Liege Yet both these sides are joyned together by so large and noble a Bridg as it is not well discerned whether it be of greater beauty or of greater advantage to the City The whole compass thereof is about four English miles But though much of it be inhabited a great part of it is void ground especially towards the Walls which are notwithstanding well provided with platforms and may have all requisite commodity to make inward retreats or to withstand outward assaults According to the situation so are the flanks some of them being built more after the modern fashion and some of them being of the more ancient form Round about the Walls runs a deep ditch The earth about it is every where manyable so as Trenches may easily be made or any thing else which the necessity of oppugning requires yet it is not peopled answerable to the circumference of the walls The people in general partake more of the warlike then of the weak Though there be many Ecclesiasticks there by reason of the great revenues which they enjoy in that City The Government thereof in point of Justice is equally divided between the King as Duke of Brabant and the Bishop of Liege as he is a Temporal Prince who extends his Jurisdiction to within Mastrick But for what concerns the custody of the City and Garrisons the power lies wholly in the King it being seen upon all occasions that the Empire of Arms admits not of a companion and that two several Forces cannot continue so long together but that at last the weakest will be inforced to submit it self to the more powerfull Now to pass to the description of the siege The Quarters being given out by the Prince of Parma the souldiers fell to fortifie them especially towards the field-side to hinder the sending of aid into the City The Prince encamped himself against the greatest incompassed precinct and on that side were the other Commanders likewise quartered who held the first places in the Army The Lord Hierges in particular was quartered there who was General of the Artillery with a mighty Train of great Canon for on that side were the Trenches to be opened the Walls to be plai'd upon and such assaults to be given as were requisite for the taking of the City Christopher Mandragone was placed against the Burrow of Vich and in a short space all the outward Fortifications towards the fields side were brought to so good a pass as the Royalists had little reason to fear that the besieged could be succoured on that side At the same time the Mause was likewise shut up both above and beneath with two Bridges of Boats in such sort as no relief could be brought to Mastrick by water neither And this served for a double use the better to unite the Army upon both the banks Here did the Royalists begin to advance their Trenches the besieged had no great store of men for their defence wherefore they could not hazard many in making out fallies yet did they not forbear to make some even from the beginning and that with such courage as they more then once retarded the Royalists from continuing their works nor were they less diligent in disturbing them with their Artillery The Trenches of the Camp opened on two sides which were thought the fittest to fall into the ditch and batter the Wall The one was towards the gate called Tongres and the other over against a Curtain which runs between two Ports called Hoctor and the Cross. When the Trenches were advanced the Lord Hierges placed two Batteries on each side by which he annoyed the enemy The Royalists were by this time come to the Ditches mouth and the souldiers working as well as the pioneers they endeavoured to get thereinto as soon as they could that they might afterwards fill it up and be the better able by their assaults to second the breaches which were to be made by the batteries From the Fort Tongres there was a good Ravelin thrust out and upon the top of the Platform a great Cavallier The Kings men received most disturbance on this side from both these Works Wherefore to be eased of this impediment it was necessary to play upon those two places with some peeces of greater Canon which was done and those peeces plaid so furiously as the Royalists might safely continue their working and finally fall into the ditch Here as the besieged's danger did increase so did their courage As fast as the Royalists strove to lodg themselves there the others laboured to keep them out The labours of the night equalled those of the day they flock'd to every place strove who should soonest incounter danger and it was hard to discern whether the foreign souldiers or those of the Town or the Country people who were come to defend the City were more willing to work Yet the Royalists did so far prevail both with their working in the ditch and with the breaches which their batteries had made in the walls as they thought they might now fall to assault This resolution being taken the Prince of Parma appointed out so many souldiers as were requisite to do it And he chuse them out of every several Nation of those that were in the Army desirous that each of them should equally partake both in the honour and danger of the imployment In all new Governments the report goes be it good or bad according to the tenor of the first successes but especially in the administration of war it is not to be said how much fortunate beginnings make for the progress of good success This was the first enterprise which since his Government the Prince of Parma undertook wherefore to make the rest which were to insue the more successfull he very much desired he might be fortunate in this He therefore incouraged his souldiers with lively exhortations to the assault nor seemed they any whit less ready on their parts to fall on The batteries had already made great breaches in the walls and especially upon one side and the Kings men were already so far advanced in the ditch as it was thought high time to come to this resolution on that side They did what could be desired against the enemies but they on the contrary made such resistance as all the assailants endeavours proving vain they were at last forced to retire with the loss of much bloud This first assault shewed that the breaches in the walls were not yet such as they ought to be and therefore the batteries were with much violence renewed on all sides The works in the ditch were still increased and to these were added mines the sooner to beat down such repairs as the enemiestill renewed They then prepared for a second assault and it was resolved to make it on both sides of the batteries at one and the same time that the besieged being devided in making their defence might be the more disabled to do it When they came to it the Royalists
the United Provinces they seemed to desire nothing more then the peace and tranquility of those Countries affirming that for their part they would never be wanting in contributing their best endeavours thereunto Having thus declared their Commissions first to the Archdukes the Ambassadors went afterwards into Holland and there did the like to the Deputies representing the States Generall of the United Provinces Touching the novelties happened in the Neutral Countries the Deputies answered with all obsequiousness towards the Emperor and Empire and complained bitterly of the Spaniards As for Schinks Sconce they endeavoured to justifie the success thereof with divers reasons And the Ambassadors giving assured hopes that if the United Provinces would restore Emrich they would make the Archdukes restore Reinberg the Deputies promised that that Town should be restored as it soon after was In the point of the Treaty of Agreement the Ambassadors found great reluctancie in the Deputies who said That the United Provinces would never confide in the Spaniards that therefore they would not enter into any Treaty with them and that the Archdukes by the form of their new Principality did wholly depend upon the King of Spain Notwithstanding all these difficulties the Ambassadors did so work it as at last the United Provinces gave way that their Deputies should meet with those of the obedient Provinces to make if it were possible some good agreement between both sides and the Convention was agreed upon to be at Berghen-ap-Zome a Town belonging to the United Provinces and but a short dayes journey from Antwerp Thus was this Conference occasioned by the means of these Ambassadors though no good came thereof it being broken almost as soon as begun as shall be related in its proper place About the same time almost another Negotiation was put in hand to bring the affairs to some good correspondencie between the King of Spain and the Archdukes on the one side and the Queen of England on the other Cardinal Andrea had laid some ground-works hereof whilst he had yet the Government of Flanders Nor did the Queen shew herself averse thereunto When the Archdukes were come to Brussels they took occasion to continue the friendly offices begun by the Cardinal and the Queen did the like with them Wherefore these demonstrations proceeding from both sides by letters and particular personages it was believed that the Treaty might hold on and that they might come to some good agreement Not long after the Town of Boloign in France which lies upon the English Channel was chosen for this end Where about the beginning of May Baltazar de Ziniga who was Ambassador for the Spanish King in the Court of Flanders and Fernando Cariglio came in behalf of the King of Spain and with them the President Richardotto and the Audienciarie Verrechin on the Archdukes part And on the behalf of the Queen of England Sir Henry Nevil who was her Ambassador at that time with the King of France Sir John Herbert and Sir Thomas Edmonds But all these being met in Boloign such difficulties arose in point of precedencie between the Spanish and the English Agents as it was not possible to reconcile them wherefore they came not to any agreement at all but departing almost as soon as they were met the Negotiation was put off to a better conjuncture of time Count Maurice was by this time ready to march into the field It was thought he would go against the peculiar Province of Flanders for he imbarqued his men in the maritime Gulfs which were nearest that Province and therefore it was judged that his principal designs tended thitherward Nor was it ill imagined For about the midst of June he landed all his Army about the Fort Sasso which consisted as it was commonly said of 15000 Foot and 2500 Horse Divers Rivers run through Gaunt which is the chiefest City of the Province of Flanders one of them streams out in a large Channel which falls into the nearest maritime Gulf to that City and which afterwards joyns with the rest which doe incompass the Islands of Zealand Here stands the Fort called Sasso of Gaunt as not being above five leagues from that City This Fort was very carefully guarded by a Spanish Garrison especially for the securing of some Sluces by which the water of the aforesaid Channel might either be raised or let down and drown all the fields thereabouts Neer this Fort upon the brink of the same Gulf two lesser Forts were placed Maurice assaulted these and easily taking them it was thought he would have assaulted the great Fort of Sasso but he fearing he should be entertained there longer then he could be dispenced withal by his other greater designs he went from thence and marched with all his Army towards Bruges and past almost by the Gates thereof It was thought that having many in that City who sided with him he hoped that upon occasion of his being so near the Town they might occasion some tumult which might happen for his advantage But failing of his expectation he pursued his march with evident signs that he would lay siege to Newport a Town near the Sea and not far from Ostend At the same time as he march by land those many ships waited on him by sea which served to land his Army in the Province of Flanders When he was entred into Ostend he publickly declared his resolution of besieging Newport The Archdukes had divers Forts to withstand the excursions which were made by the souldiers of Ostend and in particular three called St. Albertus Snaescherch and Bredene and there was another between Ostend and Bruges upon the pass of a river in a place called Audemberg Maurice turn'd first upon these Forts which were but weakly garrisoned and munited and meeting but with little resistance possessed himself speedily of them all He thought that the Catholick Camp would not adventure to relieve Newport unless they had first recovered those Forts and that if they should not recover them all the sooner he might the mean while take the Town which was neither very great nor very strong nor sufficiently provided of men nor of other things requisite to make defence With this design and these hopes he drew near to Newport and being still followed by his Maritime Train by means whereof his Army might continually be largely furnished with whatsoever he wanted he began to straighten the Town both by sea and land Newport doth not stand fully upon the sea-shore but very neer it on the one part thereof there runs a little River which though it be but of a mean Channel yet where it fals into the sea makes a considerable haven and especially at high tydes Upon the first news of Count Maurice his being moved and of his Armies being landed in the Province of Flanders the Arch Dukes went presently from Brussels to Gaunt the better by their presence to secure both that City and the other Towns of that Province Where mustering as many
like and peradventure greater might insue upon the same Frontier where he greatly apprehended not only the open practises of the Hugonots but even the secret ones which by order or connivance of the King of France the very Catholicks might nourish in those parts He therefore with all speed sent such men as were needfull to chase the French forthwith from out that Town and to prevent the danger of the coming in of others to assist the former Alonzo de Lumbrales marched thitherward immediately with 150 Spanish horse and was followed the next day by Garzia de Gualdes with above one hundred more of the same Nation These Horse were brought without any difficulty into the Citadel and time was afforded this mean while for John de Mendosa General of the Light-horse to come with both more Horse and Foot he brought with him also some Companies of Walloons taken newly into pay So as being entred with all these men into the Citadel and charging vigorously upon the French who could not in so short a time be succoured from without nor sufficiently fortified within they were first soon disordered and afterwards put to flight Many of them were slain and but few of them would have escaped if the Kings men would in that heat have pursued them But they were no less angry with the Townsmen suspecting that they had favoured the French So as leaving these and falling on the others they began to sack many houses and shed much blood not much distinguishing between such as were guilty and such as were in no fault at all The Duke had not well recovered Valentiennes when he heard that upon the same Frontier by means of some other Hugonots who had taken Lodovick of Nassaw for their Leader Mons was lost And the mischiefs were already grown so general on all sides in Flanders as it was impossible to withstand their course any longer just as the waters of an overswoln Torrent bearing down first the lesser obstacles and afterwards the greater doe at last in sundry places overflow the neighbouring fields and in sundry sorts make strange havock The Walloon Provinces as hath been often said lie towards France Henault is one of the chiefest of them and Mons is the chiefest Town therein a noble City for situation Inhabitants and buildings And because it stood not upon the very edge of the Confines but lay somewhat more inward therefore was it neither very well fortified nor yet carefully guarded though it were of it self strongly situated and well provided with ditches and strong antient walls Lodovick drawing secretly neer to that Frontier with a few French Hugonots he was let in on the 25. of May and thus surprised the Town Some other French were first entred Mons under pretence of merchandise with certain Fat 's full of Arms and had private intelligence with divers of the Townsmen So as the agreement being had they made themselves masters of one of the Gates and killing him who kept the keyes of it and driving away the rest of the Corps de Gard they let in Lodovick who to that end had marched hard all that night with an hundred Horse When he was entred the City he began to run into every place and endeavoured by seditious speeches to make the people adhere to him hoping for more succour But no French appearing from without nor the Townsmen rising any way within he forewent almost assoon the hopes of making himself master of the City as he had assumed them and resolved to quit it Nay he began already to fear lest the people being almost all of them Catholicks should rather turn against him and either drive him out or to his greater danger take him prisoner But Fortune which had favoured him the first time did so the second He was not well gone out of the Town when he met with 200 other French horse with foot en croupe which came to succour him being led on by Monsieur Genlis himself who was the chiefest plotter of all the Hugonots upon that Frontier So as reassuming courage and assuring himself that the gate by which he was newly come out was yet open he again entred the City And having in the first place possest himself of all the Market places and chiefest streets he summoned all the best of the Town into the Town-house and endeavoured to justifie his action honesting it with words full of zeal towards the Country and of devotion towards the King but of detestation against the Dake of Alvas Government and the Spaniards actions He afterwards gave all assurance that the City should receive no outrage nor be in any sort damnified and the better to secure himself and his men he seised upon all the Arms and Warlike Ammunition he could any where find Then he began with all diligence to take order for such things as were requisit for the defence of the City considering that the Duke of Alva would without any delay bend all the Kings Forces against him Genlis went himself in person to sollicite the Hugonots in France and to be himself their Conductor And Lodovick was not wanting in hastning his brother the Prince of Orange to come in unto his succour from the side of Germany and by so great an acquisition the better to confirm those hopes which he conceived they had reason to build upon of making yet greater in a short time THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO BOOK VI. The Contents The Duke of Alva was mightily incenst at the loss of Mons. Other Insurrections in Holland follow Orange prepares to enter Flanders the second time The Duke of Alva makes a great levy of men to hinder him Consultations touching the marching of the Kings Forces Resolution is taken to besiege Mons. Genlis and other Hugonots of France endeavour to bring in relief They are met with by the Kings Forces fought and routed Orange enters Flanders with a great Army by Ghelderland He takes and sacks Ruremonde He secures himself of Malines and staies his Camp in the Province of Hennault He is so opposed by the Duke of Alva as he cannot relieve Mons. He often endeavours therefore but in vain to draw the Duke to battel Great confusion in the Prince of Orange his Army whereupon the Duke takes occasion to make a Camisado by night wherein he succeeds well and makes great slaughter Orange retreats and passeth into Holland Sundry troubles in that Province and in the others beyond the Rhine The Duke of Alva enters Mons. The Town of Goes is besieged by the Tumultuaries and with memorable courage succoured by the Kings men The Catholick Army in Brabant Sacks Malines Recovers divers places in Ghelderland Takes and sacks Zutfen and doth almost wholly destroy Naerden THe Duke of Alva was the more troubled for the loss of Mons in that he did no ways suspect the losing of it He considered it was not only the prime City in all the Province of Hennault but
immortalized by the world Antwerp lies on the right side of the Seheld and extending its walls for a long space on that side which looks towards the River it afterward makes a great compass toward the other which commands the Fields That River cannot be mastered by a more noble City nor that City watered by a more noble River Every one knows how Antwerp flourisht before the wars both in the number of Inhabitants in the beauty of buildings and in merchandizing But howsoever still afterwards one of the greatest Commerces of all the Northern parts is in it Which is chiefly occasioned by the commodiousness of the Scheld it being a River of so great a breadth and depth and ebbing and flowing so far into the Sea as it is there capable even of the greatest Vessel which sails upon the Sea Towards the fields side the City is invironed with one of the stateliest Wals that can be seen as well for the breadth of the Platform within as for the noble Bastions without and the Ditch is every where answerable On the other side towards the River the River it self serves for a defence and therefore on that side there is only a single wall The platform of the wall towards the fields is of such a breadth as many rowes of Trees stand round about it so as it serves no less for delight then for defence The Citadel enjoyed formerly also its praises apart But being fallen into the Rebels hands those sides of it were only maintained by them which lay towards the fields and all the rest which lay towards the City were slighted Antwerp is in or to say better joyns upon Brabant of it self making one of the ancient 17 Provinces by the name of the Marquisat of the sacred Empire The Province of Flanders joyns upon the contrary side of the River which therefore partakes thereby of all the advantages afforded both by â—o large a River and of a City of such Merchandizing Here therefore had the Flemish placed the scene of all their most weighty negotiations and the situation of the City and its other advantages to withstand all sieges being considered they could not dream of ever losing it by siege but rather be confident of always preserving it On the lands side so strong a Wall promised them all safety And as for shutting up the River and keeping the City from being relieved by water they thought Fernese would never be able to do it both in respect of the nature of the River it self and by reason of their Naval power whereby they were wholly Masters of it These difficulties were not unknown to Fernese but yet he thought them not to be such but that they might be overcome He saw that in the first place all succour must be cut off and that consequently the River was to be blocked up whereby it might continually be supply'd And therefore laying aside all thought of assault he resolved to besiege the City and to build such a bridge over the Scheld as might master the violence of the River it self as also the enemies ships When he should have bereft them of relief by water he doubted not but that he might much more easily do the same by land since he was so superior in forces as he might at his pleasure be Master of the field every where About three leagues beneath Antwerp the Scheld makes a great Arch and here the ships do usually alter either their sails or their course and oftentimes do make som stay wherfore that place is very opportune either to facilitate or to hinder the navigation of the River The enemy had at this time two forts upon the banks of that Arch the greater was called Lillo being the name of a neighbouring village and the other on the opposite bank was called the Fort of Lifechensuch Fernese therefore first of all endeavour'd to take both these at unawares that he might make his advantage thereof in the siege The Marquis of Rubais did so furiously assault that of Lifechensuch as within a few hours fight he took it Christopher Mandragone had the charge of the other who did likewise manfully assault it But the enemy made such resistance both through their souldiers worth and the Forts condition as he was inforced to retreat He afterwards returned unto the siege and Fernese this mean while went to besiege Terramonde in the Province of Flanders This Town is seated upon the Schelds side almost midway between Gaunt and Antwerp Wherefore it afforded great communication between these two Cities It is a Town greatly peopled and was then so well fortified as it was thought it would have held out longer then it did The Kings Camp drawing near it they began to play fiercely on the Town came afterwards with no less fierceeness to the assault The besieged withstood the first assault with much gallantry but seeing themselves threatned with a second and considering the danger of not being able to withstand it and that then the Town would be put to fire and sword they resolved to yield and thus within little less then a week the Prince ended this enterprise It cost notwithstanding the loss of some bloud and in particular Pietro di Paez one of the Spanish Camp-masters and a greatly reputed souldier perished in this action Fernese having taken Terramond he continued to begirt the very City of Gaunt with a siege at distance Antonio Oliviera a Spaniard who was Lieutenant General of the horse had formerly much annoyed that City by making incursions into all the Countries thereabouts so as it began to suffer great scarcity of all things But the Prince not content to reduce only the aforesaid City to straits he endeavoured to make Brussels and Malines sensible of the like He therefore made himself master of the most frequented passes by which victuals were brought and in particular he took Villebruch and Villeford two of the chiefest of them And scouring the Country all thereabouts with his horse he soon reduced both Brussels and Malines to such ill condition as they were afterwards forced to surrender during the siege of Antwerp which Gaunt did likewise much sooner inforced by the like necessity But we will give you a more particular account of these passages when we shall have ended the siege of Antwerp the narration whereof was not to be interrupted by any other diversion but ought to be displaid in one continued narrative After the taking of Terramond the Prince returned to before Antwerp and knew how hard it would be to bereave the enemy of the Fort of Lillo by way of assault They had already munited the Fort by way of the River which was commanded by their Vessels with all things that were at that time needfull and by the same way they might at all times continue the succouring thereof And though Fernese should have been master of it yet might access have been had unto the enemy by the River so far distant were the banks of
moved to execute the aid designe and they hoped for better success for that they had some intelligence in the City This was soon foreseen and speedily prevented by the Duke of Alva He dispacht away the Camp-Master Londonio forthwith thitherward with some Spanish some German and some Walloon Colours and sent Sancio d'Avila likewise thither with 30 horse and in the first place secured Mastrick that being the chief pass towards Germany That City is cut through not in the midst but on one side by the Mause the lesser part thereof makes as it were an angle which is called by the name of Vich This part belongs to the Principality of Liege but the chief body of the Town is under the Low-Countries The City is united by a stone-bridg and the Ligeois contented with the Civil Government of what belongs to them leave both the lesser and greater division under the Military custody of the King of Spain The revolters drew near Ruremond and endeavoured to possess themselves of one gate but they failed in their designe for they reaped no good by the Intelligence they had within but found things in a better posture of defence then they expected They therefore presently withdrew into the State of Liege fearing to have the Spaniards on their back if they should tarry in the Kings Territories This mean while Londonio and Avila were on their march and understanding that they were retreated Londonio was not minded to pursue them into Liege saying Will not this be to offend and irritate our neighbours our own Countrie is too full of jealousie Let us make a bridg to them that fly to see the enemy run away is to have sufficiently overcome But Avila was for pursuing them replying Our neighbours will be so far from being hereat offended as they ought rather to thank us for it Do not we know that these wicked ones have entred the Country of Liege by force the Ligeois will then repute our forces for their own and must confess that we have done this to free them not to invade their Countrie This opinion prevailed and the Spaniards advancing heard that Lumay and Villiers were retired with their men towards Dalem a little Town bordering upon the Country of Liege environed with a wall and a ditch but otherwise not strong They did not think that the Spaniard would have touched upon that State but when they knew they marched towards them they got underneath the walls of Dalem and assisted by a ravelin on one side and by the carriage carts on the other they prepared to defend themselves When the Spaniards were come up they sent some of their men forthwith to the other side of the Town and with the rest gave so strong an assault to the enemy on the front as they wholly routed them They slew many of them took many of them and amongst the rest Villiers was taken prisoner So the designe of the Flemish who had quit their Countrie proved vain on that side Not long after they indeavoured to possess themselves of the Town of Graves which was first possest by the Prince of Orange and which being seated upon the Mause on the utmost confines of Brabant would have been very fit for their purpose But they were not well got in by means of some intelligence which they had when they resolved to be gon again hearing that the Dukes men marched towards them Nor had they better success in a conspiracy of theirs which as was commonly divulged was not long before discovered against the Dukes person He oft-times used to pass by the Forrest Soigny near Brussels upon occasion of frequenting a Monastery which was thereabouts called Groendal Some of the Nobility had resolved to set upon him with some men in that wood and to kill him and so suddenly to run to Brussels and to raise the people there But were it either that the report was false for the conspiracy was not much believed or that the designe could not be executed the business soon vanisht no certainty of it being ever known Count Lodovick was this mean while fallen into Friesland with an intire Army consisting as 't was said of 10000 foot and 3000 horse and Orange did prepare at the same time to pass into the Low Countries on another side with a much greater strength Lodovick being entred Friesland he began to fortifie the Town of Delfeziel situated towards the mouth of the river Embs. This river divides East Friesland which belongs to the Upper Germany from West Friesland which appertains to the Lower As it grows nearer the sea it so inlargeth it self as by the mouth thereof it makes a gulf Here is the City of Embden seated one of the most considerable Towns of all the Maretine part by reason of the frequency of people and oportunity of Commerce which is much helped by the Haven thereof being held one of the most commodious of all the North. The Flemish Friesland if I may so call it makes two Provinces that which joyns upon Germany is called Groninghen from the City of the same name a City very well populated and suspitiously seated being the chiefest Key of those Confines 'T is seated very low as is its sister Province which retains the name of Friesland In Winter the fields stand full of water and there is no coming to their habitations but upon the banks in Summer the land lies dry and yields great store of pasturage You would say that in those parts the sea is interchangably turned into land and the land to sea By reason of the low situation and great humidity there is no Woods in the Country nor almost any sort of Trees which may serve for firing But where nature is therein wanting the Inhabitants make it good by their industry they make use of Turfs cut out of the Earth and dryed in the Sun in stead of Wood. These are the Woods of Friesland and the Inhabitants usual fire In divers other parts of Flanders they suffer likewise the same wants and with the same industry provide against it Lodovick intended to make himself Master of the City of Groninghen and there were some within the Town who fed him with hopes of so doing He therefore encamped thereabouts and fortified himself where he thought best especially where he might receive new supplies from Germany But the Duke of Alva had not been wanting this mean while in taking such order as was needfull to withstand this Army Count Aremberg was Governour of that Friesland which belong'd to the King of Spain he was one of the chiefest Lords of Flanders of great esteem in the Militia and who a little before was sent by the Duke into France with a good strength of horse to the aid of King Charls against the hereticks of that Kingdom The affairs of France being afterwards setled and Aremberg being returned to Flandets the Duke sent him suddenly into Friesland He had under him a Regiment of High Dutch and Count Mega
Governour of the Provinces of Ghelderland and Zutfen had another The Duke then ordered that as many of the High Dutch as could be had should fall down into those parts He dispatched away thither also the Camp-Master Bracamonte with almost his whole Spanish Brigado and some horse and six Field-Pieces Lodovick had begun to fortifie the Town of Dam from whence there runs a Channel to Delfeziel but hindred by the coming of the Spaniards he resolved to quit those Quarters and to go to a certain Priory not far from thence which was more commodious and safe the ground was higher here then in other parts and there were some trees which served for the use of the Priory Here the Count took up his Quarters not knowing whether the Spaniards would assault him or indeavour by reducing him to straits to make him return to Germany If they should assault him it would make for his advantage by reason of his situation and because the Spaniards were of necessity to pass through the hollow places where they had cut out Turfs which stood ful of water and mire as did likewise all the fields thereabouts He feared rather to be straitned in victuals and consequently inforced to retreat but he was not left long in this doubt The Spaniards assoon as they descri'd the enemy began to murmure for that Aremberg would not suffer them to fall on and assault them which he was against considering wisely that Mega was not yet come and that he expected some further reinforcement of horse and foot his present forces being fewer in number then were the enemy But his councel was but little listned unto nor his Authority respected For the Spaniards impatient of all delay despising his Command would forbear no longer Nay some of them using injurious and offensive words towards him tearmed him a coward for matter of War and disloyal in the Cause of the Church and King Whence much incenst he said Let us then goe not to overcome but to be overcome and not by the Arms of our Enemies but those which Nature adoperates for them Shall not we be buried in water dirt and ditches before we can come to assault them How strong in all other respects is their situation and how much greater are their numbers then ours I notwithstanding will be one of the first that will fight and dye Thus will I shew whether I degenerate from my blood or no whether I be a Coward and whether I be faulty in my loyalty to my Religion and to my King This being said he with the rest felt headlong into the battel The Spaniards were on the front the High-Dutch followed and the Horse were placed more where the quality of the ground would permit them to be then in any good order the Artillery guarded one flank of the Enemy where they lay most open Lodovick on the contrary seeing himself at such advantage full of joy put his Army in order and encouraged them thus unto the battel What Victory my fellow souldiers was ever more certain then that which we shall this day win upon the Spaniards Doe you see how rashly and with how much arrogancie they come to assault us as if this Quarter of so valiant Souldiers were the proud Alva's Palace and that they were by their base treacheries to imprison here some other Egmont and Horn to make them afterwards laughing-stocks and to destroy them in their new Forts wherewith they have inthralled Flanders every where But this day undoubtedly will make them repent their so many tyrannical proceedings and make the Country conceive a certain hope that all bondage being shaken off it shall soon recover its former liberty If we consider Forces ours are twice as many as theirs If the Cause Violence displayes the Colours on their side and Justice on ours If the condition of Souldiers many of theirs are to be accounted ours and how can their Germans differ in opinion from you But say they were all Spaniards that they were more in number then we and that they had the better cause were not our so many other advantages sufficient to win us the victory The water dirt and holes will rob us of the honour of overcoming them This will not be like the encounter at Dalem where those few of our men thinking to be safe in the Country of Liege were set on at unawares and routed without almost any fighting Deceits will not avail here We will here soon repay our selves for that loss with good use to boot In wars the beginning useth to presage the end And therefore we by this present Victory will ascertain the future But loâ— the Enemy already comes on receive him couragiously For as Justice leads them on to punishment so doth it you to prey revenge and glory He had ordered his men thus The Horse on the right wing under his brother Adolphus who had the command of them on which side the ground was more tractable the Foot on the left where they were sheltred by a little hill whereon he placed some Files of Musquetiers he left the ground on which were trees on his back and on his front that which was most myery At the first the Spanish Artillery did somewhat prejudice his men and some of them did so couragiously charge Lodovicks Musquetiers who were placed to defend the little hill as they hoped to win it whereupon the Spaniards gave on upon the Enemy with more obstinate resolution then before But they soon were aware of their errors For bemyred in the water and mud the more they endeavoured to get out the faster they stuck and the rest who came to help them had need of help themselves They were then wounded and slain by the Enemies Foot who ran no danger thereby And Lodovick making his Horse wheel about invironed Arembergs men and without any trouble routed and defeated them In the Battel about 600 Spaniards were slain and almost none of the Germans for they suddenly yielded upon discretion to the Enemy who easily gave them their lives upon obligation that they should never bear arms more for the Spaniard Aremberg playing the part rather of a common Souldier then of a Commander whilst he fought couragiously was slain at the first encounter There were but few lost on Lodovicks side their greatest loss was in his brother Adolphus Some will have it that he was slain by Arembergs own hand and that Adolphus slew Aremberg The Spaniards lost their Artlllery and their Baggage and some monies which was brought to their Camp to pay the Souldiers The Battel was not well ended when a Troop of horse appeared led on by Count Curtio Martinengo and by Andrea Salatsar which Count Mega had sent before to reinforce the Horse of the Kings army Their arrival helped at least to hinder the Enemy from slaughtering any more of the disbanded men who ran away from the Spanish Camp Nor was Mega himself long after in coming up who considering the danger of Groninghen
the Scheld fall into the Sea in so large Channels as losing the condition of Rivers they seem to carry new Seas into the Sea on the contrary the Ocean first washing the said two Provinces for a long trackt of ground and turning then as it were from the sea into a River penetrates into each of them by divers Channels and hides it self there in sundry Gulfs From hence joyning with the Rivers and together with them cutting Zealand thorough in many places it makes many Islands thereof and reduceth Holland into a Peninsula To boot with these three forenamed Rivers which are the chiefest of all Flanders there are in Holland divers other lesser ones and as if Art would contend with Nature there are thereunto added an infinite number of Channels cut by hand which are made for the more commodiousness of the Countrie There are within it likewise a great number of Lakes and standing waters so as the situation of both these Provinces being well considered 't is to be questioned whether the space of ground be greater which is won from the earth by water or from water by the earth nor is it less to be disputed whether their Country do more abound with or be more failing in those Commodities which men enjoy in other parts Through the condition of their situation they want both Corn Wine Oyle Wool Wood Hemp Flax and almost all other Commodities and delights which are used in more temperate and drie Climates and yet again there is no Country not only in that Northern nook but not even in any part of Europe which abounds so much as Holland and Zealand doth in almost all the aforenamed things and even of those which are less necessary for the maintenance of humane life So great is the advantage which these two Provinces receive by the Sea and Rivers whereby their Commerce with all other parts is so easie Which since they have introduced and made so familiar in the Indies it cannot be said how much both Merchandise and Merchants are increased in both of them Hence it is that they abound so much in Inhabitants and that their Cities Towns and Villages are so well peopled But the Sea likewise is as full of Ships and other bottoms and all their watry places with other sorts of boats which serve all for habitations especially to Mariners and Fishers Great is the number of people which apply themselves to these two vocations in Holland and in Zealand They make houses of their ships and of their houses schools Here they are born here they are bred up and here they learn their profession And the Mariners especially practising their Calling in running so oft and so boldly from the one Pole to the other and whethersoever the Sun communicates it self to mortals they grow so expert therein as though they may be equalled yet cannot they be out-done in this Seafering mysterie by any whatsoever Nation For what remains these people are generally given to Traffick and are extraordinary industrious in Manual and Mechanical Arts. Their greatest delight lies in their feasts and at their meat by which they temper the melancholy of their tedious Winters which are rather long then sharp the Country abounding much more in rain then in frost They are generally well shaped in body as candid in nature as in countenance pleasant in their leasure times but fierce in their revolts and much better at fighting by sea then by land They feed most upon fish and white-meats wherein their Country doth infinitely abound They have alwaies been inclin'd to a Free Government and have ever tenaciously held their antient Customes And since Heresie began to creep in amongst them turning their Liberty by degrees into licentiousness it hath since been easier for the Authors of the late Novelties to make them rise and forgoe their former obedience to the Church and King Holland is full of great Cities good Towns and infinite in Villages But by reason of the frequency of Foreigners and multitude of self-Inhabitants Amsterdam hath always been the chief City of that Province Even whilst Commerce flourisht in Antwerp great was the concourse of Foreigners to Amsterdam but Commerce failing in that City by reason of the War it is so mightily increased in this other as Amsterdam is at this hour the place of greatest Merchandising not only in Holland but in all the North. In Zealand Midleburg is the Town best peopled and of greatest Traffick That Province cannot notwithstanding come any thing near Holland neither in circuit people nor plenty 'T is almost impossible to enter either of these Provinces by force because not only the chief places but even the commonest Towns are Invironed either by the Sea Rivers or Lakes or by Earth then which there can be none more low nor more myery So as it is no wonder if these People being thus favoured by Nature were both so fierce in taking up Arms at first and have with like animosity maintained them ever since But to return to where I left As soon as Lumay was received into the Brill he presently began to fortifie himself judging that without delay the Duke of Alva would send to drive him from thence He openly profest Heresie wherewith that Town was likewise much infected so as great violence and impiety was at first committed against Church-men and sacred things The news of this flew suddenly round about and the Duke of Alva was soon advertised thereof by Maximilian Count de Bossu Governour of Holland The Duke was mightily troubled hereat He knew what practises there were in Germany France and England to cause new troubles in Flanders and that the nearest and greatest danger lay on the Maritine side of the Country He therefore ordered Bossu to draw out so many men out of the neighbouring Garisons with all possible speed as would suffice not only to recover the Brill but to drive Lumay out of that Island To this purpose Fernando de Tolledo marched thitherward with part of his men which lay nearest and went to Roterdam one of the greatest and most Merchandizing Towns in all Holland 't is seated upon the Roter a little River from whence it takes its name and almost where it falls into the Mause which inlargeth itself there very much The Kings Forces passing from thence met with Bossu in Waldargin a Town situated likewise upon the same stream of the Mause not far from the Bril and hence they were conveyed in Barks into the Island But Lumay being first advertised of their advancing Bossu met with such impediments in effecting this enterprise as he was inforced and that not without great difficulty to turn back and all those people were already manifestly inclined to rise through an opinion which was every where received and by the Hereticks cunningly spread abroad that the Kings souldiers went to gather the imposed taxes by force When the Spaniards were come out of the Bril Island they return'd again to Roterdam where they found
by the Duke to conduct it who was Governour of the Castle of Antwerp and greatly esteemed of by him The Tumultuaries hearing of these preparations they likewise endeavoured by all the power they could to impede the effect thereof They fortified those places where they thought the Spaniards were likeliest to land and with all diligence increased their Forces at Sea intending to incounter and break the Fleet which was to bring the succour Avila began to move about the end of April and had with him 500 choise Spanish foot under the Captains Osorio d' Angulo Gonsalvo d' Ovalla Fernando d' Aguasco Inico de Mediniglia and Joavinni d' Avola To these Spaniards were added as many Walloons all of them also old Souldiers under the Signiors de Liques and de Glimus and Captain Torres And to these were afterward added a good many of Reformado-Officers and other people of quality especially of the Spanish Nation who desired rather to serve as Voluntiers then to take pay upon so hard service Avila went down the Scheld at a low ebb that he might make use of the next flowing water and drew his men towards the lower part of the channel which washes the Island of Walcherin He would have landed his men there because the fuccour would have been neerer from thence Middleburgh lying on that side But he found the Enemy so well fortified in that place as he resolved to go to the opposite place which looks upon the sea A plain situation and of all others furthest remote from the City and where the Enemy by reason of these difficulties did not expect that they should endeavour to land In evils which may happen nothing is worse then not to fear Nothing is more usually seen in war then the insuing of damage where danger was least looked for Avila being arrived on that shore found no impediment in landing his men save only that they must wade a little way through the water before they could come to the land Watching the Enemies proceedings from thence he was informed that they were in no very good order especially toward that place where he and his men had landed as least apprehended The Kings men were greatly hereby encouraged And Avila to make them be so the more spake thus unto them My fellow-souldiers The worst is over now that we are landed and off the sea where the Enemy might have beaten us by power and also by fortune On land all the advantages will make for us We shall not fight here one ship-board flying from another nor will the wind be it propitious or contrary have any share here but the victory or loss will lie in our arms and military valour Which of us can then doubt but that at our first appearance the Enemies are likelier to betake themselves to their heels then to put themselves in order We are for certain fewer then they but 't is not only numbers that fight nor are victories had by unexperienced men And what more contemptible people can be found then those whom we are now to assail Mariners and fisher-men for the most part who are not acquainted so much as with the name of Arms who have tumultuously taken them up and will in like manner lay them down Perfidious to the King and more to God and who by very divine justice are now delivered up into our hands to the end that without any delay they may receive punishment according to their demerit They have with them some Heretick foreign Souldiers but almost all of them vagabonds abject people who in war look after nothing but pillage and understand nothing but rapiue On the contrary who is he in this our so antient Militia who hath not either seen or done some egregious action which of us have not seen our late victories abroad against those very Chieftains who now foment these present rebellions here within us Let us resolve then to overcome before we fight For I presage as much The Rebels doe not look for us on this side so as we shall be upon them at unawares The besieged will at the same time sally out upon them we shall fill their Camp with blood slaughter and runawayes And so by succouring one onely City we shall soon see the whole Iland set at liberty This speech being ended Avila began to march And advancing himself and Liques with some Spaniards and Walloons the better to discern what the Enemy was doing they found that there was no appearance of any opposition on that side Then calling up the rest they went resolutely to assault the Enemy Nor did Avila's presage prove false For they forsaking their Trenches which were either ill made or ill guarded on that side thought rather how to ran away then how to fight At the same time the Kings souldiers sallied out of the City so as the Enemy being inclosed on both sides many of them were slain and the rest in great confusion scattered here and there abroad Thus was Middleburg freed and Ramua was suddenly regained and some of the Enemies ships were there taken which Avila made use of the better to secure the Haven and moreover he fortified the Town where it was most needfull Whilst he was thus victorious he would have endeavoured the recovery of Flushing But the Town being munited and at all times succorable and he having but a few men with him he could not doe it The Duke of Alva sent for him back to know the better from him by word of mouth what was best to be done to establish the affairs of Holland and Zealand so as might make most for the Kings service But he was no sooner come then the Duke heard of another novelty of great consequence which had hapned neer the Frontiers of France Upon that Confine stands the Town of Valentiennes which was the first Town that did rebell in the Dutchess of Parma's time as was then shewn It is one of the best peopled and most Merchant-like Town of all those parts and holds great correspondencie in traffick with the neighbouring Provinces of France Notwithstanding the punishment which was inflicted upon the first Tumultuaries there were yet many Hereticks in it who still held continual practises with the French Hugonots The Duke had already begun to build a Citadel in this Town as hath been said it being subject to suspition both by its situation and condition of Inhabitants And the Citadel was by this time in a good forwardness but it was not as yet made wholly tenable nor yet provided of a sufficient Garrison This conjuncture of time being by the Hugonots observed Monsieur de Fama entred the Town on the 15. of May with 400 men He presently ran to the Town-house and possessing himself of the most commodious places to annoy the Citadel he prepared with some Artillery and some other provisions to besiege it The Duke was beyond measure moved at this disorder both in regard of it self and for fear lest others the
will prove rather so in shew then in substance Why shall not we endeavour the relief hazarding to wade through the drown'd part of the Island A passage of terrible length doubtlesly but yet it may be happily effected if we observe well to endeavour it at the Seas lowest ebb I who so boldly give the advice doe with the like boldness offer to be my self the first that will execute it The quality of the man who was held experienced and known to be faithfull added some force to his proposition though both Avila and Mandragone thought it bore with it important difficulties They knew already by experience that the Country which was drowned and through which they were to wade was neer upon seven miles over that the bottom of those drowned grounds was very muddy that before the inundation happened there were other running waters which past through the Country That in propositions of this nature the difficulties proved alwayes greatest in the practise and how troublesome would so long a passage be what breast or what breath would be able to go through with it and how could the ebbing and the flowing of the Sea be so justly measured as that the Souldiers might not run danger of being lost Nor would their dangers have here an end for if the Enemy should either know of or but suspect such a design they might assault the Kings Souldiers upon great advantage as they should draw neer the dry land and slaughtering them at their pleasure hinder them from fixing their foot there In which case what would it avail them to be well gotten out of the water if they must at last be a prey unto the sword of the enemy Plumart did not at all go less for all these difficulties mentioned by d' Avila and Mandragone But still making good his opinion said his minde gave him that the passage would be safe and that he would be the first that would venture upon it That the chiefest importance lay herein and that the business was to be carryed on with all secresie and done before it was known Avila and Mandragone made then no longer delay Plumart together with two Spaniards and another Country fellow well verst in those parts went and found the passage for their purpose It was about the end of October and the season was yet very fair seeming as if it did also applaud the designe The tryal proving so well they resolved forthwith to venture to succour the Town by that way To this purpose a great many sacks were prepared to carry match and powder and bisket and the souldiers were carryed into a Village called Aggier in that Angle of the Island which lies nearest the firm land most commodious for that passage The people that were to make it were 3000 chosen out of the three abovesaid Nations Avila stayed in another neighbouring Village with Minhere Seroscherche Governour of Berghen and the care of the succour was left to Mandragone They took their time to enter into the water at the first ebb for the time of its being at the very lowest would not serve the turn He commanded the sacks to be distributed according to the number of the souldiers who were to carry them upon their backs to the end that not being hurt by the water the souldiers might at their coming out take some refreshment after their so grert labour and use their musquets against the enemy in case they should meet with any unexpected opposition In War nothing is more requisite then secrecy as well to advantage the fight as to overcome without fighting The enterprise was therefore till then kept very secret to the end that the enemy being taken at unawares might not disturb it The time determined being come and Mandragone being now to make the business known he by way of incouragment spake thus unto the souldiers Fortune could not shew her self unto us my fellow souldiers with a more favourable aspect then when she seemed most to frown You know we have oft-times in vain endeavoured to relieve Tergoes and now when we were in despair of doing it Fortune hath pointed out a way unto us how to do it Do you see this spatioâ—s water Whereinto we are now to enter This in former times was all drie land which hath since been miserably drowned by the sea yet ever since then the waters have been so shallow in some parts as when the Sea ebs it may be waded thorough And that there may be no doubt of this the tryal hath been lately made Which of you doth not know Captain Plumart and his fidelity in the Kings service which of you knows not that he is better practised in these parts then in his own house he accompanied with some others hath past forwards and backwards over these waters through which we are to bring in the relief He will be my guide I will be the like to the first file and so one to another till we shall all come upon drie land which being done the business is effected The enemy will dream of nothing less then of being assulted by us on this side so as astonished at our boldnesse and overcome more by their own feare then by our Forces they will betake themselves rather to flie then to fight and say they should fight how can we doubt the victory These are the same Rebels as at first Rebels no less to God then to the King And altogether as cowardly at their Arms as perfidious in their Cause These are the very same whom we but lately saw besiege Midleburg and in despight of them we relieved the Town by unexpected ways and they running away before we were well got up unto them yielded us the victory without any gainsaying Then 't is only the water that we are now to fight with and to overcome and some of you peradventure will fear this more then you would do the enemy So many miles of drown'd land blind ways through so blind an Element and chiefly the terror which the Tide brings with it These doubtless are all of them dreadfull objects and I confess the enterprise is difficult but glory is not won where there is no danger Yet these are not such as may not assuredly be overcome The Ford as I told you is already found the tryal thereof hath already been faithfully made and the ebb will allow us time enough for our march before the flood come For what remains our patience will be more requisite then our courage and yet our courage will herein so clearly appear as such an action cannot be more apprehended by the enemy nor more celebrated in the mouths of all others We shall be famous throughout all the world as contemners of dangers as vanquishers even of Natures self and of her proudest Element And what shall our deserts be hereby from God what from the King moreover we may hope for great booty from their precipitate running away as assuredly the enemy will do from the
siege of Tergoes But the work allows no longer time I will be the first that shall enter the water but every one afterwards undantedly follow me and let each of us perform our parts so as that by this glorious action the world may think me a gallant Commander and you no less gallant Souldiers These words were followed with a great appiause each Nation seeming ambitious of the enterprise and Mandragone ordered his people thus The Spaniards went first the Germans next them and the Walloons last all in very close files to the end that the soldiers might wade the better and if need should be be the readier to help one another Nor was there any delay made Mandragone stept first into the water bare footed and bare leg'd taking Plumart for his guide Then all the rest did the like in the abovesaid order and thus they continued to march one file still incouraging the other And the voyage was so well fitted to the floud as also their courage in enduring it to the labour of doing it as unless it were nine who perisht either through misfortune or weariness all of them got safely to the banks of Yersichen a Village on the contrary shore after a long march by water Yersichen is two leagues distant from Tergoes when they were got thither Mandragone gave notice thereof presently to Avila by fires and resting himself and his souldiers that night he resolved to proceed on to the succour the next morning But it was not needfull to make use of their Arms for when the enemy heard how that they had passed the water and in what manner they were so astonished and so sorely frighted as they immediately raised their Camp and began to imbarque themselves Mandragone being hereof advertised from Tergoes and being desired to send some souldiers to the Town to assault the other in their retreat he forthwith sent them 400 Harquebusiers who made such haste as they met with those of the Town time enough to anoy the enemy on their reer and slew many of them before they could imbarque themselves Mandragone entred afterwards into Tergoes and by mutual demonstration of military joy the soldiers received each other on both sides contending whether the one had shewed more valour in maintaining the siege or the others in raising it When Mandragone had furnished the Town with things necessary he returned to Avila and both of them with their men went to the Army where the Duke of Alva was Some of the antientest Spaniards who were in Flanders during my being Nuntio in those Provinces were present at this memorable action and amongst others John Rivas who was come into those parts with the Duke of Alva and who from a private souidier was by his worth arrived by degrees to the highest places of Military profession In my time he was Governour of the City and Citadel of Cambray which is one of the chiefest charges which is given to those of his Nation A man of a venerable aspect and in whom it might be disputed whether his wisdom in Civil or in Military affairs was the more eminent He hath sundry times related this success to me and I have in this place willingly commemorated so worthy and so grave an Author But to return to what the Duke of Alva did after the recovery of Mons when he had provided for the safety of that City and the rest of that Frontier he turned his Army into Brabant and marched towards the City of Malines He went thither intending to use more severity then clemency He thought that the Malineses had favoured Orange upon too easie terms both in receiving a Garison from him and in furnishing him with whatsoever he desired He therefore made his son Frederick advance to prepare all things requisite for storming the City The rest of the Camp followed him breathing forth threats and revenge But not having received any pay for a long time they were rather desirous of booty then of bloud and therefore inclin'd to allay their anger more by pillage then by slaughter The Citizens were not ignorant of their danger so as after a short skirmish which happened between Orange his Germans and the Kings men at their first arrival they presently put that Garison out of the Town and indeavoured by all means possible to appease the enemies anger They used the greatest submission that might be to the Duke and finally sent forth the Clergy in solemn procession to induce them the more to clemency and commiseration The Duke began to listen to conditions when the Spaniards laying aside all delay forced the Walls and being followed by the rest they entred the City and overrunning it on a sudden put it wholly to the sack Their fury extended to all sexes and to all ages The Churches did not escape their avarice nor did the Monasteries escape their Just. There was but little bloud shed and the Duke not being much troubled to see the City punisht as also being in great arrears unto the Army he was contented rather to excuse the plunder then to resent it When he had reordered his affairs he went from Malines to Mastrick and from thence to Niminghen the chiefest City in Ghelderland Here he staid some dayes thinking how he might recover the Towns of that Province which were lost Ruremond fell without any difficulty into his hands together with whatsoever Orange had possest himself of thereabouts He then resolved to begirt Zutfen where the Enemy had fortified themselves and seemed as if they would make it good To this end he sent his son Frederick thitherward with a good proportion of men and Artillery Zutfen is fituated upon the River Isel and on one side of the Town a lesser River called Berchel fals into the said Isel The other situations without the Town are very low and myerie Zutfen was at this time walled about after the ancient form and was every where provided with good and deep ditches But being many years after fallen into the absolute power of the Hereticks they have made it one of the strongest places of all those Countries Frederick pitched his Camp about it about the latter end of November at which time the weather grew very sharp and cold and there was great store of Ice which as it made for the advantage of the Kings men so did it to the contrary for the enemy who had placed their chiefest hopes of defence in their low and watery places wherewith the Town was environed on all sides Frederick drew neer it without much difficulty and having raised two Batteries where he thought it fittest in those low situations he began by them to make great breaches Signior Hierges a valiant Souldier had the charge of the Artillery and the Kings men were not likely long to forbear the assault when the Garrison which was within the Town growing apprehensive resolved to steal privately away wherefore the Townsmens fear growing greater they fell presently to treat of agreement But
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
Signior de Glimes was appointed to be his Vice-admiral Sancio d'Avila commanded the greater ships and Glimes the lesser with whom the Camp-master Romero went as chief Commander of all the Souldiers that were aboard who in both the Fleets were either Spaniards or Walloons but the greatest part were Spaniards Avila put from Antwerp and sail'd before upon the Honte The other Fleet put from Berghen ap Zome in sight of the Commendador himself who followed it upon the Schelds bank till he came to a Village called Schacherlo which is over against Romerswal a Town feated on the other side Here Glimes and Romero staid expecting a more favourable Tide that they might the easelyer free themselves and get rid of those Sands which occasion many Shelfs in that branch The Enemies were very well acquainted with the design preparations and proceedings of the Royalists by reason of the intelligence held between the Flemish and especially in that maritine part where the people did exceedingly favour Orange Nay it was held for certain that many of the chief Pylots who served the Spaniards were wrought upon by him and that this Fleet of the lesser ships was unluckily lost as we shall relate rather by fraud then fortune A much greater provision of shipping being made by the contrary part the Enemies Fleet which was commanded by Lewis de Boisot Admiral of Holland made straight towards Romarswal to hinder the Kings ships from going any further The Vice-admiral would not have fought knowing the great disadvantage which was on his side The enemies ships were much bigger built and very much more in number But Romero were it either that his courage did transport him or for his want of skill in maritime affairs or rather that he was necessitated to adventure because succour could suffer no longer delay and that this Fleet carried much the greatest part of the victuals was of a contrary opinion and would by all means fight Hereupon the Vice-admiral together with all the rest made towards the Enemy but whether it were chance or fraud as it was doubted the Vice-admiral ran on ground as did likewise some other ships which were nearest her The Enemies were not slack in setting upon them on all sides A showre of Musket-shot poured down upon them from their taller ships and the great Guns thundred apace But a tempest of artificial fires proved most prejudicial which the Enemies ships hurl'd into those of the Kings the Viceadmiral suffered most of all hereby for the fire bursting forth in her in sundry places and continuing pertinaciously to do so she sunk at last it being questionable whether the fire or water wrought most in swallowing her up Romero made speedily towards them with his Admiral and some other ships but his courage was greater then the help he gave for he partook so deeply of the others danger as he threw himself into the water and so saved himself by swimming Divers others of the Kings ships ran the same fortune of being either consumed by fire or sunk in the river and all the rest fell into the enemies hands who triumphed very much in the victory And that their joy might be the greater the Commendador himself was upon the above said bank of Shacherlo and saw with his own eyes this so unhappy misfortune which made him foresee others of no less consequence which were of necessity to be shortly expected Glimes was slain together with many Spanish and Walloon Officers and about 800 common souldiers This defeat being given Avila thought only how to retreat and save his ships but being pursued by those which the Enemy had severed from the others which Boisot commanded he had much adoe to get into Tergoes and at last brought his Fleet safe to Antwerp This was the end of the relief So as Mandragone having neither time to expect succour nor hope to get any and having first made good Conditions to march himself with all his men safe and freely out of Middleburgh he presently surrendred the Town to the Enemy Ramua fell likewise into their hands which till then had kept its obedience to the King And thus they were possest of the whole intire Island of Walcherin which they had so much desired and were puft up with hopes that they should shortly be masters of the whole Province The new year of 1574. was now begun when the Commendador had not well received this blow by Sea but that other novelties were heard of and of greater danger to the Kings affairs more within land We told you before how that Count Lodovick brother to the Prince of Orange after the loss of Mons leaving his brother in Holland was gone to Germany where he was not idle but being eg'd on by his own courage and more by that of the Prince his brother he had there occasioned divers practises that he might again enter Flanders with the Forces of that Nation The unhappy success of the two Brothers taking up Arms against the Duke of Alva had made them be rather commiserated then scorned by the Germans And the Spanish Forces in Flanders being by such success become more formidable to all their neighbours the suspition thereof grew daily every where greater Orange in all those parts made alternate use of the instigations of Fear and Hope representing sometimes what danger Holland Zealand were in sometimes what advantages he had there and the hopes of their daily increase not only in those two Provinces but in all the rest if some Foreign aid might be added to the Domestick forces of the Country The Spaniards mutiny falling out afterwards and the Kings expeditions by land at Alckmar and by Sea under Bossu proving so very bad and finally the Duke of Alva being gone from Flanders he had so much the more set on fire the minds of his partakers both within and without Flanders to favour the new preparation which his brother was contriving That at last the Duke of Alva was gone but that Rechesens was chosen by the King in his place Medina-Celi having refused to accept it That the one and the other of them were Spaniards and that both of them as likewise the Duke of Alva were reduced to such a condition of fortune as the Flemish had reason to be scandalized at such a choice That the Kings neglect of the affairs of Flanders did clearly appear and that he did intend to introduce by violence the Government of Spain into those Provinces That then the person rather then the intention was chang'd in the new Governour That this man had a more pleasing aspect and more benigne appearance but in his soul the like pride and the same resolutions in his thoughts That the allurement of words were to be esteemed treacherous while the force of Arms continued Nor could the Flemish ever confide till they saw their Country free of Foreigners their Cities free of Citadels their goods of paying Tributes their Consciences of oppression and the Laws of their
60 Forts built round about it whereby almost all possibility of relieving it was taken away The Leydenists this mean while were not wanting on their parts in preparing for defence And judging that the Reyalists intended rather to take the Town by Famine then by the sword they thought it not convenient to receive many foregin Souldiers into the City as well the longer to preserve their victuais as for that they hoped they had men enough of their own to maintain and defend it There hapned therefore but few skirmishes on either side though those within fallied out sometimes to keep the Kings men as far off the City as they might and especially on those sides where they found greater disturbance or danger by the Assailants approach who amongst the rest had raised one Fort which they called Lamsfort and which was nearest Leyden The Ley denists sound themselves much incommodiated by this Fort for it troubled divers of their pasture grounds wherein they fed much Cattel and put the City into other great straits Provoked therefore by anger and inforced by necessity they fallied out one day against those that kept it and assaulted it with such resolution as it was long doubtful which side had the better But at last the Royalists prevailed and the Fort continued still in their possession which they fortified better then before that they might not any more fear the loss thereof nor those within hope to get it The Leydenists cooled not notwithstanding in their making resistance But fearing by reason of the Royalists still nearer approach unto the City that they would hasten the end of the Siege also by an Assault they omitted not to provide for all things necessary upon such an occasion They wrought upon the walls night and day the women wrought as well as the men every one lessened their own victuals to furnish the publike longer therewithall And they encouraged each other on all sides to maintain the defence concluding that it was better to suffer any how hard conditions soever and even death it self then to undergoe such punishments as they had not long before seen inflicted upon the Harlemists John Douza a famous Latine Poet in those dayes very nobly born and of other high deserts had the chief government of the affairs of the City He failed not in acting his part well he still encouraged the Leydenists and fed them with hopes that the other Cities would speedily joyn with them and relieve them In confirmation of this sometimes Letters sometimes Messages came from without and some News was cunningly raised within the Town it self Though it were very true that Orange and the rest of the Rebels in that Province labour'd nothing more then how to keep a place of such consequence still at their devotion 'T was now the month of August and the Leydenists began already to suffer want of victuals Therefore the States of the Country met to treat of so weighty a business and to find out some way whereby the City might be relieved And this affair began to be mightily canvest The Deputies differ'd in their opinions Some thought that the Town might be easeliest got into by making a gallant assault by Land others held it might better be relieved by some River or Channel but the greatest part concluded that there was small hopes of doing it either one way or other the Kings men having so strongly fortified themselves every where Lewis Boisot Admiral of Holland chanced to be at this meeting A man very expert in maritime affairs of a manlike spirit and good at execution and one who was very well esteemed of over all the Province He whilst they were hottest in the variety of their opinions stept forth to propound his and began to speak thus I wish that our own misfortunes did not too deplorably teach us how perverse the fury of the Sea proves sometimes to our Countries Who sees not how we are daily inforst to oppose our industry to the threats thereof Nor hath our mountainous banks been sufficient so to curb the tempest of her waves but that some time sâ—e hath swallowed up whole Islands on some sides and caused miserable and unbeard of ruines in other parts Wee are now to seeke for remedy in this our present necessitie from these evills which doe so often afflict us Let Nature worke the some effect to day for our good which she useth upon so many other occasions to doe for our hurt And by those weapons wherewith she makes war against us let us by her example make war upon our enemies Every one knows that at the two Equinoxials of the year the Ocean swels extraordinary high upon our Coasts and by the season of the year we are shortly to expect the effects thereof My Councel shall therefore be that we may immediately at the high tides begin to let the waters loose into the neighbouring grounds of Leyden greater tides will hereafter follow And thus turning the siege upon the Besiegers we may hope to destroy our enemies within their own works and at the same time to free the City from all danger It may be thought impossible to relieve it by land or by the ordinary way of channels and rivers whereas by the way which I have prescribed we may believe that our enterprise will be smiled on by success It will be in our power to let in the Inundation where we please We shall see the enemy strangely astonished and confused between the shame of abandoning the siege and the horror of continuing it But being forced at last to fly we shall see our own weapons and those of nature conspire together in slaughtering them on all sides and shall see that punishment justly transfer'd on them which they with open violence prepared for the innocent The Country which shall be drowned will doubtlesly be some what indamaged thereby but who would not bear with such an inconvenience whereby their Country shall receive so great a benefit On the contrary whose hair will not stand on end to think that after the loss of Harlem and of Leyden all the whole Province will shortly remain at the cruel will of the Spaniards we must sometimes be wicked to be good How oft do we cut off some one member for the welfare and safeguard of the rest of the body yet this evil will not prove finally so great but that it will in time be paid with great usury Some worldly actions prove so memorable as they strike envy dumb and add new tongues to fame This of ours will certainly be such and will be every where highly celebrated I who so boldly give the advice do as confidently pronounce the augury and hope that the event will crown both of them with fortunate success At the hearing of so strange a proposition the Deputies were much confused whether they should accept of it or reject it But it is oft times seen that need passing into necessity necessity passeth luckily into desparation And
thus it proved in what we shall now relate For all of them joyning at last in opinion that Leyden was not to be freed by any other way then by what Boisot had propounded 't was resolved that at all adventures they would follow his advice The chief banks or ditches of the Mause and Isel between Roterdam and Tergowe were presently cut in divers places And at the high-tide the waters began to break in every where and overflow all the grounds which lie between Tergowe Roterdam Delf and Leyden At the sight of this unlooked for inundation the Spaniards were at first much astonished but they were soon aware of the enemies designe The Kings Forts were very many as we have said and divers of them were seated in the lowest places These the inundation did quickly reach and therefore they were quickly forsaken and those who kept them went to joyn with those who kept the chiefest Forts which were so placed as they might be more easily maintained This mean while when once the enemy had pitched upon the aforesaid resolution they applyed themselves apace to get together great store of vessels which should be fitting to relieve Leyden They were very careful to build them with shallow bottoms to the end that they might pass over such grounds where the waters were shallowest the greatest part of them were built in Roterdam by reason of the nearness and oportunity of its situation Whole Holland was in great expectation what the success would prove and therefore people flockt from all parts to help to build boats many of which were to be in the form of Gallies with oars to the end that they might the easilyer get by the passes and assault the Forts which were yet in the Royalists possession These boats were therefore furnished with many peeces of Artillery and such people as were judged fit to fight Whilst they were making this preparation the Admiral of Holland indeavoured with some ships prepared for that purpose to force certain passes and to bring some succour into Leyden for the besieged suffered very much for want of victuals and did very earnestly sollicite succour But his design did not at that time take effect For the waters were not yet so far increased as that his Vessels could come near Leyden All Holland joyned therefore in their prayers That the Sea might suddenly swell higher and that the Province by raising the Siege of Leyden might receive so desired a misfortune On the other side the Kings men were not wanting in securing their Forts and repairing them with earth hay and whatsoever else they could come by of most commodious And hoping that the waters would swell no higher they perswaded themselves that they should within a few dayes finish their business They very well knew the Townsmens necessities and that all their victuals being already spent the affairs within were drawing to great extremity Whilst both sides were in these fears and hopes the time came wherein Nature by way of her hidden causes was likewise to work her effects About the end of September the Sea began to swell exceedingly according as she useth to doe in that season of the year And pouring in at the high Tides no longer waves but even mountains of waters into the most inward channels and rivers made so great an inundation as all the Country about Leyden seemed to be turned into a Sea It cannot be said how much the Rebels were hereby incouraged and the Kings men discouraged The former came presently forth with their Fleet which consisted of about 150 Bottoms a great part whereof were made like Gallies and to these were added many other Boats which served only to carry victuals The whole Fleet was thus assembled together about the beginning of October and put to water in good order to execute ther designed relief the Gallies went on the outsides the other greater Vessels which if need should be were to play upon the Forts in the midst and those which bore the victuals in the rear But there was no occasion of any great contention For the Kings men having valiantly defended themselves in sundry places considering that they were not now to fight with men but with the Elements thought rather how to withdraw themselves into places of safety then rashly to oppose the enemy Yet they could not forgoe their Fortifications neither so soon nor in so good order but that many of them remained a prey either to the sword or to the water And truly it was a miserable spectacle to behold from all parts one slain another drowned and many endeavour to save themselves in the highest places where when they were freed from the waters they were inexorably slain by the Enemy 'T is said that above 1500 of the Kings men perisht thus and most of them Spaniards as those who were chiefly imployed in ordering the Siege and who desirous to bear away the greatest glory fell into the greatest misfortune Thus was Leyden at last relieved after five moneths siege to the exceeding great joy of the Rebels and all that favoured them But howsoever the memory of this siege remained a long time very sorrowfull in the City for about 10000 dyed within the town of hunger other sufferings and all the most unclean vilest nourishment was already so consumed when the relief was brought in and the besieged resolving rather to die then to yield nothing was expected but that the City should give up her last breath and remaining a miserable carkass should be buried within her own wals and houses THE HISTORY OF THE WARS OF FLANDERS Written by CARDINAL BENTIVOGLIO BOOK IX The Contents The Emperour endeavours to procure the Peace of Flanders and sends an Ambassador to this purpose The Commissioners for the King and for the Rebels meet and confer at Pireda Difficulties met with in the Treaty not to be overcome The Treaty is soon dissolved and all hopes of Agreement vanish Arms are reassumed on all sides The Catholicks progress in Holland and in Zealand and with what design Description of the Islands which lie on the East-side of Zealand To take them it is propounded to wade through a large Channel the difficulties whereof are held very great The Commendador resolves to make tryal and hath happy success therein The Kings men take divers Forts Quricksea is besieged the Town begirt and great resistance made but at last those within yield The Commendador this mean while dyes and the Government passeth into the hands of the Councel of State The Spaniards mutiny again who are therefore declared Rebels and are set on on all sides by the Flemish Divers hostilities between them The States cause the Castles of Antwerp and of Gaunt to be besieged The mutinous Spaniards run to relieve that of Antwerp and having secured it sack the City in revenge A General Assembly of the Deputies of the Catholick Provinces and of those of Holland and Zealand which are infected with Heresie Peace and Union insues
which when they should be joyned to those of Flanders the businesse though it might be somewhat slower would certainly be more secure But on the other side many of the chief Commanders were altogether for trying the new passage saying That give the safety of the passage for granted there was little else to be doubted That the more to facilitate the success they were to chuse the quietest hours of night under a faithful Guide well practised therein What damage was to be feared in the dark from rash and blind shooting That the difficulty would rest in coming to land wherein the Kings mens greatest danger lay and the Enemies greatest advantage That notwithstanding when they should be brought face to face why should not the like success be looked for from them both The Kings men according to their wonted resolution would assuredly either overcome or dye especially when they should know they had no third choice to make having the Enemy on their face and upon their backs so great a water But on the contrary the Enemies who were for the most part mercenary cowardly-minded and greater cowards of their hands thinking rather how to flie then how to fight would long for nothing more then to forsake the firm land and to retire into their close holes when they should have fearfully abandoned the open fields That this mean while the Fleet would play her part and landing the men by another way who were destin'd to the enterprise they could meet with no other disturbance That when they should have got good footing thus in Zealand the maritime Forces which were to be sent from Spain would have the easier entrance that this must needs precede that and the one be guided by the other That fortune did for the most part rather favour bold resolutions then such as were too cautelous And so it was to be hoped for now The rather for that her favour would be accompanied with the justice of the Kings forces tending to so good an end and by the Souldiers valour in making use of them upon so worthy an occasion 'T was evidently seen that to make this passage would prove very dangerous yet the Commendador after having been again well assured of the ford resolved to try it being very desirous and also full of hopes to get the aforesaid Eastern Islands and especially that of Scown which lay nearest the Sea which was very considerable in it self and very proper to secure those ships the better which were shortly expected from Spain Within it is the Town of Ziricsee the greatest Town in all those Eastern Islands and where the Commendador chiefly intended to establish the Kings Forces on that side He then without delay put 3000 Souldiers into the Island of Tolen which lies nearest Brabant as hath been said and composed them of Spaniards Dutch and Walloons in equal numbers and went himself thither afterwards the more to encourage the expedition by his presence He made Sancio d' Avila Admiral of the Navy which was assembled thereabouts and resolved to imbarque half his men in it which when they should be landed were to be commanded by Christopher Mandragone The other half composed likewise equally of the abovesaid three Nations were destin'd for the passage which was to be taken from the furthermost point of Filislant where the Channel was broadest For there at the low ebb the ground was highest so as though the passage were the longer it was the more easie With the 1500 Foot were 200 Pioniers to the end that those together with these might the sooner fortifie themselves when they should be come to land They imbarked all of them first in the Island of Tolen that afterwards they might divide themselves in Filislant in such order as hath been said At their imbarking the Commendador presented himself before the Souldiers and especially before those who were to wade over the Channel and in a grave manner-did thus encourage them He said That the hardest enterprises were most familiar to them that many of these very men had been in the two-precedent actions that therefore they went to dangers which they had formerly experienced that they should remember this was the same cause that they served the same King and that they were to meet with the same enemies that therefore they could not doubt but that they were to be seconded by Divine favor by Princely reward and by that advantage which they had always had over those who were Rebels to the Church and King That they were such against whom they now were to fight that the Foreiners who were joyned with them were of more mercenary souls then hands so as all instigation to fight ceasing in them they would strive who should run fastest away At these words they all chearfully imbarked themselves that were to tarry in the ships and the rest went in little Boats to the Island of Filislant Here the Fleet staid till the rest had passed over the Channel John Ossorio d'Uloa a Spaniard one of the valiantest Captains of that Nation and one who of all the rest did most counsel that enterprise led on the men and would himself make the passage They waited the coming of the night which was Michaelmas-Eve and upon the beginning of the ebb Osorio entred the water the very next after the Guides and was followed first by the Spaniards next by the Dutch and then the Walloons after them came the Pioners and Captain Paralta a Spaniard closed up the Files with a Company of the same Nation The Files consisted not of above two or three Souldiers at the most a-breast to the end that being so strait or narrow and walking upon the highest shelves the Adversaries might have the greater difficulty in encountring them and hindring their passage The Enemy stood this mean while upon their watch having already clearly pry'd into the Spaniards design Wherefore when they knew they had begun to wade they ordered their Boats likewise in long Files especially the least both on the one and the other part against the Spaniards Flank they then began to play upon them a good distance off with their Artillery and nearer hand with their Muskets but did them but little hurt by reason of the obscurity of the night The success altered with the change of the Tide the Enemies Boats were not able to come near the Spaniards whilst the Ebb was low but when the Flood began and that as the Tide rise the Enemies Boats drew nearer the Kings men were then divers times in great straits for they were at one and the same time to hasten their passage to keep their Files in order to contend against and to overcome the waters and chiefly to resist the Enemies assaules who were not content to gaul them with their Muskets and Harquebuses but they annoyed them nearer hand with Iron-hooks and struck and molested them with other instruments which they had provided for that purpose endeavouring by all means possible to hinder
rest ready to doe the like unless he would reconduct them to Germany Alanson's French forces were likewise much lessend and the Commanders authority on either side did but little avail to retain the Souldiers in their due obedience when once they failed of their Pay Insomuch as both of them were inforced to return almost at the same time Alanson to France and Casimir to Germany leaving it questionable whether of them had with greater hopes undertaken the expedition or ended it with less good The Foreign Aids being thus vanisht the Flemish Forces were likewise suddenly dispersed into sundry parts Fernese dallied then no longer but thinking that it was now time to pass from the defensive to the offensive part resolved immediately to take the Field and to endeavour such success to the Kings Forces as might most strengthen his Cause The Enemy had no more Forces to withstand the Royalists in the Field wherefore Fernese was forced to betake himself to some of their chief Towns by the gaining whereof greater advantages might derive unto the King Consideration being had hereupon in the Councel of War they pitched upon one of two important Sieges either that of Antwerp or that of Mastrick But there was great opposition in the Councel concerning which of these they should resolve upon To perswade to the first it was said That the Acquisition of Antwerp was much to be preferr'd before that of Mastrick That Antwerp lay in the heart of the best Provinces of Flanders and for its so many Prerogatives was esteemed the nown paramount of all the Country that by it the Scheld was commanded in particular so noble a River and so seated as having its Ebbs and Floods it may seem to partake more of the Sea then of a River That from thence a man may soon be in the heart of Holland and Zealand in which two Provinces Rebellion was first radicated and they were the first which ought to be reduced to their obedience That Antwerp and the Scheld had abundantly furnisht Forces which had so often been imployed by water against those Provinces That Zealand was the chief Sea-Port of Flanders which was by all means to be opened for the receiving of such Aids as were to come by Sea from Spain And that though the siege of Antwerp was likely to cost more time more mony and more blood yet all these were to be esteemed but light losses in respect of making so important and so desireable an acquisition But it was said on the contrary That first of all they were to secure the Pass of Germany That from thence the Flemish Army had alwayes received their greatest aids And by what pass but by that which by her Bridge over the Mause the City of Mastrick doth so advantagiously open and shut How oft had that place been made a Rendezvouz not only to receive Aid from Friends but to repulse the Enemy That in the siege of Antwerp it would prove a very hard business to master the Scheld by any whatsoever Bridge by reason of her breadth and depth and by the force which the ebbing and flowing of the Sea would adde thereunto And yet that was the first thing that was to be done to cut off the relief which would be hourly brought to the besieged by that way That on the contrary in the higher parts towards Mastrick the Mause was neither very large nor very deep nor held she any commerce with the Sea so as that River might be shut up above and beneath whereby all succour by water might be cut off from the City and doubtless the Camp would hinder all relief by land That when this Siege should be ended there would be much greater hopes of happily effecting the other And that finally the present conjuncture of affairs did require that the easiest enterprise should be first undertaken and the Army so imployed within as first to secure the Aids which might be received from abroad This opinion at last prevailed and was willingly imbraced by the Prince of Parma He saw that really the Army was not sufficiently furnisht with Arms and provisions to besiege Antwerp wherefore he bent himself wholly against Mastrick resolving to doe his utmost to make himself Master thereof This mean while the year 1579. was begun When the sharpest part of winter being over the Prince began to assemble his Army and about the end of March marched to effect his premeditated design The Kings Army consisted of about 15000 Foot and 4000 Horse all of them men trained up in war and much more considerable for their quality then for their number When the Flemish Rebels had discovered the Prince his resolution they failed not to provide with all diligence for that City being as resolute to use all means for the defence thereof as the others were for the taking it Monsieur de la Nue was then in Flanders with the title of Lieutenant under Orange He was one of the chief Heads of the Hugonot Faction in France But that Kingdom being at this time in some sort of quiet he was come into the Army of the Confederate Flemish and had with great esteem the aforesaid place conferr'd upon him and moreover was made Governour of Mastrick Wherefore he very much laboured the preservation of that place which he thought would chiefly consist in procuring succour from without He therefore thought it not best to keep within the Town believing he might be more serviceable abroad But he did so order it as such Commanders were placed there as questionless would make stout and manful resistance These were Suarzemburg di Herle a Dutch-man and Sebastian Tapine a French-man both of them advised and resolute Souldiers and who were to expect their fortunes only from the hazards of war They had with them about 500 Foot part Flemish part French part English and to them were added a great number of Country-people who were to be imployed in such manual works as should at any time be requisite for defence of the Town to which the Townsmen seemed very well disposed The Kings Army was this mean while drawn near Mastrick and when the Prince of Parma had distributed the Quarters they begon to fortifie them in such order and with such advantages as are used in the best regulated and straitest sieges We have formerly in this our History described the Situation of this City but rather in general then in particular wherefore that you may the better understand what is now treated on it is requisite that we give you here more particular and more distinct knowledg thereof The City of Mastrick lies on both â—â—des of the Mause but not in an equal proportion it is larger on the left side of the River and not so large on the right side The one by reason of the largeness of its circuit retains the name of the City and the other being of lesser compass is called Vich The former looks towards Brabant the other towards the State of
secure the passage the better some other Forts were added to the former chief ones of S. Mary and S. Philip. But the proof did not answer the design for notwithstanding any shot that could be made from the Royal Forts the Enemies ships had ever the better of the business For this so great difficulty this remedy was thought on They made a great Cut in the bank of Scheld on Flanders side near to the Village Burcht which lay higher then where the Bridge was made and by means of that Cut they drowned all the neighbouring Country even to Callo where by another opening of the bank the water past again into the River a little above the Bridge and so the necessary preparations for the fabrick were at last brought with more safety The adverse ships ceased not notwithstanding to molest that situation likewise but to make the greater obstacle they raised a Fort on one side of the Cut to the which the Kings men opposed another on the other side but with little advantage for it did not sufficiently bridle the Enemies Fort so as their ships keeping still thereabouts were always prejudicial to the Prince his Barks The Bridge went therefore but very slowly on the which did as much glad the Antwerpians as it did trouble the Prince Great numbers of Boats appeared daily from Holland and Zealand with victuals and all other sort of provisions to furnish the City and to put it in a posture of standing out stoutly The great Fort of Lillo was already munited answerable to occasion and Monsieur de Teligni son to Monsieur de la Nue was put in to defend it one whose valour shewed him to be descended from his Father Wherefore the Enemy full of hopes thought that Fernese would never be able to finish the Bridge and if he should not thereby block up the Scheld the Siege would in all other considerations signifie nothing But no binderance can be so great which industry will not at last either overcome or make more easie The abovesaid remedy of the Cut not proving sufficient to convey materials by water answerable to the work the Prince bethought himself of another expedient which furnisht afterwards all things sufficient for the building of the bridg By the gap or Cut which was made in the bank at Burcht all the tract of Country from that Town to Callo was drowned as we have said From the utmost inundation within land the Prince purposed to make a deep and large Ditch and to lead it away from that part of Flanders to a certain Town called Stechen where the Ditch was to fall into a River which passeth by Gaunt by which all things which were necessary for the building of the Bridge might be brought by water from that City An egregious work of great praise to him that first proposed it but of greater glory to him who undertook it as did the Prince with very much resolution though many other were affrighted at the immense expence of monies time and labour for the Ditch was to be full 15 miles long The Ditch was afterwards commonly called Parma either for that it was first motioned by the Prince himself or that the Kings Camp did willingly shew their approbation thereof by giving it that name And not without reason for it may truly be said that this Ditch made the bridg and that the Bridg did afterwards fully compleat the Siege On that side towards Flanders was Fernese's own Quarters in a Village called Buren which lay very opportunely for the giving out of all requisite Orders for all that was done thereabouts and especially for the making of the new Channel To sollicite the making whereof the Prince himself did almost continually intervene in his own person nor was he wanting in doing the like in all the rest of the proceedings He encouraged others by his own example sometimes he himself would put his hands unto the work he oft-times transformed himself from a General to a private Souldier and set aside all rest and delight that the burthen of so great and difficult an undertaking might be the better sustained by his own labour and disquiet This was the condition of the Siege on Flanders side On the opposite side towards Brabant was the Lieutenant of the Army Count Peter Ernestus Mansfield quartered in the Village of Strabuch a little within land and Mandragone was quartered near Lillo almost upon the river and had intrencht himself there against that adverse Fort to keep the Enemy in on that side who did what they could to advantage themselves there and their design would have been to overflow the inland Country as well to incommodiate the Royalists as to make use thereof themselves for bringing succours the more easily to Antwerp But this their last design was conterdicted by a Counterdike which came to joyn with the principal Dike of the River from the Village Cowstein For it was seen that without either the breaking or gaining thereof they could by no means compass their ends A Dike in Flemish is a Bank in English and a Counterdike a Counterbank if I may so call it which is drawn out against another bank From the Village of Cowstein there was a lesser Dike thrust out for the space of a league which went to joyn with the greater Dike of the River which was commonly called the Counterdike of Cowstein This lesser Dike was made that it might be gone upon particularly in the winter all that part which lies very low being then full of water and mire It was not above ten or twelve handfuls broad nor higher then was requisite for the necessary service of the Country people This Counterdike was guarded by the Royalists chiefly to hinder the excursions which the Enemy might make from the Fort of Lillo and out of no other fear of danger on that part But when the Enemy letting in the water of the river had drowned the Country thereabouts Mandragone suspected the truth which was that they would either make some Cut or gap in the Counterdike or endeavour to make themselves wholly masters of it so to have that passage free to bring in succours into Antwerp And at the first they did make a Cut but the Royalists running quickly to where the danger lay did soon remedy it driving the Enemy from thence and stopping the gap as well as for the present they could And indeed if the Enemy had either sooner or with more forces endeavoured to cut the gap the Royalists could never have brought their Siege to a good end But all those of Holland Zealand and Antwerp were so verily perswaded that the River could never be blockt up by a Bridg as they neglected the taking of the Counterdike and even the victualling of the â—ity more then it became them to have done whilst yet the passage by Scheld was but weakly secured by the Royal Forts Fernese finding what danger the siege might inour on that part gave order to Mansfield to
opposing of the Counterdike And though they could not much better their condition on the Fields side where the Kings men commanded all yet they lodged some of their Troops on that side to curb the Royalists so much the more and that they might be the better able to come by some victuals Thus the Antwerpians sought to advantage themselves but the Royalists were no less fervent in their endeavours Fernese had divers times invited the Antwerpians with large proffers to return to the Kings obedience but they refusing them at first and afterwards demonstrating full resolutions to the contrary it was sufficently evident that all hopes of negotiation ceasing he was to place them wholly in his Arms. He therefore by out-doing not only others but himself in toil and labour gave himself wholly to procure the defence of the Counterdike and to proceed in the business of the Bridg those parts thereof which consisted of rafters and summers being so far advanced as there wanted but little to the perfecting of them Rubays with great diligence had got together a great number of Men of war to oppose upon any occasion those of the Enemy and scouring up and down every where and chiefly where most need was it is not to be believed how much he thereby advantaged the building of the Bridg. But the middle part was yet to be finished which was much larger then that of the rafters on both sides This was wholly to be supplied with Boats and a requisite number could not suddenly be got together the void space between the rafters was as yet made up with but about twenty But experience shewed that that number was not near sufficient for the Enemies Boats found means to pass through the void spaces though they were linked together either cutting in sunder that which they were linked together withall or breaking through them with full sail by the force of the Tide Some succour was therefore by this means from time to time brought to the City and much of action happened between the ships of either side the Kings ships endeavouring to block up the passage and the Enemies to keep the passage open One of these Naval conflicts proved fortunate for Rubays For Teligni as he was going for Zealand was found to be in one of those ships which he took and being taken prisoner the Enemy lost one of their valiantest and wisest Commanders The next of best esteem amongst them was the Count of Hollack who was not wanting on his part neither in giving good testimony of his valour sometime by water sometime by land But for all they could doe they could not keep the Kings men from bringing Boats enough at last to block up the middle space between the rafters on both sides of the shore And thus after a long dispute between hope and fear wherewith the Royalists were a long time agitated the miraculous fabrick of the Bridg was finished which we have so often mentioned but never sufficiently described for we could never till now come to give you a full relation thereof This was then the shape of it From the two contrary shores upon which lay the two greater Forts of Callo and Ordam divers rowes of great Piles of Trees were thrust out and being driven into the River extended as far as the current thereof would permit These which went streight forwards were closed together overthwart with divers others of the like greatness they were called Steccadoes at the first and ever after continued the same name The Steccado of Callo advanced about 120 usual paces not being able to reach further for on that side the river of Scheld grew presently deep The other of Ordam advanced about 150 paces the river affording better commodity on that side At the end of each of these Steccadoes and where the Boats began to be placed a large space was composed as if it were a Piazza able to receive a great many Souldiers for the better defence both of the Boats and of the Steccadoes On the flanks of these towards the upper part a series of Parapets were raised which were made of great doubled boards well fill'd in the midst with earth so as the Souldiers might be thereby fenced or sheltered and endure a volley of musket-shot and from those Fences pour musket-shot upon the Enemies ships Both the Forts served for Curtains if I may be permitted to say so to both the Flanks of the Steccadoes and to that purpose were alwayes furnished with good store of great Ordnance At the other end of the Piazza's where the Steccadoes ended some Peeces of Artillery were placed on both sides the better to defend that part And adding new securities without to those within both the outsides of those Piazza's were garnished with certain great Rafters of wood armed with iron at the ends which advancing for a considerable space into the river and upheld by some others which were planted in the bottom thereof might keep the enemies ships the further off and make their assaults the weaker This was the form of the Steccadoes from the ends whereof began the ank of boats wherewithall the rest of the river was shut up which was her deepest and largest part and the space between the two Steccadoes might be about 4500 paces This was filled up with 32 great barks all of them of almost an equal body and form they differed but little in their poup and forecastle or in any other part They were joyned together at the ends and sides with strong chains of iron each end was furnished with a piece of Artillery and the body of each bark with a convenient number of souldiers and Mariners Ten men might walk abrest upon the Steccadoes and sufficient commodity for passage was left likewise upon the barks And because 't was already known that the Antwerpians had prepared some fireboats to prejudice the bridg and that they were always to provide for the assault of their other ships and of those which their friends would send unto them therefore the Kings men bethought themselves to shelter the barks of the bridg with another exterior defence that they might the less fear being injured by the enemy The invention was this Many masts of ships were fastned together which made as it were a float and as many of these were made as sufficed for the whole length which the barks took up The one float was joyned to the other like a wall or great parapet and then thrust out in a proportionable interval before the barks and they were fastned to great anchors on both sides so as they might not fear being moved or loosened by any assault of the enemies ships or by the rage of any incensed tide And because they floated upon the water they were floats This was the whole Fabrick of the Bridg a proud one of that kind and which well deserved the glory of having perfected so memorable a siege and of having at last reduced so important a City to the Kings
Souldiers he reviewed the Place very attentively and endeavoured to put it into such a posture as that Mansfield might have time to prepare succour and to endeavour how to introduce it On the other side Count Maurice thinking that his outward Fortifications were sufficient to keep him from so doing bent himself with all his might against the Town within When the Duke of Parma had got the Town he caused a Fort to be raised upon the chiefest Bank on the side of Donge The Fort was near enough the Town and guarded a Pass of great importance From the very first that Maurice had begun the Siege he had propounded unto himself to take this Fort which from the name of a neighbouring Village was called the Fort of Steenlo And giving the care thereof to Count Hollack the few Souldiers that were within it having made a slender resistance abandoned it From this Fort Maurice began to ply the Town with Cannon-shot nor contented with several Batteries by Land he did the like by water loading to that purpose many ships with great guns which were placed on the one side in the Donge and on the other in fitting places in the Merwe and were well joyned together The Town was continually plaid upon with above 60 piece of Canon Amidst these hard dealings which the besieged met withall on all sides they did not notwithstanding omit manfully to defend themselves They oft-times fallied boldly out upon the enemy and supplying their paucity in number with their valour they endeavoured to hinder their works as much as they could and to use all other means to retard the siege Messieres was the first no less in pains taking then in command being both within and without continually where occasion most required But with unfortunate success at last for ere many days were over he was slain with a Canon-shot The Garison substituted Monsieur de Gisan in his place who was the eldest Captain and held for the valiantest who failed not to continue the like diligence and labour The Town was notwithstanding straitned every day more then other and the danger of the loss thereof every day increased unless it were all the sooner relieved which both General Mansfield and Count Fuentes had from the first beginning of the siege effectually apply'd themselves unto But the Kings Forces were so weakened by the diversion of France as it was requisite to recruit them with new levies both of horse and foot and this could not be done without time and many other difficulties Mansfield had therefore given out orders for the speedy raising of Germans Lorainers and Burgonians and took divers Plemish and Walloons into pay within the Country also To boot with these provisions of men he provided likewise for all other things that were necessary And passing with Fuentes into Antwerp that he might be the nearer bringing relief he resolved to go from thence immediately about it But by reason of the aforesaid difficulties his marching thitherward proved so late as it was judged almost impossible to force those Fortifications which the enemy had so advantagiously raised against the Town Amongst the Maxims of War none is more practised then to endeavour to raise one siege by the diversion of another The Commanders who were with Mansfield did therefore consult whether that it were not better to besiege Breda then to endeavour the relief of Getringberg so to force Maurice to raise that siege the better to defend himself from the danger of the other To perswade unto the diversion it was shewed how well the enemies had fortified themselves and how well their Trenches were munited on all sides in so much as there being but very small hope of ever overcoming them it would be but in vain to endeavour it That therefore the only means was to try a diversion to which purpose none was more fit then to sit down before Breda with all the Kings Forces It was represented that Breda was of so great concernment both in respect of the publick union as also for Count Maurice his private considerations as doubtlesly the enemy would not suffer such a place to be lost wherefore it was to be believed that Maurice would raise the present siege and presently run to disturb the other And finally it was taken for granted that the enemy had come with so great Forces before St. Getringberg as it was to be believed Breda was but ill provided for and therefore the Kings men should be the better incouraged to go against it But many other weighty reasons were urged to the contrary And first it was said that the enemy were already so advanced in their siege as they would not by any means abandon it And that therefore it was the rather to be believed that when they should see Breda threatned they would lay the closer siege to St Getringberg so to make themselves the sooner Masters of it and afterwards apply themselves suddenly to relieve Breda It was added that they might easily do the one or the other for that if St. Getringberg were not quickly succoured the Town would be surrendred before Breda could be well besieged and that then the enemy might turn with all their Forces to the defence thereof That this way of oppugning was of it self to be thought very difficult for that the enemy since the surprisal of Breda had fortified it and provided better for it and was affirmed that in reason of war the Kings Army was not to be brought between such a Town and so great Forces as were in the enemies Camp Through all these contrarieties it was resolved that the better course would be to endeavour by all means possible to relieve St Getringberg for that peradventure the difficulties in doing it would not prove so great as was thought for and that howsoever they ought rather to endeavour the succour though in vain then by undertaking a vain siege be doubly shamed by the loss of Getringberg and by the not getting of Breda These last reasons prevailed in the Councel of War To boot that the Kings then Forces being well considered they were not thought to be such as whereupon to ground so weighty a designe in hopes to execute it For when Mansfield had sufficiently provided for all such places as it was judged the enemy might assail he could not muster above 8000 foot and 2500 horse Resolving then howsoever to endeavour the relief with these men he pitched upon Turnault for his Rendezvouz and brought his Camp thither about the end of May. Turnault is an open Village but the greatest and most populated that is in all Brabant It lies in equal distance almost a days journey from Antwerp and from Getringberg Here again it was taken into consideration by the Kings Camp on which side they should meet with least difficulty in bringing in the succour And through Intelligence which they had they resolved to go with all their men into Steeloune which lay near the enemies Trenches On this
side they resolved to assail them though they had small hopes or none of doing any good For making the Trenches he surveyed on several sides they found them to be so strong as the enemy had no reason to fear any thing And to this was added the inundation almost on all sides with which it was first to be contended before they could come to try the Trenches Mansfield passed notwithstanding from Steeloune with all his Army divided into squadrons and halted in sight of the Quarter where Maurice himself was lodged where a certain point of a chief Dike stood out which was fortified by a great Trench which Mansfield would endeavour to take from the enemy as he by assault did but not without much adoe by reason of the opposition of the water and of those that did defend it but he soon lost it again and therewithall all hopes of effecting the succour on that side Upon these occasions some skirmishes happened between the two Camps and Mansfield staying but a little while there went to the Village of Waestech towards which Count Hollack was quartered The Kings Army was not well got thither when it was unexpectedly set upon in the reer by 800 of the enemies horse who were come to this purpose a little before out of Breda and who put their quarters into some confusion but suddenly re-ordering themselves and opposing the enemy they beat them back and with some slaughter put to flight They then with all diligence endeavoured the succour on this side to facilitate the which Mansfield sent for some further provisions and particularly for some Artillery from Antwerp But the difficulties appeared alike here also All this while Count Maurice slack'd not his proceedings against the Town on the inside One battery play'd continually after another and oft-times they thundred all together And the enemy falling out of their Trenches were already lodged in the Ditch which being very large and deep Maurice had formerly caused the water to be drained from thence and drawn into lower situations Wherefore the besieged found themselves not only weakened in their defences but in danger to lose them Nor was it long ere they lost a Ravelin against which Maurice had made a great battery and accompanied it with a fierce assault yet did the defendants make valiant resistance and Gesan their Commander in chief dyed in so doing But the Town not being able to hold out longer of it self and no succour appearing from abroad they treated of surrendring which upon good conditions was done about the latter end of June Count Maurice being entred into Getrinberg and made all fitting provisions for the City he distributed his men into the adjacent parts that he might observe the Royalists designs and oppose them the best he might This mean while the abovesaid Recruit which Mansfield expected was come from Antwerp Wherefore desirous to try whether he could make any acquisition which might at least in some part make amends for so great a loss he resolved to turn upon the Fort of Crevecoeur This Fort is situated upon the mouth of a River called Demel which taking its rise in Brabant and having past through the City of Balduke or the Busse falls about a league from thence into the Mause The Country thereabouts was infested from this Fort and particularly Balduke was thereby indammaged great was the advantage moreover which the Enemy received from it by the further command of the River Mansfield advancing with his Army made some of his men draw nearer the Fort intending to possess himself of some convenient seat These men had much adoe to pass forward for they found the fields overflown and the Fort so well defended on all sides as Mansfield despairing of ever getting it drew quickly off from it again He then disposed of his Army as he thought best And because the Enemy did already openly threaten Friesland and in particular the City of Groninghen he therefore sent new men to Verdugo to sustein the Kings affairs in those parts as well as for the present they might be Verdugo commanded the Kings Forces thereabouts who was not wanting in using all his accustomed diligence as well in doing what might be for the service of his party as also in impeding the Enemy from advantaging themselves The two Counts Hermano and Frederick de Berg did every day signalize themselves more and more with him in the Kings service And Verdugo making use of them chiefly was in continual action on one side or other But to say truth he was so inferior in Forces as the Adverse party prevailed for the most part in all that was undertaken But the successes on neither side were of such consequence as that by making a distinct relation of them here that of the greater and more important events ought to be retarded One of the greatest and most prejudicial which hapned on the Kings behalf at this time was the Mutiny of the Italians Walloons who were with Count Charls for the service of the League in France A good number of the Spaniards which were with the Count in those parts had mutinied as you have heard before And because there was some discourse had of giving some Payes to the rest of the Spaniards who kept under the obedience of their Commanders the like respect not appearing to be had to the other Souldiers who had kept in the like obedience therefore the Italians and Walloons resolved to mutiny as they easily did afterwards They made up a body between them of 1500 Foot and 700 Horse and possessing themselves unexpectedly of the Village of Pont in Henault upon the borders of France they diligently fortified themselves there and providing for their necessities by excursions they resolved not to return to their former obedience till they were fully satisfied for their pay Count Charls his Forces were so lessened by these Mutinies as they could be of no longer service neither for the affairs of France nor yet of Flanders Thus ended this year and the next of 1594 began In this interim Archduke Ernestus brother to the Emperor Radolphus was come from Germany to be Governour of Flanders The King had very much desired that a Prince so near allied to him both in blood and affection would take upon him the care of those Countries and the Emperor joyning with the King in the same desire the Archduke was easily perswaded to please them both Parting then from Vienna about the beginning of the year he came to Flanders and was received in Brussels with all demonstrations of joy and honour by the obedient Provinces At his arrival he found the affairs of the League in France very much declining For the King of Navar having at last declared himself to be a Catholick and having setled his Cause well in this point wherein he stood in most need it was not hard for him afterwards to advantage it in all others Wherefore being received without any expence of blood into Paris
di Gomeron was Governour of this place and Monsieur Orveglier his brother by the mothers side commanded the Castle which joyn'd upon the Town on one side VVith both these there had been much tampering already and at last Gomeron received 1000 foot part Neopolitans part Spaniards and VValloons into the Town He promised faithfully to make Orveglier do the like in the Castle And for a greater gage of his fidelity he was gon to Brussels with two of his younger brethren and gave himself up into Fuentes hands who therefore caused 20000 crowns be given to him And loaded him with divers other great offers in case that the Town and Castle of Han should remain in the King of Spains absolute possession And this Fuentes did the more hope for for that Gomerone and Orveglier had been always partial for the League upon that Frontier This was the condition of Han when Fuentes began to begirt Chatelet VVhich was fortified in opposition of the Citadel of Cambray even from the first time that that Citadel was built by Charls the fift Chatelet being the nearest Town of France to the Frontiers of Flanders on that side The form thereof is four square like that which was described in the siege of La Chapelle but it is not altogether of so large a content At every corner is placed a Royal Bulwark the ditch about it is part dry part full of water And it was so well provided with all other things necessary for defence as it might be feared it would hold out a long time The greater the acquisition was known to be the greater was Fuentes his desire to compass it He therefore with much fervor begirt the Town and advancing with his Trenches prepared to batter the VVall on one side with a many great guns VVhen on the sudden news came that instead of his taking of the Castle of Han the Marishal Bullion with the Messieurs of Sanseval and Humiers all of them Commanders of the French forces in those parts were entred thereinto and that they prepared to storm the Town likewise Fuentes began already to suspect Orviglier the Governour of the Castle by reason of some of his no sincere proceedings But then he thought that the Garison which was placed in the Town would keep from all novelties And he was herein the more confirmed by his having Gomeron the Governor of the Town and two of his brothers as gages in his hands Captain Checco di Sangro a Neopolitan and Olmedo a Spaniard commanded the Kings of Spains Flemish Forces in Han. These immediately acquainted Fuentes with what danger the Town was in He made no de lay but suspending the continuation of the siege and leaving Campmaster Augustine Messia with so many men onely as might keep any relief from being brought into the Town he went immediately away with the rest of his Camp toward Han hoping that when he had secured the Town he might take the Castle but it fell out otherwise For the French Commanders not losing any moment of their advantage as soon as they were entred the Castle did forthwith furiously assault the Town VVhich first assault was no less vigorously sustained by the Kings Flemish Forces But being assailed not many hours after with greater violence and more men a second time they were at last forced to yield and march out of the Town a great slaughter being first made and almost all their Commanders taken prisoners particularly Sangro and Olmedo Nor did the French escape without loss of bloud Particularly Humiers was there slain who was highly esteemed of for his valours by the French Fuentes hearing this news returned as suddenly to his siege and apply'd himself more hotly thereunto then before That he might make amends for the loss of one Town by getting another Advancing therefore still forwards with his works he came soon to battery And having made one very great one the Spaniards with equal ardor fell to the assault But the defences not being sufficiently taken away they could not storm the wall to boot that the besieged plaid their parts manfully Monsieur de la Motte was in the Camp who failed not in making all diligence to facilitate a second assault by his batteries he being the General of the Artillery And they were now ready to fall on more fiercely then before when an unfortunate accident befalling them within did mightily discourage them For som fire lighting among the powder which they had brought to the wall that was play'd upon as to the place where they were to use it most blew it almost all up and consequently very much weakened their defence Wherefore having no hopes of relief not waiting for a second assault they came to parly and delivered up the Town upon honourable conditions to Fuentes where he rested his Army a few days and at which time he received new hopes from Orveglier of putting the Castle of Han into his hands And Gomerons own mother came to the Camp and confirmed the same fearing lest otherwise Fuentes might proceed against her sons Fuentes being then allured by these second hopes marched again with his Army to within sight of Han but failing of his expectation and thinking himself too much deluded he could contain himself no longer but in view of the whole Camp made the eldest Gomerons head be cut off and sent the other two brothers to be kept at Antwerp He returned from thence towards Cambray again intending to besiege it but thinking that it was not sufficient that he had taken Chatelet from the French unless he should also take Dorlan he resolved to incamp before Dorlan and to bring that Town likewise into his power In his march he took the Towns of Clery and Bray which made hardly any resistance and about the midst of July began to begirt Dorlan There is no Town in all Picardy which is nearer the opposite Confine of Flanders then this nay it doth rather interfere then joyn upon the Confines of Artois It is little above an easie days journey from Cambray It is a large Town well invironed with a wall and ditch and it is munited on one side by an indifferent strong Castle The Duke of Nevers commanded over all the King of France his forces upon all those Frontiers being made Governour of Champagne in stead of the Duke of Guise who having made his peace with the King had the Government of Province given him in lieu of Champagnia Nevers began already to suspect that Fuentes intended to besiege Dorlan and therefore he had added a good number of horse and choice foot to the Garison thereof before Fuentes sate down before it The King had conferred the Government of Picardy upon Count St Paul after that the Duke d'Umale had been proclaimed Traitor in Paris by the Kings Commission and had his head struck off in Effigies And in Normandy Monsieur de Villiers commanded under the King who was established as formerly in his Office of Admiral of France
exactly informed himself of the condition that Hulst and the Country thereabouts was in and being resolved to besiege the Town he feigned as is usually do ne in such cases to besiege another that he might divert the Enemies Forces in sundry parts and so make them the weaker Count Maurice was chiefly jealous of Breda wherefore the Cardinal seemed as if he would sit down before it and to colour it the better he made Monsieur Ronye pass over the Scheld with 7000 Foot and 1500 Horse and to bend thitherward nor was this done to no purpose There was little less then 5000 souldiers in Hulst all almost Foot and the best that the united Provinces had Upon this concevied danger of Breda Count Maurice made almost half the Garrison that was in Hulst pass suddenly into that Town and into other Towns in Brabant which might be subject to the like suspition Of which the Cardinal being advertised he delayed no longer discovering his true design but mustering his Army he marched in the beginning of July to enter into the Country of Wasse and to straiten Hulst by all such waies as might make him hope for good success in that enterprise The chief care of the two abovesaid principal Forts of Austria and Fuentes and of the other lesser ones were given to Signior Bissa who had been formerly Commissary General of the Horse and who divers times had carried himself very gallantly against the Garrison of Hulst The Cardinal therefore gave orders to him and to the Camp-master Barlotta that they should do their utmost to enter the Island and to possess themselves there of such a place as they might keep footing in To this purpose 2000 Foot part Walloons part Germans were chosen out who were led on by their own Colonel Tesselinghen and to these were added 300 Spaniards and 200 Italians These were mustered in Fort Fuentes and Signior Bissa the mean while with great diligence made some Barks be rowed over the drowned Country at a low ebb The Superficies of that Earth though the water was gon off remained still very soft and miery wherefore it was very hard getting over it Yet those difficulties were overcome and the barks were at last brought to the Channel upon the banks whereof stood as hath been said the Enemies two greatest Forts Morual and Rape and the little Rape between them Under the same silence and obscurity of the night the souldiers began to move and Barlotta led the Van with his Walloons Spaniards and Italians When he was come to the Channel after having suffered very much in his passing over that miery peece of ground he arrived at the banke over against the little Rape intending to storm it The march arrival and assault was so sudden and unlooked for as those within were much perplext And though the Enemies neerest great Fort when they discovered the Kings men failed not to annoy them with its Artillery yet did they but little harm thereby since it was by night so as the assault growing still hotter Barlotta at last took the little Fort and began to fix his foot in the Island where he fell to fortifie The mean while Tessilinghen came in with his Germans and he fortifying himself also as much as the narrowness of the bank and the anoyance from the Enemies Forts would permit him to do he endeavoured the more to secure the entrance into the Island The Count of Solme was Governor of Hulst and he had with him a Garrison of little less then 3000 souldiers and had all such provisions as were requisite for the defence of any how important a place soever He then seeing himself assaulted in manner as hath been said failed not upon break of day to sally out against the Kings men to chace them from the little Fort which they had taken and from the bank where they were fortifying themselves The Germans had not yet sufficiently fenced themselves wherefore turning upon them with a great Squadron he easily disordered them which was much occasioned by Tesselinghen's being suddenly slain whilst he valliantly withstood the fury of the Enemy But Barlotta coming suddenly in with more men after a fierce bickering wherein many of each sides were slain the Enemy retired into the Town and the Kings men kept themselves in the places they had possest with more security then before At the news of this the Cardinal would approach himself in person and took up his quarters in a Village called St. Nicholas From whence sending Ronye suddenly back he ordered that he together with all the rest of the Commanders and the whole Army should presently enter the Island and that they should beleaguer the Town on all sides where it was possible so to do Ronye being entred the Island with his men all the rest of the Kings Camp passed over thither but not without some slowness and trouble by reason of the myre and the narrowness of the space which they had won Ronye began then to distribute his quarters and his chief end being to keep off succour and particularly such as might be had neerest hadn from Zealand by the Channel which was turned towards Honte he used all possible diligence to that purpose The Fort Maurice vvas built on that side for the service of the Enemy so as neither then nor during the whole siege could they keep off succour on that side and especially by little boats which passing through the Channel by night received very little harm The Walloon Brigadoes of Count Bucquoy of Grison and Cochella were quartered thereabouts as also Augustine Messia's Spanish Brigado which in his absence was commanded by his Sergeant Major â—ietro Ponze Nearer the Town lay Alphonso di Mendosa with his Spanish Brigado the Signiors Frisen and Lyches with their Walloon Brigadoes and Count Bilia with his German Regiment the Spanish Camp-masters Velasco and Zuniga were quartered in the highest part of the Island and near the them Marquess Trevico an Italian with his Brigado of the same Nation and further off in other parts where the more firm ground afforded commodity of joyning with the more muddy Count Sols was quartered with a new German Regiment which he had raised as also Count Bossu and il Signor Barbenson with two other Walloon Brigadoes Not any Horse was brought into the Island because they could be of no use there Thus did Ronye divide the quarters each of which began afterwards to open their Trenches But this mean while the Kings Camp began to be in great want of victuals There was no entrance to be had into the Island save onely by way of the little Fort which Barlotta had taken vvhich lying in the middle betvveen the tvvo greater of Morual and Rape and in a narrovv space it vvas very hard to get thither and very dangerous to keep there vvherefore Ronye resolved in the first place to possess himself of all that vvhole bank upon vvhich the tvvo aforesaid greater Forts stood and then to use all
and brought his brother with him each of them very well viewing all the works and giving such orders as were requisite in all places In midst of the Parado a Church was intended to be built the first stone whereof the Cardinal's self did lay and in relation to his own name and for the particular devotion which he bore to that Saint he called both the Church and the Fort St. Andrea This Ceremony was performed with all military rejoycing the Canon thundring on all sides out of the Castle which were seconded by the souldiers joyfull acclamations as if that Bulwark should be perpetually kept for the Kings advantage and that Holland should be thereby chiefly curbed And yet you shall quickly see that the Fort was afterwards basely delivered up to the Enemy or rather sold unto them to the great ignominy of the Garison that was in it and certainly in common opinion the Fort was impregnable if it had been well provided for and defended and it was thought it would have been a great terror to all the enemies Country over against it and particularly to Holland nearest the very heart whereof it stood Nor was it long ere it was fully finished It commanded the Mause on one side and the Wahal on the other Each of the five Bastions were of equal proportions and stood very handsomly at equal distances from forth the Curtains And where the ditches were made the water was above a Pikes length deep Thus by their means was the one River joyned to the other the Mause sometimes contributing water to the Wahal and sometimes the Wahal to the Mause according to their several exuberances The Strade Copertè ran to without about the Ditches from which likewise many Redoubts were also thrust out to defend them the better and the more to anoy the enemy twelve great Frigats were placed in the Ditches that they might be continually the readier to put into those Rivers This was the condition of the Fort St. Andrea The United Provinces knew very well how prejudicial it might prove unto them and therefore Count Maurice caused another Fort to be built on the contrary shore not a Royal one but only sufficient to keep the Kings men from making that passage if at any time they should attempt it and that they might make the fewer incursions into those parts But it is now time that we should acquaint you with the successe of those Forces which the Confederate Germans were to put together for the aforesaid occasions Persevering in the resolution which they had put on at Confluence they did not let slip making necessary provision for the putting of it in execution yet mony not coming in either so plentifully or so speedily as the condition of the business required and all things else being carryed on with the wonted slackness of the Nation and with the usual difficulties of making several interessed parties joyn in the same opinion The Count di Lippa who was chosen Commander in chief could not so soon assemble all the Forces together which were to come from so many several places The United Provinces used all possible means to incite the Confederates pressing the opportunity of the present conjuncture whilst the Kings Army was busted in the taking of Bomel and afterwards in building the Fort St. Andrea They advised particularly that the German Camp might joyn with theirs alleadging that by this means and by so many Forces the Spaniards might not only be driven out of the Empire but might be brought to great straits in Flanders To make these their endeavours the more efficacious the same Provinces had sent their desires by Count Hollach who meeting with Count Lippa did no more part with him These demonstrations of the United Provinces were very welcom to the Confederate Germans and were willingly imbraced by them to cause the more fears and jealousies in the Spaniards On the other side Cardinal Andrea had used all diligence so to sweeten affairs as the Confederates might be kept from breaking forth into Arms. When the Kings Army marched into the field that part thereof which was quartered in Westphalia was taken totally from thence The Cardinal had caused the City of Emrich to be again delivered up to the Duke of Cleves and gave assured hopes that Res and the other Towns appertaining to the same Prince should be suddenly likewise surrendred Nor was the Elector of Colen wanting in continuing his former intercessions with both the parties These Negotiations had this of operation That not to irritate too much the Forces of the King of Spain the Confederate Germans would not joyn their Army in a body with the United Flemish thinking that it was sufficient for them to reassecure their Neutralities which had been violated They seemed to be very resolute herein And therefore not any whit relying upon the aforesaid hopes but fearing lest the Kings men would not only not go out of the Neutral Towns where they yet were but that they might think of wintering again in those where they had not yet been they resolved no longer to delay the assembling of their Army They appointed their Rendezvouz to be upon the banks of the Rhine towards Reinberg where all their Forces met not before the beginning of August Their numbers were much more considerable then their conditions They consisted of 25000 Foot as it was said and of 4000 Horse but most of them new and weak men under a Generall of but small experience and under other Commanders who were but weak also and of little esteem The first effect of their marching was that those of Wesel would no longer continue in the Catholick religion We shewed you before that they fainedly received it but now encouraged by the neighbouring German forces and for that the Kings forces were imployed in other parts they resolved again to inhibit all Catholick rites in that City and that Heresie should only reign there and the profession thereof as before The Apostolick Nuntio of Colen was as yet in Wesel who understanding what resolution they had put on went out of the City as did also all the Priests and Votaries which the common people did not forbear to injure especially some Votaries whom they seemed most to detest The affairs of Wesel being returned to their former condition the German Camp marched and quartered about Reinberg it being pretended by the Confederates that that was likewise a Neutral town and subject to the Empire and that sundry times now the Kings men now the contrary parties had unjustly possessed it It was not long before fallen into the Kings mens hands as you then heard and there was in it a Garrison of German Foot and some few Walloons Mutinies were at this time grown so domestick as every day some of them were seen to arise in one place or other One of them had hapned a little before in Reinberg where the Garrison took up Arms and shamefully drove out the Governour of the Town putting their Elect in
monies as might suffice for the present till they might be wholly satisfied in point of Pay So the excess proceeded no further on their behalf But the Spaniards were not well gone from Hamont when many Italians entred thereinto who resolving likewise to mutiny chose the same place From whence they were afterwards removed to Verte a Town likewise in Brabant upon the same terms as was first agreed upon with the Spaniards The Italians might amount to 1600 Foot and 1000 Horse but many others of other Nations were mingled with them as also with the Spaniards The Archdukes Forces being thus weakened the adverse Provinces failed not to take advantage thereby The weather was then exceeding cold in Flanders and so very sharp as not only all standing waters but even almost all running streams were frozen over every where By the opportunity of this Frost Count Maurice resolved to endeavour the surprisal of Vachtendonch one of the strongest Towns of Ghelderland This Towns greatest advantage lies in its situation for it is almost every where surrounded with marish grounds and therefore there is hardly any coming to the walls thereof Maurice having with all secresie assembled together all those of the nearest Garrisons gave order that unexpectedly by night the abovesaid surprisal should be endeavoured The Souldiers found no difficulty in passing over those marish grounds for they were then all frozen And by the same conveniencie passing over the Ditch they set their ladders against the wall Those within were all asleep insomuch as the Assailants being entred before they were discovered possest themselves suddenly of the Town and soon after with little resistance took the Castle From thence the rigor of theice not being well over Count Maurice marched openly against the Fort Crevecoeur and straightly besieging it he in a shorttime brought the Mutiniers who had the defence thereof to put it into his hands From thence he went against the other great Fort of St. Andrea The speediest succour which could there be expected was to come from Balduke Wherefore Maurice not content to besiege the Fort by his Forces resolved to drown all the fields thereabonts with water and to secure the higher places so as it should be kept from being succoured on all sides The banks of the Mause being therefore cut in sundry parts a great space of ground towards Balduke was soon overflown and the waters did increase so much likewise towards the Fort as the Garrison could not get out on any side On the highest situations Maurice planted divers little Forts where it was most needfull and began briskly to infest the Town The Garrison had mutinied as we told you before and it consisted of about 1500 Foot part Germans part Walloons who were under their Head the Elect and under other Captains which they had tumultuously chosen in their places whom together with the Governour they had driven out of the Fort when they began first to mutiny They shewed at first as if they would make an honorable defence the rather for that they knew that Velasco Generall of the Artillery was preparing to come and relieve them with a great strength of men But Velasco not being able to advance for that he found the wayes all stopt the Garrison began to cool Maurice this mean while advanced further and further every day And yet thinking that Interest would prevail more with such men then Force of Arms he offered to pay unto them all their Arrears which came to 50000 Crowns if they would surrender the Fort. Nor was he deceived in his opinion The Mutiniers were at first somwhat backward in enttrtaining the offer but afterwards foregoing all shamefastness and then growing infamous they at last yielded to deliver up the Fort upon the aforesaid price or rather to sell it and to make the action the more unworthy they condescended to fight under the Enemies Colours The Archdukes were very much moved at these losses and particularly for that of St. Andrea which had cost so much the building which bore with it so many advantages and which may be said was lost ere fully finished It was moreover known that Count Maurice made great preparations to come into the Field with powerfull Forces And the Archdukes having but small hopes so soon to satisfie the Mutiniers but rather fearing the increase of those disorders they saw their new Principality reduced into straits before they were well warm in it By reason of their being newly come to Flanders the States-Generall of the Obedient Provinces were then met at Brussels Which was done that such an Assembly being together in one place the mutual needs both of Princes and Country might be the better considered and convenient remedies applied thereunto The greatest mischief and which required the most efficacious remedy was the Mutinies which had happened and which might happen Wherefore the Archdukes did very much press the Provinces that by some extraordinary quantity of monies they would supply the necessity of the Army The Deputies seemed to know very well the urgencie thereof and to be willing that the Country should by their endeavours contribute as much as they could thereunto But they made it also plainly appear that the Obedient Provinces would be much better pleased to come if it were possible to some good and reasonable Agreement with those which had thrown off their Obedience then still to suffer under the miseries and calamities of wars Which whilst they were discoursing of a good occasion presented it self of commencing a Treaty to that purpose And this it was There were then likewise some of Caesars Ambassadors at Brussels the chief of which was Salentino Count of Ysemberg The Emperor had sent them chiefly upon the occasion of that Novelty which had hapned the year before in the Neutral Countries with strict command to endeavour by all means possible that things should be there restored unto and maintained in their former condition It was pretended that Reinberg did belong unto the Archbishoprick of Colen and that the ground whereon Schinks Sconce was a little before built by the United Provinces did depend upon the State of Cleves and that the same Provinces had also under various pretences possest themselves of the Town of Emrich after the Spaniards were gone out of it This was all the Ambassadors chiefest Commission They were also in the Emperors name to congratulate the Archdukes for their new Principality and to see whether they could introduce any Treaty of Agreement between them and the United Provinces The Ambassadors discharged their trust in all the aforesaid businesses As concerning the Neutral Countries the Archdukes excused the late excesses as much as they could and assured the Ambassadors that it should be amended for the time to come without binding themselves to any thing concerning the particular of Reinberg For their congratulating their new Principality they answered them in terms full of respect and honour And as for their mentioning a Treaty of Agreement between them and
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
great Dike did daily advance yet it was known that such a work would prove too long and too uncertain The hope of keeping out succor growing then every day less and less Spinola bent all his endeavours to take the Town by force We told you before that all vessels were hindred from coming into the lesser Channel on St. Alberto's side which fals there into the sea by a Fort. Yet the Channel it self was of great advantage to the Enemy on that side for it served for a great ditch to their Counterscarfe which was strong of it self and yet made stronger by many Flanks by which it was defended Before the Catholicks could come to assault the Counterscarf they must first pass over the Channel which was so hard to doe with safety or shelter in any place thereof as it was evidently seen that many of them must perish being so exposed to be injured by the Enemy The oppugnation was led on on four sides from St. Alberto's quarter The Germans wrought nearer the Sea then followed the Spaniards after them the Italians and on the outmost side more towards Land the Walloons and Burgonians Great was the fervencie of all these Nations and such a contention there was amongst them in striving which of them should most advance the works as the Souldiers emulation seemed rather a contest between Enemies then between Rivals The Channel was narrower and more shallow where the Burgonians and Walloons wrought They were therefore the first that past over it and afterwards the other Nations did the like To pass over it a great quantity of the aforesaid materials were thrown into every part thereof where the aforesaid Nations wrought Those materials were reduced to Dikes or Banks upon which the Souldiers advanced towards the Town But very many of them were slain and wounded For the Defendants with their hail of Musket-shot and tempest of greater Artillery charged with little bullets and murdering shot in great quantity and ofttime with artificial fire made the Catholicks work on all those sides very bloody The Souldiers that they might go the best sheltred that they could invented many Fences some consisted of Gabions fill'd with earth well joyned and fastned together others of long Bavins which stood upright and stood so thick as they were muket-proof and others in several forms made of the aforesaid materials Targone invented likewise a great Cart from which a Bridge made of Cloth and Cords might unexpectedly be thrown over the Channel and so the Enemies Defences might the easelier be assaulted The Cart stood upon four very high wheels and upon the forepart thereof rose up as it were the Mast of a ship which served chiefly to let down and to take up the Bridge But the whole bulk proved to be of so cumbersom a greatness and so hard to be managed that before it was undertaken it was known it could work no effect The aforesaid Fences were wrought where the Artillery from the Town could not reach and at the flowing of the Sea they were brought upon the Flotes to the places where they were made use of Great was the mortality likewise of those that wrought here the Enemy making usually such havock of them with their Muskets Artillery and Sallies as ofttimes hardly one of them could be saved But mony still got new men and ofttimes the Souldiers themselves wrought Nor was Spinola wanting in being in all places at all times and in exposing himself as well as any of the rest to all labour and danger encouraging some rewarding others and behaving himself so as his imitating without any manner of respect unto himself the most hazardous works of others made the rest the more ready to imitate his When each Nation had past the Channel each of them began with like emulation to force the Ravelins and Half moons which sheltred the Counterscarf And the Walloons and Burgonians by reason of their quarter were the first that did it But with much effusion of blood even of the Noblest amongst them for amongst the rest Catris a Walloon Campmaster was lost a valiant and greatly experienced Souldier and whom Spinola highly esteemed both for his deeds and councel With the like progress and no less loss of blood did the other Nations advance So as the Enemies at last lost all the Fortifications which they had without their principal Line about which a great Ditch ran but not so hard to pass as was the Channel which fenced the Counterscarf The easier doing of it made the Catholicks hope better in the effecting thereof Wherefore full of fresh courage they prepared to continue their labours more heartily then ever that they might the sooner end the siege But the winter being already come on did much hinder their Works and the Sea did then more destroy them by her Tempests The Enemy did likewise make very fierce opposition they set up Batteries within against the Batteries without to Mines opposed Countermines they repaired themselves on all sides and as fast as one Rampire was lost they set up another So as the Catholicks were to advance by inchmeal and yet they did so advance as by the Spring they were got well forward into the Ditch These already progressions of Marquess Spinola together with his still daily proceedings made the united Provinces shrewdly afraid that they should at the last lose Ostend It was therefore consulted amongst their chief Commanders how the Town might be best preserved Which might be done by two waies either by some important diversion or by raising the siege by main force The second affair brought with it such difficulties as the first was imbraced Wherefore they resolved to besiege Sluct A Town which likewise stood upon the Sea and of so great consequence as did rather exceed then come short of those of Ostend Having then made a very plentiful provision of vessels to carry their souldiers from Flushing to the neighbouring Country where Sluce was seated Count Maurice about the end of April in the new year 1604 moved with fifteen thousand Foot and two thousand five hundred Horse to compass the said design We acquainted you with the discription of the situation of this place and of the Territories thereof when it was besieged and taken by the Duke of Parma so as we shall need to touch but briefly upon it here Sluce lies more within land then does Ostend but so neer the Sea as it enjoyes the conveniences thereof no less then doth the other all the Country thereabouts is so full of Channels Shores and standing waters as it is hardly commerceable at any time of the year unless it be by banks or barks From the lesser Channels a greater doth proceed upon the shore whereof the Town stands and which falling into the Sea makes a very fit Harbor for all sorts of shipping Upon divers sides of the same Channel stood sundry Forts the better to command it and one in particular called St. Anno stood neerer the Town then
great aboundance from all parts Coming out of those Countries he entred into the Province of Overisel belonging to the United States and very near Friesland The first considerable Town he met with there in that passage was Oldensel not above one short days journey from Linghen The Councel were of opinion that the taking of this Town would facilitate the taking of the other Oldensel was weak of it self and the enemy not expecting to have it assaulted had neglected to fortifie it Spinola incamping before the Town opened trenches on three sides and in each of them prepared a battery and all this was done with such speed as the defendants failing in their courage or rather in their forces the Batteries were not wel begun when they treated of surrender and went out of the Town Spinola had in this interim sent away Count Theodore Trivulsio with almost all the Horse who was Lieutenant General of them that he might possess himself of all the chiefest situations about Linghen And coming himself after with the rest of the Army incamped before the Town and according to his custome gave out quarters to each Nation Linghen lies almost at an equal distance between the western Friesland belonging to Flanders and the eastern one appertaining to Germany It hath a good Country about it And as we have already told you the United States had formerly given that Town with the Territories thereof to Count Maurice in acknowledgement of the service he had done them He had therefore fortified the Town very Royally adding a great Platform to the Line thereof and muniting it with six Bulwarks each of which had a large and deep Ditch about it But the Town being set upon so unexpectedly it wanted many other things appertaining to the defence thereof When the Catholicks therefore incamped before it they met with almost no resistance in their beginning their Trenches and in their leading of them on There were hardly 600 foot in Garison there and they had hardly ten pieces of Canon In so much as making but few sallies and doing but little harm with their Canon at three days end the Catholicks came to the Ditch and placed their Artillery to play upon the Town on sundry sides The greatest difficulty lay in getting over the Ditch It was broadest and deepest where the Spaniards wrought wherefore they thought to drain the water from it and to lay it dry But there was no lower parts about it The place easiest to pass over fell to the Italians and Walloons and these two Nations striving which of them should be foremost strove likewise who should expose themselves to greatest danger in so much as many of each Nation were slain and wounded yet they did so advance with Earth Bavins and other materials as they both of them passed over the Ditch almost at the same time They then fell to mining that they might the sooner come to assaults But they within were not in a condition to expect them Wherefore hanging out signes of surrender they were suffered to march out honourably and Spinola entred the Town not having spent above eight days in the taking of it He presently applyed himself to fortifie it better then it yet was adding a half-Moon betwixt one Bulwark and another and by raising a Strada Coperta well flank'd without the Ditch This mean while Count Maurice was likewise upon his march and parting from the Province of Flanders had also passed the Rhine to oppose Spinola and staying in Deventer the chief Town of Overisel he bethought how he might preserve Linghen But being prevented by the speedy siege and then by the surrender he had not time to make such preparations as were fitting for that purpose He therefore turned with 7000 Foot and 2000 Horse towards Coworden to secure a great Fort which was there in case that Spinola should assault it But the new Fortifications about Linghen being finished and leaving that Town well provided for as also the other of Ouldensel Spinola would tarry no longer in those parts Great complaints were made in Germany against the Forts of Casesuert a place situated in the Territories of Cullen which is a City belonging to the Empire Wherefore the Archduke not willing that the neighbouring Countries should be again irritated as they had been a few years before ordered Spinola that he should slight those first Forts and should erect two others upon the Rhine at Rorort a Town in the County of Mures which County did belong to Flanders Spinola went therefore from Linghen thitherward and with all diligence began to raise the new Forts upon the banks of Rhine And the season being yet very good for lying in the field he resolved that Count Bucquoy should go take Vachendonch This Town stands very low and is held for one of the strongest both for nature and industry that is in the Province of Ghelderland as you may have heard before Bucquoy began his works upon a little rise and fortified certain passes where succour was most to be suspected though it were credibly believed that Maurice would not attempt it to shun putting himself betwixt the men which Spinola kept with him at Rorort and those that Bucquoy carried along with him to besiege Vachendonch These consisted almost wholly of the Brigadoes belonging to Instinian Branchatchio and St. George These Italian Camp-masters and their Souldiers vying who should be forwardest therein more then if they had been to contend with other Nations they quickly advanced their Trenches One Camp-master succeeded the other after every days work which continued also the insuing night that they might advance the speedyer and with the more safety There were 1300 foot in the Town nor wanted they sufficient Artillery by which at a further distance and by their sallies nearer hand they endeavoured to hinder the assailants Works On the side where these wrought there ran a little Rivolet which did almost joyn with the Town-Ditch on that side When the Catholicks came to this Rivolet they were withstood in passing over it but repulsing the Enemy they came to the Ditch where meeting with fresh obstacles they again overcame them Being entred into the Ditch they were very diligent to win it filling it with earth and other materials and mainly endeavouring to get to the Line It was now about the end of October and it was apprehended lest the Autumnal rains might hinder the works more then the low and miery situation of the Town it self did retard them Wherefore they continued their works with such eagerness as at last the Ditch was totally won at the price of death and wounds They then fell to Mines and from Mines to Assaults in so much as the Catholicks lodged in the Platform of the Wall being brought to this bad condition the defendants did no longer delay to treat of surrender which being agreed upon they quitted the Town upon good conditions Whilst Buckquoy besieged Vachendoncke there happened a very considerable party between Spinola's Camp
to boot with the usual contributions of the obedient Provinces of Flanders it was cast up that three hundred thousand Crowns a moneth would be requisite to come from Spain An excessessive expence in it self and much more in respect of the so many other great expences which the vastness of the Spanish Empire did necessarily require in so many other parts yet such diligence was used as there was course taken for it and some part thereof was disburst in Flanders before hand to raise new men and in providing divers other things which were necessary for going into the field These negotiations kept Spinola longer in Spain then the affairs of Flanders would allow of At his departure the King to witness his confidence in him and esteem of him made him one of his chief Councel of State He at last began his journey backward by the way of Italy and parting from Genua was stayed in his journey by a Feaver which kept him from coming to Brussels till the first of June Nothing of considerable had this mean while been done in Flanders only Monsieur de Teraglia a Frenchman had put himself into the Kings service he being very well versed in matter of Artillery and Petars which are made use of in surprisals Whereof he made use of divers on both sides the Rhine but since none of them wrought any considerable effect we will forbare to mention them Spinola being arrived and the Army being increased by new Germans and Walloons and by 2000 Spaniards who were come from Italy under the Camp-master Jovanni Bravoi the Archduke would no longer forbear putting the aforesaid designes in excution And thus it was carried Spinola made his Rendezvouz about the Forts upon the Rhine and having mustered there 12000 Foot and 2000 Horse he resolved to advance into that other part where Oldensell and Leghen were taken the year before The resolution was as we told you to passe over the River Ysel and to get into Vela which is an open Country and near Utricht a City of great circuit but badly fortified in so much as they might hope to take so principal a Town and having well fortified it to trouble Holland near which that City stands on that side Count Bucquoy prepared at the same time to pass over Wahal intending to bring the Catholick Forces into the Island of Betna and there to get footing and take some place of importance Niminghen would have been the most considerable of all others a great City scituated upon the left side of the same River and which bore great consequences with it We have so often upon so many other occurrences spoken of this City and of the same Rivers of Wahal and Ysel as it will be superfluous to make the same relations again here Bucquoy had with him 10000 Foot and 1300 Horse with plenty of all necessary provisions and in Spinola's Camp there were above 3000 Carriages with great store of Victuals and Ammunition with Mils Ovens and all other accommodations necessary This extraordinary great preparation on the Catholicks behalf made the United Provinces first very suspitious and then very fearfull They had not then Forces enough to oppose the Catholicks in the open Field they therefore resolved to supply that want by fortifying those River-banks where most fear was to be had that the Catholicks would endeavour to pass over by better fortifying those Towns which they thought they would assail And truly they made wonderfull Fortifications upon this occasion They made a great many Redouts upon the banks of all that shore of the Wahal which runs along the Island of Betua where it might be feared the Catholicks might attempt to possess it on that side A Corps de Gard was assigned with Sentinels to every Redout and according to occasion one Redout was to assist another At the same time divers men of War and other Boats were to scoure up and down upon the River to be another sort of impediment and strict Orders were given to all the Towns thereabouts that with great vigilancy they should be prepared to send forth men to make the like opposition The other yet greater tract of ground which ran along the shore of Ysel was likewise equally defended So as having made these provisions the Enemy seemed little to dread what the Catholicks could do And yet Count Maurice assembled so great a body of an Army together as being added to those so advantagious Fortifications where most need required might cause the greater hopes of rendring all contrary designes vain Spinola parted from the Rendezvouz about the beginning of July and marched towards Ysel The season was very rainy before he could pass the Rhine The Climate of Flanders doth naturally abound in moysture and rain And the Spring and Summer and Autumn are usually there so confounded together as one season can hardly be discerned from another but extraordinary store of rain fell particularly that Summer and all the while the Enemy kept in the Field during that year Spinola marched through low grounds where the water which was already fallen and which still continuing to fall had made the ways through which he marched extraordinarily durty and slippery It is not to be said how much the Souldiers suffered thereby how much the Artillery was incommodiated and particularly how great the disorder was in conducting such an unusual number of Carriages Spinola and the rest of the Commanders and the whole Army were greatly afflicted in seeing the season prove so perverse and they were more grieved when they heard that the Rivers were so swoln as they were not to be forded over in any part Spinola knew likewise what great Fortifications the Enemy had made on the contrary shore and whatsoever else they had done to impede the passage Yet he still drew towards Ysel and afterwards marched towards those parts where Zutfen and Deventer stand Between these two Towns on the other side the River did Count Maurice keep with his Army that he might turn where occasion should most require Spinola did studiously endeavour to make him still keep there till such time as Count de Sora might come to a certain place a good way from thence which was a little below the Town Suole where he intended that Sora should by all means attempt to pass over the River and in the mean while Spinola thought it might be advantagious for him to take Lochem a little Town not very strong but oportune for the condition of the scituations where he at that time kept He therefore sent the Camp-master Borgio who was a little before chosen Governour of Antwerp Citadel to begirt it with 3000 Foot and 500 Horse He met with but short resistance For the Catholicks being come in two days to the Ditch and having began a Battery on the third day those within surrendred the Town Spinola hoped still that the River of Ysel would fall and that Count Sora might get over it at the aforesaid place But he being
come thither and having made some tryal found both the water so high and the opposition made by the Enemy so great as he failed in his defigne Whilst Marquis Spinola laboured thus on the other side of the Rhine Bucquoy had also gathered his Army together on this side in Brabant and passing the Mause over against Moch kept there Moch is an open Village not above four leagues from the Wahal Bucquoy's intention was to attempt a passage in a certain place which lay just in the midst between Schincks Sconce and Niminghen he had caused a great many of Barks proportionable to the designe to be carryed upon Carts to put them into the River and to put thereinto men sufficient to make way through the contrary shore Amongst other Commanders Camp-master Justinian was with Bucquoy who imployed him in attempting the said Passe Justinian going therefore with 4000 Foot two pieces of Arrillery and necessary Barks for the transporting of them prepared to put the designe in execution But he found the Enemy no less ready to oppose him on that side the Wahal then they had been on the other side of Ysel The River was much greater and much more rapid then usual Wherefore the Marriners could not govern their Barks as they would have done nor were their Artillery of any advantage to them for the contrary shore was better furnished therewithall and therefore all attempts proving vain Justinian retyred to joyn with the rest that were with Bucquoy Spinola having notice hereof knew there was no more hopes of passing over either in the one or in the other place he resolved then not to part from those places where he was without making himself Master of some place of importance The chiefest Towns the Enemy had thereabouts were Zutfen and Deventer both of them seated upon the Ysel but so munited both by the River on one side and by their Fortifications on the other side as they required longer time and greater Forces then Spinola then had to offer at the winning them Besides Maurice kept with his Army almost in the midst between them Nor was it to be doubted but that he might be at liberty to succour which of the Towns he would The Town of Groll is not far from thereabouts and though it were not to be compared with the other two it was notwithstanding to be esteemed a place of great consequence both in it self and because by the scituation thereof the other two Towns of Oldensel and Linghen which were won the preceding year might be the better sheltered Spinola therefore resolved to apply himself to this siege And the designe being approved of in the Councel of War he marched towards it on the beginning of August Groll lies in a plain and on the one side thereof runs Berchel a little River but sufficient to serve for a good defence to the Town on that side on the other side the Line was well Flanked and beyond the chiefest Ditch stood other Flanks with Ditches likewise Spinola distributed his quarters out on three sides with his usual division of Nations to boot with the Irish who in Queen Elizabeths time were naturally inclined to fight under the Catholicks Colours in Flanders many English and Scots did the like now Which was permitted by the new King who succeeded her to witness the good intelligence which he held with the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes The siege being begun and the Catholicks striving to end it as soon as they could they came with their Trenches in three dayes to the Ditch which invironed the Half-moons without Then the several Nations strove a main who should first pass over it in which some bridges of cloath extended upon rafters and little casks did great good a device invented by the Engineer Targone The first Ditch being past over some contest was had and not without the loss of much blood before they could get the Half-moons but the Assailants making themselves masters of them also betook themselves to storm the chief Line nor were their Batteries this mean while Idle assisted by which they possessed themselves of the greatest Ditch and came to the aforesaid Line Those within laboured as much as they could to make good their defences but all of them being at last beaten down by the batteries from without they knew it would be but vain to make any further resistance and therefore resolved to deliver up the Town and thus in nine dayes space Spinola took it Having gotten this place much sooner then he expected and thinking that he had yet time enough to attempt some other Town of better consequence he bethought himself of Reinberg which had been several times taken and retaken by the King of Spain and the Arch-dukes and by the United Provinces But being last taken by Count Maurice he had fortified it much better them formerly it was particularly the year before and this very year fearing least one of Spinola's chief ends about the Rhine might be to besiege that Town This was very much approved of in the Councel of war and it was hoped that it might be soon effected Spinola's Army was so diminished by reason of the unusual troubles which it had undergone as his Forces alone were not sufficient to undertake such an enterprise wherefore he writ to Bucquoy to come with all speed to him Bucquoy drew first near Reinberg on that side which lies towards Brabant and Spinola soon after came on the other side which looks towards Friesland When Maurice had discovered the design he suddenly dispatched away his brother Henry with two thousand Foot and two hundred Horse into the Town and began to make fitting provisions to come to the full relief thereof himself This mean while all the Catholick Forces came on both sides the Rhine insomuch as about the end of August Spinola incamped himself formally before the Town on both sides Reinberg is seated on the left hand of the Rhine which is thought to be one of the most advantagious situations which is to be had about that River To her former ancient and but ill flancked Line was added a second which had a great number of Ravelins Half-moons and other greater and lesser Flanks which were all accompanied with a Ditch and Strada Coperta Nor did the outward Rampires end here but a third Line was almost finished with new works flanckt and of a large circuit to the end that embracing so much compass abroad the inward fortifications might be the better sheltered and defended Not far from the shore where the Town is situated an Island of small circuit riseth in the River in it there was a Fort with four flancks to which other fortifications were added which took up almost the whole Island And a Fort was likewise placed on the other side of the shore but with greater Flancks with Trenches and other defences near it The siege began hottest on this side for they desired first to bereave the Enemy of the Fort on the
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