Father was very near attaining thereunto and his own deserts being added to his Fathers his hopes ought rather to be augmented then diminished To boot with the Supreme Government of the Army he had
sentence and for the most part the justice of the cause gives the victory It imports but little then whether their ends be sincere or fradulent in case of agreement for then they cannot oppress us by their forces We must above all things endeavour to secure our selves from this danger which necessarily consists in one of two remedies either in continuing the war out of hope that their necessity will daily grow greater or else in ending it by some accommodation after which our affairs might be better secured And from hence I come to the second point I deny not but that their present disorders and necessities are great but I cannot think them past remedy so far but that if the war in ure the Spaniards may finde sufficient Forces to do it I for 〈◊〉 own part finde the Monarchy of Spain to be the same thing that it hath alwaies 〈◊〉 during the whole course of this war nay rather increased in this interim by the addition of the Kingdom of Portugal and of the East-Indies which depend thereupon I finde it to be very strong both at land and sea Where hath the formidableness of their forces been better seen then here in Flanders What other power hath at any time maintained so long so far distant so hard and so expensive a war And shall we believe that the Spaniards cannot still maintain it And that they are not likely to finde a remedy for their disorders in these parts and for any hazard they may run in the East-Indies The very necessity of making war will doubtlessly furnish them with means enough to continue it So then we are again engaged in war in a new and more obstinate war then the former and what security can we have that fortune will alwaies favour us We have likewise our necessities and if they be at present great amongst the Spaniaads remember I pray you that they have been greater amongst us and that all humane things being subject to alteration and the events of war usually very uncertain the time may prove propitions again to them and averse to us Do not we know how much our war depends upon the aids from France and England May not the King of France die Is he not already very old May not the Kingdom afterwards alter And shall we not then be deprived of all succour from thence Do not we likewise know upon what fickle terms the affairs of England stand The King being a Scotch-man a stranger in that Kingdom and there being many other occasions which may cause some fear of alteration on his side How much would the affairs of Spain be bettered by any of these accidents How much worse would ours be We ought then to be taught by all reason and by all the rules of good Government not to let slip this happy conjuncture of coming to some good agreement with the Spaniards Fortune is flitting inconstant disdainful and exceeding apt to be provoked 'T is now the time to know how to lay hold of her So as my opinion is that by all means we ought to accept of this ratification come from Spain and proceed on to some Treaty of agreement I confess it is not alwaies in the power of man to enjoy the happiness of peace but I verily bel eve it is now in our power to shun the dangers of war which in my opinion ought by all means to be indeavoured and certainly we may hope for great advantages from the Spaniards by this accommodation which they do so much desire to make with these our Provinces in this their present necessity As all Pilots prefix the haven for their end all Travellers their Country and all motion rest so all war hath peace for its end wherein consists means chiefest happiness and shall the wa◠of Flanders be the onely thing which shall never have an end And shall all our most advantagious successes depend alwaies upon the so uncertain event of war We shall be free from the uncertainties and from so many dangers which troubles brings with them by reducing our selves at last to a quiet condition we shall then much better re-order the Government of every of our particular Provinces and of the intire body of the union when we shall be in a quiet condition This our Common-wealth will then break forth from out the duskishness and horror of arms which how wounderful a sight will it be and what unaccustomed praises will it produce in the Theatre of the Universe When it shall be seen how our Provinces do unite themselves in one body with what sort of Lawes and Magistracy they conspire together how unwounded the Liberties of each of them remain and how uninjured it passeth through every one of them as through so many veins to the intire body of their general Union We shall have Ambassadors sent to congratulate with us from all parts who will return rather envying then rejoycing at this our so great felicity We shall pay the debts we have contracted abroad we shall ease our selves of those we have here amongst our selves and we shall enrich our treasury by taking off so many and so grievous expences our people shall then know that they are truly free when they shall enjoy liberty without any contestation and being once got into such a condition what need we fear to be at any time reduced under the yoak of that proud cruel and tyrannical Spanish Government Barnevelt was listned unto with much attention and the reasons alledged by him appeared to be so weighty and wisely grounded as after some other consultations it was at last resolved on by the States General that they would accept of the ratification yet there was much ado before Zealand could be brought to joyn in this Vote so absolute Authority had Count Maurice in that Province whereof he was not onely Governour but had a great estate there and enjoyed such prerogatives as he appeared rather to be Prince then Governor of that Country The Arch-dukes were then acquainted with this the States Generals resolution and 't was almost in the same words which were used in the answer which was first given to the Commissary and Verreychin when they brought the ratification into Holland And because the term for suspension of Arms was already expired it was by both sides prorogued and continued to be so from time to time in new terms till the end of the Treaty which was after concluded I thought good to insert this in this place to shun the tedious repetition of the same things sundry times Now all the eyes of Flanders were fixt upon that Deputies the Arch-dukes would chose to send according to the first agreement into Holland The greatest weight of the Spanish affairs which were agitated in Flanders lay upon the Marquess Spinola Camp-master-general of the Army and upon Manchichidor the Spanish Secretary of War and as for the Arch-dukes business John Richardotto President of the Privy Councel and Verreychin so often named before
were chiefly trusted therewith These four were chosen for Deputies and Father Nyen was added for a fift as one who had hitherto had a great hand in the business Marquess Spinola was already got into great Authority by reason of his so many Imployments and Trusts He was Camp-master-general and Governor of the Army Administrator or Pay-master-general of the Kings monies of the Councel of State in Spain and through his hands all the Kings affairs in Flanders as hath been said did chiefly pass and the Arch-duke likewise seemed to put much confidence in him Indeed a States man of singular judgment and valour of incredible vigilancy and industry in the managing of whatsoever business either Military or Civil and indowed with so many other gallant parts as he had reason to be esteemed one of the greatest States-men that the Crown of Spain hath had these many years The Secretary Manchichidor was likewise highly esteemed of for his long experience in the affairs of Flanders for he had been Secretary of war even from the time that the Arch-duke whilst he was yet Cardinal was come to the Government of those Provinces In the affairs which belonged properly to the Arch-dukes the President Ricardetto was no less esteemed of he had for a long time been the man chiefly imployed in affairs of greatest importance by the Duke of Parma and other Governors and the Arch-Duke being made Prince of the Low-Countries chose him particularly to employ in making the last Peace with France and the like with the King of England so as almost all the important business of the Country passed through his hands Verreychin was likewise present at the making of the two above named Peaces and had long before exercised the place of first Secretary of State and was alwaies held a man of great wisdom and integrity Enough hath already been said of the Commissary-general and of his endowments But when the Spaniards who were in Flanders understood who the Deputies were and that they were to go to the Enemies own homes to treat of agreement with them it is not to be believed how much they stormed and how much they complained of the Arch-Dukes in particular Are the affairs of Spain said they come to so low an ebb that our King must abase himself thus hath so much time bloud and treasure been spent against the traâ—terous rebels to bring things to this end That the affairs of Spain were now in as glorious a condition as ever but that there wanted fitting instruments in Flanders to manage them That the Arch-duke had alwayes shewed himself to be better at peace then at war and that now that he saw himself not likely to have any children his only desire was to spend the remainder of his days in peace and quietness That it was impossible so great a Monarchy should be without a war nay it was to be desired that it should alwayes have an Army in the fields for its service And what other more fitting Theatre could there be found for the seat of its Arms then Flanders a place so opulent and of such extent and placed in the midst of Spains chiefest enemies and maligners That if the war could not be alwayes so plentifully maintained their Forces might be lessened and consequently their expences That thus the vigour of so great a Monarchy might be preserved even to eternity The Spaniards broke forth into these complaints and sent them from Flanders into Spain but to no purpose for it was then seen as also during the whole Treaty that the King and the Arch-duke did always jump in their opinions and â—s for the Deputies going into Holland without all doubt it might seem in all appearance no wayes to agree with the Kings and Arch-dukes dignity but the form of the Government of the United Provinces considered no other manner of negotiation could well be had for their Deputies were so many that Commissions so bounded and so many sendings to and fro as they were inforced to make Orders to receive new Orders and new Consents from every Province which if it had been to be done out of their own Country the Treaty would never have had an end and though afterwards as you shall hear it was concluded in Antwerp 't was because all things were already digested so as they went thither as it may be said to a business already concluded The Deputies departed about the end of January 1608. and being come into the United Provinces they were received by the Governors of their Frontier Towns with all honour and bravely lodged in all places They came to the Hague the first of February and were met half a league without the Town by Count Maurice of Nassaw accompanied by the other Counts of his House and all the chief men of those parts The Second BOOK of the TREATY of the TRUCE of FLANDERS HOLLAND is the greatest richest and best peopled Province of all the United seaven Nay it so far exceeds all the rest as it furnisheth half the monies which are issued out by the whole seaven Provinces It is made by the Sea and sundry Rivers a Peninsula it is incompassed on many sides by the Sea cut through in many parts by Rivers many Channels cut by hand joyn with these Rivers and there be many lakes within it so as it may be doubted whether it consist more of land or water Besides it doth so abound with shipping of all sorts as it may likewise be questioned whether the number of moveable habitations on water or of houses fixt on the land be the greater This Province is full of Cities and of a great many lesser Towns Amsterdam is its chiefest City and here is the greatest Traffick not only of Holland itself but almost of the whole North of all its Towns Hague is the principal an open Village but so large so well peopled and so delitious as it may compare with many Cities Here did the Counts of Holland formerly build a Palace for themselves to live in which the Vnited Provinces do now make use of for the meeting of their Councels which depend upon the Vnion Here likewise the Councel of the States General do meet almost every day wherein things of greatest importance are agitated and resoved by the Deputies of the whole seaven Provinces The chief affairs of the whole Vnion are then handled in the Hague and here staid the Catholick Deputies to give a beginning to the Treaty Before they arrived the Vnited Provinces had likewise chosen their Deputies one was chosen for every Province and two of the best of bloud amongst them in the common name of them all And these were Count William of Nassaw full Cousin German to Count Maurice and Min here Bredrode for Holland Barnevelt was named and by him the business on the behalf of the Vnited Provinces was chiefly to be agitated At their first meeting nothing was done but the producing of the credential Letters on all sides they then began to
almost after the same manner he had at this time made also a new League with the united Provinces and though his Authority was nothing near so great with them yet was it such as it might much impede the proceedings of the new Treaty for a long Truce and he had already complained to the Spanish and Flemish Ambassadors who were resident in England that the King of Spain had sent Don Piedro de Tolledo to Paris putting thereby so great an esteem upon the King of France and that he had made no manner of address at all to him For these respects the King of Spain resolved to send likewise Don Fernando Girone who was then in Flanders and who was one of the chiefest Commanders in his Army to the King of England who seemed to be very well satisfied therewith and made large promises to intercede for the continuing of the negotiation in Holland being thereunto perswaded by his natural addiction to peace as also for the aforesaid Reasons Before the Catholick Deputies departed from Holland the Ambassadors of France and England began to set again on foot this new Treaty of a long Truce insomuch as the Ambassadors meeting one day Jannines in the name of both the Kings made this insuing Proposition in the Councel of the States General That both their Kings had alwaies considered the affairs of the United Provinces as their own particular concernment having maintained them all this while as such by their Councels and defended them by their Forces but that the end of War must be Peace That to this purpose the United Provinces had been assisted by both of them and that both of them were therefore much troubled to see the Treaty of Peace which was begun thus broken and that they thinking it howsoever much better for the United Provinces to enjoy a commodious and honorable quiet then to return to the former difficulties and dangers of war were pleased to propound unto them by their Ambassadors joyntly a long Truce instead of Peace That notwithstanding in this Truce in the first place and before all other things it should be declared both by the King of Spain and by the Arch-dukes that it was made with the united Provinces as with free Provinces and States unto which they made no pretence at all and that they should be left Free in point of their Navigation to the Indies That both their Kings did believe that the United Provinces might be content with a Truce which was to bring with it such important advantages for them and not onely these but peradventure some others also That greater difficulties were to be foared on the other part but in case the war were to continue by reason of the Spaniards fault the Forces of the United Provinces would be thereby the more justified and both their Kings still the more obliged to mantain their Cause The States General took time to advice upon the whole with their Provinces The Ambassadors with like conformity applyed themselves to the Catholick Deputies who having lost all hopes of Peace did very much desire to come to some other accommodation or composition so they willingly listned to this new proposal of a long Truce though they thought many difficulties would be met withal in Spain touching the form thereof They promised the Ambassadors notwithstanding to use all the diligence they could to overcome them and having received assurances from the Ambassadors that they would do all good offices for the continuation of the Treaty and especially from Jannines on whose means and authority they did chiefly relye they at last went from the Hague after having been eight months entertained there and went to Brussels The Negotiation of the Truce lying then chiefly on Jannines hand he did all he could to perswade the United Provinces to allow of it in the same manner as had been propounded by him and the English Ambassadors Those Provinces seemed well inclined in general toward the Truce though they wanted not some amongst them who would have had the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes make the same renunciation in the Treaty of Truce as they pretended unto in that of Peace but the wiser and more moderate men amongst them considered that this would be too unjust a pretention due regard being had to the difference between a Truce and a Peace This difficulty proceeded chiefly from Zealand and was Fauter'd by Count Maurice by reason of his abovesaid power in that Province and the almost absolute dependency which Maldereo the particular Deputy of Zealand had upon him Maldereo had been a menual servant of the late Prince of Orange and to say truth the Interest of Zealand did accord with Count Maurice his particular ends for the Traffick and wealth of that Province was greatly increased by the war the choice Marriners who had served and did as yet serve in the voyages to the Indies were likewise Zealanders and next unto Holland certainly this was the chiefest and most considerable of all the United Provinces The same difficulties out of the same reasons were insisted upon by the City of Amsterdam in Holland but it was thought that at last the rest of that Province would prevail over the particular opposition of that City in a favourable acceptation of the Truce which Zealand did still pertenaciously resist And Maldereo very zealous in the cause endeavoured to make those words suspected wherein the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes were to denounce the United Provinces to be Free-States in form abovesaid Whereupon one day that this Clause was treated on he with great fervency broke forth into these words Are we Free-men or still Subjects If we be Free-men why ought we not to be publickly acknowledged for such Shall it depend upon the Spaniards to allow us what sort of liberty they please now that they cannot impose that slavery upon us which they would To wit a liberty more servile then our former servitude since it must depend upon the interpretation of their own words Do not we know what interpretation they have already given to those words Do not we know that they take them in such a sense as doth not take from them any pretended right to our Provinces At this rate we shall get nothing more by this long Truce then what was had in the bare suspension of Arms And yet this Truce shall rather look like a Peace and it may so fall out as by often prolongation it may at last be insensibly turned into the nature of a Peace Then as in the Treaty of Peace we did pretend in the first place That that absolute abnegation should be made by the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes which is now Treated of so ought we still to pretend unto it and in that form which may clearlyest declare our Provinces to be Free and Soveraign Shall not he ackowledge them when all the world Treats with them as such To what corner of the Earth or of the Sea is it that
the Fame of their Liberty together with the Fame of their Forces is not flown Let the Spaniards then do the like or let all Treaties be broken That necessity which enforceth them to come to agreement with us will likewise compel them to do it in this manner So since we would make no greater advantage of this their necessity with our swords in our hands as we ought and peradventure might have done we shall at least come by it by this contestation of Treaty in such manner as the victory of words can most promise These reasons against the above named clause and many others against the Truce in general were exagerated by Maldereo or rather through his mouth by Count Maurice who laboured by all other means and used all his industry that this Treaty of Truce might prove vain as the other of peace had done the same things were scattered abroad by his followers giving out many printed papers to this purpose not owned by any they seemed to distrust the forraign Ambassadors and it was whispered that though the two Kings advised to Truce yet for their own self-interest they would not totally forbare assisting the United Provinces though contrary to their Councel they should reassume their Arms that howsoever it was requisit to return to Arms since it was undoubtedly to be believed that the present necessities being over the Spaniards would no longer observe the Truce That in the mean while the people of the United Provinces cheated by the abusive names of Peace and Quiet would lose their former vigour and constancy That they would hardly be brought to contribute those monies afterwards for the war which at first they did so willingly part withal And that all these would be seeds to produce pernicious discords amongst their Provinces Lastly they concluded That though the Spaniards should observe the Truce it would be requisite howsoever to keep their Frontiers still well look'd unto The which being so many and the jealousies on all sides being now likely to prove so great the expence in time of Truce would be well nigh as much as in the time of war How much better would it then be to continue the war and not to lose the present occasions which did all of them so smile upon them and frown upon the Spaniards Affairs leaning already towards discord and the Zealander Deputies threatned openly a separation from the rest of the Provinces if contrary to the form of common Government the rest would resolve upon Truce without the particular consent of Zealand Jannines loitred now no more but judging this a fitting occasion to shew his experience and force of his advices one day when their contestations grew highest 't is said he spoke to the Deputies of the United Provinces in this manner Neither did my King ever think worthy Deputies that so long contestations could have had place here amongst you in so great an Union nor did I ever beleeve that such distrust were to be found here as some of you seem to have of my behaviour I will speak of mine own leaving the English Ambassadors either to justifie themselvs or make their just complaints For what concerns my endeavours I will onely say Execution is the onely share I have therein So as to mistrust them will be much more to offend my King then me And to say truth what greater injury can he receive then this He having alwaies shewed himself so partial to your Commonwealth as he hath almost never made any difference between the interests of his own Kingdom of your Common-wealth When he was hardly yet come unto the Crown and had hardly after so many Domestick and Forraign oppositions setled his own affairs the first thing he did was to assist your Provinces From that time to this he hath not been wanting in aiding you with Monies Men and Counsel and to make your Cause appear the juster in all other respects by his owning it Doubtlesly he pretended to assist a just Cause but the justest actions do not alwaies prove the most useful Nay these of yours might have been thought the more dangerous by how much their power is the greater who take themselves to be offended The liberty of your Provinces may be said to have sayled into the Haven chiefly by the sayles of his favour And because we cannot now establish it upon the Anchor of Peace my King endeavours at least to fasten it upon the Anchor of Truce which may prove as advantagious to you Let us then consider whether such an Agreement may be truly advantagious to your Affairs Which when it shall be known as I hope it will sinister discourses will then soon cease which if they do not it will appear at least That they proceede from particular passions vailed over with the semblance of Publick good The business is then touching the making of a long Truce and whether the chiefest endeavour ought to be That your Provinces should be therein clearly acknowledged to be Free We Ambassadors think the clause by us propounded sufficient to that purpose That the King of Spain and Arch-dukes should declare that they made Truce with your Provinces as with Free Provinces and States unto which they make no pretence at all But there are some amongst you who differ from us in opinion thinking it to be too generical and dubious and who would have the King of Spain and Arch-dukes make the same absolute renunciation now as was pretended unto when there was a Treaty of Peace I cannot notwithstanding part from my first opinion for it appears to me that to boot with the difference that there is between a Peace and a Truce this Declaration may be thought to make more for your liberty then the other Tell me I pray you Have not you alwaies declared That you have taken up Arms against your Prince infored thereto by necessity And that the war on your side could not be more just because it could not be more necessary And by the same reason have you not set your Provinces at Liberty by your own Authority Then if you pretend upon so good grounds to be free what need you now that the King of Spain and the Arch-Dukes should make these renouncings Do not you see that such like renouncings of right would presuppose it to be more manifest on their behalf And that in such a case much more should be confest by you then granted by them Do not you know that they can grant nothing to the prejudice of their successors Kingdoms cannot otherwise make any contract nor Kings make any alienable part therein And since they give the laws to others they must likewise in this behalf receive it from their Crowns How much better is it then that your Provinces be declared by the King and the Arch-dukes to be free by a general clause and that the agreement which is now spoken of may follow with this presupposition of your Liberty without making it doubtful by any other
regaining it in those that were revolted The business was all this while put on by the two Kings Ambassadors but because to Negotiate by way of Letters was long and tedious the Ambassadors minded the Catholick Deputies who had been in Holland that it would make more for the purpose to have the meeting in Antwerp to end those difficulties which yet remained concerning the Negotiation This Proposition was willingly listned unto by the Arch-dukes whereupon the Ambassadors and the Catholick Deputies met in Antwerp in the beginning of February 1609. The greatest difficulty was touching the point of the Indies The Ambassadors had alwaies assured the Vnited Provinces that in the Truce they should be permitted to Traffick thither and they therefore desired that that Article might be laid down in clear and express words On the contrary the Catholick Deputies desired that if it should be impossible to come to a Truce without condiscending to that point it might at least be understood by tacit circumlocutions then by nominating the Indies expresly They desired also howsoever that the Vnited Provinces should forbear from coming into or from trafficking in those parts of the Indies which were already under the Crown of Spain At last after much arguing this point was agreed upon and was couched in such tearms as both the Vnited Provinces and the Catholick Deputies were satisfied therewith for the name of the Indies was left out and the said Provinces were forbidden entring into the Kings Countries in those parts And Richardotto had wont afterwards to say that this Article was so obscure as he himself did not understand it much disputation was likewise had upon the Article of Contributions 't was said that the United Provinces received every year 300000 Crowns of Contribution money which was a great help to their expences The Arch-dukes did not receive near so much but because these monies were all raised by hostility it was thought a thing too repugnant to the publick tranquility which was endeavoured that this kinde of Hostile proceedings should be continued in times of quiet so as the United Provinces were at last perswaded that all contributions of both sides should be laid down On the contrary 't was necessary to yeild to the pretention moved by them that the precincts which did appertain to such Towns as were enjoyed both on this and on that side should be restored to the said Towns Touching which point little or nothing returned to the Arch-dukes hands whereas large boundeurs were restored to the Towns of Breda and Berghenapzone together with some others in Brabant which were in the possession of the United Provinces Yet the Arch-dukes did so far prevail and my endeavours were also so earnest therein as the exercise of the Catholick Religion onely was left in those precincts as it was before To the which the united Provinces obliged themselves apart being promised by Jannines and Rossi his Collegue who gave it them under their hands that the King of France should oblige himself to see it performed Touching the point of exchange of Towns there was no means of accommodation therein to be found so as it was resolved that each party should still enjoy what they did possess at the present nor would the Vnited Provinces ever suffer themselves to be perswaded in the point of taking away the Taxes and other impediments to which those vessels were lyable in Zealand which passed through the Scheld to come to Antwerp whereby that City was much indamaged as hath been said This business was refer'd to be propounded and examined in a friendly manner after the Truce should be concluded And the Arch-dukes hoped by the benefit of the Truce the better to accommodate their own Ports in Flanders into which much merchandize was to be brought which in time of war went necessarily into Holland and Zealand because their Havens were continually block'd up by many of the Vnited Provinces men of war These were the chief points on which the Ambassadors of France and England treated with the Marquess Spinola and the other Catholick Deputies in Antwerp the Catholick Deputies endeavouring to proceed as slowlâ— as might be that the Arch-dukes Confessor might have time to Negotiate in Spain and to send away the resolution which was expected from thence which not long after came and was the same in sum which the Arch-dukes had desired and the Confessor by the reasons alledged by him had perswaded the King unto great consultations were had notwithstanding before this determination both in the Councel of State and amongst the gravest and learnedst Ecclesiasticks of Spain for the King would be fully satisfied in all those affairs which were to be considered in so important a business before he would suffer it to be brought to a conclusion The Confessor himself returned soon after so as the affairs being fitted by all parties for an agreement the two Kings Ambassadors who after the Negotiation at Antwerp were gone to give an account of the whole business to the Vnited Provinces thought it fitting to return again to that City and to bring thither the same Deputies of the Vnited Provinces who were first imployed in Negotiating the business in Holland which was approved of by the Arch-dukes and at the same time the Catholick Deputies returned thither likewise amongst which was Commissary Neyen who was then returned from Spain The Vnited Provinces thought this to be the business of highest nature and of greatest importancy which had befaln them since their withdrawing themselves from the obedience of the Crown of Spain and therefore it was judged necessary that it should be concluded by the Authority of the whole body of the great Assembly representing the general Vnion and that the Assembly should consist of as many Deputies as could be gathered together upon so great an Occurrency The Town of Berghenapzone was made choice of to this purpose situated not many leagues from Antwerp Here the great Assembly met and 't was said that the Deputies were eight hundred in number The Deputies of both sides together with the two Kings Ambassadors met every day in Antwerp in the publick Palace of that City From whence whatsoever past from time to time was sent to Brussels to the Arch-dukes and to the Vnited Provinces in Berghenapzone and resolutions were suddenly taken When all points were then adjusted after so many and so long obstructions a Truce for twelve years was established and concluded on the ninth of April in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and nine betwixt both parties The Articles were eight and thirty In the first it was declared that the Arch-dukes made Truce with the Vnited Provinces as with Free-States and Provinces unto which they did not make any pretence at all and they obliged themselves that the King of Spain should ratifie the same Declaration together with all the rest which was afterwards done in such manner as was requisit The other chief Articles contained the affairs of chiefest importance
the United Provinces 303. Their answer 304 Linghen taken in by Count Maurice 363. Besieged by Spinola 422. Yeilded to him 42 Lewis di Velasco a Spanish Camp-master ' goes against the Mutineers of Sichen 311 he is made General of the Artillery 372 Afterwards of the Horse ibid. Routed by Count Maurice 416. he succours Trivnltio 424 Lewis Verreychen chief Secretary to the Archdukes carries into Holland the ratification come from Spain 438 M. MArquis Ambrosio Spinola raises Souldiers for Flanders 407. Joyns his forces with the Admirals 408. Goes over into Italy and returns again into Flanders 416. he commands in chief before Ostend 414. his proceedings against that Town 415. he goes to the relief of Sluce 417. he returns to besiege Ostend 418. which at last is surrendred to him 419. he goes to the Court of Spain 420. where he is declared Camp-Master General and Governor of all the Kings Forces in Flanders ibi Forts raised by him upon the Rhine 421. his speech to the Councel of War ibid. he takes Linghen 423. his stratagem to relieve Trivultio 424. he returns to the â—ourt of Spain 425. he takes the field and with what forces ibid. he takes Groll 428. And after that Remberg 430. his Oration to the Army 432. he relieves Grol ibid. The Marquis of Barambone infests Piccardie in hostile manner 317. is routed aâ—d taken Prisoner 347 The Marquis of Montenegro commands the â—avalry in Amiens 351. Falls upon the French Camp 355. succeeds Portocarrero in the command of Amiens 359. Yeilds up the place 362 Marshal Biron routs the Leaguers 309. Left to defend Piccardie 341. he routs Barambone 347. his diligence for the recovery of Amiens 353. his attempts against Arras and Dorlan 354. his undauntedness in defending the trenches 357. his opinion that the Spanish Army was to be encountred with all their strength 361 The Marshal of Balagny Governor and after Prince of Cambray 317. The people rise up against him 328. he loses the City 329. his wives war-like spirit ibid. her death ibid. A Marriage proposed between the Cardinal Archduke and the Infanta Isabella 364. 'T is concluded on and upon what Articles 368. Solemnized in Ferrara by Pope Clement the VIII 372 A Marriage between the Prince of Spain and the Archdutchess Magaret of Austria 369. Celebrated in Ferrara by the Pope himself 372 Mutual Marriages between the two Crowns of France and Spain 434 The Meeting of the Catholick Commissioners and those of the United Provinces in the Hague to treat of an accommodation 447. Matters there propounded ibid. All negotiation for peace is quite dasht 451. A proposition made by the English ond French Ambassadors for a long Truce ibid. The meeting is transfer'd to Antwerp 458 The Mutiny of the Spaniards 297. Of Italians and Wallons 302. Of Italians 311. in divers Spanish garrisons 369. amongst the Germans and Wallons 389 N. THe memorable Navigation of the Hollanders and Zealanders 313 A Negotiation for Peace set on foot in Holland by the Emperors Ambassadors 390. It comes to nothing 391 Neutrality violated by the Spanish Army 375 Noyon besieged by those of the league 296 It is yeilded 297 O OLdenziel taken by Count Maurice 363. seiz'd on by the Royalists 422 Divers Opinions of the Kings Captains concerning the siege of Ostend 413. Of the same men about the relieving of Grol 430 Orations of John di Balen to the citizens of Groninghen 306. Of Monsieur de la Motta against the besieging of Cambray 318. Of Monsieur di Rosne for it ibid. Of Fuentes party in Cambray to the Townsmen 328. Of Monsieur di Rosne for the besieging of Calice 335. Of Portocarrero to encourage his men at the surprisal of Amiens 351. of Count Fuentes that the Low-Countries should not be sever'd from the crown of Spain 365 of Christoval di Moura Count of Castel Rodrigo that they may be made over for the Infanta Isabella her dowry 366. of the Infanta Isabella to the souldiers 393. of Campmaster Zapena against assaulting the enemy in his trenches 394. of Campmaster Barlotta for it ib. of Count Maurice to his Army at the battel of Newport 39 of the same against the negotiations of peace then on foot 442. of Archduke Albertus upon occasion of the battel of Newport 396. of the same to the Magistrates of Balduke 412. of Spinola to the councel of war 421. of the same to his souldiers at the relief of Groll 432. of Barnevelt for the negotiations of peace 444. of James Maldereo against all accommodation 452. of President Jannin for the Truce 453 The Ordering of the French Forces before Dorlan 321. of the Spanish Camp there ib of the same camp in attempting to relieve Amiens 360. of the Catholick Army at Newport 395. of the enemies camp there ib. of the Catholick camp before Grol 431 Ostend 399. the description of it 400. endammaged by the sea 402. assaulted by the Royalists but in vain 403. closely streightned by Spinola 414. is rendered up 419. great store of Artillery and Ammunition foundthere ib. P A Peace concluded at Vervin between the two Crowns of France and Spain 346 Pope Clement viii establishes the reconciliatiation of the King of France to the Apostolick see 320. he interposes to reconcile the two Kings 364. and brings it to pass ib. Paris peaceably receives the King after he is declared a Catholick 302 President Jannin Ambassador extraordinary for the King of France in Holland 441. his proposition for a long truce 451. his oration to perswade them unto it 453. Reasons brought in by him to satisfie all sides 455 Q THe singular Qualities of the Infanta Isabella and the Cardinal Archduke 365 The Quarters of the Catholick Camp how distributed at the siege of Hulst 344 R REasons that moved the two Kings to come to a peace 364 The Ratification sent from Spain the first time in favour of the pretended liberty of the United Provinces 438. It is not accepted of 4â—9 The second how it is explained 440. How received 446 Rembergh taken in by Count Maurice 363. Recovered by the Admiral of Arragon 373. Besieged by the German confederates 384 Besieged again by Count Maurice 399. Is surrendred ib. Besieged by Marquiss Spinola 428. t is yeilded up to him 430 Res a good Town upon the Rhine inforced to take in the Kings souldiers 374 Besieged by the Army of the German confederates 384. Restored by the Spaniards to the Duke of Cleves 486 The Rising of those of Cambray against Balagni 328 S SLuce besieged by Count Maurice 416 Weakly relieved ib. yeilded up 417 The Spaniards rout Count Ernestus of Nassaw 393. How they like of the Catholick Commissioners going into Holland 447 The Catholick States General meet in Paris 297 The States General of the United Provinces reject the negotiation of peace which Archduke Ernestus offers to set on foot 303. They aid the K. of France with men 316. They seize upon the Town of Huy ib. They give to Count Maurice the Town of Linghen 363. Their opinions of the marriage concluded between the Archduke Albertus and the Infanta Isabella 368. They joyn their Army with that of the German confederates 384 Their vigilancy in guarding Ostend 400. They raise a great number of Forts upon the banks of the Wahal Ysel 4â—6 The Declaration of their pretended Liberty before they will enter into any negotiation of agreement 43â— They admit of the Archdukes proposal and establish a suspersion of arms 438. They reject the first ratifi cation brought from Spain 439. The answer they give to the second 440 which yet is afterwards accepted of 446 The Catholick States General of the Provinces of Flanders allow of the articles of marriage between the Archduke and the Infanta 368 they assemble together in Brussels upon occasion of the arrival of the new Princes 390 The Stratagem of Portocarrero for the surprisal of Amiens 350 Spanish ships beaten by the Hollanders 421 T TElimone assigned for quarter to the Mutiners 312 A long Truce proposed by President Jannin 451. Difficulties exprest on the Spanish side in accepting of it 456. It is concluded upon 459 W WAchtendonch taken by Count Bucquoy 423 Wesel compounds with the Catholick army 374 Z ZApena a Spanish Campmaster 378 His oration to disswade the Archduke from assaulting the enemies quarter 394. Wounded and taken prisoner in the battel of Newport he dies soon after it 397 FINIS Anno. 1566. Anno. 15. 8. Anno 1568. Anno 1571. Anno 1572. An. 1573 Anno 15â—â— Anno 1578. 1578. Anno 1579. Anno 1580. 1582. Anno 1584 Anno 1585. Annò 1586. Anno 1587. Anno 1588. Anno 1588. Anno 1589. Annò 1591. Anno 1592. Anno 1593. Anno 1594. Anno 1595. Anno 1596. 〈…〉 Anno 1598. Anno 1598. Anno 15â—9 Anno 1500. Anno 1601. Anno 1â—â—2 Anno 1603. Anno 1604. Anno 1606. Anno 1607.
those that assailed them and came the better to where their help was required They also soon discerned that they were all false Alarms that were given without and that the true Assault was made only in one place To this was added that Count Bucquoy not finding the water of the aforesaid Channel so low as he believed he could by no means pass over them Yet the Catholicks did for a long time continue their assault but the Defendants advantages still increasing the Assailants were at last forced to give over with great loss for there were above 600 slain and wounded part of them being Gambaloita's men who was slain himself and part belonging to Durango who was sorely wounded Nor did those within let slip the occasion of prejudicing yet more the Catholicks as they retreated For plucking up some of their Sluces by which they both received the Sea-water into their ditches and let it out again they turned the water with such violence into the Channel which the Catholicks had passed over before they came to the assault and which they were to pass over again in their retreat as many of them were unfortunately drowned John Bentivoglio Knight of St. John's Order our Brother who was but a little before come from Italy after having served the Emperor some years in Hungary was in this action and therein gave such trial of himself as the Archdukes not long after honoured him with a Company of Lances The year 1602. was already begun and with so bitter cold weather as many advised the Archduke to give over the siege of Ostend as a business which might be despaired of But he would not be perswaded thereunto thinking the Kings honour and his own too much engaged not to continue that siege still and bring it to a good end Wherefore he resolved to raise a great Platform in St. Alberto's quarter which might command the Town as much as might be possible on that side and gave new orders that Bucquoy should from St. Charls his Fort advance with all possible speed that great Bank which was designed to command the Channel of Bredene as we touched upon before Having given out these directions and leaving the Spanish Campmaster John di Rivas a valiant and well experienced Souldier to have the chief government of the Siege the Archduke retired to Gaunt to make such provisions against the Enemy as were requisite who on their side made very great preparations that they might be early in the field with great Forces The Treaty of Agreement which had been formerly on foot and almost at the same time broken as we told you then between the King of Spain and the Archduke on the one part and the Queen of England on the other was this interim continued by many means Great desire of coming to some good correspondencie appeared on both sides And the Queen being now very full of years did particularly shew her self every day more and more inclined thereunto When in March she fell very sick of which sickness she dyed after she had lived 70 years and reigned 4â— Thus dyed Elizabeth Queen of England and Ireland who so much afflicted the Church and who so long and by so many wayes fomented the War which we describe She was Daughter to King Henry the Eighth by Queen Anne of Boloign After the death of her Father being bred up in Heresie she was much made of by her Brother King Edward the Sixth who was likewise a Follower of the new Sects which were formerly introduced by his Father But Queen Mary who soon restored the antient Religion succeeding him Elizabeth ran hazard of her life and was either imprisoned or confined all her Sisters Reign who dying without issue the Crown came to Elizabeth The marriage of her Father with Anne of Boloign was always detested by the Catholick Church wherefore she openly maintained Heresie and persecuted the Catholicks And to secure her self the better in her Kingdom she was not content to favour Heresie in her own Dominions but still joyned with the Heretical Factions of Scotland France Germany and Flanders endeavouring thus to keep her neighbouring Countries still in turmoils that she might be the more quiet at home For what remains it is not to be denyed that by Common opinion such gifts both of body and minde concur'd in her as would have been worthy of the highest praise had she so much illustrated them by the true Religion as she did eclipse them by false worship a comliness of Aspect graceful behaviour weight in her words or a winning speech and a pleasing greatness both in her private and publick actions She was endowed with a rare understanding and wit which made her be a great friend to learning to the choicest and most delightful whereof she applyed her self she was particularly so ready in the Latin tongue as she was often pleased publickly to make use thereof and therein to receive the applause of the most learned in both the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge it may be no marriage was ever more coveted then hers Many Princes in several parts of Europe did for a long time strive to be her husband hoping that the refusal of the one might facilitate the pretences of another and she very cunningly still nourished hopes in them and endeavoured divers waies to honest her excuses thinking her self so much more worthy by how much the more she was pretended unto Coming at last to her declining years those seeming appearances ended and then it was clearly seen that she being full of haughty thoughts not caring for issue would never receive a Companion in her Bed because she could not admit of a Companion in her Throne She exercised her greatest enmities with the Pope of Rome and King of Spain as may have been seen in this our History she kept good correspondencie with all the other Potentates of Europe and was by the most of them continually much honoured She was a woman of a manlike spirit infinitely intent upon Government and desirous of retaining the chief hand in managing thereof as she had the prime authority Great were her expences both within and without her Kingdom It is not to be credited how much she spent at home especially in keeping England well munited with Naval forces being ofttimes used to say That her well arm'd ships in that Island were her Armies and her Citadels She enjoyed good health and that so long as none of her Predecessors lived so long as she and but few reigned so long And although she detested the Queen of Scots whom at last she put to death yet she was pleased that her Son King James who was likewise fallen into Heresie should succeed her and unite the Island of England and Scotland into one body which whilst divided had formerly for so many Ages been cause of so many discords wars and calamities on both sides THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO The Third Part. BOOK VII
The Contents An Agreement is made between the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes on the one part and the new King of great Britain on the other The siege of Ostend continues and with what success Frederick Spinola comes into Flanders with a Squadron of Gallies And his brother Marquess Ambrosio Spinola comes thither likewise with 8000 Foot raised in Italy Both their intentions to advance themselves by the military profession But Federick is slain not long after in a Sea fight Count Maurice prepares great Forces besiegeth Graves and takes it A new mutiny in the Catholick Camp The Arch-duke resolves to turn his Forces against the mutineers Maurice comes into their aid and secures them from all danger With their Forces and his own he besiegeth Balduke The Arch-duke goes in person to relieve it whereupon Maurice retreats from thence Slow proceedings about Ostend The siege thereof is put into the hands of Marquis Spinola Who with great fervency embraceth the managing thereof Maurice the mean while incamps before Sluce Spinola marcheth to relieve it but not succeeding therein the Town is lost Spinola returns to the siege of Ostend and at last ends that enterprise He goes afterwards into Spain and returns from thence made Camp-master General of the Catholick Army in Flanders He opposeth divers of Count Maurice his proceedings then suddenly passeth the Rhine goes towards Friesland and there takes Oldensel and Linghen And soon after Count Bucquoy takes Vachtendonch Spinola goes again into Spain and is sent back by the King into Flanders with addition of Honours He passeth again with his Army towards Friesland takes Groll and Reinberg and forceth Maurice afterwards to raise his Siege from before the same Town of Groll JAmes King of Scots succeeding Queen Elizabeth came forthwith to London which is the Metropolitan City of England where his arrival was celebrated with great demonstrations of joy the Scots and English contending by usual and natural emulation who should glory most the one for having given a new King to the English or the others for having got him from them But amidst these mirths the Catholicks were much afflicted who soon lost all hopes of being better treated in matter of Religion as the new King in the latter time of the Queen to make them well disposed towards him had made them believe they should be For even from his very first coming to London they found they should suffer no less bitter persecution under him then for so long a time they had done under her That he might unite the two Nations together as much as it was possible the new King would be stiled King of Great Britain comprehending thus both the Kingdoms under one Title and endeavouring by all other means according to the Form of that Heretical Government to establish himself at home in all security He then applied himself to Foreign Correspondencies knowing how much the well grounding of these would contribute to his own domestical affairs He renewed the Confederacies which the late Queen had with the King of France and the United Provinces of Flanders And with the like inclination which she had shewed a little before her death of coming to some agreement with the King of Spain and the Archdukes he heartily gave himself to continue the Negotiation wherein the King of Spain and Archdukes did not refuse to correspond on their behalfs So as the business growing every day nearer an end it was not long till they came to mutual splendid Embassies by which such correspondencie was at last established as the so contrary Interest between them in point of Religion and matter of State could admit of Which we have thought fit to touch upon only here not to digress too far from the particular affairs of Flanders Then that we may return to the Narration thereof the chief business which did then depend in those Provinces was the Siege of Ostend The greater the difficulties appeared of bringing it to an end the more resolute was the Archduke to endeavour it by all possible wayes being particularly instigated thereunto by the Province of Flanders which shewed it self very ready to continue all the largest Contributions which to that purpose could be thereby subministred The Archduke when he came from that Siege had left the care thereof as we told you to the Campmaster Rivas who failed not to use all diligence in daily advancing the Works The most important whereof were two The one the great Platform in St. Alberto's quarter which was raised as fast as might be to annoy incessantly the Old Town of Ostend from thence by many Peeces of Artillery And the other the great Dike already begun in Bredene quarter with intention of leading it on so far as it might command the great Channel and so hinder the continual and large succours which by means thereof were received into the Town from the Sea To make this Dike a great quantity of those Sauceges which we spake of before were made use of and were much greater then the former To the first and largest foundation which was well incorporated with wet sand and other condense matter others of the like sort were added till the Dike was grown to the height it ought to be and the breadth thereof was very extraordinary great To boot with the ordinary Plain thereof upon which two great Canons might stand abrest there was a great Parapet raised in it against the Town to shelter the Souldier and which being in divers places furnished with Artillery did greatly indammage the Enemy likewise on that fide This work was made in a sandy and low situation and whither the Sea at full Tide came so as it cannot be said with how much expence labour and loss of blood this work was advanced Whilst such diligent work was had by Land touching the Siege of Ostend Frederick Spinola did continually scoure that Sea-coast with a Squadron of Gallies which he had a little before brought from Spain Frederick was come to be trained up in Arms in Flanders in the Duke of Parma's time And though he had not then any particular Imployment yet was there generally great hopes had of him in all those occurrences wherein his wit industry and capacity did plainly appear He had learnt by experienced men that by maintaining a good Squadron of Spanish Gallies upon the Coast of Flanders the Hollanders and Zealanders might be very much prejudiced in their usual Navigations in those Seas and Gulfs It was considered that those Vessels which frequented those parts were either Fisher-men or Merchants that the Gallies by their nimbleness might continually infest that passage that to boot with the great prejudice which the Enemy might receive thereby by Sea they might peradventure receive more damage by Land for the Gallies might at all times run into the nearest Sea-gulfs land men pillage their Villages and upon good success attempt some important surprise whereby they might get footing in Zealand Which if it should so fall