Army was so likely to moulder away for want of pay that she thought fit to intercede for the distressed States with his Majesty of Spain and Don John by the Lord Cobham and Sir Fracis Walsingham and when that failed a Religious Peace as they called it which the States-General consented to was settled which bred great jealousies in the Provinces where many were still stiff for Popery especially at Gaunt till the Queen of England declared against them and promised notwithstanding that Duke Casimer and the D. of Anjou retired in discontent to stand by the Protestant States to the utmost as she did effectually having brought the Estates first to stricter Union and Alliance at Vtrech 1579 than that before at Gaunt and afterwards to erect a Council of State for the management of affairs whose very first debate was a Consultation about the alteration of Government to shorten the War and engage some Person in their defence The next was the taking and demolishing of several strong Holds that had been too serviceable to the King of Spain But their affairs not prospering they resolve upon the Duke of Anjou as their Soveraign upon 27 Articles signed on both sides with Medals coyned whereon were these devices Leonem loris mus li erat Liber revinciri Leo pernegat Pro Christo grege lege Religione justitià reduce vocato ex Gulliâ pacatâ duce Andegariensi â—elgiae Libertatis vindice vos terrâ â—go excubo ponto 1580 Si non nobis saltem posteris And that being dispatched they agree upon Martial Discipline and relieve Steenwich under the conduct of Sir John Norris who victualled it and raised the Siege having given notice of it in Letters which he shot in his Bullets The States-General in the mean time answering the King of Spain's Proscription against the Prince of Orange and providing against the insolences of the Papists by a restraint upon the exercise of their Religion at Brussels and Antwerp declare thus The States General of the United Provinces Guelders Holland Zealand Zuphten Friezland Overysel and â—roeninghen having declared Prince Philip of Austria second of that name King of Spain fallen from the Sigâ—ioâ—y of the said Provinces by reason of his extraordinary and too violent Government against their Freedom and Priviledges solemnly sworn by him having by the way of Right and Armes taken upon us the Government of the publick State and of the Religion in the said Provinces An 1581 having by an Edict renounced the Government of the K. of Spain breaking his Seals Counter-seals Privy-signets for new ones made by them in their stead and entertaining the Duke of Anjou nobly attended from England by the Lord Willoughby Sheffield Windsor Sir Philip Sidney Shirley Parrat Drury and the Lord Howard's son and recommended by the Queen who avowed That what service was done him she esteemed as done to her self and commended to him this one good Rule to be sure of the hearts of the People who invested him Duke of Brabant and Earl of Flanders wherein Dunkirke did import him much to keep a Passage open from Flanders into France as the refusal his Brother made of succour and his entertainment of French Nobility to the discouragement of the Netherlands did him much harm especially since most of his Followers were either men of Spoil or secret Pensioners to the King of Spain and he by their advice lost himself in his Enterprize upon Antwerp so far that had not her Majesties Authority reconciled them the States and he had broken irrecoverably though indeed they never after peiced For the Duke thereupon delivers all the Towns he had taken to the States retyring himself to Dunkirke while the Ganthoes and other troublesom men of the Innovation declared against him and for Duke Casimir And all the Estates humbly beseeched the Queen of England by General Norris to have mercy upon them in this woful juncture especially when the wise Prince of Orange was murthered by a fellow recommended to him by Count Mansfield and serving him three years to await this opportunity having time to say no more but Lord have mercy upon my soul and this poor People And the Spaniards during the States differences and the youth of Grave Maurice of Nassau who succeeded his Father carrying all before them insomuch that the King of France was so afraid to take the Netherlands into his Protection that he sent Embassadors to the Duke of Parma to remove the very suspition of it Especially when the Guisian League brake out upon him and the poor States had now none to trust to but the Queen of England who during their Treaty with France had made them gracious promises by Secretary Davison by whom by the Respective Deputies of their Provinces June 9. 1585 they absolutely resigned the Government to her Majesty who upon sundry great considerations of State refused that yet graciously sent them 4000 men under General Norris 184600 Guilders upon the security of either Ostend or Sluce and promised 5000 Foot and 4000 Horse under a General and other Officers of her own with pay For which the States stood bound giving Flushing Ramekins Briel and the two Sconces thereunto belonging into her hand for security and taking in her Commander in chief with two persons of Quality more of her Subjects by her appointment into their Council of State According to which Contract Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester is made Governour of the Low-Countreys for the High and Mighty Princess Elizabeth Queen of England to whom the whole Countrey did Homage receiving him as their absolute Governour though the Queen disavowed that as being likely to engage her too farr in the Quarrel and the States humbly submitted to her pleâ—sure in which capacity he set out Edicts for Discipline for the Treaty and Traffique which these troublesom people upon pretence of Liberty and Priviledg mutinied against to the great hinderance of the Earls proceedings insomuch that after he had born up their Interest as his entrance into the Government just ready to sink and taken Daventer Zuphten and other places he resigned his Government to the Council of State leaving a Meddal behind him on the one side whereof was engraven his Picture with these words Robertus â—omes Leicestriae in Belgia Gubernator 1587. And on the other side a flock of sheep scattered and before them an English Dogg with these words Non gregem sed Ingratos invitus desero Whereupon Deputies of Estates attended him with a Present a Cup as big as a Man and an humble supplication to the Queens most Excellent Majesty not to forsake them now in their low Estate so low that the King of Denmark thought fit to intercede for them to their own Leige the King of Spain while they in extremity devolve their affairs upon young Grave Maurice and declaring against the Earl of Leicesser's proceedings incensed the Queen so far that she called home General Norr is though yet Sluce had ben lost
had not Sr William Russel supplyed it with Provision when all the seven Provinces could not do it Being now intent upon the settlement of their State-General out of the Particular Deputies of the several Provinces the Earl of Leicester being called home and they hearing of a Spanish Armado knowing not what to do but to importune her Majesty of England that she should make no peace without them Now she was in treaty with the Prince of Parma which she waves though privately willing enough to reconcile their private differences which was the greatest Motive she had to abandon them It being not likely they should do any good themselves especially since there was such jealousies and mistrusts among their chief Officers who could never have been united but by the vast Armado of the common Enemy which awed both sides to so much moderation that they settle the Government in the States reduce all Parties into one Oath and submission reconcile Vtrech to Holland pay their Souldiers very punctually establish Prince Maurice in the Admiralty and Prince William in the Government of Friezland They defeat the Marquess of Varumbon with Sir Francis Vere's assistance take the Antwerp Convoy raise jealousies between the Inhabitants of Groening and their Governour maintain Liberty of Conscience nourish the French differences get 125 26l a month of the Queen of England They surprize Breda engage the Electors and get the Prince of Parma off to the siege of Paris Blackinbergh Collenbergh the Fort before Zuphten Holt Nymighen Grumbergh Geertrudenbergh Seenwye and other places are recovered by the Valour and Conduct of the English particularly Sir John Norris Sir Roger Williams and Sir Henry Vere An Edict is made concerning Printing a War is contrived between France and Spain the United Provinces and the Estates under the King of Spain treat for peace Philip William eldest son to William Prince of Orange is released from his 35 years Imprisonment whereto he was confined since he was taken in Leyden as we have formerly intimated Prince Maurice and Sir Francis Vere Sir Robert Sidney's overthrow Cardinal Albertus his Army Wan 1577 whereupon Embassadours are sent to the States from the Empire from Peland and from other parts whom they remitted to the Queen of England as being able to do nothing without her In the mean time they prevailing under her protection set up the India trade assisting their Merchants with Artillery and Ammunition so as four ships were set forth to destroy the Countrey and bring away some Inhabitants against another Voyage where 8 ships ventured that way from Amsterdam as did many more from other places in the East and West Indies to Guine besides others to Syria and Greece 1578. But the poor States being left out of the peace between France and Spain are at a loss till the Queen of England sends to them that if they resolved for a War they should inform her what provisions they had towards it and rest assured of her utmost assistance So they forbade Traffique with Spain and entertained some overture afresh in order to an offensive war towards which she sent 2000 souldiers more under Sr Th. Knowles besides 6000 men she procured from the Circles of the Empire several Forts are set up by her directiōs the Contributions are mitigated in Zealand now ready to mutiny by her Order the offensive War in Flanders began by her intimation 2800 sail of ships Rendesvouzed in the the Sea-towns of Holland Zealand and Friezland Grave Oastend and Newport are besieged and the Arch-Dukes Army is defeated Chimney-money and Excise is imposed the United States and the States-General Treat In the mean time the Arch Duke Albertus his Forces mutiny and are entertained by the United Provinces The Hollanders and the English engage the Spaniards at Sea the King of England that succeeded the Queen March 24. 1603. promising them fair in general termes whereupon Oastend and Sluce are taken and the States refuse all intercessions for peace especially since they defeated Spinola by Land and the Spanish Gallies by Sea After which the Arch-Duke Albert and his Wife Isabella in the name of the King of Spain declared them Free-states and in that capacity offered to Treat with them upon peace all the Princes of Christendom offering their Mediation onely the King of Spain's Aggreation as they call it was not clear and the 62 Articles containing their Priviledges were not moderate enough to be the ground either of a Treaty of peace or a Truce In fine These people being very intent upon the preservation of their Liberties and most prone to jealousie motion and surprizes being agitated by others passion and their own for those two great Dianaes Priviledges and Liberty of Conscience high-flown upon the Battel of Newport gotten by Sir Francis Vere refused Reason Notwithstanding the peace at Verven between the King of France and Spain which cut off half their assistance the difference between Embden and the Governour of Friezland that disturbed their Union the taking of Oastend Rhainbergh Grelen after three years siege and Sir Francis Vere's great endeavours to preserve it that weakned their Interest being grown great with the private Alliance of France and that more open of England their Trade to the Indies and their Piracies upon Spain until Spinola humbled John May the Provincial of the Franciscans perswaded and what is more then all this the King of Englands inclination to a good understanding with Spain frighted them into a twelve years Truce in a Treaty begun at Antwerp 1607. No sooner are they at peace without but having recovered the Cautionary Towns from the English by old Barnavel's cunning who as King Henry the 4th said was the ablest Statesman in Europe as far as his money went but their humours began to work among themselves Rebels are as troublesom to themselves when they have defeated their Soveraign as they were to him before their Predestination Points and the nicities of Priviledges engaging them to the great danger of the whole Government had not King James by his Embassadour Sir Ralph Wenwood very effectually interposed The King of Spain finding the observation of a great Lord upon the Truce true That assoon as the common Enemy was over they would fall by themselves set the Arch-Duke upon offering them the confirmation of the Truce into a Peace in case they would accept of his Soveraignty An overture they scorned so far that the Embassador in his way through Delph was almost stoned by the dregs of the people and assoon as the Truce was over utterly denying the prolongation of it they besieged Gulicke spoiled Brabant invited Mantsfield into East-Friezland and shrouded themselves in a League against the house of Austria with France England and Denmark c. making the Interest of Europe their security in defence of the lower Circle of the Empire took the Plate-fleet and what promised Wonders there being men in it that could dive under water and flie in the Air the Fleet of
Princes and the Earl of Egmont's Government who indeed underhand encouraged them to break Images and all Church Utensils to counterfeit and act the Preachers to disturb all Church-meetings with their Tumultuous cry Vive le Gueux which so lighted the Governess to deal plainly with his Majesty That the Prince of Orange the Earls of Egmont Horne and Hoochstrate had betrayed the Government which nothing but his Presence and an Army could settle Though in the mean time she was so much a woman as to dissemble her fears and enter to a â—â—â—emn promise of Protection of the Conâ—ederates which had accorded the differences for the present but that the Prince of Conde Admiral Coligni and other noble Protestants of France interposed their jealousies of that accord with fair overtures of assistance Whereupon the Seditious keep in and engage some of the Kings Forces whom the Earl of Egmont sent on purpose to widen the difference to an irreconcilableness to provoke them upon pretence of secret Instructions they said were given to the Kings Officers to murther them at the League and turn the Provinces to an absolute Monarchy in two most bitter Letters of Francisco de Allanas the Spanish Agent in the Court of France to the Lady Governess directing the cutting off of the Kings leaders of the Sedition meaning Orange Egmont c. one by one very privately and so examplarily that the Rebellion it self may be odious to all Christendom And concluding that the Riot could not be without the Intelligence and Supports of some Great men and namely of those three that carries so good a shew meaning Orange Egmont and Horne Passages da ed Aug. 1566 which with the intimation of seizing the Marquess of Berghes and the Baron of Montigny in Spain of chusing De Alva Governour and many more sent to Egmont from his Brother Montigny then in Spain amazed the Nobility into an Assembly Oct. 3. at Duremond where the Resolutions were so high for a Defensive War and the natural way of opposing Force with Force that they break up in discontent Arm themselves seize several strong Holds and upon assurance of the Warlike Preparations in Spain Alarm the excellent Governess to Arms. CHAP. III The Hollanders War against their own Sovereign begins VAlenciens of Henault a place very Zealous for the free exercise of Religion Cambresa Haysel Mastricht and many other Towns refused the Kings Garisons till forced by a greater Power after the Decollation of the Herlins Father and Son with other Ring-leaders of the Revolt the reducing whereof staggered the Faction to humble supplications to his Majesty who by the mediation of some Princes of Germany for liberty of Conscience for which fears and jealousies upon their late defeats having divided their Leaders they offered three Millions of Florens an ostentation of their riches as the Spanish Council judged it rather than an Argument of their submission But in vain the Dutchess forbidding the Confederates any approach to her Court and attaching all Passes Forts strong Holds while the Reformers spend 6 Months in Petitions Remonstrances Replies and Protestations watching a fair opportunity to appear especially against the new Oath upon that occasion introduced which they had upon the Edict That the Confederates and all their Adherents should appear before the Governess within â—0 dayes upon pain of being declared Rebels when those that fled not to England took the Field in Troops now desperate under the Seigniour of Tholouse who hovered about Antwerp but disowned by the Prince of Orange till he was surprized at Austerweel where 1590 were slain and excluded the Town of Antwerp being it self in an uproar for two days but with so little success that the Confederacy seemed to be broken the Lord of Brederode and his followers being commanded 5 miles out of Amsterdam with a severe injunction to behave himself there so as to give the Governess or his Majesty no further cause of discontent an injunction the Burgemasters of Amsterdam took so ill that they guarded their dear Lord by Hundreds protested against the present proceedings especially when the Prince of Orange with a formidable retinue of Gentlemen retyred in discontent first to besiege his Town of Breda and then to his County of Nassau advertising the confederate Gentlemen to prepare themselves for â—light or resistance and leaving this with the Earl of Egmont who met him to take his leave at Willebrouke viz That seeing he would not resolve with him and others to stop the entry of the Duke of Alva into the Netherlands as it had been propounded in their Assembly at Druremond he should be the Bridge whereon the Spaniards would first march to plant their Tiranny in these parts With which words Brederode whose word was God save my soul and my Honour with the other Confederates retyred into forreign Parts save that a Party made Head at Vianen two or three days where they and all their Confederates were defeated Antwerp Amsterdam and all other places yeelding to Mansfield and his Walloons who Levelled their Gates and reduced them to an absolute subjection to the King of Spain and Ferdinando de Alvarez Duke of Alva not a Confederate appearing but either in Prison on the Scaffold or in Beggars habit truly Geux now so dreadful a thing it is to meddle with them that are given to change for suddain is the ruâ—ne of them both He that is of a rebellious spirit a cruel Messenger shall be sent to him And such was the Duke of Alva with 8638 Foot and 1200 Horse mustered June 2. 1567 at a place called Rhethees in Piemont between Germany France and Spain and Marched in three Squadrons into Holland where the report of them no sooner arrived than the French the Switz and the Genevians were by the Confederates allarmed to a dreadful posture of defence Especially considering that the Duke advanced his Power and his March both together improving his 8000 to 32000 men and as the Confederates gave out looked sternly on all even moderate Persons saying upon the approach of Egmont as they reported Behold that great Lutheran A word that was laid hold of to enjealous the whole Nation quartering his Souldiers round about him as one that designed that disorder a fair occasion to make the Netherlands an absolute Monarchy setting up a Council of Twelve instead of the Council of State and acting with a full power to dispose of all places Civil and Military to judge of all Cases Publick or Private no respect being had to the Priviledges Customs Lawes Jurisdictions or Appeals of that Countrey in former times which he managed so severely that Executions and Banishments swept away half the Countrey the Keys of most Towns were taken the Gates of several Cities were taken down the Earls of Egmont and Horne the most eminent subscribers of the late undutiful Petition were Imprisoned Count Charles of Mansfield and many others escaped the former Garrisons were displaced New Citadels were built whereof the most eminent at
popular prejucice against its Schepenen or Judges and their Raet-Pensionarous or Advocate 4. The Factions in their Gecomitteerde Raeden or the Commissioners at the Hague 5. The great difficulties in settling the De vergaederinge van de Staeten van Hollandt ende West-Friezland and the respective Delegates of it 6. The vast charge that is laid upon the Kamer van Reekeninge or the two Chambers of Accounts that overlook their Estates and Tributes 7. The vast loss upon the stoppage of free Trade and Herring-fishing and the Blocking up of their Navigable Rivers 8. The inclinations of the persons that command their strong Holds of Sluce Berghen op Zoom Breda Gertrudenâ—ergh I say when I put these particulars together with the invidious Aspect cast upon this growing Province by the rest of its Neighbours I expect not it should be able to perform now what it did under a happier Government in a more useful League and Consederacy in Guicciardine's time 2. First so much given to Tumults are the fierce and rough Inhabtants of Zealand 12. So full of awls and Contentions are their Hoosden or the merry monthly meetings designed to promote friendship and good Neighbourhood 3. So Lawless and Pyratically given are their Seamen and Mariners 4. So deceitful and apt to betray their confederates for an Interest 5. So sottish whorish and licentious 6. So Impatient of Order I awes Rules or Government 7. Such the clashing between their Admiral and the Admiral of the States-General 8. So little account can their Treasurers at Middleburgh give of their antient Revenue by French Wines Salt Oyles or Eastern Trades 9. So weak are their Banks and Rampires though painfully made and chargably maintained being at best but 7. Ells in heighth and 17. in breadth at bottom made of the hardest Clay that can be gotten in the inside stuffed with Wood and Stone on the outside covered with Matts a weak defence God knoweth against a stroug Enemy and a stronger Stream 10. So visible is the decay of the trade of Middleburgh upon the opening of that of Antwerp 11. So obnoxious is that Flushing the Ramekins the chargable Islands Romerswal Schowen and Doveland to any Adversaries that the Zealanders now they cannot Fish upon which imployment depends their chief trade are more likely to perplex the State General than to assist them 3. Considering 1. That but half Gelderland is under the States-General lying open in the other half to none of their best friends 2. That their Governour and Chancellour are of late so much disobliged 3. That the proceedings of their Province are so dilatory as depending so much on its particular Cities as Zuphten c. which could never since the Revolt grow towards a settlement so many irregular hands heads being concerned in each Vote 4. That it hath so ill a Neighbour as Brabant Cleveland and Bradenburgh that Province at this juncture in my Opinion only makes up a number Notwithstanding it was once so fruitful that a Gelderland Bull was sold at Antwerp 1570 that weighed 3000 pound weight and pretendedly so strong that it boasts of 16 walled Towns though those upon the Eure and Mase lie very open to the Lord of the Sea 4. Zuphten is so ill befriended by Westphalia and the Bishop of Munster on the East of it and by Cleveland on the South so suspicious is the present Governour of Zuphten so hardly came the Vote for Subsities out of their 12 Senators that I may neglect it as much as Duke Alva did 1573. 5. The maritine Friezlanders have 1. so little use of their Nets The Inland Countreymen or Husbandmen judge themselves 2. So little concern'd in the Quarrel 3. So intent they are upon the peaceful arts of Pasturage and Tillage 4. So much do they please themselves with their very fancy of Liberty and Priviledges 5. So hardly will they part with their Money 6. So Modest Meek and Quiet they are and given to hunting and Hawking 7. So jealous are the Protestants of West-Friezland who are under the States of the Catholicks of West-Friezland who are under an Earl of their own that the Frizons are neither very able nor willing to dance after the East and West-India Companies Pipes in Holland and the rather because though surrounded with water yet not so liable to an Invasion as the States insinuate who would make use of their fears to begin a War which onely their Valour can prosecute because of the many and cross Dykes that forbid any marching throughout the Coast by either Horse or Foot 6. The Inhabitants of Groning are so delicate lazie and proud its Councill of 12 called Naetsluyden and 24 called Geswoeren Raden their Wacht Meesters are so stubborn refusing at this present affair boâ—h a consederacy with contribution to or commands from the United Provinces being so safe in their rich and strong Groning and so contented with their own Domestick-trade prohibiting all Forreigners upon pain of Confiscation of Goods and Vessels that they neither know nor fear any Enemy 7. Neither is Groynland so secure as Overyssel that low Marsh is fearful Daventer and Swoll it s two chief Towns having still impressions of the English Valour since the fierce assaults made upon them 1576 under the Earl of Leicester then Governour of the Low-countreys as likewise hath the troublesome Bishoprick of Vtrecht which hath been so inured to seditions at home that it understands not what means a War abroad Besides some modern disgusts taken by the President Senators and the Treasurer at the proceedings upon some appeals at the Hague make them unwilling to hazard the Rhine to any ordinary undertaker Gent. It seems then reâ—lly that the whole affair of this present War is against the Interest of this Countrey Trav. I leave thâ—â— to you when you have reflected on these Particulars which the Duke of Rhoan writing of the Interest of the States of Europe makes the peculiar concerns of the United Provinces viz 1. A firm League with England for trade and a Confederacy against Spain the antient Soveraign 2. A good correspondence with such Princes as are potent in the Mediterranian or the Baltick Sea 3. A quiet and easie Government free from Tumults and Seditions or the occasions of them want of Trade and Impositions 4. Free trade 5. A care that no one City or Province groweth either so Rich or Potent that the rest should envy or suspect it 6. A quickness to observe and readiness to buy off all pretensions or allegations of Neighbour-Princes as soon as they are made Gent. 〈◊〉 remember very well that there were 5 things for which Cardinal Bentâ—voglio presaged the downfall of this Republick and they are 1. That Liberty would come to Licentiousness 2. That there would such inequality arise from their pretended equality as would bring them as it did the Romans from many Masters under one Soveraign 3. That they must in time trust too much to general Officers especially their Admiral and General 4.